Martijn lives in Romania, but he was born and raised in the Netherlands. His story is an example of the struggles many HSP men go through, but who ultimately come out on the other side to be who they were always meant to be. Martijn has struggled throughout his life with his high sensitivity, often fighting it, as well as the idea of how to be “a real man”. He felt misunderstood by the world… just as he often didn’t understand the world either. He scored high grades at school, but was bullied for being an outsider, even by some teachers. Later, he studied biology at university and went on to have a career in IT. But this too, was a love-hate-relationship. Ultimately, he never was really happy, because it always felt fake to him.
After going through a rough couple of years in life, he found out he is a HSP. With coaching and guidance he learned to accept this part of him, to explore it, to even love it, and to use it as his strength. This was the part that he always felt he had to fight and suppress. But now he follows his heart and embraces this sensitive part of himself. It has brought him lots of adventure, happiness and a peace of mind, and also the feeling of being a real man. He moved to New Zealand, then to Romania, and soon he’ll move again. This time it’ll be with his girlfriend, who understands and loves him as a HSP. He has also set up a company to do what he loves: travelling, taking care of people, telling stories, and helping others. Maybe his story can help you too.