Closing 2017 With A Personal Story… A Year Ago I was Depressed
As 2017 closes, it is an excellent time to reflect on the past year. I find value in recounting the year’s wins and losses.
A year ago I was floundering on an emotional level. I had just returned from a trip from Ireland to spend time with my coaches at a 4-day business seminar. In spite inspiration for my business, my spirits were low. I was in the pits.
My best friend, who was like my sister, had just died. Our friendship began in 1987 in Los Angeles, California. We were kindred spirits in every way. We were young, motivated and ready to take on the world. For seven years we met each week to work on our goals. We made each other accountable for our aspirations.
Eventually, we both moved from Los Angeles. My friend Catherine moved to Las Vegas to be with her ailing mother. I moved to Florida, where my parents and grandparents and great-grandparents came from. Catherine and I still vacationed, stayed in touch and always had a listening ear for each other.
I was not prepared when she called and said, “I am home from my doctor’s office, and it’s not so good. I have cancer.” I was aware that my friend was alone in Los Angeles to be near Cedar Sinai Hospital. When she called, I could hear her pain, her hopelessness and that there was no one there with her.
I kept hoping it would get better. I had a business to run, a household to manage, two family pets and I was in the midst of a personal family crisis. My grandson who I love dearly was having a severe emotional breakdown after he had flunked out of a private college in Winter Park, Florida.
Once my grandson was settled and back home with his parents, I knew I had to go to California to help my friend. There were so many details to arrange.
I figured I could at least run my business from California and only stay a month (I ended up staying two months).
I had no idea of the amount of work and stress would be required to walk with my sister to her death. I am no stranger to loss; I lost my younger brother 10 years ago and my mom 42 years ago very suddenly. But the stress of being there caused me to break out in shingles.
My friend was young, beautiful and had so much to live for and many goals yet to accomplish. But no matter this was her end of story.
I struggled to make sense of it all. I have devoted my life helping close to a thousand individuals to rise-up from loss and depression. It is an everyday occasion to help my clients with business and personal setbacks.
Yet, I could not find a single reason to wake up each morning. I who had overcome deep depression decades ago sunk into a deep depression.
I dragged myself up each morning and showed up as we all do. I knew that I had to find a reason bigger than me.
One morning I came up with the idea to create the Lawyer of the Week. I reasoned Lawyer of the Week would:
a. Put a positive spin on lawyers
b. Humanize lawyers (bust the myths)
c. Allow attorneys and solicitors all over the world to inform each other about what they are doing.
Lawyer of the Week took the focus off of me and my pain. Of course, my heart healed, my business recovered, and we just completed our Episode 26.
We will return in January 2018 with Brian Cuban, our guest who is the brother of Mark Cuban. Brian’s brother Mark is the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, co-owner of 2929 Entertainment. He is also the chairman of AXS TV. He is also one of the leading “shark” investors on the ABC reality television series, Shark Tank.
Brian will share his pain his story and his recovery.
