You may have heard about empaths. You know that they are individuals who have a unique gifting for detecting and responding to the emotions of others. Maybe you have seen empaths on television or in movies. Perhaps you even consider yourself to be one, but are trying to harness your gift in such a way that it doesn't overwhelm you and keep you from living your life. Maybe you want to develop your own skills so that you have many of the abilities of empaths, even if you weren't born with the gift. Maybe you are just curious and want to know more. If you fit into any of the above categories, then this book is for you. It is a beginner's guide to understanding the world of the empath and developing an empath's skills. It begins by explaining the difference between sympathy and empathy. From there, it looks at some of the physics and biology regarding how our emotions actually have an effect on our surrounding environments and even on the people with whom we come into contact. With that understanding, it tells you what exactly an empath is and what makes their gift unique. The following chapter looks at some of the characteristics common to empaths. They tend to be introverted individuals who are intensely aware of the emotions of others. They may even have trouble distinguishing their own emotions from those of the people around them. They tend to have particular nuances in common, like favoring the country and needing to be around water sources. After that is a quiz to help you determine how strong your own abilities are. You may find that you are a natural empath (even if you had never considered yourself to be one), that you possess many of the characteristics of an empath, or that you are in a good place to learn more about the empath's journey. Finally, this book gives you tips for developing your skills as an empath. These apply both to natural empaths and to those who want to become one. It explains the benefits of developing these skills, such as being better at things like conflict resolution and communication. By the time you finish reading, you will have a solid understanding of the inner world and journey of the empath.