Introduction

“Sensitive people care when the world doesn’t because we understand waiting to be rescued and no one shows up. We have rescued ourselves so many times that we have become self-taught in the art of compassion for those forgotten.”  ― Shannon L. Alder.

You are a weakling.

You cry at the drop of a hat.

You get upset very easily.

You are just too emotional.

You are a hot mess.

Did you hear that a lot, feeling something was wrong with you? I did. While growing up, everyone around me made me realize I was different. I was often labeled delicate or too sensitive, and this false belief led me to live an inauthentic life. I was shy and quiet and often wondered why my parents, siblings, and friends misunderstood me. For example, when I was young, I visited an amusement park. While children my age would be jumping with joy after feeling the wind, the thrill at all the sights and sounds, I hated everything about it. The theme park was too stimulating for my taste, and after the long day spent with the crowd, hearing their screams and the loud music, I was utterly exhausted.

That night I wondered that while others thrived, why didn’t I feel ‘lively’ like them? Why was I so overwhelmed in that environment? I wouldn’t say I liked how I felt, and my self-esteem was almost nonexistent. People around me would advise me to toughen up and not overthink. Trust me; I, too, didn’t want to reflect deeply. But that’s who I was. I am. However, I didn’t know how to express to them that I didn’t see the world the way they saw it, that I felt things differently, and that I couldn’t enjoy the same things as them.