“You make it safe to be strong” she said, her eyes big and head tilted to the side. I didn’t know what she meant at first, but I liked the sound of it. 

We were in a room of 20+ people, partnered up doing some sort of coach training exercise. I forget the details, but always loved those trainings because of the vulnerability in the room. There is brutal honesty and it’s mesmerizing to watch. 

As an introvert, I’ve always been drained by small talk. I feel self conscious in social groups where the loudest and most extroverted people inevitably become the centers of attention. But in settings like this one, I come alive. 

My senses become highly stimulated when I’m in the presence of others who are speaking their truth and going deep. I perk up and lean in.

That must have been what she picked up on. I was confident and intensely present, with an open heart and open mind. Holding her eye contact. In the freaking zone. 

I was making her feel seen and heard (which is a basic human need we all crave either consciously or unconsciously). As I held that space for her powerfully, fully seeing and appreciating her unique brilliance and potential, I watched her come alive in front of me.

She sat straighter and leaned in. She grew more confident. I could see her sensing and finding her own inner strength.

What I realized later, after letting her comment sink in, is that when I am calm, grounded, and present, I can easily tune in. What am I tuning into? The field around her. Her energy.

And that, my sensitive friend, is our super power.   

(If you are one of the sensitive ones, I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about!)

I was actively listening with my whole being. To her words, but also to the space between her words, and the tone and timber of her voice. I was watching and reading her facial expressions and body language closely, but most importantly, I was simply feeling her vibe. 

As an empath, I was feeling her feelings with her as they moved through her body. My intuition was on high alert and I became essentially an open channel, able to receive information not just from her, but from my own higher self, and beyond. 

It was magical. I felt it. She felt it. And in that safe space, she found and felt her own strength.

This was around the time I began to realize that my Sensitivity was not a character flaw. It was a gift.

While I believe absolutely everyone has intuitive gifts on some level, and could potentially learn to access them through practice, I know most people never do. At most they might experience gut feelings or random urges, but rarely take the time to learn how to do it on purpose.

As an empath, introvert, or other highly sensitive type, your sensitivity is already an unavoidable part of your personality and daily experience, right? And you’ve probably been conditioned, by society, to see it as a weakness. I know I spent years judging and trying to “fix” those parts of myself.

But, what if the very things you’ve been most ashamed of, are actually your most powerful gifts? And an integral part of your mission here in this life is to use them?

I promise you. Your sensitivity IS your superpower. Own it.

There are endless ways your sensitivity can be used to help you flourish and kick ass in your own life, and even more ways your gifts can impact others. 

But, in order to truly unleash those gifts and turn them into your superpower, there are few things you MUST do.

You must be curious about and open to your gifts.

You must accept and own the shit out of your gifts. 

You must give yourself permission to feel your feelings.

You must regularly move and release the energy in your body.

You must practice radical self care to protect your own energy.

You must set boundaries to protect your own energy.

You must be grateful for and celebrate how sacred these gifts are.

Do the above, and watch your supposed “character flaws” fall away as your superpowers become unlocked. 

It is absolutely possible to be sensitive AND strong. To feel things deeply AND be resilientAF. To be an empath AND a badass leader. 

So, own your sensitivity. Celebrate it. Use it for good. And savor the deep sense of fulfillment that’s available to you as you step more fully into being who you are.