The significance of adversity is not the adversity, it's what it follows... by Victoria

The significance of adversity is not the adversity, it's what it follows... by Victoria - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

I feel like we have always had to overcome adversity in life, whether it’s at work, in school, with family, and even with friends. Furthermore, I similarly believe that adversity is the backbone for life, it’s what defines who we are, wouldn't you agree? The significance of adversity is not the setback or the difficulty itself, it’s how we confront it that matters.
When I was younger, I was diagnosed with ADHD, for those who are not familiarized, it stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder which is a neurodevelopment disorder that contributes to low-esteem, difficulty maintaining relationships, trouble maintaining concentration, struggle attaining respectable grades, and requiring to stand up when sitting down for extended periods of time. Another perception that individuals don't comprehend about ADHD is that this disorder produces an avalanche of disorders with it. So not only can one get diagnosed with ADHD, but one can also acquire OCD, anxiety disorder, antisocial personality disorder, autism, bipolar disorder, anger, and depression.
When I was a teenager, I would get bullied because I couldn't get a joke in time. I've been called a variety of name such as slow or time-consuming. I didn't have many friends due to my antisocial personality. I couldn't sit down and pay attention in class. I was very compulsive and reckless. I had difficulties comprehending my teachers and mentors. I was difficult to speak to and difficult to comprehend. I didn’t like being bossed around. I continuously had to be in motion or doing something with my hands. Attaining good grade was tougher than one thought. Things must be set a certain way on my desk, in my room, and on my plate. I know this all sounds bad but like I said in the opening the issue is not the issue, it’s how one acclimates to the conditions one is given.
Appreciatively, I have had very empathetic parents, teachers, and therapists, who have conveyed skills like the significance of knowledge, preparation, and adaptability. I continuously say, “knowing what you have is the primary step to creating a space or tools to confront your challenges”. Knowing that I have ADHD, I’m able to sit down and have conversations but I also know that I’m unable to sit for extended periods of time, so I hack my brain by standing up and walking for a few minutes or if we are in a restaurant I got to the bathroom. Having consciousness that I have ADHD, I know I am a bit antisocial and nervous around people so I spread out my social events during the week so that I don’t get overworked and exhausted. Here is another example why knowing you have something is so important, before I was diagnosed with ADHD people considered I was a rebellious, disobeying, inattentive kid. Now a days, letting my boss, teachers and friends know I have ADHD allows them to be more understanding and empathetic. Why? Because before they thought I was being inattentive because I didn’t care but now, they know that I was being inattentive because of my ADHD. Informing people of what you have allows then to know that you are not the disorder. Preparation is the second utmost valuable skill I have developed throughout the years, as it has allowed me to have numerous possibilities for diverse circumstances. For example, when I have an exam or presentation, I start preparing way in advance because I know that both examples create a lot of unwanted anxiety. So, the more I’m prepare for it the better I preform. Furthermore, since I also get social anxiety, I also prepare for interviews by practicing questions out loud, investigating about the company or researching about common interests of the interviewer. At work, I use preparation when I create detailed guideline on how to do certain processes, because it allows me to see what moves I must do to reach a certain goal. I go to talk therapy which allows for me to express my ideas and develop my social skills. I take medicine that allows for me to concentrate. Finally, being flexible to any occurrence is an additional instrument that allows me to flourish. This is very true because all the knowledge and preparation alone won’t get you far if you are not adaptable to circumstances. This occurs to me most when it comes to interacting with people, because I get such diverse reactions from almost identical scenarios. Adaptability is also important when doing group project where difference of opinions tend to occur more often. Even when I’m not working with people, I’ve had to do last minute tweaks on projects that weren’t part of my plan in order to finish on time or meet metrics. In conclusion, being diagnosed with ADHD I have been able to create tools to be more successful in school, in life and at work.
The bottom line is, that I have this disorder that has caused a lot of adversity in my life, and it will be with me forever, but the important part is not to contemplate on the fact that you have limitation but, on the fact that you also have tools and skills that you can acquire over a lifetime that will allow you to overcome anything that is put in front of you.