Like most women my age, I grew up with the awe-inspiring archetype of Wonder Woman.

I remember as a child, feeling enamoured and drawn to that character, a strong, powerful, magical woman, who was here to save the world.

In a sea of male Super Hero’s, she held her own, she stood her ground, she was sensitive, compassionate, she paved the way, unapologetic and determined. Wonder Woman helped me to relate to myself as different, as at that point I didn’t know that I was an Empath, I just knew there was something ‘not the same’, about me.

So roll forward 40 or so years, and I was excited to see the new movie, and how my past heroine would be portrayed. Would she be dumbed down, and overtly sexualised to fit into our collective idea of what it means to be a magical, powerful, different woman?

What I mainly saw was a character displaying tenacity, strength, power and most of all following her inner guidance, her empathy, her sensitivity, and her compassion, even though she was challenged every step of the way, to concede, to coalesce, to surrender her inner truth, her POWER and her knowing of what she MUST do, of what she was in fact, BORN to do.

She accomplished what she set out to, because of her sensitivity, because of her empathy, because of her compassion, and because of her connection to her true nature.

Not despite it.

And she stepped into and owned her true power, unapologetically.

So how did Wonder Woman teach me to be a better Empath?

Quite simply, that it’s time to unapologetically step up.

Of course, this concept is nothing new for me, I am the type of gal who takes action, leads the way, cuts the path, especially when others say, “that will never work”.

And, that’s exactly how I like it.

I am deeply, profoundly passionate about empowering others, supporting them to succeed, to step into who they actually are, not who they have come to believe they are, and never, ever accepting when high sensitivity is used as an excuse.

But.

I also own that I have been guilty of playing myself down, subduing my true nature, keeping myself more, let’s say, ‘manageable’ for others.

I’m an Empath, and I’m an Intuitive, and my energy can be very strong, very transformative and very intense, and that makes some people nervous, very nervous.

The energy of an Empath can be too much for others, who do not engage with their own power, or who mistake power for anger, or power for being a bully, or think having power is to have power ‘over’ others, but particularly those who do not want to look at their own shadow.

As a response, not wanting to offend, this has meant that I have played ‘nice’, and happy, and supportive, and kind, and watched every word, and played my true power, my true nature down.

I’ve done this so others feel more comfortable around me, especially other Empaths. This is however, incongruent and inauthentic, how can I be empowering others if I’m only being my ‘manageable’ self?

It has been at times, an instant feedback loop. I connect with my true nature, and I get slammed down, and often from people who want to project their own unresolved issues onto me. To be clear, I am loving and kind and supportive, and can be very vulnerable, but I’m also kind of a kick ass, tenacious, strong, no B.S., warrior type of woman too! So why does one automatically rule out the other? Why cant I/you/we, be both?

When I’m being my powerful Empath self, the ‘love and light brigade’ have accused me of not being ‘conscious’, ‘evolved’ or ‘spiritual’ enough. When I call people out on their “I’m too sensitive to succeed” excuses, and their limiting and damaging disempowering self-abuse behaviour. I’m told that I need to do ‘more work on myself, so I only project 'love and light’ ‘don’t focus on the shadow’ and ‘think only positive thoughts’.

(Insert epic eye roll here)

Here’s what I know.

Power is love and Empaths are powerful! We know love, so, so deeply, and that is how we do what we do, through our enormous capacity to love, even in the face of hate, and darkness, and fear.

But this has been used against us, (point in case above) to traumatise, and to confuse, and so we revert back to wanting to be part of the ‘spiritual’ or ‘light’ crowd, as a safe place, even though we know we don’t really belong there, not long term anyway.

So, this is what I propose. As an Empath, I now call on YOU, all the Empaths, Sensitives, Intuitives, Healers, Dreamers, Disrupters, Influencers, Teachers and Wanderers!

Now is the time to step up, to wake up, to embrace and embody your true POWER, unapologetically. YOU are here for a reason, and it sure as hell isn’t so you can hide yourself away from this world, isolated and all alone, trying to fit in, and be something you’re not.

Look, I get it! Its hard, and it hurts, and we have been and still go through a lot, perhaps too much! But that’s what makes Empaths, even more formidable to the darkness, and make no mistake; there is a whole lot of darkness in this world, and at the moment it almost looks like ‘they’ have won the game. That’s the illusion, to keep you small and in fear.

So, Powerful Empath that is why you are here, and that is why I am here, and I refuse to dull my power any longer, because I’m an Empath, because that’s exactly how the darkness wins, and that’s exactly what it wants, for all of us to be less than we are, and to live, small and in pain, and disconnected from our true power, our sensitivity, our true nature, and from each other.

You are more powerful than you can imagine, and you are here to change the world. If all the Empaths of the world stood together and focused our collective intention and energy toward transformation, this world would change, without question, and in a moment.

So, thank you Wonder Woman for reminding me, of my true nature, of the reason I do what I do, because of my high sensitivity, and my compassion, and my deep passion to make this world a better place, and why I have chosen to be alive on this planet right now, and it ain’t to be anything other than I am.

An Empath.