Ep. 293 – Engaged Compassion: Shelly Tygielski

The Buddha taught a path of awakened living, but how does that manifest in today’s world of constant connectivity and widespread suffering? 

How do we keep our hearts open without being defined or hardened by the pain that surrounds us, whether personal, collective, or historical? How do we navigate the paradox of holding both pain and joy, without mistaking suffering for punishment or personal failure? Can we infuse our compassion with wisdom and perspective to find the agency to take meaningful action in our communities? In her new series, Engaged Compassion, Sharon delves into these questions and more, engaging in candid conversations with a diverse group of teachers, activists, and changemakers. 

For the ninth and final episode in the series, Sharon speaks with Shelly Tygielski. Philanthropist and social activist Shelly Tygielski has been hailed by individuals ranging from President Joe Biden to Arianna Huffington and Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn to Maria Shriver. She is the founder of the global, grassroots mutual aid organization, Pandemic of Love and the co-founder of Partners in Kind, a purpose in production equity fund that invests in projects that focus on social impact in entertainment. Her work has been featured in over 100 media outlets, including CNN Heroes, The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS This Morning, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. A Garrison Institute Fellow, Shelly has been called one of the “12 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement” by Mindful.org and teaches self-care and resilience at organizations and to audiences around the world. She is also the author of several books, “Sit Down to Rise Up” and “How We Ended Racism.” This is her second appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast.

In this conversation, Shelly and Sharon speak about:

• What motivated Shelly to get her PH.D.

• The definition of Mutual Aid 

• Mutual Aid across history

• Peter Kropotkin’s view of society 

• Cooperation vs competition in society

• Thriving interspecies ecosystems 

• How Shelly’s practice has evolved over time

• Finding a balance in our compassion

• Prioritizing self-care in engaged compassion

• How Shelly has let go of her caregiving guilt

• The signs that burnout is lurking

• Seeing resentment as a signal flare

• Shelly’s advice to change-makers

• Activism with our own sustainability in mind

• Asking for help before falling into burnout

• Joy is not an abandonment of responsibility 

• How Shelly finds joy in nature and with music

Additional Resources

The episode closes with Shelly leading a lovingkindness meditation. Learn more about Shelly’s work and her different books right here. Learn more about Pandemic of Love right here.

Related Metta Hour Episodes

Episode 121: Shelly’s first appearance on the Metta Hour, released in 2020.

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