Volume 14 Issue 1 » 73
What is the biggest obstacle you’ve
overcome while building out your
career and company?
While there are many to choose from, on a
personal level my struggle with anxiety has
certainly been my biggest obstacle to date.
Looking back in retrospect, I realize it was
something I had dealt with from a young
age, but a particularly difficult bout several
years ago really rocked my world.
It was particularly challenging for me on
two levels. First, it took a long time for
me to even understand what was wrong
with me in the first place, as the range of
symptoms were large. And even when my
doctor finally helped to diagnose me, the
second challenge emerged. I felt totally
isolated, and unclear how to deal with it.
But it was clear for me something needed
to be done, as I was having difficulty
engaging fully in my career, and frankly
every other part of my life as well.
What did you do to help get the
anxiety under control?
Probably the most impactful thing I did
was incorporate mindfulness training into
my life. I had dabbled with meditation
previously, but my mind was so active
on the attempts that I quickly became
frustrated and gave up.
Through my own research and the help
of teachers, I was gradually able to
incorporate it as a daily ritual. Little by
little, I started to gain awareness into the
thoughts swirling around my mind, and
a gradual realization dawned that I didn’t
have to be defined by these thoughts. I’m
no expert, but can speak for the powerful
impact meditation had then, and still has
on my own life.
I also started to incorporate yoga as a
physical practice of mindfulness. The
focus on the breath, and the emphasis on
the present moment complimented the
meditation nicely.
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The mindfulness training really helped get
my anxiety under control, but it’s also had
a wide range of other benefits. So though
the experience with anxiety was at times
harrowing, the learning I’ve gained from
it has left me grateful for the adversity it
provided.