It struck me the other day that one of the things that all organisations, groups and individuals need to survive and prosper is compassion... but... does it still exist with the pressures of the world we live in?

What I see is that as a society we have become self centred, and focused on the quickest way to acheive what we want at whatever cost (or by doing as little as possible!). In fact we should be doing the opposite - considering our own actions more closely, stopping and looking around, and seeing what we can do to assist others in our community and close by. Its really not that hard to do, but why don't we do it?

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that in the past ten years or so we have become more isolated as individuals as a result of the internet, social media, long working hours and so on... and this has resulted in us hiding behind the technology so we don't have to show our true selves.

Those I see showing most compassion in our society are those volunteers who help out for no other reason than wanting to assist their fellow man. Now there are a lot of us who have volunteered or maybe worked for an organisation unpaid, but perhaps have done it to improve our career chances or make it appear that we've done something for nothing. In the present recession I've heard lots of people suggest that volunteering can improve the chances of getting a job.

Yes it can, but do you think that is real compassion or just a self-seeking gesture?

What I think we need to do is look hard at ourselves and show a little more genuine compassion towards one another - do a selfless act for someone else, whether known to us or not, and get that ball rolling!

For those of us in the not-for-profit sector we need to be especially aware of this as communities start to fragment.
Let's not end up going the way of the dodo!

Volunteering week is the 1st to 7th June - let's all show a little compassion and do something for someone else that is truly selfless!