The disposition for cultivating emotional resilience that we are focusing on this month is empathy. Watch this video where Dr. Roman Krznaric shares how stepping outside yourself and discovering the lives of other people can help with your overall well being. I first found this video while reading the article Six Habits of Highly Empathetic People from the Greater Good Science Center from UC Berkeley. I am always looking for practical strategies and approaches so I was drawn to the six habits to becoming more empathic:
- Cultivate curiosity about strangers.
- Challenge prejudices and discover commonalities.
- Try another person’s life.
- Listen hard – and open up.
- Inspire mass action and social change.
- Develop an ambitious imagination.
When I think about habit #5, I can’t help but think about this movement that Elena Aguilar has started with Onward. As she shares in the introduction to Onward: With this book, I’m inviting you to join a movement toward self-knowledge, understanding, and acceptance; toward embracing emotions and creating space for them in public, professional spaces; and toward authentic community among adults, between adults and children, and for youth, so that we may create spaces where young people can acquire the skills to thrive. Are you a part of this movement?