It’s Okay To Be a Soft Person in a Hard World

To be very frank, my life has been an absolute sh!tshow lately. From unexpected toxicity appearing in the most surprising of places, to a major shift in my daily routine and career, to everything-the-hell-else-going-on-in-the-world, I have felt increasingly defeated.

I’m a soft person at the core. Sure, I can stand up for myself and for what I believe in when the time calls for it — but I’m not a fighter by nature. It’s just not who I am. And, unfortunately for me, that sometimes means it’s hard for me to navigate such a hardened world.

At times I think, “I need to toughen up,” but I’m not sure that’s really the case. Perhaps, the world just needs to lighten up, and perhaps I’m perfectly happy being a soft person in an ever-hardening world. Let me explain —

Why I choose to remain soft, even when the world is hard

In changing my nature, I’d be allowing the world to win. I’d be giving up an essential part of myself that has aided me in so many ways; my “softness” has made me more vulnerable and empathetic, which has helped me build relationships; my softness has allowed me the time and space to comfort others in need, when they’ve needed me, without fear or hesitation; my softness has enabled me to create art, poetry, and connect more deeply with the creations I also, in turn, admire.

Perhaps being soft isn’t a bad thing. The world is hard, yes — lately I’ve had more than my fair share of people knocking me down and dragging me through the mud, to be honest — but that doesn’t mean I have to become hard, too.

If you’re a softer person — if you love the quiet moments of repose, those emotional, late night conversations, and the little glimmers that make life beautiful — please don’t change yourself to “fit in”. You’re not broken. You’re not alone. You’re not a coward. Being a soft person in this cruel world takes more courage than you give yourself credit for, trust me, and your softness is part of what makes you uniquely YOU.

Xoxo,

MM.