The Awesome Ways of Being You With ADHD

You have likely heard a similar version of this quote attributed to Albert Einstein:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”  The question I have for you at this point of our journey together is ”What is your genius?”

[excerpt from The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose” by Matthew Kelly]

I love this quote because it reminds me that, within each and every one of us, we are uniquely wired to win with our strengths. The more we understand what they are and use them in our lives the better.

Strengths come from many places AND some of the traits that come with ADHD are part of them.

This is why, truth be told, ADHD is not all bad. If you have ADHD, I believe you are hard-wired with some amazing traits that you can leverage more and more in your life to not just address those pesky problems, but leverage them as fuel for being an unstoppable rock star. Yep, I realize this is a bold statement but there are so many out there who have figured this out and leveraged their traits as the secret sauce or weapon of wild success in their life.

Here are a few ways we find our clients soaring with their strengths. You may not have them all, but can you spot a few that are likely yours?

• Creativity.  Being creative is not just for visual and performing arts. It is how you think, how you approach, how you problem-solve, and how you apply your talents to innovate and come up with new ideas and incredible solutions. Your version of creativity likely shines through in your unique areas of natural intelligence such as nature, music, logic, numbers, people, body movement, words, introspective thinking, existential thinking, and/or visualizations. Where are you creative? Take the time to get into this mode as much as you can. Harnessing the power of your creativity may take you far. Creativity leads to innovation. The world needs innovators in every imaginable area of living.
• Curiosity. Why? How? Hmm, that’s rather interesting! Does something you notice or learn about easily grab your attention leading to the urge and natural inclination to learn more? Do you like to dig in deep and research new ideas and concepts for the things that interest you? If so, you likely have the gift of curiosity and a love for learning! How are you curious? The world needs curious thinkers to investigate, engineer, debate, analyze, write, and even teach what they know to others, to name a few ideas.
• High energy and spontaneity. These are the people who light up a room, bring their enthusiasm, think well on their feet. They can go and go as they interact with people, manage situations, explore new experiences, live their passion, play out new opportunities. Do you love spontaneity? Do you have bounds of endless energy? Someone with high energy and spontaneity often excels in people-oriented careers, crisis management roles, and more.
• Sensitivity, Empathy and Compassion. These individuals often embrace the service and support roles of the world as they are deeply in tune to their needs and the needs of others. They can easily pick up on and sense the feelings and emotions of others. Do these traits shine in you? Their power is in the connections they create in a world where our well being depends on our need to connect, be heard, understood, feel valued, loved and cared for.
• Bright Ideas and Out-Of-The Box Thinking. Those of us with the gift of non-linear thinking can make some incredible connections with our thoughts and ideas. We can consider a challenge or opportunity with a different perspective. We can quickly connect our thoughts to new ideas that others may have difficulty perceiving. The benefits lead to new associations, discoveries and breakthroughs. How do your thinking patterns and ideas serve you? This trait adds value in every imaginable aspect of living in a world where someone is always looking for a new and better solution, or solving a problem when others are stumped.
• Perseverance and Resilience. Many of us have lots of experience finding our way toward success and winning in spite of our ADHD symptoms. Especially those of us who are a little more competitive. One day can be awesome, the next a challenge. Yet, we are driven with courage and resolve to restart and figure out how to work with our ADHD to get beyond the struggle. Can you reflect back in your life when you have been knocked down, held back and found your way back up again and moving forward? The world needs true grit, and many of us have developed this as a character strength more than we know.

The positive experiences associated with ADHD are the natural ways we are Wired to Win with ADHD™. These are just a few of the amazing ways we are wired to win. There are more. The more we can use these traits in our approach to life, the better the outcomes. This is how anyone, especially those with ADHD, have become and continue to be unstoppable.

The question becomes how you will use these traits as a gift?

We hear it all the time. Know your strengths. Use your strengths. Many of us think, “Yes that makes sense!” But do we follow-through with this powerful way of being in our life?  Sometimes. The more you can leverage your positive traits and strengths the better.

Which of the traits above resonate for you?

Write them down. Ask others for their perspective. Try to recall times in your past where these strengths have been in action. Think about how they can apply to where you are and where you are heading in your life. Pick one of the traits you are drawn to. Consider how you will use that strength as you go about your day today, even in the face of those challenges.