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

Dawn Patrol ?? On behalf of the UC San Diego Health's Center for Mindfulness, I had the great honor yesterday of being the speaker for the jam-packed San Diego Police Department Women's Leadership session...at 7am! I created and led a 50-minute session on self-reflection, and the participants' engagement, vulnerability, and high energy blew me away. Clearly they're all morning people! I asked them to reflect on questions like: "What made me proud in 2023?" "What am I leaving behind in 2023?" "What are my greatest strengths?" "What's my intention for 2024?" "Who can hold me accountable?" After I wrapped up, Assistant Chief Sandra Albrektsen shared words of wisdom and inspiration with the attendees. Chief Albrektsen has recruited, hired, and mentored women throughout her 39-year career, and I could feel the love in the room for her. The chief is retiring in March, and they sent her off in style with surprise guests, flowers, gifts, and a tear-jerking slide show. What an honor to be a small part of such a special day. Thank you Deanna Dotta for including me in an unforgettable morning!

One year ago on MLK Day, I published my book, “A Case for Compassion: What Happens When We Prioritize People and the Planet.” I picked this day by design. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dedication to peace, love, common humanity, and nonviolence inspires me and so many others to pursue creating a more compassionate world. His courageous words and actions still resonate deeply today. On February 5, 1968, King gave his final sermon at his home church - Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.?He hauntingly shared how he hoped to be remembered. “If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness." I like to imagine him as a drum major still leading the way for humanity…let’s joyfully line up behind him, marching, dancing, singing, and playing our instruments for peace. Photo by?Raffaele Nicolussi?on?Unsplash #compassion #mlk #peace

Whew. What a start to the week! In three days, I led five 90-minute self-compassion-focused workshops for San Diego Community College District's faculty and staff. I bounced around to five campuses/locations and shared actionable tools to help folks connect with each other and find comfort during these stressful times. The evaluations tell me that this self-compassion workshop was needed and very much appreciated. Here are some of the comments participants shared: "Thank you for this training. This space felt safe and filled with love and acceptance." "EVERY employee should take this!" "I can think of so many ways this could address issues in the work environment." Biggest takeaways: "Knowing that I'm not alone." "Remembering to care for myself compassionately and learning what mindfulness really is." "It's okay to ask for help." "The importance of self-compassion to foster compassion for others." "To listen, sometimes all you have to do is listen." Thankfully we also have two follow-up Zoom sessions lined up in order to reinforce what we covered. I'm grateful to be spending more time with staff/faculty at San Diego City College, San Diego College of Continuing Education, San Diego Miramar College, and San Diego Mesa College. SDCCD is committed to creating a more compassionate environment for its employees and students, and it is a true honor to support it with this noble goal.