Greetings! November 2004 I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! In the spirit of giving thanks, I want to take a moment to THANK YOU all from the bottom of my heart for your support, encouragement and readership. You truly inspire me to live my life's purpose and I thank you for that! This month's workout is about practicing compassion and as the holiday season kicks into gear, I think we could all use a little compassion :-) If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. Warm wishes, Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events Practicing Compassion It's so easy to judge. It's so easy to assume. And, it's so easy to point out what's wrong with others, yet it's so difficult to step into the shoes of another and truly understand what's going on for them. Human nature never fails to intrigue me and remind me that I am really no different than anyone else. I want to be "right" and, of course, I think I know what's right and wrong. Boy, is that the furthest from the truth! That truth I am referring to is what I call "universal truth". Imagine we all come from one mold, one universal source and that source is pure compassion and understanding with no preconceived notion of right from wrong, no preconceived notion of how people or life "should" be. It only knows human kindness and compassion, the core of human being. But, we all know what happens as we grow. We develop lenses and filters through which we see the world and others. And, sometimes our lenses get cloudy and we don't often see the whole picture. We create a picture of how we think life is and should be, but we don't always see the other person's point of view and truly understand what they are experiencing. Imagine living life without filters or judgments? Imagine approaching conflict with understanding? Imagine responding to hatred with compassion? Sound impossible? Well, it can often feel that way. Especially with what is going on in the world, in our country and in the cities we live in. Practicing compassion is one of the greatest challenges as a human being and one of the most critical success factors in shifting our human consciousness. I ask you this holiday season, as you are amongst the hustle and bustle of shoppers, busy drivers, holiday gatherings, gift giving and receiving, and the soft touches of snowflakes on your face, to stop, seek to understand, put yourself in the other person's shoes and seek compassion, for their life, for your life and the amazing life that is available to us all. Practice compassion and you will begin to see yourself in everyone. Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: A Look at Compassion: Explore the following processes and questions below for this month's workout: What is compassion to you? What is it to be compassionate? What lenses and filters can you identify with that may cloud your view of others? Of life itself? Think of a time when you assumed, were judging of or made an assessment about without seeking to understand? Now, rewind the tape. Looking back at that time, instead of judging right away, what questions could you have asked that would seek understanding? How would you be if you were compassionate about the people or situation involved? The next time you are inclined to judge or assume, stop and get curious. Ask more questions. Seek understanding and practice the rigor of being compassionate in the moment. As you do this, what do you notice about yourself? About the situation? Remember, it's not always easy and doesn't always come naturally, so be gentle with yourself. Practice being compassionate with yourself and others, one day at a time. I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: Compassion Carrying all the weight Of life on our shoulders, Makes it difficult to decipher our thoughts from reality. Perhaps we have developed so many layers of assumptions And beliefs, that it's hard to uncover the truth. Seek to understand. Seek compassion. It is in the experience of seeking the truth that we can appreciate another. Open up to understanding! Get curious! Never underestimate the depth of another's soul.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Upcoming Workshops, Events, Announcements EVENTS Eliot School 7th Annual Holiday Arts & Craft Show, Jamaica Plain, MA Check out Jean's latest Jewelry Designs and crafts by over 20 artists Saturday, December 4, 2004 11am - 6pm 24 Eliot St, Jamaica Plain, MA http://www.eliotschool.org/event.html "Networking with a Twist...and Beyond!" Boston Women's Network Annual Holiday Mixer and Silent Auction Presented by Chris Vasiliadis of Signature Faces and Jean DiGiovanna of ThinkPeople. Come mingle, have fun, donate to a very worthy cause and get to know each better in a way that won't even feel like your "networking". All proceeds from the Silent Auction go to RESPOND, a women's shelter in Somverville, MA. Tuesday, December 9, 2004 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at the Woburn Crowne Plaza To register or for more info, see http://www.bostonwomensnetwork.org/news/120904_meeting.html Curious about ThinkPeople's other services? Check out Facilitation/Training/ Consulting" I hope you've enjoyed ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout and found value out of it! Feel free to forward to your friends, family and colleagues. To read past editions of ThinkPeople's Newsletters and to learn more about our services and products, visit us at http://www.thinkpeople.com/resources.html If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail unsubscribe@thinkpeople.com Copyright Info: ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout for the mind, heart and soul is ©2004 Jean M. DiGiovanna. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. Jean M. DiGiovanna, Publisher Amy Rewakowski, Editor ThinkPeople ~ Playground for Shifting Reality jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.489.7494