Why I applied for a $100,000 seat at the GeniusX table on September 9, 2019 rather than meeting my self imposed deadline to publish this blog raising awareness and education about FASD. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder which is the leading cause of Developmental and Physical Disabilities is now estimated to impact 1–25 children, 2.5x the prevalence of Autism.
I was surfing the net. Skimming self help articles on how to conquer procrastination, rather than posting my first Chaos to Calm blog here.
You see tomorrow’s a big day for a ton of families, caregivers, professionals, and regular people(whatever that means) like you and I.For people who are impacted by FASD this is a big day because for many years there’s been a lot of stigma around FASD, little education and support for families or the professionals who support them despite FASD being 3x more prevalent than Autism.
In our house it’s big day where we take the morning off work, dress in our #RedShoes Rock, and join our daughter in celebrating what many days is not a gift, not a celebration.
She’s really lucky, of the 428 possible comorbid conditions that may occur as apart of this spectrum disorder she’s only, so far, impacted by about 20, give or take. ADHD, epilepsy, memory, mild cognitive delay, OCD, sensory, did you know this is a full body not just brain based disorder? and... well let’s stop there shall we or I may cry, which the parents of these kiddos do often which is why they don’t have time to advocate, they’re too busy caregiving.
Which brings me back to why I applied for a $100,000 seat in Joe Polish’s GeniusX Mastermind Group:
“Joe Polish is one of the most sought after marketers alive today.”
“Known for his ability to connect with almost anyone on the planet, he leverages his networking prowess to bring together the top industry transformers and leaders in the world. His mission is to change the global conversation around addiction and recovery from one of judgment to one of compassion.” - blatantly stolen from Joe’s site
As a parent of a child with FASD, volunteer in the FASD Community, a Health Coach who runs a Free Online community to remind parents of kids with diverse needs to put their own health and wellness first I realized that my passionate Medium article, while well intended, may not be the best use of my time. I needed a thought leader, marketer, collaborator, world visionary on my team. So I’ve begun seeking out these amazing leaders, and what I have discovered is the most heartfelt community imaginable. People lifting up People. Sharing knowledge, wisdom, connections, resources. Everything the FASD Communities are in need of.
I began following Jeff Noble years ago, he helps parents and caregivers “Make Sense of the Madness” which often happens in families with highly impacted kids.
Then Cate Stillman of Yogahealer who truly taught me how to care for me, my family, friends, find Ease in our everyday.
R.J. Formaneck who taught me to vision out, celebrate the strengths, accommodate with dignity the rest.
Benjamin Hardy whose AMP course allowed me start creating new levels of focus, clarity, vision.
Robin Sharma who shares a sunrise with me everyday, reminds me to step into the Ayurvedic Wisdom shared by Cate Stillman. To greet each day with gratitude, joy, anticipation, reflection, rather than tears, overwhelm, dread, helplessness.
Which brings us back again to Joe Polish, Benjamin Hardy, Hal Elrod and others. FASD needs research, awareness, education, ADVOCATES. This is a global issue. FASD occurs across all socioeconomic groups, all backgrounds, often individuals are not recognized, or not until later years, after school is done and they’re struggling, misdiagnosed, imprisoned, mistreated for mental health issues that may only be part of a much larger picture.
“Joe’s mission is to change the global conversation around addiction and recovery from one of judgment to one of compassion.”
FASD education and awareness are a big part of this, families need compassion, support, education, not judgement and secrecy.
Some of our greatest future thought leaders will fall under the FASD spectrum, when adequately supported they will reach full potential. This is a group of unique individuals that are so often misdiagnosed, misunderstood, shamed for impulsivity and yet their so called deficits are often their strengths.
People with FASD are fearless, artistic, creative, playful, spontaneous, empaths, healers, wisdom seekers, truth speakers, who else would we team up with other than the Genius and GeniusX teams. We may have to get creative to raise the funds to purchase a seat at the table, for today, there are GeniusX staff, possibly members reminded that FASD is not going away, children and their families are struggling and this group has all the power and resources in the world to help us, the families and professionals raise the conversation to a higher level.
If 1 - 25 children are affected who do you know with an FASD? Which child do you notice that may have trouble regulating? The parent that can’t seem to control their child? The Mom you thought should have been firmer with her child at the park, in the store, on the playground? Look around, it’s time to Start the Conversation around FASD and create a new level of success, create an unfair advantage for our kids, their parents, caregivers.
