The Strength of High Sensitivity: Inspiration from a Listener
I want to highlight a review that was submitted some time ago to help you better comprehend and appreciate your inner self. I hope it will give you a bit of insight into my unwavering dedication to provide healing content on this show, in the transformative courses I teach, and monthly live streams on Patreon. I deeply admire the highly sensitive spirit. Regrettably, many people view their sensitivity as a burden rather than a gift. I want you to understand the beauty of your sensitivity as confidently as you know your own name, as assuredly as you expect the sun to rise each day. This review was submitted quite some time ago, and I would like to share it with you. I feel comfortable sharing it because the reviewer used her full name, an act of openness and pride. I want to express my gratitude to Gabby. I hope you are still tuning in or somehow receive this message. I hope this episode reinforces your strength and your role as an inspirational seeker, aiding me in my mission to help others. Thank you for sparking my motivation. I aim to guide people in their spiritual growth and, to me, this is evidence of our spiritual interconnection, proving we are all linked. Thank you, Gabby, for connecting with my work and sharing this comment, for your own growth and the growth of others. As you continue to grow, you'll help not only yourself but also others in ways that may be unclear now but will be revealed later. You're part of my journey, and I am confident that others will be part of yours. It's something our depressive, suicidal thoughts try to deny us. It's true that we all have a future, regardless of whether you're in a healing profession or not. What heals the world is you becoming your true self, unburdened by hardships, traumas, or confusions. Sending light and love to everyone on this healing journey. So to everyone, and especially Gabby, Gabby is an individual but she also represents us all.
In her comment, her review, she said, "I discovered your channel, and I immediately began listening to all of your podcasts. I found out I was an HSP, a highly sensitive person. I couldn't stop listening! It felt more rewarding than any counseling session I've ever had. I am 21, and I've spent the last four years trying to heal my childhood trauma. I've sought answers and help from family, friends, doctors, and counselors. I haven't encountered anyone with even a fraction of your passion for healing. Every 'professional' left me feeling exhausted, asking all the wrong questions and giving all the wrong advice. So I constantly gave up. I was on the verge of surrendering to the diagnoses and prescription drugs that many doctors push on us. You've given me hope that I'm not alone and that I can receive the help I've been seeking. You have opened up a whole new path of healing for me. And it feels fantastic. I've laughed and cried while listening to your show. You gave me a second chance. Love, Gabby."
Now, let's analyze this comment like I do during our monthly live streams on Patreon. So, Patreon patrons, this might seem familiar.
Gabby initially said, "I came across this channel while looking for motivational speeches on Pandora one bad day." What she is communicating here is that she found Emotional Badass because she made the effort. She sought motivation. Just from this single sentence, I can identify self-direction, proactive behavior, and an ability to use resources to seek help even on a bad day. She didn't let her depressive thoughts take control. She directed her energy productively.
From her review, I perceive determination, insight, personal responsibility, a solution-focused perspective, drive, and openness. I am hopeful and confident that she will achieve the healing she seeks. She won't stop until she does.
Then she mentions, "I started listening to all of your podcasts back to back. I learned I was an HSP. I couldn't stop listening all day! It felt better than any counseling session in my life. I am 21 and I've been trying to heal childhood trauma for the past four years. I spent the last four years looking for answers and help from family, friends, doctors, and counselors."
Gabby first dipped her toe into my show and decided to fully immerse herself when it resonated with her. She was saturating herself in understanding and validation, piecing together her identity.
It is essential to do more of what feels good and less of what feels bad. That's the superpower of being a highly sensitive person—recognizing when, where, and how we can choose joy.
Sometimes, the best thing is to take space, to ponder, to dive deep into our discussions, and take space in different ways, to not dwell on our therapy sessions, our coaching sessions if that feels right at that moment.
As you continue to age, you earn more time to cultivate peace, to foster a healing, secure relationship with yourself. As life unfolds, we realize we're moving through cycles, through seasons. This realization helps us better understand and curb suicidal ideation, particularly in our youth.
In her review, Gabby shared a profound sentiment: "I've not come across anyone with a passion for healing that matches yours. It's been a weary journey dealing with professionals who drained me, often asking misguided questions and providing ineffective advice. This has led me to give up repeatedly.” This resonates with many people, particularly those who are highly sensitive, who reach out to me as though they have been wandering through a desert and I've just offered them a glass of water. The realm of mental health has attempted to compete with the rigorous standards of empirical science, which is based on measurable aspects. This approach, however, is fundamentally flawed, as much of human experience and wellness simply can't be quantified. Despite 20 years of insistence on evidence-based, scientific approaches to mental health, I fear we've done ourselves a disservice. The manipulation and influence of media have tainted the purity of science. Our emotions, perceptions, and experiences aren't easily testable within the confines of empirical scientific methods. Healing is an art form, an emotional and intuitive process that is not rooted in evidence or statistics.
The traumatic experiences we endure stem from the actions of others—actions borne out of violence, misunderstanding, inadequacy, or confusion. While some individuals act from a place of ignorance, others deliberately choose to harm. Science struggles to encompass the complexity of these human interactions. This is reminiscent of the Gestalt theory that posits we are more than just the sum of our parts. Isn't that intuitively correct? We are more than just individual components of a whole. However, science by its nature isolates and examines individual elements, which does not adequately serve us as complex beings. Relying on evidence-based practices in mental health only provides a snapshot of the issue. It's akin to focusing on the tip of my finger while my entire body is suffering from a fever.
Twenty years of relying on evidence-based practices as the gold standard in mental health hasn't yielded significant improvement, with suicide rates climbing and mental health crises escalating. Children are growing up without resilience or confidence, often struggling with depression and anxiety. Many people are in desperate search for a quick scientific solution—a "magic pill."
As someone born with an inherent passion, I bring that energy into every facet of my life, including my work as a healer, mentor, therapist, coach, yoga instructor, and meditation guide. This passion stemmed, in part, from my frustrating encounters with disinterested, dismissive, and overmedicating healthcare professionals. The cold indifference I felt from them made me feel desperate, angry, and terrified. If these professionals cannot empathize or help me, it begs the question: What's the point of their extensive training and education?
We need to consider the importance of emotional intelligence, intuition, and heart in healing, even though these qualities cannot be quantified or tested in the same way as medical knowledge. Healing is an art, and my passion is integral to my work as a healer. Don't settle for working with professionals who lack passion; it is a vital component of the healing process.
Gabby mentioned feeling pressured to accept diagnoses and prescription drugs from doctors. It's important to remember that there's a time and place for modern medicine. However, it's also crucial to remember that you have the authority to accept, reject, or modify medical advice as you see fit.
It struck me that Gabby, at 21, knows what type of professionals she resonates with. She knows what to look for and is not afraid to walk away from healthcare professionals who don't meet her needs. This kind of self-trust is critical. Different mental health professionals may diagnose the same client differently, pointing to a lack of consistency and thorough care.
Gabby concluded her review with gratitude for the new path of healing she found through my teachings. I believe that as a healer, I need to acknowledge my role in the healing process, as it validates my own skills and contribution. Healing is a mutual process that I'm honored to partake in.
Finally, Gabby, you deserve credit for actively seeking help and finding my content. It's your initiative that led you to find this healing opportunity. You showed resilience in your darkest moments and allowed your instinct to guide you. While I am honored to be part of your healing journey, remember that you gave yourself a second chance. Embrace this lesson and keep going. Trust in your intuition and believe in your capacity for healing.