Why supporting young people is deeply personal to me

Part of the reason we connect so well is because of my own childhood, and the subsequent challenges I experienced finding my feet.

Many young adults I work with are early school leavers, have childhood trauma and/or are working through adversity in its various forms - all doing their championship-level best to find their unique version of fulfilment, purpose and happiness.

I dropped out of year 12 in 1994 and unsuccessfully attempted it again at North Lake Senior Campus the following year. Then Canning College the year after that. I just couldn't stick out what I believed was such a critically important thing for me to do.

My 20s were a jagged decade.

Climbing out of a deep and dark trauma-hole was fraught with literal demon-wrestling and handicap. Long periods on the dole or disability payment due to paralysing freeze mode.

Any jobs were entry level - Bras n Things (those tiny hangers did my head in!), waitressing, Target, cafes, office work. I'd get to a certain stage of each gig and feel the familiar niggle of 'I want out', which I always promptly obeyed.

Looking at my friends graduating from uni and TAFE, travelling the world, buying property, I felt like a failure.

I knew I was smart. I was born with an inbuilt burn to decipher the human condition, and to share everything I discovered.

But I just couldn't settle on anything long enough.

Today I clearly see that this kick-off to my adulthood was perfect, because it led me right here.

The years of working extra-hard to focus, regulate my emotions and control the quality and direction of my thoughts is now my superpower and what I teach others - I call it the art of LifeSurfing.

Then, earlier this year at the ripe age of 47, I unlocked a powerful new level of self-understanding that came out of left-field.

I'd always owned that I was differently wired. Made sense, given what I know about complex childhood trauma and its effect upon the developing brain.

However - given a big brick wall of executive dysfunction and swarm of overwhelm that seemed to kick in out of nowhere - it became acutely necessary for me to explore this more deeply.

This led to a diagnosis of ADHD and probable AuDHD (ADHD with a splash of autism).

Turns out, a good number of women who've done stellar jobs of healing their trauma, and compensating and masking their life-long undiagnosed ADHD, experience peak-level struggle with the hormonal changes and demands of midlife.

So many dots have connected for me, along with the revelation of new strategies now powerfully supporting me to achieve my goals.

I've found hidden self-judgement and shame-gremlins lurking in my shadows, so I've been shining the light of self-compassion and understanding there. A daily process.

I'm still learning and exploring, deep-diving to understand more about the condition and myself. As those who know me know, I don't do my research by halves!

I'm excited about incorporating any gold I find into LifeSurfing programs and resources - especially for the Wayshowers and young people who are also neurodivergent.

I share this story as an expression of love for those who might feel some resonance in my story.

Whoever you are and wherever you're at - whether you're working hard to heal, find your balance, focus or forgive yourself - you are perfect in your imperfections.

You're whole and complete, exactly as you are, and there is absolutely NOTHING 'wrong' with you.

Be kind to yourself, ask for support, and open your heart to the self-love and acceptance it wants you to claim.

You are on your path.