Read Time:  6-7 Minutes Summary: Healing from trauma often pressures people to build emotional armor, but true recovery invites us back into emotional nuance :  being soft and strong loving and discerning open and protective, all without apology This post explores how reclaiming softness can deepen resilience and self-trust for those living with mental illness. Healing in the Gray: The Power of Complex Emotions As early as childhood, I was told I was “too sensitive.” Being soft was equated with being weak, overly emotional, or vulnerable in ways that made me unsafe. I pushed down my feelings, built walls, and tried to become harder to protect myself. But over time, I realized this hard shell wasn’t healing; it was a survival strategy that came at a cost. Now, I’m learning what it means to be soft without apology. It means embracing emotional complexity: feeling deeply without shame setting boundaries without guilt loving without losing myself It means I don’t have to shrink or...