Kindness - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

The Magic of Empathy and Gratitude | My Gratitude Project Day 30

November 30, 2025

This is the end of My Gratitude Project for 2025, but of course, there is no end to gratitude and empathy. These are enduring goals, skills—and universal human needs. So this year, consider empathy and gratitude as gifts you can bestow. In this giving season, they can be the most treasured of all. The result is often bonding, community, even love—another universal human need. And in the end, we can all be grateful for the magic of empathy and of…

let someone else go first as expression of empathy and gratitude

Thanksgiving Gratitude: A Little Empathy at the Table | My Gratitude Project Day 27

November 28, 2025

Gratitude Project

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 trying to empathize and understand and validate them and then go back to eating. It will keep a little peace at the table, and more…

Animal Empathy: What Horses, Crows, and Dogs Teach Us | My Gratitude Project Day 25

November 25, 2025

Gratitude Project

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 or watching another monkey grasp an object. That is the magic of mirror neurons and empathy: whether we do it or see it, our brain…

Empathy and Love: Seeing Through the Glass Clearly | My Gratitude Project Day 23

November 24, 2025

Gratitude Project

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 is space for reflection between words and ideas. In Corinthians 13, the Bible describes love (sometimes translated as charity), but it may as well be…

Empathy Is a Gift: The Healing Power of Listening | My Gratitude Project Day 13

November 13, 2025

Gratitude Project

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 some fresh air! We walked for about an hour, and she almost didn’t say anything. She just let me talk. Losing a loved one brings…

Everyday Empathy: The Skill That Makes Life Easier | My Gratitude Project Day 12

November 12, 2025

Gratitude Project

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, then about 5 and 7. We were supposed to fly out of a regional airport but when our plane was cancelled, Gary rented a car…