Thursday, April 1, 2010

Why Being an Empath is a Gift-Part One

At one of my accounts, I have a store manager who's a fellow empath. Unbeknownst to her, she's known as "Psychic Sprite" in my weekly FB recap of the drama that occurs in my sales territory, which I've affectionately dubbed as "All My Salty Snacks." We liked each other almost instantly. Conversation between us has always been effortless. Part of the unseen "empath code," I suppose. Even though she didn't confirm it until recently, I figured out she was "one of us" a long time ago. I've watched her get frazzled easily, be continuously absent-minded, enjoyed her frank and witty sense of humor, heard her eerily insightful comments about my life and, of course, conversed about spirituality topics with her. No, I'm not talking about getting saved from damnation or speaking with the angels. I'm talking astrology, numerology, how the spirits of children choose their parents, intuition, and telepathic experiences.

To me it seems that being an empath sometimes means that others open up to you almost without a second thought. I was one of the few, if not the first, to know that my current boss would rather move back to Denver. Not because I snooped or asked, but because he told me several times during a few of our conversations. I've gotten to hear more than I will ever want to know about one of my store manager's romantic escapades. Today I had a manager open up to me about her man trouble after a simple "how are you doing?" The Area Manager of my Valero chain loves to dish about how the company is working her to death, how she's working on leaving and who she wrote up this week. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg because I really do feel like I'm my customers' new Oprah. My FB friends get the joy of staying tuned for the next set of "scenes." There's always been something about Boulder County, Colorado that brings out the eccentric in everybody. When my time is done at this adventure, I'm sure I'll have enough stories for a new writing project or two. Not to mention many fond memories of laughter, shock, disbelief and most of all, treasured souls I wouldn't have encountered otherwise. Yes, there's even a singing bartender involved.

Eccentricity aside, the ability to make others feel comfortable and be naturally honest is one of the true gifts of being an empath. True honesty is not something a lot of people do in everyday conversation. Maybe I've worked a little of my former "Disney Magic Persona" on these people, but truth be told I'm not that perky or eye-glowing when I'm pushing chips. The reality is that we'll listen. We're not self-absorbed. We genuinely want to help others. We're compassionate and understanding. We want others to speak the truth because we already sense and feel it, even if we can't quite put it into words ourselves just yet.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather make a genuine connection than a false one. Hearing the words of what actually lies inside another's heart makes it possible to heal and initiate change. Having others be real means that you don't waste time playing games. The true eye-glowing smiles shine their rays outward; warm energy that brightens and ignites life. Without truth, life becomes extinguished. Without compassion, it never gets revealed.

Being able to truly know a piece of another's soul without trying is priceless. That's where the revolution starts. Even if it's just a release, negativity and suffering run from the truth. Nothing can be accomplished without the acknowledgement and affirmation of what exists.

The real story can often be more inviting than the image. It's when you see the performer behind the character that you can begin to know how to rewrite the lines. Better yet, you find that you no longer need them. A passing encounter stands the chance of turning into a moment of cherished significance.

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