I have dreamed of being dunked in a huge vat of Teflon. Yes, I understand it’s gruesomely toxic, but still…

Wouldn’t it be nice to be impervious? To be completely protected from any possible harm, accidental or not? To wipe yourself clean after any experience without any scars or marks left behind?

Sometimes I feel like a sponge. One of those super absorbent kinds. Everything enters my nervous system – from the scent you’re wearing to the grudge you’re holding. I’m not sure what mechanism adapts a chameleon to its environment, but it feels a lot like that. My mother’s rage… my rage. My partner’s frustration… my frustration. My daughter’s heartbreak… my heartbreak.

Even the two drunk guys fighting in front of that bar. Their violence… my violence.

In the personal development and spiritual communities, there are many of us. A book (and a movement) address the idea of being in an overly stimulating world as a highly sensitive person.

One solution is to hole yourself up, creating a physical barrier between you and the world. It doesn’t work – I tried.

Another is to will yourself to take it, like a boxer readying himself for a punch. (Also doesn’t work.)

Third option? Emotional Teflon.

My favorite perspective on this idea comes from the Sufis, who talk about the sheerest of veils protecting our tender hearts. It is unlike the brick walls and armor we usually build to keep us safe. It is a light-filled, discerning separation that connects and protects at the same time.

The idea can also be found in the Buddhist and Yogic concept of equanimity – self-possession, emotional intelligence and the inability to be overtaken by disturbance.

It feels like just the right thickness of a slick, protective coating that maintains empathy and compassion, without including ownership of another’s suffering.

If you find yourself deeply affected by the moods, behaviors, or energy of others, in a way that disturbs your own peace, this may be a solution:

Enrobe yourself in light, silk or an iridescent bubble. Make it semi-permeable so that you remain connected to the beauty and grace around you, while creating just enough of a separation that what is AROUND you doesn’t BECOME you.

In case you think that this process will turn you into an apathetic zombie, it doesn’t. It is the ultimate acceptance of the completeness of both your and others’ experiences, without getting batted around by either. It is the sway of the sapling in a strong wind, without being uprooted.

You must allow that sometimes enveloping yourself is an act of fierce compassion, in the same way wearing a coat in winter protects you from the cold. It is not equivalent to placing blame or judgment either on the world or your experience.

It is powerful and tender.

My golden veil is always with me, and I place it front of mind in overwhelming or upsetting situations.

Now, go rock some golden chiffon. It looks great on you.

PS The Inspiration Project is rocking! Check it out on Instagram. (I’m also co-posting on Facebook, so you can catch me there too.)