JumpStart Snack Stick Day (9/23/24)

QUOTE:  "May you be well. May you be happy. May you be loved.  May you be at peace." (Traditional)

MESSAGE:  In an effort to keep this email bite-sized, today’s is Part 1 of 2.

As a former ELA teacher and forever vocab junkie, I firmly believe that words are important.  Finding the correct word for the situation is crucial, and often, we say one word, but really mean a similar word.  When understanding is conveyed by language and we desperately want people to understand us, choosing the correct word is critical.

For example, how are compassion and empathy related and different?

Definitions:
Empathy:  The ability to mentally put oneself in another’s situation and share their feelings.  
Compassion:  The ability to understand that another person is feeling pain or suffering.   Among researchers it is defined as “the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.”

Empathy involves getting in the weeds with another person, becoming embroiled in their maelstrom of emotions. Compassion maintains a distance and involves some kind of action to help relieve another’s suffering.  

Examples:
Empathy: A teacher who can relate to a student’s struggles because they experienced them in school, too.
Compassion:  A teacher notices a student is struggling and offers to help them after class.

Next week, we’ll cover what happens when you feel too much of empathy and compassion, and how that can be prevented and solved for.

NEXT WEEK, TRY THIS:  When you see someone struggling or hurting, instead of getting swamped in painful feelings, deliberately generate a sense of presence and care.  Approach the situation with a ‘May you be well, may you be happy, may you be loved, may you feel peace’ attitude.  This will help you notice their pain so that they are seen, and keep you from also feeling the pain.

DAD JOKE:  I bought a record called, "Sounds of Wasps."  It didn't sound right, so I checked...  sure enough, I was playing the bee side.