Empathy and sympathy

Empathy and sympathy are often thought to mean the same but they are different. The dictionary definition of sympathy is a feeling of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. It can also mean a common feeling or understanding between people. So there are many times in our lives when we have sympathy for others often when people have lost something or someone close to them.

But empathy is very different. It is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. You try to imagine yourself in their place so you can understand what they are feeling. Empaths are often told they are too sensitive and I have been told this many times in my life. An empath feels everything sometimes to an extreme. There are different kinds of empath too, some are sensitive to the earth, or plants, or animals more than people. Some empaths are sensitive to many of these. Empaths can also be sensitive to noise and smell and feel exhausted when around a lot of people together like in a shopping centre. It is easy for an empath to be overwhelmed by their feelings which are often the feelings they have gained from others.

It is OK to feel overwhelmed and to feel extremely sad but an empath has to learn to deal with all of this so that they don’t become ill or totally stressed out. Being an empath can be hard to live with as you take on the feelings of others so you can understand their sadness and their problems. I always knew I had that kind of insight into how others felt but it has only been in the last few years that I really understood that I was an empath. I find that those who need help are often drawn to approach me and this can be overwhelming when they all come at once! But I am learning to deal with this and learning to keep myself from being overwhelmed too often.

Are you an empath and if so how do you deal with it?

All you need is love

Yesterday brought the power of love to the front of the stage and anyone watching the royal wedding would see that and hear the powerful words in the address. Even the music gave that feeling of love to the ceremony.

But years ago there was a song about love is all we need and those words often resonate in my head for days. Each night when I send my distant healing I also send out love to all corners of the world. I know from personal experience that love can change lives especially those of children. We need to love ourselves as well and that can be hard to do for some people. No one is perfect and we have to love all the bits of ourselves whether they are good or bad and the same goes for the way we love others. We love them whatever and look for the good bits of them to help them .

Unconditional love can be hard but it is important. But we need to  work on sending love out to others, to those who can change our lives like politicians. What would our world be like if we all loved each other and there was peace? There would be no hatred for others like there is now and that can only be a good thing. If you can’t love others as you do yourself then at least have respect for them. We cannot all agree on the same point of view but we can respect that point of view and look for things we can agree on. Some where in each person is a point where you can find that love so you need to look for it.

This morning I am sending love to you all. Please send it out to others so that we form a ripple of love going out into the world. Thank you.

 

Helping others

Helping others is something I try to do. It can often be just a hug but hugs can mean a lot and do produce a response in the chemistry of the body making us feel better. I also try to be there for other when they need to talk. Sometimes talking to others about a problem can help you to see the problem more clearly and find a solution.

There are many other ways of helping others of course, most of which I am unable to do, such as offer to give someone a lift in your car to the shop or an event or you could offer to do some shopping for them.

Looking at this from the other side, as it were, I am often in need of help but being an independent type of person I am reluctant to ask for help. So if none is offered I try to manage on my own as best I can. For my trips to the art and craft club I use the volunteer car service (this is not free) and I am very grateful to those volunteer drivers.

There are times when I have to ask for help but I am always reluctant to do so. Is this because I don’t want to be refused? Or is it because I don’t want others to feel they have to help when they don’t really want to?

Asking for help and giving help can be a complicated situation but nowadays we seem to forget that help can be needed by others and are often reluctant to get involved. I have been lucky this week as I was offered a lift with the photography group to visit the bluebell woods. That gave me the opportunity to experience something I could not have done otherwise. The same friend also offered to fetch me a bag of compost for the garden. (If you read this Chris then many thanks again) This kind of help is important not just for me but for others who cannot get out to visit nature. Nature helps us so much enabling us to feel so much better.

I would love to read your thoughts on this topic.

The joys of nature

The sun is shining and it is quite warm. It makes me feel so much better. This week I have watched a family of plump baby blackbirds  learn to feed themselves getting worms out of the ground and now they have flown off to make new lives for themselves. As blackbirds have more than one brood I suspect the parents are now getting ready for the next brood.

I have also seen a pair of goldcrests which look as if they are nesting close by. They come into the garden several times a day. And there are many butterflies including some orange tipped ones.

There are also lots of other garden birds too and plenty of insects of various kinds. A question posed by my son yesterday has made me do some thinking. How do the butterflies know which plant to lay their eggs on. Some butterflies only lay their eggs on specific plants so how do they know they have the right plant? The more I look at the natural world around me the more I am amazed by it and the more I realise that I don’t know about it.

I’ve also seen quite a few bees which is good. I am trying to make my garden friendly for bees and other insects but it is going to be a long job as I am limited in how long I can work in the garden at one time. But at least I have the joy of sitting and watching what is going on in the garden and that makes me feel very blessed.