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January 9, 2024 18 mins

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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.

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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! ✌️💕"

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to the Realized Empath Podcast,
where we get real about lovingand stumbling through our
sensitive lives With your hostand holistic counselor, Kristen
Schwartz, who helps redefinewhat's possible for an empath
who embraces a path ofself-healing.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hello, beautiful souls, and welcome back to the
Realized Empath Podcast.
I'm Kristen Schwartz and, as westand at the threshold of a new
year, I'm thrilled to have youjoin me on a new journey.
Right New year, maybe, samejourney, maybe a new look.

(00:44):
I'm glad to have you join me onthis journey of self-discovery
and growth.
In today's episode, we're goingto explore how being an empath
or a highly sensitive personinfluences our experience of the
new year.
We'll delve into the power ofintention and how it can guide

(01:06):
us towards a year that not onlyresonates with our deepest
selves, but also brings out thebest in us and exciting news for
all of you who are seeking atransformative start to 2024.
I'll be sharing details aboutmy 12-week energetic mastery

(01:28):
program.
So it's designed for empathslike us, focusing on harnessing
our unique energy for personalgrowth and fulfillment.
So stay tuned to learn how thisprogram could be your stepping
stone to your most incredibleyear.
Let's begin today byunderstanding the core of our

(01:53):
empathic, sensitive nature andhow it uniquely positions us to
embrace the new year withintention and grace.
Empathy and sensitivity aren'tjust traits.
If they're harnessed, they canbecome these amazing powers that
we have, and I know superpoweris.
To me it's a silly word andit's overused.

(02:15):
But we all have gifts right,and we're not the ones who
aren't empathic or highlysensitive, and sometimes we can
think that our strengths areactually weaknesses, but only
because we don't know how toharness that energy behind it.
So, as impasse and highlysensitive people, we experience
the world with an intensitythat's both beautiful and can be

(02:40):
overwhelming.
And our ability to feel deeply.
It's not a weakness.
It can be our unique lensthrough which we view the world.
Think about the last time youwalked into a room and
immediately sensed the mood orthe vibe.
We just felt like somethingwasn't right.

(03:00):
Or when you watched a movie andfelt the emotions as if they
were your own.
That's your empathic natureshining through, but it's not
always easy right.
Sometimes this sensitivity canfeel like a burden.
The overwhelm of crowded places, maybe, or the weight of
others' emotions.
Even the loudness of the worldcan be exhausting, and it's okay

(03:25):
to feel that way.
It's part of who we are.
It's part of our self-awarenessjourney.
It's there to shake us a littlebit sometimes and stir the
question of am I caring formyself the best way that I can?
Maybe you're caring foryourself the best way, you know

(03:48):
how.
But is there room for growth?
Is there room for expansion andawareness?
Now I want to share a story fromone of our listeners.
Jamie wrote in about a momentin a coffee shop where she felt
the tension between the twopeople that were sitting nearby.
So, without even knowing them,she carried that tension with

(04:10):
her the rest of the day.
Maybe she overthought, maybeshe tried to hear what they were
talking about, kind of diagnosewhat she was picking up on
right.
As soon as Jamie got involvedand identified and made that
energy her own, then thatcreated the opportunity to then

(04:32):
carry that energy around herwith her for the rest of the day
.
So can you relate to that?
When was the last time thatthat happened to you?
So it's incredible how weconnect with the world.
But here's the thing being anempath or an HSP also means
having a great capacity for loveand understanding and deep

(04:56):
connections.
We see the world not only inblack 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, thefoundation of embracing our
empathic and sensitive selves.

(05:16):
Let's gently turn our attentionto the year that's passed.
I want to reflect, which is acrucial step in how we prepare
our hearts for the new year.
So reflecting on the past yearcan be like leafing through the
pages of a book filled with amix of emotions, challenges,

(05:39):
triumphs and, as empaths, wefelt each day deeply, some more
than others.
But let's do this reflectionwith kindness and compassion
towards ourselves.
I want you to think back on themoments that challenged you.
Maybe there were times whereyou felt overwhelmed by the

(06:01):
world's noise, or moments whenyour sensitivity felt like it
was too much to bear.
Or maybe you had moments ofprofound healing where past
trauma or pain was stirred upwithin you and it was really
difficult not to be swallowed upby that pain.

(06:22):
I want you to acknowledge thesechallenges.
They're part of your growthright, part of your beautiful
empathic journey.
Now I want you to take a momentand I want you to recall the
triumphs, the small acts ofkindness you offered and
received, the moments of quietjoy, the times when you felt

(06:47):
deeply connected to nature, toothers, to yourself.
These triumphs, no matter howsmall, are the light that guides
us.
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 takea deep breath.

(07:11):
Now, imagine you're holding thepast year in your hands.
Notice its colors, feel itsweight.
Now, with each breath, I wantyou to let go of the heavy parts
, the overwhelming moments, thefear.

(07:38):
I want you to breathe ingratitude for the lessons and
the love.
Now breathe out, releasing whatno longer serves you.
And, when you're ready, I wantyou to open your eyes and notice

(08:01):
any parts in you, in your body,in your mind, where you feel
lighter, because that's thepower of reflection.
Having reflected on the past, Iwant us to turn our gaze
forward.
So this segment is all about thepower of intention.
So, unlike resolutions,intentions aren't about setting

(08:25):
strict goals or rigid outcomes,even saying those words.
For me, strict goals, rigidoutcomes, feel very hard in my
body, almost like I have thisinner resistance to them.
Intentions are about aligningour souls with our deepest

(08:46):
desires and values.
Now let's dive into how thisconcept can beautifully align
with our empathic nature.
What does setting an intentionreally mean, especially for us
as impasse and HSPs?
It's like setting a compass foryour heart.
It's not about reaching adestination, but rather choosing

(09:07):
the direction in which you wantto move.
For instance, instead ofresolving to do more or be more,
an intention would be toembrace more self-compassion or
to seek deeper connections.
It's about the journey, notwhere you end up, not the end

(09:27):
point.
And as sensitive souls, we havea natural affinity to tune into
the deeper emotionalfrequencies, and this makes us
uniquely positioned tounderstand and set intentions
that resonate with our core.
It's not just about what wewant to do, but how we want to

(09:51):
feel in this world.
So let's consider an example.
Say your intention is tocultivate peace.
So this isn't just aboutfinding quiet moments, it's
about creating a peaceful innerdialogue, responding to others
from a place of peace andchoosing environments that

(10:12):
reflect this value.
Here's a really important pointto make.
Right now, especially in thestate of our world, we have a
lot of social media socialjustice warriors who want peace

(10:34):
but create war in the commentsof social media, or create war
within their families, or createwar in trying to control other
people's thoughts and behaviors.
So if our intention is tocultivate peace, then it's about
creating a inner, peacefulinner dialogue, responding to

(10:57):
others from a place of peace,right, choosing environments
that reflect this value.
So that saying that has beenpeppered and all over social
media in our world for decades.
Right, it starts with you.
I think there is that MichaelJackson song that said the man
in the mirror.

(11:17):
Right, we think that it's aboutchanging everything out there,
but it isn't.
It starts with changingourselves.
If we want peace, we have to bepeace, and that is calling us
to really look within.
So remember, intentions arefluid.

(11:39):
They can shift and grow withyou throughout the year.
They're not a rigid framework,but a gentle guide, right, a
soft voice guiding you throughthe year.
So, now that we understand thebeauty and the power of
intentions, let's move into themost exciting part crafting your

(11:59):
own intentions for 2024.
So this is where your journeytakes a personal turn, where you
start to map out your path forthe next 12 months.
Crafting your intention is adeeply personal and reflective
process.
It's about listening to yourinner voice and honoring who you

(12:23):
are.
So let's walk through this stepby step.
First, I want you to, when youhave time and when you're in a
place where you're able to, Iwant you to find a quiet place
where you feel comfortable andat peace, and I want you to take
a deep breath of how.
About a few deep, groundingbreaths, and it helps sometimes

(12:45):
to put your bare feet flat onthe ground.
And I want you to feel theearth beneath you.
I want you to feel the earthsupporting you.
I want you to ask yourself someguided questions like what
brought me joy last year?
What did I learn about myself?
What values do I want to embodythis year?

(13:11):
Allow these reflections to flownaturally, no need to censor
yourself.
It helps to have a blank pieceof paper and a pen and just let
it flow.
And now I want you to visualizehow you want to feel this year.

(13:32):
This is important.
We are in control of how wefeel.
It doesn't matter how muchsociety 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 imaginescenarios where you embody this

(13:55):
feeling.
How are you interacting withothers?
What are you doing in yourmoments alone?
From these reflections, let aword or a phrase emerge, and
this would be your intention.
It could be as simple asconnection or growth,

(14:21):
self-compassion or adventure.
I want you to let it resonatewith your heart and write down
your intention.
Place it somewhere.
You'll see it often, see itmaybe on your mirror, maybe in
your journal, or even on a phonewallpaper.

(14:42):
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 ifthey align with your intention.
It's not about perfection, butabout gentle alignment with what

(15:02):
truly matters to you.
And as we wrap up today'sheartfelt journey, I want you to
remember that we've exploredthe depth of our empathic nature
, like I always start eachpodcast episode out with, and
we've also reflected on the past, which is really important to
then move into setting ourintentions for a year that is

(15:26):
filled with growth andunderstanding.
And just so you know that, Idid this myself and my
intentional word for 2024 istrust.
And if I were to pick, let'ssay, trust is my major and my
minor would be discipline.

(15:46):
So trust is my intention for2024.
And for me, that means trustinghigher power, trusting my
intuition, trusting others,trusting that I am strong enough
to endure, trusting mydecisions, trusting that I'm

(16:10):
being guided, trusting that eventhe bumps in the road and the
pain are purposeful, that I'mstill on the right path, even
when it feels like I have hit aditch.
So I would love to know whatyour 2024 intention is.

(16:31):
If you find it in your heartand you want to share that with
me, I would be grateful.
Send me an email.
I want to know what yourintentional word is for 2024.
Info at RealizedImpathcom.
When you're ready, you canshare that with me.
So if today's talk aboutintention and the empathic

(16:51):
journey resonated with you andyou're looking for a way to
deepen this exploration, I havesomething special for you.
It's the first time I'veoffered it and it's my 12-week
energetic mastery program.
It's designed just for you, theempath and the highly sensitive
person.
It's a comprehensive journeyinto harnessing your unique

(17:12):
energy, creating balance andtransforming your sensitivity
into your greatest strength.
Throughout the 12 weeks, we aregoing to dive deep into energy
management, emotional regulationand creating harmony in your
personal and professional life.
It's more than a program.
It's a transformationalexperience that aligns perfectly

(17:34):
with the intentions we'vediscussed today.
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 toexplore and grow deeper is for
you, visit my website atRealizedImpathcom and click on

(17:55):
energetic mastery to learn moreand to enroll in the program.
Spaces are limited because Ibelieve in providing a
personalized and intimateexperience for each one of you,
so as we part ways today, I wantyou to hold your intentions
close and remember that yoursensitivity is a powerful guide

(18:17):
for you all throughout this newyear.
Here's to a year of embracingour true selves and transforming
our energy into our greatestally.
Until next time, stay true toyour beautiful, empathic self.
Take care and much love.
Bye, everybody.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
Thanks for listening to the Realized Empath podcast.
Revisit past episodes orcontact Kristen at
RealizedEmpathcom.
Did you love this episode?
Please share it with a friend.
Thanks for tuning in, Untilnext time.
Sensitive souls.
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