“Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian”

For countless people with ADHD, feeling defective is a way of life. It’s a part of who we are. When our mood is good, we feel special and sometimes superior in some aspects. We can hyper-focus like crazy or we can tackle multiple projects at the same time. We call these our super powers. To the outside world, they might as well be powers bestowed from the heavens.

Or so it seemed.

The reality is that the more you learned, the more you realized that there was more to learn. You began to understand that the more you knew about the subject the easier it was to formulate questions. Those questions allowed you to seek answers and the cycle of learning continued.

“To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.” — Socrates

“Do you?” The man asked. “Do you know that you’re in a dream while you are in it? Everything seems real to you in that moment. The next moment in the dream, it still seems real even when none of it makes sense. There are countless movies and stories about the realization of dreams. How to know if you are in one or not in one, and yet, while you are in a dream you do not know that you are in a dream.”

Heavenly wisdom is pure, first and foremost.  In other words, nothing corrupt comes from heaven.  When we rely on our own wisdom in dealing with situations we are not relying on a reliable source.  Of ourselves we will misconstrue what people are saying, misinterpret their meanings and our feelings will be hurt.  In our pain we will lash out, show disrespect and our arrogance and pride will become a stumbling block for those who are trying to strengthen their relationship with God. Heavenly wisdom is peace-loving, considerate, and submissive.  No where do I see it being passive.  Wisdom that comes from God cannot be contained in by our finite minds.  It needs to go out, that’s why he gives it to us.  We must act on the wisdom that he gives us in order to be obedient.  Our words must be peaceful and not provoking, even if we disagree.  We cannot be partial to one person, giving them our attention while ignoring another who has a need.  Being submissive does not mean lying down and allowing others to walk all over us. It means not being argumentative, listening to what they have to say and stating our case.  It means being obedient to those in charge so long as it does not go against Christ.

Heavenly wisdom is full of good fruit and mercy.  Don’t condemn a person for not understanding.  Don’t belittle someone who disagrees.  Be patient, understanding, objective and a witness to the life that Christ has given us.  Under no circumstances is heavenly wisdom to be used for destruction, but instead it should be used for edification of their hearts and glorification of God.

Woodruff, Micheal. Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian . Micheal D. Woodruff. Kindle Edition.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian”

Born Again at a young age, Micheal has often struggled with his walk with the Lord. Throughout his life he has been compared to many Biblical figures but has always felt he failed in his life and his walk with God. Being a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to many of his neurodivergent traits. Though he often argues with God, he is a firm believer in Christ Jesus and it is through that faith that he continues despite the daily struggles he’s faced with.

He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Heavenly wisdom is pure, first and foremost.  In other words, nothing corrupt comes from heaven.  When we rely on our own wisdom in dealing with situations we are not relying on a reliable source.  Of ourselves we will misconstrue what people are saying, misinterpret their meanings and our feelings will be hurt.  In our pain we will lash out, show disrespect and our arrogance and pride will become a stumbling block for those who are trying to strengthen their relationship with God.

Heavenly wisdom is peace-loving, considerate, and submissive.  No where do I see it being passive.  Wisdom that comes from God cannot be contained in by our finite minds.  It needs to go out, that’s why he gives it to us.

We must act on the wisdom that he gives us in order to be obedient.  Our words must be peaceful and not provoking, even if we disagree.  We cannot be partial to one person, giving them our attention while ignoring another who has a need.  Being submissive does not mean lying down and allowing others to walk all over us. It means not being argumentative, listening to what they have to say and stating our case.  It means being obedient to those in charge so long as it does not go against Christ.

Heavenly wisdom is full of good fruit and mercy.  Don’t condemn a person for not understanding.  Don’t belittle someone who disagrees.  Be patient, understanding, objective and a witness to the life that Christ has given us.  Under no circumstances is heavenly wisdom to be used for destruction, but instead it should be used for edification of their hearts and glorification of God.

Woodruff, Micheal. Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian . Micheal D. Woodruff. Kindle Edition.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian”

Born Again at a young age, Micheal has often struggled with his walk with the Lord. Throughout his life he has been compared to many Biblical figures but has always felt he failed in his life and his walk with God. Being a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to many of his neurodivergent traits. Though he often argues with God, he is a firm believer in Christ Jesus and it is through that faith that he continues despite the daily struggles he’s faced with.

He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

When you no longer have to find someone or something to blame, your emotional load becomes lighter. You learn from what happened and take steps so that it doesn’t happen again. Not by placing the blame everywhere else, but by not allowing a situation to become the focal point of everything in your life.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available onSpotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available onSpotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

God was specific in how he created the earth and its inhabitants.  Before creating man he set the place up for them.  He created the garden, the animals, the sky, the sea and the terrain before he created man.  He planned specifically to make man in His image and he did so after he created the rest of the world.  Now why would he do such a thing? It’s a matter of respect.  True, God could have created man, then made the world around him.  True, God could have made man and the world, creating the animals last.  True, God could have made all the things he made in any order that he wanted to, but he chose to make man after everything was set up.  Even from the beginning, God showed us respect for our individuality, our personalities and our likeness to him.  He did this knowing that we would turn away from him, knowing that we would outright reject his Love and knowing that we would not return the respect.  How, when given this example of His respect for us, can we deny the same to others? Your friends, your enemies, that guy or gal that asks too many questions are all made in the likeness of God.  That doesn’t mean that they are gods in themselves or that you are either, nor does it mean that they are perfect.  It does mean that they are to be shown the same respect that you would like to receive from them.  In that fashion our attitudes will be closer to that of God’s and in being so, we come closer to the image of God than we otherwise would be.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian”

Born Again at a young age, Micheal has often struggled with his walk with the Lord. Throughout his life he has been compared to many Biblical figures but has always felt he failed in his life and his walk with God. Being a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to many of his neurodivergent traits. Though he often argues with God, he is a firm believer in Christ Jesus and it through that faith that he continues the daily struggles he’s faced with.

He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

She heard her phone bounce off the table and onto the cold concrete floor. She leaned down and pressed her fingers on the table. Using it as a guide, and trying to ignore whatever semi-sticky substance was on it, Serene made her way to where she thought the phone landed.

She crawled on her hands and knees, meticulously expanding her search area.

“What was that?” she heard something above her.

Footsteps?

Her hand bumped into something. It felt like her Phone. It had to be. She picked it up and fumbled with it before realizing that she hadn’t charged it since yesterday.

“Way to go Serene.” She chided herself.

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Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, a little, and she tried to orient herself to find the elevator or the stairs. The smell was getting to her. “Something rotten in Denmark”

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

She muttered under her breath. Without thinking, every Edgar Allan Poe poem she knew came to mind. Especially the Tell-Tale Heart. She could imagine herself being stuck under the floorboards for all eternity. She thought of the sticky stuff on the coffee table. “Well Gilead, there’s your balm.”

“Get a grip,” she told herself.

She finally made out the shape of stairs and started toward them, she took her steps with caution, not wanting to bump into anything else. Thirteen steps later she came to a door.

“Don’t be locked,” she whispered. “Please don’t be locked.”

She turned the knob and to her relief the door opened. The lighting wasn’t much better but she could see that she wasn’t holding her phone. Instead, it was a rectangular thing with two holes in it. She turned to look down the stairs.

She paused for a moment, not wanting to go back into that dark musty basement. It had been so nice when she first got down there, but now. She took a deep breath and let it out slow. She needed her phone.

She carefully searched around the coffee table for her phone. Her hand touched the couch and she recoiled.

“Not there,” she held back the impulse to puke. “Never there. Never again.” Looking around, her eyes adjusted to the light, and she shook her head. “This is no place for sleeping.”

Her phone vibrated, startling her. She picked up the phone and answered the incoming call. “Of course, I’m here.”

The phone went dead. She stared at the blank screen, trying to will it to come to life. Nothing happened. All she heard was “are you there?”. She didn’t even have a chance to find out who it was.

Phone in one hand and, whatever it is, in the other, Serene made her way back upstairs. She made her way back to the kitchen where the last slivers of sunlight made it through the windows. She looked at the object with the two holes, each with small plastic spikes. After turning it over and over, reading the words P-tra, B-at -he sy-tem, she realized what it was. An old cassette tape.

“I wonder if there’s something to play it with?” She looked around the kitchen but there was nothing there. She headed down the hall, passed the door to the basement with a shiver and a shrug, and made her way upstairs. She could barely see where she was going and it only got darker the higher she went.

At the top of the stairs, she saw a glimmering light coming from her right. Odd, earlier that had been a dead end. She followed the light to a slightly opened door. She pushed on it and discovered a room. It was like stepping through time, again, to some long-lost era. Everything was old, brightly colored, and posters of people with really long, really high hair. They were dressed in ancient fashion, like the 80’s or something.

In one corner she saw a huge box with buttons, slides, slots. It had huge speakers on either side and knobs on the top. She pressed buttons until one of the compartments opened up. It took her a couple of tries, but she figured out how to put the cassette in. A few more button fumbles and she managed to get it to play.

She sat on the floor, leaned against the bed, and listened to the crackly music as it played. It was weird, but she started to feel the music and relax. Her tension and worries fading away.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Maria Romaszkan: The Connection between ADHD and Loneliness

John Kruse: We’re Reshaping Our Brains With Loneliness and ADHD

Micheal Woodruff: Dismantling the Stigma: 10 Truths about ADHD

Let’s relax for a moment. Imagine that you’re reading this on a white sandy beach. The sun is shining, the slight breeze coming off the water is just enough to keep you comfortable. Your muscles are relaxed and your mind is at ease.

You look out at the water. Crystal blue water in a quiet cove. A lagoon that you’ve only seen in movies and your imagination. The sky has a few tracing clouds moving at such a calming pace you feel like you could just drift away with them.

You curl your toes in the soft white sand, feeling it between your toes, giving yourself a natural foot massage. The waves lap the shore ever so gently, taking your stress away to the depths of the sea with each pass. You don’t even have to close your eyes to imagine it. The natural ebb and flow are seamless.

Without warning, it starts to rain. Pelting cold rain coming from behind you. The peaceful lagoon turns into a torrent of waves. Crashing the shore. The temperature drops forty degrees. You get up. Run for shelter. Your feet landing on every seashell along the way.

You look back. The lagoon has taken your spot. The sky is dark. The sun has been swallowed. Menacing, lightning-filled clouds above. Thunder shakes your very bones. You find yourself in the midst of a hurricane.

I know, not the best image to have in mind. Sure, it started out nice. How did it make you feel? Comfortable? Relaxed? Stressless? Then what happened? The scene changed from tranquility to terror. You were no longer relaxed, comfortable, and far from stress-free.

The state of mind that we put ourselves into, or allow others to put us into, affects our physical being. It has the capacity to cripple us where we are or catapult us to where we want to be.

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Thoughts can cripple.

If you have any kind of phobia, you know how bad it can get. For me, I’m acrophobic. I don’t like heights. Even looking up at a tall building or playing a video game where my character is on a cliff can activate my fear. My heart races, my breathing becomes rapid and shallow. My eyes dilate. My whole body becomes tense. I’m not up there, but my mind puts me there and my body reacts.

There are hundreds if not thousands of phobias. There are countless things that we can be afraid of. Sometimes the fear is small or singular. Like the neighbor’s cat that, for whatever reason, scares the hell out of you. Some fears are larger, like claustrophobia. Some fears come from our personal experiences and others just seem to manifest for no reason.

My fear of heights didn’t start until my early twenties. Before then, I would climb trees, get on rooftops, climb on ladders, and have no problems with roller coasters. One day I was climbing a ladder and suddenly I was afraid. There was no logic behind it but the fear was there just the same. Now, whenever I think about high places, my body reacts to the fear.

Thoughts can catapult.

Being acrophobic, the idea of being catapulted by anything is a scary thought. So, to keep my physical reactions in check, I’ll focus on the metaphorical catapult.

Let’s take the vision of starting your own business. Perhaps you are looking at becoming a life coach with a specialized niche. It’s early in the process so you’re doing a lot of research. You’ve taken courses by Robbins-Madanes, Bob Proctor, or any number of life coach experts. You have a notebook or two full of wise words, tidbits you’ve picked up, study aids, and ideas for your own business.

You’ve pictured yourself where you want to be in a year’s time and you’ve launched your business. You have focus points hanging on your wall, on your phone, and on your desktop. You keep that vision alive when you go to sleep and it’s the first thing you see when you wake up. You know your circumstances don’t match the vision yet, but you truly believe you will be there when the time comes.

You stay in a constant state of readiness. Studying, reaching out to people, practicing your conversations in the mirror. You know that the best way to help other people is to get past those very obstacles you want to help them get past.

Time passes by and before you realize it, you’ve got clients. You’re helping people and you’re starting to earn some money from it. You continue with your mind on your goal. Your thoughts on what will be. You feel the joy of accomplishment with every meeting. You learn more about yourself and how you can help your clients. Your business grows.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Finding a balance.

Reality. Ugh. Probably the most bitter-tasting word in the English language. Not because reality itself is so bad, though it might be, but because of the implication it has. As though having a dream isn’t part of reality. Like having a goal is merely a fantasy.

People have told you to face reality. You’re struggling because ‘reality’ is telling you that you’re not good enough or you don’t deserve your dreams. Reality can be a slap in the face for anyone who is working towards their goals.

Your dream. Your goal. Your reality.

Thomas Edison’s reality was a world where electricity was harnessed in the form of light bulbs. Lewis Latimer’s reality was a more productive filament for those lightbulbs. Walt Disney’s reality was Disneyworld.

Their reality existed long before the rest of the world experienced them. The same is true for your goals, your dream, and your reality. Not because you ignore the setbacks. Everyone has setbacks and they address them. They found things that worked and things that didn’t. They learned, improved, and faced the reality of others with the determination that their reality will become everyone else’s reality as well.

Imagine if the reality of the times kept Edison from his reality. Our world would be very different. What if Latimer decided that the filament created by Alexander Lodygin was good enough? What if you decide that your dreams should remain dreams?

Reality can be harsh, but it can also be inspiring. When you look at your vision of your future, how does it make you feel? Pretty good doesn’t it? When you put yourself in that reality your entire perspective changes. Like being on that beach by the lagoon.

Knowing that there are going to be storms, you can prepare yourself. You can brace your mind for the setbacks that will come. You don’t ignore the fact that things will become difficult or that you will fail. You prepare for them and adjust your strategy. You don’t erase your reality because someone else doesn’t see it yet.

Thoughts lead to success.

I still climb ladders and get on rooves. I don’t let my fear cripple me (most of the time), but I know my limitations. I don’t hang out by the edge. I control my actions by reminding myself of what I can and cannot do.

The same is true for realizing your vision — your reality. Know your limitations but work to overcome them. Remind yourself of what you already know. You can do this. You have your goal for a reason and you will accomplish it. It will take time. It will take focus. It will take determination.

The stronger your vision, the more detailed your goal, the more real it becomes. Your fear won’t overpower you. Your determination will drive you. Your focus will lead you. Your reality will become a reality that others will see as clearly as you see it now.

#honoreecorder

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

The man smiled, “Well, they say that libraries are the tallest buildings in the world.”

“Yeah, because it has so many stories. I’ve heard that one.” She looked around again, still in awe at the sheer size of the room.

“Your book is here.” The man stepped aside to reveal a small pedestal with a book on it. Engraved on the cover was Serene’s Story: Not as boring as she thought.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Serene walked up to the book and chuckled. “This is some kind of joke isn’t it?” She turned to the man and gasped. There was no one there. The room was suddenly smaller. Much smaller. What was several stories just a moment ago was now barely twelve feet high. The vast room had become no larger than an average bedroom. The meager shelves that remained were bare and covered in dust and cobwebs. The chairs were barely recognizable as chairs.

She looked at the pedestal with her book on it, covered in dust, and found it open. She blew away what dust she could, wiping some of the more persistent dirt away with her hand. She began reading and stepped back.

It was her childhood, written from someone else’s perspective. How she had spent most of her time reading and shying away from everyone. She hid herself in her books. She read in her closet when the fighting started. Her childhood and teenage years were spent trying to escape the reality of her life.

She stepped forward and continued to read, turning page after page of details of her past. Even her thoughts and feelings were written on the paper. With each word, memories came flooding back. Memories she never wanted to face ever again.

She slammed the book closed.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

“You’re sick!” She yelled at the ceiling. “This isn’t funny.” She turned to storm out the door she came from, but there was no door. Only a wall. She turned around and noticed that there were only walls. No shelves. No furniture. No pedestal and no book.

“You’d think I’d be used to it by now.” She spoke softly as she moved across the room. “Things popping up and vanishing like that.” She chuckled, “I’m in a mad house or I’m going mad. I’m getting mad, that’s for sure. How the hell do I get out of here?”

She crossed the room and found a door on the other side. The door resisted at first, but she wasn’t going to get trapped in a room that was or wasn’t or… She used her shoulder to help force the door open.

Serene took a few steps and noticed a banister. She leaned over it, being careful not to put any weight on it in case it wasn’t really there. She could see the hallway below her, the one that led to the kitchen. She could see the front door, her way out. As she stepped over and stood at the top of the stairs she noticed something that made her stop.

When she arrived at the house, the staircase was covered in dust. Untouched for an unknown amount of time. Perhaps years. Now, there were footsteps leading down. On a hunch, she carefully compared her shoe size to the shoe print in the dust. An exact match.

Even the treads, she checked, were the same. She took a step back and tried to figure out how that was possible. Shaking off the possible and impossible, she decided there had to be a different way.

Then she heard footsteps. Someone running. She could hear the heavy breathing. She pushed herself up against the wall to hide herself from whoever was coming down the hall. She held her breath for a moment.

Then she heard footsteps starting to move away. She peered over the banister just in time to see someone returning to the hallway. There was something familiar about the figure that she saw.

Someone else was in the house and she had to find out who. She started down the stairs, afraid to call out in case the other person wasn’t so friendly. Serene would watch them first, then decide.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs she turned and noticed something. There were no new shoe prints in the dust. Even though she didn’t pay any attention to where she stepped. There should have been two sets but there was only one. She stared at them, confused. Another nonsensical feature of a house that made no sense.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Challenge: Daily Devotions for the Common Christian”

Born Again at a young age, Micheal has often struggled with his walk with the Lord. Throughout his life he has been compared to many Biblical figures but has always felt he failed in his life and his walk with God. Being a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to many of his neurodivergent traits. Though he often argues with God, he is a firm believer in Christ Jesus and it through that faith that he continues the daily struggles he’s faced with.

He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Referring to all problems as opportunities.

It can be encouraging to see complications as a chance to make difficult decisions in order to grow and come out on top. On the other hand, it can be demoralizing when those problems are seemingly insurmountable and a solution cannot be reached in a timely manner.

So, what are some issues that might use interchangeable wording?

* Flat Tire

* Missing Something

* Change in Work Position

The list is short and by no means all-encompassing, but these situations can be both a problem and an opportunity depending on the circumstances in which they occur. Let’s have a look at them one by one.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Flat Tire

Situation One:

You’re getting ready to head out for a day with the family. Your daughter is with you when you go out to load the car. She notices that you have a flat tire and points it out to you. Those who change tires on their own, with no special equipment, can usually change a tire within fifteen minutes. For people who aren’t used to it, it could take a bit longer.

Now the problem is a flat tire. The situation is a casual one. The opportunity is the chance to teach your daughter how to change a tire. When you look at it as a teaching situation the problem becomes something positive.

Situation Two:

You’re driving down the freeway and you get a flat tire. Not taking into account the weather, you still have to make it to the side of the road and get out of traffic. Then you have to change that tire while cars are driving past at highway speeds. You’re also on your way to work and the fifteen minutes to change the tire will likely make you late. And everyone who changes tires knows, it’s not a clean job. The same problem is not an opportunity.

Missing Something

Situation One:

You’ve been looking for something off and on for weeks. It’s one of those things that you don’t really need to have right away but it’s driving you crazy because you haven’t been able to find it yet. One day, with no obligations that day, you decide to do a room-by-room search. During your search, you end up organizing, cleaning, and getting rid of things you no longer need or want. Without realizing it, you turned a problem into an opportunity and whether you found the item or not, you feel better because you accomplished something.

Situation Two:

You’ve been looking for something off and on for weeks. It was one of those things that you didn’t really need right away but now it has become a must-have. You’ve searched high and low and the deadline came up unexpectedly. You need to have that missing item now. You don’t have time to do a room-by-room search. You don’t have time to clean everything in order to find it. You have enough time to make a bigger mess and you still may not find it. Without it, you can get into a lot of trouble. This is a problem, not an opportunity.

Change in Work Position

Situation One:

Your boss comes to you with an offer to change departments. She tells you that this is an opportunity for you to grow with the company. The problem is that you don’t get along with the supervisor in that department. While you may grow with the company, you’re not sure if you can find a way to put your differences aside and work with the supervisor. Now you have two opportunities. You have a chance to grow in the company and you have the chance to grow in your relationship with people you normally wouldn’t get along with.

Situation Two:

Your boss comes to you and says she has an opportunity. They don’t tell you what it is and their tone of voice doesn’t give you any indication that it’s something positive. You’ve been ingrained to hear that opportunity is another word for problem. You panic. You believe your job may be in danger. You feel like you are going to be punished.

Inability to differentiate between an opportunity and a problem.

Since 1995, and possibly longer, the words problem and opportunity have become synonymous with each other. At the beginning of the trend, the explanation of how a problem can become an opportunity was explained. Over the years, the explanation faded away and it was accepted that the word problem meant opportunity. As with any words that are considered to be the same thing, those who don’t get a clear view of the situation hear the word opportunity and think problem.

So when a situation occurs and someone says that there is an opportunity that needs to be addressed, stress levels tend to rise. Defenses go up. Resistance is the first response and the focus is entirely on the problem.

Words can be a tricky thing. When opposite words become interchangeable the meanings of those words becomes blurred. The speaker may mean one thing but the hearer can decipher it as the opposite.

Call It What It Is.

A problem can lead to an opportunity but not all opportunities are problems. It’s time to go back to the time when it was clear which was which. If there is a problem, call it a problem and then follow it up with an explanation of an opportunity that could come from it. By doing this, there is clear communication of what the situation actually is.

A problem doesn’t have to be daunting if the opportunity is reasonable and realistic. If there is an actual opportunity that is not based on a problem, make it clear that it is a positive opportunity. This will allay the fear that you really mean a problem. This will make the ensuing conversation easier. By removing the tension from the start the defenses are easier to get through because they haven’t been solidified by misinterpretation.

If a problem is a problem with no immediate chance for growth, then leave it as a problem.

If a problem offers room for growth, then call it a problem with a viable solution.

Explain opportunities as what they are. Positive situations that allow growth.

Problems and opportunities are words that are opposites and using them interchangeably causes stress and defense mechanisms to any conversation that contains those words. It’s time to end the trend and call things by what they are.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available onSpotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Soldiers on horseback. Armies on foot. Bodies on the ground. The scenes grew worse as she made her way back to the split in the hall. The pictures had changed order and became more gruesome.

Mysterious note.

Dining room ghosts.

Disturbing pictures with a dark theme.

Her own voice.

How did she get herself into this situation?

It started with a phone call.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available onSpotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available onSpotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

What we see on the outside.

For millennia, mankind has looked at the color of a person’s skin to make multiple determinations. For most of history, it had nothing to do with whether the person was of equal value to them or not. It was a way to determine if the other person was of the same region or if they were a foreigner. The judgment of whether or not they could be allies had nothing to do with the color of their skin. If they were foreigners, precautions were taken. Weapons at the ready. Attempts to communicate. Wariness of the intentions of the other.

It was a matter of survival, not racism.

Throughout most of mankind’s history, skin color wasn’t a factor in how another person was treated. Most of the time it was whether or not someone thought that the other culture held the same values as them. Whether or not they held the same beliefs.

The traditions of other cultures were strange and conclusions were made rather hastily. Sometimes incorrectly, sometimes correctly. The clothes they wore, the way they spoke, how they treated others were all indications that helped one culture decide to trust or not to trust another culture. Over time, cultural differences were set aside for mutual benefits.

It’s understandable that when someone who has only seen others who look the same as they do to be hesitant when they see someone who doesn’t. There’s a curiosity and a caution that exists when a person of dark skin sees, for the first time, someone with light skin. That doesn’t mean that there is hatred. It doesn’t mean there is judgment. It doesn’t mean anything except that it’s a first-time experience.

What is not seen on the inside.

Outside of a laboratory or morgue, the inside of the human body is rarely seen. The average person might not be able to tell you what color a particular organ is. They can make guesses but on average that’s all they would be. A guess.

Here’s a breakdown of the colors of some of the organs in the human body.

* Brain: Most people think that the brain is grey. While that’s partially true, it’s only grey when it lacks oxygen and blood flow. In other words, when it’s dead. The healthy living human brain is a combination of white, black, and pink.

* Skeleton: That one most people will get. The human skeleton, in fact, all skeletons, is white. The marrow may be brown, grey, or black but that is determined by health conditions.

* Lungs: Healthy lungs are pink in color.

* Heart: You guessed it if you said the heart was red.

* Liver: Reddish-brown

* Pancreas: Tan and pinkish

* Kidneys: Reddish-brown

* Spleen: Reddish-purple

* Thyroid: Brownish-red

* Skin: Skin color is determined by melanin content and health conditions.

Color does matter.

Let’s go back to the brain for a moment. The healthy living human brain is a combination of white, black, and pink.

“The human brain color physically appears to be white, black, and red-pinkish while it is alive and pulsating. Images of pink brains are relative to its actual state. The brains we see in movies are detached from the blood and oxygen flow result to exhibit white, gray, or have a yellow shadow.”

https://memoryos.com/article/brain-color-its-not-always-rainbows-and-butterflies

There’s more to the colors of the brain than a simple answer can give. Neuron flow, nerves, chemicals, and other factors influence the colors of the brain. It’s not just black and white.

What about the liver? Much like the brain, you can’t see the color of the liver — or any other organ — from the outside. So you have to rely on the colors that appear on the outside, or at least outside enough to see. The skin tends to take on a yellow hue. The whites of the eyes become faded and yellowish. The colors of the eyes, not the iris but the sclera, can give indications of a person’s health.

The color of the skin can give indicators of internal health, give regional and genetic background, and determine the level of protection from ultra-violet radiation. What it can’t do is determine who a person is.

What makes you who you are?

You have a brain, a heart, lungs, a pancreas, liver, and a myriad of other organs inside your body. Held together by tendons, ligaments, muscles, and nerves. All of those things are held inside the body by your skin. If your skin was green with purple polka dots it would still serve the same purpose as skin that was brown, white, pink, or black.

Are you your brain or is that just a part of who you are? What about the lungs, liver, bladder, or intestines? Those are just parts of who you are. Your blood doesn’t designate whether you succeed or fail. Your hair color doesn’t decide if you’re a good person or a bad one. Your eye color has no power to show your intelligence or morality. If your organs don’t determine who you are, why should your skin?

The skin is just another organ. It is not a determination of a person’s being. It does not decide if someone will become a criminal or an upstanding citizen. The skin cannot infuse morals or hatred. It is a part of the human body along with all the other organs. The organs are only part of your physical construction. Your body is only part of who you are.

Why does skin color matter?

It matters as an indicator of your health. When the skin color changes it indicates issues within your body that should be addressed. The color of the skin also helps to deflect UV rays. Those who have darker skin have natural protection while those with light skin develop darker skin for the same purpose. That’s not to say UV rays aren’t harmful to those with dark skin, but that’s another topic. Spots on the skin, discoloration, colors around wounds all indicate the health and well-being of a person.

The color of the skin, however, does nothing to determine who you are. If you accept that you are more than your skin, more than your organs, more than your body, then you can accept that everyone else is too.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available onSpotify,  Audible,  Amazon Music,  YouTube music, and many more places.

Micheal D. Woodruff, Author of “Dismantling the Stigmas: 10 Truths about ADHD”.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube music, and many more places.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, Micheal has had to come face to face with the realities, difficulties, and advantages that are related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He is certified in Unlocking Your Potential with ADHD. He also hosts the podcast “The Eclectic Writer” available on Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube music, and many more places.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The busses were directed to the center of the subdivision that contained three hundred newly printed homes. Each one contained one bedroom, one full bath, a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room. Eight hundred square feet of living space.

The passengers unloaded from the busses and were directed to line up in five rows and columns.

“Alright, everyone. Welcome to your new homes.” Chester spoke through a voice amplifier. “Each of you has been given a number. When I call your number, step over to the tables to your right. You will be given a map that will lead you to your new home. Inside your home, in the kitchen, you will find a key to your apartment. It is your only key until you have a copy made.”

The crowd fidgeted, eager to see their new homes. Just a couple of hours earlier, they had been sharing rooms in a building that should have been condemned years ago. It had running water but the water didn’t just run from the faucets. It also ran from the ceilings and the walls.

Chester began calling out numbers and one by one the crowd moved from the lines to the tables. Charlotte was handed a piece of paper that showed where they were and where she would find her new home. She turned and headed toward her new life.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Off in the distance, several large machines were continuing to print houses. They weren’t as loud as she expected them to be, but they weren’t quiet either. She had grown used to the sounds of the construction machines. Some building houses, others building sidewalks. It had become the ambient sound of the area.

She looked at each house as she passed, each one identical to the one before with the exception of the number plate on the wall next to the door. She noted the size of the street. Just large enough for one vehicle moving in one direction. Not that it mattered. None of them had cars anyway. Even if they did, they wouldn’t have been allowed to keep it. All personal vehicles had been rounded up and recycled for building material and other things. The only vehicles allowed now were the ones for construction and mass transportation. Once the housing initiative was completed, even mass transit vehicles would be recycled.

She found her assigned home. Number One-Nine-Eight-Four. She stood at the door and hesitated. Behind her, people were rushing into their new homes. Squeals and cheers could be heard coming from her new neighbors. She didn’t feel so excited.

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Surely it would be better than living on the streets or in a rundown should be torn down hotel. But she missed her own home. It was a little large for her to keep up on her own but it had all her memories. The children that she raised. Her husband. The family squabbles and dinners. The holidays with friends and families. The Christmas tree that was always too big but never had enough room for all the decorations.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The layout was simple. A small foyer with a peg hook for hanging a coat. That opened to the living room. On the right was a full-sized kitchen complete with a center island. Between them was a dining area with a short wall separating it from the other two rooms.

In the other direction were the bedroom and full bath. The bathroom had one door leading from the hallway and another that led to the bedroom. A simple semi-open floorplan.

The bedroom had a queen-sized bed, a six-drawer dresser, and two nightstands with a small lamp for each. It reminded her of a middle-class hotel room. Not that there would be any of those left once the housing initiative was complete. She remembered hearing that there would be an allotment of one hotel per three hundred miles. The way the infrastructure was going there wouldn’t be a need for any more than that.

The living room had a nice couch. Faux leather three-person couch with a recliner on each end. She didn’t really care for faux leather but she didn’t have much of a choice either. Free was free.

There was also a communication monitor, movie player, and entertainment console mounted on the wall across from the couch. An artificial fireplace decorated the space beneath it.

The couch, she discovered, had built-in end tables that lifted from the side. The coffee table that sat between the couch and the aesthetic wall was the perfect color match. She would have preferred a glass-top coffee table, but again, free was free.

The dining room had a four-person chair and table set with a hanging lamp over it. That was all. Not a lot there. It was a place for eating and maybe a nice gathering.

The kitchen had all the amenities. Stove, sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, blender, coffee maker, and trash compactor. Everything electric and everything designed for top efficiency. She opened the fridge and was pleasantly surprised that it had been stocked. Everything neatly organized and labeled. It wasn’t full, but it had everything an average person would need. A starter kit collection. She opened the freezer and found a few more items. A frozen starter kit.

She checked the cabinets and found plates, cups, utensils, and all the basics for starting a new life in a new home in a new kitchen. Her excitement led her to the slide-out pantry and again, another starter kit.

Wondering what else she might find, she went back to the bedroom and opened the dresser drawers. Three full outfits were dispersed throughout the drawers. Everything she would need. She found the bathroom to be fully stocked as well.

She smiled as she danced around in swirls throughout her new home. Her new life started today. 

Started here. 

Starting now.

Micheal has a knack for unleashing worlds through words. 📚 Author of soul-stirring tales and heartfelt devotions. He crafts narratives that resonate with the human experience. Let's journey through imagination together! 🌟 #AllThingsEqual #EqualityWorld #Writer #Storyteller

I have this bothersome king-sized damp wool blanket draped over me daily. It’s never dry, though the amount of dampness varies. Some days it’s like a morning mist, gently laying on top. Other times it’s more akin to sopping up one of the great lakes. The range between the two covers just about everything. Sometimes it’s hot and other times frozen. This king-sized damp wool blanket, always wet, always itchy, is this misunderstood thing called depression.

Am I clinically correct in my description? Probably not. But what do I know? I don’t have any degree in that regard and the one I do have is outdated. Still, if it helps you to understand, then I’ll stick with my analogy.

Why am I depressed?

Well, isn’t that the $10,000 question? Or is it $100,000 now? Whatever it is, I can’t afford the answer. I guess it depends on how you define depression. Clinical depression, classified depression, chronic depression, mild depression, or whatever category you can think of, may or may not fit me. Again, I don’t know. I’m not a professional. I might have been told but fat chance of me remembering.

Anyway, lest I digress into the Pit of Carkoon, let me move on. Feeling “happy” isn’t a normal thing for me. At best, I’m moderate. Occasionally I’ll have a jolt of joyful excitation - much like a power surge that trips a breaker. And like the power outage, I fall deep into dark despair afterward. However, most of the time I’m functional and can get done what I need to get done. This week has been an exception.

I had a busy weekend. Class reunion, catching up with an old friend, spending some time with one of my sisters. Overall it was a great time. Lots of reconnections, laughs, and stories of days of old. I don’t much remember the two days after that and by Thursday, I was emotionally drained. The wool blanket became soaked. Try as I might, I had a difficult time under the weight.

I tried to think of the reasons I felt so down. There wasn’t a trigger though there were contributing factors. Like having such a busy weekend, unexpected expenditures without compensating income, and finding out my general income had been dramatically reduced. The combination of those, and other factors I don’t care to mention at this time, kept adding moisture to my blanket.

On top of that, I feel bad about feeling bad.

Neurodivergent Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It could be worse

It’s something people say in an attempt to help you feel better. It might work if the person is just sad or a little down in the dumps. For people like me, it just makes me feel worse. What right do I have to complain when there are so many other people who are suffering far more than I am? How can I be depressed when I’ve got “so much going for me”? Instead of seeing “how good I’ve got it”, I see how selfish I’m being. What kind of horrible person am I to think that my situation is even worth considering?

It piles on from there and, if I don’t put a stop to it, buries me beneath a pile of king-sized sopping-wet wool blankets.

But…potential

There’s that word again. Potential. If you’re not familiar with my view on that, here’s an article that clues you in. Knowing I have the potential for so many things only reminds me that I’ve failed at all of them. Some I haven’t even tried because I “know” I’ll fail. Others I failed because I didn’t have the guidance or the right drive or the right discipline or any number of stubid stupid reasons. One thing I know for sure is that I’ve yet to live up to any of my potential. Discovering it was easy - happens all the time. Doing something with it that’s profitable?... 

HAHAHA

Medication helps

Yes, I do advocate for proper medication in the proper doses for those who actually need it. I do not, however, agree with prescribing (self or by doctors) quick fixes. Medications aren’t a “way out” to avoid dealing with everyday life. They should be used to help regulate and allow a person to interact with day-to-day life successfully.

In my case, medication can be tricky. I become immune to pain medications after the first or second dose. I don’t mean that it affects me a little less each time. I mean by the second or third dose it does absolutely nothing. When it comes to psychological medications, that tolerance is a bit slower but it does happen. I think that might be what’s been going on with me the past few weeks. It’s becoming less and less effective. Or I could just be off my noggin.

Whatever the reasons, I’m less functional and feel less enthusiastic or motivated with each passing day. Some days I’ll get a temporary lift then sink back down again.

Not being a downer

I don’t share all of this for anyone to start feeling sorry for me. Pity parties are solo events. (That’s a joke.) I share this with you so you can know that if you’re going through the same thing, you are not the only one. Millions of people go through it every day and it doesn’t negate any of it. You have a battle to fight through. I have a battle to fight through. People we don’t know have battles to fight through. In a world where people compete for the trophy of Who’s Worse Off, we should be more understanding that my pain doesn’t make yours any less valid.

We all have our tough times and our good times. Most of us have learned not to share our hurt for fear of ridicule, pity, or having people turn their backs on us because we’re “so negative”. I try not to dwell in my personal swamp of sadness. Unlike Artax, I’m not going to get sucked into the muck. Sometimes I need help. Sometimes you need help. We shouldn’t be ashamed to share our stories, nor should we make our suffering our only story.

There is a lot of joy to be found. A lot of peace to experience. Those things don’t always mean happiness, but they will help you get through the dark storms of emotional turmoil.