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Hindsight might be 2020; however, like you, Burrell and I had no way of anticipating what the year would bring. We could never have predicted that a global pandemic would shut down the world and simultaneously open hearts and minds to the value of compassion and the reality of interconnectedness.   We were both grateful…

My friend Brett’s text message to me this morning sums it up…   “You picked a hell of a week for your retreat.”   Boy, ignorance was bliss.   Yesterday afternoon, I re-emerged out of a five-day silent meditation retreat. Unlike other retreats I’ve attended, this one, like so many other pandemic-era experiences, arrived in…

  My teammate, Burrell Poe, and I recently led a 90-minute self-compassion workshop for 20 leaders of a large organization. We asked them prior to the training to share their current challenges, and this is what we heard back:   “I am worried about team burnout.” “I feel like there are too many fires to…

It’s not always easy to “compassion it.” Especially when the divisiveness created by our two-party political system takes the “united” out of the United States of America.   Dealing with the pain and uncertainties of a global pandemic certainly doesn’t help. During a time when we need more connection and compassion, politics keeps widening the…

What Happens When You Invite Your Enemies to Tea? Howard Stern entered an elevator and found himself face-to-face with Regis Philbin – a man he had been relentlessly berating on his well-known radio show. What could have been an awkward elevator ride instead became a lesson on unconditional kindness.   I’m a big fan of…

As I reflect back on Compassion It’s eighth year, I can’t help but feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment and joy.  Here’s why: 1 – We worked with refugees in Rwanda Thanks to a partnership with the nonprofit Alight, we supported compassion initiatives in a Rwandan refugee camp, and those efforts may impact millions of…

I don’t know about you, but every year the holiday shopping ads seem to appear earlier and earlier. I get emails about Black Friday, Giving Tuesday* and Cyber Monday, and they tell me, “Click here! Go to our website, and spend your money with us!”

In 2015, retail and outdoor recreation services giant REI created a brilliant campaign to get people off of their phones and computers and into the world. While every other retailer asked you to spend money on Black Friday, REI told you to take a hike. Literally. REI closed all of its 150+ stores on Black…

Ready to end the year on high note? Why not change NOvember into YESvember, and see what happens. Why say “yes”? Saying yes isn’t easy. When you’re comfortable where you are, why rock the boat?  When I look back on my life so far, some of my most rewarding and enjoyable experiences have come from…

My Compassion It teammate, Burrell Poe, and I joined the organization Alight for a week in Rwanda in order to unleash compassion within the healthcare system at refugee camps. This compassionate care initiative, Amandi, began with uncovering obstacles to compassion. After that, we creatively developed solutions to remove those obstacles. We spent the week at the Gihembe…