Empathy is a form of compassion. It is an important tool for connection and understanding. This lesson gives a real-life example of a woman who believed in the power of empathy. It helps girls understand the importance of it and how to incorporate the character trait into their lives and relationships.

Empathy is the ability to understand another's emotion without having the same lived experience. It requires less ego and more wisdom. Less hard line, more vulnerability. Less judgment, more grace. Empathy requires emotional maturity and higher-level thinking skills. It is compassion’s greatest tool and way of connecting with others.

Empathy is about sitting with another’s pain, even if we don’t understand it. Empathy is understanding that when someone says “I’m hurt”, no one gets to say “No you’re not.” Empathy comes from a place of self-love and belief in humanity.

The beautiful thing about empathy is that it requires you to love yourself as you connect with others. In fact you can not be empathetic without taking care of yourself first. Empathy will propel humanity and make the world a more inclusive and welcoming place to be.

Audrey Hepburn teaches us how to use life experiences as a form of connection. She used her celebrity status to shine a spotlight on hunger and starvation. She knew what it meant to go without food and to live in constant fear. Audrey is an example of how to use pain as a means of connecting and service to others. Pain can be extended beyond the borders of one’s soul and into the lives of others. This is a gentle reminder to all girls that good things can grow from hardships.

Empathy comes across as a soft character trait, but it requires a great deal of personal strength. Many people think of Audrey Hepburn and glamor, However, she was very skilled at finding the place where opposing forces intersect. She helps girls understand that they can be strong and glamorous at the same time. Audrey reminds us that grit is graceful and feminine, while being sweaty and tough. Audrey teaches girls to embrace an appreciation for the color pink with the gritty lesson of using their pain to serve others with graceful femininity.