I feel such profound gratitude for having become part of this group that is exactly like another member worded: like an overdue family reunion. I broke contact with the larger part of my family of origin, and have all life felt so in need of kindness and support and the gentle softness in which I could spread my wings, not just be a one-way adviser, one-way conveyer of love and knowledge and for some the sacrificial lamb. Having deeply meaningful conversations here or by other means with members of IG fills my heart with such joy. I can finally let go of all the shame over not finding what I needed, not even daring to admit how much I need and how little I found outside myself. It really hit me when reading Jennifer’s article on high+ giftedness: the always sooner or (very rarely) later being confronted with the limited mutual interest, understanding, intensity span or any other mutual field of anything meaningful I’d be looking for in others. Jennifer describes it so accurately as “just getting started” and the other just wanting to get out of the intense contact. There wasn’t very much reason for celebration of life before, even if I kept lighting my candle for me vigourously and in spite of what I saw in the world outside me. I’d like to give you all in IG a thank you hug for being who you are and sharing that with me, and making me be more and more OK with who I am.

InterGifted has been great for me because it has allowed me to cope with the fact that the vast majority of humans are not my community. A lot of us here have a different relationship to ‘people in general’ than normal folks, and the farther you are on the graph the more that is the case. I can understand them, and relate on a basic human level, but it’s not reciprocal and I enjoy deeper relation than that. I connect to humanity more than to people and a lot of us are that way. Attempting to focus on my similarities with others has often lead to confusion and anxiety, because the differences have had far more of an impact on my life than the similarities. Focusing on my differences has lead to self understanding and releasing the need for non gifted people to understand and accept me. I’m not searching for what I have in common with everyone anymore; I’m searching for the people I don’t have to try so hard with. I love humanity deeply but do not have a strong underlying sense of community as a whole, and moving away from desiring one is what has been (finally) saving me from the pain of giftedness.

Thank you so much for your faithfulness in creating and running InterGifted. The many articles and teachings on the website have been a huge blessing and encouragement to me! Your organization and resources have already played a beautiful part in helping me better understand my unique design and helping me continue in my pursuit of authentic wholeness.

InterGifted has made a huge impact on my emotional life. I feel significantly less lonely, not to mention my self-understanding continues to grow as I learn about my gifted self.

I am greatly enjoying the correspondence and interaction with other members of this unique group, a sense of real belonging. I’m feeling like part of a vibrant family of like minds and hearts.

I’ve been involved in gifted education for over 20 years. As a personal passion and to facilitate my work with gifted students, I’ve done extensive personal reading and studying about the social-emotional aspect of gifted. Still, finding IG and interacting with the leaders and members has been an unexpected kind of homecoming. To be able to talk about my own giftedness openly and without apology has brought about a whole new level of awareness. Because I can mention something I’m observing or experiencing or puzzling over to the group and be pretty much guaranteed that someone will relate to or support me, I find myself actually feeling and experiencing things more deeply. I think this is the result of not having to distill things down to language or experience that everyone will understand with the typical alternative of simply keeping it to myself. On a daily basis I am probed by members to ponder a question or idea that is new or from a perspective not yet considered. I feel like, in this secret world, I am invited to grow more fully into all that I am meant to be.

Words cannot say how InterGifted has changed my life! Since discovering my giftedness six months ago, Jen and InterGifted have helped me to understand what’s been going on in my mind all these years. I finally feel a surge of hope when I think about my uniqueness, as opposed to the sadness and loneliness that it used to trigger in me. Interacting with the peer community here and receiving coaching has helped me to translate what is true about me into what is beautiful about me. Instead of spending the second half of my life feeling as lost as I have for the first half, I now see who I am and who I want to become, and for the first time, I have begun to enjoy the journey.

I am so happy to have found IG.  It’s unlocked a lot of things for me; most of what I need to deal with, but also a renewed passion to explore topics I’ve touched on such as taking a different view on personality styles that is seen from a gifted perspective. You provide such a great platform which incorporates all of its members. I’ve been like the Lochness monster submerged for many years and suddenly resurfaced; realizing just what opportunities and info gathering I missed. Thanks for this great initiative, and being supportive and a mine of information. IG helps to remind those struggling with just how special they are to know they’re extra special. That’s what it did for me.

The friendships I have made via in the InterGifted community have been some of the first true friendships of my entire life. I had gotten used to keeping myself small and tame, quiet and introverted, even with people I considered my close friends. I used to think of myself as a total introvert. Since joining InterGifted, I’ve discovered that it’s wonderful to connect when people get you, and when you can be your full self with them! It took me a while to feel comfortable, but once I saw how open everyone is in this community, I felt safe to explore and express all that I’ve been keeping inside for a lifetime. I’m still surprised to see what a different person I’ve become thanks to simple friendships with other gifted people like me!

If I could sum up my experience in Intergifted in one word, it would be: validation. Validation of all the struggles I’ve had over the years, of how my gifted mind works and why it didn’t work well in the world I grew up in. That’s allowed me to discover how to create a world in which it does work well! It’s changed everything for me.

It’s nice to talk about giftedness without anyone acting surprised by it. Talking about it like hair color or eye color as part of a bigger, more important picture is so…stress-relieving.

IG has been a lifeline for me. I was going through severe existential depression when my friend suggested I contact InterGifted. Through coaching and the community, I have found hope again. I finally see that there is a positive side to my giftedness, and I’m excited to see how I can develop a better relationship with that previously hidden side of me.

What I really enjoy about Intergifted is the welcoming atmosphere and acceptance of all – internationally! I love being able to hear similar ideas as well as different perspectives from not only the variety of individuals that are part of this group, but perhaps from the various experiences which can be part of different locations in the world. It feels like home.

As well as boosting my self-esteem immeasurably, InterGifted has helped me to realise that there are others like me out there, and that I should perhaps now go out to meet them rather than wallowing independently in my (and our) unfortunate statistical rarity.

Thank you for creating such a great website full of helpful resources for gifted adults, and especially for hosting communities for like-minded people to interact. A gifted mind can be both a great blessing and an isolating curse, and it’s a comfort to connect with others who understand.