1. I have very strong convictions and core values, and get very passionate about defending and not compromising them
2. I have a vivid imagination and daydreaming is my favorite coping mechanism next to music
3. I am very naive
4. Possibly related to that, I believe in twin souls and epic love stories
5. I am fascinated by the dynamics of interpersonal relationship
6. I have an insatiable need to connect with other people
7. Encouraging people comes as easily as breathing to me
8. Words of affirmation is my "love language"
9. Words are incredibly important to me, they have huge power to heal and the same power to hurt. I remember the best and worst of them with perfect clarity
10. Related to that, I am the thinnest skinned person I know and I thought it would have gotten thicker by now
11. I cannot take teasing at all. Ever. It makes me angry, defensive, and will often make me cry. Still.
12. It is a huge struggle for me to not take everything personally
13. I am embarrassingly transparent with my emotions and have to fight like hell to guard them
14. I am incredibly angered when I feel condescended to or made to feel that my emotions are not valid
15. Questioning my integrity also makes me very angry
16. It takes a lot to make me give up. If I walk away from a relationship, you have done irreparable damage
17. If I seem happy and peaceful, I am, in that moment, and will only put up a facade if a social situation requires it. I don't have the talent for or the emotional endurance for a mask.
18. I would rather be alone than have to pretend around people
19. I become very anxious and withdrawn when I am under stress, and it is very opposite of how I am normally
20. I may make hasty decisions and say very hurtful things when I have been hurt badly out of self preservation
21. When I get really angry, I can't think straight or speak rationally. My brain won't work if I'm enraged, I have to calm down and lower my blood pressure before I can express how I actually think and feel.
22. I will apologize quickly to resolve conflict, and forgive easily, usually long before the other person has asked for forgiveness.
23. I need frequent feedback from my friends that I am being a good friend to them. My depression makes me self-focused and I don't want to let them down or make them feel like I am too overwhelmed to be there for them
24. I value authenticity and transparency highly, and am the most vulnerable in return with those friends who have been real and vulnerable with me. Trusting me in that way is the highest compliment, and I won't fear rejection from you when I trust you back.
25. I am a very loyal friend to those who have made me believe I am important to them
These self revelatory tidbits brought to you by Mamakat's writing prompt:
"If you really knew me, you would know that...."
Posts
Thank you for sharing those pieces of yourself.
ReplyDelete15?
ME TOO.
I feel like I am reading a mirror!
ReplyDeleteI relate to so many of those. And often times when I cry, it's because I am so angry, and it is mistaken for hurt.
I love you for your honesty. I haven't "known" you for long but this is exactly how I see you and to me it doesn't seem weak or bad, it seems authentic. You know yourself, and that's a huge strength.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could hide my feelings better sometimes...
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! I love pieces that let us get to know each other better.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I relate to so many of the things on your list!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving reading the facts people are posting about themselves. It reminds me that even if we live in different places, and may not even know each other in real life, we can still have so much common ground!
ReplyDeleteIt seems that blogging is a good outlet for you to share your words since they seem to mean a lot for you.
ReplyDeleteI like 3 and 4, totally me too!!
ReplyDelete(((hugs))) You definitely know yourself!
ReplyDeleteI believe in twin souls and epic love stories, too!
ReplyDeleteAnd based on the comment you made on my blog, I can sense that you genuinely are a real cheerleader -- I felt immensely encouraged by your comment.
I'm looking forward to connecting with you!
Wow - so many of these could be written about me! Especially # 11 - I have never been able to tolerate teasing in any form.
ReplyDeleteAnd # 22 - have never liked any sort of confrontations.
Thanks so much for visiting my blog today and commenting! Hope you'll stop by again soon!
Thank you for sharing these pieces of yourself. I can really relate to the ones about friendship. I don't collect friends but have a few, really great friends that I trust. Trust is difficult for me. Great post!
ReplyDeleteso few people truly understand the power of their words. and you have a huge gift if affirmation and encouragment is second nature, i hope you recognise it as this. your post was beautiful especially 'I don't have the talent for or the emotional endurance for a mask.' i loved that. jane xx
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about teasing as well. JUST NOT NICE! Thank you for sharing this and for allowing us to get to know you better!
ReplyDeleteNow that you've read #8 and #9, you know that I appreciate my readers' words very much. :)
ReplyDeleteI was feeling pretty brave when I wrote this. Like many other times when I have posted in that frame of mind, I re-read what I've posted and I get scared of my own transparency. I'm fighting the urge to pull this back into draft, but reading your comments is reassuring. Thank you.
I loved this prompt! It inspired us to go so many ways with it. You too were very brave for putting the real you out there.
ReplyDeleteI am so lovin your site,
ReplyDeleteJeepers, I think we are kindred spirits. I can relate to a lot of what you have said, feel like I really know you now.
ReplyDeleteAlrighty then! I can't pick one out because I connect with all 25. Had I made my list longer I bet ours would have overlapped like a Venn diagram and crowded in the middle.
ReplyDelete12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18.....yes, yes, yes, and yes. Probably others too...but these are the ones that got me all emotional.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot of myself here, for sure - and you are a brave person for being so transparent with us!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I'm not the only naive one. I feel so fun when people get me. Someday....:-)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry about that. I incorrectly posted something. :)
ReplyDeleteJenna, first, thank you so much for posting on my blog, too, and for following me. As soon as I write this comment, I will follow you, too.
I agree, we are very much kindred spirits. SO many of the things you posted up there resonated with me. When I give, I give fully, and when it is betrayed, it is like a lock was engaged and the key thrown away, never to be seen again, or at least, not for a very long time. I am working on this. Trust is very hard for me.
Thanks again for writing to me and I hope that you have a great night!
I just discovered a woman, Judith Orloff - a psychiatrist who wrote a book called "Emotional Freedom". In it she said in an interview, she categorizes us into Intellectuals, Empaths, Gushers and Rock.
ReplyDeleteWe can be a bit of each one (isn't that always the case!) but she really described an "Empath" - possibly because she is one, the interviewer was one and lots of the rest of us are one - to varying degrees.
(Each type is completely essential in this world and we need not be apologetic for who we are or how sensitive.)
Here are the traits:
Overly sensitive, sensitive to noise, smells and people around talking too much.
Tend to be a recluse.
Relationships are scary.
We have deep connections with people and nature.
We need our own space. Alone time is very important.
Require less medication than others since we respond so quickly and fully to anything we ingest.
We need to make sure people don't encroach on us.
We need loving, kind boundaries to look after ourselves.
We need to learn to interrupt people who over-talk so we can leave.
We need to stop picking up others' emotions. They are not ours and we are not responsible for how they feel. Especially when we run into a Gusher who overtalks every issue and bleeds on the world. (my words).
So if you are another Empath, may you find your simple techniques that save your soul from feeling crushed and bruised!!
Hi Jenna, I can't find another way to contact you, so didn't know where to post this for you. I hope it is ok to post it here.
ReplyDeleteYou have been chosen as a recipient of the Versatile Blogger Award. To claim your award, please visit:
http://randomthoughtsbysuzanne.blogspot.com/2011/04/versatile-blogger-award.html.
Congratulations and have a wonderful day!
Your sis in Christ,
Suz