Hello Kindred Spirit,

I hope you are well and taking care! Here are some things I wanted to share with you this time:

1. Highly Sensitive People, Perfectionism & a George Orwell Quote. As highly sensitive people, we pay attention to subtle details. But this natural tendency can sometimes become laser-focused on our own shortcomings, our own missteps. 

2. If you are a Highly Sensitive Person who likes "safe thrills" like rollercoasters & tend to get bored easily, you might also be a High Sensation Seeker. While this sounds like a contradiction, around 30% of highly sensitive people are also high sensation seekers. How do we balance these two sides?  

3. I have been reading When is it Ok to Lie? (I love the way Martha Beck writes. Funny, insightful & astute at the same time), Wendell Berry's Poetic Antidote to Despair, and A Good Time to be a Pack Rat. (I'd rather call myself a magpie :))  

4. Looking for a lift? Try My Modern Met's YouTube channel to explore the world of creativity, Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine YouTube channel for fun & engaging videos, or The Good News Podcast for some good news!  

5. Do you have sensitive kids or love picture books yourself? Yuval Zommer has some beautiful picture books. If you have a kid who is a perfectionist, you'll enjoy The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes. If you are a highly sensitive introvert, check out this list of 15 Books for Introverts.

6. It's Women's History Month here in the U.S. If you feel guilty setting boundaries as a woman, it's well worth thinking how it hasn't been all that long since women got the same rights as men. Here's an amazing video from 1913 of Emily Davison throwing herself in front of racing horses at a derby as part of the fight to get British women the right to vote.   

7. Many of us have been sheltering in place for a year! Reading online diaries from the Pandemic Journaling Project might make you feel less alone. Stanford researchers identify four causes for "Zoom fatigue" & their simple fixes, such as using the "Hide Self View" button.

8. I am working on my upcoming book for sensitive, intuitive writers. These are some of the lovely authors I have talked to. Here's something fun I learned from Elizabeth Spann Craig! There are new Hercule Poirot mysteries because Agatha Christie's estate gave permission for new books to be written by bestselling author Sophie Hannah. Purists may balk, but I think it's a tribute to Christie!  

9. EVENT ALERT: This weekend, March 20 & 21, register to attend the FREE Global Highly Sensitive Men's Summit Experience. Whether you are a highly sensitive man or someone with a sensitive man in their life, you'll find this summit helpful.   

10. Highly Sensitive People and the Struggle with Boundaries: Setting boundaries can feel like a struggle and even like an aggressive act to some sensitive folks. Thinking about boundaries in two ways -- as fences and as containers might help.   

That's it from me this time. I hope you take good care and dip into some beauty that can, as Wendell Berry tells us, renew us in moments of exhaustion.    

With love,

Ritu