I wrote a shorter version of this post over a year ago. Since then, I have changed so much, mostly because I embraced this concept so I felt it would be helpful to some of you who are still struggling with it. Enjoy!

I have taken relaxation and rest so seriously that I am now reconsidering everything in my life. One day, while I was contemplating beautiful sun rays sparkling on the water, I realized that I was living from a completely different mindset than the one I was aiming for.

I love peace and bliss, but I was looking at it from a disconnected place; hence, my actions were reflecting this and I wasn’t aware of it.

The new concept is more connected to balance in the sense that my inner world feels more grounded and it is easier to make supporting choices from this space.

Those sparkling sun rays on the lake taught me a lot about my nervous system and the need for slowing down, allowing the universe to provide for me without entering exhaustion, while learning to stay soothed, no matter what.

I thought I knew what slowing down meant, or how to feel soothed, but I didn’t. My mind, left on its own, is too chaotic and bubbly and it just goes up and down, here and there, everywhere, losing serenity.

These days, all that I’m doing is doing nothing.

Il Dolce Far Niente - “The Sweet Doing Nothing,” as the Italians so exquisitely say, means literally just being lazy enough to enjoy yourself, for the sake of relaxation and regeneration only. A notion that doesn’t agree with modern times and societies that are in a hurry, chasing more productivity and efficiency.

We were not taught that relaxation is the pause between breaths, and that everything in nature is cyclic and has ups and downs.

We were never supposed to be “on” all day long.

It is no wonder that our mental health suffers so much, because even breaks now feel like a rush of adrenaline that doesn’t allow us to truly rest, like:

binge watching thrillers, negative news or competitive sports

playing fast paced video games

booking a vacation with back to back trips, planes and must-see lists that leave you exhausted

clubbing and partying hard

pushing through intense gym sessions

doomscrolling

turning every creative project into something that needs to be monetized.

It is through these moments of empty space and nothingness that new creative ideas and offerings can come. It is through ease and restoration of the body and soul (especially for sensitive people) that we can be open enough to receive more.

In my own experience, hard work never got me anywhere. I got sick and I lost everything I built every single time I gave my all to a cause. Maybe it was because my desires came from my head and not from the heart, or maybe it was because I am normally a very hard worker. Or both.

I didn’t know how to take breaks. I remember that even when I was little, I used to find sleep extremely boring and useless because I was wasting time in bed being unaware, instead of doing something like reading or playing.

But now, after years of learning not to push and how to let things just be, I think I am finally embracing the gifts of doing nothing.

The more I rest and have no plan for the day—except for my usual meals, walking and creativity routines—the more open I feel to receive goodness.

Hard work makes no sense to me now. Not only because of how my body reacts to it, but also because it doesn’t flow well with the energy; it just feels off and as if I am swimming against the current.

Whenever I force myself to do it, I lose my serenity, my focus on myself, and sometimes I also lose my health. By welcoming spaciousness in my day and just resting in it, without the need to do anything in that moment, I feel that I am more true to myself and I also welcome more abundance.

Pushing through made me angry, resentful, or sad. Doing nothing makes me feel open, receiving, calm, and blissful. It is difficult these days to take me out of this serene vibration because I am always aiming for it and I make all of my decisions from this place.

Is writing this piece for Substack aligned with my inner flow or not?

Is this situation making me feel more connected to my calmness, or not?

Is this meeting aligned with my aim for FLOW?

Is this conversation contributing to my peace and regeneration?

Is this person supportive of my need for bliss and genuine connection?

I would not be able to ask myself such questions if I did not rest so much in the space of nothingness and freedom to just be me.

When I have a clearer state of mind that I want to be in at all times, the answers come easily and I have less need to explain myself to others who usually don’t get me anyway. I don’t live in a bubble, though; I am open to connection, but I have very strong boundaries dictated by my need for peace.

The interesting thing about doing nothing is that so many surprising gifts are coming in with it:

• There is more time to digest my thoughts and emotions and reflect upon my day.

• More slowing down naturally, because I am not focusing on anything in particular and I can take my time with everything.

• More savoring of the moment because now I have enough space and time to witness, contemplate, process, and absorb things through all of my senses.

• More insights and solutions; a new way of looking at things that I didn’t see before.

• More peace about who I am and not needing to defend myself anymore.

• More creativity for the sake of it, instead of doing it with a specific goal in mind or to please others.

• More intuition, because I am more aware, I listen within more, and I have enough space to receive insights.

• More abundance, receiving more, because I am in my Feminine state.

• More trust in the universe and in my natural sensitive design.

The Dolce Far Niente is truly magic and I hope it never ends, unless I won’t need it anymore and I am fully balanced, grounded, and restored. There is so much power in this nothingness and I feel that I am just at the beginning of noticing its gifts.

What do you do when you need replenishment? Do you allow yourself to simply be?

Photos source - Pinterest

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It’s not easy as an introverted and highly sensitive person who loves nature and quiet, but it’s not impossible either.

I don’t go out much like I used to, because my life changed immensely in the last eight years or so.

I thought there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t go partying like I used to.

And then the pandemic came.

was forced to stay indoors or go outside only for shorter periods of time. To my surprise, I noticed how much I loved this. I loved being alone; I loved watching the empty streets and listening to the silence outside where there were no cars anymore and no people passing by.

Everyone thought I was weird. Many stopped talking to me, which suited my needs even better. When the pandemic began to release its grip, I was already settled in my introverted routine and began looking for new things to do in Bucharest for my new lifestyle choices.

I couldn’t go to hard rock concerts anymore or clubbing - not because I didn’t like it (I still crave it to this day), but because I knew that the damage to my nervous system would be too big. From my experience, I knew it would take me several days to readjust, plus wasted nights full of insomnia and feeling wired.

So instead, I chose to attend classical concerts - relaxing ones, like piano or violin recitals - or rarely, an opera or ballet, provided they were not too dramatic and they happened during the day instead of the evening.

Before the pandemic, I was always looking for any creative outlet where I could be part of a group of people who loved doing things together, like mosaic classes, pottery classes, drumming, dancing salsa, improvisation, acting drama, and so on.

But now I know that these activities would be way too much for my highly attuned senses. Loud noises, lots of people chatting all at once, bright lights and colors, being forced to answer on the spot in acting or improvisation - these would be way too demanding.

Don’t get me wrong—like most HSPs, I felt weakened in the beginning because I couldn’t do what extroverts and less sensitive people can. But in time, I realized that becoming highly intuitive, psychic, and able to spot even the slightest subtleties in my environment it was happening exactly because my nervous system was so delicate. So I started to appreciate it deeply.

So, to come back to my story and how much I missed gathering with others, I realized I needed a new creative outlet or a 180 degrees change in perspective.

That’s how I found a group where people were coming to spend time in silence together, either making art (like Drawing From The Right Brain classes) or practicing Tai Chi (in nature, for free, right across my street).

The other creative option I found was to visit different museums with art collections where silence is required and one can sit on a bench and simply take all the beauty in, or make some sketches, while being with others.

There is something magical about places such as museums. They require quiet and decorum. People who visit them tend to be educated in some way, and they behave respectfully. It always reminds me of olden times, when politeness was mandatory in society.

Anyway, my priorities have changed a lot in the last few years.

When I go downtown, which is not very far from my home, I love looking at all the beautiful buildings and their architectural styles. When I need some rest, I always choose a high-end luxury hotel to sit in the lobby, have my tea, or write an article.

I cannot write in coffee shops because the smell is too unsettling for me and gives me insomnia, but a quiet luxury lobby is always a good choice. Very few people sit there during the day, and the service is exquisite.

If I find beauty and a secluded space to rest, then I’m happy, because beauty and high standards soothe my nervous system; they help me feel safe.

I also love places like this beautiful, old library, which is strikingly elegant. It has a lovely spot to have tea on the top floor, where I can take a book and just sit there, lost in the pages while the world hums quietly below me.

There are usually many foreigners in such places and I love that.

Its always nice to connect with people from other countries and exchange opinions.

I also realized that by choosing these places - classical concert halls in old palaces, art museums, or 5-star hotel lobbies to drink my tea - I am intentionally choosing to be around people who share higher values and are often more refined than those frequenting clubs and hard rock concerts. Not that there is something wrong with that, but the vibes are much more soothing for my brain. The conversations are more pleasant, and there is always a certain sense of courtesy involved.

And then there’s nature. Always nature.

It is my daily sanctuary of peace, full of wise teachings and beauty.

Even though I can’t go to the mountains or take trips to the seaside or the Danube Delta as I used to, I still feel privileged to have the largest and most beautiful park in Romania near my house. It has a lake and plenty of birds and wild creatures that are fascinating to watch.

Sometimes I take my notebook and make sketches or paint what I see. People love coming by to watch my creative process, and some of them even start sharing their own projects with me.

Other times, I sit in a restaurant with a view over the lake and sip my tea, enjoying my leisurely time after a 90 minutes walk around the lake.

On my way to the park each morning, especially on weekends, I love taking a stroll down the boulevard. It is full of old aristocratic mansions, several palaces and a castle, an old school, the oldest restaurant in Bucharest, and several churches and museums—all with stunning facades built 100 to 250 years ago.

Every building has its own character and story; to me, they feel like humans who have lived long lives and witnessed so many changes. Regardless, they fill my heart every single time.

Since they are so close to me, I’ve come to know their stories and characters by heart. Sometimes I take a scrumptious snack with me, sit on a bench, and simply allow myself to take it all in - especially during early weekend mornings when the streets are empty, the only sound I hear is birds chirping, and the air is fresh.

I come home rejuvenated and fulfilled, ready to face the next week.

What about you? Do you also live in a city but crave quiet and nature?

What is your routine to make you feel nourished?

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In fact, slow travel is a term invented especially for HSPs and introverted people. It describes their need for less stimulation and a slower pace.

This often involves visiting secluded areas, to feel the spaciousness and detachment from the world, or those closer to home, because traveling by plane is never regarded as true slow traveling for multiple reasons.

Living in Europe as a Romanian, I had the privilege to visit 17 countries so far, but the journeys themselves were not always the most peaceful, exactly because they involved planes or driving long hours while racing on highways, which are really fast in EU.

That being said, traveling to Bali or Japan to soothe yourself, does not equate to slow traveling at all.

The amount of energy you lose as an introvert and empath in airports, then adjusting yourself to a different time zone (both when you arrive and when you return), is enough to leave you completely exhausted and, quite frankly, disconnected from yourself.

Which is why, in the last years I’ve always preferred traveling as light as possible, to decrease any effects of a difficult and long journey on my nervous system.

I personally adore the south of France (Provence area) and Tuscany hills in Italy, but since it is not always possible to visit them by car or train, most of the times I prefer traveling to my most beloved place in Romania -Transylvania.

As a foreigner, you may have heard of this area through the story and movies about Dracula, connected to the Bran Castle*. But we Romanians, joke about this sometimes, because it is based on a fantasy novel and is not at all real for us.

Anyway, there are so many beautiful places in Transylvania that fill up my heart, and this is what I would like to talk about today.

So let me show you how I am traveling slow, as a sensitive person and introvert, how I plan my routes and how I take care of myself to maintain a nurturing routine even when I am on a trip, alone or with others.

First of all, as you have already guessed, I would choose countryside areas, small towns or remote mansions and castles to stay in, simply because the atmosphere is more idyllic and relaxing.

Most of the time I prefer to travel alone, not only because I am sensitive or an introvert, but because I really don’t like it when others are deciding for me where to go, what to eat, where to stay and for how long.

So I always try to choose the best options available for someone like me and when they don’t exist, I simply send an email to the administrators of the place I’d like to visit, asking if they can accommodate my needs.

You may wonder, what needs?

Well, first of all, specific foods. I eat grain free, dairy free, sugar free, high protein meals. I don’t drink alcohol and I need to have my own room. If there are any organized trips from the location, I ask them if I can be alone with only the guide or if there are any breaks during the program so I can fully relax in solitude. I also ask if they can pick me up from the train station by car, alone. And if they can give me the room with the most calming design (muted colors) and window views.

That’s a lot, but I know from my own experience that when these demands are not fulfilled, I am not happy and I may come back at home angry and resentful.

It’s definitely not easy to travel as an empath, but in the last years I found that it is also not impossible.

Whenever I travel by train or with a group, I take my earplugs with me so I can listen to soothing music or nature sounds, instead of people chatting or some loud techno music. I always carry some bare essentials in my rucksack, like water, a can of tuna just in case there is no protein available with meals, my vitamins and minerals, a fan for hot summer days, a scarf, a natural disinfectant spray and things like that. Maybe a notebook too and a crayon to draw or write something if I feel like it.

Living in Bucharest, the closest and most beautiful area for me to visit is a place in the mountains called Sinaia. This was the royal summer residence for Romanian monarchy for over 70 years. The small town is quite delightful, there are many old villas as well as a beautiful castle, built around 1890s (shown below).

It’s only a two hour trip by train and I can always leave early in the morning and come back in the evening, after filling myself up with beauty and serenity.

I have my most beloved places to go to, every time I visit Sinaia - a tour of the castle, a delicious lazy lunch on the most beautiful terrace in a luxurious 5 star hotel facing the park, followed by a classical concert in the old casino palace.

Occasionally, there are also festivals featuring vintage automobiles and elegant guests dressed in the fashions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries which feels like stepping into another world.

I always come back home fully rested, well fed by the beauty and elegance I just witnessed, and my soul is in heaven.

Another dear place to my heart, also relatively close to Bucharest, is Brasov, a beautiful old city built by the German minority, with medieval buildings and an ancient church built in in 1389, the first Romanian school built in 1495 (both shown below) and other lovely places to visit and admire.

Whenever I go there (it’s only a 3 hour trip by train), I either choose to listen to a concert in the old cathedral, visit the city, or, I take a trip to the top of the mountains, in a luxurious ski area called Poiana Brasov. Here I eat my lunch and sip a cup of tea watching tourists from a high end hotel balcony.

And then, there are the beautiful Transylvanian areas full of old aristocratic mansions and castles that belonged to the Hungarian minority (which was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire 100 years ago).

THIS is the area that I love the most.

There is so much beauty here. The hills are so calming, the air is so breathable and quiet. You can only hear the distant chime of cowbells ringing. Several rural horse-drawn carriages and only few people on the streets. Rare echoes of voices over the hills. Each village has its own catholic church, usually built around 1700s. The houses are big, with enormous wooden doors, hiding everything behind them. The people are calm and they usually don’t speak Romanian, preferring to use their native Hungarian language.

Here and there, few castles and manors still appear in some of these villages. Their aristocratic owners were forced to leave the country after the WWII and some of these buildings are in desperate need of renovation. Like this sweet castle called Daniel which was such a delight to visit:

Others, have been fully restored and brought back to life and they are now offering the most luxurious stay in areas surrounded by nature, volcanic soils. wineries and thermal healing waters.

Whenever I had the chance to visit this area again, I made sure I was booking one of these luxurious castles in the countryside, simply because this is my dream vacation. I love beauty, I love luxury, I love it when the staff is taking great care of my needs, when there is also an elegant spa and nature abounds all around the property.

However, if I don’t have enough money to book such a place, I prefer not to go, which is what happened lately. The discomfort created by poor services would annoy me too much and it’s not worth it. When this happens, I try to recreate this beautiful atmosphere here and now (at home), with whatever I have available at hand, and I’ll explain how in a future post.

But when I can travel, there are still many other options available for sensitive or introverted people like me.

For example, my last visit in Transylvania happened to be at one of the rural mansions belonging to King Charles.

Being related to our royal family, having a Hungarian ancestor that lived in Transylvania and being a lover of nature, King Charles frequently visits this location and when he is not there, he is opening it to tourists.

I was instantly attracted to his mansions long before he became a king, simply because it is a place exclusively visited by foreigners and only few Romanians go there.

The service is delightful. You may find yourself sharing dinner with Hungarian Counts (Earls) who have recently returned to Romania to reclaim their ancestral estates. The presence of travelers from every corner of the globe, including Australia, the U.S., and New Zealand, as I saw during my last stay, makes this an extraordinary destination. They also offer horseback trails from one village to another, which is a quiet and contemplative way to experience this beautiful area.

The other beautiful thing about this place is that just behind the main mansion there is one of the oldest castles built here in 1560 (shown below) belonging to one of the Counts I met, who is also the trustee of King Charles’s Mansions.

The castle often comes alive with classical concerts and evening soirées, where the music feels like a bridge to another century:

So there they are, some of my favorite places to visit as a slow traveler and highly sensitive person.

But how do I manage encounters as an introvert, you may ask?

Because sometimes, beside dinners together, there are small groups of people organized for specific trips around the area, by the mansion’s administrators.

Well, while others are choosing to drink endless glasses of wine from the famous wineries and chat along, I stay away, usually alone - under a tree, eating my proteins, admiring the stunning landscape and wide spaces, or watching a ladybug landing on my hand.

I know by now, after years of journaling and self reflection, how exhausted I feel after connecting with others and so, I always need to come within to stay glued to myself only.

I do not trouble myself with what others think of me, why I prefer not to drink alcohol, why I don’t stay out late, or why I am an observer instead of endlessly talking. Some people even approach me to ask if I am okay. To which I always reply that I’m an introvert, and this is simply how I feel nourished

Sometimes, I feel that those with a more extroverted nature might miss so much in life, simply because they aren't always able to be fully present to the quiet beauty that is right in front of them.

Anyway, to sum it up, when traveling as a highly sensitive, it all comes down to planning for my needs in a way that ensures I have the most nourishing experience.

It is not easy to travel slow, but it can be done if you know yourself well enough to support yourself.

Journal prompts:

What is truly fueling your heart when you travel?

What would your dream vacation look like as a highly sensitive or introvert?

How can you make it happen by planning it accordingly?

I hope these reflections offered you a sense of permission to travel slow, at your own sensitive pace.

All photos taken by ME

*(I would never recommend visiting Bran Castle to an empath because the vibes inside it are out of the chart, especially in the torture chambers.)

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The more I released fears and blocks around this intention, the more I started to sink deeper into an inner strong vibration that feels like I am becoming my new self, empowered, supported from within, against all odds.

It is because of this feeling that I was pondering yesterday on how others have raised to their highest potential even when they had no outside support and in fact, everyone else was fighting against them, to put them down so that they give up.

I was always fascinated by the true stories of people who found themselves in opposition to their environment, they were oppressed, manipulated, incarcerated, blamed or discredited by others because they were representing a threat to them, and yet, they still found the inner strength, determination, trust in their intuition and faith that propelled them towards success, proving everyone what true power looks like.

Some of these people who came to my mind are QUEENS who had to fight not only for their survival as heiresses but also to show that being a woman doesn’t mean that you are weak as a leader.

• Queen Victoria for example, had to fight her own mother and the comptroller who supervised her, asking her to give up on her right to the throne over and over, every single day, when she was a teenager. Her mother imprisoned her, controlling her and keeping her under a very strict regime in the hope that Victoria may one day surrender.

But she didn’t.

In fact, her mother’s choice against her pushed her further and made her stronger and in some way, prepared her for being one of the best queens of England, creating one of the biggest empires of all times.

Photo by Martti Salmi on Unsplash

• Another example is Catherine of Russia, who had obscure and impoverished German aristocracy traits, sent to be married to a lunatic king who was destroying what his predecessor (Peter The Great) created before him. She arrived to the palace where she was constantly mocked and rejected not only by her husband but by the whole court. No one was supporting her and even her own mother was fighting against her.

Gaining all of her strength she found ways to support herself in a hostile environment and became the most feared empress of her time, conquering battles against other countries, elevating Russia to a level of culture that never existed before, bringing enlightenment to her nation and creating one of the biggest empires in the 18th century.

She never remarried and in my opinion she had to do so because women had no rights at that time, plus, she found a way to have the biggest power available to a feminine leader, so why give it to a man?

She had many lovers, some of them much younger, and her people adored her. They named her Catherine The Great, which is not a small thing for a woman in those times.

But there are also simple people who didn’t live as queens or kings yet they still did their best to raise up and fulfill their highest potential no matter what life threw at them.

• One of these people was Frida Kahlo. She was a painter but this is not why she is famous for actually. Her fame bloomed when people discovered her life story. A life of pain due to an accident that happened when she was very young, which left her with excruciating pain, destroyed her pelvis, forcing her to stay in bed for a very long time after the surgeries. It is during this period that Frida developed her inner strength. While she was lying in bed she was still painting, creating mostly self portraits that were showing up in vivacious colors the pain and also her inner power and desire to recover.

She later became an idol in the art world because of her uncompromising way of telling the truth as it is through her paintings and dealing with themes like identity, human body, trauma and death. Her pain forced her to show up stronger in life and this is truly captured in her art in a way that was never done before. Her trauma pushed her limits to express herself as an artist and made her known for it and for being able to, in spite of all odds, still stand up straight and offer her voice to the world.

• And then Elizabeth I of England came to mind.

If I would have to pick one woman who showed deep inner strength and unshakable trust in her own intuition, it would definitely be her.

I guess that as the daughter of the ruthless Henry VIII who killed several of his wives, changed the church rules to suit his needs and married 6 times, she had to be strong and willful enough to confront her enemies. And so she did, quite masterfully.

She had zero support in the court, all the cards were against her as the heiress of Henry, plus, she was a woman, which was seen less than at that time (but isn’t it strange that this is still true today for women in so many countries?).

She fought them all. She used her intuition to face all the obstacles. And when the church and court members demanded her to marry because no woman should lead without a man, she refused to do so.

There are many stories about her not really being the virgin queen she pretended to be, in fact several people of her time show that she actually had many lovers. But she never made any of them the ruler over her sovereignty.

She was determined to rule England by herself because she knew she had a revolutionary vision of what leadership should look like, and no man would agree with her. And she did the most amazing job as a queen of that period, for decades. Her army became one of the most feared in the 16th century. She conquered new territories and she extended her kingdom. She ruled over 32 countries which was something unbelievable for a female leader of that time.

In a hostile world of men ruled by patriarchal believes in the medieval era and extremely rigid church rules (including religious wars), she succeeded by being the most effective and important leader of that time even if she was a woman.

I just love stories like this. Stories that give me hope that what seems impossible to others may be possible for some of us. Stories that show how a strong female character can end up leading others to their best because she became the best leader within herself first.

Because truth is, to feel SUPPORTED in life (my 2026 word), you need to first SUPPORT yourself.

These of course are stories that are not for the faint of heart. Not for the weak people, for the wishy-washy kind, or those who are afraid to take the reigns of their life in their own hands, even if they are the sensitive ones.

I know that most HSP’s (Highly Sensitive People) are coming across as weak because we do not like confrontations, we love peace and our nervous system is wired differently, making us more fragile in regards to the fighting response to our enemies. We would do anything to maintain a serene atmosphere between us and the rest of the world.

But life is not always peaceful and it always has its ups and downs, struggles and obstacles, which normally happen to anyone to some degree.

So, what should we choose then as sensitive people, to make space for our own sovereignty in this world?

First of all, start seeing your sensitivity as your greatest ally. You can see and sense things that others cannot. If you choose to trust it, your intuition can become your greatest gift. Relying on it can save you years of struggle and set you free from toxic environments and relationships.

Most people do not have this ability to know things that are not visible or tangible yet. But you do, you are highly attuned to your senses.

Yes, we can absorb all the energies around us quite easily, but when we learn to never doubt our intuition, we can then follow it because it is the right thing to do.

For this, a daily spiritual practice of some sorts is key. We need it to anchor ourselves in this inner knowing and the divine guidance. It can be anything that helps you find your inner rock. Some find it in God, some in Nature, others through Creativity or Body wisdom. The possibilities are endless.

The strength of a person comes form finding this inner pillar that supports her deeply even when outside of her no one else believes in her. This pillar can be based on intuition and a very strong connection to a higher power (God, the Universe or the Life Force Energy that runs through all of us). By tapping into these resources when we are navigating deep waters we can find the shore we need, to balance us through facing an argument or a conflict.

It requires a lot of trust and faith (which are two separate things) to do so as well as an inner drive that is compelling a person to move forward in alignment with the truth found inside and through divine connection.

A truth that is hard as iron and can never be destroyed by the opinions of others.

But there are so many others who stayed strong in their conviction against the world.

• Most inventors had to believe in themselves and their so called “stupid” ideas to prove that airplanes can fly, we can reach the Moon, drive cars without horses, have electricity and so forth. All of them were seen as crazy at first but they insisted in what they believed to be true. Some of them succeeded, some of them didn’t, but they still explored the possibilities of staying in their integrity, as much as they could.

• Then there are those who healed themselves miraculously, when doctors told them they have absolutely no chance to do so.

People who believed that the impossible is possible.

Who had to fight others misconceptions and rigid logical rules about how the world works. Think about Galileo trying to prove to the church that the planet Earth is actually not flat, without having access to any of the modern technology tools we have today.

People who were imprisoned or punished for trusting themselves. Who were still standing strong, in front of a community that was blaming them.

Almost all the ideas that were revolutionary at their time proved to be true and possible later, although to the normal people of that era they seemed outrageous.

So what can we learn from all these amazing life stories of others who faced hostility and yet, they still remained strong?

That no matter what, great people and leaders are made of great inner strength. And a well lived life is one based on inner integrity and truth, no matter the consequences. That sometimes we can succeed or not, but nevertheless, it will be a well lived life from the inside out, in congruence with our heart.

How will you choose to live today will create your future. How you choose to show up, think, speak and act now in relationship to the world, is how you are truly contributing to its growth, because you matter.

Tell me about your best choices today and how many other amazing people you heard of, that were standing up for themselves when everyone around them wanted to put them down.

Who inspires you, who gives you wings to soar and trust your mission?

How can YOU become the best leader of your life?

And if you think that you may be too sensitive to become such a strong voice in the world, think again. There are many others who are doing just that.

• A simple example is Merryl Streep, a 3 times Oscar winner actress who is a highly sensitive person. She was told in her youth that she was too ugly to play and she has no talent. Today she is one of the best actresses who also raises her voice against patriarchy and women’s oppression. She shares the truth she believes in without being mean, tough or vulgar, without calling names, in fact she is doing it so calmly but with a tremendous emotional power that only sensitives have, inviting all of us to stop and ponder. You don’t have to be a masculine woman to speak your truth, you can do that in your own thoughtful sensitive way, which sometimes speaks louder than screaming.

• Another example of a sensitive person that comes to mind is famous Rosa Parks, the black woman who changed the world by sitting on a bus, in her quiet, introverted but stubborn way, forcing others in 1950s to reconsider everything about the way they saw black people.

• Another one is famous poetess Maya Angelou and the list goes on and on.

How will YOU choose to show up in the world today?

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You see, you were born this way for a reason, a divine one, if I may say. There are really no mistakes in how our brains are built, simply because each person comes in this life with a different set of skills, to contribute to the whole.

In my case, being neurodivergent and not knowing it until much later in life, put me on the same trajectory with other sensitive people, by either burning myself out (through pushing my nervous system to the edge) or feeling like I couldn’t cope in this chaotic world that demands too much of me at a sensory level.

But we are not here to do things like others or to limit ourselves and dim our light. We, the sensitive ones, have a mission that can only be achieved through making space enough for our sensitivity.

In a world that praises logic, rush and toughness, a world that is dismissing emotions and sees sensitivity as something bad which needs to be suppressed, we have our special place on the pedestal.

It is only through deep sensitivity that we are able to see things others cannot see, feel the vibe of a room or a person, become an artist, a shaman, or a healer, create something new out of the blue (unseen before), and offer the world a completely different perspective on well … mostly everything.

Imagine for a moment what would this world look like if sensitive caring people would rule it. No wars, no conflicts, no aggressive technologies, invasive medical treatments or vulgar advertisements, no religious shaming or racial discord. More harmony and peace.

Your sensitivity is the biggest gift to this world, especially now. You do not have to be immersed in watching terrible news, debating politics or fighting in order to help others. You just need to be yourself, to stay in peace, to continue cultivating your creative life, your serenity and to let this light from the inside to shine bright and illuminate others paths. You will be contributing more to the health of this world by staying in this beautiful vibration that is already easy for you to access, than to fight against it.

Mother Theresa once said “no” to someone who invited her to participate in a march against cancer, to fight along with others. She said: ”if you were inviting me to march PRO health, than I would have joined you because this is the vibration you are actually looking for.”

You cannot fight your way to peace. You can only allow it and be it, embodying it. And only few people on earth are capable of doing that now. But you are one of them, if you remember who you are.

This is your core, as a sensitive person. Your heart and nervous system crave the vibration of serenity to function properly because this is your natural design. And you can only be of service when you admit that coming back to your truth is the best thing you can do for everyone else involved.

So make room for it.

Invite peace into your life. How can you call it in? What activities, what places and environments feel peaceful for you? So much that you can really relax and be yourself?

This may mean that you may need to change your lifestyle and embrace your sensitivity. To detox anything that doesn’t allow peace, to cut off toxic people, let go of a draining job or following a structured routine on a daily basis that truly nourishes you even if it’s boring. But the rewards will be immense. Because your nervous system can only function in this vibration of calmness.

In return for your nurturing care for it, you will discover your true self in a way you never did. Maybe new psychic abilities start to appear, maybe you become more creative, maybe you feel empowered, healthier, or maybe you just finally find your calm and you release depression or anxiety, because now your nervous system is balanced.

It is not your nervous system that needs to adapt to the world, as so many doctors and therapists try to teach us (especially neurodivergent people), it is THE ACCEPTANCE OF WHO YOU ARE at your core and being supportive of your needs.

Just like a special flower (for example the orchid), that needs extreme care to bloom into the most beautiful shapes and colors, you too need to water your roots and nurture your soil with extreme love, or you will never bloom.

Do not think of yourself as someone who is weak or too emotional. You are perfect just as you are. In nature, the butterfly doesn’t wish to be like the bull, it just is, enjoying his lightness of spirit and never wishing to be tougher or have a thicker skin like the bull. They are two different species and they both bring something amazing to this world. So do not try to be like someone else, because you will only go against your nature.

Your sensitivity is an amazing power. This is why you can read someone when they say a lie, but you can also hold so much loving space for the underdog. Your heart is big enough and widely open, to see and feel everything, and this is a blessing. You can use it to enhance your intuition, to offer unconditional love to others in a way they never experienced before, or to create art, to notice beauty, to help the world heal, to channel messages from the spiritual realm, anything is possible with such an amazing heart of yours. All of this is available only because of your extraordinary sensory ability that was placed by God into your beautiful heart.

The secret is to not doubt yourself or your power. Do not believe those who are telling you that there must be something wrong with you, simply because they do not understand you and they don’t have access to similar abilities. Instead, choose to be on your side always, to support yourself so that your gifts can sprout and grow in safety.

To do that with ease and provide a safe haven for your precious nervous system, you can read more about my peaceful recommendations here and here.

You can also check my RESOURCES page where I listed some of the books that helped me heal and grow as a neurodivergent person.

Subscribe now to receive the FREE Guides in pdf format “My word for 2026 and how to manifest yours at a sensory level” and “How to access your intuition”.

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Thank you so much for reading.

Writing these posts takes time and even though I love doing it, it requires a lot of energy to put thoughts on paper and choose images that speak to me. What keeps me going though is knowing how much it means to so many of you to read these essays. If you enjoyed this post or the previous ones, I would love you to help me get them out into the world. If you have any friends who you think might enjoy them, please do feel free to share these with them. It would mean a lot to me. Thank you again for your support.

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