Resilience

Anonymous Forge Ahead Brigade Member • October 26, 2021

Overcoming the climb...

Hey Mike, I wanted to take a minute to thank you for inviting me to the event. I honestly did not know what Forge Ahead was about and just went to the event to support your new venture not even knowing what it was, however…it really got to me, and I really felt as if I was meant to be there.

Let me tell you why...

Late 2018 I was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer, which spread out, and caused me to have a serious operation and multiple treatments. I felt beat up and bad from the medication and all I had been through for basically all of 2019. I was finally gaining strength beginning in 2020 and then COVID hits the world…my company tanked overnight, and we lost 95 percent of our sales immediately. We have worldwide about 300 families depending on us, countless sleepless nights in 2020 were spent trying to save my company and be there for my family as well as the families we support. Long story short, I could not stop, too many people depend on us, but with the cancer, the heavy medication, the corona virus, and trying to save the company…it became a little much…and stress comes out in strange ways.

I developed social anxiety and was not able to have a conversation on zoom, or speak publicly, which I did prior to all of this all the time. It felt like my heart was beating 180 mph and I started to sweat like crazy. I went to a life/speech coach and she worked with me and gave me tools to deal with it, but very strange how anxiety all of a sudden takes control.

Slowly I am learning to speak in groups again, but step by step…who would know right, funny. Anyway, I support your group and will be there for the next event as well.
September 13, 2023
September 2023 Update
August 7, 2023
August 2023 Update
Share by: