The Broadfoots instilled in their children a commitment to being themselves—authentically and without compromise, but also without any trace of arrogance. “I had been reared to believe that each person is given talents by God,” Genie remembered. “Since those talents are a gift from God, you have no reason to be proud of them, but you do have the responsibility to use them for the benefit of mankind.” Pretending to be someone other than who you are, or conforming to someone else’s expectations, meant stifling those gifts and defaulting on your duty to the world.
