Save you holidays...with a little dose of empathy.
Posted on December 20, 2022 by Misha Safran, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Empathy and emotional intelligence are not innate for everyone. It may require deep thought, persistent effort, and assistance.
Did you know that not everyone has the innate capability to be empathetic?
Based on the last several years (well actually centuries), it may have become obvious to you that empathy doesn’t lead the way in relationships, personal or professional and especially not political.
Why is this? Because it takes work…work which not a lot of people want to spend doing or make time to do because it isn’t easy. But guess what?? We can do hard things! And honestly, once we learn what it means to be empathic and we practice it, it will become second nature…and in my opinion, this will be a much better place to live as a reward for doing this work!
So, what is empathy?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Empathy is “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.”
In the 2016 election, there was abrupt and abrasive rhetoric from Donald Trump, which was basically, “F*ck your feelings”. As you may have already figured out, this was not, is not, and never will be an example of empathy. Sadly, this was a form of communication which was accepted, applied, and revered by his followers. But this isn’t a global perspective. In fact, most people, even Trumpers, want to be heard and understood.
Okay, so the good news is, I am not writing to convince you to begin practicing empathy with just anyone and everyone because the truth is, you really cannot control anyone but yourself as much as we may try. However, you can start to have empathy for even those you do not care for. But, why not put our energy into creating a practice of empathy for those we do care for?
The secret is to start learning and practicing empathy and emotional intelligence in safe environments so when it really feels hard, you have the tools and practice to make it work. And, I want to support you as you begin to walk into this holiday season with WHO KNOWS HOW MANY DIFFICULT PEOPLE from shopping for gifts, to the crazy drivers, to the challenging relatives, etc.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
