Welcome back!
In part 1, I highlighted four areas where we have the opportunity to begin shifting our perception from what we see and allow into our lives, to what we can intentionally focus on to raise our general sense of positivity, well-being and happiness in the world. If you missed it, you can read Part 1 HERE.
Highly-Sensitive People are exactly that: Highly Sensitive. We feel things deeply, and that’s an understatement. From a young age, I was unable to handle other’s suffering. If I killed a bug by accident, I felt horribly distraught. I was always concerned and upset when someone around me felt angry or sad. Fast-forward to adolescence when I became aware of the larger world around me, and I was distraught on a regular basis. No one had ever taught me how to manage my sensitivity. I was never taught that I needed to protect myself, or that I also needed to actively cultivate good-feeling experiences like it was my job.
“As a highly-sensitive person, I was never taught that I needed to protect myself, or that I also needed to actively cultivate good-feeling experiences like it was my job.”
I was so overwhelmed by what was going on around me and I hadn’t learned how to protect myself while simultaneously surrounding myself with positive energy. When we go through life without self-protection and joy-cultivation, we can feel exhausted, drained, overwhelmed, frazzled and hopeless. The trouble is that there are SO many of us out who are completely unaware of our sensitive nature! We are also unaware of how to manage our energy on a day-by-day basis. This is why self-understanding is crucial. It will help you create a blueprint for how to live in balance, so you feel energetic, alive, radiant, joyful and fully able to share your gifts and inner beauty with the world!
So, first steps: Start bringing awareness to what you are allowing into your life. Bring awareness to the following:
- The media you consume (this can be news, social media, tv, movies, magazines)
- The conversations you have (complaining, gossip, fear-based discussions)
- Energy-draining people you interact with (watch for people who dump all their baggage on you. HSP’s are caring and great listeners. Because of this, we tend to get stuck listening to life stories of woe because we are so good at lending a kind ear.)
- The thoughts you are thinking (your inner dialog)
That is a fantastic place to start. As you watch yourself going through your day, how many negative stories, conversations and thoughts are you currently experiencing? Once you bring awareness to what your current situation is, then you are able to change it. A great idea would be to keep a journal or notebook with you and to practice for one week. Anytime you notice something negative, write it down. This will jolt you into massive awareness of where negativity is creeping into your life.
Don’t worry about doing this perfectly, and if you are shocked by what you notice, please try not to judge yourself. Approach yourself with love and kindness always. We are all human and vulnerable to all that entails. Practice imperfection!
In the next blog post in this series, we’ll discover how to shift your attention to positive experiences and how to consciously bring joy and happiness into our life. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you! What did you take away from this article? Please share below.
Love,
Cortney
P.S. I would love to hear your comments below, so please say hello! Did you find this helpful? Please consider sharing with a friend.
P.P.S. If you’re a Highly Sensitive Person and would like some tips on empowering your own Inner Badass, I’ve written a special FREE eBook just for you.
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