There are a lot of cool things about being an adult. You can eat whatever you want (hello, ice cream for lunch), go where ever you want and have no pesky parents telling you to be home by 10 pm.
There are also a lot of really annoying things about being an adult. Having to pay taxes, fill up your car with gas, remember to do your laundry, and having very little idea of how dyslexia affects you as an adult.
We are walking through 8 bussin benefits of being an adult with dyslexia. We promise being different is almost as good as ice cream in bed.
Collectors of Information
We need to know EVERYTHING! I have more random facts in my head than I care to admit. We are constantly seeking answers and trying to understand how things work.
Benefits:
We are great with kids. Their natural curiosity complements ours, and when we don't know the answer to one of their questions, we are quick to google it (rather than say I don't know).
The role of information collector makes us valued assets at our jobs! I used to work in marketing but would get questions on almost any topic, and I could usually answer or point my coworkers in the right direction.
Fantastic bosses
Having dyslexia feels like a substantial limiting factor when climbing the corporate ladder, but the exact opposite is true. Our strengths naturally make us great leaders.
Benefits:
Our teams always know what is going on; dyslexics over-communicate. Good coms gives employees clear, direct guidance on what is essential and what is going on from a big-picture standpoint.
People with dyslexia know the pain of trying to follow instructions, so we work extra hard to provide clear instructions.
Best Friends
Dyslexia affects all aspects of life, not just work. While the struggles are annoying, they still benefit those closest to us.
Benefits:
The ability to see patterns makes us fantastic friends and allows us to give profound and in-depth advice.
People with dyslexia tend to have a strong empathy toward others' struggles. Our empathy makes us compassionate friends.
A+ teachers
Educating others is no easy task, but dyslexics have a leg up on others. We are talking about all kinds of teachers, not just school teachers (dance teachers, work trainers, fitness trainers).
Benefits:
Dyslexic minds know how to break down big things (like learning to read music) into smaller parts.
Our minds create connections that others don't. These connections mean that we can link new concepts to more relatable ones(For example, The CPU in a computer is like the brain of the computer).
The Patience of a Saint
Not much explanation is needed here! We have struggled a lot and have had to learn patience (often the hard way).
Benefits:
We understand mistakes and don't hold them against people (usually, we try to help people politely fix them)
Know that things can take longer than anticipated, and avoid getting too annoyed when someone needs extra time.
Leaders for change
Our dyslexia has taught us a lot about resilience and the importance of evolving.
Benefits:
When we see a system that can be improved/fixed, we take the lead and fix it.
Our flexible thinking allows us to adapt to new ways of doing things (that often result in better efficiency).
Detectives
People with dyslexia have this cool skill where we can connect seemingly random things to explain something.
Benefits:
Bosses love us because we can see around the corner. We can spot potential roadblocks well before they become actual problems.
Dynamic thinking is one of our strengths; what this means is that we draw conclusions others don't.
Creative Genius
Yup, we said it, you are a creative genius! Dyslexics think in a less linear fashion, which means almost everything we do has a creative flare.
Benefits:
We are constantly creating new things. Anything from processes to help us remember to pay our bills to recipes.
Dyslexics use creative thinking to solve problems. Often called out-of-the-box thinking.