Yoga Life Book
Page 3
A TIME FOR CARING
The ability to care for others is not an intellectual
or calculated exercise. It is a spontaneous abundance of heart.
When you get in contact with that inspired self, caring is simply
an unconscious way of being.
Arguments about the true nature of humans have raged for centuries.
Are people capable of pure altruism? Or are acts of helping, kindness
and generosity always based on necessity or fear or expectation of
reward?
But if a person is by nature hedonistic, why will they help
another? Why do something not in their own self-interest? Cynics
assign an ulterior motive to all pro-social behavior; some even
go so far as to view altruism as a sign of neurosis, a refusal to
cope with the realities of life.
The human infant, unlike the young
of many species, literally cannot survive without care. Babies
who are not held and properly nurtured often die; of those who survive,
many become autistic or turn criminal later in life.
In pursuit
of the life well lived many people have ridden rough-shod over
their own better nature. They have all but trampled their need to
care and be cared for. Yet caring for each other—and for
ourselves—is an integral part of what we need to feel at
peace with ourselves and the world we live in. By neglecting
and trivializing our caring nature, we are betraying our own
best interests.
Caring for and about others is caring for ourselves. Caring for
others accrues great benefits to us. It increases our self-esteem,
attracts the care and concern of others, improves the environment,
and enhances the quality of life.
The decision to care requires assertiveness
and a sense of self-worth that many people just don’t have.
Fear,
then—of rejection, of being misunderstood, of being laughed
at or thought foolish, of being taken advantage of—inhibits
caring actions. People refrain from doing anything rash or spontaneous.
The risks seem formidable. So they play it cool and keep up their
aristocratic, above-it-all facade.
The Caring Capacity has been
weakened by disuse, lack of reinforcement, and misunderstanding
of its potential for growth. Putting it back in working order is
a matter of recognizing caring feelings and improving skills.
Caring has impact. We feel productive and worthy of others’ care
and attention. We see ourselves in a positive light.
People are
naturally attracted to those who care. They have an alluring
energy and radiance.
- By George Bach
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