The founders of Kinko's, Charles Schwab, Virgin Air Lines, Cisco Systems and the Just Wait Foundation probably would agree with Professor Julie Logan. They all have dyslexia. However, it is a fact that people with dyslexia can make the best business people.

How can this be?

People with dyslexia are characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition. They have poor spelling and decoding abilities. They have difficult in writing. They see words differently than other people. People with dyslexia chronically fail standardized tests. They are slow readers and learn to extract only vital information, so that they're constantly getting right to the point. Dyslexics are also forced to trust and rely on others to get things done -- an essential skill that is needed to become an entrepreneur.

It all depends on your Temperament. We are born with one of nine Temperaments. Your Temperament determines how we perceive the world and how we behave. If you have dyslexia, your Temperament determines how you learn to live with your dyslexia.

You are born with a certain Temperament. Yes, you were born with a training manual. For example there are people who are Reformer - Perfectionists, people who are Giver - Helpers, people who are Achiever - Performers, people who are Authentic - Originals, people who are Thinker - Investigators, people who are Loyal - Skeptics, people who are Visionary - Optimists , people who are Challenger - Protectors , and people who are Peacemaker - Mediators.

A person with dyslexia can become strong in areas that others may not put in the effort to do so. We have seen this happen when someone is born blind or deaf, it seems that our senses kick in and we move to overcompensate.

This would explain how dyslexia can in fact be a blessing. We tend to overcompensate in areas that prevent us from looking bad. We naturally overcompensate such that others see us as brilliant or wise. Little do they know of the effort it took to get to this level.

According to Sally Shaywitz, a professor of learning development at Yale University has long argued that dyslexia should be evaluated as an asset, not just a handicap. She recently co-founded the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, dedicated to studying the link between the two. Dyslexics are not able to achieve their potential because they've had to go around the system. They tend to compensate for the things that others see as faults. This makes them better and stronger than those who seem perfect!

For example if a person has a Temperament of a Giver - Helper and dyslexia, then they will go out of their way to make sure everyone is comfortable. They can even go to such an extreme that they do not look out for themselves. This can be a real problem in many cases, yet put this Temperament into a nurse, and you have a very good nurse that really cares about their patients. If the person has the Temperament of a care-giver, dyslexia and male, you have a male nurse.

So a person with a Temperament of a Giver - Helper and dyslexia become the best nurse possible. This in turn earns their acknowledgements from the management and they are rewarded with more income.

People with dyslexia have to study twice as long and twice as hard to get the words to make sense. They know that people will not respect them if they make mistakes. They also know that they are going to make mistakes because they just can't help it. Other people can laugh, but if you are dyslexia, then it is not funny.

If your Temperament is such that you tend to be a Reformer - Perfectionist, then you know what it is like to have everything in its place and the world in order. You want perfection in everything you see and do. You will want to do this without writing anything. When you have this Temperament and dyslexia, it can be a blessing. For example, if you were a chemist, and made just one tiny mistake, you could blow up the lab. So you use your Temperament to rise to the top and find someone else to writing you lab reports.

In some jobs this would not be such a blessing. For example, if you are working on a production line, it is essential that you work at the pace the line is set to receive components. Should you stop and look at a component to see if the paint is the right color, it could slow down the production line and bring things to a halt. It the right place, the Reformer - Perfectionist Temperament with dyslexia could put them above the crowd, but in the wrong place, it brings you down fast.

The Temperament of the Visionary-Optimist is the Temperament of a lot of inventors. Their minds are always going. However we tend to go on to the next project if things don't work out. So being a Visionary-Optimist with dyslexia can be a curse as well. Visionary-Optimists tend to always see the positive side of every "opportunity." But, in a structured school, the teacher will say you have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly called ADD.

As you can see, every Temperament or behavior that we are born with has its good points and its curse. Even someone like John Wayne who had the Challenger - Protectors Temperament, has been portrayed showing his good side and his bad side. He was a tough person when necessary and would never be outdone by the bad guys, but always had a soft spot for those in need.

There is a story about a dog park. A dog park is where dogs could run off leash. It was next to a church. A dog came running back with a paper in his mouth that said. "God is the answer!" One of the other dog owners laughed and said. "I guess your dog has became religious." The dyslexia owner quickly spoke up. "No he is just has dyslexia. To him it says. "Dog is the answer!

We can see that dyslexia is both a blessing and a curse. If you have it, it is entirely up to you how you proceed with your life. Just do not look for pity, as the world knows you can be a superstar if you put in the effort and use your Temperament.

LZ Buttrum has the Visionary - Optimistic Temperament. He is a practicing CPA in Phoenix, AZ

LZ Buttrum brings 29 years of experience, creative solutions and different tax options to LLC's, partnerships, corporations, real estate, foreclosures and tax free exchanges

For a FREE Temperament evaluation For the complete list of descriptions of all the 9 Temperments

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