Enter Positively ADD, a book by Dr. Edward Hallowell and Catherine A. Corman. A quote from the front cover, "You may not believe it, but having ADD is a gift. Still, it can be a hard gift to unwrap...."

   Can it ever! But, PLEASE, if you take nothing else from me, my newsletters,  my endless talk of ADD, take the time to realize that the ADDer in your life has amazing strengths! Some of these strengths are probably taken for granted. You might not even realize that they're strengths that others do not have.

    Can you look at hyperactivity in a positive light?  What if instead of looking at the boy who is bouncing off the walls, you look at a man who has boundless energy? As we age, this energy is a good thing! The key is to control how you use this energy. "Pay attention to your intentions" as David Giwerc from ADDCA (the coach academy) always says. If your intentions are good then you'll stay on track and accomplish amazing things.

    Instead of viewing impulsivity as a negative, drives you crazy kind of thing, can you turn it around and see the excitement in spontaneity, or a quick un-edited response? You know it will be an honest response, good or bad! Impulsive people can also be seen as risk-takers. Can you say "entrepreneur"?

    How 'bout considering distractibility as the ability to pay attention to many things at once? I was astonished when having lunch with an ADDer friend who was able to report on the multiple conversations that were going on at tables around us!  She says that this ability also allows to her to scan a room and know almost instantly what's happening in every corner. WOW!

    I realize that it takes time and patience to "see the good in the bad", but the good is certainly there. The ADDer and those around him/her must carefully unwrap these gifts while navigating the bumpy road of being non-linear in a linear world. Pay attention to them and nurture them. "What you pay attention to grows" (David again).

    I challenge you to pay attention to the positives!