“I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There’s nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

I love this short film which was developed by the doctors and caregivers at The Cleveland Clinic. Its intention is to guide us to look past the many faces we see in each day, and so that we may see…really see…the human standing before us.

“Our lives intersect with others all day, everyday. Sometimes we know these other lives well; frequently, though, the points of connection are brief and transient. Who are these people? How might they tell their own stories? What thoughts preoccupy their minds? What joys and troubles are coursing through their feelings? This short film, produced by the Cleveland Clinic, reminds us that empathy is our tool for beginning to know these things. It asks the question: If we could catch a glimpse of others’ stories, would we treat them differently”

This film, in so many ways, resonated with me. It moved me, as I stopped to consider the many times I have felt lost in my own story—sitting in waiting rooms and watching those faces passing by.

We all have a story to share. And our stories are very much what define us.

My hope for this day is that we may all pause just long enough to consider life outside the confines of our own racing brains—so that we may, in some small way, embrace the stories of others.

I have learned well this past year, that in order to really heal—there needs to be an inseparable connection between body, mind and soul.

Namaste, and much love this day.

Video: CEO Toby Cosgrove, MD, shared this video, titled “Empathy,” with the Cleveland Clinic staff during his 2012 State of the Clinic address on Feb. 27, 2013.

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Ed: Brianna Bemel