We were lucky to catch up with Alisha Reid recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alisha, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
You know, every empath has their own journey. In mine I did a lot of un-doing, stripping myself of everything I could hide behind until I uncovered who I truly was, bare, authentic, and untouched. Some call it shadow work, and under these conditions one can truly feel, which is the root of empathy. After holding myself to this discipline of saying no to habits that once consumed me, I could finally face what was holding me back from my destiny: fear, wounds, and self-barriers. It was through healing these blockages that I not only understood myself but also came to understand others. I saw that their pain was simply deflected toward me in vulnerable moments, and in turn discovered areas of my own ignorance and the path to grow wiser in them. So if anyone were to ask me “How do you grow in empathy,” I would simply tell them, “Just get to know yourself”.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hey everybody! I’m Alisha Reid, a vocal recording artist straight out of the Tar Heel State. I enjoy performing a variety of genres, the freedom of theatre, the simplicity of lofi, and the roots of gospel, but my bread and butter is R&B and Soul. My favorite thing about creating is that it embodies everything I am without painting the perfect picture. I’d love for you to get to know me better by exploring my latest project “Love Me, Love Me Not” on all platforms! By staying connected with me through my socials and website linked below, you’ll keep up with everything new, including music, visuals, and performances.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
3 important nuggets that I still carry with me today are:
1. Remember why you started
Cliche, I know, but the words are true. Every commitment you have: a business, a relationship, an in-progress aspiration, will come with days where you hit uncharted territory or want to stop. In so many moments, I felt overlooked or that I simply wasn’t improving because I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. But when you fall in love with the journey rather than the prize, your wins are so much more than a trophy.
2. Accept your failures and rejections with pride
This is a tough one for most of us because getting knocked down can break your spirit and expose your efforts on a stage, not knowing the outcome. To cope, I reprogrammed my way of thinking from failure to re-focus and rejection to redirection. I found that what is not yours will naturally push you towards what’s actually aligned.
3. Push your limits while staying consistent
My brother always told me, “Remember that the goal is to get 1% better each day.” Whether that looks like repetition or doing something you’ve never done, you will break through walls bigger than your imagination to obtain what you’ve always dreamed of.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I have a great read, actually! The Alchemist is a life-changing book for anyone seeking to discover their true identity beyond their profession. There are many nuggets throughout the book as Santiago is on a quest to find his personal legend.
One of my favorites is “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.” To me, that means to explore without limits, just don’t forget your fundamentals that keep you grounded.
Another valuable nugget I loved was, “He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” This one’s personal for me because I didn’t see being a musical artist in my cards when I first went to college. After graduating though, I realized that college was a pivotal point for both my career and self-evolution.
I work my 9-5 to fund my 5-9, knowing that I’ll never have to look my inner child in the face and tell her “no, you can’t have your dreams.” She deserves much better than that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alishareid.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreveralisha_/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@foreveralisha_
- Other: https://unitedmasters.com/a/alisha-reid https://www.tiktok.com/@foreveralisha_
Image Credits
@shotsbysani
@arganproductions
@zionmadethatshot
@hans.rolf
