What Does *Gifted* (or Having a Rainforest Mind) Look Like?
It's Complicated
What Does *Gifted* (or Having a Rainforest Mind) Look Like? It’s Complicated
People are astonished by how much you can do. You think you’re lazy. There’s so much 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 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 (your rainforest mind) looks like.
I love that you're reading these beautiful posts to us. I'm not usually an audiobook/podcast/people-speaking-at-me-via-recording person, but this is so soothing. Your voice has a lovely cadence and I'm very appreciative of yor perspective spoken directly from you!
That being said...I know this is me, but somehow I still don't believe I'm anything like this. My elementary school used to have a "gifted" program (called GATE), and I was told I was too stupid and put in special education classes instead (which is a flawed syllogism in itself, of course--stupidity and special education have nothing to do with each other, but this was the 90's so...people were mean). My sister was the smart one, I was just the other one (re: your previous post). And all those labels just stuck with me, became what I believe in my deepest heart.
Why don't people in positions of power over children understand the effect their words have on them? Doesn't anyone know how to be gentle?
Why is all of this so hard to reconcile?
I love everything you write!!!! And I'm super excited to see you here on Substack! It's a pretty great platform at the moment. So much easier to comment and engage. I hope many, many, many rainforest-y peeps find you on here and get to appreciate and enjoy everything you share. :-) Woop Woop!! You are amaze-balls! Thank you!