For most parts of my life everything went very smooth and natural. Until - it didn't. It felt like my inner compass broke. When searching for guidance I had always sought for role models, external success.
As a result I became a successful Tech Executive. I grew many organisations in the Startup Space of Berlin. And as much as that looked great from the outside, it felt wrong on the inside.
I was navigating with outer signals and ignored my inner instincts. It tore me apart. My soul and my body had taken different paths. That caused me to burn out. I had head pressure, never ending dizziness, fatigue and chronic pain.
I lost the language that my body speaks. And needed to learn it all over again.
Even after years of personal growth the path isn't always clear. Life is full of temptations and distractions. That is why it is so important for me to have tools to find my way back on track.
Some Practical tips
What has helped me to stay on track or find my way back?
Time and space
The best and most efficient way for me is to get myself out of whatever hamster wheel I have created for myself. Removing myself from strong influences. This can be a solo bike trip, a retreat or a couple of days in the nature. Good news: Almost anyone can afford this, if it's high enough in the priorities.
Philosophy
I have been finding comfort and guidance in reading about our big philosophic minds such as Socrates, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Friedrich Nietzsche, to name some of my favourites.
It has helped me to find out that:
a) I am not alone. Every thought or experience has already been thought or experienced. Knowing that my story isn't that special at all gives me comfort.
b) Constructs that "make sense of it all” do exist - without the need of a heroic tale of a religious saviour.
Making life smaller
Our lives tend to be full of stuff, clutter, responsibilities, expectations. Most of us think something is missing, when in fact almost always something is too much. Removing things can help to gain more clarity, so that organic things can appear. The most special things I can only sense when I have enough space to welcome them.
Finding guidance
When I stopped drinking alcohol,
I got help from the addiction center in Berlin Tempelhof.
When I burned out,
I went to therapy and coaching.
When I was faced with death and sickness in my family,
I had friends and loved ones to care for me.
My truth is:
There is no shame in asking for help.
In fact, it's amongst the strongest things one can do.
Do you feel resistance to ask for help?
Do you fear disappointment by family members, friends, peers?
