How to Share Compassionate Stories that Inspire and Connect

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“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.” – Maya Angelou

The other day, as I was driving my kids home from school, a car cut in front of me and then sped off. My 10-year-old daughter said from the back seat, “Wow, that was rude.” And she wasn’t wrong.

But we often play a game where we imagine why someone might have done something that irritated us. Like with the driver of that car:

  • “Maybe they were grossed out by the bathrooms at Tiger Mountain and are racing home to go instead.”
  • “Maybe they are going to the airport to meet a long lost friend and have to buy some Top Pot donuts on the way.”
  • “Maybe they just realized they left a lasagna in the oven and were supposed to take it out…three hours ago.”

This game doesn’t just amuse us – it makes us feel better. It creates some compassion for the other person and shifts us out of our indignation.

It also makes for a better story and resonates with social psychologist, writer, and editor Anne Beall’s wisdom about compassion. On the How To Share podcast, I recently sat down with Anne to explore the ideas behind her book The Compassionate Writer. Anne shares her journey from researcher to founder of the Chicago Story Press Literary Magazine and offers a compelling elevator pitch for her transformative approach to writing with compassion.

We dive into the four pillars of compassionate writing—compassion for ourselves, for others, for the reader, and throughout the writing process—and discuss how these practices can elevate both storytelling and personal growth. Anne also breaks down the thoughtful structure of her book, which blends explanation, real‑world examples, practical exercises, writing prompts, and guided visualizations to help writers deepen their craft.

In this podcast episode, you’ll hear Anne reflect on her unique superpower of seeing stories from a fresh perspective, how her background shaped that lens, and why it can be both an asset and a challenge. We also explore her other works, including Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After, and talk about the impact of fairy tales and how reframing their messages can empower us.

If you’re looking for inspiration, creative insight, or tools to become a more mindful and empathetic writer, this conversation is packed with value. It’s a rich, energizing episode you won’t want to miss!

Takeaways

  • Compassion is essential for effective storytelling.
  • Understanding our own narratives requires empathy.
  • Writers should be gentle with themselves during the process.
  • Compassion for the reader enhances engagement.
  • Psychological biases affect how we perceive our writing.
  • Different learning styles require varied teaching methods.
  • Visualizations can aid in the writing process.
  • Seeing stories from multiple perspectives enriches writing.
  • The tone of writing can create a more relatable experience.

Here’s a fabulous short clip of Anne telling why compassion makes such a difference in our writing:

Here are some ways you can watch or listen to all of this insightful and helpful episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

How to Share Compassionate Stories that Inspire and Connect – How To Share

In this episode of How to Share, host Wynne Leon interviews social psychologist and writer Anne Beall about her book, The Compassionate Writer. They discuss the importance of compassion in writing, exploring the four pillars: compassion for ourselves, for others, for the reader, and throughout the writing process.Anne shares her journey from academia to founding a literary journal, and how her unique perspective shapes her writing. The conversation also delves into the psychological aspects of storytelling, practical exercises for writers, and the reframing of fairy tales to uncover deeper meanings.TakeawaysCompassion is essential for effective storytelling.Understanding our own narratives requires empathy.Writers should be gentle with themselves during the process.Compassion for the reader enhances engagement.Psychological biases affect how we perceive our writing.Different learning styles require varied teaching methods.Visualizations can aid in the writing process.Fairy tales often reflect societal values and biases.Seeing stories from multiple perspectives enriches writing.The tone of writing can create a more relatable experience.Links for this episode:⁠How to Share home⁠The Compassionate Writer on ⁠Barnes & Noble⁠, and ⁠Amazon⁠ ⁠Anne Beall's website⁠⁠Anne Beall on Substack⁠⁠Chicago Story Press Literary Journal⁠From the host:Wynne's book about my beloved father: ⁠Finding My Father’s Faith⁠
  1. How to Share Compassionate Stories that Inspire and Connect
  2. How to Share Music with Nancy Shear
  3. How to Share Snapshots of the American Dream
  4. How To Share: From International Lawyer to Thriller Writer
  5. How to Share Our Luck with Gil Gillenwater

Links for this episode:

How to Share Compassionate Stories That Inspire and Connect transcript

The Compassionate Writer on Barnes & Noble, and Amazon

Anne Beall’s website

Anne Beall on Substack

Chicago Story Press Literary Journal

From the host:

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

(featured photo from Pexels)

30 thoughts on “How to Share Compassionate Stories that Inspire and Connect”

  3. I’m all about it, and can’t wait to hear the whole thing! I can really identify with your story as well. when I first became a commuter, I used to get annoyed when someone was holding up traffic, because of an issue with their car, but I quickly shifted my thinking to ‘what if their car stalled because they don’t have the money to fix it? did this accident cause them to be hurt, will they have transportation, will they have the money to fix it, will they be fired, do they have insurance,? etc.’ especially remembering the days when I was a single mother with no money and had bad cars and had lots of things happen. whatever was happening with their car had just changed their day for the worse in an instant and for me now it was only a minor inconvenience. from that moment of realization I never complained again and felt empathy for them instead.

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  4. Lovely conversation, Wynne. I had to smile at the reference to Paperbag Princess and fairy tales. One of the books we read on repeat with T. I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Munsch once and his children’s books are a Canadian treasure and so loved in our home.

    Social psychology is a fascinating discipline. I took a 101 course as a university elective and loved it. I can see how a mastery of this supported Anne’s success as a business person and writer.

    Having compassion for the reader is a great way to build connection and compel them to read along, when they can see themselves in the characters and story.

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    1. I love that you all read the Paperbag Princess! How cool that you met Robert Munsch and I didn’t realize he was Canadian. That is wonderful!

      Thanks for tuning in — I love the deep way you listen and appreciate your comments so much!

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  5. The focus on compassion is estimable, Wynne.

    Another take comes from the Buddhists. After such a near miss, one might take a thankful approach to thoughts of the other driver because he has taught us always to be careful and defensive when driving. He has also taught us that rage is not a useful response when such another drives recklessly. We owe him gratitude because he has taught us not to imitate him. Thanks, Wynne.

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  8. I love the game you play when the other car cut you off. I do a similar thing, imagine ‘dancing’ with other drivers. Some are good, smooth dancers, and some bring sudden unexpected moves that I have to be prepared for…
    Anne had some great points about compassion for writers. I really like the tip- ‘if writing feels like revenge writing, then cut that or rewrite it with compassion’. Thanks for sharing Anne’s site, it was neat exploring the books she’s written.

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  10. Writing compassionately in a memoir… yes that hit a note for me. I really struggled when I was writing g the story of what happened in my second marriage, and the draft is overflowing with the events, I threw everything in there. I did my best to speak as factually as possible, for that’s the best road to take. Allow the events and the facts to speak for themselves. They’re often powerful enough.

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    1. I love this example of when compassion is especially needed. That matches what I’ve felt when writing about tough events too. But I’m not surprised that you found a graceful way through it because you are such a leader at doing that! Thanks, Tamara!

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      1. Thanks Wynne! Speaking honestly may upset some people who may prefer not to read about difficult things, but I found it better to own my truth. I figured I didn’t need to editorialize to show how some people were obnoxious or behaved badly, their actions speak for themselves.

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  11. I enjoyed hearing about how you’re teaching your kids about compassion empathy while driving in the car. We truly do not know what other people’s circumstances are. I look forward to listening to Anne Beall.

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  12. Wow! I love Anne’s perspective on compassion, a beautiful, human quality. The characters I like most in books are those I can identify with, those with strong traits and faults that are relatable. I think about compassion a lot these days, regarding what’s going on in our country right now.

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      1. yes, that is possible; and also, when you forgive, you still remember the original story and its sting and give it a fuller amplitude by supplying the motivation: ‘the song remains the same’ 🙂

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