LIVING LIFE WITH ADHD!!!

“Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #36 ~ October 19, 2022

LIVING LIFE WITH ADHD!!!

It’s a life of over-promising and under-delivering until you understand what you are dealing with! 

Just like we are all different, our lives with ADHD are very different. As the symptoms of ADHD are so very different for each of us, it shows up in our lives in different and unique ways too. I can only share my personal experiences, where my experiences have taken me, and what I’ve learned from those experiences. I’m also eager to share what I have learned from my fellow ADHDers and my studies on this mysterious neurological disorder. 

ADHD – is defined as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

I would agree with that definition but this is what that means to me. We just don’t have the attention span for what doesn’t engage our brain. So yes, we lack the attention for the things people or the world think we ‘should’ pay attention to. And the hyperactive is real whether is it external or internal. 

I like my new definition of ADHD! Amazingly Divine Human Diversity! I discuss this more in “Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #19. I explain it this way. I live in a way that causes great surprise or wonder (amazingly) while being excellent and delightful (divines informal definition). I’m aware that we are all in this together (human) as I celebrate my varieties and recognize that we are all unique and have individual differences (diversity).

This is a perfect example of what my life with ADHD is like. No matter the negative that comes at me (and trust me, there’s a lot), I try to turn it around, so it looks like a positive. I’m not trying to be oblivious to the facts, I’ve just trained my brain to see the optimistic side of things. 

So with the negatives I learn to mix some wisdom and see how this can be a positive. Here’s some examples. 

Karen talks too much – Karen can be comfortable in social situations and practice listening twice as much as she talks. 

Karen has had so many jobs, why can’t she stick to one thing? – Karen has learned to adapt in various situations and has built an extensive resume with wide variety of skills and talents. 

Karen doesn’t take things seriously – Karen does not deal with a lot of stress and worry. She knows things will always work out. 

Karen needs to get a real job – Karen knows that she works best in a job that allows her flexibility. 

Karen is impulsive – Karen has a good relationship with her intuition and if it’s right she will seize the moment. 

Karen doesn’t pay attention in our conversations – Karen listens for the moment that she is in and cares about the conversation and doesn’t remember everything so you don’t have to worry about her gossiping about you. 

There are lots of negatives that we deal with on a regular basis  One of the characteristics of having ADHD for me is that I want to turn all the bad into something good. And I have opportunities daily to be tested in this area. I found that being a half full type of gal feels much better and I like that person. 

That may be one of the biggest challenges for us with ADHD is to like ourselves. That becomes a lifetime of learning and accepting and improving who we are. We do have a choice on who we want to be for the most part. Do I want to be happy or sad, giving or taking? Who do we want to be known by? What do you want people to say when you are gone? Those are things we can think about and make a conscious effort to weave the characteristics we want to posses into who we are. 

My life hasn’t always been fun and sunshine. There are struggles and darkness I don’t wish on anyone, however, I do know that it’s the only life I’ve been given. By the grace of God and the challenges of ADHD I can learn to turn my negatives into something positive to help others in their own Living Life With ADHD! 

For more information on this subject and/or if you would like to work with a Life Coach to work through some struggles or have someone beside you in the trenches, contact Karen at https://happybrainlifecoach.com/

Thank you for reading “Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #36 ~ October 19, 2022