International Day of Compassion in honor of Dr. Patch Adams

An interview with Path:

Here are things you could do

1. Keep a journal about you in relationship with love and compassion. What is it? Ask everyday – How are you giving it? (Pay close attention. Be present.) How are you receiving it? (From everything, from strangers, from trees, etc.)

2. Do things outrageous for love, like clowning.

3. Actually see if you can produce the vibration of compassion for prolonged periods. What sustains it? (friends, having meaning, fun) What hurts it? (arrogance, apathy, tight underwear.) Are there times you do not want to be compassionate?

4. Be observant of compassion in action around you, everywhere, give details of its languages.

5. Become aware of compassionate projects around the world and plan on a least one elective at a project. Post these projects on this website and ideally how to contact them.

6. Explore the language of love and compassion. Read psychologists and poets, write essays on things you love. Add books you love to our book list.

7. How do you recognize love/compassion? Are there measurements?

8. Do we invite professors in on our exploration? Who?

9. How do you change performances of compassion in different situations?

10. At the small weekly meetings, find easy ways to present your findings to the group.


11. Encourage friends, family to ask for a compassion consult. Sign up for one.

12. Have hug patrols and a room in the hospital – the Affection Room, designed as a place to go either as a giver or receiver – operated by volunteers (grandparents and high school students, for example.)

13. Explore how you relate to other people on issues of class consciousness, race, age, sexual preference. Pay close attention. Decide to connect with people you don’t normally hand out with.

14. Explore this question: Should a medical student be evaluated for compassion and not graduate if they are no compassionate? How is it evaluated? By who?

Tools That Help Me Be Compassionate

• Be a Twinkle in the eyes, smile on the face and an excitement to meet.
• Engaging eye contact
• Be fun and tender everywhere
• Turn off TV
• Develop all your interests
• Have A tender love for people
• Engage with the arts and nature
• Do volunteer work
• Practice organizing and following through.
• Offer Massage

Patch Adams, MD,
Gesundheit!

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