My whole life, I’ve been very sensitive. I cry at the touching scenes in movies. I get emotional when I listen to stories that are inspiring. I also get my feelings hurt–far too easily–over perceived (and sometimes real) wrongs committed against me.
I keep reiterating this because I believe it is true–we are all born with certain gifts or talents. Some we develop and improve upon because we discover from a young age that we are good at them, and some are left to collect dust on the shelf (until a time that we hopefully rediscover and utilize them). But our gifts and natural talents are all different. I think some of our greatest strengths can be weaknesses if we aren’t careful, which is why self-awareness is important.
My sensitivity is, I believe, a strength. My sensitivity makes me empathetic and understanding and kind-hearted. When I was younger, all my friends used to come to me for a listening ear and advice and I was eager to be a support for them.
This same trait has, at times, been a huge weakness. It was my overly sensitive nature that couldn’t handle the discovery that my college boyfriend cheated on me and spiraled me into a dark depression for some time. It was my sensitivity that many times got in the way of me speaking my mind to someone, for fear of being rejected. It has been my sensitivity that caused many fights with my husband, especially in the early years of our relationship, because I read into things he said or just outright twisted his words.
As I’ve become older, I recognize that any of the talents or skills we possess have the power to help or hurt us. We get to choose every day how to use the talents and gifts we possess, and I believe the more we harness them for good, the stronger the good will become and the less power the dark side of those strengths will have over us.
