HealthFlex
×
  • About
    • About Mike
    • About KaleidoEye
  • Services
    • Individual
    • Education
    • Business
    • Athletics
    • Keynote
  • Testimonials
    • Education
    • Athletics
    • Professional Reference
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Connect

Gratitude AND Empathy on Veterans Day

November 11, 2014Mike SisselBlog
On my wedding day with my childhood friend, Kyle, who currently serves in the U.S. Marines.

On my wedding day with my childhood friend, Kyle, who currently serves in the U.S. Marines.

It’s only fitting that my blog this week is written in honor of the men and women who have risked their lives in order to serve and protect our beautiful country.  Below is a post I shared last year at this time, but the message is equally powerful today.

I have very fond memories of Veterans Day as a child.  Perhaps the greatest memory was our family’s annual tradition of attending the Veterans Day parade in my hometown of Albany, Oregon.  The odds of a cold, rainy day were usually pretty high, but that didn’t stop thousands of people from lining the streets in anticipation of seeing their favorite float or watching the local high school band march in perfect unison as they played their shiny instruments.  For many of the adults present, it was an opportunity to celebrate and honor local veterans who had served in a time of war.  As a child; however, the highlight of the parade for me was the Albany Woodpeckers fire truck, which was populated by a group of men who served as a local hospitality committee for the city of Albany.  Adorned with bright red jackets that could be seen from miles away, each of the Woodpeckers would throw handfuls of candy to the crowd.  In fact, it was quite common to see children jockeying for position in hopes of receiving more than their friends, or in my case my brothers.  I can still see the smiles on the Woodpeckers faces as they watched us throw our hands up in the air, in anticipation of more, more, more.

I mention this childhood memory as it serves as a great reminder of the narrow lens we tend to have as children with regard to veterans.  At that age, it wasn’t about honoring THEM (the veterans); it was about ME and how much candy I could amass.  On a day that was meant to celebrate veterans, I was celebrating myself.  What was lacking?  Perhaps a dose of empathy.

Today as I reflect on the importance of Veterans Day, it’s not about a parade or candy, but rather the tremendous amount of gratitude that I feel in my heart for our veterans, past and present.

This past week, I presented a lesson on empathy to several hundred students, ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade.  My aim was to encourage them to practice “standing in the shoes” of others, regardless of whether or not they could personally relate to their circumstances.  This means acknowledging what the other person might be thinking, or trying to feel the various emotions they might be feeling.  While we all possess the ability to do just that, it’s only possible if we are willing to set aside our own thoughts and feelings so that we may see life through their eyes.  I call it putting on our empathic lens.

Well, today it donned on me that what our veterans deserve most is our empathy.  It’s easy to thank a veteran for his/her service or to attend a parade commemorating their commitment to our country, but it’s much more difficult to spend time acknowledging what they might be thinking, or attempting to feel what they might be feeling.  While their time of active duty may be over, let’s not forget that all veterans possess a varying degree of thoughts and emotions that are a direct result of the many difficult events they either witnessed or experienced.  Furthermore, let’s acknowledge the fact that it’s these same thoughts and emotions that tend to manifest in different ways.  Some experience post-traumatic stress disorder while others struggle with mild to severe anxiety.  While it may be easy for a fellow veteran to empathize, the fact is that the majority of us can’t even fathom what they might have experienced.  Having said this, it doesn’t mean we can’t try to use our empathic lens and attempt to stand in their shoes.

So, in the spirit of empathy, next time you see a veteran, rather than simply saying “thank you”, try saying “I care about you”.  I care about your service, but more importantly I care about you as human being.

Add Comment Cancel


Follow Me on Instagram

Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No posts found.

Make sure this account has posts available on instagram.com.

the latest from the blog

  • Different landscape, same mindset Sep 19

    Carpets are cleaned, desks are meticulously polished, pencils are sharpened, and lockers...

  • one or two? Mar 25

    Think back to the last time you had an eye exam.  Aside...

search this site

Connect

[contact-form to="mike@kaleidoeye.com" subject="Kaleidoeye.com web form submission"][contact-field label="Name" type="name" required="1"][contact-field label="Email" type="email" required="1"][contact-field label="Message" type="textarea"][/contact-form]

From Our Clients

“Having been in the coaching profession for many years, I’ve gained the most satisfaction by having the opportunity to help shape the character of my players, ultimately preparing them for life beyond baseball. Mike Sissel is a masterful coach who shares a similar passion for the 'game of life'. His ability to connect with athletes is unmatched. If you have an opportunity for Mike to work with your team, it will truly be the 'gift' that will keep on giving. He has been a blessing to my family.”

Pat Murphy

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:46:00-07:00

Pat Murphy

“Having been in the coaching profession for many years, I’ve gained the most satisfaction by having the opportunity to help shape the character of my players, ultimately preparing them for life beyond baseball. Mike Sissel is a masterful coach who shares a similar passion for the 'game of life'. His ability to connect with athletes is unmatched. If you have an opportunity for Mike to work with your team, it will truly be the 'gift' that will keep on giving. He has been a blessing to my family.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/pat-murphy/
“Our school mission has always been to educate the 'whole child', including their social and emotional development. Mike’s contribution to this mission, through the delivery of his meaningful, engaging lessons, has made a lasting impact on our school culture. In addition to the rich content he shares with our students, the energy he brings to each classroom is contagious. He has been an inspiration to our staff and students and truly lives the leadership principles he teaches.”

Christie Winkelmann

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:49:19-07:00

Christie Winkelmann

“Our school mission has always been to educate the 'whole child', including their social and emotional development. Mike’s contribution to this mission, through the delivery of his meaningful, engaging lessons, has made a lasting impact on our school culture. In addition to the rich content he shares with our students, the energy he brings to each classroom is contagious. He has been an inspiration to our staff and students and truly lives the leadership principles he teaches.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/christie-winkelmann/
“Mike Sissel is an amazing man. With a positive force driving his ultimate vision to help the world be a better place, he reminds young and old what it means to be and do good by finding it in within. His practical steps are accessible to children and admired by adults. Whether he facilitates a retreat, in-service, assembly, or consults, positive and tangible results will be the outcome. I highly recommend him!”

Greg Hebert

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:48:39-07:00

Greg Hebert

“Mike Sissel is an amazing man. With a positive force driving his ultimate vision to help the world be a better place, he reminds young and old what it means to be and do good by finding it in within. His practical steps are accessible to children and admired by adults. Whether he facilitates a retreat, in-service, assembly, or consults, positive and tangible results will be the outcome. I highly recommend him!”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/greg-hebert/
“The power of positivity is infectious and Mr. Sissel has a real gift of helping others believe that they have the mental strength within themselves to get past whatever they might be struggling with. We were introduced to Mike through Gold Medal Gymnastics and seeing the impact he has made on the lives of so many including our daughter is astounding. He helped her to overcome the feelings of insecurity, feeling bullied and showed her how to focus and 'change her lens' so that she could perform successfully.”

 

Fred Sanchez

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:02:28-07:00

Fred Sanchez

“The power of positivity is infectious and Mr. Sissel has a real gift of helping others believe that they have the mental strength within themselves to get past whatever they might be struggling with. We were introduced to Mike through Gold Medal Gymnastics and seeing the impact he has made on the lives of so many including our daughter is astounding. He helped her to overcome the feelings of insecurity, feeling bullied and showed her how to focus and 'change her lens' so that she could perform successfully.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/fred-sanchez/
“Mike has an amazing ability to reach our children and to challenge their thinking. His positive outlook and desire to help every child be the best they can be is inspiring. My daughter comes home from her time with him with a smile on her face and new words of wisdom to share with me.  My 13 year old son watches his motivational videos and every time turns to me and says "He is so right. Everything he is saying is so true".  So thankful to have him in my children's lives.”

 

Sally Moore

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:01:56-07:00

Sally Moore

“Mike has an amazing ability to reach our children and to challenge their thinking. His positive outlook and desire to help every child be the best they can be is inspiring. My daughter comes home from her time with him with a smile on her face and new words of wisdom to share with me.  My 13 year old son watches his motivational videos and every time turns to me and says "He is so right. Everything he is saying is so true".  So thankful to have him in my children's lives.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/sally-moore/
“Wow! What an amazing person! We are so fortunate to have Mike Sissel in our lives. Having two daughters that compete, I cannot thank him enough for all of valuable lessons learned. He empowers my girls with tools and strategies to become not only better athletes but better people. He helps them to build strong character traits that will benefit them long after their time in completion has come to an end. He's had a positive influence on the mindset of our entire family and for that we are truly blessed.”

Kim Roberts-Johson

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:05:04-07:00

Kim Roberts-Johson

“Wow! What an amazing person! We are so fortunate to have Mike Sissel in our lives. Having two daughters that compete, I cannot thank him enough for all of valuable lessons learned. He empowers my girls with tools and strategies to become not only better athletes but better people. He helps them to build strong character traits that will benefit them long after their time in completion has come to an end. He's had a positive influence on the mindset of our entire family and for that we are truly blessed.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/kim-roberts-johson/
“Mr. Sissel has been an incredible positive influence for my kids! Every time he goes to their school they look forward to learning something new from him! I have a teen and preteen and they have had him for the last several years and have quoted his lessons to us at home. Mr. Sissel has a special gift of teaching ALL ages with passion and dedication and truly knows how to connect with his audience, which makes it fun. I have also recommended him as one on one coaching for my dear friend’s son after she went through a divorce and her son was acting out and his insight truly helped her.”

Judy Salinas

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T14:39:25-07:00

Judy Salinas

“Mr. Sissel has been an incredible positive influence for my kids! Every time he goes to their school they look forward to learning something new from him! I have a teen and preteen and they have had him for the last several years and have quoted his lessons to us at home. Mr. Sissel has a special gift of teaching ALL ages with passion and dedication and truly knows how to connect with his audience, which makes it fun. I have also recommended him as one on one coaching for my dear friend’s son after she went through a divorce and her son was acting out and his insight truly helped her.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/3596/
"At Nike, I like to say ‘You Own Your Career’, Mike presented to my team and provided them with strategies & tools that inspired them to take ownership of their actions, performance, and careers. It was Motivational Coaching that impacted all attendees – regardless of their roles. All team members learned what behaviors make good leaders, and that all of us can be a leader. Mike was an energetic, passionate and effective presenter. I look forward to seeing my team practicing and implementing these skills into their Personal & Professional Developmental Plans.”

Jeff DuMont

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:41:45-07:00

Jeff DuMont

"At Nike, I like to say ‘You Own Your Career’, Mike presented to my team and provided them with strategies & tools that inspired them to take ownership of their actions, performance, and careers. It was Motivational Coaching that impacted all attendees – regardless of their roles. All team members learned what behaviors make good leaders, and that all of us can be a leader. Mike was an energetic, passionate and effective presenter. I look forward to seeing my team practicing and implementing these skills into their Personal & Professional Developmental Plans.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/jeff-dumont/
“Mr Sissel has been such an unbelievably positive presence both at Gold Medal Gymnastics and at our daughter's school, CEE. There is always enthusiasm and excitement when she knows that they will be having a session with him. The topics that he addresses are so important and he helps the kids see not only life's big picture, but also how individually they can make a real difference for themselves and those around them with their choices. We are thankful and look forward to more work with him in the future.”

 

Margo Ingram

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:04:38-07:00

Margo Ingram

“Mr Sissel has been such an unbelievably positive presence both at Gold Medal Gymnastics and at our daughter's school, CEE. There is always enthusiasm and excitement when she knows that they will be having a session with him. The topics that he addresses are so important and he helps the kids see not only life's big picture, but also how individually they can make a real difference for themselves and those around them with their choices. We are thankful and look forward to more work with him in the future.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/margo-ingram/
0
0
KaleidoEye
Copyright ©2019 KaleidoEye