Empathy: Seeing the Person Next to You

What if we treated everyone like they were stage four of something?

We’re all carrying something we can’t always see. In this episode, I talk with author and storyteller Adam Erwin about what happens when we slow down and choose to lean in, to really see people instead of scanning past them. Adam shares the life-altering moment on a post-9/11 flight that changed how he moves through the world and ultimately led him to launch a multi-year project: interviewing strangers on airplanes and capturing their stories in his book Lessons from Coach.

For anyone feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure how to make a difference, Adam’s story is a reminder that presence is power. By leaning into the moment, we don’t just change someone else’s day.

We change ourselves, too.

Takeaways from Adam’s life shift:

1. He realized that judgment was robbing him of connection and chose curiosity instead.
2. His small act of leaning in sparked a five-year project filled with empathy and meaning.
3. Modeling daily kindness (especially for his kids) rewired how he sees the world and how others see themselves.

🎧 Listen now at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/189

Guest Bio:

Adam Erwin is a speaker and author of three books. His latest book, Lessons From Coach: Restoring Empathy, Curiosity, and Being Present One Flight At a Time, captures the lessons he learned from passengers that he interviewed on plane flights... in coach. Adam is a father of two daughters, a fitness and health enthusiast, and is on a mission to challenge others to see more value in the person next to you. Learn more about Adam, his books, and his work at authoradamerwin.com.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"

This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.