The “Superpower” I Wish I Knew I Had Sooner

I’ve never talked about this publicly before.

Dear readers,

Today I want to do something a little different. Instead of my usual “What’s in the news” update, I want to share a personal story that I think many of you can relate to.

I’ve never talked about this publicly before, but I was diagnosed with ADHD years ago — a label I honestly don’t spend much time thinking about.

But today, I came across a moment on Joe Rogan’s podcast with Lionel Richie that hit home for me. It was exactly what I WISH I’d heard growing up.

Richie and Rogan on ADHD

According to the CDC, an estimated 7 million children aged 3–17 in America have been diagnosed with ADHD.

Many of those kids are quickly put on Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, and other stimulant drugs that paradoxically calm them down so they can sit still in a classroom and “learn” more effectively.

But should we really treat a child’s lack of interest in sitting still at a desk as if it were a disability?

Lionel Richie shared on Rogan’s podcast how his ADD/ADHD, which he struggled with as a kid, ended up “all serving him well.”

His message to parents was blunt: “Leave them [ADHD kids] alone.”

Rogan jumped in with full agreement: “Everybody wants to diagnose everybody and medicate them. I had for sure ADHD when I was a kid. I think everybody that I know that’s talented and creative has ADHD, whatever that means.”

Richie then explained the difference between academic and creative kids — and why forcing one into the box of the other can crush their potential.

“Put them in a creative school where they’re nurtured into their [interests]. Yes, they’re gonna work on math, and, yes, they’ll work on their science, but don’t make that the priority.”

He went on to point out that no one has ever asked to see his college degree or even his high school diploma. He admitted he was a C student.

But in his words, what’s important is not your grades; it’s “What did you end up being? Who did you end up discovering? How comfortable are you with yourself?”

My Take

Richie and Rogan are spot on. In high school, I coasted by with As and Bs because I was naturally smart enough to half-listen in class and still do well on tests.

But once I hit college, everything changed. I was studying something I wasn’t interested in, the learning demand went up, and my report cards reflected that.

My 3.5 GPA dropped to a 2.5, and I couldn’t figure out why. Sure, part of it was effort. But what really crushed me was the LACK OF INTEREST.

For people with ADHD, forcing them to learn something they don’t care about is one of the worst things you can do.

The ADHD “Superpower”

Throughout my life, I’ve thrived when I found something I genuinely cared about. ADHD comes with something called hyperfocus — the ability to lock in on one thing for hours at a time. It can feel almost superhuman.

Think about binge-watching: most people can do a few episodes of a show before calling it a day. Someone with ADHD can sit there for 10 hours and finish an entire season.

For me, that used to be video games, specifically games that rewarded out-of-the-box thinking and strategy. Those could hold my attention endlessly. That didn’t lead to a job, but it sharpened my ability to think critically.

Then COVID hit. I knew something was deeply wrong. And that’s when my ability to hyperfocus turned into a real tool — one that could help not just me, but millions of others.

I’d spend hours a day digging through podcasts and listening to doctors like Ryan Cole, Peter McCullough, Pierre Kory, Robert Malone, Sherri Tenpenny, and many more.

Then I would clip out their most important moments, write a brief summary, and post the videos online. At first, it was just a personal video diary. But that video diary eventually turned into a social media platform that reaches millions each day.

How was I able to pull this off? Because I love what I do. And that love turned into a relentless work ethic.

There’s a simple rule in life: a work ethic powered by passion will always outperform effort driven by pure grit or obligation.

For example, an average height kid who genuinely loves basketball will almost always become a better player than the tall kid who only plays because his parents push him into it.

The tall kid may have all the natural tools to succeed, but what he lacks is the desire to be great. Meanwhile, the shorter kid, who doesn’t have those physical advantages, has the one thing that matters most — the drive to improve and the will to win. That desire is priceless.

And when two kids have an equal level of physical ability, the difference between genuine passion and lack of interest becomes even more obvious.

Advice to Parents of ADHD Kids

I echo Lionel Richie here: “Leave them alone!”

I took ADHD medication for about four years. It made me a better student, but it also spiked my heart rate and blood pressure and made me boring to be around. To this day, I don’t think we fully understand the long-term effects of these drugs on kids.

Don’t tell them they’re broken or that they’ll never get anywhere in life unless they get straight As. Instead, find out what excites them — not just any distraction — but something that can grow into a life skill. Then let them run with it.

Remember, ADHD kids have extraordinary, almost superhuman levels of focus on things that they love. Don’t fight that energy. Embrace it, and witness the remarkable things your kid can do.

One More Note

I want to take a moment to personally thank all of you for supporting my work over the years. What started as a passion project has turned into something bigger than I ever imagined.

Because of your $7/month subscriptions, I’ve been able to quit my day job and turn clipping, reporting, and building this community with you into the work that now pays the bills each month.

If you think your subscription doesn’t matter, think again. Every single one fuels this work, helps me build a team, and pushes me to keep transforming this Substack into something better that delivers more value to you.

Thank you again for letting me share not just the news, but my story. I hope it gave you something useful today.

Have a wonderful day, and God bless.