Empathy, Friendships….

One of the best and most ( I think The most ) important human trait we can have is empathy.
How vital it is to feel a real connection with others, it enhances happiness no end. Too little makes us selfish , too much can be a problem, but having bucketloads is a blessing. Hence the global cheer when those Thai boys and their coach were rescued by their heroic divers in an epic mission which united us all for a while. That collective “please let them all be alive”. That was empathy at its simplest.
Empathy can be taught so I use it a lot in my life coaching practice. It makes enormous impact if you can put yourself in another’s shoes. It opens up a whole new world of meaningful relationships and shared experiences. It can certainly enhance and improve your life if you are prone to feeling lonely or disconnected.
Just a smile or a cheery hello at someone on the way to work, a longer chat at the checkout or your postman, it’s proven to make you feel tons better, try it !
My lovely week was filled with family, coaching sessions , 2 book launches, future plans and friends. Ah my favourite life enhancer , friends and Glorious friendships!
My friends have always sustained me. Ever since boarding school, friends became my defacto family when I came to England at 13. I call myself a friendship gatherer, with many old and some newer friends who make me laugh. No one is ever too old for new friends . Empathy was certainly a prerequisite in navigating the international waters of school milieu, and later settling into an English way of life from the jungles of Borneo. We need our chums, all unique, with different perspectives and personalities , and mine are all kindhearted people. They are normal ( mostly) , loyal and intelligent , some are powerful, glamorous, mad as hatters, others quietly wise, but all are brave, interesting and loved. I adore our ability to giggle, laugh, share our worries and frustration when times get tough, and find joy in this crazy journey we call life.
Some I speak to often, others very sporadically but all have a special place in my heart. They are my gang, wherever they are in the world.
Am saying adieu to one of my kindest friends this week, she’s off home to NYC. She knows she’s loved and will be much missed by me and so many whom she has helped throughout the years. It’s a wrench but we will keep in touch, thank goodness for WhatsApp . Long live my girlfriends, thank you , you know who you are…..
Next week is Nelson Mandela’s Centenary and I will reflect on how this great man showed the world how to forgive and triumph over despicable apartheid. Have a fantastic week dear ones …..