Being an EMPATH: Best Gift and Curse
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Being an EMPATH: Best Gift and Curse

I am an empath and since I was a child, I know how hard it can be to be able to feel and understand others more than most of the people around you.

But I didn't know one thing. You can turn it on and off if you learn how to control it!

As we all heard of empathy concept, most of us still don't know how to improve our ability to understand others.

EQ and AwarenessIQ is the new sexy and we should discover our potential!

Empathy is crucial if we want to succeed in both personnel and professional life.

Here is the definition of Empathy:

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other person's frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another's shoes. 

This is a great gift for my coaching career and to be able to understand my clients' problems and help them to solve and develop new problem solving skills.

But as well as it is a gift, it might be curse for some empaths who do not know their talents and how to protect themselves from toxic people. All the drama, sorrow, dealing with egocentric and narcissistic personality types, empaths may feel exhausted and depressed.

So better know your vulnerability as soon as possible to feel more powerful. Starting today!

Now if you say yes to at least 15 of 25 below, you are most probably an empath, and should work on your skills to feel more successful in your life.

25 Signs That You Are An Empath

1. Feels calmer when alone, and, in relationships, requires distance and regular periods of solitude.

2. When in the company of others an empath struggles to work out whether they are feeling their own emotions or the emotions of those around them.

3. Struggles to remain present as the chaos of emotions around them pushes and pulls on an empath’s own thoughts, feelings and emotions.

4. Often says yes to others without thinking of their own needs.

5. In relationships or friendships, very often puts other people before themselves, as though everyone else’s pleasure and happiness is more important than their own.

6. Relationships can often move too fast and can become intense very quickly as the empath connects on a deep, intimate level very quickly due to the ability to absorb other people’s energy and emotions.

7. An empath will often take full responsibility for how others treat them and for anything that goes wrong in relationships. They have a great amount of compassion and can clearly see other people’s emotional baggage and so they make many excuses for why people behave as they do, and this is very often to the detriment of an empath.

8. Tends to connect with people who are suffering and often wants to heal others or try to make the world a better place for them.

9. Can find themselves taking on and absorbing other people’s problems and being used as a sounding board or dumping ground so that others can offload their emotional baggage.

10. Instinctively knows when someone around them is not being truthful.

11. Sometimes empaths just know things, without having any idea of where they gained the information. When trying to work out the truth from a lie it can seem as though the information has been presented forward so that it can be used to help make a decision.

The empath should only trust the information if they are highly skilled at reading themselves and others accurately and if paranoia or other information is not clouding their judgement.

12. An empath’s mind is an inquisitive one and they are constantly searching for answers and theorize and philosophize constantly.

13. An empath who is highly in tune with themselves and skilled at reading others will often be able to pick up on someone else’s thought processes even if they are thousands of miles away.

14. Connects very strongly to the animal kingdom and identifies very easily with the emotional and physical pains that animals go through.

15. Is often most at peace and feeling harmonious when spending time with nature and roaming around the outdoors.

16. Can feel the energy surrounding physical things and will often choose clothing or material purchases based on the energy that has attached to them.

17. Very creative and highly imaginative, writing, art, music, painting, dancing, acting, painting, building and designing are a few of the traits that empaths very often are passionate about.

18. An empath will likely get distracted easily when they are doing things they don’t enjoy and will quickly zone out or day dream when placed in situations where their mind is not stimulated.

19. Can struggle to fully relax in the company of others and really let their hair down and have fun, unless they are extremely comfortable and at ease with those surrounding them.

20. Prefers their living space to be clutter free and minimalistic; chaotic surroundings make for chaotic minds for an empath and they have enough inner sensations happening without cluttering their psyche further.

21. Finds it very difficult to be around people who are egotistical or enjoy putting others down to make themselves look better. Empaths will often come to the defense of those that have been rejected or bullied in any way.

22. Crowded places are emotionally overwhelming and downtime is required after social gatherings.

23. Highly sensitive to sounds, smells, bright lights and the feel of certain fabrics.

24. Regularly suffers with fatigue and can feel drained following interactions with others.

25. Can become shy and withdrawn as a method of self-protection. This can result in empaths becoming introverts as a way of avoiding the emotional and physical pain that often stems from interactions.

If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far. - Daniel Goleman

I hope there will be more empaths in our lives to make this world a better place!

PS: Please watch full version of this video on my web site here. (TEDme 3: The Power of Vulnerability)

I would love to work with you, if you want to improve your abilities on empathy. Please feel free to contact me here:) 

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.― Elisabeth Kübler

If you enjoy what you read, please hit " like ", so others may enjoy it too:)

Love,

Gizem

www.gizemsahan.com

Sandeep Kohli

Head - Business Development at L&T Energy - Power

8y

Agree with Hakan Bey

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Hakan Emek

Business Development & EPC Project Execution Professional

8y

I do not agree with some comments, I afraid. Empathy is not a physcological mode-mindset that you can manevuer. Actually, any feeling shall not be diverted, because once you do that it would be very easy for you to forget that you are a simple humanbeing, but a corporate devil, a machine that you may operate for sometime unless it tooks you over together with your ego. My advise is that whatever you feel, whatever you do, please do it with sincerity. As long as you do "good" whatever you do and you take the ititiative and leadership naturally, but not burutally, this will inspire the people around you and no mather you are management or such and, the best thing is, such will enable you that you will live your own life at all phases without becoming a stranger to yourself. Summary; Do whatever you feel right about it. Kind regards:))

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Gizem Şahan

Career & Professional Development Coach | Entrepreneur | Facilitator & Corporate Trainer | Inspirational Keynote Speaker

8y

Exactly Dieter Rudolf! Thank you for your sincere and wise comment.

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Gizem Şahan

Career & Professional Development Coach | Entrepreneur | Facilitator & Corporate Trainer | Inspirational Keynote Speaker

8y

I am so glad for that Gül Nazlı Olca:))

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