08/03/2025
Over the past two decades the emergence of the concept of narcissism has not ironically taken center stage in a way that only its name descriptor could. Now under most circumstances, I capital H hate that itās predicament is most often presented as a one sided tragedy, because itās not.
At varying times in my life I have most certainly been either or both the victim and the villain. I have been hurt by others to my core, and in another instance I have done the hurting.
The scope by which I can see, admit, acknowledge & amend my behaviors has come from an indescribable past seven years of enlightenment. Within that time my lost turned to found and compassion has bravely come into my being, to help me suss out the management of love and life and peoplingāas a sensitive person who isnāt afraid to feel.
The two part blog posts below are great readsāby Lissa Rankin ā that include detailed explanations & an understanding of the āempathā (echo) & the āmanipulatorā (narcissus). As an emotional body practitioner, I think itās important for individuals to have access to information & content that defines their felt experiences. Particularly when it relates to heart break (of all kinds) finding definitions for the pain can become such a light post.
Excerpts from part one:
āMost people who are hooked into this pattern are hooked into both sides, which are like two sides of the same coin.ā
āBut pointing at someone elseās side of the street without looking at how you give your power away and fail to set and enforce boundaries as a form of conflict avoidance is not empowering.ā
āOnce we see with compassion what has previously been hidden in a blind spot, we can begin to unravel the hooks that keep us in the destructive web of this pattern. Compassion for yourself is key. Whether you have a tendency to fall into the codependent pattern or the narcissist pattern, be gentle with yourself, and donāt beat yourself up. You canāt do better until you know better.ā
I so strongly believe that this dynamic is deeply spiritual in origināmost abusive patterns are. Harmful ways of relating often have roots that lead to weeds that stick out above the surface. They poke & itch at us, right at our ankles, as a means, I believe, to get our attention & stop us in our tracks; many of the things around us operate in an unseen realm of divine wisdom and karmic debt, but I digress.
These aspects of expression are inherited self destructive patterns that thrive on emotional entrapment, and survive through the progressive growth of deep wounds that go unnoticed and/or unhealed. All that said, Iām here to tell you that healing work is about you learning to recognize that all of those guiding lights along the way are leading you inward towards the brightest light of allāYOUāyou are the lighthouse, keep seeking ā¤ļø.
I look forward to sharing more on the subject in a movement based workshop offering sometime this fall. There is so much collective work to be done and I look forward to joining you on the journey.
Free Yourself from the Narcissist/ Empath Pattern part one:
https://lissarankin.com/free-yourself-from-the-narcissist-empath-pattern-part-one/
Free Yourself from the Narcissist/ Empath Pattern part two:
https://lissarankin.com/free-yourself-from-the-narcissist-empath-pattern-part-two/
*The clip below is a throwback to Winter 2022. I was in a heightened moment of transition from emotional dependency and felt the desire to share about it, in a general sense. More specifically Iām pointing out that toxicityābe it from self to self or from someone elseāis not the focal point, self preservation is however. As shared above, focusing on the problem, or the title, will not manifest a solution. Toxicity spreads irrespectively, no matter the person, place or thing, toxins will not stop itself for you or me. Stopping is to start with positive action, such separation, space, boundariesālet THAT be the focusš§š¾āāļø.
