If you're reading this...odds are you either currently consider yourself an empath or are wondering if such a term applies to you on an individual level. I encourage you to reflect on the following brief list to see if the term empath accurately describes your unique personality.

Those with a high level of empathic ability tend to have certain experiential commonalities, including the items on this list. Grab a pencil and check off (or mentally note) the qualities that fit you personally. Keep in mind that there are no strict rules for "being" an empath, but there are still plenty of similarities between individuals of high empathetic capacity. Not every item on this list will be personally relevant, but if you've circled at least twenty of these points, you, my friend, could be considered a strong empath.

• The tendency to absorb and "become" the emotions of others around you
• The ability to relate to a wide variety of people and perspectives
• Difficulty in distinguishing your own emotions from those of others
• Having an emotional depth that seems unusual or unconventional
• A natural inclination toward all things mystical, spiritual, and multicultural
• A personality that is generally kind, easygoing, and gentle in nature
• The ability to communicate with anyone "on their level"
• Frequently mirroring other people's mannerisms, expressions, and accents unconsciously
• Friends (and even strangers) feel that they can tell you anything or trust you with their life
• Experiencing anxiety, fatigue, or headaches in large public situations
• Perceiving emotional exchanges better than intellectual or conversational exchanges
• A frequent need for solitude or small breaks from society
• Increased sensitivity toward sensory input such as sounds, lights, scents, textures, and tastes
• The ability to step into the emotional energy of a person, place, or situation
• A desire to avoid anger, aggression, or confrontations of any kind
• A desire to alleviate suffering and help others in need, including perfect strangers
• Feeling alien or foreign to the world at large
• The ability to see beyond people's façades and social posturing
• Seeing beauty, art, or love in things where others may not
• An inherent disposition toward anxiety, depression, and introspection
• The ability to see everyone and everything as valid and valuable, particularly children and animals
• The innate sense that everyone and everything is interconnected or "one
• A deep connection with "innocence," such as what is often found in children, animals, and nature
• A tendency to take things too seriously and not always get sarcastic humor
• Contemplating how things work or come into being; wanting to see behind the scenes
• Difficulty in understanding other people's boundaries or reading social cues
• A desire to cause as little harm or conflict as humanly possible
• Having a touchy-feely personality and a generally warm demeanor
• A tendency to be extremely generous, thoughtful, and forgiving
• Having a sensitive nervous system and a body that is highly sensitive to physical pain
• The ability to fully and deeply engage in a focused activity or project, such as artistic expression, problem-solving, and various creative outlets

Excerpted from Esoteric Empathy, by Raven Digitalis