In Kindergarten Michael Phelps could not sit still. In Elementary School one teacher told his mother, “Your son will never be able to focus on anything.”
Later, a doctor put Michael on Ritalin for hyperactivity. Two years later Michael asked to not take Ritalin anymore. His request was granted. Now the whole world knows that Michael Phelps can focus. He just needed his mother and a coach to help him find his dream.
Stephen Speilberg was another individual who could not function in school. He was bored and struggled. The teachers did not find his dream. Instead, his mother withdrew him from school to help him discover it. Now, we all are amazed at the talent Stephen Speilburg has for making movies.
Without someone giving these children a dream, we would have all missed out on greatness. Who were the adults who gave Martin Luther King, Jr., Jonas Salk, the Wright brothers, Mother Teresa, Beethoven, and Thomas Edison dreams? If there was a diagnosis for ADHD in their days, Albert Einstein and Robin Williams may well have met all the criteria. Yes, they had problems with focus in some areas, but the real key was helping them focus on their dream. When they were able to focus on their dream, the world changed for the better.
If you are a parent or a teacher, who is getting frustrated with a child who is bored, can’t sit still, or can’t focus, please begin to look at the child’s strengths more than his or her weaknesses. We could have all found faults with the children listed above. Why not find a way to focus on the child’s strengths?
Find a Nurtured Heart Therapist, like Kent Brand, who will assist you in finding the true greatness that may be lying dormant inside of the child. Develop your child’s gifts and passions. Help your child build confidence and friendships and to learn to like him or herself.
Strongly consider looking for alternatives to help your child instead of settling for a prescription. Teach them to turn anxiety into productiveness. Look for creative ways to improve school performance such as asking the teacher to find ways to challenge his or her energy into positives. Create a master plan, a vision of greatness, with your child. Learn to leverage competitive advantages with your child’s strengths and help them to find a purpose.
Image Source: Michal Parzuchowski via Unsplash