Beautiful piece Sean! Just goes to show how being "too" gifted can be a curse instead of a boon.

Everyone develops expectations and the pressure is on you. They expect you to achieve things that they think someone super smart should.

But a person with a 200+ IQ could be interested in painting and not playing with mind boggling math equations.

I have been called "gifted" since my childhood and having topped for 12 years straight, people expected high things off me.

But I soon realized that I wasn't that interested in academics and preferred learning skills and exploring new things instead.

As my grades in college came to just above average, people were aghast. I live on my own terms - enjoying, learning, exploring and living a balanced life.

Gifts come with the burden of expectations. But once you choose what you want to do, you no longer have to care.

Thanks for sharing this!