An Open Letter to Empaths
I always said that if someone had told me when I was a child that it was possible to feel the emotions of others, my whole life would have been different.
Well, for those kids like me who feel the weight of the entire world, I am here to tell you: it is possible.
Not only is it possible, there's an actual name for it: empath. Feeling the emotions of others can sometimes take over an empath's whole life.
As an empath, you'll find that navigating these emotions is a never-ending pursuit of figuring out where you begin and others end, like a snake shedding its skin—wriggling and thrashing until you've finally separated yourself from the people or events around you.
It is possible to be so in tune, so sensitive to the needs of others that your physical body flares up, your heart races, and your gut turns in response to the turmoil in others.
It is possible to feel heartache and sorrow echoing from across the entire world. It is possible to feel your own skin scorched by the fires burning in different lands. It is possible to hear the wails of their spirits bursting from underneath your skin. It is possible to feel yourself heaving in the wreckage and wrapped in the fear that the rain will never come. It is possible to join a rain dance prayer a world away.
It is possible to see and hear these events as if they're happening in the space around you, even when they're a thousand timelines away.
Yes, it is possible. It's not just possible; this is what it is. This is who you are. And I wish I could tell you it goes away, but it doesn't. I wish I could tell you there's a golden utopia of endless joy at the end of a glittering rainbow, but as long as there is pain on this Earth, as long as there are stories to be told, your book of awareness will remain open.
I wish I could tell you there was a cure-all, but truth be told, being an empath ain't easy. You feel the fear, the terror, the cries, and the war. You feel this in you until it comes pouring out of you—in screams, in tears, howls, and fears. You feel it all until you can feel no more. Some days, you feel all of this stronger than others.
You feel the weight of the world, and I am here to tell you, I do too. I know you see the sadness rippling under the smiling cheek of the student next to you at school. I know you pause at the piercing spear ripping through a lion’s heart from across the sea. I know you hear the soundless pleas from children crying in their beds as they fend off monsters in their dreams.
I know you do. I know you're afraid to say it out loud, but I believe you.
I know this because I do too. I know it seems scary, but I am telling you, it's real. Now that you know who and what you are, I should also let you in on a secret: not everyone embraces this philosophy. There are people who will tell you that this isn't a good way to live your life. There are intolerances towards sensitives, and it is truly unfair.
Your empathicness is worth everything.
The ability to feel deeply in this hardened world, is a remarkable testimony to your strength as a person. To be a sensitive soul, in a relentlessly unforgiving world… it's worth everything. Do not let yourself go numb, even though you might want to on your worst days. Together, we will learn how to release these burdens and grow stronger to navigate the roaring ocean of emotions and come out stronger on the other side.
Your sensitivity is real.
Your empathy is real.
The way you experience life is unique and pure.
You are not meant to fly blindly into the night.
You are a vast and courageous spirit filled with adventure and purpose.
You have the ability to tune into the truth of what's going on in those around you, and you won't turn away. You will never grow up to be an adult who gaslights another because it's within your integrity not to. You will not harm others with what you know.
Instead, you are going to help people live into their stories because you feel it with them. You are destined to understand how this works in you so you can release it accordingly. You are meant to create keen discernment skills to distinguish your truth from others'. You are meant to honor another person's experience in life and still live into your own. Because their voice is just as important as your own.
Empaths sometimes lose themselves to the world of others. It doesn’t have to be this way. Furthermore, it is okay to be aware of the pain inside of others, and live your own story at the same time.
You're here to do incredible things with your empathy, not in spite of it. Just remember, it is not your job to hold it all—the suffering of the world. You cannot heal it. I am sorry, but it's true. You are going to learn the difference between what is yours and what is theirs. It is not your job to take the pain away from other people. But you CAN bear compassionate witness. I know you feel responsible, I know you believe it's your fault. I know there are people who have convinced you your empathicness is evil or wrong… But it isn't.
It is okay to love people in their chaos and not embody it as your own. I see you. I see the real you, and empathy is not weakness, nor is it toxic. It is real, and it requires your most compassionate and loving self.
Hold onto this. Hold tight to what makes you an intelligent and beautifully deep-feeling human. Brilliant in this flawless design. Don't turn your back on this. Don't run away. You couldn't even if you tried. But together, we're going to learn how to wield the metaphysical sword of empathic justice.
It's a lot to hold, I know because I carried it in silence for so long. But you, you are putting words to songs that never had lyrics. You are rewriting the story.
Don't let them take this from you.
