on empathy, quickly

tldr; this is very short. you can read it.

i'm entrenched in brené brown's 'the power of vulnerability'...not the ted talk (which is fantastic but abbreviated). i'm talking about the 6 hr presentation. it is simply extraordinary. she is amazing. i love listening to her talk. everything she says is gold. did i sell it? ok, good.

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empathy, its clear definition and power is deeply woven into her core ideas around vulnerability and shame in this talk. i found it to be eerily timely as we close out this epically strange year. we've been pushed to be vulnerable in areas of life that we're not used to and have had to adapt and course correct, at times, minute by minute. for me (and i know im not alone), this has been uncomfortable at best and ive needed to lean on my people for support. validation. empathy.

so as i listen, a couple notes from that resonated big time:

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1: share your story with those who have earned the right to hear it.

2: power of empathy: im in it with you. im not here to fix it. im not here to feel it for you. im here to feel it with you and let you know you're not alone.

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2020 has been one of the most challenging years many of us have lived. sharing our stories, worry, stress, struggles, and triumphs is one of the only ways we've been able to safely feel connected.

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if you have earned the right to hear someone's story, meet them with "me too". "i'm with you". "that's hard". "i get it". not "you should". "at least...". "you think that's bad? i...". we've all had a rough year and if we are able, we need to sit with each other's muck <3

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now go read all of brené brown's work and cheers to a kinder 2021.

XOXO