"An empath is
somebody who has a very unique and profound ability to intuit or sense the
feelings of others," says Carmichael.
When I came to know about the word empath, it felt like the most
amazing relief as one feels after first shower of monsoon. Finally, I thought I
have an explanation as to why people bothered and exhausted me so much and why
I was always in the throes of helping, listening, or supporting other people’s
need and cries.
But now I no longer believe in this philosophy.
I am no more an empath
now.
After learning the concept of empathy, I faced
so many challenges. I was attracted towards people who were struggling and in
need of support be moral or financial: and being an empath I stressed myself in
that process. I focused too much on the stresses and emotions of other people’s
lives and as a result I myself felt the heat of stress and over expectations
from others.
It looked like impossible for me to
overcome this situation. But, awareness helped and I learned to attend and
prioritize my own emotions, building a sense of gentleness toward own self.
I recognized that other people’s
emotions can feel scary, uncomfortable, and even dangerous to me. But with
awareness and self determination, I have learned to gently walk towards being
just practical and, of safety in being myself in the world surrounded by other
people’s expectations, but not overtaken by them as I used to be.
