There have been a lot of changes since v.1. I'm in a relationship of almost three years. I bought a house. I'm focusing on my health, having finally passed the 150 mark! I even started a new job recently. I'll talk about all of them at some point, but I guess I really want to be mindful in the future. I had (the opportunity) to take the Strengths Quest inventory for my new job, and my top strength was "empathy." Empathy? I was pretty shocked that it was in my top five, let alone in the top spot.
In preparation for a work retreat, I was supposed to ask up to three people close to me to review my strengths and come up with concrete examples of how they see them manifest in me. Needless to say, I've taken a few hits and am feeling kind of bruised. I know that people are being honest with me, and I have never claimed to be empathetic, but it still kind of stings.
I want to be empathetic, but it's so hard. One of my other strengths is "responsibility," which came as a surprise to nobody. Unfortunately, I think that this strength really affects how empathy plays a role. I have a hard time understanding how people find themselves in certain situations, why they behave the way they do, and why they just can't pull it together due to this overwhelming sense of responsibility. It's something that I want to work on, and I hope that I learn more at the retreat to help me make that happen.
As always,
Aunt Phetamine
