Is it time to take off those old boots?
Karin Goldgruber
I have beautiful, brown, high heeled, lace up winter boots my sister gave me. In those boots I feel tall and elegant, I love the way I feel when I wear them. My knees and hips don’t. Yet, I keep wearing them. The pain prompted me to think about wanting to follow in someone’s footsteps. Why would I do that?
As a child I wanted to be like everyone else. I tried for years. I felt like a chameleon. Instead of taking on colours, I took on feelings and opinions. Since I was very perceptive of what was expected of me, it was easy for me to be what they wanted. I had no idea that I ignored who I was. I didn’t realize that this was the cause of my underlying unhappiness and sadness. I didn’t want to be myself. I didn’t want to be different. I only saw the painful aspects of feeling so strongly because I didn’t know about High Sensitivity.
As HSPs (highly sensitive person) we may have a tendency to overcompensate and totally lose who we are. We see only what we want in others and think we have to be a carbon copy. Life will be hard whether you walk your path or follow someone’s else’s footsteps. Might as well be authentic. Take the next step. And then another.

About the Author
Karin is a proud mother of two, a business owner, an immigrant, an avid hiker, a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and many other things. Growing up in Austria, she always felt she was different from others around her, but never quite knew why. It was only in her 40’s that Karin discovered the term HSP, what it meant, and how it applied to her. Gaining this new perspective has helped Karin to better understand herself and how others see her. Soon after learning about HSP’s, Karin learned about Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), which she has found is very helpful in addressing negative beliefs about herself and her past experiences. With her blogs and her business, Next Step Coaching, Karin seeks to help others learn more about HSPs, themselves, their beliefs about themselves, and to achieve the growth that she herself was able to realize by applying EFT. When writing her Blogs and working with clients, Karin does not seek to provide the answers, but rather to help her readers and clients find their own personal solutions for their unique circumstances.
Karin is a proud mother of two, a business owner, an immigrant, an avid hiker, a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and many other things….
Growing up in Austria Karin is a proud mother of two, a business owner, an immigrant, an avid hiker, a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and many other things. Growing up in Austria, she always felt she was different from others around her, but never quite knew why. It was only in her 40’s that Karin discovered the term HSP, what it meant, and how it applied to her. Gaining this new perspective has helped Karin to better understand herself and how others see her. Soon after learning about HSP’s, Karin learned about Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), which she has found is very helpful in addressing negative beliefs about herself and her past experiences. With her blogs and her business, Next Step Coaching, Karin seeks to help others learn more about HSPs, themselves, their beliefs about themselves, and to achieve the growth that she herself was able to realize by applying EFT. When writing her Blogs and working with clients, Karin does not seek to provide the answers, but rather to help her readers and clients find their own personal solutions for their unique circumstances.