Why Empathy Will Mend Your Broken Heart
Empathy. It sounds very similar to the word sympathy, but what makes them different? Through my own understanding, here are my thoughts that may resonate better with you.
Sympathy in its most basic form is feeling bad for someone, without relating to his or her struggle. For example, feeling sorry for someone who has lost a loved one. That’s it really. Yes, it is kind of you to say that you are “sorry” for them, but do you really mean it? And how do you even know that you feel this sort of way for a person?
The difference between sympathy and empathy is quite significant. Showing empathy for someone is trying to your best abilities to put yourself in their exact shoes, the same size, colors, details, socks and all. It is thoughtful. It is meaningful. It comes from past or present experiences of your own. It unravels a connection between people who use what lies on their insides to empathize.
Most of my life, I only sympathized for others, until a professor of mine brought it to my attention that there is more in our hearts than a simple “sorry.” We are human beings. Not robots. And it is time that we start using our beating hearts, opening up wide, and sharing what it is they contain.
These hearts of ours are precious. Our hearts endure a lifetime of hurt, disappointment, pain, and anger as well as love, joy, happiness, and light. There will be times in life where you are broken, beaten down and torn apart on the inside. But in my short 21 years of life, I have realized that these moments will help us learn to empathize for our friends, family members, or even a Facebook friend we barely know.
Going through hard times as a young woman has not and will not defeat me. I have used a devastating time in my life to connect with more people than I have ever imagined. It is like having an ultimate super power, as I feel the hurt in other’s hearts. Using this power has led me to the hearts of beautiful beings that have shared their own personal stories with me. I know that we are so different, but very much the same. We understand each other, we feel for each other, and most importantly we are there for each other. For this reason, my heart is slowly but surely molding the cracks back together.
So take your hardships and difficulties and conquer them with your hearts, create new relationships, learn from others and rise above what is bringing you down. After all, in the words of Robert Frost, “The only way out is through.”