HSP Life

Living, as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), in this strange thing we call "the world."

[hsplife]

It’s Not an Excuse!

When you are a Highly Sensitive Person, it’s something you simply are.

It’s not something you became; it’s not something you chose. Trust me, on this one. I’m old. I’ve been living with this thing for 57 years...

Don’t use “I’m Highly Sensitive” as some kind of excuse for not being an active participant in your own life. Life is short, and missing out on it because you think you’re “too sensitive” is-- basically-- a waste of life.

Learn to manage your sensitivity... don’t avoid it!

[hsplife]

HSPs often feel like they are "different." I have learned to embrace that this is really not something to be depressed about...

[hsplife]

Voices... Talking Back

There are voices inside my head, talking to me. Come to think of it, there always have been...

No, I'm not schizophrenic. I don't have multiple personalities. The "voices" consist of my own inner critic(s), engaging in negative self-talk, berating me about the woulda-coulda-shoulda's of my life.

I was never a risk taker; never someone who sought to live dangerously on the bleeding edge of coolness. I watched plenty of people I knew cut themselves on that bleeding edge... in the name of "living" life but I never needed a never-ending stream of ever more intense events and experiences to keep me interested in life... regardless of whether it might be a massive drug trip or jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. 

Life is "exciting" enough, without artificial augmentation. 

I like to keep it simple. Real simple... it saddens me that the world wants to chastise those who just want to take it easy, and label them as "lazy" and "unambitious." 

[hsplife]

"Always Different"

HSPs-- for the most part-- seem to live lives that involve feeling like "outsiders" because we're somehow different from most people.

For many the desire and drive to "fit in" and "be like others" is strong... which can lead to years-- if not a lifetime-- of the highly sensitive person trying to shoehorn themselves into the dominant societal paradigm; trying to be like everyone else.

Of course, it tends to be an epic fail. Much as we don't really like the idea (well, many don't), the fact of the matter is that we don't feel different, we ARE different.

It's a matter of science, not a matter of choice. 

Much as we may wish it to be otherwise, we can't just wake up one morning and decide that we want to be "not-sensitive." Sure, we can say that to ourselves... but it doesn't make a difference. It's a lie. Nothing has changed.

The secret (to the extent that there IS a "secret") to a happy and fulfilling life as a highly sensitive person isn't to lie to ourselves, or to stick our heads in the sand, or to pretend we aren't something we are. 

We stop whining and complaining, embrace that this is simply who are... and begin from here.

[hsplife]

Why this? Why here? Why now?

I sit here, looking at the blank page and the blinking cursor.

Then I decide that the true answer here is that I needed a place to keep a kind of "newsfeed" of activities, article postings and and other news from around the web. And could also sprinkle in a more personal angle in my postings.

A standard blog is nice for writing, but too isolated. Crackbook is too "all-over-the-place" and messy... all those games and apps and crap. Twitter? Lot of stuff can't be said in 140 characters. Groups? Again, FAR too isolated.

Tumblr is a nice hybrid. 

::: pondering, for a moment :::

I am laughing at myself, at the inner dialogue I am having, centered around commentary that I am "too old for this." Yeah. OK. I was probably on the Internet before half the people using tumblr were born. 

No matter. Laugh all you want to... part of what makes a person "old" is their refusal to keep up with the times. As one of my favorite quotes go:

"Getting old is what happens when the broadness of the mind and the narrowness of the waist trade places."

Uh-huh...

[hsplife]

Foggy morning-- tiny water droplets caught on pine needles and spider web.