“If you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes, even if you don’t agree, then you can often see the issue from their perspective. This will then open the door for collaboration and communication." – Gail Gross

One of the most powerful views we can take in life is that of Empathy.  It’s something that is needed in life for sure.  Like other important skills in life, it works best the sooner you learn it.  Empathy is all about seeing things from other people’s point of view.  Looking around the world, it’s easy to see how much it’s needed.  We can’t keep waiting for others do things that are right – it’s up to us to start now in trying to make a difference in the world.

It’s one of the skills that I try and promote to all my students.  It’s one of the skills that I constantly try and remind myself that I need to get better at.  Having people in my life that offer a variety of opinions, thoughts, backgrounds, ideas, etc., makes me a better person.  Just because people don’t think the same way as I do, doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with them.  In fact the older I get, the more I think I need these variety of thoughts and opinions in my life.  It’s funny since also as I get older, I’m getting more set in my ways too.  Life sure becomes interesting when you involve others’ point of view. 

The ability to put yourself in someone’s shoes and see things from their point of view is something that is such a valuable skill.  If you look at disagreements, arguments, problems in relationships; empathy is the main ingredient in helping in these areas.  Since life really comes down to the quality and value in our relationships, this skill is one of the main building blocks I think in life.

When I read student feedback about our Leadership lessons and they mention the fact that they do try and use empathy to see how other people are feeling and apply those lessons to their own lives, that is really cool to see.  I can’t tell you the number of times as I’m reading those student comments and I start getting the tears flowing (sometimes right into my coffee), really starts my day off in a great direction when I’m reading them in the morning.
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My students teach me more than they will ever know.  Their teachings, the lessons I get from their stories and feedback are very powerful.  It’s one of THEE most valuable experiences I have as a teacher that applies great benefits to my life and also that affects the lives of people that I connect with too.  Want some advice?  Try it.  Try using a little empathy to help you understand others but will ultimately help yourself too. ​

"Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." – Simone de Beauvoir

As I got up this morning and the sun was coming into our home, I got to thinking about a few things.  Of course most of this thinking started up with my first cup of coffee which always helps.  I looked around at our kitchen which has changed recently.  After almost 18 years in our home, my wife decided it was indeed time for a change.   It all started when Don, a good friend of mine came over to visit me after my back surgery.  He and my wife started talking about our kitchen and how he had started remodeling his with new counter tops.  Well that got my wife off and running with the same idea for our house.

Well fast forward to 7 months later and our home  has a totally different feel to it.  The kitchen wall paper is gone (with my wife doing it all her self – that was a HUGE job) and now not only do we have new counter tops, but also a brand new deep-pumpkin type of color in our kitchen.  The warmth and positive vibes I get from it are amazing as the colors bring out everything in the kitchen, but also the rest of our house as well.

This has not stopped in side.  Our patio has a small makeover too.  My wife moved the patio table to the other side, and set up more of a sitting area on the side where the table was at originally.  We had an old love-seat that swings a little bit that she re-painted and found some new cushions for it along with 2 of our other chairs, and BAM – a whole new look outside too.

Now these are all physical changes to our home – but the results have an amazing affect on us and our family.  It has helped me to get a new perspective on things along with helping my wife to have a new outlook and re-energized perspective on our lives here in our home. Seeing my wife excited and have purpose is amazingly connecting for me to her.   I see these things that she is doing and this connects to her.  It is connecting with her inner-peace to have a relaxing, warm and loving home to spend time in and this transfers to all other aspects of our lives.  It’s also very cool to have this connect with today being our 25th wedding anniversary too.

This coincides with a theme that has been in my heart as of late and that is to get engaged in my life.  To stop putting things off and keep looking to change and get better by stepping out of my comfort zone.  For also me knowing that I need to keep investing in my wife, my marriage, my family, my friends, my interests and joys in life that have to do with teaching and helping others;  along with more investments in my future which connects with all of these items.

You see, our lives change every day.  So why not get on the “change train” and start steering it where we want it to go.  Yes our lives do change every day as we get older, other people’s choices and decisions affect us, the weather changes, the world and the events going on affect us – but the key is we get the choice on how it affects us along with the choice on how we want to change ourselves and the world we live in.  My choices affect my family, friends, students, the places that I work at, and most of all myself.  Those choices of mine also affect the future of all these areas too.  So, please realize the same is happening for you as well.  It starts today, for today is all that we have right now.  What is one small thing to do today that will help you change?