You may notice a heightened awareness of other people today. It could seem that your perceptions allow you to see through their defense mechanisms, which could make you feel insightful. While it may be that you can see the ways in which others protect themselves, you may want to focus on your own defenses in order to cultivate compassion for other people's issues. You might think back to a time when you felt threatened and reflect upon how you guarded yourself, for example, through withdrawal, anger, or laughter. Remind yourself of the triggers for your actions and the fear you felt about letting others in. If you notice someone who has their defenses up today, you can use your understanding to look upon their situation with compassion. Perhaps you might be able to use your experience to create a healing space in which this other person can feel safe.

Becoming aware of our own defenses allows us to see how we can help others when they feel guarded. The defenses people use usually set off our own emotional reaction, particularly if it is a way that is familiar to us. Letting ourselves remember our own ways of functioning and the fears that made us put up our walls, however, gives us a way to empathize with another person rather than simply analyze their patterns. We learn to reach out with kindness and an open heart in order to help someone through their struggles. By understanding your own defenses today, you will be able to lower other people's guard and support their healing.