A Project: Breaking Through
Adirondack Balloon Festival, Queensbury, NY (2017)
This past summer I began writing about my own story in an attempt at improving my own awareness, reflection, and growth. You can read the beginning of that story here. In doing so I couldn’t help but think how grateful I was for my life. It seems that at any point, one twist of fate, one ounce of luck running out, or one misjudgment could have easily sent me in a much darker direction. Much of my life felt like dishes, balanced on a pole, in the middle of a hurricane. In some ways that constant stress, fear, and anxiety has fueled me. Fear, after all, can be an incredibly motivating feeling—albeit with some pretty significant mental and physical consequences.
I was 36 years old when I finally realized (or finally admitted to myself) that the compartmentalization and internalizing of stress and anxiety had taken a physical toll on me much of my adult life. While I had lied to myself about the root cause of these, my body refused to do the same. In college and law school it was chest pains, as a young associate it was stress attacks and a trip to the emergency room, and in my 30s it became digestive and immune issues.
Since then, I have made a point to prioritize my own wellbeing, exercise regularly, meditate, place boundaries in my life, disconnect regularly, and better understand myself. Hopefully to grow, be a more effective leader, and serve those I can. Part of that process is unavoidably intertwined with my childhood, my family, and trauma that, the more I learn, is deeply rooted in our family’s history. Breaking Through started as me telling that story—a story about me, my family, and the impacts of generational trauma. I will continue to work on that project but it occurred to me that so many business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals have their own story to tell. As an attorney I have worked with so many of them. I have helped them achieve their goals, and navigate some of the most challenging moments of their lives. I’ve had glimpses into their fears, trauma, and ultimately determination and grit that drives you.
These are stories that should be shared. Whether sacrificing everything to navigate a business through COVID, the effects of being canceled, health issues, or the fear of not being able to care for a sick loved one. I’m not here to talk about hustle, how much money someone made, or how you just gotta keep faking it until you make it. You can get enough of that elsewhere. I’m here to pull layers back, be authentic, be vulnerable, and help us learn from each other.
That is what Breaking Through is. We will be putting out regular content exploring these subjects coupled with podcasts telling these stories firsthand from the people that live them.
I hope you’ll join us.
