Unarmored Talk

Embracing Neurodiversity as a Strength

• Traci Neal • Episode 132

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Traci Neal’s story is one of resilience and triumph. She's an inspiring author and professional Christian poet who opens up about her journey of embracing autism and ADHD as unique strengths rather than obstacles.

Escaping societal expectations, Traci pursued her passion for poetry, a love instilled by her mother, and transformed her life with newfound clarity after her diagnosis.

Discover how she harnessed her high energy and neurodivergence into a powerful force for creativity and success, earning recognition in the New York Times. Traci's insights into the advantages of politeness and appreciation offer a profound lesson on the transformative power of personal experiences.

Guest Link:
www.tracinealspeakerpoet.com


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Mario P. Fields:

Welcome back to Unarmored Talk Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching each episode and continue, please, to share with your friends and family members and colleagues, and don't forget to leave a rating or review if you feel this is an awesome show. And you can connect to all of my social media on the parade deck Just look in the show notes or you can put in the search engine mario p fields parade deck and get all access to my social media. Well, let's get ready to interview another guest who is willing to remove their armor to help other people. Welcome back to the unarmored talk podcast everyone. I am your host, mario p fields. For you first time listeners and viewers, welcome. And for those folks who have been listening to this voice or watching me on my youtube channel, thank you so much for the years of support. You guys know the deal every episode is for charity and anytime you like, share or watch any videos or listen to any of the audio episodes, you are generating charitable dollars that's donated to my nonprofit. That is still serving. Incorporated WWW Still serving. Dot com is the web, is the URL that leads you to the website If you want to learn more about what we're doing here in North Carolina.

Mario P. Fields:

So, with that said, I have another amazing guest who's willing to remove their armor to help people understand. To think through life challenges is a choice. We have Tracy Nill. She is amazing. She says she's a simple person, but I disagree. I don't even think it was up for agreement or disagreement, but I'm going to let you guys get to know a little bit about Tracy. She's an author, she's a poet, she's probably more than that. I know she is and I can't wait to jump into this fun episode. Tracy, what's going on?

Traci Neal:

Thank you so much for having me.

Mario P. Fields:

I am blessed and honored to have you. Can you do me a favor and tell the audience a little bit about you?

Traci Neal:

Yes. So I like to tell people that I pretty much started from the ground up Four years ago. I used to be a pre-K aid, which is a teacher's assistant, and so I always had a love for writing since I was young five years old and I really wanted to pursue poetry. When I was a teenager my mom really instilled that in me because at 14, I performed my first poem and I was the youngest in the room amongst college students and adults. And so my mom told me like yep, you like you got it. So, but I think after a while, as time went on, you know, my family thought this is not going to be a stable career, so you should try something else. So I tried to pursue teaching and tried for 10 years to be an elementary school teacher and it never happened. But I think during that time it instilled in me to keep going and to never give up. So when I was finally had that courage to pursue the poetry full time, it just took off and it hasn't stopped since it started.

Mario P. Fields:

Well, you talk about never giving up and having these unexpected things happen to you. From my basic understanding, recently you were diagnosed with some things that people may perceive as mental challenges, but we're going to talk about today the advantages of what you're going to let us know what is it? What am I talking about here?

Traci Neal:

Yes, so last year October 19th, so pretty soon it'll be one year, October 19th, 2023,. I got officially diagnosed with autism and ADHD.

Mario P. Fields:

Wow, how did you feel as soon as they said that here's what's going on with you, tracy?

Traci Neal:

The autism I was not surprised about, that was originally what I went in for. But the ADHD I was shocked. I just thought I had high energy, but the ADHD I was shocked.

Mario P. Fields:

I just thought I had high energy. And then here it is. You know, they gave you some diagnosis that brought some clarity to the why. Why am I? How many times? How many people say when are you going to sit down?

Traci Neal:

Aren't you tired? When are you going to get some rest? Well, the funny thing was I was very well behaved in school of as, as you mentioned, I'm simple, so my brain is like basic with my autism. So I was like sit down, do what you're supposed to do, and I would do it. So I was not a misbehaved throughout growing up, so no teachers detected it and I guess I was able to mask and open up around children. Children was where I was able to release all my energy.

Mario P. Fields:

So me and children me and children are like this. You know, being in an environment that allows you to to really maximize this kind of sometimes has a negative stigma around it. You know any mental health, you know illness or disorder. And so what, if you, if you can, for me and the viewers? What are some advantages? You know, tracy, that you have experienced that you would like to share.

Traci Neal:

Yes, I have five and, mind you, you know, neurodivergence is unique. But I think that these really speak to us as a people you know and I just want to like, once I give you a point, share my personal views on it as well.

Mario P. Fields:

That's there.

Traci Neal:

You see how excited I am no-transcript Because when I started I actually started in radio. I was doing being a podcast guest on radio and the advantage for me was I was raised to be very mannerly, so I saw that, you know, being polite and being appreciative was an advantage for me, so I just used that and I would just reach out to people. It's still working. So I still do it and I love it. So from there I did like magazines and I really got things really started taking off with the New York Times. I tried three times again the New York Times third time's a charm, but the third time my mindset was different. That you know I want to impact lives, I want to help people, so I need to take myself out of it. You know this isn't about Tracy, this is about helping, you know, a variety of people.

Traci Neal:

So that time I just decided to be more vulnerable and talk about rejection that I experienced growing up and how I use poetry as an outlet.

Mario P. Fields:

Yeah, you guys hear. You know Tracy's thinking out of the box for point number one got her in the New York Times. I've been trying to think out of the box and I think the only publication I got was Mario P Fields' Instagram. Maybe somebody put a comment. That was amazing, but that is cool. What's number two?

Traci Neal:

Number two is creativity is endless. Cool, what's number two? Number two is creativity is endless. So I just, I just love to think, like I said, think outside the box, and then, with my autism, I have a huge imagination. So, you know, I'm like one of them people that, okay, we can do beyond that. Let's, let's try something new. Let's, let's do do something different. And I like to say that when me and my husband watch movies, we can tell right away if, if the person is a neurodivergent, because the creativity is so awesome. It's just so like distinct, and I love it. I love the creativity.

Mario P. Fields:

I never looked at it like this. By the way, you guys know, I'm clinically diagnosed with ADHD, so that's why this episode is also personally very refreshing to me. I am medicated, but so I never looked at it like now. Now I'm watching movies a little bit differently, going yeah, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, he's got, they got to be neural. So what's number three?

Traci Neal:

Number three is strong work ethic. Yeah. We can work hard and I know for my ADHD, like growing up I could knock out schoolwork really fast with my classmates. And it was so funny because I actually had asked my parents like, why did y'all put me in advanced classes? And I wasn't really advanced.

Traci Neal:

and they were like well, you know, we don't want you to be around misbehaved kids but, I was able to get the work done, like if you told me exactly what you wanted me to do, I could knock that out. And then some, we give 110%.

Mario P. Fields:

Oh, tracy, you're making me feel so not alone. I mean, last night, I mean it's almost midnight, I just, I'm not lying to you I picked up everything in the great room, in the kitchen, in the nook. I got the vacuum cleaner going, I did, and I was like my wife said. So, since you got so much energy, can you make me a peanut butter toast? Yeah, that's easy. But you're right, that work ethic, it, it, it. Sometimes it gets us, get us in trouble. But yes, uh, what's number four? You got me. Me. If I didn't have a permanent tan, you would see me blushing if y'all watching, but you know I'm a blush with my eyes. What's number four, tracy?

Traci Neal:

Yes, motivated to learn. So when we want to do something, we really want to learn something, we're motivated learn and we're going to, we're going to figure it out. And so for me personally, I'm married and I knew that I needed to know how to cook. So, um, growing up I had difficulty using a knife and so what I did was started to watch like romance, um cooking movies and listen to like chefs and how they directed, you know, the people on how to properly use a knife and stuff, and that's how I learned how to use a knife. So little things like that, you know, could go a long way. You know, you're not limited just because it doesn't matter what like stage or level you're on, you can learn and we're motivated to learn.

Mario P. Fields:

I love it. And what's last? What's your number five?

Traci Neal:

It's succeeds in self-interest. And I feel like I'm an example of that with the poetry. I consume myself in it, like I'm all about, you know, figuring out different ways to get the message across. And the cool thing about it was, when I started, I just started thinking that I would just be performing on the side, like I didn't even think that it was going to turn into what it turned into, because at the time I was still working full time but I was doing my poetry on the side and going to different venues and performing. That's what I thought I was going to be doing. And then, when the pandemic hit, it was like, okay, I'm going to have to do something else, like really. And so, just like, thinking outside the box, I was just like, okay, I need to figure out a different way of doing this. And so, like I said, one thing led to another networking, talking to people, just being friendly. It just opened up a lot of doors. But, as I said, new York Times, really, you know, set it apart because it's different, you know.

Mario P. Fields:

Right, wow, you guys, you know Tracy, you are amazing and everyone. Some of you may have children that have been recently diagnosed for this episode. You know autism and ADHD. Some of you as adults may Tracy just what a year ago and I'm taking your what 15 right now. No, I'm just I'm 35.

Traci Neal:

I got diagnosed at 34.

Mario P. Fields:

Oh man. But you know, as an adult, you know you get this diagnosis. But you know, as an adult, you know you get this diagnosis. And I hope you take the five you know advantages that Tracy highlighted. You know again, think out of the box. You know, don't constrict your ability to think. You know, without barriers, if you will Right. Number two curious. You know, right that. Creativity, being curious and being very creative, that work ethic is just amazing. That self-motivation, right, that self-reflection. Let's get it, let's go and then take it, whatever goals you set. Essentially what I got, tracy. Your number five is succeed. Don't stop, don't give up. You guys heard she wanted to be a teacher for 10 years and she didn't give up. She got back into poetry and look what's going on. And the last thing I want to give to you is your, your nonverbals. Nonverbals are 93 percent of communication and Tracy, just your nonverbals is motivating the hell out of me and I'm assuming from my own research that comes also as an advantage with being autistic and ADHD, your personality.

Traci Neal:

Yes, I can say it on my face exactly how I feel.

Mario P. Fields:

That's why I keep smiling. I'm like, I feel so comfortable. I'm in a room with a peer, the virtual space with the colleague, mentally, all right. Well, I would. You know, you and I know with with. What we could do is we have the potential to stay on this show for five to six hours and have a blast, but I'm not going to do that. Any last remarks you would like to leave our listeners and viewers.

Traci Neal:

Yes, two points. I wanna say enjoy the journey and take it one day at a time. That's for anyone you know. It's about the journey. Like people are just so quick to be, like I wanna get there, but it's the journey that teaches you those lessons and the values that you need to even appreciate when you get there. And when you take it one day at a time. You just alleviate stress off of you because the day is going to have problems, it's going to have hiccups, but when you take it one day at a time like I'm going to get through this day and as long as I can get through this day.

Traci Neal:

if I make it to the next day, then one more day at a time.

Mario P. Fields:

Amen, amen. Thank you so much. How can people find you? How can people learn more about Tracy?

Traci Neal:

Yes, I tell people I am not on social media, but I'm in the media. So if you want to find me not on social media, but I'm in the media so if you want to find me, I can be found on my website, which is TracyNealSpeakerPoetcom One-stop shop.

Mario P. Fields:

I am not on social media, I am in the media. Man, I love that. Well, you guys know what to do. I hope you have fun with this fun episode. But in a few weeks, if you listen to me or you see me on a YouTube channel again a couple of weeks we'll have another amazing guest on the show. But until then, I will continue to pray that God blesses you, the viewers and listeners, your family members, your friends and all living beings around you. Tracy, be safe.

Traci Neal:

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Mario P. Fields:

Thank you. Thank you for listening to this most recent episode and remember you can listen and watch all of the previous episodes on my YouTube channel. The best way to connect to me and all of my social media is follow me on the parade deck that is wwwparadecom, or you can click on the link in the show notes. I'll see you guys soon.

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