In the ADHD world, there is a big divide between people who think ADHD is a gift and those who think it’s a complete nightmare.

Dr Hallowell, author of many highly regarded ADHD books including ‘Delivered from Distraction’ considers ADHD is a gift, as does Lara Honos- Webb author of ‘The Gift of ADHD’. As a positive person who believes there is an answer to every problem I am in the ‘gift’ camp.

Its undeniable there are annoyances with ADHD; procrastination, disorganization, losing important items, worrying, anxiety, difficulty in school, time management issues, and money management are a few examples. BUT when those
things are managed (and they absolutely can be) the ADHD gifts can shine brightly and magic happens. Some of the most brilliant people…who have changed the world (for the better)…
have ADHD.

Steve Jobs, co-founder Apple, his out of the box ADHD thinking change digital technology with a succession of innovations that included iPods and iPads.

Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA stores, which has changed how the whole world shops for
furniture.

Richard Branson, founder of all things Virgin.

David Neeleman, the billionaire CEO of JetBlue Airways, says ADHD one of his biggest assets.
He believes that his ADHD creativity was the reason he developed the E-ticketing system for
airplanes.

I understand it is hard, when you are living a frantic unmanaged ADHD life to think it’s a gift.I
am severely dyslexia which wasn’t diagnosed until I was 28. I didn’t think I had a gift. My life
was completely centered round studying, and I cried an Amazon River worth of tears for every
paper or exam. My self esteem was in my boots because of all negative ways dyslexia had on my
life. Nothing about that seemed ‘gift like’

10 years later, I have created a life I love based on my strengths and gifts and if a fairy princess offered to make my dyslexic disappear I would politely decline.

This is also true for everyone I know who is managing their ADHD too. There are always going
to be bad days, but people who don’t have ADHD have bad days too!

Where do you stand on the ADHD is a Gift debate?

If you are ready to manage your ADHD and create magic, check out my book, Untapped
Brilliance.

Did you know your mindset can either help or hinder your ADHD symptoms?

The online definition of mindset is, “The set of beliefs a person has which affects the outcome of all their endeavours”.

Which means, if you believe because you have ADHD you can’t do x or y, then guess what?

You can’t. BUT, it also means that if you have ADHD and you believe you can do Y and Z then you can! It’s a self fulfilling proficiency.

When I walk people through the 11 steps of Untapped Brilliance, I get 2 responses. The first is “Ok sounds great, it might be a bit tricky for me, but I am ready for change so I will do it”

OR the second, which is a lot of ‘yeah buts’. “Yeah but, that won’t work for me” “Yeah but, I tried that, but I couldn’t stick to it” “Yeah but, I don’t like structure” “Yeah but, I am different to other people”

While of course, I prefer to hear the first response, people in the second group can change their mindset to one that will allow them take consistent actions that will help their negative
aspects of ADHD.

If you are in the second group, think of a saying or phrase that you will say every time you find yourself thinking something negative about making changes.

For example, I love exercising every day.

I am so proud am cooking healthy meals for myself every day.

I am now creating happy habits

What you choose has to resignation resonate with you, make you feel happy when you say it (not filled with dread or anxiety) and be believable.

These sayings when you say them often, will retrain your mind, from its negative default setting to one that supports a new way of life.

Not only will you feel better because the running commentary in your mind is more positive, you will also feel good because are taking actions on things that are helping your ADHD.

If you need help working on a new ADHD mindset email me at Jacqueline@untappedbrilliance.com

ADHD in adults can result in you struggling with certain unwanted behaviours, however  ADHD in adults also means good things too! Just like adults who don’t have ADHD, not all people with ADHD have the same talents and strengths. However, there are a group of positive talents that are often seen in people with ADHD and below are five of them. Give yourself credit for the things you do well. This in turn will boast your confidence and self-esteem.

Great Company

The combination of your vibrant energy and sense of humour make you a great person to be around. Friends want to spend time with you and strangers naturally gravitate towards you.

Compassionate

You are compassionate to other people, causes and animals. Your sensitivity helps you to relate because you have less inhibitions than a non-ADHD person. You will be the person who helps a lady with a stroller or speaks loudly to protest against something you believe in.

Impulsivity

Impulsive actions allow you to take action quickly. This allows you to do things that many people think of doing, but by the time they take action, the moment is lost.

You think swiftly and act swiftly. Your impulsivity also means you make decisions quickly, which can be a huge gift, as some people can spend hours agonizing over something that can take you a matter of seconds to decide.

Spirit of Enquiry

You have a spirit of enquiry and love to gather facts on many different subjects. You can hold interesting and informed conversations on a wide variety of topics. Your natural thirst for knowledge keeps you young, whatever your biological age and also makes you an interesting person to be around.

Weakness Can Become Strength

While this article is about celebrating your strengths, sometimes a weakness can become your strength. An example I see quite often is having an organized environment. Some adults with ADHD, once they discover how calm and happy they feel with a tidy environment, become experts at keeping their environment super tidy. They become more efficient at creating and keeping their environment tidy than any person who did have a clutter problem.

This Week’s Actions

1. Do you recognize yourself in any of the above talents? Just because they come easily to you, remember not everyone has them.
2. For each of the five points above, ask yourself:
   • Is this a trait I have?
   • When have I noticed/experienced it recently?
   • How could I maximize this trait and use it more to my advantage?
3. Keep a record of when you feel good about one of your talents, or get positive feedback from another person. You can refer back to it to this list give yourself a lift at times when you aren’t feeling so good about yourself.