Have you ever walked into a room and felt the energy shift or carried the weight of a stranger's emotions with you throughout the day?
As empaths and highly sensitive individuals, we connect profoundly with the world around us—bringing immense joy and significant challenges.
On the latest Realized Empath Podcast, I'm Kristen Schwartz, your guide and holistic counselor, ready to lead you through the nuances of navigating life's transitions with a sensitivity that's both a gift and a compass.
In our heartfelt discussion, we'll explore the intersection of our empathic nature and the onset of a new year, recognizing how our deep-seated empathy shapes our perspectives and experiences.
Listener Jamie's story resonates with many of us, illustrating the depth of our connections and the importance of self-awareness.
I'm also thrilled to offer you a place in my 12-week energetic mastery program, promising a transformative journey tailored to the unique energies of people like us.
Let's welcome the new year with open hearts, ready to embrace every color and emotion of our empathic spectrum.
Thanks for tuning in to the Realized Empath Podcast! 🎙️
If you're vibing with us, there's so much more to explore. Head over to RealizedEmpath.com for free resources, blog posts, and a community of like-minded souls. 🌱
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @RealizedEmpath for daily inspiration and empath hacks. Until next time, stay sensitive and strong! ✌️💕"
Speaker 1:
You're listening to the Realized Empath Podcast, where we get real about loving and stumbling through our sensitive lives With your host and holistic counselor, Kristen Schwartz, who helps redefine what's possible for an empath who embraces a path of self-healing.
Speaker 2:
Hello, beautiful souls, and welcome back to the Realized Empath Podcast. I'm Kristen Schwartz and, as we stand at the threshold of a new year, I'm thrilled to have you join me on a new journey. Right New year, maybe, same journey, maybe a new look. I'm glad to have you join me on this journey of self-discovery and growth. In today's episode, we're going to explore how being an empath or a highly sensitive person influences our experience of the new year. We'll delve into the power of intention and how it can guide us towards a year that not only resonates with our deepest selves, but also brings out the best in us and exciting news for all of you who are seeking a transformative start to 2024. I'll be sharing details about my 12-week energetic mastery program. So it's designed for empaths like us, focusing on harnessing our unique energy for personal growth and fulfillment. So stay tuned to learn how this program could be your stepping stone to your most incredible year. Let's begin today by understanding the core of our empathic, sensitive nature and how it uniquely positions us to embrace the new year with intention and grace.
Speaker 2:
Empathy and sensitivity aren't just traits. If they're harnessed, they can become these amazing powers that we have, and I know superpower is. To me it's a silly word and it's overused. But we all have gifts right, and we're not the ones who aren't empathic or highly sensitive, and sometimes we can think that our strengths are actually weaknesses, but only because we don't know how to harness that energy behind it. So, as impasse and highly sensitive people, we experience the world with an intensity that's both beautiful and can be overwhelming. And our ability to feel deeply. It's not a weakness. It can be our unique lens through which we view the world.
Speaker 2:
Think about the last time you walked into a room and immediately sensed the mood or the vibe. We just felt like something wasn't right. Or when you watched a movie and felt the emotions as if they were your own. That's your empathic nature shining through, but it's not always easy right. Sometimes this sensitivity can feel like a burden. The overwhelm of crowded places, maybe, or the weight of others' emotions. Even the loudness of the world can be exhausting, and it's okay to feel that way. It's part of who we are. It's part of our self-awareness journey. It's there to shake us a little bit sometimes and stir the question of am I caring for myself the best way that I can? Maybe you're caring for yourself the best way, you know how. But is there room for growth? Is there room for expansion and awareness?
Speaker 2:
Now I want to share a story from one of our listeners. Jamie wrote in about a moment in a coffee shop where she felt the tension between the two people that were sitting nearby. So, without even knowing them, she carried that tension with her the rest of the day. Maybe she overthought, maybe she tried to hear what they were talking about, kind of diagnose what she was picking up on right. As soon as Jamie got involved and identified and made that energy her own, then that created the opportunity to then carry that energy around her with her for the rest of the day. So can you relate to that? When was the last time that that happened to you? So it's incredible how we connect with the world. But here's the thing being an empath or an HSP also means having a great capacity for love and understanding and deep connections. We see the world not only in black and white but in a spectrum of colors and emotions, and that's a beautiful thing, you guys. That's powerful. So, standing in that, the foundation of embracing our empathic and sensitive selves.
Speaker 2:
Let's gently turn our attention to the year that's passed. I want to reflect, which is a crucial step in how we prepare our hearts for the new year. So reflecting on the past year can be like leafing through the pages of a book filled with a mix of emotions, challenges, triumphs and, as empaths, we felt each day deeply, some more than others. But let's do this reflection with kindness and compassion towards ourselves. I want you to think back on the moments that challenged you. Maybe there were times where you felt overwhelmed by the world's noise, or moments when your sensitivity felt like it was too much to bear. Or maybe you had moments of profound healing where past trauma or pain was stirred up within you and it was really difficult not to be swallowed up by that pain. I want you to acknowledge these challenges. They're part of your growth right, part of your beautiful empathic journey. Now I want you to take a moment and I want you to recall the triumphs, the small acts of kindness you offered and received, the moments of quiet joy, the times when you felt deeply connected to nature, to others, to yourself. These triumphs, no matter how small, are the light that guides us.
Speaker 2:
Let's do a short exercise. If it's safe for you to do this, I would love for you to close your eyes and I want you to take a deep breath. Now, imagine you're holding the past year in your hands. Notice its colors, feel its weight. Now, with each breath, I want you to let go of the heavy parts, the overwhelming moments, the fear. I want you to breathe in gratitude for the lessons and the love. Now breathe out, releasing what no longer serves you. And, when you're ready, I want you to open your eyes and notice any parts in you, in your body, in your mind, where you feel lighter, because that's the power of reflection. Having reflected on the past, I want us to turn our gaze forward.
Speaker 2:
So this segment is all about the power of intention. So, unlike resolutions, intentions aren't about setting strict goals or rigid outcomes, even saying those words. For me, strict goals, rigid outcomes, feel very hard in my body, almost like I have this inner resistance to them. Intentions are about aligning our souls with our deepest desires and values. Now let's dive into how this concept can beautifully align with our empathic nature.
Speaker 2:
What does setting an intention really mean, especially for us as impasse and HSPs? It's like setting a compass for your heart. It's not about reaching a destination, but rather choosing the direction in which you want to move. For instance, instead of resolving to do more or be more, an intention would be to embrace more self-compassion or to seek deeper connections. It's about the journey, not where you end up, not the end point. And as sensitive souls, we have a natural affinity to tune into the deeper emotional frequencies, and this makes us uniquely positioned to understand and set intentions that resonate with our core. It's not just about what we want to do, but how we want to feel in this world. So let's consider an example.
Speaker 2:
Say your intention is to cultivate peace. So this isn't just about finding quiet moments, it's about creating a peaceful inner dialogue, responding to others from a place of peace and choosing environments that reflect this value. Here's a really important point to make. Right now, especially in the state of our world, we have a lot of social media social justice warriors who want peace but create war in the comments of social media, or create war within their families, or create war in trying to control other people's thoughts and behaviors. So if our intention is to cultivate peace, then it's about creating a inner, peaceful inner dialogue, responding to others from a place of peace, right, choosing environments that reflect this value. So that saying that has been peppered and all over social media in our world for decades. Right, it starts with you. I think there is that Michael Jackson song that said the man in the mirror. Right, we think that it's about changing everything out there, but it isn't. It starts with changing ourselves. If we want peace, we have to be peace, and that is calling us to really look within.
Speaker 2:
So remember, intentions are fluid. They can shift and grow with you throughout the year. They're not a rigid framework, but a gentle guide, right, a soft voice guiding you through the year. So, now that we understand the beauty and the power of intentions, let's move into the most exciting part crafting your own intentions for 2024. So this is where your journey takes a personal turn, where you start to map out your path for the next 12 months. Crafting your intention is a deeply personal and reflective process. It's about listening to your inner voice and honoring who you are. So let's walk through this step by step.
Speaker 2:
First, I want you to, when you have time and when you're in a place where you're able to, I want you to find a quiet place where you feel comfortable and at peace, and I want you to take a deep breath of how. About a few deep, grounding breaths, and it helps sometimes to put your bare feet flat on the ground. And I want you to feel the earth beneath you. I want you to feel the earth supporting you. I want you to ask yourself some guided questions like what brought me joy last year? What did I learn about myself? What values do I want to embody this year?
Speaker 2:
Allow these reflections to flow naturally, no need to censor yourself. It helps to have a blank piece of paper and a pen and just let it flow. And now I want you to visualize how you want to feel this year. This is important. We are in control of how we feel. It doesn't matter how much society tells us that we aren't in control of this. We are. Do you want to feel? Is it peaceful? Is it energized? Is it connected? So I want you to imagine scenarios where you embody this feeling. How are you interacting with others? What are you doing in your moments alone?
Speaker 2:
From these reflections, let a word or a phrase emerge, and this would be your intention. It could be as simple as connection or growth, self-compassion or adventure. I want you to let it resonate with your heart and write down your intention. Place it somewhere. You'll see it often, see it maybe on your mirror, maybe in your journal, or even on a phone wallpaper. It's your gentle daily reminder. And then, throughout the year, I want you to come back to this intention when making decisions. I want you to ask yourself if they align with your intention. It's not about perfection, but about gentle alignment with what truly matters to you.
Speaker 2:
And as we wrap up today's heartfelt journey, I want you to remember that we've explored the depth of our empathic nature, like I always start each podcast episode out with, and we've also reflected on the past, which is really important to then move into setting our intentions for a year that is filled with growth and understanding. And just so you know that, I did this myself and my intentional word for 2024 is trust. And if I were to pick, let's say, trust is my major and my minor would be discipline. So trust is my intention for 2024. And for me, that means trusting higher power, trusting my intuition, trusting others, trusting that I am strong enough to endure, trusting my decisions, trusting that I'm being guided, trusting that even the bumps in the road and the pain are purposeful, that I'm still on the right path, even when it feels like I have hit a ditch. So I would love to know what your 2024 intention is. If you find it in your heart and you want to share that with me, I would be grateful. Send me an email. I want to know what your intentional word is for 2024. Info at RealizedImpathcom. When you're ready, you can share that with me.
Speaker 2:
So if today's talk about intention and the empathic journey resonated with you and you're looking for a way to deepen this exploration, I have something special for you. It's the first time I've offered it and it's my 12-week energetic mastery program. It's designed just for you, the empath and the highly sensitive person. It's a comprehensive journey into harnessing your unique energy, creating balance and transforming your sensitivity into your greatest strength. Throughout the 12 weeks, we are going to dive deep into energy management, emotional regulation and creating harmony in your personal and professional life. It's more than a program. It's a transformational experience that aligns perfectly with the intentions we've discussed today.
Speaker 2:
As we step into the new year, what better time to embark on a journey that promises growth, balance and inner peace? If you feel like this call to explore and grow deeper is for you, visit my website at RealizedImpathcom and click on energetic mastery to learn more and to enroll in the program. Spaces are limited because I believe in providing a personalized and intimate experience for each one of you, so as we part ways today, I want you to hold your intentions close and remember that your sensitivity is a powerful guide for you all throughout this new year. Here's to a year of embracing our true selves and transforming our energy into our greatest ally. Until next time, stay true to your beautiful, empathic self. Take care and much love. Bye, everybody.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to the Realized Empath podcast. Revisit past episodes or contact Kristen at RealizedEmpathcom. Did you love this episode? Please share it with a friend. Thanks for tuning in, Until next time. Sensitive souls.
