Imagination

By Diane Forrest

My stepson's daughter just had a birthday and for a gift, he gave her the latest iPhone. I was shocked to say the least. She had turned 4. I was telling my friend this and he informed me how beneficial it would be for her because it would allow her to play games and such. I guess I am more old fashioned in this technical world. My thoughts were, what ever happened to baby dolls and tea sets? These are the building blocks of imagination, then when they learn to read and write imagination is then infinite.

I don’t mean to knock technology and the benefits of computers, however most of the time we depend on these things to do all our work for us, solve our problems and answer our questions. I think a 4 year old needs a box of crayons and sheets of paper and use their imaginations to draw pictures instead of playing an electronic game on a telephone.

What are your thoughts? 

Skyscraper Month

By Terry Orr

It is hard to ignore those towering, unique structures that often defy ones senses and laws of gravity.  These Architects continue to dazzle us in their abilities and imagination in creating works of engineering marvel.

London firm Grimshaw has submitted plans for a 90-storey skyscraper in a suburb of Sydney, Australia. The Aspire Tower, designed for a competition held by Parramatta City Council, will have spires reaching to 336 metres and a roof height of 306 metres – higher than the Q1 tower in Queensland, which is currently the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. For more information and pictures ~ http://www.dezeen.com/2013/04/22/grimshaw-submits-plans-for-australian-aspire-tower/

A Chinese tycoon is planning to revolutionise the way skyscrapers are built by bolting together the world's tallest building from factory-made parts in just seven months.  The new skyscraper will house more than 30,000 people, and include a shopping centre and hotels. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9577080/Worlds-tallest-skyscraper-to-be-built-like-Meccano-in-seven-months.html

Living the high Life: New York Penthouse at 870 feet high for rent: $60,000 a Month has breath taking views of the city – visit this website for more photos and information:

http://news.asiantown.net/r/25254/Living-the-high-Life--New-York-Penthouse-at-870-feet-high-for-rent---60-000-a-Month

Round skyscraper (Aldar headquarters, Abu Dhabi)

International Creativity Month(

(Google Image)

By Terry Orr

(Google Image)

Over the past year, we have shared a few articles and comments regarding creativity from a couple different perspectives.  Sir Ken Robinson view regarding restricting children’s creativity in school.  The late Steve Jobs expressing the necessity to be successful in business. Young programmer’s ability to think creativity without excess baggage!

(Google Image)

Looking for a better way to view or how to accomplish something!

(Google Image)

Freethinking, throwing out fresh and different ideas, sharing possibilities of doing it different!

(Google Image)

Establishing an environment that encourages creativity!

(Google Image)

Care to share your thoughts?

(Google Image)

Joys of living with ADHD

Accentuating the Positive

By Terry Orr

(ADD/ADHD-er)

(Google Image) 

Multi-tasking at its best, once you learn how to harness the power of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)/ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – I have rarely considered this a negative in my life (I see the glass half full).  In fact, just the opposite – because most folks simply are unable to do what ADD/ADHD folks can do.  So let’s take closer look into these special abilities.

(Google Image) 

Last September we covered ADHD from a clinical and non-clinical perspective:

• Symptoms;
• Signs and Test;
• Treatment;
• Medications;
• Behavior Therapy; and
• Some well-known people who are ADD/ADHD.

10 Most Positive Things about ADHD (by Bryan L. Hutchinson). In my research for this article I was thrilled to find Bryan's Web/Blog site (www.adderworld.com) “Positive Thinking of ADHD” chucked full of good information on ADD/ADHD.  A summary of these ten are provided below, you can download the complete package at Bryan's site:

• Passion: Passion is energy, it is enthusiasm and it is intuitiveness.  Passion is life, it is ever constant.
• Creativity: Creativity is found in all people, not just those of us with ADHD; however, it does seem that people with ADHD have a way of thinking which makes what we create stand out as unique and distinctive.
• Dynamic: I believe people with ADHD are dynamic by nature. Dynamic people vibrate with energy and exude a kind of poise, which is too often misinterpreted.
• Resilient: We have had to be in order to keep on, keeping on!
• Playful: One of our most charming qualities is our playfulness.
• Entertaining: I personally believe that most all entertainers are ADDers! We are natural born entertainers.  It’s not an art form for us, it’s a way of life.
• Overachiever: One of our most underrated, least talked about traits is our desire to achieve, to do well and live a successful life.  Too many think we live by an excuse for our behavior and are unwilling to strive. The fact is: we are constantly striving!
• Imagination: If there is one thing I love about my ADHD mind above all others, it is my vivid imagination. When I dream it is like watching a movie in my head, with the intricate sounds, vibrant colors and ever so subtle movements.
• Hyper-Focus: I like to think of my hyper focus as my personal super power, which gives me tremendous advantages when I have it under my control.
• Positivity: Is a trait of ADHD?  Perhaps not officially.  It is for me, finally! {This has been for me as long as I can remember}

Bryan also has published three books (which I purchased over the weekend and downloaded on my iPad):

• One Boy's Struggle: A Memoir: Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD;
• The Brilliant Reality of ADHD; and
• Adult ADHD Can Be Sexy!

And has a fourth book in the works, “10 Things I Hate about ADHD”.

(Google Image) 

In our recent post Positive Thinking (link) is an update to last year’s very successful article (link) on that same topic we shared information on the importance of being positive in every part of your life.   These are a nice Segway into - 

The Positive Characteristics of ADD / ADHD

People with ADD / ADHD also have many positive traits that are directly tied to their active, impulsive minds:

• Creativity – People with ADD excel at thinking outside of the box, brainstorming, and finding creative solutions to problems. Because of their flexible way of thinking about things, they tend to be more open-minded, independent, and ready to improvise.
• Enthusiasm and spontaneity – People with ADD are free spirits with lively minds—qualities that makes for good company and engrossing conversation. Their enthusiasm and spontaneous approach to life can be infectious.
• A quick mind - People with ADD have the ability to think on their feet, quickly absorb new information (as long as it’s interesting), and multitask with ease. Their rapid-fire minds thrive on stimulation. They adapt well to change and are great in a crisis.
• High energy level – People with ADD have loads of energy. When their attention is captured by something that interests them, they can have virtually unlimited stamina and drive.

Famous People with ADHD

Bill Cosby	Jim Carey	Whoopi Goldberg
Will Smith	Paris Hilton	Vincent Van Gogh
Orville & Wilber Wright	Benjamin Franklin	Thomas Edison
Abraham Lincoln	John F. Kennedy (father and son both)	Walt Disney
Samuel Clemens	Emily Dickenson	Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Google Image) 

Positive Characteristics of People with Attention Deficit Disorder:

Ability to find alternate paths to overcome obstacles; Able to take on large situations; Adaptive/collaborative; Adventurous, courageous, lives outside of boundaries; Always finding alternate routes to any given location; Always willing to help others; Ambitious – you want to be everything when “you grow up”; Artistic; Attractive personality – magnetic due to high energy; Being able to see the big picture; Being able to see the patterns in the chaos; Being intuitive towards others’ difficulties; Broad focus – can see more, notice things more; Can create order from chaos; Can do many projects at once; Can make people feel they are heard; Can see the big picture; Can talk about several things at one time; Can think on my feet; Career variety; Centre of attention; Comfortable talking in front of groups; Comfortable with change and chaos; Compassion for others and for themselves; Conceptualizes well; Confidence; Constantly evolving; Courageous; Creates connections easily; Creative; Creative writing; Creative – musical, artistic, “dramatic”; Down to Earth; Good in a crisis; Good at customer relations; Dedicated; Detail-oriented; Determined to gain more control; Eager to make friends; Eager to try new things; Empathetic, sensitive; Energetic; Entrepreneurial; Excellent organizers using journals and reminders (notes etc.); Flexible – changes as the situation requires; Fun guy to be around; Goal-oriented; Good at conceptualizing; Good at motivating self and others; Good at multitasking; Good at problem solving; Good at public speaking; Good at understanding others/mind reading – empathetic; Good conversationalist; Good delegator and good at organizing others; Good in emergency situations; Good listener; Good looking and aware of it; Good people skills; Good self-esteem, energetic; Great brain-stormer; Great multi-tasker; Great self-company; Great sense of humor; Great storyteller; Great with kids (central figure around kids); Hands-on workers; Hard worker; Has friendly relations with their family; Has the gift of gab; Helpful; Helps others who are also in trouble; High energy – go, go, go; Humor, very healthy, quick picking up ideas; Hyper focus !!; Hypersensitive – very empathetic and good at non-verbal communications; Idea generator; Imaginative; Impulsive (in a good way) not afraid to act; Initiators; Intelligent; Intuitive; It’s ok to not finish everything; Learning as much as I can to help children and others with ADHD; Less sleep is good (midnight to 6 am); Like to talk a lot; Likes learning new things; Look at multidimensional sides to a situation; Lots of interests; Loves to cook and be creative; Magnetic; Master idea generator; Mentoring others/helpful; Mentoring people with low self-esteem; Modesty; Move on fast – never hold a grudge; Multitasks well; Never bored and rarely boring; Never intimidated to try new things; Non-linear, multi-dimensional/edge of chaos; Not afraid to speak mind; Not contained by boundaries; On stage and ready; Optimistic; Outgoing; Passionate; Persistent; Philosophical; Holistic thinking; Playful; Pragmatic; Problem solver; Profound; Quick thinking; Quick witted; Relates to people easily; Resistant; Resourceful; Saves money in the short term by forgetting to file tax returns; See and remember details – recount them later; Sees the big picture; Socially adaptive and flexible; Spontaneous; Stabilizer during difficult situations; Stable; Successful; Takes initiative; Tenacious; Theoretical; Think outside the box; Thinks two meters ahead of the world; Thinks big, dreams big; Thorough; Tolerant; Trusting, Unconventional; Unlimited energy; Unorthodox; Versatile; Very creative, able to generate a lot of ideas; Very hard working to compensate – workaholic; Very intuitive; Very resourceful; Very successful; Visionary; Visual learner; Willing to explore; Willing to take risks; Willingness to help others; Witty; Won’t tolerate boredom; Works well under pressure; and Worldly.

(Google Image) 

Whew!  That’s quite a list of Positive Characteristics and surprisingly is spot on for me in all but four.  How many of them accurately depict your characteristics?

References and Links:

• http://adhdandmore.blogspot.com/2009/02/positive-characteristics-of-add-adhd.html
• www.adderworld.com
• http://web4health.info/en/answers/adhd-positive-aspects.htm
• http://suite101.com/article/positive-aspects-of-adhd-and-add-a6201
• http://www.realage.com/managing-adult-adhd/using-the-benefits-of-adhd-to-your-advantage

Read a Book Day

(Google Image) 

By Diane Forrest

Most of the country is now aware of the recent hurricane affecting the southern parts of the country.  My state was declared a disaster area by the President, and we suffered much damage.  Even as the storm was just beginning to hit land there were thousands over 700,000 who lost power.  With all of today's technology devices, they all require one thing, electricity, or batteries to be charged with electricity.  The loss of power leaves many folks with nothing to occupy their time. One of the best sure fire ways to occupy your time is to read a book.  Most of the books I have here are nursing textbooks, but I still have a few old Nancy Drew books left over from my childhood.  During one such power outage, I took one down and read it to my husband.    He really enjoyed listening to the adventure of the Thirteenth Pearl, and the time just flew by.

Today, many people have a Kindle or other electronic device that downloads books in place of having the actual bound book in hand.  Several of my friends think they are a great way to catch up on their reading, except for when the power goes off.

(Google Image) 

When my son was younger, I would take him to the library every week and fill a book bag full of books he wanted to read. Today, he still enjoys reading every chance he gets.  When I was caring for my husband, I had little time to read, so I would mainly read my subscription to Reader's Digest.  These days I spend alot of time reading, mostly news articles and stories.  I should make more time to read a book along with the articles.  Today is such a day.

(Google Image) 

Today is Read a Book Day.  The following is a list from hellogiggles.com listing benefits of reading:

• Read a book today BECAUSE…
• It’s the best excuse for peace and quiet.
• You love sitting in your favorite chair.
• That stack of borrowed books needs a dent.
• All your friends are busy.
• You need a new favorite quotation.
• Books are on your schedule: you can pick them up and put them down at your own convenience.
• Walking to the library is good exercise.
• You saw the movie, but you heard the book is way better.
• You’ve always wanted to read Anna Karenina.
• You’ve always wanted to reread Anna Karenina.
• There’s a swath of history you’re sick of having to admit you know NOTHING about.
• Some sentences are better than kissing (See Nabokov).
• Your perspective can be changed by a single passage (See Vonnegut).
• Your life can be changed by a book (See The Year of Magical Thinking).
• You’re going through something and you just need to get lost in a beautiful, made-up world.
• You haven’t gotten to use your imagination in a really long time.
• Today’s world is so loud, hyper-connected and busy.
• The world inside your head is yours and yours alone.

(Google Image) 

So today, instead of watching another television program or playing a video game, try reading a book and expand your mind and imagination.

Our Creativity

(Google Image) 

By Akindman,

For one month each year the world celebrates International Creativity Month - a month to remind individuals and organizations around the globe to capitalize on the power of creativity.

Unleashing creativity is vital for the personal and business success in this age of accelerating change.

(Google Image)

January, the first month of the year, provides an opportunity to take a fresh approach to problem-solving and renew confidence in our creative capabilities.

International Creativity Month was founded by Randall Munson and is celebrated around the world annually in the month of January.

(Google Image)

Take advantage of International Creativity Month to refocus your attention to creatively improve your business and personal activities. (http://www.creativitymonth.com/)