I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t own a table cloth or a lawn mower. I don’t like sunny days. I don’t finish one book before I start another. I would rather be single than live with someone who smells like garlic. I spend my hard-earned money on therapy, acupuncture, hair gel, and books I don’t read. I have more fun when I am blogging and consulting than when I am camping. I sing show tunes in the shower.
In my old-ish age, I am more comfortable than ever with who I am and who I am not. It is such a relief. I want you all to try it. You do not have to wait until you are old-ish. In fact, the sooner the better.
If you have a rainforest mind, there might be many things you put in the quirky category that are actually signs you are gifted. Here are some possibilities. How many fit for you?
~You are easily overwhelmed by sad stories, buzzing florescent lights, strong smells, angry people on social media, and your own thoughts and emotions.
~ You would rather read a good book than go to the holiday party.
~ You see how everything is connected.
~ You avoid working really hard at achieving something because if you do work hard and are not successful (whatever that means), it will be clear you are not as smart as everyone says, and that would be intolerable.
~ You can not explain how you got the answer.
~ You find people who are slower thinkers ( I might call them underthinkers) really annoying although you usually blame yourself for your lack of clear communication. Or you overthink their underthinking.
~ You fear mediocrity, failure, boredom, and being found out as an impostor, (almost) more than you fear a pandemic.
~ You are crying a lot these days.
~ You have been told by therapists that you are so smart and articulate, you must not really be depressed, so you don’t really need therapy.
~ Your standards and expectations are quite high compared to your colleagues but you know how much higher your standards and expectations could go so you discount the value of your high standards and expectations.
~ You want to do everything. You want to learn everything. You want to know everything. Today.
~ You can’t find anyone who can keep up with your deep dives and long leaps.
~ You struggle making simple decisions. You struggle making difficult decisions.
~ Working at one job/career for years sounds like torture.
~ When learning something new does not come easily, you give up, quit, run away, and hope no one notices because you believe learning anything ought to be easy or you must be stupid.
~ Your definition of fun includes a new language or a new instrument or a new poem or a new documentary or a video on how brown algae removes carbon dioxide from the air and stores it in slime or all of the above.
~ You worry about overwhelming people with your enthusiasm, your grief, and your curiosity so you hide, shrink, and try to fit into the small, tight, stuffy basements that normal humanity provides.
~ You are connected to an invisible world of spiritual Love and Guidance that gives you hope for the future.
And so, my darlings, do you see? Are those quirky traits actually signs you are gifted? Can you get more comfy now with who you are and who you are not?
Yes? It is not too late! You are still young-ish.
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To my bloggEEs: What are your other traits that appear to be quirks but are really signs of your rainforest mind? And, just so you know, my quirks listed above are not all signs of giftedness. For example, you might own a table cloth and a lawnmower, love sunny days, and eat a lot of garlic. You would still be gifted. OK?
Oh, and I will be presenting at this virtual conference in February along with several top notch speakers in the field of gifted children and adults. For more information go here. Join me!
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