Liz Jakoi

Transcript

I'm sitting in the doctor's office, 57 years old. The veins in my head pulsing fear, the volume of noise inside me deafening and I couldn't turn it down. Okay, Liz, get it together. What if it's something serious? What is wrong with me? The door creeps open and in walks this freshfaced petite doctor. Every time I see her, I think my socks are older than you are. She sits, calmly opens the file, and reads. Generalized anxiety disorder. Below average processing speed, ADHD, inattentive type.

Here's a prescription for your anxiety, and follow up with your family doctor. That was it. Pills, a wave goodbye. Seriously? My mind numbed, not able to process, I grabbed the report and fled. gripped by fear. What is everyone gonna think? And some relief. Finally, a diagnosis that explains everything. So, what what am I going to do? Well, this late in life diagnosis didn't fix me, but it explained some things like finding curdled milk in the cupboard, tuning out of conversations, sometimes the one I'm having with myself, finding losing my phone, which years later is still somewhere in the house, and living with 50 browser tabs open in my brain, but never the one I need.

So, what did I do? Well, being a highly skilled coach and training professional, I researched like mad and downloaded every ADHD productivity tool I could find. I was determined to fix myself. But those tools, they only worked until they didn't. because I wasn't broken. Trying to fix myself only made it worse. There was so much noise. Everyone else's opinions causing more anxiety, spiraling negative thoughts, depression, emotional exhaustion. Then I discovered the truth. I did not need to fix myself. No, what I needed to do was observe and connect the dots, listen to my intuition, listen to my inner voice, honor how my brain works, and be compassionate with myself.

That's when things began to change. I studied with experts like Chris Duncan, Dr. Richard Schwarz, and Dr. Gabbor Mate. And the stronger I became, the more I realized others were struggling too. Leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, like me. They just were struggling and struggling. Today, I teach a simple three-step process to navigate the noise. Think it. Think about what you're thinking. Build awareness and compassion. Change your thoughts by challenging them and staying curious. Live into your creative capacity to reprogram your mind and trust your intuition.

I know what it feels like to live with ADHD and desperately want to thrive. That's why I do what I do. So, let me ask you, what is the noise that is tripping you up? Is it the volume of other people's opinions? That constant nagging of I'm not good enough, maybe the endless loop of something is wrong with you, or the lie that everyone else is doing better than you. Turn down that noise. Say no to the noise and say yes to your inner voice of compassion, curiosity, and creativity.

What if your brain wiring isn't a curse, but a blessing? What if it's access to a divinely higher destiny? Turn down that noise. I know you can do it. With patience, persistence, and guidance, you can navigate the noise. As Steve Jobs said, don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your inner voice. Thank you.

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.