“It’s the end of the world as we know it… and I feel fine?”

Actually, I’m tremendously anxious and borderline terrified about what comes next for our country. But, I’ve still got seven clients today who need me. I’ve still got a wife and two kids. I still have a business, and a home, and bills, and responsibilities. 


As ADHDers we can get very “stuck” when something goes wrong, goes very well, scares, excites us, or gets in our head. That thing can become a roadblock that may seem insurmountable. I think it is a valuable life skill to learn to put those extreme thoughts and feelings “in a box.” There will be a time and a place to address them, but they can’t become a roadblock to the rest of our lives.

I learned this lesson from a fantastic chef I used to work for named Carmen Qualiata. I was working for him at The Vault at the time… maybe 13 years ago. One day I got a call from my mom who told me that my grandfather had fallen and broken his neck. He was 92 at the time, I believe. When I got to work I told Carmen what had happened and let him know that I was pretty shaken up. He absolutely had sympathy for me, but I also let me know that managing situations like this was what being an adult was all about. We all have our day to day baggage. It’s our job to leave it at the door and still do the job we have to do.

I would say today falls in that category for me. I certainly don’t “feel fine.” But at the same time, I have to. So I’m going to check my baggage at the door and dive in to my work and my family. That’s all I can do, right?

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