I was extremely excited to read Buzz to say the least. I had heard of the book and had considered ordering it several times, but as you may know I have ADHD. Sometimes I forget to order stuff that I want, no matter how much I want it! Well, a short while back I met Katherine Ellison and before I knew it we were emailing each other back and forth discussing ADHD and our memoirs. I asked Katherine if she would like to give a signed copy of her book away on ADDer World, the ADHD Social Network. She replied that she would love to and sent me a copy right away. Uhm, again remember that I have ADHD, because I gave Katherine a goofed up address the book went back to her and she nicely, and ever so gently, let me know. I admitted my goof and corrected it (I wonder if I reminded her of her son, Buzz, in that instance?). She sent Buzz once again and I finally received it and have read the spellbinding, delightful book. However, it took me a while to actually start reading it. The book’s design is so captivating that it took me a while to stop admiring it. Yes, I know, distracted much? ADHD!
My publishing company’s monthly newsletter came out yesterday revealing the top 3 selling authors for June (pictured above) overall, not just by categories. Suddenly it hit home for me when I saw the newsletter. This isn’t just about my books, or becoming a bestselling author, this is about ADHD books making it out of category, rising above stigma and ultimately, a triumph for people with ADHD everywhere and those who are close to us! I posted about the achievement of my books a little while back when I first received notice, but the full significance had not hit home yet, not entirely, not until now.
When an ADHD book series became bestsellers of a publishing company this last June it was not only a moment to celebrate, but also time to truly think about what this means for us as a community. Consider that we are talking about an ADHD book series! There are significant implications here, let’s consider a few things:
To be beat down, criticized, punished and live with regret and guilt all of our days?
No. There is another way – a positive, self fulfilling way. I am going to share that way with you.
Life is more than we give it credit to be and yet too many of us live within a shell of fear and anxiety. We walk the halls of our life flinching from the slightest sound which echoes within our minds, on and on, and on. We fight against it, we try to be strong and we try to walk tall. We try to show confidence and strength. We go day to day wearing the mask of life as strong courageous human beings. But why does it have to be a mask, why does it have to hurt so much, why can’t we just be understood and accepted for who we are? Why do others try to hurt us and tear us down? Why do we want to give up and yet still continue?
A few weeks ago I came upon a very interesting book called Wishcraft. I didn’t have a clue what it was about; I was simply caught by the title itself. I had never heard of it before, but it had a sticker on it saying it had sold more than 650,000 copies! (Hey, I am an ADDer – ohhhh Shiny!) Must be good then… right? I had no idea just how good it would be. When a book sells 650,000 copies it’s not a fluke. So I picked up the book and started reading through it. It not only caught my attention, but it held it tightly and led me along as if by an invisible string. This book caused me to hyper focus on it for hours.
Don’t wait until you aren’t scared. You’ll be dead. Most of us are scared all the time! Change does not require fearlessness, but it does require courage. Courage is not being fearless – it’s doing what is right in the face of fear. Without fear, there’d be no courage.
Dr. Irwin doesn’t waste any time in her book You Turn to let you know getting to where you want to go is already within you. The problem is that most of us are too darn scared to move, change and take advantage of opportunities that come our way. The thing is, as she explains in the quote above, many of us are fighting our fears and hoping, praying that a day will come when we are not so darned scared anymore. That day may never come, because, fear is what it is and is a part of human nature.
Do you believe? Do you believe in the one, the only, that special someone? Is there such a thing as a soulmate for each of us? If so, is it possible to go a life time without ever finding your soulmate? Or, is it possible to meet your soulmate and not realize it, passing by as two ships in the dark night?
In Paulo Coelho’s Brida, an exceptional novel about finding one’s soulmate, Coelho describes finding one’s soulmate by taking risks, by making mistakes and by being with the wrong people until you find your soulmate. The other way he describes of finding one’s soulmate is by entering a state of trance in which one can see a bright spot of light over the shoulder of one’s soulmate.
It’s not something we want to talk about, it’s not something we want to admit and it is clearly something we are ashamed of. And yet, as much as we already understand our mistakes, our failures and our impulsive mishaps we do it more and more, to the point from which we see no return.
ADHD are symptoms of a magnitude and force which no one, and I mean, no one, who does not have ADHD can truly empathize with, because, no matter how well they understand our symptoms and can explain them with detailed clarity, they do not live with them as part of their self-internal life force. And, as much as each of us relates so well with each other that have ADHD, there are even differences between us that elude our recognition – no matter how familiar we are with each other, and, we are, remarkably, naturally familiar with each other. This is the reason that our personal stories and our personal insights help each other so much.
As most of my readers already know, I don’t believe in keeping ADHD a secret from children that have it. I think it’s actually quite important for their growth and mental health to understand what makes them different and why they behave the way they do. It was frustrating for me as a child to feel and act different and yet, think I should be the same as everyone else.
I was listening to an audio book recently: Challenge to Succeed by Jim Rohn. I recommend it to anyone interested in self improvement. In the audio Jim makes many good points about wealth, health and state of being. The most important point he makes is this: “What you don’t know will hurt you.”
Any late diagnosed ADDer will tell you that this is too true. What if we had known 10 years, or, 20 years earlier? What if our parents had known and we were diagnosed as children? What a difference would that have made? We can deal with ‘what if’s’ all day long, but, what about today? Today there is a wealth of information available in books and on the internet. There is no reason we cannot self-educate ourselves about our condition, not in an information packed world such as ours.
The Answer by John Assaraf & Murray Smith should be required reading for anyone with ADHD. It’s rare that I come across such a book which is not specifically written for ADDers. However, reading through it, I sure get the sense it was written for the ADHD community! I will go so far as to say, folks with ADHD will probably ‘get’ this book while reading it far sooner than those without ADHD.
A friend of mine sent me The Answer a few weeks back and asked me to read it and let her know if I felt the same way about it and if I did, to please write about it. I do, and more! Holy Smoke Stacks do I ever!
"One Boy’s Struggle is a real eye-opener. It should be read by all parents struggling to understand how best to support their ADHD children. Adults with ADHD will likely find validation and new hope from reading Bryan’s story.” ~Dr. Edward Hallowell
CHADD Educator of the Year for 2010, Dr. Katherine Nell Mcneil, "Highly recommends" One Boy’s Struggle
“A very brave and moving memoir.” Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Katherine Ellison, author of 'Buzz'.
"Gripping account of both the struggles and positive polarities of ADD written beautifully in a honest, open and courageous manner." David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D.
"Anyone with ADD or with friends, loved ones or colleagues with ADD will be informed and touched by Bryan’s book." Bryan Robinson Ph.D. author of 'The Art of Confident Living'
Thank you!
It is an honor to have written a book that is meaning so much and benefiting so many. It is my hope that one day ‘One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir’ will be read by every teacher and parent, as well as read by every adult with ADHD. If you own a copy and have read it, please consider passing it on, loan it out to friends, a support group or donating it to your local library.
All material provided within this website is opinion only, and is not to be construed as medical advice, instruction or direction of any kind. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website. Visit a health care professional before making any decisions about your health.
