Key 13 – Empathy

In teaching workshops, I often teach Theresa Wiseman’s four defining attributes of empathy: 1) to be able to see the world as others see it 2) to be nonjudgmental 3) to understand another person’s feelings and 4) to communicate your understanding of that person’s feelings.  Empathy is an incredibly powerful aspect of any relationship. It allows us to perceive another’s wound and to reach out and touch the place in someone’s heart that needs tender attention.

Not so much to be loved as to love,
not so much to be consoled as to console, 
not so much to be understood as to understand.

 —St. Francis Prayer 

Thought to ponder:  How can I “see” and understand others in a fresh and deepening way?