In our challenging, stressful world, praise is often showered on self-promoters, even at the cost of diminishing the dignity of others. Maybe we’ve become numb to it. The line between our true reality and reality TV has become blurred by social media, ‘Selfies’, crass divisiveness and wealth accumulation, all celebrated over acts of com-passion for our fellow human beings. Somehow the humiliation, pain and suffering of “others” has taken center stage as a form of diversion. In this jagged landscape, many ‘role models’ strive to protect their own dignity as sacred, without consideration for the dignity of others. This distraction pulls us away from becoming the best that we can be. This noisy, selfish world does not give us time to stop and consider the dignity of others, but if we pause to reflect on all of this, we can begin a new dialogue with ourselves:

“I have wants and needs, and generally prioritize myself as the center of my universe. Most of us tend to think of ourselves as the most important person in the world – Me before Others. But, so does each and every other person! If I stop reciting the mantra of “me, me, me…” and look around, I might realize that I am just one person adrift in a vast ocean of humanity. How can I be more important than 7.8 billion people? All people seek to maintain their own sacred Dignity, and so aren’t they just the same as me?”

We must remember that each and every Human Being is created equal in the divine image of our Creator and has innate Dignity. “Human dignity is the same for all human beings.” This realization, coupled with empathy and compassion, helps us to feel another’s suffering as our own. Realizing this ‘equanimity’ between ourselves and all others, and the shared desire to be treated with dignity and compassion, we come to understand that we are all the same; each of us is seeking happiness while traveling the same path.

If we continuously nurture and grow our compassion, we will understand that “when I trample on the dignity of another, I am trampling on my own.” Finally, realizing that we are spiritually connected to all of our brothers and sisters, we will develop the Heart connection that honors the Dignity of all.