Oh man we are on fire over here at Feeleez. Ideas just keep jumping out of our hearts.
For over five years now, basically from the very beginnings of Feeleez, we were getting pretty high on the idea of empathy. We dreamed of an Empathy Hotline, a phone line manned around the clock so that anyone anywhere could call up, lay out their situation and feelings and receive empathy. No advice, no preachy phrases, just pure empathy. Empathy, what everyone, everyone, everyone loves.
But manning a hotline. Holy cow, that seemed like a huge endeavour especially since everyone we knew had babies and was already up all night even without answering phone calls in the wee hours. So we sat on it. Actually one of the coolest lessons I've learned in building Feeleez is that ideas are great but only can come to life when everything is ripe; the idea, the ground, the folks that will nurture and feed that idea, all of those elements need to be in place and fertile.
Fast forward to yesterday when Nathan and I found ourselves as panelists on a worldwide empathy chat with Ashoka. We were like kids in a candy store talking "shop" with other folks that are as nerdily obsessed with empathy as we are. During that chat, as Nathan and I surreptitiously scratched notes to one another, the Empathy Hotline matured and was born again onto fertile ground. A website! Of course!
I introduce...
For now it is a private group on Facebook, until we can find and sort out a platform that is ideal. The idea is that you become a member and either post in order to receive empathy, or comment in order to offer empathy. Pure and simple.
But the scope! The possibilities! Imagine a space where you can describe a struggle or triumph and receive loving empathy from a grandfather in Australia. Imagine a space where a young mother in India finds relief and solace in empathy coming from you in Indianapolis.
Pitter Patter goes my heart.
For some it will take a little reminding as to what empathy truly is, and what it looks like on a social media site.
EXAMPLES:
NOT ALLOWED:
"Oh that happened to me once too.."
"Don't worry you'll get through this!"
"This too shall pass."
"You know, when that happened at our house, it really worked well when..."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
ENCOURAGED:
"Oh no!"
"Really? How's that for you?"
"Oh wow. This isn't what you wanted."
"Shit."
"Darn."
"How did that happen?"
"Are you bummed?"
or:
"Wow! This is what you've been wanting!"
"Yippee!"
"I'd love to hear more!"
****************
Doesn't it feel good already?
This weekend we are kicking things off with a grand opening called The Great Global Empathy-In. Join us, you are already a part of this whole thing.
yippee!!
my hair is standing up on end...I LOVE IT!
Posted by: Jessica Farnham | 01/26/2013 at 02:53 PM