The Permission You're Not Giving Yourself

"Hello, great to meet you here on Zoom."

"How are you doing?"

"I'll be honest with you. Not so good."

"OK, you want to tell me about that?"

"Yes. I am ill. It cannot be cured."

"That’s shit. Do you want to talk about it?"

This is how my first Zoom conversation began with an entrepreneur after we'd been communicating briefly over WhatsApp.

He'd contacted me for a completely different matter, but we ended up talking for more than an hour about his life, career, family, and the state he found himself in.

His wife recently told me that it was only after her husband received an expiry date to his life that he allowed himself to truly live.

Before that, there was always work to be done. Things to be improved. Standards to uphold. Voices to silence in his head.

And then came the news from a doctor:

"You have a severe illness. It cannot be cured."

One single phrase to put everything into perspective.

A deeply passionate, loving, talented, intelligent man with an enormous heart, but who never gave himself permission to pause.

To linger. To live.

Because that's not what you do.

There's always work to be done.

Things to finish (and to prove).

To whom?

Now his days are counted.

And he has finally seen the light.

If he had found the courage to be kinder to himself earlier, what would that have meant for his family?

For his team?

For his health?

For the way he could have generously shared his wisdom and talents?

For his capacity to love?

Every week I speak with entrepreneurs who don't have the time to pause and reflect.

In our conversations, I watch them beat around the bush, avoiding what's craving to be heard and addressed—until some moment in time that will never arrive.

Until it's too late.

Until their partner has left them.

Their children have grown distant.

Their health has taken an irreversible turn.

And every time, I feel the weight of all those people affected.

The potential left untapped.

The deep happiness and fulfillment left on the table, despite all the material wealth and outer signs of success.

I hope for your children and your partner's sake, this isn't you.

But if this strikes a chord, you might want to have an honest conversation.

It could very well be the best thing you do for your loved ones this week.

#Divorce #Health #Harmony #onelifeliveit #worklifebalance #Leadership #MentalHealth #stress