Motivational and inspirational writer, Bryan Hutchinson is the author of several books about life with ADHD including the highly acclaimed, best selling "One Boy′s Struggle: A Memoir" and the author of the hilarious eBook that went viral "10 Things I Hate about ADHD"

success

Michael Phelps, A Person With ADHD Is The Greatest Olympian Ever!

Michael Phelps, A Person With ADHD Is The Greatest Olympian Ever!
on: August 1, 2012 by: Bryan Hutchinson 7 Comments , , , , ...

This is a time to celebrate. One of our athletes, Michael Phelps, has accomplished what no other Olympian in the history of the Olympics has ever accomplished. 19 Medals. It is a record for the ages. Michael Phelps has ADHD. He is the greatest, undisputed champion of the Olympics. (Click Here to tweet that.) He’s one of us. Let’s take a moment to think about that. Few people in the world must train and prepare as much as an Olympian. Their life is eating, breathing, living in training. It’s what they do and they do it all for a moment in time. Some seize the moment and bask in the glory of winning a medal. Most. Do. Not. Michael Phelps is the best of the best. He seized the most moments. Why? What makes him different? What makes him the best? I am sure there are many answers. It’s easy […]

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Knowing Thyself With ADHD Can Improve Quality of Life!

Knowing Thyself With ADHD Can Improve Quality of Life!
on: September 16, 2011 by: Bryan Hutchinson 3 Comments , , , , ...

Today I read a great blog post on our ADHD Social Network. The author presented a list of things she knows about herself. This article I’ve written today is inspired by her post and the comment I added there. I often recommend therapy for people like me, with ADHD, and sometimes there is a bit of confusion as to how therapy can help and although she did not talk about therapy, her blog post still pretty much hit the nail on the head!    Therapy helps us discover who we are, the ‘whys’ behind the things we do and the patterns we have put in place for ourselves and, helps us discover the things ‘we can do well’. Too many of us with ADHD struggle trying everything we can in order to do the things we are not good at, or to be how we believe we should be, either because we have been […]

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ADHD – the STRENGTH Based Approach – TRY it

ADHD – the STRENGTH Based Approach – TRY it
on: June 1, 2011 by: Bryan Hutchinson 18 Comments , , , , ...

Lately I have been reading a lot about the strength based approach to managing, coping and, more importantly, striving and thriving with ADHD! It’s a contagious, positive and wonderful new movement and I like to think I have been a small part of helping push this movement into the forefront by writing my blog, my books and eBooks. David A Crenshaw recently wrote on facebook: A—adventurous D—determined H—hardy D—dynamic ©David A. Crenshaw, 2011, all rights reserved. I really like his use of ADHD! It’s a new way of looking at ADHD. We can talk about the difficulties, the challenges and the disadvantages of ADHD all day long. We can read about and study what the science tells us and what the statistics show us, but there’s one thing I have noticed, and that is that those who believe in and live by their strengths, whereby one uses what they can […]

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Success, Opportunities and ADHD

Success, Opportunities and ADHD
on: January 8, 2011 by: Bryan Hutchinson 4 Comments , , , , ...

How do you define success with ADHD? When I hear the word success I wonder what each person defines it as. I have always said success is what you define it. Here are 6 things I now have the opportunity to define as success with ADHD for me: Paid the monthly bills on time. I have automatic payments, so I don’t have to worry about most of them. There are other payments I have the opportunity to pay on time by making it to the bank on time, and I do for the most part. Made it to most of my appointments on time. It’s awesome when I am there 5 minutes early and have the opportunity to unwind first. The key is using my appointment calendar on my Smartphone and setting multiple alarms and not making appointments I may not need. Followed through on promises. Most of them anyway, […]

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With Acceptance We Can Overcome and Achieve

With Acceptance We Can Overcome and Achieve
on: July 5, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 4 Comments , , , , ...

It’s true that with acceptance for who we are, and all which that encompasses, can we learn, overcome and thrive to achieve whatever kind of wonderful is for us. Far too often I read or hear people with ADHD berating themselves, putting themselves down and cursing ADHD, which is as much a part of who they are as anything else. Now, I am not saying ADHD doesn’t give us reasons to be ticked off, upset and feel dejected. Oh, it clearly does! But, you know what? No amount of self-deprecation will take ADHD away or force one’s self to be better or different or, heaven forbid, normal. It’s somewhat along the lines of a teacher scolding a child with ADHD with the intent that he can make the child realize that she is just lazy and, if she wants to enough, she can be normal and function in normal ‘accepted’ ways. The most […]

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The Real Problem with ADHD and Success and Happiness

The Real Problem with ADHD and Success and Happiness
on: April 6, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 6 Comments , , , , ...

Have you noticed that ADHD and Success and Happiness are not synonymous? Why aren’t they? (      ) Between the above parentheses is all the space allotted to you for giving an explanation as to why ADHD and Success and happiness are not synonymous!  Doesn’t seem like that is a fair enough amount of space? Then read on. Since we all love rules so much, here are some rules for this exercise: 1st: The first rule is that you may only go by your personal definition of success and happiness. (If you don’t have one, that could pose as a problem, but perhaps this assignment will free you enough to create your very own, personal definition.) 2nd: The very important second rule is that you may not identify success and happiness with what others would have you identify them with or as. This means you may not use rules (this rule is […]

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Just another Call to Arms! Adult ADHD

Just another Call to Arms! Adult ADHD
on: April 1, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 9 Comments , , , , ...

Have you noticed that adult ADHD is making more news lately? As a matter of fact I just read that approximately 65% of children with ADHD will grow into adults with ADHD, or rather ADD.  I personally suspect that the percentage is much higher. It’s impossible to know how many adults are wondering around undiagnosed, but it’s estimated to be in the millions. I was diagnosed when I was 37 and in recent years I have met a remarkable number of adults diagnosed at a later age, some cases much later. This of course lends to the belief that ADHD isn’t real. How can so many people have it? I don’t know, but we do. Adult ADHD is about as much a myth as Childhood ADHD. There is no myth about ADHD except for those who blow it off because they do not understand it.  Most people who don’t know much about me […]

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What is achievement – what is success – what do these things mean to someone like you or me, with ADHD?

What is achievement – what is success – what do these things mean to someone like you or me, with ADHD?
on: March 19, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 22 Comments , , , , ...

Have you ever wondered about what success means to you? I mean, what it really means? Not just the definition, but rather what it feels like to be successful, to achieve something of significant relevance to you? I think for people with ADHD, like me and maybe you, the very word and the meaning of success is alien. We have read about it and heard about it and yet, rarely have we identified with it. Are you successful?  If that seems like a loaded question, it’s not, but I think to a lot of us, it seems that there may be some hidden implication within the question itself. If you say yes, then you are lying and displaying conceitedness! How dare you! Bow your head in proper shame. That’s not the voice from someone else; as a matter of fact it’s not a voice at all. It’s a perception that many […]

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Have you ever wanted to be… better than you are?

Have you ever wanted to be… better than you are?
on: November 21, 2009 by: Bryan Hutchinson 5 Comments , , , , ...

What would it be like to scale the highest mountain? What would it be like to catch the rose before the curtains close? What would it be like to stand on the podium in triumph and listen to the crowd adore your accomplishment, to be applauding you? Yes, you! What would it be like? Can you hear them? Listen, listen closely. What would it be like to come home after a successful day, not having made too many mistakes, not having forgotten an appointment, not having been chastised or punished? What would it be like to sit down, open your books and diligently work on your homework and finish it too? Listen, listen closely. Can you hear them now? Take a moment, relax, and cut the chatter in your mind, focus. You can hear them. I know you can. You’re just lazy, you’re just not interested enough. You’re just no good for […]

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What is ADHD?

What is ADHD?
on: September 19, 2009 by: Bryan Hutchinson 28 Comments , , , , ...

When one starts writing an online blog, there should be a box to click that asks us to agree to the fact that once you start a blog there comes with it great responsibility, especially when you are writing about an issue that is quickly becoming one of the most important issues of our time: ADHD! The reality is that most people in society as a whole do not know what ADHD is or how it truly affects people with it. Bloggers are helping clarify our personal realities with ADHD by sharing experiences. The news media often describes ADHD as wild, hyperactive and troublesome and to a limited degree that’s a correct assessment, but usually this describes untreated ADHD and then only for a percentage of those with it, even then that’s only part of the equation. The truth of the matter is that ‘wild, hyperactive and troublesome’ are the […]

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