Bloganuary writing prompt

What books do you want to read?

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O how humanity needs books (and other media) that touch the heart and inspire kindness and compassion. Those are the books I want to read. I seek them out and devour them. Decades of reading books like that help fill my mind with original positive thoughts that rise up from within me. Here are some of the most recent ones:

The media you use
Can harden your heart
Or make you empathetic.
You get to choose.

There’s more than enough pain in this world. Words and actions that create even more pain aren’t helpful! Caring is courageous but apathy is contagious and causes caring to curl up and hide away.

Kindness and anger cannot long coexist. One will drive the other out of your mind and heart.

A little kindness is a big deal. Go big! Ongoing anguish is common; ongoing empathy is rare.

Without an open caring heart human intelligence is merely information processing. Data sorting can never satisfy your inner longings. Humbly connecting heart-to-heart with other people is a powerful, yet underutilized, medicine.

Instead of looking at what someone says or does, look at how they are struggling and suffering. Then you will feel compassion instead of anger. A tender heart is strong enough to deeply care about other people. A closed heart is too weak to deeply care.

When you disagree with people, they won’t hear your arguments or anger, but they will hear your compassion. Show kindness. When people talk, listen with compassion. It will shock them and soften their heart toward you.

It’s much easier to be kind to people when you let your heart be touched by their pain. When a wounded person strikes out at you, inflicting more pain will only make things worse.

No one will pay attention to your arguments if they think you are hostile toward them. Vulnerability gives birth to compassion. Being aware of your own pain helps you care about the pain of others.

Compassion isn’t weakness.
It’s courage.
Be courageous!

Empathize
Until you realize
A caring heart
Is life’s greatest prize.

I want my thoughts
To be made
Of beautiful words.
When ugly words
Try to invade
I reject their parade.

The human heart is made
For a love that grows
Beyond what the mind knows
And prepares the way
For agape,
God’s compassion
In selfless action.

Heartfelt prayer
Will help you care
And even see
Your enemies
With empathy.

The world needs people who listen to others, share their pain, speak the truth, and boldly demonstrate Christ’s love to them. Be one.