Compassion It

When Gabriel Schnickel, MD, invited me to be the final keynote speaker of UC San Diego Health's REIMAGINE Symposium (via the Center for Research, Education, Innovation, and Transformation in Organ Donation), of course I offered an emphatic "yes." Imagine working in the field of organ transplantation. One patient’s death brings life to someone else. One family grieves and another feels immense hope. Time is of the essence, and there aren’t enough donors for the waiting lists of patients who need organs. Needless to say, I felt deeply honored to bring the gift of self-compassion to this group of surgeons, nurses, and coordinators. I shared the stage with Ami Doshi, MD, who works in pediatric palliative care. Her talk on compassionate communication opened the eyes and hearts of everyone in the room. She skillfully delivered a personal story of compassion during an end-of-life moment with one of her patients… you could have heard a pin drop in the room when she spoke. A huge thank you to Ashley Cardenas for the behind-the-scenes work in pulling off an inspiring and innovative symposium. I look forward to supporting this noble community more! An added plus for me…my friend and colleague Fadel Zeidan, Ph.D., introduced me to the group, and we had time for a heartfelt catch-up. ?? #compassion #selfcompassion #compassioninmedicine #compassionatehealthcare

"I was honestly thinking this was going to be a waste of 3 hours. I was wrong! You did an amazing job." A few weeks ago, the San Diego Community College District hired me to lead a three-hour Compassionate Leadership workshop for its Faculty Leadership Development program. I received glowing feedback, but this comment from the evaluations takes the cake. Unfortunately, compassion gets a bad rap sometimes. Folks think it sounds "woo-woo" or fluffy. It's not what many leaders or HR departments think of when they consider what type of support they need. Think about it, though. Compassion requires deep listening, mindful presence, self-awareness, boundary-setting, non-judgment, connection, self-appreciation, and so much more. Those are the skills today's leaders need! Pretty please bring on the compassion naysayers. I've got a knack for changing their minds. #compassionateleadership #compassion #compassionit #leadership