This is my love letter to ADHDers everywhere. I hope you enjoy it.
(The YouTube link can be found at: https://youtu.be/tN9aFGta1o0)
Why I picked this narration
These are real ADHD strengths that we can see in populations. Not every ADHDer has every strength, but I wanted to give a window into the positive things to look for in everyday ADHD.
"You were born to do great things"
ADHDers are often big picture thinkers. We imagine and think big. It's a great thing when we decide we want to change the world. It doesn't feel like a strength some days. (Like when we're trying to turn a simple paragraph assignment into an entire dissertation.)
"To help people"
A higher percentage of people in helping professions have ADHD, compared to the population at large. That means a fair number of ADHDers in services industries, doctors, nurses, therapists, and, yes, coaches.
"You can move fast, but think even faster"
Sure, it might surprise no one to see how many athletes have ADHD-- I mean, exercise is one of the best ADHD treatments around! But sometimes the ideas just come faster than we know what to do with. If your team is brainstorming, you better make sure an ADHDer is on your team.
"Climb the highest heights, and solve problems no one else can solve"
Remember that thing about having an ADHDer on your team? Right. An ADHD brain appears to be fundamentally wired differently. That means they're solving problems differently, too. Not to mention how many ADHDers are natural problem solvers-- including programmers, engineers, inventors, and tinkerers.
"But today, you will face your greatest challenge"
This should be the obvious part. But even ADHDers who get good grades and seem adept at school (like me), have a very complex relationship with formal education.
We love to learn
Need structure, but fight it
Low boredom tolerance
When that structure lapses, we might have homework done, but not actually turn it in
I didn't remember disliking school all that much, but when I read my creative writings as an adult I was a little appalled to realize that homework or school were vilify in most of my stories.
We may not always be what's needed, but we have our place
There's so much we can do and become-- I genuinely want to help all ADHDers reach for their potential.
Love,
Brittany