The perfect gift

In many countries, 'tis the season for finding the perfect gift for your friends and loved ones.  It truly can be a special time of thoughtfulness and giving.

But just to mix things up, I'd like to challenge you to give a unique gift this year... one that has a great kick-back incentive. It's not a store-bought gift or one you order online, but one that comes from your social intelligence -- the ability to be aware of those around you and manage your relationship with them. This gift is empathy.

Empathy is a competency of emotional intelligence and one which can be easier to offer to some than others. Empathy is not only sensing others' feelings and perspectives, but it is showing an active interest in their concerns.

For those we care about and love, showing empathy comes easy.  When a friend is in trouble, we hurt with them and want to do what we can to help out.  But have you tried showing empathy toward those who have disappointed you or let you down?  Easier said than done.

There is no magic formula to doing this. Offering the gift of empathy toward those who are not on your "Nice" list is difficult. We naturally tend to withhold kindness toward those who've been hurtful and even can find a sense of twisted satisfaction when we choose to not forgive their wrongdoing toward us. But we all know it's us who suffers most when we choose anger and resentment. And opting not to forgive someone, to not put ourselves in their shoes and try to understand the why behind their behavior, instead skipping down the path of resentment, damages our own well-being.  In an article published by John Hopkins Medicine, Dr. Karen Swartz, M.D. at John Hopkins Hospital says this: "Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and  immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions." 
(https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_connections/forgiveness-your-health-depends-on-it)

Dr. Swartz goes on to say, in contrast, "Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health." Anger toward someone who's been hurtful is normal.  It's just not a place you want to hang out for long.

Who are you holding a grudge toward or harboring anger toward?  I'm guessing someone's name came quickly to mind. Try writing down that name on a piece of paper and, for a moment, attempt to lay aside their hurtful behavior. List out all the positive things about them you can come up with. (There's no need to write down the hurtful behavior -- no doubt you've replayed that in your mind countless times!) Your list of positives might be short. That's OK. But looking at their whole person instead of focusing only on the hurtful behavior can help shift your perspective, even if just a bit. Then write down what you know of their current situation -- what are they going through? Are they lonely? Are they depressed? Are they scared, worried, or trying hard to impress others? Are they financially burdened or seem full of themselves? Are they struggling with insecurity? Most of our poor behaviors occur when we're not in a good space.  Attempting to understand their situation and offer a little understanding can have tremendous power over the anger in your heart.

"As human beings, we all have reasons for our behavior. There may be people who have certain physiological issues that dictate why they make certain choices. On the whole, though, I think we're dictated by our structure, our past, our environment, our culture. So once you understand the patterns that shape a person, how can you not find sympathy?" -- Forest Whitaker

To begin to heal, you may need to have a conversation with this person to let the know the pain they've caused. You may need to journal about it, talk with a friend, work with a coach, or see a counselor to sort things out. Whichever action you need to take to put this behind you and move on, do it. Every minute you hang on to  resentment and anger is one more minute you are robbing yourself from living a full life.

You don't have to become best friends with the person.  In fact, in situations of severe hurt, it may be best to not have contact with them if possible. But whatever your ongoing relationship with them may be, there's no need to keep replaying their destructive behavior over and over in your mind.  Why relive something so pain-filled? It happened. Past tense. No need to keep bringing it into your present. Offering a little empathy -- not in any way justifying what they did -- by attempting to understand why they did it, can help you begin to move forward again.

Offering the gift of empathy doesn't make light of the pain, nor does it give license for the person to continue to inflict damage upon you.  Forgiving someone doesn't tell them what they did was OK. It tells them that you're not going to punish them (and yourself) any longer for something in the past. It can free you from the hurt and enable you to move forward again...with or without them.  In fact, offering someone empathy isn't really for them -- it's a gift of love to yourself.  Yes, your empathetic behavior may bring about a shift in that person's mindset--but that's not your concern. Your emotions and behaviors are the only ones you can truly manage. Think of empathy as a gift you give to others which comes with an incredible kickback incentive -- healing for your heart.

Empathy is probably the most perfect gift you'll find this season. And I promise, it's a gift you'll never want to return. Why not give it a try?