Are HSPs and empaths the same? Is hyper vigilance the byproduct of little or big T trauma, being masked as empathy? These are some of the themes I explore in this podcast episode. 🎧🎧🎧
Coles Notes
I had been lumping HSP’s and empaths all together until I came across Dr. Judy Orloff’s work. She reports not all HSP’s are empaths, and furthermore, highlights 11 different types of empaths. She also offers this handy diagram:
The main difference between empaths and HSP’s being that HSP’s don’t typically sense subtle energy changes, or absorb energy from other people and environments.
The rarest and most powerful kind of empaths identified by Dr. Orloff is “Heyoka”. “The term “heyoka” comes from Indigenous tribes of the Great Plains of North America and means “sacred clown”. This type of empath challenges conventional norms and mirrors the emotions of others, causing them to see things differently.”
The part about challenging conventional norms and causing others to see things differently sounds very much like cycle breakers. Not sure about the mirroring of other people’s emotions, but sometimes that’s what we do when we’re triggered and reacting to what isn’t healed in us. We are all mirrors for each other.
So, is hyper vigilance being masked and called empathy? Or, are we born highly sensitive and empathic, which naturally leads us to be more hyper vigilant? Nature or nurture? What do you think?
Are we born to be cycle breakers with the gifts of empathy and high sensitivity? Or is our “empathy” derived from an adaptive response to attempt to stay safe and connected in tough situations?
The Connection to Our Work
Sometimes our calling is a profession from which we get paid. Sometimes it’s as simple as choosing to be brave and be who we are. Sometimes that’s being a cycle breaker.
Sometimes it’s all of the above and we choose to heal ourselves, our family line, and hold space for others to heal (the Coaches, Healers, Leaders, Creatives, etc).
That’s a pretty big calling.
Why I think all these words and labels matter and I why I talk so much about being highly sensitive and entrepreneurship is because hard things amplify our strengths and weaknesses.
When we amplify high sensitivity and empathic traits, it’s not useful. It often shows up as people pleasing, perfectionism, comparison, imposter syndrome, and a harsh inner critic. All those things create an enormous amount of self-doubt. Self-doubt and entrepreneurship are a tricky mix.
When we bring awareness to our traits, however, we can recognize when we need to pull them back, implement boundaries, and use them more efficiently, effectively, authentically, and sustainably.
No coincidence, that’s just the kind of business I’m aiming to build.
Our relationship to ourself often correlates and mirrors the relationship we have with our business.
This is why, IMHO, starting a business can be so confronting.
The things that need healing but you’ve been sweeping under the rug and coasting by…well, now the rug is gone. It’s the epitome of feeling like the rug got pulled out from under you!
It might show up as the shock of following your hopes and dreams and answering the call was not the yellow brick road to freedom you imagined. It can be discombobulating and hard to find your way back, or move forward. It can leave you feeling stuck.
To continue answering the call, we need support. We try to do it all alone, to be responsible, capable, and prove ourselves. But it’s impossible to build a business alone.
Ironically (or maybe serendipitous), hyper independence may be a thing that needs healing. Connection may be a thing that needs healing; connection to ourselves and our gifts and talents, and to others. Your business may be the catalyst for what you needed.
If we’re running around with empathy and high sensitivity overwhelming us and we have no knowledge of it; our capacity to expand will be low.
When we use our powers for good, increase our capacity to expand, our business can expand, and we stop holding it back.
Entrepreneurship can be the gateway to some deep healing. This kind of healing heals you, the generations before and after you, and your clients.
This is why I call Entrepreneurs that are healing themselves, holding space for others to heal, AND healing generations past (cycle breakers) the Superheroes of Healing.
Now THAT’S answering the call. 🎉🎉🎉
Does anyone know who I can credit this quote to?
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