Hi friends. I wonder how each of you are doing in your various corners of the world. 

It's so interesting to see the different ways that gifted kids are responding to current world circumstances. Some of my young therapy clients are seeking as much information as they can get their hands on, while others are avoiding it at all costs. Parental concerns vary as well. Some worry that their children are too emotionally impacted while others question their children's perceived lack of empathy regarding global events.  We all simply have different ways of coping. Whatever the displayed response may be, one good antidote for vicarious suffering is contribution. 

Many of you know about my passion project, "The World Hope Project" which I started in Spring of 2020. This international video troupe is comprised of children ages 8-18 from 25 different countries. Many of the young participants have been simultaneously feeling powerless and compelled to do something. So, co-producer, Rosa Medina and myself, asked them to send us video messages they would like to share with children directly impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. The online discussion that ensued and subsequent video messages we received from the kids were humbling. The messages conveyed a meaningful connection to all those suffering from the ravages of war and an unrelenting trust in humanity.

On behalf of the kids of the World Hope Project, I share this latest video, "Messages of Peace" with  you. If you find it inspiring, we hope that you will share it with loved ones in your lives. A version of the video with Spanish subtitles ("Mensajes de Paz") is below as well.  

Wherever you may be, may peace find its way to you.

Messages of Peace (English)

Mensajes de Paz (Spanish subtitles)

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The "what ifs" consume her. "What if she leaves? What if something happens to her? What if she never speaks to my parents again?" 

I talk with her about Kazimierz Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration. I remind her that those deep, dark, miserable lows hold the greatest potential for our individual growth. It is in going low that we are able to truly savor the rise back up.

She is still skeptical. After all, she's gifted. She knows the statistics. 

But then I remind her, "Our whole world came together and shut down in a matter of weeks. Did anyone really think that could happen? There are no limits to what is possible."

My client dons her optimism glasses and considers the possibilities. 

"What if my sister opens the door to some support?  What if she opens the door to learning how to manage her emotions? What if my family opens the door to new ways of supporting her?"

She looks up with a grin. The doors of hope are opening. Session over.

As a believer that we, individuals, are a microcosm of the greater world, it has been easy for me to adapt Dabrowski's concept as a lens with which to view global circumstances.

Still with me?

Our world is currently going through one heckuva rough time. A disintegration of sorts. We can choose to stay in the depths - overcome with the barrage of negative "what ifs." Or we can disintegrate positively; to see this as a time for individual and societal growth, to support ourselves and each other through the muck. Venture with me into the positive "what ifs."

"What if we are transitioning to a more advanced society? What if this re-shaping of our systems will better meet the needs of people and planet?  What if we are learning that less is truly more. What if the healing of our planet rests within the healing of ourselves?"

Whoa. I know that's a lot. Bear with me.

The division among us is reflective of that which lies within each of us. We disgust ourselves. We criticize ourselves. And yes, sometimes, we hate ourselves. 

In 2020, in efforts to spread a little hope, I started the World Hope Project, an international children's video troupe consisting of kids from 20+ countries. Peruvian educator, Rosa Medina, now co-produces this project with me. Worldwide spikes in anxiety and depression prompted our team to focus our latest video, "Open the Door," on the topic of mental health. We want everyone to know that they are not alone, that it is important to accept all aspects of the self, that self-care is important over all else, and to open the door to let others in when you are struggling.

We realize that opening one door sometimes means closing the door to something else. One door I, myself, am beginning to open is a mindset of "energy conservation" both personally as well as environmentally. This means trying to carpool when I can, saying "no" to things that suck more energy than they provide, and encouraging my children to prioritize their wellbeing over academics. 

As we move forward, to what or whom will you open the door? 

P.S. [VIDEO BELOW] The World Hope Project kids have set a goal to reach 20,000 people with our message. Please support our efforts by liking, sharing and subscribing.

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Oh Mama. It was already hard and you were already amazing. But then... over the last year, you emerged as a beautiful and mighty warrior. Amidst mounting losses and exhaustion, you found ways to stimulate their learning, comfort them when you felt like crying and champion their well-being. You taught them how to find joy in the simple things, how to creatively connect with others and how to find glimmers of light within the darkness. In you, they have seen possibility and hope.

Mama, you are so much more than you realize. Hopefully soon you will see.

Please accept this video from the bottom of my heart to yours.  

Happy Mother's Day!

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For those who may not know, Peruvian educator, Rosa Medina, and myself are co-producers of the World Hope Project (WHP), an international children’s video troupe comprised of gifted children from 27 countries. The World Hope Project team collaborates together on Zoom calls to create videos that spread hope and ideas for positive societal change. This is a passion project for each participant and there is no monetary gain.

A few months ago, we asked each of the children to complete an open-ended survey. When the children were asked what they wanted to share with the world, their responses focused on climate change, racial equality, gender equality, unity, concerns for animals, distribution of wealth, etc. Climate was mentioned the most.

So it is in honor of International Mother Earth Day this Thursday, April 22nd, that we release our second video. In the video, the children lead through example and hope to inspire adults to do the same.

The wish of these gifted children is for their voices to be heard by as many people as possible. We are hoping that the gifted community will collaborate with us to support them and make this wish come true.

If this video resonates with you, we ask that you share it. We are a no-budget operation so algorithms alone pale in comparison to the power of the gifted community when we come together. If you wish to support this effort, please do any or all of the following:

• Email the video as a gift to your personal and business contacts anytime this week.
• Like, share and subscribe to our World Hope Project YouTube channel.
• Like our FB page www.facebook.com/worldhopeproject
• Follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/worldhopeprojectkids
• Check out our website: worldhopeproject.com

Without further ado, please enjoy this 6 min. video gift from all of us to you.

In gratitude,

Tina and Rosa

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Hello dear friends. How are you doing? It is spring here in Colorado and I am so grateful after this long, dark winter.

As a child and family therapist specializing in giftedness, I know of a lot of activities, tips and techniques that are beneficial for kids. But I have to say that, as a parent, one of the things that had the greatest positive impact on my own children was teaching them to grow their own food. They connected with the seeds, the soil, the worms, their food and were so thrilled by nature's treasure hunt when time came to pull the potatoes from the earth. Now, my daughter, once a very picky-eater, claims the radish as her favorite food.  My son, at the age of 17, is an avid composter and has big plans to create a diverse permaculture in the coming years.

In addition to gardening, I have another joy - sharing the good work of those whose creative livelihood promotes the positive development of gifted children. How thrilled I was to meet Leila Mireskandari, Founder of Kids' Growing City. Leila teaches children how to grow their own food and mentors parents and teachers to do the same. Her work is a treasure trove of exploration, engagement and connection for gifted children. 

In the video below, Leila talks about her childhood in war-torn Iran, parenting her own gifted children, and the array of amazing benefits that gardening provides to gifted kids.

Leila's passion, brilliance and creativity led her to start a children's gardening subscription box called the Oasis Box.  This colorful little biodegradable box brought joy to the doorstep of many youngsters during the most difficult days of COVID. 

If you are looking for an experiential and educational gift for a child in your life, this just might be it. In contrast to more plastic stuff, the Oasis Box provides a meaningful gift for children ages 4-13 with potential lifetime benefits. If the Oasis Box sounds like a good fit for a child in your life, please be aware that enrollment ends on April 15th. (Kids Growing City provides delivery to the US and Canada only)

Click here to purchase the Oasis Box: www.kidsgrowingcity.ca/a/43431/eajMUH3N

To hear Leila's experience of how teaching kids to grow their own food makes all the difference, please click on the video below.

Have a wonderful week!

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You may be parenting a child whose thinking demonstrates depth and complexity but who, for some reason that defies reason, just can't get their homework turned in. Or maybe they are paralyzed by their own anxiety or procrastinate on everything or have emotional blowups at the slightest frustration. 

If your child displays this type of dichotomous asynchrony and you can't help but feel like pulling your hair out on a daily basis, this child you are raising is likely twice exceptional. 

In the video below, my colleague, Dr. Dan Peters, Licensed Psychologist and Executive Director of the Summit Center articulates beautifully the paradox of twice exceptionality. This is a great video to share with family, friends, teachers and healthcare providers to give them a better understanding of what you have been trying to explain all these years.

WAHOO! Lucky for us, Dr. Peters will be part of the Bright and Quirky Summit that starts this coming week March 8-12. The Summit is FREE and has an incredible line-up of top experts including author of the Polyvagal Theory - Dr. Stephen Porges, Renee Jain with GoZen, Seth Perler, and Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman.

I highly recommend the Bright & Quirky Child Summit for parents of bright children who struggle with focus, learning, social or emotional challenges,  You can register for FREE here. hub.brightandquirky.com/~access/a10c16731f/ 

The summit promises tools and strategies to tame the overwhelm in these uncertain times, like...

• How to manage anxiety, stress and worry
• How to solve challenging behaviors and calm meltdowns
• How to motivate kids who have a "why bother" attitude or lagging school engagement
• How to find balance and moderation with screen use
• How to help kids who are depressed or shut down
• How to navigate the twice exceptional (2e) journey in turbulent times

I'm so excited that this resource is FREE to so many parents around the world and is expected to reach over 20,000 parents this year! Don't miss out! Register for free here. hub.brightandquirky.com/~access/a10c16731f/ 

Happy Parenting!

P.S. Click on the video below to see Dr. Peters' 6 min. informative video on twice exceptionality. You won't be disappointed.

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How are you doing? Really. This week was a doozy.  I know you felt the heaviness while continuing to tend to the needs of those around you. Perhaps you longed to sit down with someone who really gets you and just cry it out, but there just wasn't time. Don't you worry, I'm bringing her to you.

If you haven't met psychotherapist, Paula Prober, it is time. She is one of the most beautiful souls on the planet and she gets gifted. She coined the term and concept, "The Rainforest Mind," to describe the vibrant, complex inner world of the gifted. Through her popular blog, she supports gifted individuals across the globe.

Paula recently released this blog post which I want to share with you. It is a good reminder that when we feel helpless, angry, and disillusioned, the one thing we can shift is ourselves. In tending to our own inner world, we are better equipped to support those little ones in our charge. Without further ado... here's Paula Prober. Enjoy!

Face Your Demons. Slay Your Dragons. Mend Your Broken Heart.

by Paula Prober 

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Hello dear friends.

Do you ever feel like little tech goblins are dancing around inside your computer? I felt this way last week when I attempted to share with you the video baby I have been birthing the last 8 months - the World Hope Project. Alas, there was some confusion with url's and it was delivered in a rather haphazard, 2020-esque kind of way. So... I humbly ask that you permit me to give it another go.

One morning in April of 2020, I drafted a piece of writing about hope. I started reaching out to children around the globe; seeking their input on the written piece and for their thoughts about hope. I started with schools for the gifted and personal contacts. One-by-one I found them, until I ended up with 25 countries represented. After 8 months, 2 video conferences, multiple revisions and a tremendous amount of patience, this group formed The World Hope Project. I hope you enjoy our first video which was made especially for you.

To a happy, hopeful new year,

P.S. You can support the World Hope Project by sharing our videos and subscribing to our Youtube channel. 

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Hello friends. 

A few months ago, I was talking with one of my young clients. She was struggling with fulfilling the array of internal and external expectations that accompanied her academics; all while feeling suffocated under a heavy veil of meaninglessness. I asked her what she would do if she could let go of all of those expectations. She replied, "I don't know... all I care about is music and math." 

How happy I was in that moment to tell her about Curtis Madigan, the founder of Sound Formation, who invented a novel educational approach for children based on a rhythmic integration of these very same passions. 

Curtis has discovered that gifted kids "get" his approach - absorbing and connecting with it on multiple levels. To find out why, please click on my video interview of Curtis below. He can be reached at www.soundformationmusic.com.

To bringing in the new,

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I am so excited to share with you a project that children from 25 countries and myself have been working on for the last 8 months - The World Hope Project. We are an international video troupe with one mission - to illuminate hope. 

First, let me give you some history. Prior to COVID-19, I had been observing a sense of hopelessness in some of the children with whom I work. I heard statements like, "It doesn't matter because none of us are going to be here much longer anyway" or "There's nothing anyone can do to change things" or "All anyone cares about are money and themselves." I longed for an example of worldwide solidarity.

When COVID hit, it seemed like maybe the children were right. Maybe there was no hope. But then the most miraculous thing happened. For a brief moment in time, our entire world came together to fight one foe. 

We sang from balconies.

We howled at the same time every night.

We checked on our neighbors. 

We applauded those on the front lines.

We practiced random acts of kindness.

And for the first time in many years, we humans reduced our impact on this planet. 

We saw our potential as individuals and as a people. We became hope.

One morning in April of 2020, after coming to this realization, I drafted a piece of writing about hope. I started reaching out to children around the globe; seeking  their input on the written piece and for their thoughts about hope. I started with schools for the gifted and personal contacts. One-by-one I found them, until I ended up with 25 countries represented. After 8 months, 2 video conferences, multiple revisions and tremendous patience, this group formed The World Hope Project. I hope you enjoy our first video which was made especially for you.

In the spirit of hope, we humbly ask that you click on the link below and please share freely.

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