Reframing IS social change. Building an empathy surplus in YOUR world begins with you changing your language. The Four Empathic Activities of a Caring Citizen Leader all start with the letter “I.” 

1. I INWARDLY digest and use the work of George Lakoff to frame caring conversations in our spheres of influence.
2. I INVEST in our weekly congresses to implement caring policy directions.
3. I IMPLEMENT our caring policy directions through partnerships with ethical business, effective government institutions, and caring society organizations.
4. I INVITE others to join us and promote effective government, progressive markets, and mutual responsibility.

Who is the ideal caring citizen thought leader candidate?

Reframing IS social change. The ideal caring citizen thought leader is someone who wants to live, work, and play SMART, while they reframe their world:

• Specific – simple, significant, and specific – George Lakoff’s writing and insights on how to apply the latest insights of the brain to respect, protect, and promote human rights meet these criteria, with one exception. They are not easy to apply. Why? Because we are asking you to change your language. And to change your language, you have to think about WHY you use the language that you use. All language is constitutive, meaning all ideas are embodied. We act out our ideas/language.
• Measurable – meaningful and motivating – Members of our Empathy Surplus Project George Lakoff Discussion Group on Facebook do two things. First, they read one chapter of their Lakoff book per week and comment on it. Second, they discuss how and when they changed their language from the week before.
• Achievable and Accountable – agreed and attainable – Empathy is the soul of democracy and the foundation of our republic. The effectiveness of government is directly related to the efficacy of its citizens’ caring thought leadership. Are they framing their government around the core values of empathy and responsibility? Mutual responsibility is the accountability component of effective government. It is achievable when YOU change your language.
• Relevant – reasonable, realistic, and resourced, results-based – No matter your sphere of influence, re-framing work is relevant. Are you an ethical business man or woman? Are you part of public government, i.e., elected, appointed, or employed? Are you part of a civil society organization like Rotary, chamber of commerce, or faith community? How can you improve your application of the ten principles of the UN Global Compact (UNGC)? How can you improve your use of Lakoff’s Five Value Sets? Both Lakoff and the UNGC are redefining what ethical business and effective government ARE?
• Time-bound – time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, time-sensitive – We all only have 24 hours in a day. Are you tired of wondering how our country got so polarized? Are you not sure of what to do about it? NOW is the time to REFRAME your world with a new language that you already know. Join us.