To be conscious about how we lead our life or our business requires two very different abilities - one from the right side of your brain - or more accurately heart brain - and one from the left side.In business we have typically focus on accountability - metrics. Does something get done or not? In what way does it get done? Compassion is not a bottom line term and heresey in business circles. And yet, we are becoming painfully aware that if we don't temper some of our decisions with understanding and compassion, we put ourselves, others, and possibly the planet in jeopardy.

Today, we need to also tap into our hearts and look at more complexities of an issue or decision - WHY are we doing what we are doing? HOW are we doing it?Are we doing it with compassion and understanding to the impact we have on others and environment? We need to set our boundaries in ways that we are comfortable with - and if those boundaries are violated, we need to reset. After a while, if they continue to be violated then we have to remove ourselves from the situation.

As we see with big conflicts in the middle east, everyone needs a cooling off period as well as a negotiation period. Life is about ebb and flow.I invite you to look to your immediate environment - whether it is your work team or your home team - those who help you be successful - and ask yourself - what do you need to be doing differently? And sometimes the more important question is, where do you need space, to just pull in and reflect and not try to address or change anything but allow others to sit with the boundaries you have set and go about your business? Sometimes this is the compassion required for ourselves and others.It's as simple and hard as that.