The Challenge

Three and a half years ago I began a journey after the birth/creation of an organization. I am the founder and president of the Omaha Gifted Foundation. We specialize and serve the Twice Exceptional population. Twice Exceptional is those who are exceptional because they are gifted (intellectually gifted) AND exceptional because they have learning differences.

During the last several years we have worked with a school psychologist from Colorado who founded an educational model specifically for children who are twice exceptional. We attempted to franchise her model to the Omaha area since it was not feasible to move there and put my son in her private school. In addition, I developed a board of passionate individuals and began doing speaking presentations. I also started parent nights for parents to get together and "feel normal."

This week we will be starting an Educational Committee. We are bringing together a couple of people from 10 districts locally. The psychologist is coming out from CO to help kick start the committee. I am simply thrilled and honored to have people gather to explore what needs to be done for twice exceptional children in our schools. I'm also nervous. As a leader, I feel a lot of pressure to "make things happen" and to keep everyone moving forward in achieving the sometimes seemingly impossible. I have to keep remembering "baby steps."

For someone who is a visionary person, I must say, I can't see details. The most frustrating thing between a visionary and those who see details is that the frustrating cycle lacks action. There is an entirely different thought process between the two. Visionaries can "see" how things are possible and know that as long as everyone keeps moving Forward, things happen. Being a leader has been the most challenging thing I've ever done. You know, I actually thought it was easy, way back when. Heh. Being a leader challenges who you are. It fights the thought process that says "you can't do it... no one will believe you... no one cares about what you have to say... no one will actually do anything about your vision... no one believes in you." The biggest challenge is for a leader to believe in herself!