The Role of Compassion in My Life

Through my volunteer organization, I see compassion being illustrated as unconditional love and universal grief, and this widens the view of what compassion is. I attended many disaster reliefs to see the many beautiful and touching stories about humanity. From Tzu Chi volunteer, I can see many selfless loves that they view all things and beings as no different from themselves, and they cherish everyone and everything in this world. This love can be seen easily during disaster relief. 

I had the opportunity to join the organization to help Hurricane Harvey and California Camp Fire. During the Camp Fire disaster relief, I met an elderly lady who shared her story to me. She was in deep sadness because all her friends, neighbors, and cats died in that fire. She lost everything she had. She told her story with tearing eye, and I could feel the pain she had. To comfort her, I read the letter from my organization founder, stating that she is not alone, and people around the world care about her. I tried to use a calm and peaceful tone while hugging her. I still remember her smile after I comforted her, and she said I was just like her granddaughter. She said she was blessed to have us be there for her, but for me, I am genuinely thankful to have the opportunity to give the love, care, and support for her to go through the emotional stages. She inspired me how little action is can be so powerful. Many survivors told us that once they are back on their feet, they will start to help others. I believe by doing our part in disaster relief, we can improve the whole world and by collaborating in this way to communicate this message, we can make the world a better place. In the disaster relief, there were hundreds of volunteers didn't ask for anything but want to help. Whenever I see this spirit, I get moved and touched and motivated to be part of it. I can see the cycle of love during the year of volunteering, and this always amazed me on how beautiful humanity is. 

Despite all the pleasant memory of how compassion influences me positively, there was the time I doubt on myself, or people question my compassionate action. Being vegetarian wasn't an easy decision. Many times I had to sacrifice my social events with my friends since they often choose the restaurant that has no vegetarian option. Very often, my friends will argue with me that I can't change anything by being vegetarian since there are still many more people eating meat, and it's a natural part of our culture. Also, my family was worry about my health condition that I won't get the necessary nutrients. Often I was uninvited to the event due to no food options. All the deny or social isolation did discourage me the decision on being vegetarian, but I still do so because I believe this is the right thing to do. Now if I know there was an event with no vegetarian option, I would either brought my foods or eat first and attend the event to socialize. Second, was the uncertainty on if I were helping people? I used to give money to homeless people or provide foods for them. However, there was an experience of when I gave a person, and other people see and start to ask me too. There were too many of them, and I couldn't help all of them. They got furious and yell at me, and I was scared of being threatened. 

Another example was I gave the money to a person who said he needs to feed his family, but when I turned around, he used the money to buy alcohol instead. The feeling of betray of my trust was dispirited to help others. I doubted on who should I help and when to help until by my organization founder who enlightened me with the quote 'right matter, just do it.' It doesn't matter if people cheated you or not. If we don't do it, people who really in needs won't have the help. After learning through my experiences, I have the ambition to continue to live what I believe, which is helping others in need. Having a sympathetic heart, and the desire to have the ability to help others will overcome the obstacles in the optometry school. Being a person who wants to be optometrist, compassion is a significant value. I have to care for others and don’t forget the original intention of why I want to take this role. It is easy to get frustrated or discourage during the journey of becoming an optometrist. There will be stress and sacrificing of social life. 

With a compassionate heart, I will enjoy the four years long education more than the people who have less strong emotion to the side of the profession. The idea of seeking to relieve others suffering as if it was my own would help to connect myself to this profession. Being an optometry student, apart from providing integrated medical service, I also want to provide emotional support to patient with care and love and inspire them to have hope. The heart to heart feeling will provide comfort for patient in times of pain, and mental stress. Being sympathetic can ease the minds of the nervous patient and shows them respect during the time of uncertainty. I will be more considerate for others and take time to explain procedures and treatment and listen to the patient’s concern and make them feel they are essential. Being sympathetic to the patients, I will have the ability to connect to them. When patient know you care concern for them deeply, they would break their boundary and build the trust with the optometrist. Getting involved with lectures and clinical examination will be my passion because I care so much. 

In my life, my sympathetic character has evolved through how I explore different events present by being a disaster victim, involved in a volunteer organization, are a volunteer in disaster relief and the doubt on what compassion is. It was the transition experience I had been a help as a victim and transits to the one to give that I see compassion differently. It was the inspiration by the peer in my volunteer organization that I see unconditional love. All of these build the character of who I am now. My spiritual values and moral tradition have taught me how to care for others, and this act as one my driving force in optometry. I love showing compassion to others, and optometry provides the opportunity for me to do so. I will offer my services selflessly and without any form of judgment no matter the religion, nationality, gender, ages of the patient. 

To effectively live out my ethics and philosophy daily, I must always remember that my future patients rely on me for proper care, consideration, and kindness. I believed the universal compassion is in our daily life that when people are suffering, we share the sadness. It is my instinct to give them warmth and kindness to comfort and ease their pain. To conclude the essay, my goal is not easy, but I will continue to perform my core value in my action and inspired others to create a harmonic home.