For as long as I can remember, I have been told I am intuitive. It was far from a gift when I was younger. I was a sensory sponge, picking up on the said and the unsaid. If there was tension, I felt it. And there was plenty of tension where I grew up

My deep emotional capacity and tendency to overanalyze everything made life exhausting. However, I was not aware of an alternative. I felt isolated, alone, and weird.

When I was twenty-two years old, having just started my first job out of college, I had a revelation. I was working in downtown San Francisco in an administrative job. I worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for 52 weeks without vacation. There was no time for navel-gazing. I just worked.

One Saturday, I was walking on Ocean Beach, shrouded in fog. My mind was blank. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I could not remember the last bout of emotional angst. I had not pondered my purpose, aspired to personal growth, or empathized with others who were suffering.

In that moment, I realized I could live a balanced life that included laughter, hard work, and periodic, chosen disconnection from my sensitivity. About four years later, I abandoned the office job and secured my master’s degree in counseling. I shook hands with who I am and doubled down on my intuitive gifts.

Over the years, helping people find the courage to follow a career path that aligns with who they are and who they aspire to be, I have employed my sensory radar. It’s not a matter of doing things or saying things. I provide a safe space for people to be vulnerable.

I share this today because a good chunk of amazing humans are highly sensitive and intuitive. Studies indicate it’s about 15 percent of the population. If you can relate, I’d like to share a few key tidbits that have served me well:

• Find a career that capitalizes (literally) on your intuitive gifts.
• Work in a healthy culture or become self-employed. You cannot work in a toxic environment.
• Embrace humor, music, and laughter. Your depth must be balanced with joy. 

Being sensitive in my childhood made me feel weak. Now, every day, I feel like my intuition is my superpower. I value and trust the subtle whispers that inform my work and my life. I invite you to do so as well.