Rosalie Fink Solves Jennifer Aniston's Famous-Despite-Dyslexia Mystery

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It is not at all surprising that Jennifer now considers the hugely delayed diagnosis of dyslexia a blessing. Even though she did not find about her dyslexia until she was an adult, Jennifer was at least able to understand the reason for all her childhood troubles retrospectively.

    In modern western society, the whole concept of education is hinged on our ability to make sense of the written word. We are surrounded by a deluge of information in the form of books and other printed materials. From the time we are kids until the time we reach adolescence, our parents and teachers constantly drill home the fact that a “good education” implies effective reading and writing skills. Economic and social competence is determined by how well we do at school. Those individuals who are not able to meet these exacting standards are written off for good. In such a scenario, little Jennifer would have given up on herself long before she passed school. The mystery is, how did she make such a big turnaround in life?

Rosalie P. Fink's findings  show how individuals with dyslexia become successful, have productive life and satisfying careers. Her research is focussed on highly accomplished individuals with dyslexia and uncovering their alternative pathways to success.  Rosalie's study in 1997 examined how, when, and under what conditions severe dyslexics developed high literacy skills, as well as the role of gender differences in literacy development and professional success. Her subjects were 60 highly successful dyslexic adults (30 men and 30 women) and 10 non-dyslexic male and female as normative controls.

Rosalie found that some key factors were responsible for the success of these individuals-

• They pursued passionate interests and all their residual energies were targeted towards their areas of interest.
• They developed persistence and empathy as result of their own struggles.
• There were gender differences in the progression of individuals with dyslexia; men had more mentors to support them but there were lowered career expectations from women. Women were encouraged to develop their femininity by focussing on their attractiveness and enhance their social relationship skills. 
• They were discouraged from taking up a career in Math and Science.

It is possible that some of these factors may have been responsible for Jennifer's hugely successful career as an actress. Considering the things Jennifer was passionate about, it is also possible that Jennifer may have pursued a totally different path in her life. She could have ended up as an equally famous painter or sculptor or a stand up comedienne! In fact, there is a little known fact about Jennifer’s passionate interest in art. Jennifer is a huge supporter of the idea of imparting curriculum through the medium of art. Jennifer has donated her artwork to generate funds for LilySarahGrace. LilySarahGrace is an organisation that aims to support children in underfunded schools by supplying them with art materials.

We all can take a leaf out of her book and admit that it is never too late to make a new beginning. Start today by accepting yourself as you truly are. Take time out each day to explore things around you and uncover your overriding passions. Come what may, persist with your efforts to attain the goals that you've set for yourself. One day, not too long from now, you'll find yourself building a new life for yourself. A life that you've always dreamed of!

Photo Courtesy- Women's Health Mag