I was at a networking event this month. The peppy emcee bubbled over in a welcome, telling us to promote the event and chirping, "Remember, positive vibes only!" I think she was well-intentioned...but the remark was tone-deaf. Because, over coffee, I had already talked to a woman whose brother was just killed and another whose long-term relationship had foundered. And that was just in the first 5 minutes!

Great keynote session this afternoon! Cheers to organizations like the Wellness Council of Indiana, talking about all the things that matter right now in the lives of employees: sessions on mental wellness, trauma, loneliness, empathy. I love where we are headed: towards more connected, human workplaces.

Some great ways to cultivate your empathetic imagination include….
1) Reading books by authors from different worldviews/cultures/experiences
2) Pausing while watching a show to ask, “I wonder why they are feeling/doing that?”
3) Ask (often), “What else might be going on right now to make this person act the way that they are acting?”. Engage the question with compassion and imagination.

Join me at the Wellness Council of Indiana Summit on August 12. My session is "From Me to We: How to Cultivate Empathy and Promote Mental Well-Being". The content is more important than ever. Last year, 26 million Americans went untreated for mental health issues, isolation was rampant as we all sheltered in place, and anxiety was a consistent companion.

Father’s Day is this Sunday (June 20). And there is (probably) someone in your life that is going to have a hard holiday.

So, I locked my keys in the car. They are, still, leering at me from the middle console as I wait for the USAA rescue crew. Being stuck at Chipotle is a minor disruptive life event. I needed help. Because I was stranded with 3 of my 4 children and another needed to be picked up from camp.

How do we create a culture where people want to share (so that we can practice empathy)? Great question from my morning session with the hard-working team of the United Way of Central Indiana. They are doing such important work! One great way to open up a deeper level of understanding and support is to do a temperature check with your team.

“You brought so much light to what our teams are going through…”. I love reading comments like this at the close of a session. The great engagements just keep coming this week…

I was in a room full of people today, doing what I love! Being in-person again was a delight. Thank you, Park Tudor School. Our all-day session offered so many moments of learning and connection. Educators are pandemic heroes and it was a pleasure to bring this content into a school setting.

The JoyPowered Journal from JoDee Curtiss and the team at Purple Ink llc is such a great resource for reflection and growth.

And I am honored to be a contributor

Micro-compassions. Isn’t that a great term? Scott Shute defines micro-compassions as the powerful movement from “Me” to “We”. Here are a few to try in your workplace today…

Cliché. Definition: a phrase or opinion that is overused and displays a lack of original thought. Also, a common (and crappy) way to verbally process someone else’s pain. I call this the Cheer-Up Cheryl response pattern, wanting to make it “better” for someone else. Here are a few of the thoughtless, devoid-of-original-thought verbal garbage that we go to…