Am I An Empath?

What exactly is an empath? I have researched this term many times and found all kinds of definitions, many which fit my personality. I put together definitions that fit my personality completely and what I have come up with is a person who feels others' emotions instantly, a person who feels others' dislikes or negative emotions toward them and is deeply affected by how these people feel about them or their situation, someone who is deeply connected to living things in their environment especially the animals living there, someone who treats their pets like humans, and someone who overthinks everything and cannot shut this part of their brain down.

Being an empath is both a blessing and a curse. This gift helps me connect with others around me and with animals that I come in contact with. It allows me to help people and animals and to be sensitive to their needs. At times, my intervention is helpful and allows me to make a difference. Other times, my intervention is a hindrance or leaves me emotionally drained and consumed with my thoughts. Then I'm constantly second guessing myself and replaying events and how I handled them in my mind. Other people's negative comments can leave damaging scars and wasted hours of self-bashing instead of learning a lesson and moving on from it.

Many times I have fought with myself and allowed other people's comments to ring in my ears and affect my instincts to help out in certain situations. Their comments have affected doing what I felt like needed to be done and part of me hates myself for going against my instincts. Why can't I follow my instincts and do what I feel like is necessary?

I have decided to read about empaths this summer and to do an in depth study of who and what I am and not to fight my abilities and desires. I need to discover the real me and understand how to live with my sensitivities and not to let the comments of friends and family discourage me and keep me from being who God designed me to be. I feel like I was born with a purpose, and I'm trying to discover that purpose and not try to put myself in a life that doesn't belong to me to make others around me happy.

I truly believe that each one of us is born with a purpose. We each have gifts that help make us who we are and help us find our path in life. I have been put down for years for my gifts and sensitivities because they don't fit in other people's worlds. My life is imperfect and messy. I have gotten involved with narcissistic people, and I have a tendency to see the good in people when others cannot. So I do understand some of the criticism I have received about being naive and other people using me. However, I am learning who I am and about my gifts and how to maximize then without being someone else's doormat.

I hope what I learn helps me and helps me to enable others find out who they are and to choose their path wisely. No one should feel ashamed of their gifts and not use them because it makes others around them feel uneasy or makes others feel like you are always going to be a failure when you are being called to follow your instincts.

I have learned so far that being an empath helps me to tune in to my sensitivities. It enables me to see the world around me with different lenses. I can see and feel things that others do not see or feel. Having this type of vision will only help me be the best "me that I can be" and will help me to better help others without draining my own resources.