Compassion protects you.
I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but it is not.
Compassion protects you...
This is how I learned to combat bullying and depression as a boy. I learned to put myself in the shoes of my tormentors and ask myself, What is going on in their home life, that is so bad that they need to torment my and try and make me feel bad about myself?
By putting myself in their shoes, I was able to get outside of my head, and no longer able to internalize it. Eventually, because of this, my tormentors and bullies grew bored with me because I was no longer giving them the reaction they wanted. This skill served me well as a basketball player and still does today as a motivational speaker. People inflict pain when they are in pain.
People inflict pain when they are in pain...
When you walk through life with compassion and patience for others, you realize their pain is simply a projection which they are trying to pass on to you, and it has nothing to do with you. It is not about you.
Remember this: Compassion protects you.
Lance Allred is the First Deaf Player in NBA History, Keynote Motivational Speaker and Best Selling Author
Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook: @lanceallred41
Watch his TEDx smash hit “What is your Polygamy?”