Your Gifts and Non-Gifts

[Anita Bien]

Having ADD makes you different.  Life is different, how you see the world is different.  I like to call these my "Gifts and Non-Gifts".  Because each person is unique I encourage you to learn about your specific gifts and non-gifts and how they affect your life. 

Many people with ADD are very creative.  Take advantage of this gift and use it for problem-solving or developing new ideas or products.  I have found it really helpful to use a spiral bound notebook for jotting down ideas, plans, and working on projects - that way my notes are not scattered on bits of paper all over the house or in my head occupying valuable space in a mix of scrambled eggs & soup.  I carry mine with me in my purse, and leave it at my bedside.  An ipad or phone could do the same job.

Sometimes the notes are on great project ideas which may get done or not done or better yet passed onto someone else to do!!  Because the thoughts, energy, & creativity come in spurts for me it allows me to capture it when it comes and save it for later.  I can be me, not fight it by trying to turn off my overactive mind but put these thoughts aside on paper for later consideration (I can decide later whether I need these thoughts or not).

 Other times I may write just random crazy thoughts like a journal, or I'll explore patterns of behavior I've noticed that gets me into trouble and then I brain storm solutions.  Even if I'm not going to fix the problem right then and there, the act of thinking about what needs to be different in the world, or what I could change in order to succeed, helps to divert my attention to a positive focus instead of blaming myself or beating myself up.

Be special, let your gifts and talents shine!

 

 

[doug puryear]

great post

the writing things down in very helpful in many ways, and having one place for the notes is important.

we need to capitalize on our strengths and work around, usually with strategies, our weaknesses.

thanks