No question about it – these last few days were one of the reasons we live in Southern California! I hope you had a great weekend and made time to take advantage of being outdoors!

In the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring Empathy. We discovered that it begins by shifting perspective in a non-judgmental way with the goal of understanding how another person might feel. This week we look at communicating our understanding.

Sometimes we might have an immediate reaction to a conversation that may or may not be an accurate or appropriate assessment of the way the other person is feeling. When we seek to see the event from their perspective and without judgment, we have a better chance to truly understand what they’re going through. This is the time we seek to communicate that understanding. Even if we didn’t get there in our first comments, we have an opportunity to demonstrate our understanding with not only our words but with our body language.

How we display empathy is as important as the words we use. It can mean the difference between frustration and real connection. Having empathy and effectively communicating our care and concern are just some of the ways relationships are built. Make a habit of connecting with each other and our communities in meaningful ways!

I hope you have a wonderful week exploring ways to communicate empathy. You may be the one person who can make a connection with someone who really needs a welcoming smile, a warm touch, and a few kind and understanding words!