Barbara Brady is a Life Coach and Intercultural Trainer who works with clients in person, by phone, and via the Internet. She focuses on supporting people through transitions – from making healthy relationship or career changes, to moving to a location that suits them, to navigating through expatriation or repatriation. She’s also written a book on the topic of transitions – Make the Right Move Now: Your Personal Relocation Guide.
When did you discover that you are a highly sensitive person (HSP)?
I’ve known ever since I can remember. As a child, I always felt things deeply and would cry when watching AT&T or Hallmark commercials and the TV show Lassie. I remember being sensitive to noise and found it hard to sleep if it was noisy. One defining moment was when my third grade teacher wrote on my report card something to the effect of me being “too serious at such a young age” and “sensitive.” Ironically, I believe my third-grade teacher was also highly sensitive!
What is the most wonderful thing for you about being highly sensitive?
It’s made me sensitive to the feelings of others and empathetic and compassionate. I can really feel what someone else is feeling. I also feel a deep appreciation for the little things that others might not notice – various food flavours and nuances in music, for example.
Does being an HSP help you in your work? If so, how?
Yes, in my work as a Life Coach and Intercultural Trainer I think being highly sensitive helps me intuit more easily what the client’s situation is and what they need.
What words of encouragement would you most like to give other HSPs?
Every trait has positives and negatives. The gift in being highly sensitive is that you can notice, appreciate, and feel more. I would suggest honouring your high sensitivity with self-care based on what you know about yourself and what you need. At the same time, it’s important to venture out of your comfort zone by putting yourself in situations that may not be your preference, but from which you can learn and grow. Don’t use your high sensitivity as an excuse to not try new things. And find work where this trait is an asset.
What are three books that you consider favourites, that you really love?
That’s a challenging question, as I love so many!
- Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires
, by Esther and Jerry Hicks
- Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
, by Neale Donald Walsch
- Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
, by Elizabeth Gilbert
