Thriving as an Empath
The last few months have made me think a lot about what it means to be an empath. Part of the responsibility that comes with being a psychic medium is having empathy. We have to be able to feel the world around us in order to connect with the other side and the higher realms of consciousness. Being empathic means that you feel the emotions of others. With so much death, injustice, and sadness in the world recently, I have found myself in tears while watching the nightly news, as I witness the suffering of those left behind after the death of loved ones. Being moved to tears by something sad is a normal human response but as empaths we just seem to feel it more deeply and often have a hard time keeping those emotions within. It can be challenging, at times, to be empathic but finding inner strength will help you navigate the world and build stronger relationships. Here are some spirit driven tools to add to your empath toolbox when you’re feeling out of control or lost.
Release yourself from the emotions of others. Discerning other people’s emotions from your own will free you from unnecessary suffering. For empaths, interacting with the world at large can be daunting at times, as we absorb the emotional energy of other people. Have you ever felt someone’s anger penetrate you? You feel it because it is an energy exchange. How many times have you gotten off the phone with someone, or received a text message and you felt depleted? Simply being around someone, even a conversation over the phone, or even watching TV, counts as an energy exchange. We often have these energy exchanges and think nothing of them and what they are doing to our own mental well-being. Recognize when someone else’s emotions are for them and not you. You can even recite in your mind “I let go of anything that is not my own for the highest good.” Acknowledging someone’s emotions as separate from yours will help to sever the tie that binds that energy to you. You can acknowledge that you felt what they felt and then let it pass. It will move right through you. Like a wave you will ride its peak until it’s gone.
Take back your power. Empaths are transparent with their emotions and not everyone understands this. For that reason, they are often bullied for being too sensitive. Turning that hurt around to help others can be a powerful way to transform toxic energy. There are abusive relationships, bullies at school, anyone who is shut off from feeling will often want to make an empath feel inadequate because it’s more comfortable for them to exist in a reality where feeling is not needed. Pushing down your feelings is never a good thing. You are unique and powerful. Accept that truth and know that sensitivity is a gift worth welcoming. When you see someone being bullied for being different turn it around and point out something positive in the person being bullied to break the energy. If you are being bullied recognize that the bullying is coming from a place of hurt and ego. Send love to that person. This may seem like a difficult thing to do when someone is deliberately hurting you but in doing so you relinquish their power to hurt you by breaking their energetic hold upon you. Turn the bullying around and use it to enact change in the world around you. This is how you take back your power. When we take charge of the pain inflicted upon us and use it for helping others it will break the cycle of emotional pain.
Trusting what you feel. Being an empath also means knowing when someone is being inauthentic, lying, or deceiving but recognizing that they are living in a state of hurt will release you from their control. Recognizing their hurt and finding a loving place for them in your heart can make all the difference in releasing that negative energy between you. It may not feel natural to you to forgive so easily. It’s work. Our human nature is to become defensive over being deceived. Just remember that you don’t have to keep them in your life, but you can release them from any energy control over you. By forgiving them and recognizing that people who lie or deceive are afraid of the truth because they have shame in themselves, you release their control on you. It has nothing to do with you, even when it affects you. They are afraid of being seen for who they really are. Your strength comes from recognizing it, acknowledging it, and filling it with love. Surrender the deceit as separate from you. Give it to the Universe for transformation.
Protect yourself through meditation. I talk a lot about meditation. The reason I bring it up so often is because I live by it. It works for me on so many levels. Meditation is a really important practice in protection because it allows us to slow down, breathe, and acknowledge how we feel in the present moment. I use meditation for protection daily. Ever since my spiritual understanding and awakening came to be, I have never skipped a day of shielding myself energetically through meditation. I use the word shield but it’s more like a beautiful bubble of protection. It’s really very simple. You can set an intention for protection such as a mantra or phrase, “I am protected against anything that is not for my highest good”. You can ask for protection in your prayers or when calling upon your own group of spirit guides and angels for help. Simply thinking the word protection will do it but for those who are wanting to go deeper, I always encourage visualization in meditation. I love to see a golden-white bubble of light surround me. I sit in this bubble and feel its energy permeate every part of my being. I breathe it in and see it restore order to anything in need of healing. I even like to visualize it being mirrored on the outside and see anything that comes in contact with my bubble be instantly bounced off of it and sent back to its originator. In these days of isolation, we yearn so deeply for human contact but all too often we unload on each other. It’s so important to recognize that we all come from different places, with different hurts, but that we all want the same thing. We want to be loved and heard. Listen to each other. Respect each other but always protect your inner sanctuary.
It’s important to accept that your empathy and sensitivity is a natural gift. Be thankful for it. Acknowledge it. Speak about it when you can. Honoring your sensitivity and empathic nature will help you strengthen your confidence within this awareness and make it stronger. It’s palpable. Owning your sensitivity will also attract more understanding from others. You may even notice others come into your life who are accepting and empathic as well.