The Hidden Gift of Sensitivity
Many heart-centered, compassionate people also are highly sensitive.
This can have challenges, such as reacting more strongly to things in the environment (sights, sounds, smells, etc.), to social dynamics, and even to our own thoughts and feelings.
Sensitivity brings many gifts, among them increased compassion, empathy, intuition, and creativity.
Researchers are finding that there is another, not so obvious, gift of increased sensitivity.
People with high sensitivity are not just sensitive to the negative or challenging aspects of the environment, but also are more sensitive to positive, uplifting circumstances.
A recent book called The Orchid and the Dandelion reports decades of research showing that about 20% of people are more sensitive to the environment. The author calls these people orchids. Dandelions are the 80% who are less sensitive.
Orchid children have a more difficult time than dandelions in negative, challenging environments. But they also react to positive environments even more strongly than dandelions.
This is the secret gift of sensitivity - we react even more strongly to positivity than people who are not as highly sensitive.
This means that the more we can create a positive, uplifting environment for ourselves, the more we can thrive.
We can take intentional action to create a more positive environment for ourselves in all realms, including:
Social environment - spending time with positive, uplifting people who make us feel good, focusing on media with positive messages (news, tv, movies, social media), creating good boundaries with everyone.
Physical environment - spending time in nature, surrounding ourselves with beauty, listening to uplifting music.
Internal environment - rewiring our brains to focus more on positive thoughts such as gratitude, filling our self-talk with encouraging, helpful messages, elevating our mood.
These strategies are great for everyone, but for people with high sensitivity they can be even more effective because our nervous systems are genetically wired to react to them more strongly than people who are less sensitive.
What is one small step you can take today to create a more positive environment to help you thrive? Send an email or message and let me know!
I’d love to hear from you. Please send comments, questions, and suggestions to liz@happybrainlife.com.
Have a beautiful day!
Liz
