the art of observing and not absorbing

Notes to an empath:

Observe but don’t absorb. Love but don’t depend. Want but don’t need. Feel but don’t dwell.

There’s a subtle but profound difference between noticing the world around you and letting it affect you deeply. For those of us who feel a lot, it’s easy to mix the two up.

A cold water feels warm when hands are freezing.

Everything tastes good when you are starving.

In life, a bare minimum treatment feels like everything, especially when you had nothing or less amount before it.

But we must remember: just because something feels like it’s good or enough doesn’t mean it is. Sometimes, we need to reflect to things and thought of it if we deserve it or not, or if it’s good to us or not.

Not all people have good intentions towards you, even if they are kind to you.

For an empath, it’s normal to care — to take on other people’s emotions as if they were your own. You aren’t always asked to help, but you do anyway, because that’s who you are. The problem is when you start believing that their problems are yours to solve, or that you need their approval to feel good. It’s easy to take in all the emotions and energy around you, thinking that if you carry enough, you can fix everything. But in doing so, you start to forget where your own needs end and theirs begin.

This is a letter, to everyone who’s reading this message. Observe, but don’t absorb. To observe means being aware and understanding things without letting them deeply affect you. You can love someone without becoming fully dependent on them. To add, loving someone doesn’t mean your self-worth or happiness has to rely on them being in your life. It’s about valuing them for who they are, without letting their absence make you feel empty.

Want, but don’t need. It’s okay to desire things — a connection, a dream, a future — but know that you are whole with or without them. There’s so much in life, and we should look more into the positive things that happens on us.

And yes, feel. Feel deeply. But don’t dwell. Life will always bring moments that tug at your heartstrings — both joy and sorrow — but lingering too long in those feelings can make you sad and drag you down. You can acknowledge pain without letting it define you, just as you can savor joy without fearing its end.

To conclude, the art of observing and not absorbing is about balance. It’s about learning to honor your empathy without letting it consume you. It’s about knowing that you deserve more than the bare minimum, no matter how long you’ve lived without it.

Just because you’ve been hungry for kindness doesn’t mean you should settle for crumbs.

Remember: your energy is precious and sacred. Take care of it. You have a big heart, but you don’t need to carry everyone’s problems. It’s okay to set boundaries — not just with others, but with yourself. Know when to step back, protect your space, and let go.

As you go through life, learn to observe without taking on everything, love without holding too tightly, and move forward while staying true to yourself. You deserve to live fully, to thrive, not just to survive.