Yesterday I had one of those moments in life that you know is a once in a life time opportunity. The Dalai Lama spoke in Memphis after receiving the International Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum. I was blessed to be one of 1200 to hear him speak and was only about 12 rows back so I could actually see him clearly!

His message was about compassion – for ourselves, for others and for people who think differently from us. What impact would there be if we each adopted a mindset of compassion?Could it be that instead of immediately judging someone, we would recognize that they had different experiences and may react differently, yet in a broader vision we could value them as a human being? Think about the impact on diversity issues…

Could it be that instead of distrusting someone, we explore what their views are and discover that our differences are not so great? Think about the impact on teamwork or leadership…

Could it be that instead of accepting the proliferation of fear, we consider what we would rather experience in our life and choose to focus on that… joy, peace, and happiness. (You are going to focus on something, why not one of those?) Think about the impact on corporate culture…

Could it be that instead of worrying about things, we could find quiet calm and from that calm be able to see opportunity that is unseen when we worry? (As the Dalai Lama shared, we are worried about financial loss, job loss, etc … he lost his country!) Think about the impact on personal health…

You may not be familiar with or agree with the Dalai Lama or the Buddhist religion and I would not call myself a follower of either. Yet, what I am impressed with is the overall message of acceptance, compassion, and belief that all people have the potential for greatness.

Having Compassion as a Mindset creates the possibility of achieving inner peace which will change your life as well as influence those around you and beyond.