Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is usually thought of as a childhood condition, but many adults must learn to cope with it, too.  When we were children, the diagnosis of ADHD didn’t exist, but now as researchers are learning more, we see that it is often a lifelong disorder.  I shudder to even call it a “disorder” because it really is a “difference” more than anything.  I speak from personal experience.  We’re busy, we’re distracted, we’re disorganized, but we’re also a lot of fun!  ADHD is genetic, so a lot of us found out we had it after our kids were diagnosed.  It may have been a problem for us in school, but now that we have selected careers in which our differences are an asset, we doing quite nicely, thank you!  Just how to handle the day to day challenges or distractability and disorganization?  Make lists.  Lots of lists.  I’ve got sticky notes all over everything.  I have to write stuff down or I forget.  I’ve also found through my own research that ADHD is often a Vata imbalance, so following a Vata routine really helps to keep me in balance.  And marrying someone without ADHD, someone like a Pitta, who is organized and plans ahead, is very helpful!  Keep things like keys in the same place all the time so that you don’t have to waste time hunting them down.  In the coffeyshop I have my first book: “The Healthy Family Handbook,” and in it is a chapter on “Concentration.” I wrote this book when my son was diagnosed and I researched all the natural remedies available.  I also joined an organization called ChADD (www.chadd.org) which introduced me to other people going through the same thing I was.  And I would recommend any book by Dr. Ned Hallowell  the guy is awesome, and he has ADHD, too!  The Wild Divine is basically a bio-feedback computer game that is amazing for teaching us how to relax and respond to our body’s cues.  Good stuff whether you have ADHD or not!

I’m always getting those jokes e-mailed to me – you know the ones, male bashing or putting down women.  I don’t like them, I know they’re supposed to be funny, but most of the time I find them to be mean spirited.  It’s okay to laugh at ourselves and our human tendencies, but we don’t have to put each other down.  We need to appreciate each other, and love each other, warts and all, as they say!  After all, we’re good for each other.  Consider this: a study from the University of Virginia has determined that human touch helps the body respond to stress.  And when it is the touch of someone we love, the affect is even more profound.  When our partner holds our hand, the effect is that he or she is actually reaching a part of our brain that activates the immune system!  Love helps us to live longer, healthier lives.  Regular human contact with a loving partner can be like medicine for us.

I love color!  In fashion, in art, in nature; it’s everywhere, and it is such an important part of our lives.  And when it comes to home decor, we have so many choices.  I have those big color books of swatches that the different paint companies put out.  When I go into someone’s home to decorate I take into account the style of the home, the family’s lifestyle, and the homeowner’s personality.  What appeals to you?  What are you drawn to?  I found this really fun quiz called “The Color Sense Game” from Pittsburgh Paints.  The questions don’t focus on color as much as they do on sensibilities.  It’s really interesting!  And in the end, it pegged me pretty well as “Al Fresco.” Then you can go through and see the same room decorated in several different color schemes in “your” palette.  Lots of fun!

http://www.voiceofcolor.com

Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world.  And September 1 I will be in Maui for the Maui Writer’s Conference!  You can just feel the spirit of aloha the minute you arrive in Hawaii.  It is in the air, in the wind “Ha” means wind.  Aloha literally means “with breath” and it has come to be used as both “hello” and “love” in the Hawaiian language.  The elements of nature form the essence of Hawaiian spirituality.  The fire of the volcano, the waves of the ocean, the coral, and the fragrant flowers all play a part in Hawaiian rituals that serve to show us our connection with the universe.  The Kahunas are the mystics, or wise ones in Hawaii, the keepers of the secrets.  The secrets that they share with us help us to learn more about ourselves, to heal our relationships so that we can live our best life.

The Sacred Power of Huna

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594770093/brightideaspr-20/002-5089931-9812849?creative=0&camp=0&adid=091E0FT4J7T7E2835Y4T&link_code=as1

Happiness is not the result of good genes, or good luck.  We make our own happiness!  Want proof?  There’s plenty of scientific evidence in Martin Seligman’s bestselling book “Authentic Happiness.” Happiness can be cultivated by identifying and nurturing many of the traits that we already have, including kindness, humor, optimism and generosity.  I love that this book has the word “Authentic” in the title, authentic comes from the same root as the word “author.” We are in fact the authors of our own life.  We can literally choose to be happy.  One of the cluster of strengths that Seligman talks about he labels “Transcendence” and defines this as the “emotional strengths that reach outside and beyond you to connect you to something larger and more permanent: to other people, to the future, to evolution, to the divine, or to the universe. The attributes in this cluster are: appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, optimism, sense of purpose, forgiveness, humor, and enthusiasm.  These are all topics that we have studied in Wisdom News!  There is a “Signature Strengths” test you can take for fr.ee on Dr. Seligman’s site:

No, I’m not talking about Taylor Hick’s fan club, I’m talking about about TOMS, shoes that are making a difference in the world.  How?  When you buy a pair of these TOMS shoes, the company donates an additional pair to a needy Argentinian child.  Blake Mycoskie created the “shoes for Tomorrow” program after a trip to Argentina where he witnessed firsthand the poverty and health issues facing parts of the country.  And not only do these shoes help people, they’re also super cool and really comfortable, for men or women!  They are lightweight and cozy, and are available in several spunky colors.  You’ll want to live in them!  I got the “Olive Patch” design  they’re my new favorite shoes.

http://www.tomsshoes.com

For weeks I had been getting these e-mails asking “What is The Secret?” with clues to help me figure out the puzzle.  Finally the day came when the secret was revealed, and intrigued, I visited the website.  There I found a 95 minute downloadable pay per view film.  I absolutely love it!  Some of the greatest minds of our time have contributed to this project, including John Hagelin, who was the Natural Law Party’s candidate for president in 2000.  I was fortunate enough to meet John Hagelin at a seminar; he is brilliant, and I think he would be a great president!  Also included in the presentation: John Gray, Neale Donald Walsch, Lisa Nicholls, Marci Shimoff, John DeMartini, David Schirmer, and many more.  So, what is the secret?  It’s all about the law of attraction.  Suffice to say that it is life changing.  You can watch the trailer for fr.ee, download it on your computer for a small fee, or order the DVD.

http://www.thesecret.tv

Dr. Masaru Emoto came to my attention in the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know.”  His work with water is groundbreaking, and eye-opening.  It’s difficult to put into words, you really have to see Dr. Emoto’s research to understand all the implications.  Water makes up the bulk of this planet.  Water makes up most of our body.  The vibrations that we put into water can affect us body, mind, and spirit.  Dr. Emoto has a website to help us learn more about this: http://www.hado.net.  “Hado” means “vibration.” The photography of water crystals is absolutely amazing, and he explains the entire process.  Check it out before you take another sip and you’ll have a new appreciation for this essential gift that nature has given us.