Have you ever seen that movie Divergent? There’s a group of individuals called Candor. Now if you haven’t seen the movie this group of individuals in Candor do not lie about anything, how they feel about you, the thing that they’re doing or even the weather they say it as it is exactly how they feel about it. Empathy’s original purpose was designed so you could see the honesty within somebody. Don’t get me wrong, if somebody is choosing to stay closed to you or choosing to lie to you their free will, will be observed, and you may not get a true connection to that purpose or a true pulse on what’s going on. You will probably feel that something is off or a cold connection to that person that in itself can be very illuminating. If they’re connecting honestly and they’re looking for help at that moment, that connection can flow like the most beautiful river you’ve ever seen. Perhaps this gift is more of a tool than a gift, even though it’s a beautiful gift all on its own it’s something that I use to accomplish something else. I use empathy when I’m teaching people. I use empathy when I’m coaching people. I use empathy when I’m guiding people and I use empathy when I’m healing people. If you were to structure this as a tool within your mind, I think it gives you a much bigger sense of control and the need for practice to use that tool well and my hope is that you see the truth behind the story that’s being taught out there about this particular gift and you have a better sense of empowerment and ability to master this gift. because the potential inside of you is tremendous. Sometimes all it takes is the realization that it is us who needs to get out of our own way. 

Take a deep breath… Believe in yourself… Protect yourself… Practice it often… If something goes wrong, forgive quickly.