Human First: The Power of Empathy in a World Lost in Numbers

About a year ago, I was probably in the best mental space I had ever experienced. Everything felt positive in nearly every way. Of course, nothing is perfect, but back then, I woke up each day with a sense of purpose, passion, and drive. Somewhere over the past few months, though, I allowed that energy to fade into the background. I let myself slip into survival mode. Survival mode has its place, but when it becomes your default setting for too long, it starts to define who you are.

Recently, I had the privilege of traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with our state’s congresspeople and discuss issues impacting home healthcare—particularly proposed changes that could devastate our industry.

Those few days spent with like-minded individuals reignited something inside me. I’ve been struggling recently to reconnect with that part of myself. We live and work in a world so heavily regulated that the human element often gets lost. And it’s not just in healthcare; this happens everywhere now. Decisions are driven by metrics. Futures are shaped by numbers. And in healthcare, unfortunately, those metrics can even dictate the quality of care patients receive.

One theme that kept coming up during those meetings was something I deeply believe shapes who I am as a healthcare professional, a leader, a parent, and just a human: we don’t disagree that change is needed. We don’t deny that the system is broken. We don’t even oppose all of the decisions being made. But the approach to those changes has to align with the need. That’s the human element—the kind of approach that’s quickly disappearing from our world.

It’s like how kids in school follow a rigid, one-size-fits-all schedule. Expectations are the same for everyone, regardless of their individual needs. There are numbers to hit. And that’s the world we seem to be creating everywhere we look.

The loss of this human element isn’t just what shatters lives—it’s what breaks the greatest companies, tears apart families, and leaves children behind. Without empathy, without truly seeing and valuing the people around us, nothing can thrive. Relationships crumble, trust erodes, and the very foundations of what we build become fragile. It doesn’t matter how successful we appear on the surface; without that core humanity, no one truly succeeds. I may be just one person, but one piece of me that I refuse to give up is the part that cares about people for who they are—not for what they do, not for what they achieve, but for the simple fact that they are human. That is what I hold onto, because it’s the glue that holds everything together.

While I was in D.C., there was also the heartbreaking tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s death—a stark reminder of the world we live in, one increasingly defined by extremes. I’m not speaking politically here, but from a human perspective. We’ve become so polarized that the simple act of disagreeing with someone’s beliefs has, in some cases, led to the ultimate tragedy—death. A human life lost over differences in ideology. It doesn’t matter what he said, what he stood for—at the end of the day, he was a husband, a father, a person. And that’s something we cannot forget, no matter where we stand on any issue. This kind of thinking, where disagreement turns to violence, is a direct reflection of how far we’ve strayed from that human-first mindset.

At the end of the day, the one thing I ask of myself and others is simple: approach every situation with the understanding that, above all, this is a human first. That principle guides who I am, how I treat people, and how I approach every situation. It’s people first, always—above the numbers, above the labels, above the arguments. Just people, human beings.

This is how I approach my team as a leader—recognizing each individual as a human with their own struggles, strengths, and aspirations. It’s how I approach my children as a mother—seeing them for who they are, not just for what I need them to be. It’s how I approach the person in the grocery store or the driver in the traffic line, even when their actions might be frustrating or agitating. They’re all people. And sometimes, that’s the simplest but most powerful reminder we need: to see the humanity in everyone we encounter, even when it’s hard.

This approach builds relationships, fosters growth, enables compassion, and encourages collaboration. When we remember that we are all human, we can connect in a deeper, more meaningful way. We create spaces where people feel seen and heard, and where we can work together to move forward, even in difficult times. The human-first mindset isn’t just about kindness—it’s about creating environments that allow everyone to thrive.