Here's what I have come to know as a fairly universal contemporary problem - many of us are a bit too tough on ourselves. We criticize our looks, our thoughts and emotions, our progress on the spiritual path, our practice quantity and quality. And, the fact is, that it's not helpful!
To be engaged with skillful action in the world requires dedication, perseverance, wisdom and compassion. I’ll describe what I mean by these terms. Dedication to a cause is a commitment fueled by enthusiasm and a conviction that we can make a difference to a particular person, circumstance or to society. Perseverance is “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success”[1] and may be ultimately understood as a reinforcing combination of conviction, a long-term view, patience and determination (firmness of purpose[2]). Wisdom is the “quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.”[3] Is also Prajñā (Sanskrit) or paññā (Pāli) in Buddhism an understanding, discernment, insight, or cognitive acuity. “Such wisdom is understood to exist in the universal flux of being and can be intuitively experienced through meditation”. [4] Wisdom is required to see deeply into the nature of a problem, as well as to cultivate insight into the appropriate means of facilitating solutions; it is not rash or impulsive but thoughtful and considered. Compassion emerges from three interrelated qualities: the wisdom of seeing things as they are; an experiential understanding of interdependence (i.e. the absolute connection between ourselves and others); and a genuine concern for the welfare of all sentient beings.