Have you ever struggled to understand how someone else feels? Building up your empathy (同理心) skills helps you connect with your friends. 【小题1】

What is empathy?

Empathy is a kind of capability that lets you step into someone else’s shoes and then figure out how they are feeling. For instance, if you can see your friend is upset after losing a football match and you support them by telling them some warm and motivating words, you are showing empathy. Miranda McKeamey set up an organization called EmpathyLab that builds empathy through reading. 【小题2】 “Empathy is a force for change,” she says.

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Scientists say empathy isn’t something you are born with, it’s a skill you can acquire through learning. One way you can do this is by active listening. When someone is talking to you, listen closely and respond in a way that shows you understand their situations and emotions thoroughly. Reading, advocated by EmpathyLab, is also a great way to boost empathy, since stories can take you inside someone else’s mind and show you the world through their eves and emotions.

Put empathy into action.

【小题4】 This could mean trying out something that is important to a friend or family member, like exploring their favorite place. EmpathyLab advocated ideas for putting empathy into action in schools or at home. That might be connecting with someone new in your class and having a friendly conversation, or making small changes to your behaviour. All small acts of kindness to others can make a difference, which in turn will be copied by someone else. 【小题5】

Greatness is found beyond our comfort zone. We know this and yet we find it difficult to take the step. 【小题1】It means doing whatever it is that makes you uncomfortable or doing things that you resist or even fear. But as long as you do that, you will step out of your comfort zone and make a difference. 【小题2】Here are some easy ways for this purpose.

Rediscover your motivation. We all have a grand vision of who we want to be and what we want to achieve. It is this vision that pushes us forward. The motivation we get from our vision has taken us this far, but we tend to become comfortable instead of pushing for greatness.

【小题3】Dream once more, revisit your grand vision, and remember the person you want to be and the things you want to achieve. By going back to your vision you'll find the drive and passion to take the first step out of your comfort zone.

Manage risks. We resist leaving our comfort zone because there are risks involved. Things might go wrong and we are afraid of the negative "what ifs". To overcome this fear and manage the risks, figure out what the worst results could be. 【小题4】We can take some preventive measures that would reduce our risk. Finally, prepare a plan in case things do go wrong.

Start small and correct as you go. There is magic in taking the first step, even if it's a small step. You can always correct your mistakes after you've taken action. It is more valuable to be in motion, pushing forward, making mistakes and then correcting than to stand in the sidelines motionless. This is what high achievers do. They get started and make corrections as they go. 【小题5】