Compassion is not just a Buddhist religious practice; this is a practice that is common to all religions. This is also our human responsibility. If we wish to achieve happiness, this is the source of our own and others' happiness as well as the source of ultimate peace.

"There are many different philosophies, but what is of basic importance is compassion, love for others, concern for other, suffering and reduction of selfishness. I feel that compassionate thought is the most precious thing there is. It is something that only we human beings can develop. And if we have a good heart, a warm heart, a warm feeling, we will be happy and satisfied. Ourselves and our friends will experience a friendly and peaceful atmosphere as well. This can be experienced nation to nation, country to country, continent to continent."
-  His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

The important thing in regards to His Holiness' teaching is that it should not just be read and appreciated. The purpose of this teaching is to motivate us to take action. Keep the teaching in your mind and act on it as much as you can. We usually read books or receive teachings and just think, "Oh, how wonderful. How nice." That is not enough! We must not just read or hear them but keep them always in mind and day by day take action on them.

We must work every day to achieve our goal, which is to escape from the cycle of suffering existence and achieve full enlightenment for the benefit of others. This should be a long-term goal. We should not expect that we will achieve this result in a few months or even a few years. Try to keep a long-term perspective in regards to making progress in your practice. As inspiration, keep in mind these words from Shantideva, which His Holiness is often quoting in his teachings. "As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain, and dispel the miseries of the world."

Source: Red Deer Buddhist Meditation Society newsletter