This is my last website article until September. I continue to be very appreciative of the feedback I have received about my monthly articles from my readers. As I have expressed in the past, my main goal in writing these columns has been to share information and ideas that might serve as a catalyst for self-reflection and self-change. My first website article appeared in February, 1999 with a focus on the concept of empathy. It represented part one of a two-part series. Since that time several people have inquired why, of all of the topics I might have selected, did I choose empathy for my initial article. My response was that for many years prior to 1999 I perceived empathy as a basic skill and foundation for developing meaningful connections with others as well as for leading a more fulfilling, resilient life. The importance of empathy was reinforced when I read the books of several renowned individuals, such as Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence (EQ); Goleman included empathy as a key component of EQ. Simply defined, empathy is the capacity to place oneself in the shoes of another person and to…
