I'd like to share with you a story from my childhood, as I believe it is a perfect metaphor for my approach as an ADHD coach: to offer the kind of support that encourages individuals to re-discover their wings (their unique gifts and innate powers) so they can learn to believe in themselves more deeply and fly more freely on their own.  

 

I grew up in Newfoundland in a house by the ocean where sea birds were abundant. One spring day, when I was a little fellow walking home from school, I noticed in the distance two boys on the roadside. They had hold of a seagull and it was obvious they were harming her. I couldn't leave the bird suffering and defenseless, so I quickly came up with a plan. I ran home and asked my mother for ten cents, then rushed back and made a deal with the boys:  I offered them a dime for the bird and convinced them to help me bring her back to my house. 

 

Seagulls are wild creatures with huge beaks. You can't just pick them up or they'll attack you - especially if they're injured, since they feel even more threatened. So we gathered her up in a blanket, put her in a container and carried her home.  

 

Once home, I placed her in another make-shift cage designed out of a massive barrel, with holes for ventilation and feeding. And this became her sanctuary while I fed her and allowed her time to heal. When she began to show signs of improving, I'd open the cage daily to give her the option to fly away. Two months passed, and I was beginning to wonder if she'd ever get better. And one day she did.  

                                                                                           

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Out of the blue, the seagull rose up, began fluttering her great white wings - and almost miraculously lifted off into the air. I recall watching her, with awe, sailing through the sky, faltering only slightly until suddenly she seemed to find her majestic wings again - and then there was no stopping her. As she gathered momentum, I watched her soar higher as she flew farther and father away, until finally she was a tiny speck of white moving gracefully with the clouds.  It was a wonderful feeling to witness this powerful creature, once at death's door, now flying high, as good as new. She was free again to be who she was. And I had helped her get there.         

 

I did not realize it at the time but that moment was a pivotal one in my young life. It showed me that, when you give the proper support to those in trouble, they can grow stronger and - when they're ready - they will instinctively find their wings again and fly on their own. Perhaps an equally important part of my seagull adventure was the lesson that we all have within us self-healing abilities as well as the desire to be independent. I've come to believe it is essential to our well-being that we learn how to recognize and appreciate our innate talents and uniqueness and draw upon them at will.  Animals never lose touch of their survival skills and of what is unique to their nature. Humans, on the other hand, often have to be reminded of all the wonderful gifts we possess.    

 

These childhood lessons have repeated in my life many times, in my personal life as well as in my careers in education and health care. And now, as an ADHD coach, I see this truth reverberating also in my practice: by providing the appropriate support and guidance to my clients who are struggling with various ADHD-related issues,  by having faith in their abilities and allowing them to be the unique individuals they are, I have had the great priviledge of helping many amazing people free themselves from problems holding them back - and watching them go on to achieve their goals.  

 

This natural gift to help people see their innate gifts and strengths while also offering non-judgmental, compassionate support has been with me over the decades. I have drawn upon it many times in my former 25-year career as a teacher and principal, as well as during my 20+ years working in the healthcare field.  Do you have a memorable story from childhood or even adulthood you'd like to share? I'd love to hear it! Or if you just want to learn more about my services

 

For more information about my background and credentials   

 

If you're curious to learn a little seagull trivia, here's a fascinating article by naturalist Don Enright:  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Seagulls