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Doc...I hope you are well now. Sorry to hjear you were under the weather.

I believe we rarely take the time to praise ourselves because the measurement stick is always out there, where we can see so many examples of others' success and the climbing corporate ladders, we are almost exhausted from the process of comparison.

It is very important to reflect on what is truly success...aside from the material and superficial trapppings defined as such. I think success is the affirming review of our daily efforts and accomplishments for others. Only then can we begin to find such praise of self, apart fromt he worldly trappings of our cultural noise.

I am one who believes that we are truly rewarded in the next life for our deeds here...not that we can earn our way there..just that we will be acknowledged in a special; way once there. This revierw process keeps me quietly and privately praising my efforts in the humblest sense, because I perform the deeds in the name of the Lord.

In the end, it is praising Him in word qnd in DEED that provides me the disposition to find praise for myself.

Is that a clear explanation?

I just added a page to www.CompassionSpace.com where I talk about the seven features of radiant compassion. In all the research I have done on compassion phenomena there always seems to be a "sacred" quality that is both practiced and experienced. I can never quite capture this in writing, or stories, or even my art work. Yet it is something I have personally shared with many. It is also prevalent throughout the history of writings on the topic of compassion. I do agree with you that "holding the sacred", as part of compassionate living, is important to developing stronger and deeper compassion.

When it comes to "being rewarded", I guess my thoughts lean toward the nature of soul and how ever you might define that. I see strong compassion as a relationship of the soul. As we develop compassion we further develop the ability to "soul listen". The rewards, I think, lie simply and humbly right there. If the soul does live on then it is probably a good idea to learn how to listen to it, and to help others to do the same.