Gratitude and Empathy: My Tools for Healing | My Gratitude Project Day 28
For me, gratitude and empathy aren’t just professional skills, but deeply personal ones. In my experience, they are closely related. When everything feels like it’s crashing down and problems seem to be everywhere, these are the tools I turn to. I myself have had dark times, days when tears wouldn’t stop, when darkness was everywhere, […]
Thanksgiving Gratitude: A Little Empathy at the Table | My Gratitude Project Day 27
It’s Thanksgiving. Empathy and food — is there a connection? I don’t think so. Let’s all just be grateful today for the food we have, and empathize with those who are hungry. And if you have a crazy uncle at the table who starts trying to spout his views, don’t confront them. Spend a moment […]
Empathy and Turkeys: A Thanksgiving Reflection | My Gratitude Project Day 26
Empathy and turkeys — a half-serious post on the day before Thanksgiving? Should we empathize with turkeys? This is treacherous moral ground, and I am of the opinion that in our morals, we must each be guided by our own conscience. Vegans don’t eat any animal products, often because of a sense of empathy with […]
Animal Empathy: What Horses, Crows, and Dogs Teach Us | My Gratitude Project Day 25
Animal empathy? Research suggests that many animals empathize just like we do—or at least sort of like we do. The basis for animal empathy is mirror neurons, which were actually first detected in monkeys rather than humans. Researchers observed that the monkeys’ brains were activated in the same way whether they were grasping an object […]
Why Some People Struggle with Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 24
When an office has a difficult employee, leaders come to me asking why some people lack empathy. It is common to believe that some people simply lack empathy. I understand why some people believe this, even though every human brain (and many animal brains) have mirror neurons in our brains that hardwire us for empathy. […]
Empathy and Love: Seeing Through the Glass Clearly | My Gratitude Project Day 23
Empathy and love are inseparable. Both lead to healing and clarity. We all know the sound of empathy and love. Like love, empathy speaks in low tones, like a late-night DJ on a jazz station. Empathy. Is. Slow. It doesn’t rush. It allows people to take back their words and say it again better. There […]
Healing with Empathy: When Listening Opens the Door | My Gratitude Project Day 22
Even in the toughest moments, healing with empathy can open a door. Recently, I counseled a client to try healing with empathy. For confidentiality, I won’t go into details, only to say that she wanted to repair a badly broken relationship. It wasn’t her fault. The whole situation was difficult and messy, involving trauma, addiction, […]
Empathy and Leadership: What Gen Z Gets Right | My Gratitude Project Day 21
A new poll reveals how empathy and leadership work together. Ask your grandfather about empathy and leadership, and he might draw a blank. His attitude about empathy and yours probably differ significantly. These generational expectations are showing up in the workplace and in polls that help us understand important trends. In a recent poll, Deloitte […]
Empathy in Coaching: A Story of Healing and Growth | My Gratitude Project Day 20
Personally, I use empathy in coaching daily. I’ve found empathy in coaching helps the little problems and the little ones. I had a client not too long ago who needed a lot of empathy. When our first session opened, she was in tears. She was managing a complex project with many delays and difficulties, and […]