We’ve all heard the old adage…Choose your battles wisely. As a highly sensitive person, I’ve always vigorously believed in this philosophy because I know the emotional and physical toll that conflict can unleash on my mind and body! However, I must admit that it isn’t always obvious to me which battles are worth fighting. The conflicts I struggle with the most are those where I know I am “in the right.” Like many HSPs, I have a strong sense of justice and feel the need to punish wrongdoers.

I was faced with just this type of conflict when my wife and I moved into our new home in Missouri. After a disastrous experience with a long-distance moving company, I spent the first hours in our new home plopped down on the floor…in utter exhaustion and almost boiling over with anger! Not only was I surrounded by mountains of boxes…but also damaged furniture, broken glass, and other ruined belongings! As we unpacked, we would be assessing our damages. I was terrified of what we would find! This was definitely NOT what I had expected to feel after accomplishing our multi-year goal of moving 950 miles halfway across the country. (more…)

After a grueling, multi-year effort to meet our goal of moving halfway across the country to be closer to our daughter, I hoped to put all of that stress behind me. At first, this seemed to be the case…you wouldn’t believe the sense of relief I felt over finally being in our new home! But unfortunately my “reckoning” was on its way. It would come in the form of getting sick and then having to spend MANY months navigating a complex medical establishment in order to restore my health. (more…)

Dealing with the healthcare system can be a real headache, especially for highly sensitive people! In order to get quality and timely care, you have to be assertive…and sometimes downright aggressive! While most of us aren’t fond of conflict, it’s sometimes more important to fight for yourself than to feel comfortable in a situation. The wise advice my late mother once gave me comes to mind, “Speak up…or be left behind!”

In my last post, I wrote about how I ran myself ragged when I didn’t manage my stress during a grueling, multi-year effort to meet our goal of moving halfway across the country. I pushed myself way too hard…a terrible mistake that cost me my health for nearly two years! I would spend MANY months navigating a complex medical establishment in order to recover my health.

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