by 
The world is too much with us. Yes, that’s what it feels like. That is exactly what I thought the first time I saw this quote. Emotions from out there are circling around me and infiltrating me, like it or not. Overwhelming. How can I bear it all to infinity?
The world is too much with us. My younger self was at the mercy of the emotions of others around me. I tried to understand and save everyone. This quote meant that I had to bear it. Emotional baggage was heaped on me, and I carried it. To no avail. I’m only human, and my compassion eased some pain sometimes, but I couldn’t save anyone. After a troubled friend accused me of leaving her (to visit my parents) saying she almost killed herself, I knew I was in trouble. I had to make some changes or go under.
The world is too much with us. If you know what an empath is and that you are one, your entire life falls into a different perspective. You get it. Oh, that’s why I did that. And that’s why that happened to me. And that’s why I am doing this now. You can keep the world close but not disappear into it. Because your emotions matter too. Not just everybody else’s.
The world is too much with us. So why not own it? Accept. Acknowledge. Walk the line. Understand that “It is what it is.” When we know what “it is,” we can have clarity of understanding. Empaths are great listeners and can help with healing. But we are not saviors. We are people with the emotional gift of feeling your feelings and mirroring them back with tremendous compassion. We can use our super power, but we need to protect ourselves too.
“The world is too much with us” is the first line to a poem written by William Wordsworth about 200 years ago. He was warning people not to get too caught up in wanting material goods and telling people to stay close to nature. My take is to not get too caught up in someone else’s drama and stay true to your own empathic nature. You can be an empath without letting the world crush you. Even now.
