Empathy with Mindfulness

Empathy is important, but it can be all consuming if you find that you keep getting emotionally drained or caught up in drama and stories.

Do you find that is the case for yourself or for those around you? How does that feel? What are the effects of that on you? It is possible to have empathy and let it inspire you without letting it linger and go too far.

Mindfulness is the key. Being aware of the stories being told, and the reason why the story is being told. Is the story being told to feed an insatiable hunger for attention, or is there a legitimate concern and something you can help with?

Once you've discerned the intent behind the empathy-seeking, its about follow through, and setting boundaries so you can give your energy and time to the places where you'll have the most impact with the tools and capacity that you have available.