You or your child has been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, depression, anxiety, oppositional defiance disorder (odd), bi-polar disorder, or another behavioral disorder. What do you do? You read all of the medical books about the subject. You or your children take the medications the doctor prescribes, and you practice the exercises given to you by therapists. Or perhaps a hospital stay is in order. Some people look at alternative ways to address their particular problem. They may diet, or take herbal supplements, or even practice yoga. The bottom line is these are all ways to help you improve your situation and make you appear “normal”!

But what if, biologically, you were designed for a different purpose and these disorders are manifestations preventing you from following this purpose?

Then along comes a book called The DaVinci Method to explain what that purpose may be. The subtitle of the book is “Break Out & Express Your Fire. Discover & Master the Fiery Temperament Shared by Great Leaders, Artists, Entrepreneurs & AD/HD-ers”. It was written by Garret LoPorto who is himself an entrepreneur, CEO, inventor, presenter at MIT, and an “AD/HD-er”.

His premise is that 10 percent of the population is made up of DaVinci types. A description of a DaVinci is someone who is impulsive, is a risk taker, is easily distractible, and is insightful or intuitive. A DaVinci also craves risk and excitement, has an addictive personality, rebels against authority, and thinks differently.

Does this describe someone you know?

Thousands of years ago humans lived in hunter-gatherer groups. The hunters were risk taking intuitives who provided the group with meat. The gatherers, who later evolved into farmers, worked hard but didn’t need to take risks so developed more complacent demeanors. Since they were in the majority these became what is now “normal”.

The hunters are out of place in today’s society. As they try to fit in, they attempt to suppress their personalities. As a result they develop what used to be known as “neurotic tendencies” and more recently given labels such as ADHD, ODD, or Bi-Polar Disorder.

LoPorto writes about what we can do if we have these disorders because it is not all doom and gloom. Jane Pauley is highly successful despite her Bi-Polar Disorder. Richard Branson has created his Virgin Airways and Virgin Records empire even though he is ADHD. And where does DaVinci come into this? He appears to be the first known person with ADHD. He was an explosive man who did not like to finish the things he started; he was a renaissance man who was an artist and scientist.

You might be saying “Well, that’s all well and good. Sounds nice, makes my diagnosis look better. But is there any scientific proof to all of this?”

LoPorto spends sometime discussing a gene called the DRD4-exon III which has been determined to be related to Novelty seeking personality traits. This same gene has also been associated with ADHD. People that have this gene tend to be policemen, fireman, warriors, and generals. This section was a little dry for me but gave me background into the rest of the book that describes ways to develop this gift and look past our struggle to be “normal”.

He also has a website known as The Davinci Nation that brings together people that recognize that they need to “express their fire”. Here they watch videos, read articles, and discuss with each other the progress they are making in breaking free of conformity.

Alright if I am a DaVinci type why are doctors trying to prescribe all of these medications for me? Well guess what, society wants everyone to be “normal”, follow the leaders, and not cause any trouble. It has no place for people who are “out of the box” thinkers, who take risks, and are impulsive. Some of us still succeed like Jane Pauley and Richard Branson but others in their attempts to suppress their personalities develop disorders that can be disruptive either to ourselves or society as a whole.

If you have a disorder such as ADHD, Bi-Polar Disorder, or ODD read the book, judge it for yourself, and then “break out and express your fire” too!

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