The Common Threads
by Tara Forney-Apgar
What do Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, Bill Cosby and Will Smith have in common? Aside from being famous and achieving great success, they all share something else. Each one of these famous American’s, along with many other notable people, are known to have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It’s not uncommon to categorize people or identify them by their disorders or conditions. Yet, like everyone else, people with ADD or ADHD have many, many great qualities outside of their diagnosis.
We often tend to focus on the negative aspects of these two diagnoses, failing to see the loads of wonderful qualities within those individuals affected by ADD or ADHD. So many great character traits are frequently overlooked. As Darcie Andries points out in an online article about ADHD and ADD, “With a name that’s 50-66% “deficit disorder,” it’s easy to focus on the negatives and problems that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention deficit disorder, causes” (Suite 101-1).
This just goes to show, that just because a person may have trouble concentrating, have difficulty following instructions, or have any of the other common characteristics of ADD/ADHD; their disorder does not define who they are. Without the magnificent contributions to society by ADD/ADHD people such as the Walt Disney, Tom Cruise, Cher, and Beethoven, our world would be a very different place.
These celebrities and well known historical figures were able to achieve great success because of numerous positive qualities. Some of these qualities, which are shared with thousands of others diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, include: forgiving mistakes easily, being sensitive, being charismatic and personable, being dreamers and visionaries, being optimistic, being intuitive and innovative, being adaptable, and being open minded. This is just a fraction of the long list of awesome characteristics prevalent among ADD/ ADHD people.
While no two people of any kind are exactly alike, the same goes for ADD and ADHD. Not every person may have the same traits, but everyone has something good about them.
This makes all people, including those with ADD and ADHD, unique and important.
Based upon the abundance of optimistic attributes, which ADD and ADHD people often share, it is obvious that the potential to achieve great success is within everyone. So, next time you encounter someone who may feel down about having ADD or ADHD, remind them of these positive characteristics. Also, remind them of the countless dreamers, visionaries, artists, inventors, and writers of our world, whom share not only their diagnosis, but many of the same wonderful characteristics.