There is a plant that I feel a certain kinship with.  It responds to human interaction, much like I do. 

Has anyone every called you OVERLY sensitive or asked what was wrong with you?

Umm . . . perhaps your nervous system is overly sensitive.  This IS a good thing.  The world needs observant individuals.

The Mimosa Pudica Plant

The Mimosa pudica plant is shy and bashful.  When touched, it shrinks, folds inward, and only opens back up when it is safe.

I like this plant.  It responds to humanity like me.

I find comfort in its quick retreat upon uncomfortable contact, because it makes me feel more secure in how I have been created by the Lord. 

I Am HIGHLY Sensitive

Like the plant, I discovered that I am a Highly Sensitive Person.  My nervous system is literally a rapidly firing machine of awareness.

Now, while this title doesn’t give me an excuse to do anything unbiblical, it is enlightening . . . much like an personality test can be.  Often, we can’t see ourselves until we take a test. The test I took was found in the book,  The Highly Sensitive Person.

In a wonderful ah-ha moment I discovered that I am a highly sensitive person . . . the world’s population is filled with about 20% of us sensitive creatures that respond differently to all sorts of stimuli.  I scored a 21 out of 23.  I am a poster child for the sensitive person.

Misunderstood

For the longest time, I have felt alone, misunderstood, and somehow flawed.  I crave solitude, am affected by intense sounds such as sirens, strange odors, glaring lights, clutter and chaos.  When I walk into a room, I find myself instantly assessing everyone’s mood, body language, and friendships.  I analyze conversations, inflections, and benign statements.  I startle easily, withdraw often, am affected by textures, and rattled by what feels like a circus when multiple people want me to accomplish many tasks.  I fret over mistakes.  I am grieved when I hurt someone or am misunderstood.  I hold onto people’s moods as if playing tug of war with the memory.  Keep violent show away from my eyes. I seek, at all costs, to avoid overwhelming situations. 

This is me. 

The collective group of sensitive people all deal with these same personality traits.

The Highly Sensitive Person gave me a label that sums up my good and sometimes annoying character traits.  This was refreshing to me.  I am finding new freedom to allow margin in my life – like getting a Happy lamp, reading a book and returning to book club, blogging on my personal blog, and connecting with some mom’s in a transparent relationship daily. 

And this year, knowing this has helped me accept how I am wired, love my highly sensitive child in a new way, and make concessions for my kiddo and I so that we too fit into the life of a busy family.

Are you highly sensitive?  How do you turn your sensitivity into a beautiful life lived?

• Order an adult Mimosa pudica plant here.
• Grow your own heirloom Mimosa pudica plant.
• Or can I say homeschool fun with this Tickle Me Greenhouse kit?!
• Take the Highly Sensitive Person test

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