The Smoke Trail: Season 1, Episode 21 – Empathy vs. Compassion 

Host Bio:

Smoke Wallin is a serial entrepreneur, conscious leader, global M&A deal maker, and host of The Smoke Trail podcast. Having navigated personal trauma through spiritual awakening, Smoke studies traditions like Buddhism, Christianity, and mysticism. His journey—from childhood challenges to leading global businesses—fuels his mission to share tools, truths, and stories for seekers, blending leadership with spiritual growth to inspire transformation.

Setting:

Recorded in the serene embrace of Sedona, Arizona, where the red rocks radiate spiritual clarity, this solo episode captures Smoke’s reflective voice after an impromptu gathering with friends. The desert’s quiet energy, infused with the warmth of recent conversations, grounds his insights on empathy and compassion, inviting listeners to deepen their consciousness journey.

Summary:

In this solo episode, Smoke Wallin explores the pivotal distinction between empathy and compassion, sparked by a dinner conversation in Sedona about a friend facing negative energy from an ex. Drawing from the friend’s highly empathic nature, Smoke explains how empathy—feeling another’s pain—can lower one’s vibration by matching their negative state, often harming the empath more than helping. Compassion, however, involves understanding and holding space without absorbing negativity, maintaining a high vibrational state of love, as in Episode 17’s heart-centered leadership. Smoke offers practical tools to protect one’s energy field: nightly journaling to clear emotional “hairballs,” as in Episode 20, and gratitude practices to sustain high vibration, per Episode 15’s affirmations. He emphasizes that our natural state is bliss and perfect health, achievable by clearing debris—negative thoughts and emotions—through conscious practices, echoing Episode 11’s consciousness as health. By pivoting from empathy to compassion, we avoid perpetuating negativity and help others heal faster, as in Episode 8’s “humans as medicine.” Infused with Sedona’s radiant clarity, this episode empowers listeners to lead and live with love, raising their vibration for personal and collective growth.

Learnings: 

• Empathy Lowers Vibration: Feeling another’s pain can match their negative state, harming the empath, per Episode 16’s mindfulness. 
• Compassion Holds Space: Understanding without absorbing negativity maintains high vibration, as in Episode 17’s intentionality. 
• Clearing Debris Heals: Nightly journaling releases emotional blockages, echoing Episode 20’s clean-up practices. 
• Gratitude Elevates: Practicing gratitude, as in Episode 15, aligns with love and bliss, raising consciousness. 
• Natural State is Bliss: Clearing negative thoughts restores perfect health, per Episode 11’s consciousness teachings.

Universal Truths: 

• Compassion is Love: Holding space without judgment uplifts, as in Episode 13’s love over evil. 
• Consciousness is Health: Clearing emotional debris restores ease, per Episode 17’s collective healing. 
• Presence Protects: Staying high-vibrational, as in Episode 16’s presence, shields from negativity. 
• We Are Divine: Our natural state of bliss is within, echoing Episode 1’s awakening. 
• Love Heals All: Compassion transforms pain, as in Episode 8’s human medicine.

Examples: 

• Dinner Insight: Smoke’s talk with an empathic friend about her ex’s negativity sparked this episode, reflecting Episode 17’s listening. 
• Compassion in Action: Holding space for a friend’s pain without absorbing it, as Smoke advised, aligns with Episode 8’s medicine. 
• Journaling Practice: Smoke’s nightly journaling to clear regrets, per Episode 20, sustained his high vibration. 
• Gratitude Shift: Saying “thank you,” learned from Ivan Rados in Episode 11, elevated Smoke’s daily energy. 
• Health Restoration: Clearing emotional “hairballs,” as in Episode 10, restored Smoke’s natural bliss.

Smoke Trail Threads: 

• Consciousness (Episodes 1, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20): Smoke’s empathy-compassion pivot ties to his awakening, Steve Hershberger’s map, Ivan Rados’ health, Chris Clements’ action, Rob Follows’ intentionality, Rob Hersov’s love, Dave Garrison’s genius, and Episodes 16-17, 20’s tools. 
• Healing (Episodes 2, 8, 10, 16, 17, 20): Smoke’s debris clearing aligns with Sarah Fruehling’s EMDR, Liv Fisch’s human medicine, Dani Brooks’ coherence, and Episodes 16-17, 20’s hairballs. 
• Presence (Episodes 2, 3, 8, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20): Smoke’s high vibration echoes Sarah Fruehling’s breathwork, Jack Maxwell’s living now, Liv Fisch’s holding space, Rob Follows’ meditation, Dave Garrison’s curiosity, and Episodes 16-17, 20’s calm. 
• Gratitude (Episodes 9, 15, 16, 17, 20): Smoke’s gratitude practice connects to Steve Hershberger’s gratitude, Rob Follows’ affirmations, and Episodes 16-17, 20’s vibration shift. 

• • Leadership (Episodes 4, 6, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19): Smoke’s compassionate leadership ties to Michael Brabant’s safe workplaces, Justin Breen’s vulnerability, Elizabeth Funk’s empowerment, Rob Follows’ significance, Rob Hersov’s advocacy, Dave Garrison’s alignment, and Episodes 16-17’s conscious leadership.