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Portrait d'Isabelle Pangault, participante du groupe de femmes HPI et hypersensibles

Gifted Interview #59 | Isabelle Pangault

The Gifted Interview asks gifted and talented adults about their relationship with (their) giftedness in order to demystify, inspire and blossom with this difference.

Today, Isabelle Pangault shares her vision of giftedness through the Gifted Interview. Thank you, Isabelle! She is a Winegrower and lives in Sassay, Loir-et-Cher, in France.

.IF I COULD CHOOSE, WOULD I STILL BE GIFTED?

Yes. In English, we say “gifted”, which implies that it would be a gift. It would be a shame to refuse a gift 😉 And I believe that everything happens for a reason, so if I was born with such and such a defect, such and such a quality or such and such a way of functioning, it’s because that’s the way it had to be.

.WHAT BEING GIFTED MEANS TO ME

For me, giftedness is a mode of functioning that offers great potential for achievement (provided you know yourself and get rid of your limiting beliefs) and a hypersensitivity that connects closely to the world.

.IF I HAD TO CHOOSE AN IMAGE OR A KEYWORD THAT SUMS UP WHAT GIFTEDNESS MEANS

I would illustrate this with the image of a Shiva with long antennae. Let me explain…
The Hindu god Shiva is often depicted with many arms, as if he is able to do or be many things at once. I believe that this is the case for many gifted and talented people, even if it means getting lost sometimes. In fact, these arms represent the rhythmic drive of the universe, protection, destruction and the hope of liberation. For me, this is very much in line with giftedness: a visceral connection to the world, the power to achieve great things, but also a beautiful capacity for self-sabotage, and a thirst for meaning and freedom.
As for the long antennae, they allow us to pick up all the vibrations of our environment: noises, smells, details, moods…

.HOW LONG HAVE I KNOWN ABOUT IT? 

Since 2 years (it’s never too late!). The classic move: discovery in my 4-year-old son and feeling that I recognise myself in the description of this functioning. So cliché 🙂

.WHAT PHASES HAVE I GONE THROUGH SINCE MY DISCOVERY?

Obviously, at the beginning, I had a huge thirst to understand: what it is (and what it is not) [cf. Gloria’s videos ;-)], what it determines (and what is something else), how it can explain certain points of my functioning and my brain…

Then you go through your life again, and you understand why you were always looking for contact with adults, why you always reacted so strongly to injustices, why you didn’t always share the interests or the way of apprehending the world of your fellow creatures, and so many other things…

After this re-reading of the past and the understanding of where it led me today, the question quickly came up: What do I do with it now?

Coaching, psychological work and targeted sharing (such as through Gloria’s Sensitive & Talented Women group) have helped me to become aware of my blocks. My task now is to “hack” my brain so that I don’t let myself be invaded by my perfectionism, my anticipation that generates anxiety-provoking thoughts and the parades I had found until now, namely to try to master everything and intellectualise everything to protect myself. Work in progress…

.HOW DO I EXPLAIN IT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER HEARD OF IT?

I avoid talking about it to people with whom it doesn’t come naturally, because it can sometimes be misinterpreted, and I especially don’t want the person in front of me to feel judged or devalued.

.HOW IT CHANGED MY LIFE (TO KNOW IT) 

Apart from the personal impact mentioned above, it helped me to understand how my son works and how to better support him. And that is the best way to improve yourself, because how can I put the oxygen mask on him if I myself lost consciousness because I didn’t take care of myself?

.WHAT I HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO DO EVER SINCE

To surround myself only with people who make me feel good: people who are inspiring, caring and funny (but without complacency).

.WHAT IRRITATES ME WITH GIFTEDNESS 

The term “gifted”, which implies a hierarchy between people, whereas this singular functioning does not make them gifted in everything (not always in human relations or in the ability to be happy, for example).

.WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE ABOUT GIFTEDNESS 

The value in a team or group of having someone who thinks differently, as this is a great source of richness and creativity.

 .WHAT I PERSONALLY FIND TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT  

 The brain always on and the difficulty to let go.

.WHAT I PERSONALLY LOVE 

The ability to dream big and do bold things, like becoming a winemaker without a family history for example…

.MY WELLBEING TOOL OR PRACTICE THAT HELPS ME MOST

Cardiac coherence. This breathing rhythm helps reduce stress and improve concentration.

 .A MISREPRESENTATION THAT I WANT TO CALL INTO QUESTION

The little genius with glasses who calculates at lightning speed, or the mentalist who performs mnemonic feats. These profiles exist, but there are countless ways to live your Giftedness.

.WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO GIFTED PEOPLE  

Giftedness is a brain function, nothing more. It does not determine who you are and what you can do. You are above all the result of your story, culture, joys and wounds. You have the choice of who you want to be.

.WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CONCERNED 

No matter how special the other person is, they always have something to teach us. So let’s rub each other up against each other, it might make sparks!

.WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE WHO IS WONDERING 

If a Gifted person has a question, he/she needs an answer, so go and get the answer from professionals and don’t forget to follow your instinct.

.THE MISTAKE NOT TO MAKE FOR A GIFTED PERSON

Thinking that everyone else works like him/her.

.MY PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FOR GIFTED

Ask yourself what makes life worth living for you and use it to give meaning to what you do.

.MY PERSONAL ADVICE FOR GIFTED

Stop thinking that everyone operates like you (bis repetita) and put communication back at the heart of the reactor to enter into fusion (after the aeronautical metaphor and the electrical metaphor, here is the nuclear metaphor! Sorry…).

 .A BOOK TO READ ON THE SUBJECT

“Praise for the unconditional” by Alizé Lim, for fans of tennis, giftedness and the ability to reinvent oneself.

.MY OPINION ABOUT THE IQ WAIS TEST

It is a statistically robust tool for measuring IQ, but it does not measure intelligence.

 .IS IT A WASTE NOT TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE GIFTED? 

Not if you are happy with who you are, what you do and what you have.

.WHEN I MEET ANOTHER GIFTED PERSON, DO I RECOGNIZE HIM.HER? BY WHAT? 

As far as I’m concerned, it’s mainly between highly sensitive people that we instantly recognise each other. I spoke earlier about our antennae: as they are very long, they touch each other more easily 😉
But when you add to that formulations that I find brilliant, sharp and rapid thought processes and an ability to get into the depth and complexity of subjects, I admit that I also think of giftedness.

.THE CRUCIAL STEPS NOT TO BE MISSED IN THE JOURNEY OF A GIFTED PERSON?

Providing answers to outstanding questions in order to advance in self-knowledge, the only solid starting point for adjusting one’s life to one’s needs and values… and not the other way around.

.A WISH FOR THE FUTURE 

That there is more adaptability and consideration of neuroscience in our educational system.

.A HUNCH ON THE SUBJECT

Artificial intelligence will require humans to reason, to arbitrate, to feel even more, as other tasks can be automated. Giftedness could be an even more useful function in this context.

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Professional fulfilment guide

3 keys to deepen your reflection on your professional achievement adapted to the needs of neurodivergent profiles (highly sensitive, multipotentialite, gifted).

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