Behaving With Compassion

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We are nearing the end of 2020, which has been the craziest year of my life, unbelievably highs, unbelievable lows and challenges that were unlike anything we have faced before with this COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted all of us. Like I can’t think of a single part of my life or a single part of our lives or a single person that has not been impacted by this dreaded pandemic.

And it’s cool because there’s hope on the horizon. We have a vaccine that is available all throughout the world and it’s being deployed in Europe and in North America here. And you know, there’s some hope that we’re going to be able to get on the other side of this, and I’m super excited about it. I’m super optimistic.

And I hope that we can get back to traveling and gathering and doing the things that make us feel alive and feel human. But I actually think there’s something more important than this vaccine to help us get on the other side of this pandemic efficiently and healthily and with all of us still together. And that is having compassion for your fellow man. And I had an experience not too long ago,

that highlighted for me the importance of having compassion for your fellow man. So I want to tell you what happened. So just like many of you, I was gearing up for Christmas, unlike any other Christmas in my life where I wasn’t going to be gathering with family and the normal traditions and routines that we normally do. I just wasn’t going to partake in.

And I had a well-meaning friend who heard what my Christmas was going to be and invited me to go visit and spend the Christmas with them. And they were going to kind of gather together and Christmas, kind of buck the rules of this pandemic, and just kind of gathered together. And he was going to invite me, going to invite me there. And I said, no, I really just want to stay isolated and not come in contact with the potential for COVID-19.

And this friend made fun of me. This friend started like making jokes, like how I’m letting this pandemic rule my life. And almost like, describing it as like, weak. That I was being weak and not living my life the way I wanted to, just because of a silly pandemic. And I was letting, you know, the scientists like Dr. Fauci scare me and all those kinds of things. And I just kind of stuck to it. And I, you know, I’m just not comfortable gathering together with people. And by the way, for me mostly it’s because like 20 years from now, when I look back,

I want to be able to say that I did my part to get rid of this disease. So anyway, I’m listening to this friend kind of make jokes about me and I’m just sticking to my guns. Like I’m just not willing to join. And again, this well meaning friend, and he just didn’t want me to, to be alone during the holiday.

So anyway, the holiday passes, I find out that his friend has tested positive for COVID-19 and has quite serious significant symptoms. Like they were not asymptomatic. Like this person is experiencing some pretty significant symptoms and has even spent some time in the hospital. So I was thinking about that. I was thinking, this is a really well-intentioned person just wanting me to have a good Christmas,

but sometimes compassion looks like making the hard choices and the hard choice would be, let’s just do this hard thing and stay isolated and not kind of gathered together. But what this friend didn’t know is I have a really close friend and I’m about to do an event super excited about it. ‘Purpose 2021’ starts on Monday, January 4th and 5th. Me and my good friend,

Dr. Adam Froerer, we’re going to get together and host this event. Now what that person didn’t know is Dr. Adam froerer’s wife, a wonderful person named Becca, spent 2019 getting chemotherapy and she’s immunocompromised. So had I gone to this person’s house, not only would I have been exposed to COVID-19, but next week, when I see Adam, I would be exposing Adam and his immunocompromised wife.

So just that one decision could have impacted many, many people. And with her immune system being compromised, it could likely be fatal. Her exposure to COVID-19 could likely be fatal. I started off this video saying like, I think this vaccine is great. And I think we should be optimistic that we’re about to turn a corner and get on the other side of this,

but we need to behave with compassion. And sometimes compassion means doing hard things to show care. Like sometimes being compassionate means being a little bit uncomfortable now, so that everybody can stay safe and healthy in the grand scheme of things. We shouldn’t get lost in our, in our immediate, acute needs without missing the big picture, because I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself.

If I made a decision that costs Becca her life, like that would destroy me. I mean, I don’t know, I don’t know what I could do. And if all I’ve got to do is sit home and just like, be by myself for a few days, even though I don’t love that on things like Christmas and Thanksgiving and you know, New Year’s Eve and all that kind of stuff.

And so be it like, I’m happy to, to do that, to protect and keep everybody safe. And if I get exposed, that’s just the one person that I know. Like, I know Becca, I know Adam, but like, what about the people that I don’t know that I might walk past in the grocery store or in a mall or in a movie theater?

If I just keep living my life the way I live it. What about the people who have immune compromised people in their home. The elderly, young people, other people come through chemotherapy, someone who has a health condition that they might not know of. People with diabetes, people overweight. I could accidentally be exposing all kinds of people. When all I got to do is to just stay my ass at home and keep everybody safe. That’s why compassion so important. So let’s get the vaccine. Let’s be optimistic. Let’s turn the corner, but let’s also behave with compassion.

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