The Antidote to Shame
I’m reading Brene Brown’s book “Dare to Lead” and I’m really understanding how shame has been an invisible stronghold in my life and often shone through in my drive for perfection. We all experience feelings of personal inadequacy and we can connect with the emotions of what it feels like to be “less than”. Empathy is connecting to the emotion of an experience, not the experience itself. And while all our lives are different, we have shared feelings that build bridges linking us all together.
As I was reading today, this passage stopped me in my tracks and I believe there are others who need to hear this too...”Remember, empathy is the most powerful connecting and trust-building tool that we have, and it’s the antidote to shame. If you put shame in a petri dish and cover it with judgment, silence, and secrecy, you’ve created the perfect environment for shame to grow until it makes its way into every corner and crevice of your life. If, on the other hand, you put shame in a petri dish and douse it with empathy, shame loses its power and begins to wither. Empathy creates a hostile environment for shame - an environment it can’t survive in, because shame needs you to believe you’re alone and it’s just you.”
Just something to think about....
Live. Lead. Love!
Dr. Jason
#shame #empathy #leadership #hope #freedom #antidote