Resilience & Stress - Lisa D. Foster, Leadership Coaching & Training

practice self compassion for My Gratitude Project

How Caroline Fleck’s Book “Validation” Deepened My Gratitude for Empathy | My Gratitude Project Day 17

November 17, 2025

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. So much so, that I want to share my reading with you. Here is the first book I want to recommend: Validation: How the Skill…

empathy is non judgment for my gratitude project

The Psychology of Empathy: Why Acceptance Heals | My Gratitude Project Day 16

November 17, 2025

Gratitude Project

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 data on what works to help people change. I’m deeply grateful for the brilliant researchers who have studied empathy and alerted us to its power.…

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…

Empathy is Not Agreement — But It Can Transform Everything: My Gratitude Project Day 2

November 2, 2025

Gratitude Project

Empathy is not agreement, but understanding others deeply is transformative in ways that lead to gratitude. You can empathize with someone even when you disagree with their beliefs or their actions. Truman Capote’s book, In Cold Blood, is perhaps one of the most powerful illustrations of empathy without agreement. Capote set out to write about a terrible crime, the murder of the Clutter family in Kansas. He spent 4 years researching the book. In the beginning, he describes in excruciating…

My Gratitude Project 2025: Grateful for the Magic of Empathy

November 1, 2025

Gratitude Project

Every year in November, I dedicate myself to thirty days of gratitude, this year, with a focus on empathy. My gratitude project has become an anchor and compass in my life. This year, my focus is on the quiet power of empathy: the ability to truly see and understand another person. Empathy turns gratitude outward—it transforms appreciation for what we have into appreciation for who others are. Each day this month, I’ll share a reflection on what empathy looks and…

mentor explaining to a colleague how we really learn at work.

If You Can’t Find a Good Mentor, Get a Great Coach: How We Really Learn at Work

October 23, 2025

Find a coach

A great coach for business is the modern equivalent of a good mentor, the person who helps you understand how we really learn at work. If you have the option between coaching vs mentoring, go with the mentor. However, if a mentor is not an option, a coach is the next best thing. If you’ve ever wished you had a mentor—a trusted advisor who could help you figure out how we really learn at work, especially in the toughest situations—you’re…