Today, Jeanne Linguinou shares her vision of giftedness through the Gifted Interview. Thank you, Jeanne! She is teaching horse riding (being both a rider and a teacher in the fusion of the rider-horse couple in individual lessons as well as in online riding training). She is also a Celeris France Agent (custom-made riding boots, handmade in Portugal). She currently lives in Savignac, Gironde (France).
.IF I COULD CHOOSE, WOULD I STILL BE GIFTED?
Yes! It gives so much relief to life!
.WHAT (MY OWN) GIFTEDNESS MEANS TO ME
Associated with the laminar profile, I experience high potential with great intensity but without (too) much difficulty. For me, Giftedness is defined by being 100,000% committed to everything, all the time. Hyperactive, hyper joyful, hyper enthusiastic, hyper-energetic, hyper-motivated, hyper-focused, hypersensitive, hyper different, hyper-fast, hyper calm, hyper patient, hyper-attentive, hyper-aware, etc.!
.IF I HAD TO CHOOSE AN IMAGE OR A KEYWORD THAT SUMS UP WHAT GIFTEDNESS MEANS
I always say that I am completely “tuc-tuc”! It doesn’t mean anything, of course, but there’s a light, lively and funny side to the pronunciation of this term that fits me well. As I don’t particularly recognize myself in metaphors or common symbols, I have invented my own keyword to sum myself up. Everyone is free to interpret it in their own way 😉 !
.HOW LONG HAVE I KNOWN ABOUT IT?
I have always been “atypical”. And since June 2020, thanks to the detection of my high sensitivity followed by the detection of my Giftedness in October 2020: I know why now!
.WHAT PHASES HAVE I GONE THROUGH SINCE MY DISCOVERY?
- Understanding: I now know why I am different, there is an objective and recognised reason.
- Enthusiasm to develop my “new superpowers”, to make giftedness a real strength.
- Doubt my ability to do something good with this new awareness of my functioning and not to let myself be overwhelmed by the overflow of everything (especially my emotions).
- The real awareness. I am the only one who can live my life. I decide everything, even (especially?) unconsciously. So I juggle with my brain to confront it with fulfillment. And to do this, I try to live in the present moment because it is the only thing that belongs to me!
.HOW DO I EXPLAIN IT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER HEARD OF IT?
It is the connections in the brain that are different from the majority of the population and that can explain the peculiarity of the functioning of the people concerned. It’s not good or bad, better or worse, it’s just inherent to these people, just like the physical properties.
.THE REMARK WHICH BLEW ME AWAY MOST WHEN I TALKED ABOUT IT
I told only a few people about it and in particular, a relative (whom I suspect is also concerned 😉 !) giving the example of tree thinking, with one thought leading to another, then another, then another, ad infinitum, as one of the faculties of Gifted People. And he said to me: “Really? Doesn’t everyone think like that? That must be boring!” – I laughed!
So I think what surprises me the most is that I instinctively only talk about it with people who might be affected by it and that “by chance” they are receptive and understanding!
NB de Gloria: “Tree thinking” (scientifically called divergent thinking), as I explain in detail in my glossary HERE, is shared by the whole population, it is however more active for a gifted person (the gifted person has more active and compulsive reasoning).
.HOW IT CHANGED MY LIFE (TO KNOW IT)
Awareness of my functioning: I know why I am the way I am. I observe myself more easily, to better live the unpleasant situations and enrich the pleasant ones!
.WHAT I HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO DO EVER SINCE
To be even more “tuc-tuc” 😉 !
I am (I try to be 😉 ) more kind with myself. I’m not chasing perfection as much. And I’m starting to integrate the “it’s already good”! I also take a little more time for myself without feeling guilty.
.WHAT IT CREATES TO OTHERS WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT
Attention and curiosity.
.WHAT IRRITATES ME WITH GIFTEDNESS
When the subject is brought up only as an excuse for all the unpleasant situations I encounter.
.WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE ABOUT GIFTEDNESS
How lucky we are to be able to experience all the good times to the fullest!
.WHAT I PERSONALLY FIND TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT
The way other people look at me (answering this questionnaire is a real challenge for me!), because kindness is not always automatic in these looks.
.WHAT I PERSONALLY LOVE
The intensity of emotions and energy.
.MY WELLBEING TOOL OR PRACTICE THAT HELPS ME MOST
Being in contact with horses. With them, there is only truth, no false self. I am necessarily in the present moment thanks to listening to my senses and my feelings. I establish a relationship of kindness and love, which the horses return to me a hundredfold.
.A MISREPRESENTATION THAT I WANT TO CALL INTO QUESTION
Yes, Gifted people can be fulfilled!
.WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO GIFTED PEOPLE
Develop your ‘superpowers’ without limits!
.WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CONCERNED
The important thing is that each person can understand his or her own functioning in order to be able to explain it to the other if necessary. Without judgment, with listening and kindness. Whatever happens, everyone is unique.
.WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE WHO IS WONDERING
Dig deeper!
.THE MISTAKE NOT TO MAKE FOR A GIFTED PERSON
Thinking that you can pretend and forget yourself.
.MY PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FOR GIFTED
Follow your intuition/heart because thinking will always find a way to keep you “safe” and prevent you from taking action. Go for it!
.MY PERSONAL ADVICE FOR GIFTED
Know and understand your own functioning, as well as that of the people around you, in order to flourish together thanks to the strengths of our similarities and complementarities/differences.
.MY OPINION ABOUT THE IQ WAIS TEST
The test should be taken with a trusted professional who is well-versed in the subject. For me, the results of the test are neither an end in itself nor a validation of skills. It’s just a nice door that opens onto our own functioning. It is then up to each person to draw all the benefits from it, thanks to the detailed explanations of the professional (hence the interest in choosing him or her well!).
.IS IT A WASTE NOT TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE GIFTED?
Yes, for two different reasons:
- If giftedness is “disabling”, it brings understanding and solutions to live better and overcome difficulties
- If giftedness is “fulfilling”, it highlights the assets that need to be preserved and enhanced
.WHEN I MEET ANOTHER GIFTED PERSON, DO I RECOGNIZE HIM.HER? BY WHAT?
The way they think, express themselves, reason, the ‘processing speed’. We understand each other!
.WHAT DO GIFTED PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON?
Intensity. A gifted person lives everything with intensity.
.THE CRUCIAL STEPS NOT TO BE MISSED IN THE JOURNEY OF A GIFTED PERSON?
- Avoid projections and preconceptions. If you wonder if you are concerned, dig deeper.
- Digest the news when you are told you are Gifted and/or highly sensitive. Dig deeper, this is only the beginning!
- Finally, the more you dig, the more you want to dig: to understand, to learn, to discover how we function. Because as Gifted people we love to learn and luckily it’s endless!
.A WISH FOR THE FUTURE
Kindness and patience.
.A HUNCH ON THE SUBJECT
More of us are concerned than we think 😉 !
