Conflict and Empathy: The Key to Real Change | My Gratitude Project Day 19
Conflict and empathy: usually empathy is more effective. If you’re gearing up for conflict and empathy crosses you mind, what should you do? Instead of conflict, try empathy. I know what you are thinking. If you want to fight, the last thing you want to do is empathize. So, ask yourself, do you want to […]
Empathy That Saves Lives: Lessons from Chris Voss | My Gratitude Project Day 18
Today I’m sharing another book about empathy that saves lives and that has deepened my gratitude for empathy. Empathy that saves lives? Yes, this is a book about how empathy, or the lack of it, results in life or death. The title is Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depends on It, […]
How Caroline Fleck’s Book “Validation” Deepened My Gratitude for Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 17
This is a post of gratitude for Caroline Fleck’s book, “Validation,” a must-read for anyone who wants better relationships in life. Why am I talking about empathy? After all, this is My Gratitude Project. But I am truly grateful for some recent books on epathy that have called my attention to its power and uses. […]
The Psychology of Empathy: Why Acceptance Heals | My Gratitude Project Day 16
The psychology of empathy is the science behind empathy. It works in everyday life and also in extraordinary moments. What exactly is the psychology of empathy? Psychologists have been studying empathy for decades. They are in the business of helping people change, and they are academically minded. So, psychology has been an invaluable source of […]
Cognitive Bias and Empathy: Seeing the World Clearly | My Gratitude Project Day 15
What gets in the way of empathy and change? Mostly it’s what psychologists call cognitive bias. Cognitive biases are unconscious and irrational brain processes that literally distort the way we see the world. Psychologists have identified over 180 cognitive biases that skew how we perceive and remember events in the past and influence how hard […]
Empathy and Body Language: Listening Without Words | My Gratitude Project Day 14
Sometimes we forget to pay attention to empathy and body language: the loudest clues that have no sound at all. Let’s take a moment to talk about empathy and body language. Our bodies are always talking, signaling how we really feel. Regardless of what our words say, our bodies give us away. Unless you are […]
Empathy Is a Gift: The Healing Power of Listening | My Gratitude Project Day 13
When empathy is a gift, friendship and gratitude grow. I remember the day that I realized that empathy is a gift. It was over 5 years ago, shortly after my mother passed away. My best friend called me up and asked if I wanted to take a walk. Yes, I said gratefully. How I needed […]
Everyday Empathy: The Skill That Makes Life Easier | My Gratitude Project Day 12
When you practice everyday empathy, life gets easier. Everyday empathy isn’t just a feeling. It’s a skill to use daily. My husband, Gary, is a master of empathy and it’s many uses. Years ago, flying home from visiting my relatives in Colorado for Christmas, we got stuck at the airport with our two young children, […]
Empathy and Change: The Paradox That Transforms Us | My Gratitude Project Day 11
Ironically, empathy and change are more closely related than most people think. Empathy and change might seem to be opposites, but the secret of empathy is that it is what most people need in order to be ready to change. Resistance operates a lot like Newton’s Third Law of Physics. For every action, there is […]