Rewriting the Rules: How Dyslexia Taught Me to Think Differently
October the 8th is World Dyslexia Day and of all the ‘awareness days’ this is one that really resonates with me. I am thrilled that one day is dedicated to bringing global attention to a learning difference that affects over 700 million people worldwide. This disorder not only impacts basic reading, writing and spelling abilities but it also impacts the lives of those who are dyslexic.
As you may have guessed, I am dyslexic. However, the condition was not diagnosed until secondary school by which time I had already received a mentally bruising time in education. I was told that I was not trying hard enough and was labelled lazy which was a hard badge to wear. Teachers were not sufficiently aware of the condition back in the 70s and did not understand the huge disconnect between my oral and written skills. Despite being sent to a ‘special class’, that was threatened to others students if they demonstrated poor behaviour, the teachers were not adequately equipped to help me succeed. I left school with negligible qualifications that didn’t earn me a place in the Sixth Form.
I segued into a role as an au pair and after demonstrating a wide range of skills, I was offered a role as a receptionist at a local estate agency. This is where my true potential outside of literacy was recognised and I rose to be the first female area director at one of the UK’s largest estate agency organisations. It was during maternity leave that I realised that there was a gap in the market to assist the buyer throughout the house purchase process and Chiltern Relocation was born.
Despite the incredible difficulties I experienced – and continue to battle with – I will openly credit my dyslexia as being a deciding factor in my success. The struggle to decipher the everyday written word drove me to work harder and get to grips with the difficulty so that I could compete in mainstream employment. It was this drive that pushed me to learn my trade and then set up my own business.
This entrepreneurial spirit shaped my business and I am honoured to have a chapter dedicated to me in the book Entrepreneurship, Dyslexia and Education which examines the link between dyslexia and those who have gone on to excel above and beyond as a result of the condition. I was touched that my action to set up Chiltern Relocation is compared to the famous dyslexic Sir Richard Branson when he challenged British Airways by creating the Virgin brand. In fact, when I first read the book, I was completely taken aback to be mentioned in the same sentence as Sir Richard Branson and James Dyson which is very humbling.
The author remarks that dyslexics are credited with excellent instincts and almost a sixth sense of what is right. I like to think that it is these same instincts which guide me when helping clients find their ideal home and knowing which properties to pursue and which to avoid. Chiltern Relocation also loves including (where possible) a ‘wild card’ option on a Viewing Day which does not necessarily fit the clients brief but is a property that we believe would be an excellent fit. Indeed, we have even written a blog about all the successful wildcard house purchases as a result of this methodology.
For me World Dyslexia Day is a day to raise awareness, break stigmas and champion the strengths and talents of individuals with dyslexia. Dyslexia has caused a lot of difficulties for me over the years, especially at school before it was fully recognised in educational circles. If ever the anecdote of ‘thinking outside the box’ as a result of dyslexia could be applied – then I would like to think that I fit that description. I hope that by sharing my story on this World Dyslexia Day, it will help to promote understanding, acceptance and support for individuals with dyslexia worldwide.
