ADHD is a gift! Seriously…
In the beginning of your journey it can seem silly or too good to be true to think of your ADHD as a gift, or even a superpower. But it can be if you want it.
There are probably a some people saying “I just want my ADHD symptoms managed and then everything will be ok”. Hopefully there are those of you believing “ADHD is more or less managed but I know I’m capable of so much more!”. Hopefully is the former eventually moves to the latter and we are all super powered ADHDer’s. If we all operate from our superpowers we will help others grow and better the world.
This may be a long ways off; for today let’s just talk about ADHD being a gift.
But, how can your forgetfulness, your lack of focus, race car mind be a good thing? Because within each of the negatives there are not only strengths, but gifts!
Your forgetfulness:
comes with a steel trap long term memory you can remember things from years ago, that no one in your family does, and they often think you’re silly when you recall things they can’t. But you remember it in detail, down to how conversations played out, at times verbatim.
Your impatience:
activities, conversations, meetings or anything boring comes with a partner called decisiveness. When you make up your mind it’s time for action, time for doing. And if/when things awry or you hit a barrier, you pivot and make it work in the blink of an eye. When others are coming up with a pros and cons list, you’ve already implemented and found 3 ways that don’t work and the single one that counts.
You can explode in anger and your hot tempered;
my wife and I call this passion! You’re passionate about your friends, loved ones and maybe your job and hobbies. This passion fuels you and while others are using unleaded, you’re using jet fuel. When totally engrossed every minute of it and getting things done. This makes you shine at work when something good comes along and makes your relationships better, stronger and more solid than anyone else’s.
All of these comes with your, often inability to concede when you’re wrong; you’re stubborn.
But you’re tenacious. You never give up, you’ve failed hundreds of times in school, work and life. But, always find a way to succeed. Getting knocked to the floor you always get back up in a heartbeat and you keep trying no matter how many times it happens. And in the end, you win!
All of these gifts (which is no way near an exhaustive list), consistently make you a stronger leader.
You inspire others, you take action without doubt and you lead them in course corrections to success. Then remember the steps so the next time it runs even better. These gifts put you in the company of Thomas Edison: “…I’ve just found 10,000 ways that didn’t work”. Benjamin Franklin: “…you will know failure. Continue to reach out.” Richard Branson: “Every success story is a tale of constant adaptation, revision and change”. Any of these sound familiar? All of these men either do or are believed to have had ADHD.