Facing The Storms When Empathy Is Under Attack

Just a taste of the many ways empathy is currently under attack in our public discourse.

Empathy is under attack at a time when we need it most to help solve the planet’s problems. Across the globe, we are facing the devastating storms of a planet in crisis.

The storms carry over to our personal and professional lives as well, whether it’s burnout at work, squalls with colleagues or family members, or tsunamis of grief when we lose a beloved parent, friend, or pet.

There will always be storms and challenges to face, but it’s up to us how we face them. We can hide under the covers or we can dance in the rain and stomp in the puddles.

What we really need is a sturdy coat for facing the nasty weather. Each of us brings our unique spark and experiences when designing our coats, but there are certain colorful patches we hold in common -- wonder, curiosity, connection, and play, all stitched on with the golden threads of empathy -- that help us live in fearless joy.

Hanging out with Vanessa Brantley-Newton, one of the most empathetic and compassionate humans I know. Check out her books if you want examples of how we should treat one another. You can also learn more about her on Episodes 54 and 91 of the Adventures in Learning podcast.

The more we practice stitching empathy into our many colored coats, the less likely we are to live in fear or to actively harm others. When we lean into empathy and wrap ourselves in our coat of many colors, we have what we need to embrace new ways of seeing one another, leading with integrity, and solving the problems that challenge our planet.

Now more than ever, we need empathy stitched through wonder, curiosity, connection, and play. If we want to nurture a generation of creative innovators, collaborators, and problem solvers, we have to model and teach the skills. And it’s never to late to begin.

If you have 8 minutes, I'd love for you to take a look at this reel from my talk at the Triad Theatre in NYC in May. As you know, I'm passionate about learning and leading through play -- and this talk explores the role of empathy as a key ingredient in building compassionate, connected innovators and problem solvers.

Dr Diane Jackson Schnoor speaks about stitching empathy into a life filled with wonder, curiosity, connection, and play.

One way to begin cultivating empathy at home and in the classroom is through the books and experiences you share with your children. In the coming months, we will explore empathy through the lens of learning and leading through play. But today, I wanted to start you off with links to some of the authors and illustrators doing the work across a wide range of genres. This is not a comprehensive list by any means, rather highlights of some of the amazing humans who have shared their talents, their vision, their empathy, and their hopes for our children's futures on the Adventures in Learning podcast this spring. To take a deep dive on any of these empathetic humans, click on their picture below.

Join me in cultivating empathy and a playful approach to leadership so that we can stomp through the puddles of life with joy, face the storms head-on, and begin to find creative solutions to the problems facing our planet.

Thanks again to international award-winning director, author, and producer

Tricia Brouk for her compassionate coaching and wizardry in lighting, sound, and choreography for this talk.