I was playing with words in my head earlier this year, as I often do, and the title of my book, Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, became "Six Better Rules for a Simple Life". (I wrote about it in my monthly newsletter.) Simple things of all types appeal…
Empathy is an important skill for all of us. The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes helps you to understand their situation. And if you understand, you will be able to treat them with compassion. I recently heard an example of someone putting himself in the shoes of…
I've written before about the importance of letting go of anger. I've also read quite a few blog posts by others on anger, including several I published after they were submitted to me for this blog. I recently read Originals, the second book by Adam Grant, whose Give and Take I enjoyed…
Seeking first to understand is a habit I try to follow. It's one I first learned while reading Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I often talk about seeking first to understand when I speak about "Be Nice", the second of my Six Simple Rules for a Better…
One of my friends participates in a program as a mentor to moms. She gave me one of the handouts from the training sessions she attended prior to beginning her volunteering. Its author is unknown and it's easy to find on the Internet. It's about listening, something most of us…
The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe rarely generates the level of empathy it would have if it was closer to home. This American Life, the wonderful radio show / podcast, recently sent staffers to Greece to learn the stories of refugees. The stories were then shared over the course of…
I made sure I taught my kids, if someone sends you an e-mail, a text message, or any other type of communication, you need to respond. If you don’t have time to give a complete reply, acknowledge receipt and tell them you will get back to them later. And then…
I recently read the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending the poor, the wrongly condemned, and those trapped in other ways in our criminal justice system. The book's central story is of Stevenson's fight to get Walter MacMillian, wrongly…
A couple months ago, as a favor to a friend of mine, I was the speaker at a temple in Brooklyn. In addition to the members of her congregation, my friend invited Joe, a friend of hers, who I knew and who wanted to hear me speak. A couple of…
Last week, I wrote about a powerful empathy exercise. This week, I want to write more about some additional powerful things I've learned recently about empathy. I like to watch parts of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It’s on too late for me, so I watch it on DVR…
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day earlier this week, I want to share a powerful empathy exercise that took place just after Dr. King’s passing. I’m surprised I had not heard about it before recently reading about it. It was controversial because, as you will see, it was…
I recently read an article about people who don't take to the idea of focusing on happiness. I went to post a comment, but encountered a tech glitch and it didn't get posted. The following is the comment I intended to post: I have learned a great deal, about a great many…