Mastermind Connect on: The Importance of Restoration

Fast Company magazine once quoted that the critical 21st century skill will have nothing to do with standard resume fillers like coding or programming. Moving forward, the capacity that will separate the good from the great will be empathy.

In a professional climate that increasingly rewards acts of selfishness and egotism, I personally was surprised that a publication would tout empathy as a marketable skill.  What does that spell for the current state of affairs? An increase in hate? A sign that "the end" is near? A signal that the world is "going to hell in a handbasket"?

Hell no.

I choose to look at the alternative... That the market is beginning to realize that compassion for your fellow man is not only an idealistic fairy tale, but a legitimate method of coexistence, with very concrete financial benefits. Anger, contempt, jealousy, and resentment are very easy conclusions; none of which require effort, commitment, or critical thought.  Perhaps this is why they are so easy to commit to.

Empathy, is HARD, mostly because those who need it most rarely behave in lovable ways, which leads most of us to a condition that I like to identify as "sympathy fatigue" (basically, getting tired of giving a damn). Compassion itself is like a river; it constantly flows, and is available to all who choose to seek it.

People, on the other hand, are vessels. We have the ability to carry within us the filler of choice, be it love, compassion, or content. Much like a bank account, after too many withdrawals the account runs out, and you need to make a deposit. Curiously enough, our capacity to care works in much the same way in times like these. Making it essential to go back to the river for a refill. There is absolutely nothing wrong with running a little low, it simply means you're using what you've got.

The more you give, the more you get.