The moment the idea of our nonprofit organization, Mindful Littles, came to my heart and mind, I knew that it felt different. Perhaps it was the unshakeable knowing that was the difference.
I had spent almost two decades in the corporate world, enjoying what I do…mostly, succeeding…mostly, working hard but feeling unfulfilled, even deflated at times. Through every job in Silicon Valley Tech to every new digital product launch, there was a constant itch that remained within me, as if I already knew I was supposed to be doing “something” different from this corporate path I had so carefully mapped out for myself from young adulthood. But I didn’t know what that “something” was or how to even begin.
Choosing Compassion
Then the birth of my children took place. As the feeling of unconditional love emerged, so did the desire to show up more consciously for these little humans who my husband and I were now responsible for. As our daughters grew from infancy into childhood, a stronger desire surfaced to give them tools to be compassionate and resilient. I wanted them to be better equipped to handle the good, the bad and the ugly that life would inevitably bring.
Practices That Stick
Dissatisfied with the few opportunities I found to provide these tools for my children, I decided to take matters into my own hands. The goal: to bring compassion education to my family and the community around us. And not just compassion education for education’s sake, but to really begin instilling the practices that “stick,” the practices that fundamentally shift behavior to help us regulate our emotions and choose a positive helping mindset, the practices that make compassion a habit. This was the heart of Mindful Littles.
Scratching the Itch
And so began the journey of Mindful Littles. We are now a growing nonprofit organization bringing compassion education programs to emotionally heal whole communities devastated by natural disasters. We bring experiential listening programs to help large corporate clients bridge social polarization and innovative mindful service learning programs to shift social consciousness in families.
The itch I had while working in the corporate world is now gone and with every cell of my being, I know that this is the work I was meant to do. And more importantly, by consciously leading an organization that is on a mission to make compassion a habit for all individuals, I have had to learn in parallel how to deeply heal myself from the emotional wounds of my own childhood.
A Continuous Learning Lab
Through my own messy, gut-wrenching healing process, I have learned that making compassion a habit is a constant learning lab, a continuous work in progress. I have learned how to be authentically self-compassionate and how to set boundaries for myself and my family. I have learned that the smallest moments, the little habits of compassion, are sometimes the most important shifts needed to create true transformative change.
As a student of compassion, if what I have learned can help even one person, then the ripple effect of that work is potent. And so I dedicate my life to being a student and a teacher, to helping uplift those in need through compassion and to the purpose of Mindful Littles. My wish is that by doing so, I have done what I can to help create a more peaceful conscious future for all our children.
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