Do you see ecru, beige, sand and eggshell when others see white?
Chances are, you see more, feel more, smell more, hear more, intuit more, read more, think more, analyze more, well, you just ARE more. Right? Not that more is better. It’s just MORE. Like the rain forest, there’s a lot going on. A LOT. You may not think of yourself as gifted because you haven’t discovered the theory of relativity or the iPhone. You haven’t sent a rocket into space and designed a Tesla. Stunning achievements are one way to describe giftedness but they aren’t the only way. And even Einstein is quoted as saying, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” If you’re concerned about justice and equality, which you probably are, then you may avoid the label altogether.
OK. You haven’t invented something “insanely great.” You may still be gifted. And yet you cringe at the word. Can you agree, then, that you have a rainforest mind?
And why does it matter?
You need to know this about yourself so you stop pathologizing your sensitivities, your intense emotions, and even your perfectionism. You need to get why you’re so darned lonely and what to do about it. You need help choosing your career paths and not thinking you’re a dilettante because you can’t choose just one. You need to understand who you are so you can live an authentic meaningful life. You see?
Just yesterday a client asked me if all super smart people are gifted. I don’t know. It appears that not all cognitively adept thinkers have empathy and sensitivity. In my definition of giftedness, depth of emotion, compassion and social conscience are included. Some people who’ve studied giftedness would agree with me. Others, not so much. Talking about intelligence is tricky. There are lots of theories out there.
Can you see me getting nervous? What was I thinking, starting this blog? Maybe I should get out while I can.
But I digress. Let me just say that I’m speaking from my experience as a counselor and former teacher, working with children and adults who think fast, feel deeply, love learning and care about the planet. I call them people with rainforest minds. And they are gifted. And if you’re still reading, I bet you are, too.
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