It's Not About You: The Value of Empathy

this-is-water-600x369.jpg

The video below is a bit longer for a YouTube video but totally worth taking the time to watch from start to finish. Subscribers may need to click through to view:

It's easy to get frustrated at life sometimes. You could be commuting in Atlanta and stuck in traffic. Someone could do something that seems very..well...dumb. You could pass someone in the store that seems absolutely rude.

Before becoming offended or begin to pass judgements on that person or situation you've known for less than one minute, think about the times where you haven't been yourself. Where situations out of your control have affected your mood or decision making.

Also think about times when things don't go your way. We're not always dealt a fair hand a lot of times. We get stuck in traffic on our way to an important meeting or to visit family. The outdoor concert or baseball game you've been looking forward to gets rained out. You're working out in the gym and someone appears to be hogging that machine you've been wanting to use.

These are all things I have personally gotten frustrated with. If we're honest, one of the hardest things to remember is that it's not always about us. The world affects us all differently and we all handle it different ways.

Knowing that, I think we could all be more empathetic with everyone around us and make better decisions on how we respond to certain situations. What would the world look like then?