Celebrating the Gift of Empathy
Robin Leigh Vella
Have you ever been told that you are overly sensitive? Do you ever feel as though you are absorbing other people’s emotions? Do you ever have difficulty distinguishing between other people’s feelings and your own? If any of these questions speak to you, you are an empath.
Energy is everywhere; it is in everything. Vibrations are all around us. Some vibrations are audible; they make a sound. But many vibrations are silent; we only know that they exist because of how they make us feel. Empaths are highly sensitive to energies. Not only can they feel them, but they can also be overwhelmed by them. If you sometimes feel as though you are tuned in to every vibration in the universe at once, take heart– nothing is wrong with you. Empathy is not an indication of weakness; it is a sign of strength. Embracing and celebrating your sensitivity will allow you to see it in a positive way.
Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling.
This is very important. Ignoring your emotions will not make them disappear; those buried feelings will only surface sometime in the future–when you least expect it. Be honest with yourself by expressing what you are feeling. You can write in a journal, throw ice cubes into the bathtub, go for a run, sing…anything that allows you to express yourself in a positive way.
Calm yourself down.
Quiet your mind in ways that feel good to you. Breathing slowing and deeply will allow you to feel peaceful. You can also go for a walk, listen to soothing music, light a scented candle, read a passage from an inspirational book, bake cookies, call a kind and compassionate friend…
Nurture yourself.
Feed your soul by surrounding yourself with energies that make you feel good. Create a space where you can express your beautiful spirit and fill it with things you love: your favorite colors, your favorite books and magazines, wonderful artwork…whatever resonates with you. Set aside time to be creative: paint a picture, write a poem, sing a song, turn up the music and dance…
Surround yourself with positive energy.
Invite joy into your life in as many ways as possible. Spend time with loving, upbeat people that have a positive outlook. Spend time in nature. Make time for laughter. Make time for quiet. And make sure to distance yourself from anything that has the potential to bring you down: judgmental people, newspapers, violent TV shows…
Give to others