So many of us feel unseen, disconnected, and weighed down by the stresses of life. We scroll through endless feeds, sit in crowded rooms, and yet still feel alone. Healing can seem far away — like it requires a perfect retreat, years of therapy, or some big breakthrough.
But what if real healing begins in something much smaller? What if it begins in just one compassionate connection?
In this beautiful talk, Lakiba Pittman reminds us that presence itself is medicine. She shares moving personal stories, honors the life of Dr. James Doty, and shows us how self-compassion ripples outward into compassion for others — and how simple, everyday encounters can change a life.
Click here to join the free Wednesday Meditations – which are open to everyone!
Talk: The Power of One Connection
Timecodes & main topics:
00:00 – Lakiba Pittman honors Dr. James Doty & the spirit of compassion
03:45 – Why presence heals: the medicine of being truly seen
09:33 – Self-compassion as the root of collective healing
17:18 – The Power of One Connection: how small encounters create big change
25:02 – Everyday compassion in action — stories of strangers, friends, and community
31:37 – Closing reflections & gentle questions to carry forward
A Meditation: Tending the Self Across Time
Lakiba Pittman is a Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) teacher certified by Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) in 2014. Working with the Compassion Institute and Stanford Healthy Living, Lakiba develops and delivers public workshops, including culturally relevant and specialized offerings tailored to diverse communities and clients. She is a full-time Lecturer at Menlo College and an Adjunct Professor at both Notre Dame de Namur University and Golden Gate University. Lakiba holds a B.A. in Creative Arts and an M.A. in Organizational Development, and she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
