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Empathy Café event

Three insights from Empathy Café

High quality listening is rare, but when present, can be truly insightful, touching, connecting and profoundly human.

Yesterday I hosted an Empath Café with Diana Hu. We practiced empathic listening for three rounds. Each round showed me something new and precious:

  1. The first story celebrated feeling loved by receiving text messages on your birthday, and reminded me to celebrate the good and never underestimate the impact a small gesture has. What impact might we have without ever knowing?
  2. The second story expressed a frustration at work. This seemed an easy issue, but when given space, it really showed just how important this topic was. It showed me that we can ‘solve’ our feelings, yet still not be done with them. How important it is to full honour your feelings and express them. Do you have any feelings you have ‘solved’ that still ask for expression?
  3. The third story shared a deep struggle, which showed me the rich inner life we all have, hidden in plain sight. I awoke a sense of compassion in me: how everyone we meet has his or her own life story, with their own struggles. Next time you’re in a meeting, try imagining that.

It shouldn’t be a surprise after all these years*, yet I am still surprised every time how such a simple practice can be so profoundly touching, insightful and human. Afterwards, I felt less weight on my shoulders, more spacious and more grounded.

Thanks Diana Hu for inviting me to host an Empath Café with you! We’re hosting another Empath Café in two weeks time, februari 27th, on 20:00-22:00 CET. Let me know if you want to join.

*) Between 2013-2018, I have been both participant and trainer in countless of these workshops, so I should know better by now! Yet I somehow I had forgotten, so I felt tempted to CANCEL this Empath Café being tired after work… I’m glad I didn’t miss out on this goodness!