I was identified when I was a child as gifted so that probably makes me a
gifted so that probably makes me a
gifted so that probably makes me a gifted adult gifted brains are different
gifted adult gifted brains are different
gifted adult gifted brains are different and we’re all wired differently
and we’re all wired differently
and we’re all wired differently physically gifted brains are bigger and
physically gifted brains are bigger and
physically gifted brains are bigger and more measurably active MRIs scans show
more measurably active MRIs scans show
more measurably active MRIs scans show that the gifted brain has longer and
that the gifted brain has longer and
that the gifted brain has longer and more dendrites spikes and a greater
more dendrites spikes and a greater
more dendrites spikes and a greater interconnectivity between different
interconnectivity between different
interconnectivity between different areas of the brain this heightened
areas of the brain this heightened
areas of the brain this heightened activity can lead to insightful and
activity can lead to insightful and
activity can lead to insightful and intuitive thinking focused learning and
intuitive thinking focused learning and
intuitive thinking focused learning and to greater integration and retention of
to greater integration and retention of
to greater integration and retention of thought but my identified gifted brain
thought but my identified gifted brain
thought but my identified gifted brain has not helped me memorize this talk
Einstein’s brain was bigger and had more
Einstein’s brain was bigger and had more gray matter and more neurological
gray matter and more neurological
gray matter and more neurological pathways he was able to juggle multiple
pathways he was able to juggle multiple
pathways he was able to juggle multiple complex problems in his mind like
complex problems in his mind like
complex problems in his mind like groundbreaking theories about
groundbreaking theories about
groundbreaking theories about electrodynamics and atoms all at the
electrodynamics and atoms all at the
electrodynamics and atoms all at the same time gifted adult brains are
same time gifted adult brains are
same time gifted adult brains are biologically different but it would take
biologically different but it would take
biologically different but it would take an MRI scan to find out if your brain is
an MRI scan to find out if your brain is
an MRI scan to find out if your brain is different do you think you are gifted
different do you think you are gifted
different do you think you are gifted are you one of New Zealand’s tall
are you one of New Zealand’s tall
are you one of New Zealand’s tall poppies they are not always celebrated
poppies they are not always celebrated
poppies they are not always celebrated are they maybe it was the head girl at
are they maybe it was the head girl at
are they maybe it was the head girl at your school or a teacher or the man in
your school or a teacher or the man in
your school or a teacher or the man in your office with great ideas or your dad
your office with great ideas or your dad
your office with great ideas or your dad or your eccentric grandma we are
or your eccentric grandma we are
or your eccentric grandma we are surrounded by talented adults and high
surrounded by talented adults and high
surrounded by talented adults and high achievers but they are not all gifted
achievers but they are not all gifted
achievers but they are not all gifted not all experts agree on who should be
not all experts agree on who should be
not all experts agree on who should be classified as gifted Mensa for instance
classified as gifted Mensa for instance
classified as gifted Mensa for instance accepts those with an IQ of a hundred
accepts those with an IQ of a hundred
accepts those with an IQ of a hundred and thirty or above others except those
and thirty or above others except those
and thirty or above others except those in the top 10% with an IQ of a hundred
in the top 10% with an IQ of a hundred
in the top 10% with an IQ of a hundred and twenty or above if anyone talks
and twenty or above if anyone talks
and twenty or above if anyone talks about an IQ of 200 or more that’s not
about an IQ of 200 or more that’s not
about an IQ of 200 or more that’s not possible to measure how do you know you
possible to measure how do you know you
possible to measure how do you know you are gifted if you don’t take a test my
are gifted if you don’t take a test my
are gifted if you don’t take a test my esteemed colleague and friend and Roper
esteemed colleague and friend and Roper
esteemed colleague and friend and Roper says giftedness is more that the
says giftedness is more that the
says giftedness is more that the Internet has Emma as an emotional
Internet has Emma as an emotional
Internet has Emma as an emotional pathway gifted adults can be found
pathway gifted adults can be found
pathway gifted adults can be found we may not recognize the magnified
we may not recognize the magnified
we may not recognize the magnified intellectual capacities of the gifted
intellectual capacities of the gifted
intellectual capacities of the gifted brain and we may not recognize the
brain and we may not recognize the
brain and we may not recognize the greater magnification of the emotional
greater magnification of the emotional
greater magnification of the emotional capacities of the gifted brain gifted
capacities of the gifted brain gifted
capacities of the gifted brain gifted adults do need full understanding and
adults do need full understanding and
adults do need full understanding and compassion from others it is not always
compassion from others it is not always
compassion from others it is not always easy to be gifted I remember school as
easy to be gifted I remember school as
easy to be gifted I remember school as being fun there was lots of new
being fun there was lots of new
being fun there was lots of new information and knowledge to explore
information and knowledge to explore
information and knowledge to explore university was awful I enrolled I was 16
university was awful I enrolled I was 16
university was awful I enrolled I was 16 and I enrolled to study medicine but
and I enrolled to study medicine but
and I enrolled to study medicine but after just memorizing things for three
after just memorizing things for three
after just memorizing things for three years I quit others around me seemed
years I quit others around me seemed
years I quit others around me seemed stimulated and I wasn’t I felt there was
stimulated and I wasn’t I felt there was
stimulated and I wasn’t I felt there was something wrong with me and it felt like
something wrong with me and it felt like
something wrong with me and it felt like nobody cared then I met a man who said
nobody cared then I met a man who said
nobody cared then I met a man who said he loved me
he loved me
he loved me so I followed him to New Zealand after
so I followed him to New Zealand after
so I followed him to New Zealand after arriving here I met another man
and I married him instead I became a
and I married him instead I became a teacher of maths and science at a
teacher of maths and science at a
teacher of maths and science at a secondary school because my landlord was
secondary school because my landlord was
secondary school because my landlord was the head of the department and he needed
the head of the department and he needed
the head of the department and he needed a maths teacher then I discovered I
a maths teacher then I discovered I
a maths teacher then I discovered I would get more money if I became a
would get more money if I became a
would get more money if I became a proper teacher so I was one of the first
proper teacher so I was one of the first
proper teacher so I was one of the first six students to get a master’s in
six students to get a master’s in
six students to get a master’s in education degree from Waikato University
education degree from Waikato University
education degree from Waikato University during this time I discovered psychology
during this time I discovered psychology
during this time I discovered psychology and I qualified as a registered
and I qualified as a registered
and I qualified as a registered psychologist for me psychology is
psychologist for me psychology is
psychologist for me psychology is endlessly fascinating but I left my
endlessly fascinating but I left my
endlessly fascinating but I left my position as a Ministry of Education
position as a Ministry of Education
position as a Ministry of Education psychologist because like many gifted
psychologist because like many gifted
psychologist because like many gifted adults I do not like to be told what to
adults I do not like to be told what to
adults I do not like to be told what to do or how to do it
do or how to do it
do or how to do it since then I guess people will have seen
since then I guess people will have seen
since then I guess people will have seen me as dedicating my life to helping
me as dedicating my life to helping
me as dedicating my life to helping others whose minds think differently and
others whose minds think differently and
others whose minds think differently and along the way I think it has helped me
along the way I think it has helped me
along the way I think it has helped me to understand me
to understand me
to understand me gifted adults have an inner urge to
gifted adults have an inner urge to
gifted adults have an inner urge to fulfill their own expectations and feel
fulfill their own expectations and feel
fulfill their own expectations and feel guilty if they cannot even when no one
guilty if they cannot even when no one
guilty if they cannot even when no one else sees the need – one of my clients
else sees the need – one of my clients
else sees the need – one of my clients called James was an exceptionally gifted
called James was an exceptionally gifted
called James was an exceptionally gifted 23 year old he had completed three years
23 year old he had completed three years
23 year old he had completed three years of a science degree but had found it
of a science degree but had found it
of a science degree but had found it boring so he swapped to engineering and
boring so he swapped to engineering and
boring so he swapped to engineering and dropped out he had simply not learned
dropped out he had simply not learned
dropped out he had simply not learned how to enjoy learning a characteristic
how to enjoy learning a characteristic
how to enjoy learning a characteristic of giftedness
of giftedness
of giftedness can be not to learn how to enjoy
can be not to learn how to enjoy
can be not to learn how to enjoy learning robert another gifted young man
learning robert another gifted young man
learning robert another gifted young man who had enrolled at university to study
who had enrolled at university to study
who had enrolled at university to study arts got as far as his second year
arts got as far as his second year
arts got as far as his second year before dropping out because he found it
before dropping out because he found it
before dropping out because he found it too hard school had been so easy for him
too hard school had been so easy for him
too hard school had been so easy for him and he had done so well that he’d never
and he had done so well that he’d never
and he had done so well that he’d never learned how to do assignments or how to
learned how to do assignments or how to
learned how to do assignments or how to study and he never learned to sustain
study and he never learned to sustain
study and he never learned to sustain the effort that is sometimes needed even
the effort that is sometimes needed even
the effort that is sometimes needed even for the gifted mind to learn something
for the gifted mind to learn something
for the gifted mind to learn something new you might think that having gifted
new you might think that having gifted
new you might think that having gifted abilities isn’t a problem but adult
abilities isn’t a problem but adult
abilities isn’t a problem but adult giftedness can be a burden as there are
giftedness can be a burden as there are
giftedness can be a burden as there are so many avenues to explore and a gifted
so many avenues to explore and a gifted
so many avenues to explore and a gifted adult will want to master all their
adult will want to master all their
adult will want to master all their areas of interest we can spread
areas of interest we can spread
areas of interest we can spread ourselves very thinly as we have an
ourselves very thinly as we have an
ourselves very thinly as we have an incredible urge to do it all and when we
incredible urge to do it all and when we
incredible urge to do it all and when we fail we can be inconsolable
fail we can be inconsolable
fail we can be inconsolable gifted adults are very prone to
gifted adults are very prone to
gifted adults are very prone to perfectionism who has lived with a
perfectionism who has lived with a
perfectionism who has lived with a perfectionist it is unbearable
but consider the viewpoint of the gifted
but consider the viewpoint of the gifted perfectionist mary had started a
perfectionist mary had started a
perfectionist mary had started a successful importing business and had
successful importing business and had
successful importing business and had recently enrolled in a double business
recently enrolled in a double business
recently enrolled in a double business and arts master’s degree
and arts master’s degree
and arts master’s degree mary came to see me because she had
mary came to see me because she had
mary came to see me because she had discovered that she didn’t really like
discovered that she didn’t really like
discovered that she didn’t really like people or herself mary was an
people or herself mary was an
people or herself mary was an exceptional communicator and she could
exceptional communicator and she could
exceptional communicator and she could externalize her feelings and actions but
externalize her feelings and actions but
externalize her feelings and actions but she felt she couldn’t change them she is
she felt she couldn’t change them she is
she felt she couldn’t change them she is a perfectionist that felt she couldn’t
a perfectionist that felt she couldn’t
a perfectionist that felt she couldn’t be perfect a characteristic of the
be perfect a characteristic of the
be perfect a characteristic of the gifted mind is it can take anything to
gifted mind is it can take anything to
gifted mind is it can take anything to extremes
extremes
extremes whether it is advantageous or
whether it is advantageous or
whether it is advantageous or counterproductive a perfectionist is an
counterproductive a perfectionist is an
counterproductive a perfectionist is an example of a gifted mind taking things
example of a gifted mind taking things
example of a gifted mind taking things to extremes but another friend and
to extremes but another friend and
to extremes but another friend and giftedness expert Linda Silverman says
giftedness expert Linda Silverman says
giftedness expert Linda Silverman says perfectionism can be best thought of as
perfectionism can be best thought of as
perfectionism can be best thought of as an energy that needs to be channeled in
an energy that needs to be channeled in
an energy that needs to be channeled in positive directions rather than as a
positive directions rather than as a
positive directions rather than as a malady that needs to be cured for me the
malady that needs to be cured for me the
malady that needs to be cured for me the worst part of being gifted is the label
worst part of being gifted is the label
worst part of being gifted is the label gifted we are not all privileged or
gifted we are not all privileged or
gifted we are not all privileged or mathematical geniuses it is an
mathematical geniuses it is an
mathematical geniuses it is an old-fashioned phrase that people throw
old-fashioned phrase that people throw
old-fashioned phrase that people throw around to describe those that they just
around to describe those that they just
around to describe those that they just think far every find everything easy and
think far every find everything easy and
think far every find everything easy and just can turn their hands successfully
just can turn their hands successfully
just can turn their hands successfully to anything being gifted is as much
to anything being gifted is as much
to anything being gifted is as much about understanding our emotional urges
about understanding our emotional urges
about understanding our emotional urges as our intellectual ones I think there
as our intellectual ones I think there
as our intellectual ones I think there is a growing interest
is a growing interest
is a growing interest and giftedness and a growing awareness
and giftedness and a growing awareness
and giftedness and a growing awareness and appreciation of multiple
and appreciation of multiple
and appreciation of multiple intelligences that are unique individual
intelligences that are unique individual
intelligences that are unique individual ways of exhibiting giftedness multiple
ways of exhibiting giftedness multiple
ways of exhibiting giftedness multiple intelligences has changed the single
intelligences has changed the single
intelligences has changed the single concept of giftedness to a multi
concept of giftedness to a multi
concept of giftedness to a multi category concept you can be verbally
category concept you can be verbally
category concept you can be verbally gifted visually gifted mathematically
gifted visually gifted mathematically
gifted visually gifted mathematically gifted musically gifted gifted in sports
gifted musically gifted gifted in sports
gifted musically gifted gifted in sports or gifted in many other ways there is
or gifted in many other ways there is
or gifted in many other ways there is not just one way for being gifted and
not just one way for being gifted and
not just one way for being gifted and let’s not forget some gifted adults can
let’s not forget some gifted adults can
let’s not forget some gifted adults can be outstanding at some things but not
be outstanding at some things but not
be outstanding at some things but not consistently gifted that everything they
consistently gifted that everything they
consistently gifted that everything they try I am painfully slow at writing and I
try I am painfully slow at writing and I
try I am painfully slow at writing and I grew up before we all started to use
grew up before we all started to use
grew up before we all started to use computers furthermore there is a
computers furthermore there is a
computers furthermore there is a significant proportion of gifted adults
significant proportion of gifted adults
significant proportion of gifted adults who are outstandingly good at something
who are outstandingly good at something
who are outstandingly good at something but outstandingly weak at something else
but outstandingly weak at something else
but outstandingly weak at something else they are known as 2e twice exceptional
they are known as 2e twice exceptional
they are known as 2e twice exceptional for example the gifted and dyslexic
for example the gifted and dyslexic
for example the gifted and dyslexic Richard Branson there are many
Richard Branson there are many
Richard Branson there are many identified recognized and celebrated
identified recognized and celebrated
identified recognized and celebrated gifted adults but there are also many
gifted adults but there are also many
gifted adults but there are also many others who are unidentified it is ok
others who are unidentified it is ok
others who are unidentified it is ok being an unidentified gift adult if you
being an unidentified gift adult if you
being an unidentified gift adult if you are comfortable with being you and you
are comfortable with being you and you
are comfortable with being you and you enjoy much of what you do but if you
enjoy much of what you do but if you
enjoy much of what you do but if you suspect you or someone you know
suspect you or someone you know
suspect you or someone you know be unhappy and giftedness could be
be unhappy and giftedness could be
be unhappy and giftedness could be contributing to this distress then it is
contributing to this distress then it is
contributing to this distress then it is important to initiate some investigating
important to initiate some investigating
important to initiate some investigating it is important to clarify the degree of
it is important to clarify the degree of
it is important to clarify the degree of a gifted learning difference it is
a gifted learning difference it is
a gifted learning difference it is important no matter how your mind is
important no matter how your mind is
important no matter how your mind is wired to identify your gifts it is
wired to identify your gifts it is
wired to identify your gifts it is important to identify what you enjoy
important to identify what you enjoy
important to identify what you enjoy doing enjoy your life I do
doing enjoy your life I do
doing enjoy your life I do [Applause]
”
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