If it wasn’t for my choosing the A-Z’s of Empathy as my theme this year, I would have been all over writing about Zinfandel and Zig-Zags, or maybe even zebras and Zarex. I don’t know why but I feel like I’m in the Batman and Robin cartoon I’m at the KAPOW! ZOC! Or ZAP! Out of the cartoon and back to reality. I know you remember what I’m talking about!
I’ve been zealous about this challenge and have completed each letter with zeal (well all except for the Unicorn, I did cheat there). This month flew by so fast and I have been in this weird blogging zone. I did not have time to write letters to my non-blogging friends. But I kind of feel disappointed because I came to realize that if I’m not reaching out to them, they’re not reaching out to me. It all goes back to if you want to have a friend, you gotta be a friend, right? Which brings me to my final word of the A-Z of Empathy: Zapped!
Have you ever heard the zzzzt, zzzzt, sound of bugs in a bug light getting zapped? That’s kind of what I feel like as I contemplate my last post. I’m zapped back into reality of the daily routine now that the challenge is over. I should say I’m very candid when I express my opinions and thoughts on topics. I don’t sugarcoat realism and say that it’s going to be a picnic if it’s an execution. Most times that truth hurts. Say what you mean and mean what you say, right?
My mailbox was a big disappointment this month (with the exception of the surprise early birthday present from Auntie Margie). Tall Cool ☺ne reminds me all the time that it’s not others or letters from friends that give us self-esteem. He’s right but I like my mail, (sometimes so much that I order stuff from Amazon just so I can get mail.) Self-esteem comes from within, personal achievements, past experience, how we deal in relationships with others. The more we understand ourselves and our own feelings the better we can relate to others. Building empathy is a skill, not a trait we either have or don’t—it grows with awareness and practice. In conclusion, there are three basic types of empathy:
Cognitive empathy – Understanding what someone else is thinking or feeling intellectually (putting yourself in their shoes).
Emotional empathy – Actually feeling the emotions that another person is experiencing, almost as if their emotions are contagious.
Compassionate empathy – Going beyond understanding and feeling, and taking action to help or support the other person.
Hope you enjoyed this journey through the A-Z’s of Empathy and maybe you have been zapped into looking at things from another perspective. Have you ever been zapped by a response or maybe a non-response from someone who was delivering empathy? Have you ever zapped someone?
Cheers,
☺
CRACKERBERRIES 