Radical Sensitivity

Hello beloved Insider – it’s Miriam 👋🏻

Whether you’ve just joined through one of my recent research studies —
or you’ve been receiving the Ikigami Insider for a while —
I want to say:
Welcome. You’re part of something deeper now.

This space is changing.
The rhythm, the message, the energy.
And today, I want to show you why — not just in words, but in voice and presence.

A Raw Moment in the Woods

This isn’t polished.
It’s not branded or scripted.
It’s me — walking in the woods, during a break from coding 14 deeply human interviews,
speaking from the place where this shift began.

👉 Watch the 1:11-minute video
Unfiltered. Unscripted. A quiet invitation to walk with me.
Sunny but still a bit cold, so wrapped in my winter jacket…

INTUITION · INTELLIGENCE · INTEGRITY

The rhythm remains. The message deepens.

Intuition: Sensitivity is Strategy

Radical Sensitivity is not reactivity.
It’s presence.
It’s reading what others rush past.
It’s daring to feel before you perform.

Hack 1: Before you override your intuition, pause.

Ask:

• What am I sensing that others might not see?

• What if this feeling is a form of intelligence?

Intelligence: Where Research Meets Resonance

Over the past months, I’ve been walking between two worlds:
quantitative insight and qualitative depth — both rooted in the search for meaning.

In August 2024, I conducted a study titled:

“Meaning in Life and Ikigai: A Correlational Study”

with n = 138 participants across diverse backgrounds.
Many of you reading this may have been part of that first wave — thank you.

Currently, I’m in the final phase of analyzing my Master Thesis research,
titled:

“Calling and Well-Being in Extroverted Highly Sensitive Leaders:
A Conceptual Framework Based on a Multimethod Study.”

This work includes a global survey (n = 261) and 14 in-depth interviews
with leaders from across industries and cultures.

The themes emerging are profound:

• Calling is not an indulgence — it’s grounding.

• Radical Sensitivity doesn’t cloud clarity — it deepens it.

• And Ikigai? It keeps whispering, even when the world shouts.

If you were part of either study — I see you.
Your data, your stories, your insights are shaping this space.

And over the next few weeks, I’ll begin translating these findings into reflection, resonance, and real-world application — here, with you.

Hack 2: Track your energy instead of your time for 3 days.

Ask:

• When do I feel most alive?

• What’s nourishing me — and what’s draining me?

Integrity: This Space Is Not for Everyone

The Ikigami Insider is evolving.

It’s no longer designed for reach.
It’s designed for resonance.

And that means something rare:

If this space no longer feels aligned,
If these emails sit unopened for too long —
I will remove inactive subscribers.

Not as punishment.
But as a gesture of respect.

Because your attention is sacred.
And mine is, too.

This is not a list.
It’s a circle.

Hack 3: This week, unsubscribe from one thing you’ve outgrown.

Not in frustration — but in clarity.

3 Books for the Quietly Bold

1. Radical Listening – The Art of True Connection
Christian van Nieuwerburgh & Robert Biswas-Diener
A powerful, practical guide to listening as leadership — and presence as a choice.

2. Berührt bleiben – Das Geheimnis der (Hoch-)Sensibilität (German only)
Sven Sohr
Why the world needs sensitive humans with spiritual depth — and how we can stay open in it.

3. Was dir niemand über Personal Branding sagt, du aber wissen solltest (German only) Dajana Eder
Raw, honest, and creatively disruptive — this book reframes visibility for sensitive, purpose-driven humans.

4. [Your Book Here?]
What book changed the way you think, feel, or lead?
Reply and tell me. I’d love to feature one reader’s pick next time.

Coming Up Next...

Next week, I’ll begin sharing insights from the 5-Day Radical Sensitivity Pilot —
a gentle, guided digital experiment for attuned leaders.

You'll also receive the first story-based reflections from my Master Thesis — not as academic jargon, but as real-world insights about how sensitive leadership feels, lives, and leads.

This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s a slow-burning signal.

And I’m glad you're here.

Reflection in Verse

You are not here
to be louder than the noise —
but clearer than the chaos.

Not to prove,
but to pulse.

Not to push,
but to feel
what others don’t dare touch
—
and lead from there.

Your softness is not a side note.
It’s a signal.
Your sensitivity
isn’t what you manage.
It’s what makes you magnetic.

So take this as permission
to stop filtering
what’s already true.

With reverence, rhythm, and radical clarity,
Miriam

Researcher, Coach & Founder of Ikigami

Don’t feel aligned anymore? Unsubscribe anytime — no hard feelings, only gratitude for your path so far.