Poignant Zen passage...

Life itself is a powerful teacher. To stay flexible, open, and sincere
at each juncture is worth a lifetime of "practice." To be a truly
compassionate person requires the ability to respond sincerely, being
comfortable with the apparent contradictions, confident in one's
ability to choose actions with heart/wisdom.

Taken from the commentary in this month's On The Way - The DailyZen Journal.