Attention Deficit Disorder. ADD. The “disorder” that turns your brain into a million five-year olds all raising their hands at the same time with something to say.
I am the willing victim of ADD and for the record I don’t believe it’s as bad as people have labeled it. Most of the time I count it a blessing to have the energy to be constantly looking out for the next big thing to catch my attention. I think it’s an incredible gift to be able to have a unique outlook on life as you live it 100 mph.
Sometimes though my ADD can pop up at the worst times. One of the biggest issues that I run into with it is that I can’t shut my brain off. Whether I’m lying in bed at night, sitting in a meeting or a class, or in the middle of a conversation with someone I realize how quickly my attention can careen off course like some derailed freight train.
My friend Jon said something very wise a few weeks back. He said that wherever you are, be fully there. It’s about focusing on where God has you right here, right now, that you don’t miss great opportunities as they come your way. If we’re so distracted with the whirlwind in our minds we can easily miss a small window of opportunity to touch the hearts and lives of those around us.
This isn’t just for those of us with ADD. It’s for the businessman who is constantly answering his phone during family time or at dinner. It’s for the sales rep who’s mentally going through their to-do list in their head while their co-worker shares about their pending divorce. It’s for the parent who might “uh-huh” or “yes sweetie” enough that their kid picks up on the fact that, you know, Dad, you’re not really listening, are you? Ouch.
I have to fight the temptation for my attention to drift away to the next great thing on my schedule. I have to work at focusing on the person right in front of me because if I don’t focus, I might miss something very important to the heart of that one person right in front of me. And that moment is gone. I know I missed it and what’s more damaging, they know I missed it. It might have been the one reason why God had our paths cross in that moment and I missed it.
Wherever you are, be fully there.