Jan 19
Kacy Peterson DeLong will tell you that she’s had a lot of goofy jobs that sometimes seemed like they were all over the place: librarian, apprentice cabinet maker, artist's live model, soooo much food service, bouncy castle carnival operator, Christmas tree shearer, goat-herder, self-employed science communicator, and fundraiser for kidney disease… you know, the usual ADHD career path.
Today however, Kacy can look back at that zigzag path and see the path to the career she was always meant to have, the one that feeds her soul and helps her live her purpose. Kacy is a municipal politician and climate consultant and credits all those goofy jobs for helping her build tools for the toolkit that she regularly uses today.
If you’re feeling directionless, all over the place and not sure what to do with your life, this is the episode for you. Kacy will confirm for you that the path that you can’t see looking forward becomes crystal clear once you look backwards; your journey will connect the dots.
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"There's no manual that comes with ADHD, so you don't know what you don't know. Like you're a fish in water, what does something else feel like? I don't know what it feels like to be somebody else who doesn't have ADHD, so that experience isn't there for me to draw on."
- Kacy Peterson DeLong
"it's nice to know that even though I felt directionless at one point or I felt like I didn't have the tools to do what I needed to do or even know what I wanted to do, now that I'm in this position, I can see where that zigzag path gave me the tools in my toolkit and I can see where that zigzag path made me the person that I am today."
- Kacy Peterson DeLong
"I still have douts of inconsistency, but I know where I'm putting my efforts now and I know what's important to me. So even if I occasionally falter or get distracted by something shiny out the window or whatever, I'm coming back."
- Kacy Peterson DeLong
- Kacy describes her experience with inconsistent grades and Daydreaming as a child, which her parents and teachers attributed to a lack of effort or potential.
- Kacy shares her experiences with ADHD, including difficulty reading social cues and being passionate about certain topics.
- Kacy shares her struggles with inconsistency and finding the right balance between her creative work and her personal life, but expresses gratitude for the stability and support she has found in her marriage.
[29:08 - 45:10] ADHD, Purpose, and Passion
- Kacy shares how she found her purpose by recognizing her past experiences and passions, and how they complement who she is today.
- Kacy emphasizes the importance of respecting other women's journeys with ADHD and providing support to help them find comfort and understanding.
- Kacy discusses her struggles with numbers and how it affects her personal life and job as a Municipal councillor.
- Kacy reflects on the importance of recognizing that systems in place may no longer serve us, and the need to adapt and create new systems that work better for our current needs.
- Kacy discusses living successfully with ADHD, emphasizing acceptance and finding the open door to move forward.
- Kacy shares her experience as a carny operator and how it has helped her as a parent, using her problem-solving skills to "MacGyver" solutions.
