While it might seem that increased compassion would become a source of discomfort, it is actually soothing, like the soft ripples of current created when you drop a pebble into a lake. Ever-widening, the ripples steadily become larger circles, expanding until the energy from them disperses. Eventually, the movement that began in response to the pebble appears as water lapping on some distant shore. Compassion has a similar capacity: it expands as far as we are willing to allow it, creating ever-widening circles of awareness within and between individuals.

~ Nancy Napier, “Sacred Practices for Conscious Living, 2nd Edition”

Crater Lake National Park, OR – photo by Stashek, bigstockphoto.com