[Angel_of_the_Past]

All of my life people have told me to: toughen up, let it roll off your back. But I can't, "I carry my heart on my shirt sleeve".

Frequently it (my heart) gets knocked off.

Am I destined to be in a state of constant hurt? I don't want to become cold and callused by life. How can I find a balance???

[Fuzzybear]

I can't help but I can relate

[iamtwilight]

i do that too...
are you a people person, angel?
i'm more of a recluse so i kind of protect myself from that hurt this way.
but sometimes as a recluse you analyse feelings too much, because they are rare... and you indulge in the rare..
maybe if you get more "rare" and it becomes more of a routine, you can process these feelings in a more balanced way.

i don't know.. that's what came to my mind.. i'm not sure if it makes any sense to you.

(((angel)))

[iamtwilight]

actually (((all those with their hearts in their sleeves)))

i once had a picture of my hand with a soap heart on it and in the bottom it said "ace in the sleeve"... it was the one nice picture i've ever taken. wish i still had it so i could post it here.

((angel)))))))
I think alot of us do that
we are human
if we all did not care for ppl
then it would not hurt
Be kind to yourself
remember self care
Remember most of all you have a heart
and are human
hoping your pain eases
muffy

[Sannah]

Hi Angel, I also carry my heart on my sleeve. What helped me is to take care of all of my unresolved emotions and then they weren't falling out all over the place. It's like having a ransacked room with everything all topsy-turvy and a mess. Taking care of your unresolved emotions is like picking everything up and putting it in it's place, throwing out what isn't useful anymore and folding/tidying everything else. Once you do all this "housework" the only things that you have hanging out on your sleeve are your current emotions in response to your current environment which is much more manageable. Having a backlog of emotions packs the house and makes things much harder to deal with.

And oh yeah, I was also told by people to not let things bother me. I think that they were wrong. If you are sensitive, you are sensitive. I think that the above way is a better way to deal with it.

[50guy]

Angel_of_ the_Past;

I like that name you have. I know how you feel. It is a tough world that we live in and "only the strong survive" is the words some live by. It is going to be tough to live with a soft heart and it is a nice way to be but, the reality is, in time you will get tougher or, you will be taken advantage of by people that seek advantage. I know this is not what you want to hear, but just the same it is true.

Perhaps you need to read some books on assertiveness or on relationships in general.

Good luck to you.

[Angel_of_the_Past]

Thanks everyone for your support, I was having a "pity party" earlier. Better now with your support.
Hugs-Angel