Recently I was reading about the origin of fairy tales and various children’s stories. I happened upon the story behind “The Princess and the Pea,” and it fit perfectly into today’s podcast. In this day and age, being sensitive is sometimes regarded as being weak, or emotional, or thin skinned. You hear some people say, “Stop being so sensitive!” as if it were a disgrace to not only have feelings, but to show them.

This was not the case with “The Princess and the Pea.” On the contrary, sensitivity was a signal that a person was of royal blood. Think about that! It was desirable, and a mark of nobility, to be sensitive.

There are those among us – especially among us introverts – for whom emotions, feelings, sensations and the environment play a profound role in how we relate to the world. We are the HSPs, or Highly Sensitive Persons.

This interview with Ane Axford, CEO and founder of sensitive + thriving, Inc., is not only interesting, but life changing … at least it was for me. Ane and I explore what it means to be an HSP, and specifically, an introverted HSP.

We also talk about

• How introversion and HSP characteristics can look the same (but by definition, aren’t)
• Why finding a label to slap on yourself can be helpful
• The physiological underpinnings of “analysis paralysis”
• Turning Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs on its head (this blew my mind!)
• Why it’s important for entrepreneurs to move from comparison to connection

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