giftedness matters !

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

A Gift Is Also A Burden



The world lost a treasure yesterday. Robin Williams, comedian, dead at 63. Apparently from suicide. How could someone who brought so much laughter to others be so desperately depressed himself? Because with every gift also comes a burden.

Human giftedness is an amazing thing. It enables people to design bridges, cure illnesses, think up apps, grow food, compose symphonies, enact justice, rescue the shipwrecked, sway opinions, and sooth the troubled souls of the insane. Indeed, nothing of consequence happens in the world apart from people gifted to the task.

Including making people laugh. That was part of Robin Williams’ gift. He could also make us cry. Or just smile. Or simply see ourselves. He was, at heart, a born actor, someone able to assume a role in such a compelling way that we no longer saw him as Robin Williams. Indeed, we no longer saw him at all. Instead, we saw an altogether different human being, a creation made out of “nothing more” than a man dressed up in a costume and makeup, animating a character using purely his own voice and mannerisms.

It was a profoundly brilliant gift. A gift of such magnitude that it probably shows up only once in a generation.


Who Am I?
So what is the experience of being someone who is able to assume different roles? What must it be like to go to work one day and “become” Dr. Sean Maguire (Good Will Hunting), go to work another day and “become” Adrian Cronauer (Good Morning Vietnam), and go to work yet another day and “become” Mrs. Doubtfire? On and on. Put on the clothes. Put on the makeup. Assume the character. “Sell” that image. Bring that individual to life. Step into an entirely new identity.

It’s genius if you can do it. But is there a cost? Does the rare ability to portray a role play tricks with one’s own sense of being? So yeah, I can convincingly play the parts of all these amazing characters? But who am I? When the makeup is wiped off and I go home, who is this person called me?

At The Giftedness Center we have worked with lots of folks who, like Robin Williams, have acting ability. Also lots of artists and musicians. Creative types, as they are called.

One of the common drivers of that form of motivation is called Realize Concept. The idea is that the person is driven to take what starts as “nothing” but an idea or concept and then realize it—that is, bring it into reality, make it real in some way, whether it’s a song, or a poem, or a story, or a cake, or a character.

As I say, it’s a brilliant gift, actually rather God-like in that it’s an act of creation (by the way, all gifts mirror something that God does in an infinite way).

But with every gift comes a burden. Just bearing the gift—just by being who one is made to be—extracts an emotional toll on the person who bears it. All gifts have a certain burden attached to them, whether your gift is designing things, organizing things, singing, solving problems, keeping things in good working condition, teaching, analyzing numbers, starting a business, selling, managing, fixing, or building.


Like a Stradivarius
In the case of Realize Concept, we see an above-average incidence of depression—and not surprisingly, often the abuse of drugs or alcohol as a means of self-medicating that emotional pain away. Realize Concept folks also have higher incidences of job turnover, divorce, bi-polar disorder, manic-depressive disorders, and other emotional challenges.

In short, Realize Concept folks tend to be extremely vulnerable emotionally. That’s because emotions factor so heavily into their ability to bring a creation to life. Their emotions are like a Stradivarius, capable of producing exquisite music in the hands of a master, but quite fragile and, if not cared for well, easily broken, perhaps even destroyed.

It’s a vulnerable thing to get up on a stage or in front of a camera and act. There is no safety net. It’s just you and the audience. Your performance is all there is. You fill the space, you command the moment, you create the persona, you “sell” the character.

Let’s be clear, acting was something that Robin Williams could not not do. It was his life—quite literally. And he obviously loved doing it. Apparently if at least two other people were in the room, Williams would go into his classic bit, firing off a rapid string of jokes and one-liners, self-deprecating and making fun of things that people take too seriously. In short order, he’d hear laughter from his listeners, sometimes so much that whatever “work” was at hand had to be stalled for everyone to compose themselves. He could not not keep the gift from expressing itself. 

Nor could he escape the burden of the gift. None of us can.

It was said, “To whom much is given shall much be required.” That means we’re responsible to use whatever we’ve been given for the purpose for which it was given. And it’s always a joy to use our gift. Even so, just in using the gift, the gift itself requires something of us. We do well to figure out what that price is for our particular form of giftedness, and do whatever it takes to manage that cost, lest the burden of the gift be our undoing.


Question: What is the burden of your giftedness?


NEXT POST ON BillHendricks.net: “I'll Pretty Much Do Anything!”

18 comments:

  1. One of the ultimate "Realize Concept" people on the planet may be Daniel Day-Lewis. His intense preparation seems unmatched (and reportedly troubling to some cast and crew members at times). He becomes --and then lives-- his character. He quit acting at one point to become a cobbler and apprenticed under a world-class craftsman. After returning to acting, two Oscars later, he left again to return to the simple life of working with wood. The common denominator is his enormous attention to detail and need for privacy. (He lives in a secluded rural area in Ireland.) He says he needs working as a wood craftsman is what enables him to recharge artistically. He is on a five-year sabbatical and has been known to take that long between acting projects as he is enormously selective about them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the shared this post with us InvestArms has been aiding the growth of businesses by providing them foolproof strategies that enhance their financial, administrative, and technological progress exponentially. We have established ourselves as a growth driven company that base their success on the results achieved by our clients. We acquire, consolidate, and improve the existing business infrastructure and gear it towards unmatched financial prosperity. Our business strategists and analysts work tirelessly to create a business model that propels your business towards advancement without the loss of revenue. Get in touch with our professionals today and see how we can help you expand and grow your business beyond measures.

    ReplyDelete
  3. If the money was a gift, then you are under no obligation to give it back. She cannot legally hold your stuff. Call the police and have them escort you to at A1 Aautoand truck the house to retrieve your things.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was gonna say get her a gift certificate to a Spa, any and every mother can appreciate that, its at Embodiment Works good way for them to relax and get a massage, get their nails, feet done, a day for them to finally be pampered!.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Embodiment Works Of Fitzrovia
    Pain Relief. Stress Relief. Return To Being You.
    https://embodimentworks.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's actually considered rude to bring a gift to the wedding because it burdens the couple with having to transport it somewhere safe at the end of the evening when they should just be at hair regrowth helmet free to go enjoy whatever they are going to do.

    ReplyDelete
  7. At academic writing service pay for essay cheap we check each paper for plagiarism before returning it to our customers, in order to be sure of the originality of our writers’ work. Each paper is checked for uniqueness using specially designed plagiarism detection software pay for essay cheap

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We supply not only good authors, but also the best. An expert will have an appropriate postgraduate degree in essay writing service rent a best essay author online the required subject area. Guarantee – you have time to review your work as early as possible so you can make any necessary changes.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Our IDS/IPS Services and SIEM methods are all set to fulfil compliance requirements, achieve advanced security objectives and provide point-in-time or continuous visibility of security posture and cyber maturity. seim

    ReplyDelete
  11. shopify ecommerce website development we provide exceptional services and utmost convenience with our expert vision and decades of practical experience.

    ReplyDelete
  12. it’s like getting a true image of all the functions and activities happening in an organization. It lets you know if you’re making money on the work you’re doing or burning through cash. It lets you know if things are on track to hit their budgets and deadlines, and if your team is working at a healthy rate. work logger app

    ReplyDelete
  13. In short, Realize Concept folks tend to be extremely vulnerable emotionally. That’s because emotions factor so heavily into their ability to bring a creation to life.
    plain black kameez
    black plain punjabi suit

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jharkhand Board 9th Class Students Aiming to Prepare Thoroughly for These Exam Pass Parentage Marks of Jharkhand Board 9th Class Syllabus 2022 for Hindi, Math, Social Science, Sanskrit, Students Attempting these Syllabus Exam Pattern and Analysis your Jharkhand 9th Class Syllabus Answers would help you identify your weak areas and fortify them. Jharkhand Council Govt and Private High Schools Controlled and Managed by Government of Jharkhand State, Jharkhand Board 9th Class Syllabus 2022 Start in Month of Jun, JAC 9th Syllabus 2022 Change in This Academic Year 2022, Boardmodelpaper.com Provide 9th Class Study Material and Syllabus for Hindi, English Medium Various Subject Pdf File

    ReplyDelete

Your thoughts?