For a long time, I thought I could outgrow my sensitivity. I thought I could just bulldoze my way through it by hitting ‘publish’ with my eyes closed. I’ve tried the positive thinking route. And boy, have I told myself, time and time again: Just don’t take it personally!

But despite all my efforts, I do, in fact, take things personally.

After nearly a decade of sharing my life publicly, I’ve learned that acceptance is my greatest strength. Not always my sensitivity. I understand what people mean when they say “sensitivity is your greatest strength,” but for me, it’s also been a heavy burden. It makes me doubt myself, overanalyze every word I say, every look I get, and every silence I can’t intuit. It makes me want to withdraw instead of do my work. And if you’re exhausted just reading this, imagine feeling it!

There’s power in seeing reality for what it is — and accepting it as it is.

Instead of saying, “Sensitivity is my greatest strength,” I can say, “Sensitivity slows me down in many ways, and still, I accept that part of myself without trying to change it.”

I accept you, sensitivity.

You’re okay as you are, even when you make things harder. #sensitivity #substackwriter #sensitiveperson #substackessay #writertok