When I was a child, I had ADHD (Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder). Of course doctors have yet to give it its medical name at that time. I couldn’t sit still. When I was told to sit still, I could not think. I thought best when I was moving. They punished me because I did not follow rules.
I also hated mathematics. Although famous speaker and author Marcus Buckingham said that there is no such thing as “bad mathematics students”, only “bad mathematics teachers”, some people really are dyslexic when it comes to numbers. This is of course another deficiency. And this explains why multi-billionaire in British Pound currency Richard Branson of the famous Virgin brands is deficient. He is dyslexic.
Well, let’s go back to my story. I will be the object of our study today. There is no person in the world apart from God who knows me as well as I do.
I talked a lot as a kid. I wanted conversation all the time. This was why they punished me. I was told to stay quiet so as not to disturb others. But when it came to class recitations, I refused to participate. I hated speaking in public. But I wanted to move a lot. This was why I could never stay still. And so they made me stand in a corner in order to stay still. I stood on a corner so often they practically named that corner after me. I am absolutely certain I had ADHD. But they have yet to discover it at that time. And medication has yet to be invented.
I joined the basketball team. I made it to varsity. I practiced three times a day, three hours a session. On weekends, I competed against other teams for a few more games. My grades were low; I was branded as dumb. I proved them right by flunking high school a couple of times. I earned a PhD in High School. In case you’re wondering what it is, PhD means “Passing High-School with Difficulty.” I went to college only after spending endless summers in remedial classes. I hated memorization. And because I hated it, I performed poorly in subjects that required a lot of it. When I got bored because I hated memory work, I moved around and did other things. Oh, I am sure I had ADHD.
When I discovered the story of Gillian Barbara Lynne I got excited. Gillian was an underachiever. She could not pass many subjects, and she was constantly moving, and she could not hold her attention and concentration for long.
She too had ADHD. But this deficiency has yet to be discovered at that time. Lynne had been underperforming in school. So her mother took her to the doctor to consult with him about Lynne’s fidgeting and lack of focus. After hearing everything her mother said, the doctor told Lynne that he needed to talk to her mother privately for a moment. He turned on the radio and walked out, with the mother following suit. Both looked through the open door at Lynne. Left alone with music playing on the radio, Lynne began to dance. The doctor told the mom that there was nothing wrong with Lynne. Turns out, Lynne’s a dancer. And so the doctor encouraged the mother to take her to dance school. Mercifully the mother took the advice. The moment Lynne hit the school, she felt right at home. She became an excellent dancer. Even at just age 13, she was reaping awards. And when she grew older, she became a choreographer and director, working with names like the Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and English National Opera, as well as many West End and Broadway shows.
She became a prolific TV choreographer and director for The Muppet Show series. Today, she is best known for choreographies of musicals by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, such as Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera. She is a multi-millionaire in US Dollars. Had Gillian Lynne been a child today, she would have been given proper medication and told to calm down. This is why I am sure today that, just like Lynne, I had ADHD when I was a child. And good thing they had no medication back then.
I may have had ADHD, but I know that God has a plan for me. You know what else the Scriptures say about you? That you are wonderfully and beautifully made. So please calm down… without medication.
(Dr. Ramesh Richards, Anthony and Maricel Pangilinan, Ardy and Tingting Roberto, Malou Tiongson Ortiz, Peter Tanchi and Francis Kong will speak in “I’m Inspired 1”, a whole day seminar on finding true success behind success, on May 14, 2010, at the SMX Convention Center. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 632-687264 or 09178511115).