It’s OCTOBER! ADHD Awareness Month is here, again.

I want to kick things off today with a post that celebrates the diverse thinking of the ADHD brain. So often, we focus first on what limits us, and while ADHD can create challenges to everyday life and tasks, some of the most beautiful ideas and creations come from these out-of-the-box brains.

Forbes Magazine once claimed ADHD to be the entrepreneur’s superpower. According to an Attention Magazine article written by David Giwerk, MCC, MCAC, BCC, adults with ADHD are 300% more likely to start their own business. It just so happens that several of the entrepreneurs in my own neighborhood also have ADHD. Their areas of expertise include IT, construction, landscaping, coaching, and artisans. These out-of-the-box creatives are often musical or artistic, physically active, and make lightning-fast connections in their fields.

But you don’t have the be an entrepreneur to find success as an adult with ADHD. The key is to nurture your passion. They are also nurses, surgeons, air traffic controllers, pilots, actors, artists, teachers, lawyers, dancers, accountants, dentists, CEOs, programmers, city planners, professors, stockbrokers, athletes, and so much more. ADHD is not a disorder of intellect. Quite often ADHD brains have average to above-average IQs. Twice-exceptional brains can often feel even more frustrated in school based on their intellectual prowess being harnessed by ADHD wiring. When we can unlock their learning code, they move mental mountains for the greater good. Finding the passion to maximize their drive is key to paving their pathways to success.

My clients, friends, and family members who have ADHD bring vivid imaginations, endless possibilities, adventure, and tenacious heart into their intentions and actions. They are wired to take risks where others may not.

We are all richer for the experiences we open ourselves up to in life. I am thankful for the exposure to these human energy sources, their deep hearts, and the lesson that we can all learn from them - passion matters.

If it weren’t for COIVD, I would encourage you to hug your favorite human with ADHD. I’m certain, if you simply ask, they will come up with a better “handshake” than the elbow bump.