The Life of a Walking Empath

She gracefully lied her body down on the shore line. She paused, took a deep breath in and absorbed the colours of the sunset and the depths of the ocean around her. Her arms spread wide, opening her chest. She couldn’t help but notice her arms felt like wings as she surrendered to the earth beneath her. Her "wings" felt as majestic as maleficent. She allowed her soul to gravitate as her lungs filled with clean salty air. Her mind had been wandering, sometimes to charmed places, other times to murky depths of the chaos that surrounded her. She thought for a split moment, how much of a blessing and a curse it was to feel everything so intensely.  The weight had been bearing so heavy on her shoulders. The weight of society around her. She could gracefully feel it leaving her body as she emptied her mind of the productions that whirled through it.

Just waiting for a day they felt happy...

She detested that humanity had egos that drove their lives. People only worried about money making, egos destroying relationships faster than a hurtling bullet. Mental illness rising as the minutes passed.  People taking their lives and the lives of others like a plague. She felt the pain, and heard the tears of the children around her. Knowing one in five children were diagnosed with a psychological disorder shattered her heart. Small souls just waiting for a day they felt happy, like blowing out the candles on their birthday cake. She loathed that children weren’t feeling this every day. Parents taking children’s lives as if there was no other option for their confused difficulties.  She despised the drug companies, who relied on societies suffering in order to make a profit.

Everywhere she looked, No one was standing on common grounds...

She observed society striving for things that fed their egos, determined for effects that

only supported the chaos and madness. Everyone with an opinion, but defending the sorry state of their own lives.  Selfishness that has everyone following the wrong direction.  The very elements that humanity should avoid, seem to be goals in which to achieve. Constant advertising destroying people’s self-esteem faster than bacteria. Children striving for perfection and unrealistic images that media so untruthfully display. She felt that everywhere she looked, no one was standing on common grounds. She could not help but to be confused by this, as she knew in life everyone shared one common goal. Happiness. Yet everyone destroyed humanity trying to find it. The weird thing was, it is right there, inside of them, they just failed to look within.

She got the impression not many could understand why she spent hours studying psychology and counselling. They only saw the negative impact those scenes would have on her life. Constant questioning of her ability to be able to cope with cases beyond measure. For the empath, this is not as simple as it seems. People were oblivious that for her, she sees and feels those things whether she is involved or not. The empath walks a life, that not many can grasp. Everyone matters to her. She feels the pain of humanity, she experiences others heartache. She tried for many years to ignore the truth of who she was. Her mind spinning faster than anyone else, as she was torn between the revealing of her unconscious truth or staying to the normality of society. The empath knows she cannot change the world, however she could not settle with anything less
than trying.

Clarity lies in the absence of her thoughts

Erin Chaplin Photography

As she graciously lied on the beach, she realised she had to stay conscious to the madness and chaos of society. For staying conscious only ignited her veins and the immense feelings that ran so deep within her. She could no longer conform. She was much more than that. She would no longer be content with the perceived fact she was only cells that determined her biology. Her soul was much superior than her limbs that effortlessly lied on the shore line. She unapologetically opened her arms wider, and discovered she was here for a soul purpose.  She was here to release her soul that circulated through her roots. For the empath, she had to stay grounded and take control of her mind. For once she controls her mind, once she awakens to the fact that clarity lies in the absence of her thoughts, she would be unstoppable.

"The Broods--Mad World"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MkiF3iD-mg

So You're Different? Own IT!

You look around, you don’t see living beings, you just see bodies. You notice their connections are lost, the connection to each other, the connection to the universe. You only hear conversations that are about each other, judgements and ridicule. Those around you find it easier to discuss other people and drag them down rather than discuss the beauty of this life. It’s easier to tear each other down then to give a compliment. Everyone wants change, without ever thinking of changing themselves. Distorted perceptions all around you, that have been engrained by society. And it’s not until you make a connection with something bigger, that all of a sudden you feel different. Isolated from the human bodies that walk around you daily.

At first you feel lost, like living in the eye of a cyclone.

You hear people call you alternative, crazy, a hippy and bizarre. You can feel the judgemental eyes dig deep into your core. When it first happens, you feel the urge to pull back into the normality of life, many do and it’s ok, they aren’t ready. You on the other hand, know deep down you aren’t those things people think, so you just keep living in the eye of the cyclone. For here it shakes you. The very elements of your body feel ignited.  You haven’t felt this strange…ever. There is beauty here. Beauty of making connections with people you may have previously brushed off. You start to see that life is much, much more then what’s spinning in your crazy mind.

When living in the cyclone, you realise denying the cycle of life is no longer an option. You realise this universe has been, and will be here for millions of years, you however will be lucky to last 80. You accept that one day you will take one final breath. It becomes strongly apparent that living a disconnected life for the next 50 years is not an option for you. You would rather stay in the depths of the cyclone confused and connecting with your true self. For this is better than living a life disconnected.

for the person you have become is odd

to the normality of society.... 

Erin Chaplin Photography

The longer you stay here, you notice on lookers eyes that once pierced you, drift elsewhere. They begin to find something else to distract their busy minds. You sleep well, because you know you are a good person. You stay true to yourself and those around you. The cyclone seems to pass, but you do not notice, because that alive feeling stays with you. Conversations are hard to maintain, friends are hard to maintain, for the person you have become is odd to the normality of society. People seem to come and go, but when they are there, they touch your soul and give you wisdom to carry until you die. You like this, for nothing in this life lasts forever.

After being in the cyclone for so long, comfort zones disappear. Things that were once an idea in your whirling mind become reality, for you no longer fear failure. You fear regret, you fear drifting back into the realm of nothingness. Your life fills with opportunities that give you the feeling of drawing away…but instead you do them, with light shining in your eyes. You complete things with a feeling of satisfaction that you withhold from sharing with others. You pass light on to others, for you have endured the sharp pains of change. You can relate to those stories and pain of others around you. You hold back on telling people what you know, for this is their journey, and you no longer feel the urge to judge or give unsolicited advice.

For your body can achieve things you only dreamed of....

You take care of yourself, for your body can achieve things you only dreamed of. This cyclone allows you to feel what you truly desire, physically and mentally. You no longer feel jealous or judgemental. You feel content and alive. You learn to accept that you are different and odd, but no longer feel ashamed of it. You feel liberated.

My dear, if you feel different but afraid, don’t be. Follow that cyclone, it is beautiful in here. If you feel like you are longing for more, don’t ignore it. The cycle of life is also instilled deep in the cells of your body. If you are different, own it. For owning it will open you to greatness you can achieve.

Let's Get Grounded Before The Silly Season

As Christmas vastly approaches I reflect on many things. One being this….When you ask someone what is important to them in life, especially around Christmas, most will respond their family, relationships, children etc. However when observing our actions, we actually act in a reverse manner.  We are living in a fast growing rapid world. We aim for a quality life, only accessible in our generation. We live affluent lifestyles, living way beyond our means. The last time I wrote about this topic in a university course, I received a High Distinction, and this is why….

With greater economic growth, societies have easier access to higher quality food, transport, clothing, entertainment and we see lower costs for resources, giving each individual a greater quality of life. It is this quality of life that the general public deny they are involved in. When asked most individuals will tell you their main priority in life is personal relationships, however few will behave in this way.

Too many spend hours working to afford the era of materialism, accumulating spiralling debt and actually spend less time with their important relationships. 

Social media also shows that affluence is the way of life. Although aware the era of materialism holds negative outcomes for their futures, individuals argue they are too time poor to be concerned about these negative impacts. These views are only intensified with endless advertising making it difficult for individuals to understand the impact this new era of lifestyle holds

It only takes a short and quick google search to see that the more we want, the more irritated and unhappy we become. In fact, several studies have been conducted to measure the correlation between a person’s income and their level of happiness.

There was a greater level of happiness between low and middle income earners, however this level of happiness levelled off the higher the income became. The more we make, the more hours spent working, to pay for things we assume will bring us happiness. This levelling off of happiness showed higher income earners have less ‘in the moment happiness’.

It is not only us who feel this affect, but the children in today’s society. They have the world at their fingertips (which is also a positive for them). However shops are lined with sparkly robotic out of this world products. Parents wanting to give them everything they never had. But what exactly is this teaching them, and us for that matter? 

I'm not here to play 'Christmas Grinch'

So how exactly do we become grounded in these months leading up to Christmas? Go shopping, and enjoy your gift buying (after all I am not here to play Christmas Grinch), but before you do try this. Make yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) and go sit outside.  Leave your phone inside, and just sit. Spend five minutes feeling the temperature, whether that be 40 degrees here in Australia, or the cold elsewhere. Listen to the different sounds around you and smell the fresh air.

 As you actually take 5 minutes to taste your beverage, think of all your relationships that are valuable to you. Their faces and smiles. Think about the months after Christmas and reflect on hours spent working trying to pay off those credit cards. Or if you are like me who doesn’t own a credit card, think to yourself, will all the stress of Christmas really mean much in March next year? 

Chances are it won’t.

Chances are you would much rather be sitting here reflecting on the laughter and memories made on Christmas day. The moment of being with that loved one, truly there looking at their smiles and engaging in conversations that will last a lifetime.

Once we learn to be contempt, we learn happiness isn’t in the things we buy, yes it brings momentary happiness, but it is quickly replaced. Happiness comes when we are truly in the moment of here and now (not an easy task to learn).

Happiness isn’t in the material possessions we own, but the people and life we have around us. If you successfully sat for 5 minutes feeling, smelling, listening and reflecting, hopefully it bought you some sort of peace, some form of grounding. Affluence this Christmas will quickly pass only leaving you in debt, stressed or missing out on the things that really matter. Spend this Christmas in the here and now, as this is what will matter more when your older then what you bought. 

RIP to poppy who spent his last Christmas with us last year xxxx