What role does empathy play in your life and how has it helped you?
Truthfully I think of myself as a very empathetic person. I'm not sure I do a great job of showing it all the time, but I do believe that I feel others pretty deeply. Some ways that I think I do a good job of empathizing, or at least habits I employ that I believe add to my empathy, are eye contact, listening, and mirroring. I make great eye contact, so much so that some people find it overwhelming or intimidating (I've heard). I am also a great listener. I do a good job of focusing on the speaker and truly hearing what they say. Finally, I think mirroring is a big part of being able to empathize and meet people where they are. I practice it with body language, tone, and repitition. A lot of the time I will rephrase what someone has just said to me or add a complimentary comment. I do it without even thinking, but as a result it makes me easy to talk to and I think helps increase the emotional connection with whoever I am speaking with.