Today, Marion shares her vision of giftedness through the Gifted Interview. Thank you, Marion! She is a civil servant and currently lives in Bruxelles.
.IF I COULD CHOOSE, WOULD I STILL BE GIFTED?
Yes, but only if you know!
.WHAT (MY OWN) GIFTEDNESS MEANS TO ME
To have a different view of the world, to make connections where there seem to be none, to find solutions where they are not expected, to have values with which one does not compromise, and to experience everything tenfold.
.IF I HAD TO CHOOSE AN IMAGE OR A KEYWORD THAT SUMS UP WHAT GIFTEDNESS MEANS
A pressure cooker.
.HOW LONG HAVE I KNOWN ABOUT IT?
2 years (I’m 39).
.WHAT PHASES HAVE I GONE THROUGH SINCE MY DISCOVERY?
The intuition that it might be that, because all the testimonies matched, the irrepressible need to take the test, the delivery of the result, the pieces of the puzzle that fit together, the learning of oneself, the inner peace and happiness.
.THE REMARK WHICH BLEW ME AWAY MOST WHEN I TALKED ABOUT IT
When I had the intuition that I might be Gifted and I dared to talk about it to my husband, he replied “I don’t know exactly what Gifted is but it’s not someone like you!”.
.HOW IT CHANGED MY LIFE (TO KNOW IT)
Both everything and nothing.
Nothing because I probably have the life path I would have had if I had known 20 years ago.
And everything because I undertook a great inner journey, understood how I function, why I react the way I do, what motivates me, what makes sense to me, and, with meditation (not related to HPI obviously, but to my personal journey since the test), discovered the meaning of life, love of self (and therefore of others), of my limiting beliefs, and of my faculties.
.WHAT I HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO DO EVER SINCE
To say what I think even (and especially) if nobody thinks like me.
.WHAT IT CREATES TO OTHERS WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT
There is nothing that irritates me about giftedness.
On the other hand, the academic and professional system, as well as the general mistrust, at least in Europe, towards bright and daring people, bother me.
.WHAT IRRITATES ME WITH GIFTEDNESS
The role of intuition, the Cassandra syndrome (fascinating!), a sense of humour and repartee, humility, and a commitment to values.
.WHAT I PERSONALLY FIND TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT
It was very complicated for 37 years when I was not detected and did not know my way of working. It was difficult to organise my abundant ideas. It was hard to manage my emotions. Difficult to trust me. Difficult to explain my thoughts, often original, without blushing or getting angry. It’s hard to accept sloppy work, useless meetings, and bad faith. To be yourself at the risk of being rejected, or to be someone else to be accepted.
Today, things are much easier to understand and manage. If only because the reactions of others and myself are intelligible and often predictable. This makes it possible to understand each other and to live together. To pass on messages in a calmer way. To dare to be me and to accept that others think differently. To let go of ballast too.
.WHAT I PERSONALLY LOVE
Curiosity, even if you quickly get bored with a subject and you always have to find another bone to pick.
.MY WELLBEING TOOL OR PRACTICE THAT HELPS ME MOST
Humour (to fill up), meditation (to empty).
.WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO GIFTED PEOPLE
This is good news.
.WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CONCERNED
The worst thing for a group is to continue to do what it has always done. Discouraging initiative, new ideas, and dissenting voices is a recipe for failure.
.WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE WHO IS WONDERING
Listen to testimonials and get tested to be sure.
.MY PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FOR GIFTED
Try to know yourself before committing yourself to a path or a position that does not correspond to you.
.MY PERSONAL ADVICE FOR GIFTED
Allow yourself moments of solitude.
.MY OPINION ABOUT THE IQ WAIS TEST
A necessary but not sufficient step.
.IS IT A WASTE NOT TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE GIFTED?
Yes, especially if you don’t feel aligned.
.WHEN I MEET ANOTHER GIFTED PERSON, DO I RECOGNIZE HIM.HER? BY WHAT?
Relevant but not arrogant.
