Walking the Path of Integrity for Adults with ADHD
ADHD Education
Life for adults with ADHD can be like riding volatile waves in the ocean and not knowing where the current is going to take you.
If you know that what you do and how well you do it does not make who you are, then you can also learn to create a smoother ride through the unpredictable and turbulent currents of your ADHD.
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Think about rolling ocean waves hitting the shoreline and disappearing into the sand. These kinds of waves can create a sense of tranquility. However, waves can be much more than tranquil symbols of serenity. They can be destructive to anything that crosses the path of their powerful currents. Understanding the factors that influence how a wave is formed can make the difference between a comforting experience and a frightening one.
When you are focused on the performance paradigm of maintaining a reputation built only on good performance, then when you don’t perform well, your mind can become the source of huge and destructive internal waves that may create more tumult and discomfort than you can handle. Learning to successfully navigate the turbulence of ADHD means learning what you can and cannot control. It also requires listening closely to what your heart is telling you.
You are more than your reputation, which is based on your performance (“what” you are); you are your character and the integrity of your values, which include your heartfelt passion and purpose (“who” you are). You are NOT dependent on outside, external forces. To make your dreams a reality, you must cultivate your own inner habits of the heart. Your ability to make that happen is totally dependent on your willingness to stay on your own path of integrity, which is the true essence of who you are, not what you do.
To walk the path of integrity requires understanding the character traits that make you who you are, then articulating them and embracing them. Once you are comfortable and confident with the key traits that define who you are, you can begin the process of identifying what you want to do — what passion you wish to pursue.
What You Do vs. Who You Are
- Performance vs. Presence
- Reputation vs. Character
- Doing vs. Being
- Belief vs. Knowing
Your habits of the heart are personal, but they may include: • Being open to new possibilities, people, perspectives • Understanding and accepting the paradox of ADHD, your strengths and weaknesses • Honoring and respecting the divine Self within you What habits of the heart do you need to form to bring what you do into integrity with who you are?
Cultivating your own habits of the heart is a journey that won’t happen overnight. There will be bumps on the road, and the road, too, may be long. But every new, positive habit you create that aligns with your heart will take you closer to reaching your true purpose. Learning to cultivate habits of the heart means giving yourself permission to enter your own special place of self-compassion, character and purpose.
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