Firstly, let me say this, up front dreams are selective. We don’t all want the same thing and the exact same way and thank goodness for that, because otherwise we’d all be trying to compete with each other in a more brutal way than we already do.
What I’m talking about is realistic dreams by the way, not having a dream of suddenly winning the lottery, I mean yes it’s a dream but it’s not something that we can achieve under our steam, unless we know some way of rigging it (spoiler alert: I don’t).
Realistic dreams are the ones we can work towards, where time, effort and practice can really help those dreams to potentially become a reality. So what’s the reason I’m saying achieving your dream is harder if you’ve got ADHD? Well ADHDers are often people who have constantly failed to live up to other people’s expectations their whole lives, in the way that most neurotypical people have. This means our neuropathways are pretty much geared for failure.
“We ADHDers are more familiar with failure, because most of us have lived lives based on neurotypical expectations we could never meet.”
ADHD gIRL
Now that doesn’t mean we automatically fail but it does mean there is a lot of anxiety and courage that it takes to actually reach for your dreams. You have to constantly fight against that voice in your head, that voice that has been created by years of failure, rejection and indifference to the struggles you’ve faced. We become what we have been taught to be, that’s a very human concept, but we also deserve the chance to be something more for ourselves too.
Growth is never easy, but it is necessary if you have dreams and goals you want to pursue. The key is to drown out the noise of doubts, and tune into your self-worth. No matter who you are, whether you have ADHD or not, you deserve to have your dreams come true just as much as the next person. It might take more mental energy, more of an emotional toll, but it’s still worth pursuing.
Don’t worry, for this one, I’m putting my money where my mouth is. I’m currently working on a dream I’ve had since I was ten years old and even though there is a voice in my head that constantly whispers ‘People like you don’t make it’ I’ve still got to try because not trying is the far worse alternative. For me personally, I’d rather know I’ve failed that never taking the chance of knowing I could possibly succeed. I’ll let you know where I land.
What about you ADHDers, what are your dreams? Are they worth pursuing?
Catch you next week when I talk about why the human touch is so important for ADHDers for public support services.
