Hi Jana

Thank you for your kind words of support for my family! ❤️ It is true, life is a test. 😊

You have a beautiful family and your love for them is inspiring. If you ask me, pets count as family too!

I think my resolution will be to spend less time on my phone and more time with the ones I love. And to make sure that everyone feels equally loved.

I really should learn more about the EFT, you are making me curious about it. I’ve never tried it before.

I’m sorry to hear that you were beaten by boys when you were younger. I think you did a really good job healing from your past!

I see, well the experience with your neighbour does sound unexpected and stressful. Sometimes it can take a bit of time to recover from these things. I know that you meditate, do you have any other self-care practices?

Love, peace and best wishes! ❤️🙏

Dear Jana:

I can feel your frustration and it’s understandable that you feel frustrated following these difficulties. What I do before I submit each and every post is, I copy it first, then submit. If it fails to submit, I still have the copy and can re-submit. If a post doesn’t go through because of a link, you can resubmit without the link.

You can also contact the website owner on the matter (HOME=> CONTACT top left of the homepage) and ask for help.

I don’t want tiny buddha to lose you as a contributing member!!

(I will be away from the computer for the rest of the day).

anita

Dear Jana:

I understand the annoying part. I have no technological ability in regard to managing a website (and about almost everything when it comes to computers), but from what I understand, there is a lot of work involved, and it can be overwhelming, particularly with no help.

“On the one hand I enjoy being introvert a lot. I love being alone only with animals, in the woods, in the meadows and tops of the hills. I feel strong connection to nature. It is my world, my healing… And I could write on and on and on“- I feel serene just by reading your words about your experiences in and with nature.

“I like being only with myself because I am peaceful and calm and I am very happy and joyful inside most of my time alone“- you read like a healthy person in every way.

Dear Jana:

You are welcome and thank you for your appreciation and kind words!

“I didn’t know that there was a ‘term’ empath… it seems like it really might be me“- (Online): “Empaths often experience the emotions of others as if they were their own. Due to their ability to absorb emotions, empaths can sometimes feel overwhelmed and drained by intense emotional experiences, both their own and others’. They may need time alone to recharge and regain their emotional equilibrium… Empaths might find it challenging to distinguish between their own emotions and those they absorb from others. This can lead to confusion and difficulty understanding their true feelings”- this reads as if it was written specifically about you!

“It is difficult for me to say if I am oversensitive or empathetic“-I think that you are both: oversensitive (having a heightened responses to stimuli), aka a Highly Sensitive person (HSP) and an Empath. The two terms are related but are not identical.

“I don’t like the sounds that may household appliances make… I don’t like places where there are a lot of lights, loud music, people talking…“- what you described here is the experience of an HSP. Your distress in environments with excessive sensory stimuli, such as bright lights, loud sounds, and bustling crowds are pretty much in the definition of HSPs.

Online advice for HSPs: 1.Use soundproofing techniques (ex., thick carpeting and rugs, foam seals and door panels) or noise-canceling headphones to reduce the impact of noise from neighbors/ street and household noises in particular. 2. Designate a quiet, calm space in your home where you can retreat and recharge when feeling overwhelmed. 3. Schedule regular breaks from technology and the internet to prevent information overload. 4. When possible, avoid crowded and noisy environments. Plan shopping trips during quieter times. 5. Use soft lighting at home and avoid bright, harsh lights.

You responded to the online “You often feel like you don’t fit in” (in regard to empaths) with: “This is laterally my life story. A feeling which I have had in me since I started going to school as a 6 years old“- the feeling of not fitting in is common among Highly Sensitive Persons. Reasons: HSPs experience emotions and process information and experiences, more deeply and intensely than others, leading to a sense of being out of sync with the majority of people around. HSPs can easily feel overwhelmed in environments with lots of stimuli (like loud noises, bright lights, or large crowds), furthering the feeling of being different/ not fitting in.

Personally, I am definitely an HSP. In my case, childhood abuse/ repeated trauma caused me to become hyper-aware (oversensitive) to everything: to sounds, lights, smells, the feeling of clothes on me, the feeling of heat and humidity, the feelings inside my body.. all sensory stimuli within and without. I was highly attuned to my mother’s emotional states, all as a survival mechanism which extended into adulthood. (Fortunately, I am less sensitive to loud noises and the feeling of heat and humidity now than I was ten years ago, partly because I live in a quiet place that is less hot and humid than in places I lived before).

I read online: “The combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as trauma, can shape a child’s sensitivity, making them more attuned to their surroundings and emotions”.

Till next time, take care, Jana!

anita

Dear Jana:

Your journey of self-discovery is truly inspiring. It’s amazing how you’ve come to understand that your sensitivity and introversion are not weaknesses or something to be fixed, but integral parts of your identity. The way you framed your personality traits as something that predate your birth, tied to your genes, nature, or even karma shows a deep level of acceptance, which is so important for personal growth.

The song lyrics you shared resonate deeply with your journey. Returning to oneself and embracing one’s true nature is a powerful message.

Return to innocence is a powerful message to me: It’s what my personal story of getting emotionally sick and then healing is about: starting Innocent (being an innocent young child)===> feeling pervasively guilty/bad ===> reconnecting with my innocent (not-guilty) core.

It’s wonderful that you’ve found clarity and support here, and I’m glad to read that you’re feeling more connected to your real self.

“This affected my mom a lot, maybe more than me… and she always thought I was so small and delicate and quiet because I was premature”- a mother’s expressed attitude and perceptions of her child get internalized by the child, and become part of the child’s self-identity and behavior. Also, a mother who sees her child as fragile and delicate might adopt overly protective behaviors. This can limit the child’s exposure to normal challenges and stressors, reinforcing sensitivity and introversion.

The emotional climate created by a mother’s attitude can significantly impact a child’s development. If the mother is anxious, overprotective, or consistently worried about her daughter’s (or son’s) fragility, the daughter may become more sensitive to her environment and more aware of emotional cues.

Interestingly, I was born small and delicate myself. My mother had an eating disorder that caused her to be significantly underweight all through her pregnancy with me, leading to a breech birth and me being significantly smaller than all of my peers throughout middle school. She used to tell me about my unusual birth being traumatic to her. She also told me that every time I fell, or coughed or whatever, she’d rush me to the medica clinic, so often that she was told there to stop showing up with me “for every little thing”. I am sure that the young me internalized her attitude and perception of me (only a few minutes ago, I felt pain in my knee and worried that that pain means that I will not be able to walk anymore)!

“What is important to me today is that it is not something negative, bad, unwanted… something that has to be fixed… as it has been presented to me all my life“- you are reframing your traits from being seen as negative to recognizing them as positive aspects of your identity. This shift is crucial for personal growth and self-esteem.

Your post is a heartfelt reflection on your journey from feeling misunderstood and needing to be “fixed” to embracing your true self. It illustrates the transformative power of self-acceptance.

Thank you for sharing your story and insights. Keep embracing your true self, and know that your sensitivity and introversion are strengths that make you who you are.