Risk it, go for it

Risk it, go for it
Life always gives you another chance
Another go at it
It's very inportant to take
Enormous Risks
-Mary Quant-

When I was a young girl Mary Quant was a trendsetter of note. She famously named the mini-skirt after her favourite motor car, and designed ever-shorter creations for knock-kneed models like Twiggy. Who could forget her 'hot-pants' outfits and the patterned tights which adorned the very-visible legs of the day?

Mary Quant took many risks, and was highly criticised by many, as a result. As a teenager, growing up in South Africa, I clearly remember various church leaders blaming the drought on Mary Quant's mini skirts. I also remember feeling liberated by her trends, much to my parents' horror, as I showed off my own knock-knees to the world. Mary Quant broke down many barriers. Her clothes transcended class and financial means, as she made fashion accessible to young people. Her designs were androgynous and bold. Thank goodness she was a risk-taker.

As children we all take risks without a second thought. I remember watching my son, who was determined to walk at 10 months. He fell a 100 times, often hurting himself, but he got up 101 times, and he walked. As adults, we become cautious, over-thinking things before we commit to anything. 'Do I dare?' we ask ourselves. 'No I don't', we answer. We miss out on so much, and so does the world, as we stifle our creative urges.

That's where ADHD comes in. Risk-taking comes naturally to many people with ADHD. They retain that childhood sense of adventure. They are prepared to make fools of themselves if it means that they will learn a new skill. They step outside their comfort zones every day. They live in the moment.

And they make the world a better place.