I have always been told that I am "too sensitive". People say this in such a negative tone that for most of my life I believed that my sensitivity was one of my negative qualities. It wasn't until recently that I realized the beauty in being sensitive. Now that I realize this beauty, I think it's sad that there are so many people who are ashamed of their sensitivity--especially men.

One day, I stumbled upon a video on youtube with the acronym HSP in its title. I clicked on it. After some further investigation, I learned that HSP stands for highly sensitive person and there are hundreds of videos on youtube of people documenting their experiences as HSPs. I sat there watching these videos for a long time--I never related to anything more in my life. As I was sitting there I began to think--the things that the people in the videos are describing are not bad things (as I always thought they were). Rather, they sound like really positive qualities.

These videos were a game-changer for me. My perspective about my sensitivity changed drastically. I know what some people may be thinking--that sensitivity is a bad thing because sensitive people take everything to heart. And yes, sometimes life can be hard for sensitive people. Every hurt feeling is magnified. Criticism stings a little more. Insults dig a little deeper.

Despite all of this, I believe sensitivity to be a gift. Sensitive people are empaths. They notice subtleties that no one else notices. Their compassion reaches new levels. They feel more intensely and process things on deeper levels. Oftentimes, the most creative people are those who are most sensitive.

With all of this said, if you or anyone you know is highly sensitive--understand what a gift this is. Yes, sometimes your heightened senses can make some aspects of life more difficult. But once you understand just how special this quality is, you can fully enjoy all of the advantages of being sensitive.