"Just like me"

Well, dear people, we are getting thoroughly into the holidays now and many of us will have considerable challenges over the next few days as we interact with people with whom we may have a bit of difficulty in terms of getting along. I want to recommend the "Just like me" practice that I talked about in class at the Center a couple of years ago. Here's what you say to yourself:

* This person has a body and a mind, just like me.
* This person has feelings, emotions and thoughts, just like me.
* This person has at some point been sad, disappointed, angry, hurt or confused, just like me.
* This person has in his or her life, experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering, just like me.
* This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering, just like me.
* This person wishes to be safe, healthy and loved, just like me.
* This person wishes to be happy, just like me.

I found this particular version of the exercise in a Huffington Post article entitled "Cultivating Compassion: Meditation for Better Relationships". There are a few more exercises in the article which are quite wonderful.