After a lifetime of listening, learning, and reflecting, we have accumulated lots of good advice to offer people. If anyone is having a problem, we have one or two bits of useful information to help them get straightened out. Let me know your troubles and allow me to fix them with my wisdom.

Empathy is different. It is “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” When you are empathic, you are trying to connect on an emotional level rather than offering advice. You listen to their feelings, sympathize, share, and allow them space to feel the moment more than analyze it.

Know this fact about life: People want empathy over advice.

Most of the time, we know what to do. We even know how we should proceed. The emotions are what are holding us back. We need to share those feelings, and then we are ready to move forward.

So when your parents, spouse, kids, sibling, or friend is struggling. Keep the advice to yourself and allow them to share their emotions. It will help to build strong relationships in a world where advice is only a google search away.