I am not sure if I am an empath, or not, or what all that really means and consists of. What's a chakra and how can it be imbalanced? Why are people so skeptical about spirituality? Chakras? Reiki? Energy? It all sounds interesting to me. There are varying degrees of empaths and intuitive people. Now, I am not sure if I would consider myself a full empath, because I feel desensitized to a lot of things that empaths (I have met) feel. But, I can understand where they are coming from through my own life experiences and understanding. Empathy is a very important personality trait in civilization -- it is the ability to understand and tolerate another living thing for what it is.

I did not know it was a way to describe someone until a friend of mine explained it to me, and introduced me to The Mind Unleashed. Being an empath is not a psychological term that has been around very long. The Mind Unleashed defines it as an individual who is “affected by other people’s energies, and have an innate ability to intuitively feel and perceive others.” This seems like a really difficult thing to handle, especially when living in a city environment. Imagine being affected by other people's energies and living in a densely populated neighborhood in New York City. I have met a few intuitive people in my life time, all of which use their gift to help others versus for financial gains. Most of them do not live within the city limits; they enjoy the peace and quiet of the suburbs.

To my understanding, empaths typically have a deeper understanding of the people around them, even ones they do not know on a personal level. Many are introverts and tend to recharge their batteries away from people and civilization. They can unwind better when surrounded by nature. I can align with this – after a long day of interacting with people, or being around a large group of people, I cannot wait to sit in silence by myself and relax. However, I am an ace when it comes to accomplishing things in a high paced stressful environment – matter of fact, it’s my cup of tea. Empaths do not really know how to accept compliments well – a lot of what they do is low key. Yes. I can agree that I do not like the attention. They also tend to read people through non-verbal communication; vibes, body language, eye contact, mannerisms etc. They catch onto social cues quickly. Empaths are very compassionate, intuitive, and perceptive. Resolving conflicts comes to them naturally. Yes, yes, and yes.

Empaths are often really misunderstood since people mistake their niceness for weakness. I consider most empaths to be incredibly resilient and strong because no matter what, they can put all bullsh*t aside and do what needs to be done. I have met empaths who often fall into this woe is me mentality. They feel like no matter how much love they give, they never reciprocate the same amount. That is when learning to protect and create parameters with people comes into play. Empaths and narcissists are a toxic mix, but attracted to one another like a bee is to a flower. A fly is to sh*t. I am sure you can catch my drift. Narcissists – super charismatic and alluring to the empath. Let us keep in mind that an empath only wants to be loved and give love. How does that saying go? Opposites attract. Think twice before you get into a whole mess of hurt. Opposites attract, but in this case, one (narcissist) is detrimental to the other (empath).

Empaths, they love to love, and are always trying to spread the love to everyone they meet. Most empaths I have met are extremely sensitive to violence, loud noises etc. Personally, I am not sensitive to loud noises or fast paced environments. Depending on the degree of violence, who is involved, depends on my reaction to it. Empaths know what it is like to suffer, and do not wish suffering on anyone, even those who mistreat them. In all relationships, romantic or not, there is a constant give and take. Therefore, this can cause a sticky situation between empaths (who are willing to give) and narcissists (who are willing to always take, but not reciprocate), unless, the empath learns to create parameters or boundaries, and learns to protect themselves from the constant take. Empaths go above and beyond to make the people they care about feel love and complete. Narcissists go above and beyond to manipulate and exploit people into doing things for them so that they can feel complete.

All in all, it seems that empaths just want to be the change they want to see in the world. To ensure that no one walks alone, no one suffers alone, and I can definitely stand by that. I think we need more people like that in the world!

One Love.