Set the bar high.

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, teaches us to practice compassion in our daily lives. Compassion. What is compassion in action? Being patient. Being kind. Being brave. But it's also biting one's tongue and really listening when a family member wants to vent so that he or she can figure things out. We tend to think that when someone tells us about a problem they are dealing with that they want us to help them come up with a solution. But that's not what people want. Most people just want to be heard. Most of us are smart enough to figure things out on our own if given the chance. We all just need a little encouragement. We don't have to figure out everyone's else's problems. That's not our job. Our job is to be the best version of ourselves that we can be so that we achieve a clear mindset that is supportive and encouraging of others around us while, simultaneously,  accomplishing your life goals. The ultimate goal is to lead others by example by excelling in everything that you set out to do. Go conquer your fears. Skydive. Scuba dive. Ride a scooter and get lost on an island and find your way back. Learn to shoot a gun. Learn to drive stick shift. Learn to fly a plane. Climb a mountain. Travel far and wide and meet people of all colors, races and religions so that you can learn your similarities, not your differences. Don't focus on division. Focus on unity. Unity and community. What unites us as humans? All forms of human expression. Music. Art. Poetry. Literature. How do you want to contribute to that unity? How can you best implement into action your call to social justice via artistic expression? Don't talk about it. Be about it. Give your all to your projects and you will become the embodiment of compassion by giving back. Hold yourself accountable and set your own expectations of yourself high. If other people set the bar low, make it your goal to set it as high as you feel you are capable of. Then reach it and bask in self-love and then set that bar higher. You soon learn there are no limits to what you can set out to do. So you learn to do it with passion because you face your darkest fears. You earn your own self respect and can then command it confidently from those around you. Never lower yourself to other people's levels. Keep your bars set high and keep loving yourself as best you can. That's actually the real reason that we do all that we do. We are all ultimately learning to love ourselves. By forgiving ourselves. By learning to encourage ourselves. By adapting as best we can during difficult circumstances and seeking the best solutions to the problems that we encounter. By facing challenges head on and learning to admire our grit and our resolve. It is only those that learn to love themselves that will ever be able to truly love others. The best way to love others is to love ourselves. Then we can accept the love of those around us. That is the ultimate lesson. Learn to love yourself first so that you can love others and also accept other people's love. Hold yourself to high standards. Make yourself proud. You deserve it just like everyone else does. Self love is the secret to setting that bar high and reaching it. Accept your own challenge. You are worth it.