Humans are broken, lonely, afraid, and hungry: four different kinds of voids that can be filled in infinitely many ways. The empath learns to recognize and name which voids are present in any given space and transforms the space into a moment of healing, instead of succumbing to the emotions of it.
Absorbing the emotions of any gathering of humans can be overwhelming, especially if you learned empathy as a means to survive, to stay safe. I want empaths to know that your energy gift works both ways. You can learn how to transform the emotions you perceive in others by being open and vulnerable and risking heartbreak. The power is worth it.
You do this first by recognizing and naming your own voids and the emotions they bring as they come and go. Emotions are transient by design. They are like the scent of a really good meal, or a really bad one. They are not the actual meal; they are temporary signifiers of something more tangible.
The empath uses the emotions of a moment to sniff out the status of one of the four voids, whether they are full or empty, filling or emptying, or neither and none. And, with that knowledge, the empath can move the energy of the space accordingly. It starts with knowing yourself first, know what it feels like to be hungry, broken, lonely, and afraid, what it means for you to move from that center. This knowledge is like a baseline. It allows you to check in with yourself, to measure your own emotions against the ones that surround you.
Whether you come by your empathy through a deep spiritual connection or through years of surviving traumas, you are not doomed to be merely inundated by others emotions. You have power, aka the ability to create change. You are power.
Even with this knowledge, the empath runs into trouble trying to save everyone. I am reminded of the times where I could not transform the voids of brokenness, loneliness, fear, or hunger either because I was too overwhelmed or my ability to create change wasn’t enough. Sometimes, you have to disengage to literally save your life. Run. Sometimes, all you need to do is hold the void/hold space with the person and be a witness, nothing more. Sometimes, you need to re-tune your shields so you can make it through the moment. Do what you are meant to do and know there’s no need to become a martyr. Move with discernment and power.
The ability to empathize with other humans is a powerful skill or gift to have. When you wield it well and sharpen it carefully, you will be able to transform not just the ways you meet the world, but the ways the world transforms itself, too.
Photo by Retha Ferguson on Pexels.com