If we want to see an end to suffering, if we want the world to calm down and become a safe space for every individual, we are told that we can do something that will make this happen. If we see the struggles in the world around us as something we would like to heal, we are told that there is a way that we can be instrumental in its healing. But how?

Even if we feel helpless in the face of such suffering, once we can recognize this pain, it will start to reach us on a deep, inner level of our being. This realization of such pain and helplessness in the world is the beginning of the solution. These feelings are a way of reaching into our hearts that opens a pathway into our own unique essence, into the center of who we really are.

What we can find there, within the center of our being, is a precious tenderness that longs to create peace, that longs to be loved and cared for, longs to discover our intrinsic connection with the oneness of all that exists. We want to know that deep down we all belong to somewhere safe, somewhere whole, somewhere without want or pain. But this would make us realize how vulnerable we really are, so most of us usually stop our search before we’ve begun, and step aside of that thought, holding on to what we already know, just to be on the safe side of life.

But some of us, when we find this tenderness within, will want to know more, will want to know how we can reach into the unknown space within our hearts. When we’re ready for such a search, a doorway tends to open within us, and a new way forward comes into view. Our deep longing can lead us into a clearer perspective of how we can be true to our own self, of how we can awaken more of the love that’s deep within us, and this can give us more of the joy we long to find.

As we gently grow into the abundance of love that arises from within us, we can find that we have become part of the healing process in the world. Every individual who steps into this clearer awareness becomes an instrument for healing in the world. As more of us take on this inner quest into the essence of our own hearts, we can begin to open up the minds of those around us, and gradually build more of this compassion throughout the world, one soul at a time.