ADHD… or Just Carrying Too Much?

Dear Soul Riders,

If you’ve been ridin’ with me for a while, you’ve probably noticed something…

Sometimes… I disappear.

First of… never will I stop believing in what we’re building here.

It’s simply a rhythm I’ve never fully understoo… for years, I thought it was just how I was wired. I’d throw myself completely into a project, lose track of everything else then suddenly realize weeks had slipped by. Messages unanswered…. Beautiful articles unread. Conversations I genuinely wanted to have… postponed by another day that somehow disappeared too.

Lately, a few friends, fellow writers and Soul Riders have gently asked me the same question:

“Have you ever considered getting evaluated for ADHD?”

I’ll admit… the more I read about it, the more familiar some of it feels.

Maybe they’re onto something.

Maybe they’re not.

Right now, I’m not in a hurry to find out.

I’m not afraid of knowing…

Just… because I already have enough to carry at the moment. I want to meet this season with curiosity before I meet it with labels.

What I’ve discovered instead is that whether it’s ADHD, stress, or simply the weight of trying to build too many beautiful things at once, the remedies are surprisingly human.

Sleep a little better.

Move your body.

Write things down instead of trusting your memory with everything.

Give your keys the same place every day.

Protect your attention as if it were your most valuable possession, because maybe it is.

Reach out to someone before loneliness convinces you that nobody is waiting to hear from you.

None of these habits require a diagnosis.

Only a little honesty.

I’ve come to believe that discipline is less about control than compassion. Every small habit is a gift we leave for the version of ourselves that will wake up tomorrow. And yeah… it is still about becoming.

The other truth is, I’ve also had to accept something less comfortable.

I haven’t always been the reader or the friend I wanted to be.

I’ve missed articles that deserved applause.

I’ve forgotten birthdays, messages, and conversations that mattered.

If that’s ever been you, please know it was never indifference.

Not once.

Your words have carried me more often than you probably realize.

Even during my quiet seasons.

Especially then.

This community has become something rare.

A circle.

A place where strangers somehow learned to become companions on the same road.

That’s something I never take for granted.

The fire never left.

It was simply burning where roots grow instead of where applause lives🔥

Some seasons ask us to bloom.

Others ask us to deepen.

I’m learning not to confuse the two.

So thank you…🙏🏾

For your patience❣️

For your grace🫶🏾

For every thoughtful comment, every shared story, every poem, every difficult truth you’ve trusted this space to hold.

Thank you for continuing to ride, even when I disappeared around the bend for a while.

I’m still here.

Still learning.

Still becoming.

And if there’s one lesson this season has given me, it’s this:

We don’t have to understand ourselves completely before we can start taking better care of ourselves.

Sometimes becoming begins with something as simple as putting the keys in the same place… and remembering to tell the people we love that they matter.

Thank you for reminding me of both.

With love and gratitude,

Terod Naej🔥

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