Can you truly show empathy to others if you struggle to show it to yourself? In this post, I share how my upbringing, motherhood, and personal growth have shaped my understanding of empathy, both for others and for myself.

Hi, I’m Erica Lane, and I’m excited to share a new project with you called Empathy Empowered. This project grew out of my belief that empathy is one of the most powerful tools we have to create real change in our lives and communities.

Too often, people are treated as less than human. Researchers call this dehumanization, and it causes harm every single day, all around the world. My goal with Empathy Empowered is to explore what dehumanization is, how it affects us, and how empathy can help us push back against it.

Through research, reflection, and community stories, I want to show how empathy is more than kindness, it is a way of listening, connecting, and healing. My hope is that this work encourages all of us to bring more empathy into our everyday conversations and actions.