I Might Be A Lot, But I Am Never Yours to Take

I might be a lot, but I am never yours to take.

Curiosity has sparked, and I am certain I am not the only Highly Sensitive person who has experienced this... We are in relationship (with friends, partner, family, coworkers, etc), getting comfortable, being more ourselves, and we hear the dreaded, “You're a lot to take”. It's that heart crushing moment when someone in your life tells you that you are simultaneously “too much” yet “not enough”. Many times I've experienced this moment. It comes at the peak of my vulnerability, just as I've nestled myself into a comfy place between sharing my heart & soul, and being honest about the big emotions I struggle to embrace, each day.

But pay close attention to their words and notice a monumental flaw in that sentence... “You're a lot TO TAKE”. Who said I am yours to take? Who gave you the idea that I was anything other than my own person. Highly Sensitive, yes. Feels on a big scale, and to a level some people might describe by using the words “a lot”, absolutely. But never am I here to be taken.

If I give you my energy, presence and time, consider it a gift. Use the words “a lot” to describe how much I care, how excited I get about little things, how much beauty I see in the world, how deeply I laugh, the amount I care for the people around me (aka. The WORLD!) Know that with my “a lot – ness”, aka my BIGNESS, comes the depth of the shadow emotions as well. I will feel sadness, and express it in a way you may not understand. I can feel the pain of the world around me, and I may request some comfort, or some time to comfort myself.

If my bigness scares you, know that I don't think any less of you. I respect you just the same, and would appreciate that same consideration. If my bigness makes you uncomfortable, that's not permission to beat me up with judgement, but an invitation to retreat to your comfort zone.

Do that with respect and I will respect you with all the depth that my bigness allows. And THAT is A LOT.

However, if you're ready to step outside the comfort zone, exploring your own bigness, then I will meet you, happily, and will guide you to the place within that knows no bounds.
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I might be a lot, but I am never yours to take. Curiosity has sparked, and I am certain I am not the only Highly Sensitive person who has experienced this... We are in relationship (with friends, partner, family, coworkers, etc), getting comfortable, being more ourselves, and we hear the dreaded, “You're a lot to take”. It's that heart crushing moment when someone in your life tells you that you are simultaneously “too much” yet “not enough”. Many times I've experienced this moment. It comes at the peak of my vulnerability, just as I've nestled myself into a comfy place between sharing my heart & soul, and being honest about the big emotions I struggle to embrace, each day. But pay close attention to their words and notice a monumental flaw in that sentence... “You're a lot TO TAKE”. Who said I am yours to take? Who gave you the idea that I was anything other than my own person. Highly Sensitive, yes. Feels on a big scale, and to a level some people might describe by using the words “a lot”, absolutely. But never am I here to be taken. If I give you my energy, presence and time, consider it a gift. Use the words “a lot” to describe how much I care, how excited I get about little things, how much beauty I see in the world, how deeply I laugh, the amount I care for the people around me (aka. The WORLD!) Know that with my “a lot – ness”, aka my BIGNESS, comes the depth of the shadow emotions as well. I will feel sadness, and express it in a way you may not understand. I can feel the pain of the world around me, and I may request some comfort, or some time to comfort myself. If my bigness scares you, know that I don't think any less of you. I respect you just the same, and would appreciate that same consideration. If my bigness makes you uncomfortable, that's not permission to beat me up with judgement, but an invitation to retreat to your comfort zone. Do that with respect and I will respect you with all the depth that my bigness allows. And THAT is A LOT. However, if you're ready to step outside the comfort zone, exploring your own bigness, then I will meet you, happily, and will guide you to the place within that knows no bounds. #highlysensitive

A post shared by Erin Stephanie (@_erinstephanie_hsp) on Jul 12, 2017 at 3:18pm PDT