Imagine my shock! I thought life was supposed to be constantly fraught with fear of disappointing myself and everyone I've ever known. Diagnosed with the ADHD at age 40, I spent the majority of my life failing at anything that required the slightest bit of commitment. School was a disaster. I tried 3 times to get my BA from Stonybrook University. I tried, I failed I tried. I failed I tried... I failed. Maybe I just wasn't smart enough. I was definitely lazy., and I certainly never ever "lived up to my potential" When I was in high school it wasn't any easier. My confidence and self esteem were aggressively low, I was shy, I was weird, and I was bullied for it. You can go back to the beginning of my memory and life was filled with forgotten glasses and jackets, unfinished projects, nightly battles to get the simplest of home work completed. I remember going to class in 2nd grade having not completed an assignment that I honestly didn't even know we had to do. I didn't know we had to do it, because while the teacher was speaking, I was off on another planet. Earth to Amy was something I heard often. I was bright, intelligent, sensitive. I had a wicked imagination, but I could not focus to save my life.

As an adult, life is still filled with lost glasses, and jackets, except now you can also add lost credit cards, and keys. Additionally, losing stuff on a regular basis, while extremely frustrating, can also be rather expensive. This is why we can't have nice things. At least now I know why I do all these things, and thusly have attempted to curtail the negative behavior. If you have ADHD, especially a late diagnosis, I don't have to tell you all the tricks and tips Ive tried to just remember to put my freaking debit card back in my freaking wallet. or to not run out of work without my phone, keys, wallet, whatever, just to have to make the walk of shame back through the building. {At least I'm getting my steps in, right? Right}

It took me a minute or actually a couple years to aquire my diagnosis, get the right medication, and begin really changing the way I live my life. The most important change I have made to date is to gve myself a little grace. So I lost my debit card... again. Instead of getting angry or frustrated, instead of beating myself up over a silly mistake, I get a new card, I move on. I would never treat anyone, ever, the way I was treating myself. The easier I am on myself, the less stress I allow to manifest, the more successful I am at navigating life.

I can do it and so can you!