Does anyone think they're gifted?

I'd like to think I was gifted - not in the I see dead people kind of way, but in the abilities kind of way. I mean, I'm a bit of a jack-of-all-trades kind of person. I'm only posting this as I'd like to hear other people's views on being gifted and perhaps hear some advice.

I can pretty much teach myself anything. Over the years I've taught myself a lot of things - I've learnt about cars, I have taught myself basic maintenance to full rebuilds. I've rebuilt many car engines and motorcycle engines. I've taught myself how pc's work and built myself a few from scratch. I've dabbled in carpentry, landscaping, I used to be a chef (and a pretty good one I'd like to think). I used to run a small restaurant and whilst doing so taught myself some very important people management skills and customer service skills. I have very good writing skills, having worked in a policy area in government for sometime - I never had a problem with writing. I've learnt archery, rifle shooting, and many ball sports. I even discovered that I could be pretty good at making my own clothes if I was forced to use a sewing machine (though I try and keep this one a secret, my g/f forced me to do this!). I've taught myself how to build websites, using many different scripting languages - I've built many web pages for myself and for others and I now work in an Australian government IT area building software applications.

I have a very good understanding of chemicals and always did well in chemisty, maths and physics in high school and college. I'm constantly seeking to learn new things (I guess that's why I am part of ATS) and always willing to try new things.

I never hear or read about a skill that I think I could never do.

I don't mean to blow my own horn here, but I'm only just realising what a versatile person I have become. Most of the people I know can only really do a few things well, and when they try new things, often do poorly and give up.

And that's what got me thinking... Is this some sort of gift? Is there a way that I can make the most of this? Am I holding myself back somehow?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Genius is derived simply through experience.

Those that have a natural talent in any area, have that ability because they have cultivated it in one or more former lifetimes and/or in the Spirit between physical embodiment.

People who are natural artists were an artist before.

Someone who is unusually gifted in advanced engineering and/or physics may have had a lifetime as an advanced scientist/engineer (perhaps as a Zetan-Reptilian or within some other technically advanced humanoid species).

People that have a knack for business, ran a successful business before.

People who have a talent in metaphysics and spiritual understanding studied it in the Spirit before incarnating this time around and probably had at least one prior lifetime of devotion/service to God.

People that have an unusually gifted ability to play and even compose music at an early age, were accomplished musicians and composers in a former life.

A man who finds it relatively easy to excell in various traditional areas (e.g., putting things together, sewing, cooking, building, etc.) is often referred to as a Renaissance Man.

It all comes from having cultivated the gift(s) before this current incarnation.



[edit on 28-6-2004 by Paul_Richard]

So you think it all has to do with a past life or lives? Interesting. What does everyone else think?

Sounds interesting but I don't believe in that. I feel that everybody is different, so when everybody makes different choices they simply think different depending on the outcome. So besides people with disabilities perhaps everybody is gifted in their own way. Me for example I understand military/weapons and video games better than my friends. Mean while they have talents in things like math, spelling, and music.

I think most people consider themselves gifted without a good reason. There's a large chance you'll end up forgotten within a century of your death like billions before you. The problem is also that if you consider yourself gifted, you'll think to success will come to you naturally. You have to work for it.

Tim356,

You are, as you say, a "jack-of-all-trades" because you have had many varied experiences that led you to cultivate many talents -- regardless of whether or not you remember where they came from.

A good reference is a book called "Reincarnation and the Interim Between Lives" by E. Arthur Winkler, Th.D., Ph.D. He was the founder and President of St. John's University in Louisiana and that is where you can order the book.

I remember when I first tried to cultivate the gift to discern a person's former life. It was at Shirley McClaines first metaphysical seminar back in the mid 1980s and was held in Virginia Beach. Hundreds attended. She had us pair off and then told us to "channel our partner's greatest fear," which was a really stupid thing to suggest. (Old Shirl opened up many eyes to some progressive ideas, in embracing this area of life as a celebrity, but she was really too selfish and materialistic to be on a spiritual path.) So I instead concentrated on tuning into a former incarnation.

What I got from one woman was that she was a Yogi in a former life. In talking with her, she told me that she would work during the day, go to school at night, come home and go to bed around midnight, then wake up without an alarm clock at about 2 AM, meditate for an hour or so, then go back to bed and wake up around 6 AM and start her schedule all over again.

This indicated to me that she (like David Blaine), had an unusual ability to control her body, which is precisely the kind of gift one develops in the context of becoming an advanced yogic practitioner.

Paul_Richard- I am a little lost as to what a Yogi is. Is it similar to a shaman?

I wanted to mention that I think, like PR, that your talents (outstanding ones) are from our past lives. I have an affinity for learning crafts. (Don't you laugh! ) I started sewing/ making/ designing doll clothes when I was very young (Five or so). My mother wouldn't let me use the machine until I was 7 (I made a wedding dress in Jr. high, dozens of formal dresses). Just for the hel of it I tried to crochet (took me a night to learn) then knit (took me a couple hours). I don't mean that Yay! I can crochet- I mean I finished an entire sweater that night. I knit better than my mother who has been doing this for her entire life (she has been retired for quite a few years now). One outstanding trait that I have, (quite a hit in college with all the 'first time from home' kids) I can see a picture and am able to visualize it in my head 3-d, able to construct it (Ikea stuff is a no-brainer) I also am very good at other things- things I never learnt how to do. I found out when I was a teen that I am able to hypnotize people and channel, we were on vacation and a friend wanted to do this and well, it worked TOO well. Needless to say, I read up on these and practiced on controlling them. What I learnt from the books was just like re-viewing what I already knew. (Does this make sense?) I really feel these are abilities from my past lives.

LO

Originally posted by Paul_Richard
Genius is derived simply through experience.

Those that have a natural talent in any area, have that ability because they have cultivated it in one or more former lifetimes and/or in the Spirit between physical embodiment.

I am not doubting your theory - but I am a little lost.
By your logic, say I am a great artist - in a previous life I was a great artist, and this is where my gifts come from. But what about that previous life? Did I get *that* knowledge from yet another previous life? Somewhere down the line I must of gained the gift in the current life surely, else it doesn't make sense - as you could follow it back forever.

Hope that makes sense, lol.

A genius is no better than the sum of all the experiences in his or her life. The fact that you have become what you have is (don't get me wrong) simply the sum of all that has happened in your life. All your experiences have become beneficial; you are one of the lucky few.

its a specific skill set called = APTITUDE

Some intelligence, some experience, some inate knowledge these factors determine your specific skill = APTITUDE

The higher your IQ the greator your multiplier for skill set retention, ie APTITUDE skill to learn and retain what you have learned to be latter recalled and used.

Thus lets say that you have an IQ of 100, but life experience of say 20 (meaning you have realitvily little experience outside of your daily, consistant life) and you have an inate knowledge of say 50 (meaning you did not seek much in your former lifes, but rather coasted through experiencing or gaining knowledge as it was presented to you)

So now lets say that for every 1 IQ point you can have 1 skill that you can recall at will

thus = 100 Skills easily recalled

100 (IQ) + 20 (EXP) + 50 (Inate) = APTITUDE of 170

But lets say someone has an IQ of only 80, but consistently pushes themselves to experience new things so they have a Experience rating of lets say 80 and thus have an inate rating equally high of say 80 as well

thus 80+80+80 = APTITUDE of 240

So then this person can have 80 skills that can be easily recalled

BUT with an APTITUDE of 240 vs 170 can learn and use skills faster then the person with the higher IQ.

The higher IQ person may be able to retain more skills eventually. But the lower IQ person with the higher APTITUDE will be able to utilize the skills they have gained faster and with higher efficiency. Therefore regardless of the IQ the person with the higher APTITUDE is able to out perform the other person.

Some people in history who were super geniues, were limited only to their specific field and were not that great in any other areas. Some geniuses have difficulty driving a car for example because they might lack the ability of spatial recognition or determining velocity and reaction time. Yet they can replay an entire concert from memory on a piano.

I guess to put it into computer terms a person with high APTITUDE but limited IQ could be said to have a 4.0GHZ CPU with 256MB of RAM while someone with high IQ but low APTITUDE might be a 2.6GHZ Celeron with 1GB of RAM. The first is more efficeient and faster at retreiving data while the last has a greator ability to store information that is accessible but takes a bit longer to retreive.

I must remind you this analogy is only relevent when dealing with a range of skills and not in processing of information. A high APTITUDE/ low IQ person might be able to ride a motorcycle better, but a low APTITUDE / high IQ person might know the mechanics and physical dynamics of the track or bike to gain an advantage on the rider with more APTITUDE and over time might become the better rider because they would know more variables to determine how to ride faster or quicker on any given track or surface ie certain weather = more grip = brake later= more throttle on the exit apex = greater turn speed = bigger advantage. Where a rider with high APTITUDE might just be aware that his bike overheats more during those conditions (because he is not aware that he is actually pushing his bike harder, having a sub concienous awareness that the bike grips stronger) and therefore is more focused on keeping the bike from overheating, therefore may not ride as agressive as the other rider may also be aware of the overheat but understand the dynamics of why.



[edit on 28-6-2004 by robertfenix]

Hi LadyOrchid,

I am a little lost as to what a Yogi is. Is it similar to a shaman?

Hmmm. The difference between a Shaman and a Yogi...interesting question.

A Shaman uses and channels animal archetypes and can be considered a true mystic in the sense that his/her insight is derived from Spirit. Shamans have also been known to have the Gift of Prophecy, Charisma, Healing, etc.

On the other hand, Yogis, who traditionally stem from the Hindu tradition, strive to achieve great control over the physical body. These are the ones that have a great ability to turn off the body's pain sensors; you occasionally see them put needles in their facial cheeks and other parts of their body and then pull them out without any pain or drawing any blood. Many years ago there was a Yogi on a TV show called "That's Incredible" who was able to lower his heartbeat to a near comatose state while putting himself into a tight box with very little room to breath -- and stay that way for much longer than most of us would want to. *L*

It should be noted however, that having great control over the body, as with having powerful telekinetic Gifts from a large Group Entity, are not indications of spiritual attainment.

I started sewing/ making/ designing doll clothes when I was very young (Five or so). My mother wouldn't let me use the machine until I was 7 (I made a wedding dress in Jr. high, dozens of formal dresses). Just for the hel of it I tried to crochet (took me a night to learn) then knit (took me a couple hours)... I don't mean that Yay! I can crochet- I mean I finished an entire sweater that night. I knit better than my mother who has been doing this for her entire life (she has been retired for quite a few years now).

You were no doubt a highly skilled seamstress in one or more former incarnations.

One outstanding trait that I have, (quite a hit in college with all the 'first time from home' kids) I can see a picture and am able to visualize it in my head 3-d, able to construct it (Ikea stuff is a no-brainer).

This is indicative of a spacial relationship aptitude as well as that of a photographic memory. My mother used to have a photographic memory in her youth; she would take a test in elementary school and if she couldn't remember the answer, she would close her eyes and re-read the page in the book. The teacher-nuns, one in particular, were not at all pleased at her ability to do this. *LOL*

I found out when I was a teen that I am able to hypnotize people and channel, we were on vacation and a friend wanted to do this and well, it worked TOO well. Needless to say, I read up on these and practiced on controlling them. What I learnt from the books was just like re-viewing what I already knew.

You apparently did both in a former life.

Needless to say, I read up on these and practiced on controlling them. What I learnt from the books was just like re-viewing what I already knew. (Does this make sense?) I really feel these are abilities from my past lives.

It's always a bit of a "cosmic reality check" in validating the doctrine of reincarnation when you find people portraying unique abilities and aptitudes that they could not possibly have learned or developed in one short life.

Originally posted by MetalHead

I am not doubting your theory - but I am a little lost.
By your logic, say I am a great artist - in a previous life I was a great artist, and this is where my gifts come from. But what about that previous life? Did I get *that* knowledge from yet another previous life? Somewhere down the line I must of gained the gift in the current life surely, else it doesn't make sense - as you could follow it back forever.

Hope that makes sense, lol.

MetalHead,

Originally, one, two, three or more lifetimes back, you had to have started from scratch in developing the particular talent, which is why it comes rapidly and naturally now, in this incarnation. No talents or aptitudes come without effort and hard work. It's just that we don't remember the origins of our gifts because we generally don't remember our past lives.

I have great reflexes and a keen intuition, other than that I dont crack under pressure I thrive of of it. If i have a gift I havent used(yet) to make a lot of money and since thats how most measure each others success, I dont have it or am wasting it. All it takes is one good day to change of that, this I know.

I not bad at surfing either, Im really good at making it look easy and effortless. I love the style approach of making look easy when it is extremely difficult.

Jack of all Trades... Master of None

Well, I went to a school for the gifted and talented, but I dont think that proves anything. I get passing to good grades without trying, and I...taught myself how to play piano? But I didnt get too far

Basically all Ive got is art and writing as my "gifts."

and Im oddly attached to dancing, though Im not very good.

Fast healing, adamantium laced skeleton, claws...errr oh, MY gifts.
Let see, very well endowed...intellectually. I ended up going to a gifted school. Basically we could learn whatever we wanted as deep as we wanted. I suppose all-in-all I learn quickly, read quickly, adapt quickly...but tend to be a jack-of-all-trades rather than real good at one or two things.

I am good at making a complete and utter fool of myself!

Seriously though, I can speak in any accent if you let me listen to a short recording of it a couple times. (not really a talent, but it's fun at parties).

And I taught myself Elvish, but I yet have to master English (native language).

I also have a pretty good photographic memory (handy for taking tests) and memorization skills.

I'm in all the fun AP classes too, but that doesn't really mean much...

Originally posted by NightGloom
I'm in all the fun AP classes too, but that doesn't really mean much...

haha! I must agree! I am in the same situation

Originally posted by Paul_Richard
Those that have a natural talent in any area, have that ability because they have cultivated it in one or more former lifetimes and/or in the Spirit between physical embodiment. People who are natural artists were an artist before.

I'm considered mental so what does that mean?

I have a natural talent for spending money & replenishing it.