I don’t know about you but I’m really sensitive. And not in the easily offended way, just in the, “your energy is really bugging me” kind of way. I feel a lot and I don’t always get to choose what I feel. Of course I’ve developed strategies over the years to avoid situations and people that cause me stress. Plus I’ve very mindfully created a lifestyle that’s fairly low key and where I look after myself very carefully.
Prior to having this keen awareness, I would get overwhelmed by life and want to hide away. Plus I was highly prone to viruses, muscle tension and allergies. So where’s the upside to being sensitive? It’s certainly hard to see the benefits when we see less sensitive types having more fun and being a lot more reckless, plus having people criticise us for being too sensitive and even boring isn’t fun. But there’s definitely a good side….
We’re the psychics, mystics, healers, artists, counsellors, philosophers, poets, inventors, musicians, yogis, dancers and writers. We’re the environmental activists, the human rights and animal rights campaigners and writers of letters to the editor. We feel more deeply, we see more fully and we care a lot. And sometimes, we actually make a positive difference in the world.
To be sensitive is to have empathy and genuine concern for the wellbeing of others and the planet. To be sensitive is to have compassion for those who’ve hurt us and for those who’ve wronged society. To be sensitive is to be able to forgive another for their misdeeds and to forgive ourselves for all the ways we feel we’ve failed. To be sensitive is to appreciate everything we see, such as a newborn baby, a puppy, a wildflower or a tree, with a sense of total and utter awe. To a sensitive person like me, the whole world is fascinating, miraculous and yes, sometimes horrific.
We really shouldn’t watch the news too often. We need to avoid scary and violent films and we need a decent amount of sleep. We benefit from a certain degree of creative stimulation from art, music, books, plays and films but we mustn’t overdo it. Meditation is key. That and plenty of time outdoors in nature. In silence. Of course moving our bodies is essential so activities like walking, swimming, yoga, dance and cycling are marvelous.
Either as children or young adults, many of us have been wounded by life, so we often seek out healing and counselling to help us to learn and grow. Many of us are drawn to career paths where we can help others and we’re usually very good at it. But again, we must carefully guard our energy, lest we overdo the helping and burn out.
It’s good to be sensitive as a parent and we make wonderful caregivers for children, as we adore them and can relate to their innate, less sullied sensitivity. It’s okay for children to be sensitive. It’s harder to be a sensitive adult. It’s not something to be proud of.
Sensitivity is the feminine and we all know what’s been happening to the feminine for too many centuries… And now that the feminine is rising once again, perhaps we can reclaim sensitivity as a super-power. All of the very sensitive children now on the planet need our support. Our planet needs our support.
Our sensitivity isn’t to be grown out of, hidden or crushed. It’s what brings beauty, feeling and appreciation to our lives and to the lives of others. So I say we band together and start highlighting the gifts us ‘sensitives’ are bringing to the planet. You with me?