The Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment identifies natural talent and ability. Less than 19% of people who take the assessment have Empathy in their Top 5 talent themes. If it’s in your Top 5, here are eight ways to develop your Empathy talent:
Understanding and naming feelings can help you develop your Empathy talent.
1. Name What You Feel
People high in Empathy are often feeling everything. Or they may feel just certain things. Or sometimes they just “know.” If this is you, then learning how to put names to what you’re feeling can help you grow in discernment. Are you feeling sadness coming from someone? Or anger? Do you sense someone is frustrated? Or anxious? Being able to identify these feelings by name will make you more astute and give you more information about your current situation.
2. Identify How You Know
How do you know you know? Where are you feeling it? Is your brain giving you certain signals? Or is it in your shoulders or chest? Are you suddenly feeling nauseated? Or is your heart happy and lighthearted because the person in front of you is bringing good news? Being able to identify how you know that you know will help you start to see patterns and you’ll be able to develop your Empathy talent more rapidly.
3. Help Others Name their Feelings
Another way to develop your Empathy talent is to help other people name their feelings. Sometimes others don’t know what they’re feeling and need a little help and that’s just what you’re there for! Helping them identify what it is can give them a greater understanding of themselves. Plus, knowing that you know — even though they never said a word — can help break down walls and allow them to express and release.
4. Use Body Language
To develop your Empathy talent, start to convey understanding through your eyes and body language. Just reaching out and touching someone can give them the understanding they need without you getting further involved.
5. Identify Your Own Boundaries
Get this, for sure: the rest of us will suck the life out of you if you’re not paying attention. We don’t mean to! Knowing where your feelings end and someone else’s begins is critical to your self care.
Clear boundaries will help you develop your Empathy talent.
6. Focus on Positive
Just admit it if it’s true: you may sense and feel others’ negative emotions more strongly than their positive ones. If that’s the case, start paying close attention to happy emotion and positive vibes. What you focus on expands.
7. Share
Find someone you trust and share your own feelings. Having a regular debriefing opportunity can help you develop your Empathy talent by describing what you’re feeling. This can go a long way in sorting out feelings and figuring out which belong to you and which do not.
8. Get Rid of Other People’s Energy
Other people’s energy can stick to you. If it’s negative, you’ll want to start some type of self-care practice to get rid of it. You might even find that the physical act of “shaking” it off can help — shaking your arms and hands as if you’re getting rid of something that’s distasteful. Check into energy healing methods to see if they may work for you.
Develop your talents into strengths!
Develop Your Empathy Talent
Now you have eight ways to develop your Clifton StrengthsFinder Empathy talent! If you’d like to learn more, you can visit the Gallup Strengths Center. And join us on Facebook in The Very Best YOU group, where we’re developing our talents every day!
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