...reflections from a Compassionate Listener

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Empathic Civilization

A friend sent me this video today. It speaks to the very essence of our collective work in the Compassionate Listening Project, along with millions and millions of people and organizations all around the world who are working towards an empathic civilization. As Paul Hawken, Four Years. Go., and others have brought to our attention, the times that we're living in are simply unprecedented - never has there been such a groundswell of individual and grassroots efforts working towards restoring the environment and fostering social justice. As Hawken says, "humanity's collective genius" is bursting through.

I'm dedicating this post to Dan Nichols, a great model for the empathic civilization, who passed on yesterday here in our Indianola community. In his 51 years, Dan taught us much about empathy by how he lived his daily life...a gentle, powerful teacher for so many.

4 comments:

Karen Sella said...

What a gem! Thanks for sharing this, Leah... and so sorry to learn about your friend's passing. I know that he was a bright light to many. xoxo, k

Anonymous said...

My Dear Leah,

Of course the mirror looks back first at those courageous initiators who act every day to challenge the reality they see with a vision of a new and better empathically based reality that they themselves are fully engaged in creating. The mirror is looking squarely at you after twenty years of initiating so many of us in a dynamic process to challenge and manifest that more empathic reality in our own lives.
May your mission be rewarding beyond even your dreams, (and safe).
With Love,
Larry Snider

Anonymous said...

Stress makes you develop. how to figure out problems, solve the impossible,
and pushes you to reach for the creative, and extend the possibilities of what
can be.

Biologically, you are programmed, hard wired to overcome great obstacles,
and just arriving here took over 1 billion years worth of failure. you are the
best of the best. We have but, ~ 26,000 days to be here. How are you going
to spend it?

E.Louise said...

So glad I found this blog and the Compassionate Listening project.
I've re-posted this video on my blog too:
http://growandbegrown.blogspot.com

Thank you,
Emma