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Are You Too Much Or Are You Just A Lot?
Many of my clients say they feel like too much. They are often told this by family, friends, educators, and medical professionals. Too much to handle. Too much awareness. Too high standards. Too many expectations. Too many emotions. Too many questions. Too many worries. Too many desires. Too many words. Too many careers. Too many…
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The Ramifications Of Any Single Thought Are Endless — The Intensity Of Giftedness
One of the painful struggles I see in gifted adults is that in many, perhaps most, situations, they are not free to be fully themselves. For lots of reasons. It is the nature of giftedness, really, because being fully oneself, if you are truly gifted, is kind of fire-hosey. It is tricky, though. Not being…
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Exceptional and Profound Giftedness In Adults — What Does It Look Like? Why Should We Care?
Diya, 35, was struggling with anxiety, career decisions, graduate school, and loneliness. She left a prestigious professional school in the final year because it was too rigid and restrictive. Professors and other students ridiculed her and left her feeling embarrassed, particularly when she asked penetrating questions. At times she felt compelled not to ask questions…
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Managing Your Young Gifted Child’s (And Your) Emotional Intensity
You would think that a super smart person would be cool, calm, and collected. Capable of handling emotion when it infrequently and inconveniently trickled out. Analytically above the fray. Lost in thought about bosons, quarks, and string theory. Logical. Not particularly emotionally expressive. You would think. But the gifted children and grownups that I know,…
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Gifted Children and Adults — Why Are They So Misunderstood?
A gifted child is: The four year old who says the car is not red, it’s crimson. The five-year-old who is lonely because the other kids don’t understand the complex worlds and creatures she invents. The six-year-old who explains the difference between a laceration and a contusion. The seven-year-old who chooses Rembrandt as the person…
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The Gifted Human’s Guide To Normal
You may think that you’re normal because you’ve always been the way that you are. It feels normal to be you. You may not spend much time comparing yourself to others. At the same time, you may often feel weird, left out, and misunderstood. Different. It’s a paradox. You can feel normal and abnormal at…
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How Can I Be Authentic When I Overwhelm Everyone?
Authenticity. You want it. You need it. You gotta have it. But what does authenticity mean when you have a rainforest mind? When you have so many monkeys swinging from your branches? When your terrain is so lively, emotional and intense? How do you live authentically in all of your jungle glory and not overwhelm…