Life is Calling You to Embrace Your Intense, Insightful, Introspective Path(s)

photo courtesy of Jeremy Thomas, Unsplash

“Your unusual life path is a summon from Life.  Intense people are positioned to be the game-changers, the truth-tellers, and the fierce lovers of the world. By nature, you are the pioneers and the questioners and the progressives whose role in the world is to bring forth the realities which others do not yet see or understand.  You can deny it, fight it, but in the end, you would not be able to deny or suppress your unique insights and perspectives. Although you might not have chosen this path, it is your path.”  Imi Lo* 

It is not a mistake that you are here now. You with your glowing rainforest mind. You may think that you don’t belong here. That you’re a great pretender. Certainly not a “game-changer” or “truth teller.” You may feel small, insignificant, not particularly super intelligent. Overpowered by what looks like reality. Unable to trust your heart. To express what’s obscured by your fears.

But, my darling, Life is calling you to stop hiding. Life wants you to shine your light. Life says, what have you got to lose? 

Easy for Life to say.

You may feel that you have a lot to lose. I understand. Losing control comes to mind. Safety. Financial stability. Hair products. You may be anxious. There’s a lot of that going around these days. Fear of ridicule. Of loneliness. Of failure. Of success. Of politicians. Did I mention loss of control?

And, if you’ve grown up in a chainsaw family, well, you might not even know that you have “unique insights and perspectives” to suppress. You might think you’re just a freak, a weirdo, or a lost cause. You might have to battle depression, disabling anxiety, or chronic pain. You might need safety and control because you had neither growing up.

But Life has a plan for you.

And there is no better time to open to it than right now. Because you are needed. Your compassion. Your questions. Your sensitivities. Your curly free-range hair. Your vision. Your sense of humor.

And even though you might feel an urgency to act, it’s OK to take it slow. To be cautious. This is not about retraumatization. This is beyond time. This is about knowing the Truth of who you are. Feeling into that knowing. Becoming yourself. Being on your particular path(s). Not the path of your parents. Or their parents. Not the path of your Facebook friends. Or the uncurious. Or the surface-skimmers.

Your path(s). Your you-ness. The deep dive track. The intensely introspective route. The I’m-going-in-and-not-sure-if-I’ll-survive-it road.

Because whether you know it or not, “you are positioned to be [one of] the game-changers, the truth-tellers, and the fierce lovers of the world.” You are designed “to bring forth the realities which others do not yet see or understand.” 

Time to answer LIfe’s call.

___________________________________________________

*Imi Lo is a writer and psychotherapist in the UK. Her insightful book, Emotional Sensitivity and Intensity, was published in May 2018. Thank you, Imi.

To my bloggEEs: Just so you know, I wrote this post for myself as well as for you! What do you think? What were your thoughts and feelings as you read this? As always, thank you for being here. Just a little reminder, my book is a good resource for you and your teenage children to help you celebrate and facilitate your deep-diving, intense, introspective, truth-telling, game-changer lives.

 


Author: Paula Prober

I’m a psychotherapist and consultant in private practice based in Eugene, Oregon. I specialize in international consulting with gifted adults and parents of gifted children. I’ve been a teacher and an adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon and a frequent guest presenter at Oregon State University and Pacific University. I’ve written articles on giftedness for the Eugene Register-Guard, the Psychotherapy Networker, Advanced Development Journal and online for psychotherapy dot net, Rebelle Society, Thrive, Introvert Dear, and Highly Sensitive Refuge. My first book, Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Adults and Youth, is a collection of case studies of gifted clients along with many strategies and resources for gifted adults and teens. My second book, Journey Into Your Rainforest Mind: A Field Guide for Gifted Adults and Teens, Book Lovers, Overthinkers, Geeks, Sensitives, Brainiacs, Intuitives, Procrastinators, and Perfectionists is a collection of my most popular blog posts along with writing exercises for self-exploration and insight.

17 responses to “Life is Calling You to Embrace Your Intense, Insightful, Introspective Path(s)”

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  1. cmd1122 Avatar
    cmd1122

    Thank you, again, for another helpful post, Paula. I read it when you posted it and checked out Imi Lo’s blog and really enjoyed reading parts of it (more of that when school is on winter break). I never made the time to comment here that evening and I guess I am doing it now because I have allowed myself to truly embrace creativity this weekend, including making music and writing, which are both paths that I am working to pursue more actively. I enjoy all your posts even if I only comment on a select few. 😊


    1. Paula Prober Avatar
      Paula Prober

      Always good to see you here, cmd1122. And to know that you’re still with us. <3


  2. the glimmering girl Avatar
    the glimmering girl

    ALLL of this. I needed to read this today. Thank you, Paula!


  3. Ro Avatar
    Ro

    [This is about knowing the Truth of who you are. Feeling into that knowing. Becoming yourself. Being on your particular path(s).]

    Important sentiment. Thank you Paula


  4. Carol Avatar
    Carol

    I always need your posts! I love them, and they are truly helpful and empowering. Thank you!!!!


  5. Ariadne Avatar
    Ariadne

    Easy to say, and similar to advice I used to give myself… harder to do.
    I don’t feel like I can take the I’m-going-in-and-not-sure-if-I’ll-survive-it road… staying away from that road is how I’ve survived this far. And even then, it hasn’t been easy.
    Still, it’s good to hear, so thank you.


    1. Paula Prober Avatar
      Paula Prober

      Ariadne. In my opinion, doing your own courageous work to heal from trauma, to stop abuse in your family line, is a contribution to the whole. To the web in which we’re all connected.


      1. Ariadne Avatar
        Ariadne

        🙂


  6. Kevin Michael Purfield Avatar
    Kevin Michael Purfield

    Very nice Paula my eyes teared


    1. ellabirt Avatar
      ellabirt

      Teary-eyed over here too, Kevin.


  7. L Avatar
    L

    Thank you for this. It’s very relevant to how I feel. However, I can’t get from “A” to “B.” I’ve been aware for a long time I need to take a different path, and have been trying, but it’s not proving possible. At this point in my life, I can’t even really physically accomplish the bare minimum, let alone take on several disparate paths – which is needed in order to survive while pursuing a different one, and there is literally no other option. The desperation and despair is overwhelming.


    1. MaddieM Avatar
      MaddieM

      Same here, L. Overwhelmingly painful.


      1. Paula Prober Avatar
        Paula Prober

        Love to you, too, MaddieM. <3


    2. Paula Prober Avatar
      Paula Prober

      Sending you big hugs, L. And love. <3


  8. southernwriter122051046 Avatar
    southernwriter122051046

    I love your positive message!!


  9. Jessie Avatar
    Jessie

    Paula, thank you for this! This was just the right message for me, for where I am right now. It fits in with my new theme: courage! But balancing courage is that it’s okay not to retraumatize ourselves. My family wasn’t a chainsaw family; rather, I’ve come across them when I’ve ventured away from my family. It’s time to stop hiding from them! But also, there’s no need to continually confront them.


    1. Paula Prober Avatar
      Paula Prober

      That’s right, Jessie. I suspect we all feel an urgency. That we have to fix things right away. But I think self-care is important as we head out into the storm!

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