I don't know about you, but I've had to call on all my tools and practices to keep my energy grounded since Election day. Honestly, I cried all my tears the night of the 2016 election. I have no tears left, just a deep commitment to stay anchored in my own heart and not allow anything or anyone to infect it with hate or fear. I know that we empaths play an important role in what's to come.
It inspired me to write my first blog! Here it is. In the coming weeks I'll take the main themes and dive deeper into each one.
Please share this with people you think might enjoy it.
Sending you all so much love,
Erin
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Empaths Rising: The Power of Sensitivity in Challenging Times
A time of Reckoning
Tuesday’s election left us all reeling. The election of Donald Trump for a second term confirmed a horrible truth: a large portion of the country is drawn to a person driven by fear, hate, and discord. For many of us, the shock and disbelief we feel watching this unfold again is gut-wrenching. How could so many Americans support someone whose values stand against everything we hold dear—community, compassion, and progress?
Yet, here we are. And this moment is a choice point. As empaths, do we simply absorb the collective shock and fear and retreat? Or do we feel into the essential role we are here to play in shifting us out of this death spiral? How do we tap into the power of our truth and show up for the world and create the change we so deeply desire without losing our energetic center?
Empaths possess the sensitivity, the vision, and the creative energy to lead a new way of change. But to do that, we must heal, anchor ourselves, and step boldly into the power that has always resided within us.
The Unique Power of Empaths
Creative empaths have always been the quiet revolutionaries of the world. Our sensitivity isn’t a weakness—it’s a gift. We see what others miss. We feel what others deny. We have access to a deep well of intuition and spirit, guiding us toward truth and clarity in a world often clouded by anger and noise. We can hear the whispers of our higher selves, of the collective consciousness, urging us to step forward, to lead, and to be a light in this darkness.
For centuries, we’ve been conditioned to believe otherwise. We’ve been shown repeatedly that our sensitivity makes us vulnerable, that our deep emotional awareness is dangerous, and that our intuitive insights are a threat to those who seek to control. These are lies, repeated and enforced through lifetimes of repression, violence, and suppression. We’ve been punished for speaking our truth, for being "too much,” for challenging the status quo. As a result, many empaths are afraid to step into their true power, unsure whether they will be accepted—or worse, whether they’ll be rejected, silenced, or harmed once again.
This election seems to indicate that nothing has changed... and the old fear it stirs is real. It comes from deep within our ancestral memory and our own past lives. But it’s time to recognize that the world we live in now is different. We are no longer in the shadows. We cannot all be silenced. We are here, at this time, to rewrite this long, painful story. The time has come for us to reclaim our place as leaders, guides, and visionaries.
So, what does it take for empaths to rise to the challenge of this moment? It starts with doing our own healing. We must clear the emotional debris that has built up over time—whether it’s from past wounds, societal conditioning, or the collective trauma of living in a dangerous world. Without doing this personal shadow work, we risk being overtaken by the weight of collective emotions. We can’t be the calm in the storm if we are overwhelmed by it ourselves. Unhealed leaders spread distorted energy and destructive behavior everywhere they go.
Healing is about more than just releasing old pain. It’s about reclaiming essential parts of ourselves that have broken off - or been sent away, out of fear and the need to survive. As empaths, we are born with a deep well of compassion, creativity, and vision. But we’ve often been conditioned to suppress these gifts, told that our sensitivity is a weakness or that we need to be more like the aggressive, competitive forces that dominate in the world. Healing means reconnecting with our true selves, understanding our strengths, and claiming our space in the world.
When we heal, we become like mountains. We stand in our power—not from a place of ego or competition, but from a place of inner knowing and authenticity. From that foundation, we can help create a generous, flourishing world. We can show up as the leaders we are meant to be, not by fighting and conquering, but by holding the high ground, anchored in our deep love for the world and everything in it.
Our intuition, when fully trusted, is an invaluable tool for our particular kind of leadership. It connects us to something greater than ourselves—the collective consciousness, the wisdom of our ancestors, and the divine guidance of our higher selves. When we cultivate a relationship with this inner knowing, we align with larger forces at play and can act from a place of clarity and purpose. We no longer need to second-guess ourselves or rely on external validation.
Our intuition will guide us toward solutions that are grounded in love, compassion, and enduring transformation. It will help us navigate the complexity of a world that can feel hostile and fragmented. When we trust in ourselves, we tap into an energy that transcends fear, allowing us to lead with grace, creativity, strength and vision.
Why We Can’t Afford to Wait
Now is not the time to shrink back. The rise of hate, division, and backward thinking is not something we can afford to ignore or sidestep. We are at a crossroads—one path leads to further destruction, and a tighter embrace of old, regressive ideologies; the other leads to transformation, connection, and collective healing. The choice is ours. But to make the right choice, we must claim our power as empaths.
As the old world breaks apart a new world is forming. This process is scary and confusing. Our way through is to focus on becoming our true selves and, in doing so, become change agents for the world that is becoming. If we are not rooted in our truth, we will be swept away by all the negativity and destruction. But when we do our own inner work, when we reclaim our strength, and focus our light and vibration we become an antidote to the poison that is currently threatening life itself. We are here to bring beauty and magic back into the conversation, and to create space for connection, understanding, and healing for everyone.
Empaths, the world needs us now more than ever. We have the sensitivity, the insight, and the creative vision to counteract the forces that seek to drag this country back into a past that no longer serves us. We are not helpless in the face of this chaos—we are visionaries who can show a way forward.
But in order to do so, we must do the work. We must commit to healing ourselves, to clearing the emotional clutter that has kept us small and wounded, and to getting deeply centered in who we truly are. From this place, we can rise up together—not with anger or divisiveness, but with a quiet, unwavering strength that calls others to join us in building a better world that benefits everyone built on compassion, creativity, and community.
Take heart and step into your natural power to create and help shape the change you want to see in the world. It’s time to be bold and courageous and to act on behalf of your dreams and visions of a different way. We have been brought to this collective breaking point. What will we do with the opportunity?
by Erin Middleton
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Sing It Out
I found a wonderful in-person Vocal Improv class here in Portland, taught by Carole Marie Downing. I am having a blast! It is pure vocal play with 7 other folks. 90 minutes of throat chakra opening experiences!! I can't recommend it enough. The new session starts in January - and I'll post more info about that when I receive it. Carole Marie has this fun little video on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/h2q1XneZcrY Play it and add your own part to it. I guarantee it will make you smile. Here's her fb page too. https://www.facebook.com/TunetoJoy/
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Online Empath Community Forming
With everything we’re about to face, connecting with other people who get us is gonna be our lifeline. I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll soon be starting an online group where empaths can come together to connect with each other, and explore ways to stay creative, and united. We don't have to survive these times alone.
Stay tuned for more details! If you’re interested in joining or want to be the first to know when we launch, send me an email or keep an eye out for updates. Together, we’ll create a community that celebrates us, our creativity, and our visions for a better future.
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About Erin Middleton
Erin works with creative empaths around the world, helping them heal from painful pasts to live empowered, heart-centered, and soul-led lives. As a master of guided self-compassion, Erin combines her transformational listening and spiritual coaching to guide clients from confusion, self-doubt, and fear into joy, ease, connection, and flow. She currently lives along the beautiful banks of the Willamette River in Oregon, where her days are filled with coaching, painting, photography, singing, beloved grandchildren, and lake swimming.
If you’re ready to break free from old worn-out patterns and stories and embrace a life of emotional and creative freedom, schedule a free From Sensitivity to Soul Alignment call today. Your sensitivity is your gift. You’re here to live unapologetically as your true self!
Erin works with creative empaths around the world, helping them heal from painful pasts to live empowered, heart-centered, and soul-led lives. As a master of guided self-compassion, Erin combines her transformational listening and spiritual coaching to guide clients from confusion, self-doubt, and fear into joy, ease, connection, and flow. She currently lives along the beautiful banks of the Willamette River in Oregon, where her days are filled with coaching, painting, photography, singing, beloved grandchildren, and lake swimming.