Host Francesca Amiker sits down with directors Joe and Anthony Russo, producer Angela Russo-Otstot, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, and more to uncover how family was the key to building the emotional core of The Electric State . From the Russos’ own experiences growing up in a large Italian family to the film’s central relationship between Michelle and her robot brother Kid Cosmo, family relationships both on and off of the set were the key to bringing The Electric State to life. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . State Secrets: Inside the Making of The Electric State is produced by Netflix and Treefort Media.…
Empathy Power Up is your dose of empathy goodness, coming at you from hosts Amy J. Wilson and Kevin Shah. Kevin and Amy pull from the wisdom of guest speakers and those that inspire us in the world, all with the end result of deepening our sense of empathy for one another. Our goal is to build a world where people seek to understand each other. We discuss everything from the workplace dynamics to personal growth and behaviors that make us a whole person. Amy is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World, a guide to create positive, compassionate change where we work, live, and play. Amy is the leader of Empathy for Change, a collaborative of doers, designers, and builders who helps us learn about ourselves so that we may understand others. Kevin Shah A.K.A Captain Empathy is a product leader and CEO of Jaago - a company that helps companies learn the superpower of empathy with the vision to create a world where people seek to understand one another. He has build large scale products for some of the biggest companies in various industries and is helping international companies in their empathy driven growth journey.
Empathy Power Up is your dose of empathy goodness, coming at you from hosts Amy J. Wilson and Kevin Shah. Kevin and Amy pull from the wisdom of guest speakers and those that inspire us in the world, all with the end result of deepening our sense of empathy for one another. Our goal is to build a world where people seek to understand each other. We discuss everything from the workplace dynamics to personal growth and behaviors that make us a whole person. Amy is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World, a guide to create positive, compassionate change where we work, live, and play. Amy is the leader of Empathy for Change, a collaborative of doers, designers, and builders who helps us learn about ourselves so that we may understand others. Kevin Shah A.K.A Captain Empathy is a product leader and CEO of Jaago - a company that helps companies learn the superpower of empathy with the vision to create a world where people seek to understand one another. He has build large scale products for some of the biggest companies in various industries and is helping international companies in their empathy driven growth journey.
In our final episode of Season 2 of Empathy Power Up, we do a retrospective of the season behind us, what we learned in the process, and our hope for the future. We begin by wondering what makes a 21st century workplace and the workers within it, and untangle this question through the lens of a new framework that describes the common thread among more than 200 research studies on the topic. Over the course of the season, your hosts Kevin and Amy went deeper into this framework, called the Framework for Mental Health & Well-Being launched by the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s office in October 2022. In it, they outline five essential components for workplace well-being: protection from harm, connection & community, work-life harmony, mattering at work, and opportunity for growth. Each episode along the journey addresses two fundamental human needs and highlights areas where workplaces can improve to support employee well-being, and what we can do to support our own learning & growth. At the end of the episode you’ll hear updates and announcements from Kevin and Amy on what they’re working on now and their thoughts for the next season of the Empathy Power Up Podcast. ---- Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World: https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin…
Yearning to learn and grow is central to who we are, yet there are many things in our life that block us from growing into a better version of ourselves. We are holding so many things: trying to be good at our jobs, within treasured relationships, and also taking care of ourselves in the process. There never seems to be enough time in the day. When we get overwhelmed with life or our work situation, we stay in our comfort zone which is surrounded by fears that hold us back. But beyond those fears are the real nuggets of learning and eventual growth that we need to feel fulfilled. This week we talk about the Opportunity for Growth, which is the fifth and final part of the US Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Wellbeing. This Essential rests on the human needs of learning and a sense of accomplishment. Learning is the process of acquiring new skills and knowledge in the workplace, and accomplishment is the outcome of meeting goals and having an impact. We can develop horizontally, meaning we can expand to deepen our existing or new skills and knowledge, or vertically which means that we develop ourselves deeper into who we are and show up in the world. In this episode we’ll talk about the four zones that we need to manage in our everyday lives, how we can expand both outward and upward, and what our workplaces can do to support us in our own growth to reach new levels of accomplishment. Reference Materials: Cook-Greuter, Susanne R. (2004). “Making the case for developmental perspective.” Industrial and Commercial Training, 36 (7). http://www.verticaldevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1.-Cook-Greuter-Making-the-case-for-a-developmental-perspective.pdf Kegan, Robert (1998). “In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life.” Harvard University Press. https://www.amazon.com/Over-Our-Heads-Mental-Demands/dp/0674445880 Loevinger, Jane (1976). “Ego Development: Conceptions and Theories.” Joseey-Bass. , Jane Loevinger, 1976 ( https://www.amazon.com/Ego-Development-Conceptions-Jossey-Bass-Behavioral/dp/0875892752 ) Torbert, William (2004). “Action Inquiry: The Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership.” Barrett-Koehler Publishers. https://www.amazon.com/Action-Inquiry-Secret-Transforming-Leadership/dp/157675264X ---- Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World: https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin…
What does it feel like to matter at work? This concept was a lot to wrap our minds around, as it doesn’t seem as straightforward like the other parts of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework on Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing—it’s a lot more abstract. When we matter at work, we feel valued and we also add value to our workplace. We can feel or give value to ourselves, others both at the workplace and in our communities we gather. Mattering involves “more than feeling like you belong in a group, it's also being missed by people in that group if you weren’t there,” says Dr. Gordon Flett, a York University professor and author of “The Psychology of Mattering.” It turns out that you won’t be a happy person if no one notices you when you enter a room, even if you feel like you’re valued. You’ll likely feel left out and isolated, and can have serious consequences. A lack of mattering is associated with burnout, self-criticism, anxiety, depression, aggression and increased risk of suicide. On the other side, people who feel like they matter experience more self-compassion, relationship satisfaction, and greater belief in their capacity to achieve their goals in life. This Framework Essential involves two human needs: meaning and dignity. Meaning is similar to having a purpose—that what we do has some kind of significance to us or the world. A sense of meaning can mean different things to different people: it can be a belief, feeling, a pursuit, significance, and a future state you’re working towards. Dignity is the sense of being respected and valued as humans. Dr. Donna Hicks explains two core truths of dignity, which are 1) that we are inherently valuable and worthy and 2) our dignity is vulnerable, and can be wounded. When the dignity of workers is affirmed and supported in the workplace, it enhances well-being. Conversely, being made to feel disrespected or not valued may lead to an increase in stress and feelings of anger, cynicism, hostility, and withdrawal. Both meaning and dignity are linked to power and agency, which we discuss more within this episode. Wrap your own mind around this complex topic, and learn how to find out if you are valued at work within this episode. Reference Materials: Cornwall, Gail. “Want to Believe in Yourself? ‘Mattering’ Is Key.” Retrieved on November 13, 2023 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/27/well/mind/mental-health-mattering-self-esteem.html Hicks, Donna. Ph.D. Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict. 14 September 2021. https://drdonnahicks.com/books/dignity/ Just Associates, Making Change Happen, 2011, https://justassociates.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/mch3_2011_final_0.pdf Prilleltensky, Isaac. Mattering at the Intersection of Psychology, Philosophy, and Politics. Retrieved on November 13, 2023 at: https://carsey.unh.edu/sites/default/files/media/2020/07/christine-robinson-nh-listens-fellows-cv.pdf ---- Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World: https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin…
Many of us can admit we work too much, and some may say we’re workaholics. In fact, we all come from a long line of ancestors pushed to work long hours all in the spirit of rugged individualism and achieving the next big thing. Whether it was by choice or not, we’ve been conditioned to chase production over knowing our own self worth and resting. But these are different times. In our ongoing discussion related to how our workplaces can serve our whole selves better, we realize that the hours we spend at work pulls us away from the people and things that matter most in our lives. And, we’re seeing that it is taking a big toll on our physical and mental health, which we’re becoming less willing to sacrifice in today’s world. Our workplaces and mindsets are going through a great reset. People all over the world are beginning to understand that work-life harmony is beneficial and generative for all of us. We are learning how to set boundaries that enable us to play, live, rest, and explore, that in the end will make us more engaged and productive at work. On the other hand, organizations can increase worker autonomy, or how much control one has over how they do their work, and provide greater flexibility, or the ability to work when and where is best for them. Organizations who have achieved these goals have seen workers more likely to succeed and stay at their jobs for longer, leading to increased quality of work and profits. In this episode, Kevin Shah and Amy J. Wilson will go deep on this topic and explore how we got here, what it’s like now, and ways that we can increase boundaries, autonomy, and flexibility to live the lives we have imagined. They explore what’s possible now, and in the future in a world that is focused more on empathy and compassion over profit and exploiting our most valuable resource: its people. Reference Materials: Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html Surgeon General’s Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/connection/index.html The Twenty Questions from Workaholics Anonymous: https://workaholics-anonymous.org/10-literature/24-twenty-questions ---- Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin…
Given the amount of time people spend at work, the relationships and connections we build in the workplace can have a variety of impacts on our overall well-being and success, both positive and negative. Strong workplace relationships better job satisfaction, productivity, and innovation. On the other hand, poor workplace relationships can lead to conflict, stress, and decreased productivity, and can also make it difficult to work effectively with others. In this episode we focus on the second essential in the US Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-being: Connection and Community and rests on two human needs: social support and belonging. Social connection (and support) is the number, variety, and quality of your relationships and interactions--and whether these meet your needs. Belonging is a feeling of being accepted and included in a group or community. Connection and community have healing effects and play a critical role in individual, community, and societal health. These essentials involve high levels of self awareness, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal development to do these things well, and have the most to do with building empathy and compassion. We go deeper on how we can create a culture of belonging, cultivate trusted relationships, and double down on collaboration and teamwork. Reference Materials: Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto, 1992. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dumbing_Us_Down/ZY4mAQAAIAAJ?hl=en Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html Surgeon General’s Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/connection/index.html Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. https://thinklikeamonkbook.com/…
The well being of workers and the health of organizations are inextricably connected. More than two-in-five workers surveyed by the American Psychological Association in 2022 reported that health and safety concerns negatively affect their stress level at work. Since the beginning of the pandemic, our work weeks have gotten longer, while our boundaries between our personal and professional lives dissolved. Workers around the world are putting in an average of 9.2 hours of unpaid overtime per week – up from 7.3 hours just a year ago. Recent research shows that people working more than 54 hours a week are at major risk of dying from overwork. Experts estimate that overwork kills 750,000 people per year. For years, “hustle culture” has glorified sacrificing sleep and work-life balance in favor of production and superficial success. Tricia Hershey, the Founder of The Nap Ministry and author of Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto has stated that “grind culture has stolen your imagination. Our thinking is very limited because we are deeply disconnected, exhausted, sleep deprived and don’t believe we are worthy of anything unless we burn ourselves out to ‘accomplish’ it.” In this episode we dive into two human needs in Protection from Harm: safety and security. A healthy workplace prioritizes workplace physical security and psychological safety. In psychologically safe teams, members feel accepted and respected, and won’t be punished for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. We discuss four strategies that can be used by organizations and companies to protect their workers from physical, emotional, and psychological harm. Protection from Harm is one of five essentials that support workplaces as engines of well-being and positive mental health. These essentials are described in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being, published in October 2022. Over the course of this season, your co-hosts Kevin and Amy break down the components of this Framework and provide ways we can move towards putting these words to action within our workplaces. Here are the readings we reference in this episode: Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html The American Psychological Association 2022 Work and Well-being Survey results: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2022/07/workplaces-mental-health-supports Kahn, William A. (1 December 1990). "Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work" Academy of Management Journal: https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/256287 Edmondson, Amy (1 June 1999). "Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams" (PDF). Administrative Science Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 Fredrickson, B. L., Cohn, M. A., Coffey, K. A., Pek, J., & Finkel, S. M. (2008). Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), 1045–1062. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013262 Surowiecki, James. The Cult of Overwork. The New Yorker. January 19, 2014. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/01/27/the-cult-of-overwork Baudrand, Louise, Cesar Castellvi, Nao Kinoshita, et. Al., “Developments in Well-Being at Work in Japan: A Survey and a Comparison with France.” Center for French-Japanese Advanced Studies in Paris, November 2018. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01943306/document Frank Pega, Bálint Náfrádi, Natalie C. Momen, Yuka Ujita, Kai N. Streicher, Annette M. Prüss-Üstün, Alexis Descatha, Tim Driscoll, Frida M. Fischer, Lode Godderis, Hannah M. Kiiver, Jian Li, Linda L. Magnusson Hanson, Reiner Rugulies, Kathrine Sørensen, Tracey J. Woodruff. “Global, regional, and national burdens of ischemic heart disease and stroke attributable to exposure to long working hours for 194 countries, 2000–2016: A systematic analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury”, Environment International, Volume 154, 2021, 106595, ISSN 0160-4120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106595 . Hersey, Tricia. Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto. https://thenapministry.com/ “Belonging at Cornell.” Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University. https://diversity.cornell.edu/belonging…
Imagine this: a workplace that is an engine of well-being, showing workers that they matter, that their work matters, and that they have the resources and support necessary to flourish. This future is imagined in a new report by the U.S. Surgeon General’s office (Dr. Vivek Murthy) entitled: The Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being (https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html). This report offers two things: awareness that our workplaces are not meeting our current needs, particularly as we emerge from this global pandemic and the case for change. And secondly, it provides a foundation that workplaces and practitioners can build upon. In this episode, Kevin Shah and Amy J. Wilson introduce you to the five components of the Framework: Protection from Harm Connection and Community Work-Life Harmony Mattering at Work Opportunity for Growth We also provide some context for how we got to this disconnect in the US today–to explore the past and connect it to the present. In the end, more structure and equitable access to healing is needed to address these deep seated challenges, and the answer is complex. It’s going to take multiple approaches to solve this big challenge. It’s going to take us to work on the individual, organization, and societal level to really make a dent into this problem we’re seeing. And there’s many facets to this problem. Over the course of this season, Kevin and Amy will break down the components of this Framework and provide ways we can move towards putting these words to action within our workplaces. Readings we reference in this episode: Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam: http://bowlingalone.com/ The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart by Bill Bishop and Robert G. Cushing: http://www.thebigsort.com/home.php Changes in dispositional empathy in American college students over time: a meta-analysis by Sara H. Konrath, Edward H O’Brien and Courtney Hsing: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20688954/ Empathy in Action Framework by Amy J. Wilson: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MIXPzJ23bgIfFV-wbjYGR1nsAhbL8nHWPhgJhwTPamo/edit#slide=id.p24…
What makes a 21st century organization? In our season 2 opener, this is the question we’re asking ourselves. Coming off the heels of a season where we looked at the aspects of the culture we want to change, we’re looking at the things we want to build. It’s a question that your co-host Amy J. Wilson has been asking for more than a decade, and is the topic that we’re diving into for this season. We’re emerging from the pandemic in an interesting place, where we’re questioning who we are, what we value, and finally if our workplaces are aligned to those values. We’re ready for a change--to have the world around us work more for what we want and desire. Now that we’re firmly in the first quarter of this century, we think it’s about time that we define this question for ourselves, and change for the better. The question was as relevant then as it is now, and it’s more pressing than ever. ---- Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin…
We all have been shaped by the world around us–by our family, friends, organizations around us, society, the media, and our spiritual world. In our first season, we outlined the “Characteristics of Our Culture” that is the water we swim in. We’ve been inspired by Tema Okun’s Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture . But, there are pros and cons of using this framework to talk about what needs to shift in our culture. In this final episode in Season 1, we’ll talk about the benefits and pitfalls of using this framework, and where we need to go from here. Like many modern artists have done to art, we must also remix and reimagine how we talk about this work. The answer lies in imagining the kind of future we want to create with the conditions for a more human workplace, and move our needle closer to where we need to be. That’s where we’ll pick up in Season 2–Our Conditions of Being Human. -- Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. For nearly 20 years Amy has put empathy into action: she has built cultures that hold change so that organizations and the people within it can thrive. She has challenged the status quo and redesigned systems centered on compassion and equity at more than a dozen organizations and can both set and implement the vision. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction…
This is not another climate change episode, but it is one about empathy. Well, the lack of empathy to be exact. Our society breaks our connection to each other, and equally important is that it disconnects us from nature. Because we do not feel or see our interdependence, we feel like we can exploit nature to incredible ends. It’s a literal race to our own end. Exploitation as a function and a feature of white supremacy culture. It says we must fear the things around us, to sever the ties to our planet and all living things on it. Our culture uses resources instead of living with them, which is an essential part of Capitalism. On top of this, the pandemic and 24-hour news cycle brings nonstop news of suffering that makes us feel like we have no more empathy left to give--even to ourselves. We put the blinders on and we can only respond to what’s directly ahead of us, not what’s around us. Humans have placed ourselves at the top of the food chain hierarchy, but whenever there is a hierarchy we must also beware. It leads us to have power over other animals while also being an animal. How might we get to a place where we coexist with and live in partnership with the planet instead of always taking from it? “You are who you meet.” says Agustín Fuentes, American primatologist at Princeton University. Have you met Mother Earth? There’s much she wants to say to and teach you. -- Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. For nearly 20 years Amy has put empathy into action: she has built cultures that hold change so that organizations and the people within it can thrive. She has challenged the status quo and redesigned systems centered on compassion and equity at more than a dozen organizations and can both set and implement the vision. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction…
Once upon a time, the land belonged to the community of life thriving on it. Traditions like rituals, stories, and songs were passed down through generations, verbally. This knowledge was rarely written down, as it was shared by those within that community. Over time this land was taken by an invasive species of colonizers that tried to erase cultures off the map and impose their own traditions by putting a stake in the ground. They laid their claim through the written word, and what they thought was moral, right, and superior to what they found. Over time, the people who once thrived on the land were no longer part of this system and their rituals, stories, and songs faded away. The people were now owned by the colonizers. By the time the United States was founded, twenty percent of the population of the new United States, founded on the principles of liberty and equality, lived in bondage as slaves. Our forefathers called slavery a “moral depravity” yet profited directly off this institution. These forefathers wrote our founding documents, and the Constitution stands as a bastion of hope, of democracy, in a dark world. How did we get to revere these written words so much, when so many things have changed in today’s world? Today’s topic is “Worship of the Written Word” which has sent shockwaves through our system and says who belongs where, where our borders are, what we learn and how we live. “When we hold what is written above everything else,” says Tema Okun, “ we are unable or refuse to acknowledge information that is shared through stories, embodied knowing, intuition and the wide range of ways that we individually and collectively learn and know.” When we focus on what is written, we move away from what connects us, which is community. In this episode we’ll go deeper into the historical context, the types of knowing and learning that we miss, and possible ways to overcome our bias towards the written word in our lives. This episode can help us shift into what our bodies are telling us through intuition and sensing, and a collective knowing that can lead to a deeper feeling of empathy. -- Note: “Worship of the Written Word” is one of the characteristics outlined in Tema Okun’s Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture , upon which this series of episodes are based on. Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. For nearly 20 years Amy has put empathy into action: she has built cultures that hold change so that organizations and the people within it can thrive. She has challenged the status quo and redesigned systems centered on compassion and equity at more than a dozen organizations and can both set and implement the vision. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction…
Today we tackle the number one strategy that our culture uses to disconnect ourselves from ourselves and others: fear. It strips us of our power and ability to be seen, heard, and loved, while making us afraid of the humans around us. Fear as a physical and survival response. It lessens our ability to bounce back after we experience a setback and keeps us perpetually in a place of reacting to what’s around us. Because we fear the unknown, we are afraid to take action and don’t know how to be with each other. The antidote to fear is to connect and share with other humans–to step out of isolation, out of fear and into the light. It may be one of the hardest emotions to overcome but is so worth it. Cultivating a love for each other and humanity is central to creating a more compassionate world. When we choose love over fear we begin to see that we’re more alike than we are different. We begin to trust again and begin to take back control, being actors in our life instead of reacting in fear. -- Note: Fear is the foundational characteristic outlined in Tema Okun’s Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture . Amy J. Wilson designs worlds where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. For nearly 20 years Amy has put empathy into action: she has built cultures that hold change so that organizations and the people within it can thrive. She has challenged the status quo and redesigned systems centered on compassion and equity at more than a dozen organizations and can both set and implement the vision. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin Amy at @realamyjwilson or Linktree: https://linktr.ee/empathyinaction…
Black/White, Right/Wrong, Good/Bad, Democrat/Republican, Fat/Thin. These are all examples of binary thinking--that life is either this or that. We think that we have two choices, when there’s a whole spectrum of options we haven’t even considered or explored. Binary thinking is something that we’ve inherited from our ancestors, and is the way that many of us categorize the world. Fast forward to today, and this binary thinking and categorization no longer serves us in the way it once did. It is used to denote extremes, to polarize, to categorize each other with the haves and have nots, the us versus them. We see each other for our utility–what we can do for us and how we can relate, and also what we’re not for. Often, many of us define ourselves more about what we are against than what we are for. And in the most extreme circumstances, it’s been used to dehumanize people. Today’s conversation talks about our own journeys around binary thinking and the pitfalls that happen when we focus too much on them. We will also discuss how we might be able to snap out of our own binary thinking and be able to see the spectrum of life in front of us. -- Note: Binary thinking is one of several characteristics as outlined in Tema Okun’s Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture . She writes this about Binary thinking: “Reduces the complexity of life and the nuance of our relationships with each other and all living things into either/or, yes or no, right or wrong in ways that reinforce urgency, one right way, perfectionist thinking, and abuse of power. Amy J. Wilson lives to design a world where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. For nearly 20 years Amy has put empathy into action: she has built cultures that hold change so that organizations and the people within it can thrive. She has challenged the status quo and redesigned systems centered on compassion and equity at more than a dozen organizations and can both set and implement the vision. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin Amy at @realamyjwilson or www.AmyJWilson.com Cover Art Design: Amy J. Wilson with Canva…
At the beginning of 2023 your Empathy Power Up co-host Amy Wilson flew across the country to attend a somatic healing retreat to help her reconnect with her body. But what she experienced was the opposite of what she expected, and it ended with a pretty big rupture in the community that she’s still processing. Listen more to learn about what happened at the retreat, and how it illuminated two characteristics of our culture: the “right to comfort” and the “fear of conflict.” Co-hosts Kevin Shah and Amy break down these two topics that lead us to value logic over emotion, and avoid any type of conflict for fear that it will make us uncomfortable. They also discuss how we can overcome these well worn pathways once we’re responding with our automated responses. — Note: these two characteristics are based on Westernized ideas of white supremacy and colonialism that are pervasive in our culture, and outlined in Tema Okun’s Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture . Amy J. Wilson lives to design a world where every person gets what they need, the power to achieve what they want, and the agency to do what they love. For nearly 20 years Amy has put empathy into action: she has built cultures that hold change so that organizations and the people within it can thrive. She has challenged the status quo and redesigned systems centered on compassion and equity at more than a dozen organizations and can both set and implement the vision. She is the bestselling author of Empathy for Change: How to Build a More Understanding World : https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World , a guide to create positive transformation where we work, live, and play. Grab a copy anywhere books are sold or the audiobook on Audible. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin Amy at @realamyjwilson or www.AmyJWilson.com Cover Art Design: Amy J. Wilson with Canva…
When something we hold sacred like our beliefs and values are questioned, our first inclination is to defend them or live in denial that other alternatives exist. Often they show up as traditions that we carry on from generation to generation. At an organizational level, this same type of thinking might show up as “this is the way we’ve always done it.” These are characteristics that have been baked into our culture, and we’ve become conditioned to hold fast to these values and traditions. We rarely sit back to question why we hold these traditions so closely or where they come from. In this episode of Empathy Power Up, we examine the two concepts of Defensiveness and Denial. These are Characteristics of Our Culture, and are two huge blockers towards a more compassionate and empathetic world. Defensiveness is defined as “serving to defend or protect,” and Denial is the act of declaring something to be untrue. Both of these ideas discount other people’s beliefs and values system in favor of our own. Tema Okun, whose work inspired this series, says that “this type of thinking creates an oppressive culture where people are afraid to speak their truth.” It’s dangerous when we are afraid to speak up–we may not feel seen or heard, or worse yet, resentful. It creates a dysfunctional dynamic that prioritizes comfort over mental and emotional safety. Our first step is to come out of denial to recognize what we’re defending, to stop the cycle of dysfunction. It’s important as people with power that we loosen our grip on the values and beliefs we hold so tightly and realize we’re defending one way of looking at a scenario. Responding thoughtfully with both love and power. There’s many questions to ask ourselves: what are we defending or protecting? What is true and what is untrue? Who are our traditions unintentionally impacting? If it is working for me, who is it not working for? And finally, how might we prioritize safety over comfort? It is through answering these questions that we can truly begin to change an oppressive culture. — This episode is inspired by Tema Okun’s Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture , which brings to light the water we swim in--of the dominant culture that acts as poisons that we’ve digested our whole lives and need to be examined. Today’s reflection question is - How might I prioritize rest over rush to the truly urgent things? Amy J. Wilson is a change leader, community builder, movement maker, and an empathy advocate. She specializes in building and sustaining compassionate cultures that can hold change. She has challenged the status quo and redesigned systems centered on compassion and equity at more than a dozen organizations and can both set and implement the vision. The main topics in this podcast were first presented in Amy’s book: Empathy for Change: How to Create an Understanding World: https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Change-Create-Understanding-World . Grab a copy or download the audiobook on Audible to learn more. Kevin A.K.A Captain Empathy is the Founder and CEO of Jaago (means to wake-up in Hindi). Jaago’s vision is to create a world where people seek to understand one another by making empathy a daily habit. He is a tech leader and IOT (Internet of Things) pioneer and expert. He brings practical experience, lived experience, and his transparent growth journey to the podcast. Follow: Kevin at @shahkevin or https://linktr.ee/shahkevin Amy at @realamyjwilson or www.AmyJWilson.com Cover Art Design: Amy J. Wilson with Canva…
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