Has empathy made a difference in your relationships?

We want to hear your Empathy Story... 
Contribute to the spreading of empathy - and get published!
Imagine a beautiful collection of Empathy Stories

~ An anthology of heart-warming stories that demonstrate what empathy looks like in everyday conversations. 

~ Anecdotal examples of empathy (in romantic partnerships, work meetings, conflict mediations, parent-teacher conferences, etc.) that are informative & inspiring.

~ A book that you can offer to your loved-ones sharing the gift of empathy. They may simply enjoy the moving stories... or perhaps they'll be inspired to learn more.



What makes a good "Empathy Story"...
Pinpoint a time empathy made a difference in an important conversation or relationship. Remind yourself of what happened and how you felt before empathy did its magic. Then recount all the details you can "reverse engineer" so the story comes alive.

Here are some questions that may help:
  1. Did you have to remind yourself to shift from judgment or strategy into empathy? 
  2. Were your empathy skills "clunky" or smooth in the heat of the moment? 
  3. What did you say to yourself in your mind before you spoke out loud? 
  4. Did your feelings seem to shift as a result the empathy you gave? Did the other person's? 
  5. Did empathy turn a train wreck of an interaction into something positive?
  6. Was a closer connection obvious as your story concludes?
  7. What shape would the story have likely taken if you'd stayed stuck in judgement or blame?
  8. What are some of the precise words you used that were helpful in this interaction?


Example of an "Empathy Story"...
Real life examples - written conversationally - are powerful! 

Here's an excerpt from Non Violent Communication: A Language of Life, by M. Rosenberg, to give you a sense of the kind of "Empathy Story" we're looking for:

     "I'm sure glad you had us practicing empathy that last time. Just a few days after our session, I went to arrest someone in a public housing project. When I brought him out, my car was surrounded by about 60 people screaming things at me like, 'Let him go! He didn't do anything! You police are a bunch of racist pigs!' Although I was skeptical that empathy would help, I didn't have many other options. So I reflected back the feelings that were coming at me; I said things like, 'So you don't trust my reasons for arresting this man? You think it has to do with race?' After several minutes of me continuing to reflect their feelings, the group became less hostile. In the end, they opened a path so I could get to my car."



Now it's time to hear from you... 
Fill out the form below and send us your own story that's:
 

    Empathy Story Submission Form

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Thanks for your contribution!!
Mary Goyer, MS 


A little about me:
I’m a classroom teacher and holistic healer intent on facilitating more compassion & consciousness on a global scale. This project idea – teaching through stories! – popped into my head as I pondered ways to make empathy skill-building “practical” and widely-accessible for newbies. And I’m hoping it’ll unfold into more formal offerings down the road that can be used in various educational settings. 

You might have noticed this project is being housed on my professional website. If you’re interested in learning about my work in the holistic fertility or birth support realms (www.aufertility.com and www.auparent.com respectively), that’s what I’m up to when I’m not doing this.  :) –MG 





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