Alice* (11) was quiet and shy when we met for the first time; she spoke in a soft voice but mastered a huge vocabulary. However, her face looked sad and she complained about feeling bored at school and frequently very anxious.

Where was the joy and pride of being such a brilliant person?

She loves to play with LEGO. So I encouraged her: "build how you feel right now." - Pause. Long pause.

Reluctantly she picked up some bricks and started to put them together. As she progressed, her speed and intensity increased. Eventually, she started to smile and at the end she presented her creation with a touch of humor...

It felt like the light came on in her soul: the joy of creating this unusual object made her forget her worries and concerns.

Being brilliant and sensitive can be the source of ongoing joy and creativity, playfulness and internal motivation. Stronger than anxiety, low energy, distractions or brain fog.

*not her real name