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Our world is more diverse than ever before, which is a good thing, but we\u2019re also growing increasingly more divided within that diversity of thought, background, belief, and life experience. How do we become bridge-builders in a world that touts our differences as reasons to hate the other? Therapist and speaker, Lambers Fisher, has a few ideas.\xa0\nOn this episode of The Sidewalk Talk podcast, Traci sits down with Lambers to talk about empathy and how we bridge the gaps that seek to divide us. Throughout their conversation, Lambers and Traci hit on some hot-button topics, including how to own our own feelings and stances on an issue while still making space for someone to disagree with us, knowing our capacity for being a bridge-builder, and their thoughts on how to get past the divides caused and amplified by the most recent presidential election.\xa0\nThrough it all, Lambers emphasized the expansion of empathy as his \u201cwhy,\u201d and the answer to so many of the connection problems plaguing our country and society. Looking for a prominent voice seeking to build up relationships, even when we disagree, rather than tear them down? Don\u2019t miss this episode of The Sidewalk Talk podcast.\xa0\n\xa0\nEpisode Milestones\n[00:07] Intro\xa0\n[00:59] Meet Lambers\xa0\n[06:04] Expressing our feelings of difference\xa0\n[11:15] Owning our feelings and maintaining our stance while empathizing with the other\xa0\n[18:02] Lambers\u2019 why: expanding empathy\xa0\n[19:11] Getting past our divides from the presidential election\xa0\n[31:57] Listening to understand the other side and share vulnerability\xa0\n[35:57] Knowing when and how to be a bridge-builder\xa0\n[42:39] Lambers\u2019 word for you\xa0\n[45:13] Outro\xa0\n\xa0\nResources Mentioned\nDiversity Made Simple \n\xa0\nStandout Quotes from the Episode\n\u201cOur differences don\u2019t have to be divides. We can say, \u2018yes, we\u2019re different, but we also have similarities.\u2019\u201d\u2014Lambers Fisher\xa0\n\u201cWe won\u2019t know everything all the time, but if we\u2019re open to learning along the way then other people will see that receptivity and say, \u2018okay, maybe there\u2019s something to that.\u2019\u201d\u2014Lambers Fisher\xa0\n\u201cMy big \u2018why\u2019 is to hopefully create relationship standards that are a lot harder to break. I want there to be so much empathy, that it\u2019s contagious.\u201d \u2014Lambers Fisher\xa0\n\u201cYou can\u2019t discount the legitimacy of someone\u2019s feelings just because they expressed it in a way you don\u2019t prefer. We have to give safe place for that.\u201d \u2014Lambers Fisher\xa0\n\u201cI believe that we all have the capacity to empathize in some way. Is it as much as you want or need in the moment? I don\u2019t know. But you won\u2019t know until you try.\u201d\u2014Lambers Fisher\xa0\n\u201cRelationship-building matters. It plants seeds that impact every relationship they\u2019ll have.\u201d\u2014Lambers Fisher\xa0\n\xa0\nConnect:\nFind | Sidewalk Talk Podcast\nAt sidewalk-talk.org\nOn Instagram: @sidewalktalkorg\nOn Twitter: @sidewalktalkorg\n\xa0\nFind | Traci Ruble\nAt Traciruble.com\nOn Instagram: @TraciRubleMFT\nOn Twitter: @TraciRubleMFT\nOn Facebook: @TraciRubleMFT