It's not news to anyone who knows me that am a sensitive, emotional person. I react to people emotionally because I feel so deeply. I am generally a happy-go-lucky, positive person, but I have those days every so often where my emotions are all over the place. Sometimes when I'm hurt or sad, even if my feelings are seemingly unwarranted, I can't help but overflow with emotion. Props to Brené Brown for teaching me about sensitivity, vulnerability, and shame. I think it's dangerous not to embrace the sensitivity.
Being in touch with our emotions and sharing them honestly with others is the strongest connection-building tools we have.
In my mind, being sensitive results in feeling emotions deeply. As a sensitive person, there's a part of me that needs to be expressive as a way to process emotions. There's an important connection between sensitivity and emotions. Often times, society tells us that we are being "too sensitive". While in some cases there is a place for recognizing that certain situations aren't a big deal and don't warrant a large emotional investment or response, this can be hurtful. In some ways, being told you're being too sensitive can cause you to feel shame for the emotions you're feeling.
Shame is the root of a lot of our issues as human beings. If I feel shame in the way I feel, I'm certainly not going to share my thoughts with others. That's scary. It messes with our mental health, which is a whole other issue in itself. We were built and designed as people to be in relationships.
When I share my emotions honestly and accurately, I create connections with people that lead to really important relationships.
Often, I worry that I will be alone in understanding what I'm feeling or going through. Due to this, I tend to isolate myself by not sharing my feelings openly and honestly. I think not sharing how we feel can become dangerous because unless we share what we're honestly feeling, we are guaranteed to feel alone. The way we build relationships with others is through being vulnerable. I think more often than not there is at least one person out there who will understand what you're going through.
Sensitive people worry that emotions won't be validated by others or understood by others, I think. I don't have all the answers, but I think that are intelligent ways to process and work through emotions as a sensitive person. I'm still trying to figure out the best ways to process my emotions. Often times, it's best to process them with another friend who validates the way you're feeling and understands the way you feel but is also honest. Even though there are situations in which it's not worth it to have a big emotional response, it's OK to be a sensitive person and feel things deeply.
The world needs people that feel empathetically now more than ever. The only way we'll discover those people is through open connection and sharing where we're at in our seasons of life.
