You Were Never Broken (A Letter to the Sensitive Soul)

For those of us who have spent years feeling like our minds operate differently from everyone else, the revelation can feel like finding a missing puzzle piece, only to realise the picture is not what we expected. We may have believed everyone else navigated the world with ease while we struggled, or worse, that there was something fundamentally wrong with us. We internalised a story of not measuring up, of needing constant fixing.

But hear this: you were never broken. You were always, and have always been, inherently enough - whole, unique, and worthy exactly as you are.

The realisation that your nervous system responds intensely, that your days require conscious effort to find steadiness, can bring a confusing grief. You may resent that regulating yourself doesn’t come naturally, that it takes practice, patience, and repetition. It’s okay to mourn the ease you perceive in others. Feel that grief. Honor that sadness. But do not mistake it for fault.

This is not your failure; it is your responsibility.

And it is within that responsibility that we find strength. We show up, not because we always want to, but because the practice itself makes us more capable, resilient, and grounded. This is why community is essential, a sanctuary of mutual understanding where belonging doesn’t require conformity. We can be fully ourselves.

This is not a quick fix or a story we tell ourselves. Regulation is a lifelong journey, a daily returning to our foundations, a continual process of understanding, adapting, and learning to embrace the beautiful, complex person we have always been.