How do you measure your worth – exploring the metrics of compassion

Covid isolation has had me thinking, thinking deeply about our society and who we are. How did we come to this system of what I feel is our enslavement to money, where only a few people benefit from the hard-work of others. Don’t get me wrong if you worked hard for your empire (which 99% of you do) there becomes a tipping point where your hard work is spring boarded into dis-proportioned benefits. Do you really need that 5th gold toilet and 30th Rolex? If you live week to week, can’t work because you need to look after your family full-time – than you suffer. If you need to slow down at work to look after your family for a few months, you suffer mentally (by being frowned upon at work, losing privileges and status) and financially. To me it all steams from our obsession with numbers.

We have numbers every-where, we are trained from an early age to be all about our metrics, our school scores and averages, which then turns into KPIs and goals at work (so you can get that bonus). So when it comes to our personal life not only do we have to contend with the number of friends and likes on social media, we have our personal metrics of weight, body mass index, calories, bank accounts, number of kids/pets and really the list can go on. Even now with Covid they update the stats daily by 10am to monitor that downward curve! In a society focused on numbers how do we change the conversation to things we can’t measure like values, love and duty of care – the metrics of compassion?

These hidden metrics are the hidden heroes of the human psyche that we don’t talk about typically in the economy because there is no metric, popularity, or wealth associated with it. But for those that value this type of currency they have the full richness of satisfaction and happiness in their lives – they can transcend past the numbers.

To buy into this currency of the “hidden metrics of compassion” we need to:

• Understand our values and surround ourselves around others who share those values
• Have conversations with others about the good deeds and work done in the community
• We need to ask our kids, “What did you do today at school to make someone feel special?”
• Decide on an activity that your family can do this year to enrich someone else’s life in the community
• Spend time with friends and have fun
• Commend ourselves and reward others for how we support our families, including our elderly and strangers
• Have alone time – a part of the day to relax, release stress and build resilience, so we can move beyond a life of numbers.

How to actually create a metric of compassion

When it comes to true acts of compassion the only way to create a metric is through the time we spend on having compassion. You can not give compassion to others by just donating money alone. Don’t get me wrong that does help especially with the way our lives are structured. But at the end of the day time is the most valuable thing we can give. So imagine if for just a moment there was a way to document that time. All that care-giver work that people spent with others, and charity work that uplifts and enriches others. If there was an economic credit given to that time that was more valuable then a taxable donation to a charity, imagine how much richer our community tapestry would be? Also what if companies were given tax credits for allowing their employees to spend more time with their families and their community by giving back – companies could afford to hire more people and then care-givers would have more time and space to be of service to those that needed it. It would take back some financial power from the ultra wealthy and those that spend all their time on ‘money activities’ and give it back to the average person. It could be a great way that could increase the self-worth and value of others, all while tying it to the ‘economy of numbers’ we have built.

An article from Julio Vincent Gambuto pointed out we might be gas-lit into thinking that our pre-covid life is what we should return to – to be slaves to money and the economy at all costs. But should we? Mother nature stopped us for a reason, she paused all our activities so that we could collectively stop and pause. When you consciously or unconsciously stop, pause and take a break you get new ideas – you get ideas for a new way of being. Let’s use this time to come together to think about life differently. Let’s band together and ask for change.

Compassion is in our hands not in the hands of government and big business -time for them to come on board to the path of compassion. We need a different way of life that values the earth and people just as much, if not more than money.

What is your idea?