Are We Doing Too Much?
How much “New Year, New You” is too much?
In the past, I’ve been very skeptical of “New Year, New You”.
As a former marketer and New Yorker, my eyebrows always rise when I am bombarded with messages that are intended to “help me”. Especially when I see the masses pleasantly moving in that direction.
This year, as I contemplated how to share the ideas and tools that I’ve created to help individuals with their empathy and personal growth journeys, I had to spend time with my judgements.
My judgements, while somewhat true, also served to protect me from over investing or over extending myself in the popular momentum. This year I feel a bit different. I feel excitement and pride to not only actively engage in my own intentions for growth, but to bring my own sensibility to supporting others in their pursuits.
My pride and excitement stems from the fact that I’ve spent the last four years investing in using my own personal growth, to provide support to other people in the world just like me. People who are skeptical of the personal development industry, yet want the help that it provides. People struggling with grief, depression, even addiction, because they can’t figure out how to stop the spiraling and direct their lives.
I can look back with pride realizing that I transformed my challenges into tools that play a specific role right now. One area if growth is to stop playing small around my accomplishments. Here are inventions and Ideas that I know can be useful for you at this time of the year and all year long. I’ll catalogue them so you can choose your journey.
- Values Exercise: In January of 2021 we released this tool to make it say for anyone to explore their values and purpose in 20 minutes. I made it because I used my own values and purpose to anchor me when healing from grief and addiction. You can use your values as a self discovery and love ritual. You can also use it to create clarity and alignment with yourself and team.
- Five Phases of Empathy: In late 2020, we began teaching a model for learning and practicing empathy skills. That model has been taught at NASA, John’s Hopkins, IDEO, Viacom and at middle schools and high schools across the country. It’s now available via a self-guided course and I’ll be teaching it live on January 24th.
- The Power of Empathy: In October of 2023, I released The Power of Empathy, a 30-day guide to using empathy for personal growth and societal change. The Power of Empathy has been featured by Inc, Oprah, Maria Shriver, and more. It brings the Five Phases of Empathy into homes, schools, and offices around the world.
- Actually Curious: Last, the conversation game that we created in 2018 to help fight divisiveness in our world. It’s a game, but not to be underestimated. It provides a system of questions from light to deep that help facilitate self and group discovery. Use it to help with daily self reflection or to help bring more intentionality into relationships. It will become second nature.
I spent much of the month of December in reflection about how to continue this work or spreading empathy in a way that is nourishing and sustainable. What I learned is that I’m at my best when creating storytelling and growth experiences for my community.
As I began to put together a 30 day challenge for my community, the question arose, “Am I doing too much?”. And my answer is, no.
I’m feeling resourced to give more of myself. I’m excited and inspired by the version of myself that is capable to doing more for my community. I can look back with compassion on the introvert with social anxiety that has been unfolding over the last four years by using the Five Phases of Empathy and returning to growth and discomfort with consistency.
I simply am not the same person, with the same boundaries and limitations as I was before.
If this honest reflection inspires you, and you’re ready, I invite you to pick up the tools I’ve mentioned. I’d also like to invite you to join me on my Instagram Broadcast Channel for a 30-Day Challenge inspired by my book The Power of Empathy. The Power of Empathy 30 Day Challenge, invites you to invest just 5-10 minutes daily to empower yourself with empathy. It is a transformative 30-day journey to enhance emotional awareness, resilience, and empathy in your life and work.
I get it, I’ve given you a lot to choose from.
The marketer in me is judging for not providing you with focused messaging and a clear CTA or call to action. But the truth is, not every path is right for every person.
As much as your action contributes to me being able to continue this work, my purpose just wants you to have all the options and to take the steps forward if it is important to you.
Whenever this message finds you, good luck. Practicing empathy has helped me to shift the momentum of my life, unlocking abundance of love, purpose, and material wealth. It just required that I learn to trust myself differently.
So I’ll leave that inspiration and intention with you. Leaning into the power of empathy is an invitation to learn how to trust and love yourself differently. Will you take it?
About Michael Tennant
Michael Tennant, CEO of Curiosity Lab is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, brand strategist, and author of The Power of Empathy available now at Target, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and booksellers everywhere. He’s also the creator of Actually Curious™ the empathy conversation game, Values Exercise™, and the Five Phases of Empathy™.
Connect with me on LinkedIn / Instagram / TikTok, Thank you.
