The reason I’m a coach is because I want to pay it forward. When I was first diagnosed with ADD, I was blessed to have someone in my life who could teach me how to interact in the world at large. I knew how to function in school. For me, school was easy. It was before and after and between school days that confused, frustrated, and even frightened me.
Social rules seemed so intricate and tangled
I didn’t know how to interact with people. Who’s in charge? Who talks first? Then what? Do I have to say “You’re welcome” and “Excuse me” because those make me sound weak. If I don’t say what’s on my mind, am I lying? If not, why not? Why can’t I play with Laurie? Doesn’t she like me anymore? Is Matt moving because I said something wrong? Why are you crying, Daddy? Am I bad?
How coaching helped
Coaching – having a mentor and guide to come alongside me and untangle the world for me – was so invaluable that it wouldn’t occur to me to embark on a major endeavor (like parenting or starting a new business or living day-to-day with ADD) without having that easy support and helpful challenging.
There’s no honor or glory in NOT asking for help.
If you have a child with ADD or if you have ADD yourself, you need a buddy. In some situations it will be a teacher, in some a friend, in others a coach. It might even be a relative. Don’t try to do ADD alone. For a person with ADD, the glory is in asking for guidance and support. And I do mean glory – there is nothing so wonderful as a person who accepts you as you are and loves you for every wonderful bit of oddness there is.
Whether your issue is friendships or parenting or sibling relationships or executive functions – you don’t have to go through it alone.
“Find a teacher, get a friend, and judge everyone favorably”
(Pirkei Avot 1:6)
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