“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” – Mohsin Hamid
We believe empathy is one of the most important ingredients enabling effectiveness and so we connected with some amazing folks to ask them about the conditions that allowed them to develop into such empathic leaders.
Jessica Bayers
The conditions that allowed me to develop my empathy were rooted in my upbringing and life experiences. Growing up surrounded by scarcity, I felt the weight of financial insecurity and the emotional impact it had on those around me. These experiences heightened my sensitivity to the struggles of others, particularly the emotional and energetic toll of living in survival mode. Read more>>
Marquita Waters
In 1999 I was rushed to the hospital for a pit bull dog bit on my wrist. In the ER the doctors decided to admit me to clean the deep wounds. I woke up the next day and could hardly talk. The nurses and doctors said my voice would be fine in about a week. It wasn’t.
After a month I went to an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist. He showed me the video he took of my vocal folds. The doctors had nicked my vocal folds and caused a growth over 40%of my air passage. If it was attached on both sides I would never sing again. If it was attached on one side then the specialist could remove it surgically and I would be fine. Read more>>
Asher Kondziela
I believe my empathy comes from personal experience. I was an awkward kid growing up with an undiagnosed learning disability. I am a queer, polyamorous human that has not always had kind receptions to my identities. My human experience and the people I have been fortunate enough to call friends and acquaintances in life have taught me a great deal about the complexities of peoples stories. Just because I do not experience something does not mean that it does not happen to others. Prism Moves was born from my own experiences and the experiences of those around me, and recognizing that my ability to pass safely through the fitness industry is not a reality for everyone. Read more>>
Jesse Leaman
One cold night in the winter of 1996, after a blizzard dumped feet of snow in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania, I made a big mistake that nearly ended my life. I attempted a flip from my porch into the fresh powder, but I over rotated and landed head first on a patch of ice. Instantly my neck was broken, and I was paralyzed from the shoulders down. After 3 weeks of intensive care and 10 weeks of rehab I could breathe and talk, but I would need help with most of my daily living activities for the rest of my life. From that time on I been able to relate to anybody experiencing challenges that amount to disadvantages in the pursuit of a fulfilling life. Read more>>
