How Feeling Into Others Makes You Happy

It's all about empathy

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

One of my older siblings always thinks that I’m cold because I don’t usually cry at Hallmark cards and at family funerals, I usually manage to hold it together because other people need me to hold it together and provide care and solace.

He’s said this my whole life.

My mom would always scoff and say, “What are you trying to say? Carrie is the kindest of all of us.”

And then they’d argue and I’d sneak away.

Has anyone ever told you feel too little or feel too much?

That’s a judgement call of theirs that you don’t have to listen to.

The thing is that I feel for everything. Shaun (my husband) calls me “such a softie” because I can’t resist the dogs or cats when they give me big eyes wanting treats. I watch any kind of video about joy or sorrow and I’m right in there with the people having those feelings. I cry a lot—happy and sad tears.

But not Hallmark cards. :)

Though I cry a lot and feel a lot and annoy my poor long-suffering husband, I’m pretty sure that the reason that I’m able to navigate this life, to live happier and to appreciate being alive is empathy. I think it’s how I can be a pretty okay writing coach and writing teacher and editor. It allows me to share in joy, proactively listen, but also to turn that empathy into action. It can do it for you, too.

Let’s take a slightly deeper dive into how empathy makes us live happy. And how we can build it in ourselves. Cool, right?