Empathy is connecting with people so we know we’re not alone when we’re in struggle. Empathy is a way to connect to the emotion another person is experiencing; it doesn’t require that we have experienced the same situation they are going through.
Empathy is a strange and powerful thing. There is no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of “You’re not alone.
“We feel that we help by having answers – advice, do’s and don’ts, knowledge. However, by admitting that we don’t know – that we don’t even know what to say – is a counterintuitive way to approach a situation that generates connection and brings us together. It’s something simple and powerful that I try to practice every day in my personal life, and not only teach other people about it.”