“Everyone is looking for the same things,” says Catherine Schweikert, a PhD and Physician Assistant who has spent the past few years researching the profound power of compassion. “We are all in search of what makes us feel safe, happy, healthy and free,” she says.

“What that means to me may be wildly different than what it means to you,” she adds, but that’s not the point. It is understanding that desire which has the power to heal us. As different as we may be, we have the potential to hold compassion for everyone we meet, even when we disagree.

Catherine has devoted her career to exploring the transformative power of compassion with special emphasis on the medical profession. She earned her PhD in Psychophysiology and is the author of The Compassion Remedy, How to leverage the psychophysiological benefits of compassion to beat burnout, renew relationships and enjoy greater well-being.

As you listen to this episode, consider:

• What does it mean to you to feel safe, happy, healthy, and free?

• How does understanding that others are looking for the same thing shift your experience of them?

• What is one place where I can practice holding compassion today?

To learn more about Catherine’s work, visit her website.

Listen to Catherine’s episode here.