Transformation
Are You An Empath
By Carolyn Gwiazdzinski
Mar 24, 2008

Are you an empath? How do you know if you are an empath? If you are an empath, how do you function in a clear, healthy and focused way and not get lost in what everyone else is feeling.

Empaths, in clear and simple terms, are defined as having the ability to feel others emotions and feelings, as if they are their own. When these abilities are undeveloped, sensitives will not know that they are empathic, until they begin to question why; one minute they feel fine and the next minute they are not. Sensitives/Empaths can be triggered instantly; just by walking into a room, a crowded room, going into a department store, or grocery store, being around others that may be experiencing intense and emotional mood swings, an act of kindness from a stranger, a heartwrenching story...the list is endless.

Empaths have great difficulty being around others that are experiencing intense, emotional mood swings. And if empaths live in a family situation, where communication has broken down and family members are in terrible pain and just lashing out at each other, god help the empath...life, at this point becomes intensely unbearable. Empaths don't wake up one morning and decide to be this way. You can't choose to be an empath...it is a soul blueprint. You can't read books to become this way, you can't take classes to learn to be this way...it is what it is.

How do I know? I am an empath, a now very conscious one. It wasn't always like this for me. I grew up in a family environment, where communication was non existent. My family members were in such incredible pain. I knew this at 5, but did not have the psychological or verbal skills to explain this...I just knew that this was all wrong...I also happen to be highly intuitive...great combination, in an environment that was not supportive. I found that I was always acting as the mediator and the caretaker...trying to fix it and make it better...in the end the cost was too great.

25 years have gone by and I learned alot about my intuition and my empathic abilities...can function in grocery stores and department stores with great care. What I have shared in my groups is know yourself; know what you are feeling throughout the course of your day. Ask what you are feeling regularly? The more you are aware of where your highs and lows are, the more connected you are to your own emotional shifts. Journal regularly. Get a big art book and magic markers and write, write everything, until you are empty...this assists in clearing you of every thought, feeling and emotion. Doing this on a regular basis will teach you about yourself and where boundaries are...there is of course more to this...these are just some simple basics, that I have discovered and utilized, as I developed and strengthend my own awareness.

Empaths have a function in this life. Empaths are the feelers in life...as a society, we have forgotten how to feel an emotion and a feeling...we busy the important parts of ourselves away. An empath does not have this luxury...because the feeling is calling the empath, too deeply...kind of unnerving, however, with consistent awareness and understanding, there is a purpose to this experience...at first, it won't seem that way...BUT...if you take it one step at a time and work with the above steps that have been shared, you begin to notice a change within yourself...it comes as a feeling...as the feeling gets stronger, the connection to your personal space and your boundaries, will get stronger too. We can't fix anything for anyone, except ourselves. It is not being mean or selfish to not fix it for another...and empaths have a tendency to do that, just for having the ability to feel anothers pain or questions about life.
It is time for each of us, to learn about ourselves and to heal from within.

For all the empaths out there, just waking up to their sensitivities...be kind to yourself, have patience with yourself and learn all you can about yourself...it will take time, but it will be well worth the understanding and the healing within.

It is together that we can do this, one breath, one step at a time.