2022 has brought many life changes — a new house, new jobs, newly single, new gym (that I’ve yet to visit). I’m in and out of London like a yo-yo, meeting hundreds of new people and struggling to put names to faces and firms.
I find that life comes in waves. I had little going on in January and February besides job hunting and a few other projects. I had been staying with my parents while waiting to move into my new place. So, I took the time to do nothing. I played PlayStation most nights, chilled out with the cat, hosted my podcast, and generally was a bit of a lazy slob.
To me, this time represented the quiet before the storm. I sensed that the rest of the year would be busy as all of life’s puzzle pieces fell into place — and I was right.
[Free Download: Secrets of the ADHD Brain]
I’ve always had a vague feeling about what will happen — call it my ADHD intuition. Events never go exactly as planned (often far from it), but there’s this sixth sense I feel that guides me on the right path. It’s almost like when you go on a date with someone new, and by the time your date sits down you know whether you will have a future together.
Like many people with ADHD, I have experienced serious ups and downs. My life is either on fire or boring. I think that there’s a balance somewhere in there; I just rarely get to find it.
I’ve accepted this yin and yang for the most part —acknowledging that chaotic moments are part of life because sometimes the bad must happen before the good, as fate intended
ADHD Intuition: Where It Paid Off
- If I hadn’t had an abusive first relationship, I wouldn’t have gone to work and live in Indonesia. I wouldn’t have met many incredible people I love to bits, swam with a whale shark, or became half the motorcyclist I am today. I wouldn’t have built my own company and gone to South America with my best friend if I hadn’t left my local journalism job. I wouldn’t have discovered that I have ADHD and thus wouldn’t be writing for ADDitude! My intuition told me to break some moulds, and I’m so thankful I did.
- In my early 20s, I hit one of the hardest periods of my life. The stress made me depressed for the first time, but it also made me see the value of impulsivity. Following my intuition, I bought my cat, Crafty, despite everyone saying it was a dumb idea. That cat (along with my friends and family) carried me through a horrible and unpredictable period just by being with me and sitting on my lap while I fought my way out of that hole. He gave me a purpose — I was both chosen and needed by this little animal. He woke me up at 8 a.m. every day and made me get out of bed and go to the kitchen — he wouldn’t leave me alone until he was fed. Without him, I would have just stayed in bed lamenting. Crafty would sleep on my bed in the evenings, making me feel special despite being entrenched in pain and sadness.
- Last February, I impulsively bought a van with my friend. We didn’t know what we were doing; we just thought it would be fun to do while we were in lockdown. A year later, that can of bolts with 213,000 miles on the clock made moving to a new house (and helping my friends do the same) much easier. The van’s been so useful; it’s paid for itself repeatedly.
- Last September, I finally found and bought my first home. My ADHD sixth sense was on high alert. After searching for years, I walked into the house, and it just felt right. Turning the house into my home provided me with opportunities to be creative and helped me recover at a time when my self-esteem was at rock bottom.
[Free Download: All the Best Parts of ADHD]
Every single one of those decisions was driven by a sixth sense that said, “Now is the time.” Admittedly, some of my decisions flopped, backfired, or didn’t look great at the time. But more often than not, following my intuition that something felt like “the right thing to do” actually worked out for the best in the long term.
While I don’t know what the new year will bring, I trust my intuition to guide me.
ADHD Sixth Sense: Next Steps
SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.
Melanie Wachsman
Source link
