As a certified ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) coach for 12 years, I have coached many women with ADHD and without an official ADHD diagnosis. And one of things that I have seen is that many women with ADHD do not see themselves as being authentic due to a women’s ADHD brain tends to think in terms of — motivated vs. lazy, creative vs. boring, organized vs. a mess. An ADHD brain feels it must pick sides. But because we are forever changing and vacillating, and it keeps us from flip-flopping from day to day.
So why do women with and without ADHD find it so difficult to be incredibly proud of our unique personality ?
Why is it so difficult to shine our light brightly and show everyone the perfectly imperfect person that we are?
How do you courageously and unapologetically be yourself?
These are questions I have pondered on my ADHD journey to living more closely in alignment with my own personal truth. I have taken a deep dive into the world of personal growth, and I have been through lots of therapy to help me get through some particularly challenging times. It has been a journey and it is still a work in progress, but I am finding it easier and easier all the time to embrace my authentic self and to express it fully.
Here are some guiding principles that I have used to become authentic and hope these will help you walk the path of genuine authenticity, in life and in business.
Live Purposefully! Leap! As scary as it may sound, at some stages in your life you must let go of being comfortable and dedicating all your time and resources to walking your true path. This might feel incredibly scary, but fear and excitement are in constant tension when you are true to yourself. But do not hold back, the rewards are so worth it. And you will finally feel like you are living fully even if it feels challenging
Be yourself- know who you are by cultivating self-awareness: self-awareness if the ability to see yourself clearly, it is the conscious knowledge of your own personality character. Feelings and individuality. And it is the first most critical step for embracing your own authenticity as your way of life.
Set strong boundaries-ground and protect yourself grounding is a technique you use to nurture a loving connection with yourself and the space around you. When you are grounded you are not easily affected by other people. It literary helps you stand your ground and stay centered around people who might knock you off. Grounding techniques include visual ling yourself growing long, deep roots from the ground. Protection might be visualizing a bubble of protective light around you that only allows positive energy and deflects negative energy. Experiment what works best for you
Be Available for silence: your truth speaks to you in times of silence so schedule some quiet time in your day. Take a walk-in nature. Take some time to walk in nature. If you can, take some time to sit and quietly observe nature. This can be a wonderful way to connect with the miraculous nature of life and access a state of awe, wonder and quiet your mind.
Living authentically without masks or endless apologies is a process. Whatever path you take know that you do not have to be fixed; trust the process, trust yourself and trust your power that has been inside of you all along.