…or don’t quit before the miracle when you have ADHD!
Imagine my surprise when I received a magnificent hibiscus for my birthday! It had beautiful green leaves and the most vibrant orange blooms. I placed it in a bright space where it could thrive. However, many of the leaves started turning yellow. Every day, it seemed, I was pulling off yellow leaves—and not just a few!
My brother-in-law, who has a background in horticulture, saw the plant and quickly identified the problem. “I think that the plant is in shock from having been moved from its original location in the store,” he said. I followed his suggestion to repot it in a wider pot and to put it outside in direct sunlight.
As time passed it stopped blooming and continued to drop leaves. I hoped that I hadn’t killed it, as it wasn’t looking very promising! Even though I could see more and more bare stalks, it was also apparent that tiny green leaves had sprouted on all of the stems. When we returned from vacation, the plant was once again lush and full of many blooms. I could hardly believe it!
Ten Lessons from the Hibiscus
My experience with the hibiscus shares similarities with the ADHD journey. Here are a few insights it offers:
1. Even though something or someone looks OK on the outside, they may be struggling on the inside.
2. Having a trained eye on a problem can make a huge difference. Instead of lamenting the dropped leaves, we can actually ask for help.
3. Sometimes we are just too root-bound for our own good. A change needs to happen to ensure success. Become bigger!
4. Put yourself in an optimal environment in which to thrive. Nothing was wrong with the hibiscus; it simply wasn’t in a favorable environment!
5. Stay in the game. Success might be right around the corner! Sometimes it is darkest before the dawn.
6. Believe in yourself and trust in the process.
7. Stay in action; you will see results.
8. There are incremental steps that contribute to crossing the finish line.
9. Your blooms might be bigger and brighter than you ever thought possible.
10. What appears to be a dead end can actually bring new life!
For partnership in creating lasting change, Enlist Support!
“If you don’t quit before the miracle happens, your perseverance will be rewarded! Whatever you’re walking through today, keep going!” - Angela Howell
“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” - Jacob Riis
“Don’t give up before the miracle happens.” - Fannie Flagg
“All things are difficult before they are easy.” - Thomas Fuller
“If we are growing, we are always going to be out of our comfort zone.” - John Maxwell
Imagine my surprise when I received a magnificent hibiscus for my birthday! It had beautiful green leaves and the most vibrant orange blooms. I placed it in a bright space where it could thrive. However, many of the leaves started turning yellow. Every day, it seemed, I was pulling off yellow leaves—and not just a few!
My brother-in-law, who has a background in horticulture, saw the plant and quickly identified the problem. “I think that the plant is in shock from having been moved from its original location in the store,” he said. I followed his suggestion to repot it in a wider pot and to put it outside in direct sunlight.
As time passed it stopped blooming and continued to drop leaves. I hoped that I hadn’t killed it, as it wasn’t looking very promising! Even though I could see more and more bare stalks, it was also apparent that tiny green leaves had sprouted on all of the stems. When we returned from vacation, the plant was once again lush and full of many blooms. I could hardly believe it!
Ten Lessons from the Hibiscus
My experience with the hibiscus shares similarities with the ADHD journey. Here are a few insights it offers:
1. Even though something or someone looks OK on the outside, they may be struggling on the inside.
2. Having a trained eye on a problem can make a huge difference. Instead of lamenting the dropped leaves, we can actually ask for help.
3. Sometimes we are just too root-bound for our own good. A change needs to happen to ensure success. Become bigger!
4. Put yourself in an optimal environment in which to thrive. Nothing was wrong with the hibiscus; it simply wasn’t in a favorable environment!
5. Stay in the game. Success might be right around the corner! Sometimes it is darkest before the dawn.
6. Believe in yourself and trust in the process.
7. Stay in action; you will see results.
8. There are incremental steps that contribute to crossing the finish line.
9. Your blooms might be bigger and brighter than you ever thought possible.
10. What appears to be a dead end can actually bring new life!
For partnership in creating lasting change, Enlist Support!
“If you don’t quit before the miracle happens, your perseverance will be rewarded! Whatever you’re walking through today, keep going!” - Angela Howell
“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” - Jacob Riis
“Don’t give up before the miracle happens.” - Fannie Flagg
“All things are difficult before they are easy.” - Thomas Fuller
“If we are growing, we are always going to be out of our comfort zone.” - John Maxwell
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