Elephant Journal Article: No, They’re Not Narcissists (& We’re Not Empaths)

I just published my first Elephant Journal article after finishing their summer Write Your Heart Out class!⁣ Click here to read it and scroll down for the back story of how I chose this topic.

Image:: Koolshooters/Pexels

It's been 4 years since I last shared a piece of my writing publicly. I entered a deep healing phase of my life shortly after that and struggled with some good old fashioned writer's block for most of that time while my energy focused on wellness.
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I promised myself I would bust through my plateau with this class and article. This week I finally did it! ⁣
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The idea for this article came to me after I read another Elephant Journal article outlining how the term "emotional vampire" is problematic. I commented with my thoughts on how this term, along with "narcissist" and "empath", are some of the most over- and misused terms in both spirituality and modern pop culture (see second photo). This misuse detracts from valid instances of narcissism, creates division with labels, and enables people to bypass their own triggers and discomfort without doing necessary inner work.

Elephant Journal replied suggesting I write an article on my perspective. One thing led to another, I signed up for their summer writing class, and...here we are!

Huge thanks to Elephant Journal for an inspiring, insightful class. I'm so excited to write my next article. Busting through writer's block feels great.
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I'd love to hear your thoughts on the article! Click here to read it and leave your comments below or email me at laura@laurakzegar.com.