Hi VISTA Leaders,

It is exciting to have the opportunity to blog with you. There are so many ideas I have to share with you to enrich your leader year that it has been hard to decide what topic to write about for this first blog.

However, I recently saw a video on Ted’s web-site that really had meaning for me; and I think it will have meaning for you, too. The video is called, “Compassion and the True Meaning of Empathy,” by Joan Halifax. For years, I have read and written about compassion and empathy from a service provider’s perspective. So much of what I do, and what each of you, do, as VISTA Leaders is about being in service to others. Joan Halifax however talks about compassion and empathy, not just from her heart and soul, but in such a way that we are inspired to raise our service to a higher level for those we serve.

Anytime we are in service, we must in our core be compassionate and empathic. Both attributes are the basis of trust and relationship-building. Empathy allows us to under-stand another person’s pain, and unlike sympathy, provides a firm boundary to ensure I don’t take on their pain and make it mine. Compassion is the bridge that connects two people in a way that respects their uniqueness, yet provides a clear understanding of their life journey, their suffering and their joy.

This particular video is a “must see” for all VISTA leaders and I encourage you to share it with your members. It will stimulate a deep and wonderful discussion and elevate each leader’s and member’s service to a higher level. Here is the link: http://t.co/5my0uMJf

This video is not directly related to leadership, but it is a deep treatment of one of the most important components of leadership, compassion and empathy. We have learned from Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence the profound place in relationship-building empathy has, and the vital element compassion is to service. I believe the deep quality and power compassion and empathy offer each of us as human beings, makes it critical to our self-development. If you have comments or questions, please feel free to email at elainekwilliams@aol.com

With gratitude to each of you for your VISTA service,

Elaine