Survive and Thrive with Your Gift of Empathy

An empath is someone who is highly aware of the emotions of those around them, to the point of feeling those emotions themselves.

Empaths often have the pain of feeling deflated and drained in the presence of others, sensitive to negative energy, absorbing rather than deflecting emotion

The goal is to fully integrate those hidden energies, (a gift empaths have),  that empower us, to strengthen our intuition, fully embrace life, pause and set boundaries

How do we protect ourselves from family, friends, colleagues, and clients who may be sapping our energy, but at the same time be of service to them?

My Meeting With an Empath

I had the privilege of meeting a true empath, a sensitive soul who unbeknown to him, has a beautiful gift, a kind heart, and because of that, never fails to be at the ‘mercy’ of all those who ‘need’ him. It was a short but powerful interaction and it became evident that this incredible man was an exceptional listener, naturally giving and spiritually open, but despite all this, his personal ‘well’ was empty and needed replenishing.

He is without a doubt an emotional sponge that is highly sensitive to the energy that surrounds him. As we conversed openly I realised that what I was learning was too valuable not to share – my hope is that this message may help all those potential empaths to come to terms with the ‘nature of the beast’- to avoid being disabled by others insecurities and weaknesses while still showing unwavering compassion.

Trusting and Cultivating the Power Within

If we are naturally nurturing and always available to those that need us then we have an obligation to ourselves to develop our intuition (gut feeling), become more in tune with our subtle body (life force) and spend every opportunity to access the stillness within. These skills are the unseen powers of our magical guidance system, the part of us that we have forgotten about, the path that many miss in this journey called life. 

It is important to be aware of energy ‘vampires’ (more about this in the next post) as they instinctively target sensitive people and have an innate ability to leave you feeling drained and deflated after only a brief encounter with them. 

But, have you ever considered that you may be attracting people who exhibit emotional characteristics that are unresolved in you?

Healing your own emotions first will protect you against their visceral wounds so that you don’t get caught up in their drama. Impermeable self-esteem is critical to this process – it builds a natural immunity to opposing energies!

Another way to ‘inoculate’ your brain against the negative mindsets of others is with gratitude.

Actively seek out Mentors – Spending time around positive, uplifting people also helps recharge your negativity-fighting batteries. Adopting the Buddhas notion of loving-kindness enables us to also practise the art of “detachment attachment” – being attuned to others without taking on their pain.

Nature is also able to nourish and replenish empaths but you need to have the ability to filter the noise of the outside world.

Setting boundaries is difficult as you may always want to please others and this often leads to you being taken advantage of because you are easily manipulated. Learning to say no is incredibly difficult for an empath and it takes a mindful shift in perspective to protect oneself.

Having said all this – it truly is a gift and as a unique spiritual being with a purpose of your own, you are able to instinctively embrace love and understanding and make this world a better place.

Take care of yourself and simply be aware to avoid compromising ‘who you are’ while in the service of others.

Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it.

It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgement, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of YOU ARE NOT ALONE – Brené Brown