I move through life with my heart wide open—whether I want to or not. How about you?
We are the deep thinkers and feelers, those who feel others’ exuberance and sorrow like they were our own. We are the empaths, the ones with hyper-empathy. We are the ones who carry the ache of the world on our shoulders, and in our hearts. We are natural healers.
I love us hyper-empaths. But it’s rough out here for us at the moment.
If you are an empath, or want to understand empaths…
It’s called Embracing Your Unique Gift: Thriving with Hyper-Empathy. I discovered a lot of helpful things about the ways our brains are wired. I also share what I’ve learned over my lifetime about how we can care for ourselves.
One of my biggest ah-ha moments was realizing: my feelings and actions are mine alone, and others’ feelings and actions are theirs (compliments of the book Stick Up For Yourself). I also learned about detached empathy. And that I can have compassion without drowning in someone else’s pain to show them I care.
I’d love to hear what you’re learning about your deep feelings and hyper-empathy, especially in this challenging time.
I’ll leave you with one of my poems about empathy, since you know how much I love poetry…
I feel it all I feel it all this Picean sensitive empath. I feel it all— the depth of my emotions, like a lake I swim in sometimes warm and welcoming, sometimes cool and refreshing, sometimes icy and invigorating. I feel it all— the flavor of your emotions, like ice cream flavors combined together in a tall tower, bursting with pistachios and strawberries and chocolate. I feel it all— The texture of your emotions, like a soft cashmere sweater, or a bristly hairbrush. I feel it all— the emotional weather patterns of the environment, humid and cloying, clouds pressing in at every angle, suffocating, and disconsolate. Or crisp and clear, with blue skies full of possibilities. Is this an invisible disability? Or an invisible gift? Perhaps, an invisible experience. I feel it all. - Catherine Quiring, in Awakening Wonder: Embracing Kinship with All of Life
Hi, I’m Catherine. I’m so happy to share this time and space with you.
I’m a counselor and self-trust coach living on the Emerald Coast of Florida, on the unceded land of the Muscogee. I am a creative, mystic, and neurodiverse adventurer. I love writing, creating, and connecting.
Alongside this Substack and my podcast Who We Are & What We Need, I counsel clients, speak, lead workshops, blog, and lead in depth group programs.
Thank you for being here in this sacred space we get to co-create, as we come home to ourselves and enjoy the fruit of that self-belonging. I love hearing from you and walking alongside you on your journey.
My free gift to you: 3 steps to trust yourself.
With a full heart,
Catherine