This week, you are in for a treat! I am spotlighting Paula Prober, who will be presenting at the Gifted Women Symposium with Linda Silverman in Westminster, Colorado on June 2nd. Please enjoy this guest blog post written by Paula followed by a short video interview I did with her in 2017. If you haven't registered for the Gifted Women Symposium, the Earlybird Deadline is just a few days away. Register by April 1st at www.guidingbright.com/events/gifted-women-symposium to get the discounted price!
What Does Gifted Look Like? Clearing up Your Confusion
By Paula Prober, M.S., M.Ed.
People are astonished by how much you can do. You think you’re lazy. There’s so much that you’re not doing.
People tell you how smart you are. You feel dumb. You know how much you don’t know and you still haven’t decided what you want to be when you grow up.
People admire your (musical, artistic, mathematical, linguistic, etc.) talents. You think they’re patronizing you. You notice all of the mistakes you make. Surely, they do, too, but they’re too polite to mention them.
How is it possible that you see yourself as a lazy not-so-smart slacker and others see you as so-lucky-to-be-gifted? How can your sense of yourself be so different from how others see you?
Like life in the rain forest, it’s complicated.
Maybe it’s your super high expectations. You don’t realize that others don’t have similar standards. Doesn’t everyone want to create beauty, balance, harmony and justice all of the time? Don’t all people value precision?
Um, no.
Maybe it’s your enthusiasm for learning about, well, everything. Isn’t everyone obsessed with reading and researching multiple disparate topics instead of sleeping, which is such a waste of time? Aren’t all people thrilled that MIT is offering classes online? Doesn’t everyone dream of changing career paths every 3-5 years?
Not really.
Maybe it’s your capacity for observing and perceiving and noticing. Isn’t everyone bothered by the buzzing florescent lights, the crooked pictures on the wall, the house in your neighborhood that was painted chartreuse?
Nope.
Maybe it’s your extra sensitivity and empathy. Can’t everyone feel the distress in the room? Isn’t everyone overwhelmed by the news? Don’t all humans want to save the world?
Nah.
So, if you’re confused by the difference between the feedback that you get and your own self-perception, time to get unconfused. Maybe it’s your highest standards, your zest for learning, your keen capacity to perceive, your intense sensitivity and your exceptional empathy.
Maybe that is what gifted looks like.
Paula Prober, M.S., M.Ed. is a counselor and consultant in Eugene, Oregon. She specializes in counseling gifted adults and consulting with parents of gifted children. Her book Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Adults and Youth was released in 2016. She blogs at www.rainforestmind.com.
Happy Dance! Symposium attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Paula's book!
Check out this short video interview I did with Paula in 2017.
Paula will be presenting at the Gifted Women Symposium on June 2, 2018 in Westminster, Colorado hosted by Gifted Development Center. Those who register prior to April 1, 2018, will receive the Earlybird Price. Space is limited! For more details and to register, go to www.guidingbright.com/events/gifted-women-symposium
Paula Prober, M.S., M.Ed. is a counselor and consultant in Eugene, Oregon. She specializes in counseling gifted adults and consulting with parents of gifted children. Her book Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Adults and Youth was released in 2016. She blogs at www.rainforestmind.com.
