Gratitude Project - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

when in doubt try empathy for My Gratitude Project

Empathy and Change: The Paradox That Transforms Us | My Gratitude Project Day 11

November 11, 2025

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 an equal and opposite reaction. What it means is that forces come in pairs. It may not seem like it, but if you push against…

Be yourself everyone else is taken for My Gratitude Project

Acceptance: The Hardest—and Most Healing—Form of Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 10

November 10, 2025

Gratitude Project

Acceptance is another powerful practice related to empathy. Acceptance is acknowledging the reality of a situation without judging or trying to change it. This is a powerful practice that many of us resist. When we do get there, it almost always leads to gratitude. For most people, this is the hardest part of empathy. Naturally, much of the time, we have a tendency to want things to be different from how they are right now. The world is far from…

Eight Practices of Empathy That Strengthen Connection | My Gratitude Project Day 9

November 9, 2025

Gratitude Project

When we break it down, empathy becomes a number of small acts and practices of empathy. Here are a few practical and tactical practices of empathy, with special thanks to Caroline Fleck and her excellent book on Validation: Whatever you call it and whatever you do, use these empathy skills to keep your mind on their experience and help you understand them. Try various ways to show you get them and see what works best for you. This post is…

Naming Feelings: The Next Step in Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 8

November 8, 2025

Gratitude Project

When empathizing, there is another step beyond mirroring: naming feelings. If you want someone to know that you empathize with them, try naming their feelings. Naming feelings can be a little tricky because you can’t ever 100% know what someone else is feeling. The key is to listen closely enough that you can imagine what you would feel in that situation. If you have listened enough to understand their circumstances, it’s just a small leap to name how you would…

let someone else go first as expression of empathy and gratitude

Mirroring and Trust: The Science of Empathy at Work | My Gratitude Project Day 7

November 8, 2025

Gratitude Project

Mirroring and trust happen without trying, but when we learn to do it consciously, magical things happen. Mirroring and trust are naturally related. Most of the time when we mirror each other, we are not aware of it. Mirroring or copying someone are natural and innate ways that we comfort each other, bond, and build trust. However, when you can bring mirroring into your awareness and use it as a skillset, it becomes a technique for comforting, bonding, and creating…

Mirror Neurons and Empathy: We’re Wired to Connect | My Gratitude Project Day 6

November 6, 2025

Gratitude Project

Innate mirror neurons hardwire us for empathy. We are born with mirror neurons and empathy, which promote the emotional connection we need to thrive. How we use empathy in daily life determines how well we create the bonds that satisfy our human needs. Yesterday, I wrote about copying someone’s words as a way of signaling that you hear them and at least, that you are interested in hearing more from them. But actually, mirroring or copying doesn’t require words at…