Guest Spotlight: Jonathan Gonzalez
Updated: Sep 13, 2020
This week's guest blogger is Jonathan Gonzalez - based out of Los Angeles.
He's a news anchor and reporter for NBC LA.
Lead with Compassion
By Jonathan Gonzalez
Think of all the decisions we make. From the moment we decide to start our day until we decide when to call it a night, our lives are shaped by one decision after another. It’s how we shape our days that in turn shape our weeks, months and years.
Often, our little decisions can amount to a greater good or evil, especially in society, when we decide how we are going to respond to something unfamiliar, something we don’t fully understand. And when presented with those situations, that’s when I believe we need to lead with compassion.
Imagine for a moment what a great deal we could accomplish if we simply tried to understand each other or if we made an effort to hear someone out or if we did our best to learn about something new before making a decision on whether or not we agree with it.
That’s leading with compassion. It’s a decision that allows to us to, at the very least, genuinely attempt to understand something instead of issuing an instant judgment. It shows kindness, which can prevent us from getting angry or upset or scared or sad. It shows respect by telling ourselves and others that we care.
Trying to see a different point of view won’t hurt you, I promise. So, let’s take a breath, avoid our own immediate opinions and biases and open our minds to the things we don’t know enough about. And in the end, if you still feel the same, at least you showed yourself you can listen and you’ve shown compassion to the person you’ve listened to. There’s no doubt neither of you will forget it.