We are sitting in our kitchen, and my husband turns to me and asks, “So, what would be the right empathetic response?”

CONVERSATION 1
Friend messages: “I feel really awful.”
Response: “Don’t worry, there is something good in every struggle. You need to be positive.”
Friend: “Alright, thanks, I won’t complain. I’ll push through it.”

Empathy is a fascinating discipline.
We often think that we get it. That it’s simple. We put ourselves in others’ shoes and offer them support… Just like my husband did in his initial reaction.

But what if there’s more to it? 😉

CONVERSATION 2
Friend texts: “I feel really awful.”
Response: “Buddy, I’m sorry to hear that. Life can be rough sometimes, it’s ok to say it sucks.. I’m here for you.”
Friend: “Thank you. So if I can… it really sucks right now! Gosh that feels better. Thank you for that relief. That’s enough 🙂”.

Can you spot a difference?

It doesn’t have to be perfect.
It’s not so much about the words we say.
It’s about being there together, feeling what we feel.

True empathy is a superpower, at home and at work.

An optimistic note at the end: Empathy isn’t an innate talent we either have or we don’t. It’s a skillset we can develop. And it’s totally worth it.