"Empathy begins with understanding life from another person's perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It's all through our own individual prisms."

This quote is a reminder that we’re all walking around in our own little worlds, shaped by our histories, fears, hopes, and memories. None of us sees life in a perfectly “objective” way – we see it through our own lens. Empathy starts when we remember that someone else’s lens is different from ours. That friend who seems distant might be overwhelmed in ways you can’t see. The coworker who snapped at you might be carrying something heavy from home. Instead of rushing to judge, we can pause and ask, “What might this feel like from their side?” We don’t have to agree with someone to try on their perspective for a moment but doing so can completely change how we respond.