Let’s talk about the value of finding clarity on who you are and how you think.
Transcription:
Hey JoyGenea here, international neurodiversity coach. This week I really want to focus on the importance of clarity in your language about you, and in short and in general what I am really focused on this week is the fact that so often as we were going to school and so forth the people and the adults around us did not know much about neurodiversity. They did not know much about the traits of neurodiversity and so their lack of language gave to us an even greater lack of language, and so because of that void, right we looked around and we went “Boy, I don’t quite think like everybody else. I’m not quite like everybody else. What does that mean?” we applied labels. I’ve talked about it before. I am going to continue talking about it because it is so relevant as we then become, not children, but adults, we carry these labels with us and these beliefs that we are broken and defective and not good enough and it is a lie. It is a lie. It is a lie created from a lack of language. Certain areas in certain subjects may not have been out strengths- that is not a lie, but we are not dumb, and stupid, and worthless. Not at all. We struggle at times with certain things that other people have strengths. We are also really good at certain things other people suck at, different things, and we need to not be beating ourselves up all the time.
So, that is why I am often talking about the value and importance of clarity and about understanding your traits and understanding your strengths, because without understanding that without doing some exploration you wind up applying labels that actually are not true, are very very harmful to ourselves. So, today I am going to strongly encourage you to say some nice things to yourself when doesn’t exactly go right, try saying something really simple like, “Wow that was a mistake. I can do that better next time.” Or, “Maybe next time I will try this way.” Or, “Wow that is so not the first time I’ve spelled that word wrong, and that is ok. It happens. Not uncommon for me.” Give yourself a whole lot more grace and give yourself the wisdom to know, that is, you just are who you are you’re great just the way you are. It does not have to have great meaning in particular. It does not mean that you are not worthy and are not an incredible person.
So, clarity, understanding that, and then my last encouragement is if you are neurodiverse or if you have someone within your family that is neurodiverse, dyslexic, ADHD, autistic, OCD, Tourette’s, those fall under the neurodiversity umbrella. Learn about it. Talk about it. Make it comfortable. Help them understand themselves better. Help support them in laughing about the moments that are challenges and celebrating the wins and knowing their strengths. That is the greatest gift you can give a neurodiverse child and honestly it is the greatest gift you can give another human being. I’m JoyGenea, thanks for joining me, catch you next time.