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Compassion Burnout/Overload

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posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 11:02 AM
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reply to post by petrus4
 


This is essentially what I do. I pick a few charities, and I support those.

I am clearly on a giver's list. I get many requests. Between the charities and the phone soliticting that I get, my actual personal calls to my home number are about 10 to 1.

Charities I thank them and say no or suggest that they send me something so that I can review it. Soliticing I hang up on - I get too many of them.

When reviewing charities, I pick causes I find important and dovetail my political beliefs. I generally don't pick ones that are religious in nature - I have fewer problems with the workers having religion than in their aid going only to people that they deem to be of a similar religion. I pick ones that have good investment/infrastructure spending. A significant amount of the money needs to go to the work.

I pick charities were the WORK is the primary motive.

I generally don't pick to fund disease oriented charities. That's a personal choice on my part. I am very careful about my political donations.



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 12:11 PM
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Originally posted by Aeons
When reviewing charities, I pick causes I find important and dovetail my political beliefs.


Same.

www.survivalinternational.org... - This is an example in my own case. They work to provide legal assistance to indigenous groups who are threatened with displacement, usually due to resource extraction such as logging, mining etc. A lot of people probably wouldn't consider that a worthwhile cause, but I think it is. I found out about them not long after Avatar came out.

I'm not actually left wing so much any more; or not as much as I used to be, anyway. There was a left wing activist called Dennis Trainor on YouTube who I used to donate to, but I stopped because I felt that his content started to focus too much on complaining about problems, rather than finding solutions.

I also know some people online who are very left wing, and I don't like their attitude because I think it is very easy for government to manipulate. I also don't agree with all of it, but I've started to become sympathetic to some of what Alex Jones says, as well. So I think I'm moving a bit more back towards the right, but I don't necessarily see that as being a bad thing. I don't want conservatism to make me non-compassionate, but I think it can help to make us sensible.


I generally don't pick to fund disease oriented charities. That's a personal choice on my part. I am very careful about my political donations.


It is a choice that I would agree with. I have seen numerous implications online (unproven, of course) of the idea that it is not truly necessary for cancer to still exist, but that it primarily does because it makes the medical industry tremendous amounts of money.



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 12:50 PM
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reply to post by ladyinwaiting
 


I'll tell you what. While you ponder the excellent advice already given by others in this thread and hopefully take some time to recharge, I'll put in particular effort over the next few days to drum up some extra compassion on your behalf. Yes I know it's brutally hot this summer but I think even I can manage to work up some altruism for you.
So please rest assured that while you take a well-deserved break from saving the world, the good fight will continue in your name, be it ever so humbly.

And seeing as you have so many fans here, perhaps others would like to pledge to do the same for Ladyinwaiting?

Be well...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4a1d51017b27.jpg[/atsimg]


edit on 8/18/11 by silent thunder because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 12:54 PM
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argh curse of the double post...sorry...
edit on 8/18/11 by silent thunder because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 01:16 PM
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Perception is reality, and if indeed all things are created in the mind before manifesting into reality (everything begins as an idea in the mind) then what you focus on will become your reality eventually.

I used to feel how you feel. But as many of the other members have already given the advice I'm about to give, I figure it's well worth repeating given the weight of it if applied. Don't be accountable 24/7 by text, phone, email, blackberry, laptop, etc... and ignore it. You'll be surprised how not much changes and your life improves. Don't subject yourself to the images of things that are past and bring only sorrow or anger always depicted on the news, there's no news like bad news right? Everyone looks at a disaster as they pass by it, it's human nature to see entropy on such a grand and instantaneous scale and get a sense of awe at the powers beyond our control.

The best and simplest advice I can give is to only focus on what you love and have compassion for, and do everything you can to do your best at the things you can do RIGHT now with people who are in your life NOW to help them the best way you can. And before you try to help everyone at once, focus on one person at a time and help them any way you can. Sending money off to a cause is nice, but who knows when that money will arrive and be used to it's true purpose, if ever. Help your mom clean dead squirrels out of the gutter, mow your neighbors lawn if they can't, help the people who are in your life if even for a moment. The impression will last forever.

But first, make a difference in your life and start anywhere you can... like cleaning your room.



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 01:49 PM
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reply to post by ladyinwaiting
 


No and I did a thread about it. I'm just not going to take anything seriously anymore, I just can't. Gallows humor, black humor, it has got me through a lot of heart ache. I have been in human service's for my entire life and so I've seen plenty of man's inhumanity to man. I have seen plenty of blood and guts. I am really tired now. It has just sucked the marrow from my very bones. I have tried to help people and have been battered physically, psychologically and emotionally by the very people I was/am trying to help. So this has been a lesson, a big lesson and I think I am finally getting it. So with compassion comes (THE BIG LESSON), the next lesson, which is Wisdom. Applying Wisdom with Compassion. Knowing when to wield compassion and when not to. Not letting yourself be sucked dry by psychic vampire's. Compassion must be applied with Wisdom or it is just wasted energy. So don't be frustrated. there is nothing wrong with you. You are just learning to apply Wisdom with Compassion. You are now understanding the lesson. I think that is one of the main reasons I had to incarnate into human form, perhaps you as well. No let's integrate and get the hell out of here and go home!
Peace, Love, Light, Truth and Beauty to you all!
edit on 18-8-2011 by HUMBLEONE because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 02:10 PM
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i suppose ive justified it in a way. I always wanted to be faster, stronger, and smarter to try and save the people around me from harm. To try to only allow the minimum amount of suffering to promote personal growth... but reality is bigger than this planet. I live everyday to earn the power it would take to wipe the tears from every cheek, but i fear it is all in vain. There are more sentient beings suffering in aggony than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of earth. Even with infinity in mind that is what i would do with an eternity...



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 02:20 PM
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ST:
Thanks for your thoughts and the wonderful photo. I have three broken bones in my foot at the moment, so a photo might be the closest I get to a beach for a while.

AbstractKARMA:
Narrowing it down, is key, I think. Seriously, most of us need to do this in most areas of life, much like "commitment".
We can't love everybody on the planet, because we will simply be floundering around, never achieving happiness or stability. We have to Commit - as in saying - "THESE are the people I'm going to love" ,during my lifetime.

Humbleone:
You've gots the burnout worse than me! I understand though, of course. You might sound even a bit traumatized from all you've been through.

I'll share Silent Thunder's picture of the sea with you.



edit on 8/18/2011 by ladyinwaiting because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 02:44 PM
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reply to post by Wertdagf
 



to save the people around me from harm


...And I think this is the answer. "The people around me". You have written a beautiful piece here.

When we do hear about horrendous catastrophes occurring around the planet, the Haiti earthquake, for example, we can do what small piece we can.

There are charities I trust, who actually put people on planes, who go to do "hands-on" work. We can be supportive of them.

I think for the moment I have put up a wall around that part of me. The part that's bruised, or overloaded.
Everybody here seems to think I need to take some time from it all, the news, etc. to "recharge". yes.
I think so too.
I'll turn off the news, which seems to always be on, (God, I'm such a news junkie) and hit Netflix up for some thrillers and sci-fi.



posted on Aug, 18 2011 @ 03:12 PM
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reply to post by ladyinwaiting
 


check out some jospeh cambell stuff. Its called MYTHOS on netflicks.

Always a treat listening to that guy talk.



posted on Aug, 20 2011 @ 07:32 AM
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The following papers may help you to navigate these troubled times:

www.wingmakers.com...

eventtemples.com...

eventtemples.com...

It's important to understand that you do not have to "fabricate" compassion as you have limited resources to do that. You have to draw from the infinite field of divine love that surrounds you at all times and express it in your local universe. When you fell depleted call on this field to replenish. This is called Humility, which is another virtue your heart can express.



posted on Aug, 20 2011 @ 08:31 AM
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reply to post by Fraam
 


Thank you for the links. I'm looking over them now, and like what I see.

I want to ask you a question.

Why did you click on this thread? How did you know about those links?

Could it be that you too, have had or are having some of the same issues I do?



posted on Aug, 20 2011 @ 09:15 AM
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reply to post by ladyinwaiting
 


Sadly all those mailings they bombard you with costs more than your donation.



posted on Aug, 20 2011 @ 09:21 AM
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My sensitivity to human suffering, pain, torture and all the atrocities of the world has always been off the charts since I was very young. It's hard to understand how we can do this to another human being. I am also having a very difficult time lately with seeing what is happening in the world. I completely understand.



posted on Aug, 21 2011 @ 11:02 AM
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Originally posted by Fraam
The following papers may help you to navigate these troubled times:

www.wingmakers.com...

eventtemples.com...

eventtemples.com...

It's important to understand that you do not have to "fabricate" compassion as you have limited resources to do that. You have to draw from the infinite field of divine love that surrounds you at all times and express it in your local universe. When you fell depleted call on this field to replenish. This is called Humility, which is another virtue your heart can express.


Fabulous advise! Thank you!



posted on Aug, 21 2011 @ 11:18 AM
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Social conditioning in the media can be an extremely effective tool in advancing domestic and global agendas.

You're always going to see the worst, rarely the good anywhere in the world. This world, our world, can be as good for all of us, or as bad as we collectively make it. If we accept the world as it is constantly portrayed in the mainstream media, then we are doomed to continue down a path toward our own self-made hell on earth.

The human race can advance beyond all of this collectively, or destroy itself slowly over time, and that choice is ours to make, individually and collectively.

We are one world, one people, divided and separated largely by ignorance.

You can change the world for the better, but you can't change it alone.



posted on Aug, 21 2011 @ 11:20 AM
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Sounds like you could use a vacation to somewhere remote! (without ANY luxuries except perhaps running water, toilets and showers
)
Go pitch a tent somewhere for a weekend in a nice remote lake where you can see the milky way at night.

I often feel "compassion fatigue" as well. To be so empathetic is like a curse and a blessing. I try to see it as more of a blessing, but when I get worn out, it curses my own life.
I'm the type of person where if I am your friend, I am the one you will go to if you need help, or someone to talk to.
I'm the type that will listen and offer a non biased fresh perspective on a situation. I'm the type of person that if my friends were in a fight, I would jump in, knowing I would get my ass kicked (maybe not hehe). I'm the type of person that will let someone sleep on my couch because I just bailed them out of jail and they have no other place to go...
And those are just the people around me.
I often feel used. Sometimes I feel like a dirty rug... I don't know why I do this. I expect nothing in return. But sometimes I just feel people just use me. They only come around when they need me. But when I need a release, I have no where to turn to, except the internet (thanks)
This is why I sometimes feel it is a curse for me.

I wish I could afford a vacation, I could REALLY use one.



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