3 most important things I've learnt in the past 90 days

I posted this up on my personal Facebook profile page a couple of days ago and thought this was something I'd like to personally share with you too.

3 most important things I've learnt in the past 90 days

🌟 It's okay to ask for help

🌟 Before you can lead others, you must lead yourself

🌟 Surround yourself with people that are proactive

These times have been tougher for some than others and for me, it made me question my whole entire existence.

About 9 weeks ago, these thoughts were doing laps in my mind:
Why do I bother even caring? What is it all for when we're just doomed? Nothing is going to make a difference anyway. I'm a failure, someone smart would never have put themselves in this situation.

I felt shame. I felt fearful. I felt depressed.

There were days where I just wanted to stay in bed and not attend to anything. I could have easily kept on doing that.

To describe how I felt, I guess I'd say that I felt the weight of the world's suffering come down on me. Perhaps I was being too sensitive or perhaps this was the only way I could come to terms that the world I once knew, was gone.

This is real heavy stuff...and for a moment I could empathise how we as humans, can feel so burdened with life that it's hard to see a way out.

 Life is too hard. How are we expected to stay strong all the time? I'm too f*cking exhausted.
In this moment of spiralling thoughts, I caught myself and I decided to ask for help - professional help.

I am so glad I did.

Our minds are incredible and extraordinary. One moment we can be inspired, motivated and see all the beauty in the world. The next we can be down on ourselves and feeling deep heavy sadness, sometimes with no reason at all.

I wanted to share this with you because a stranger that followed me on social media once told a good friend of mine that "Sheryl seems so put together and she's so successful at whatever she does". I was so shocked when I heard that and I felt like a complete fraud. It was so far from the truth that I muttered, "F*ck, that's not me at all".

Social media does a good job hiding all the low-light moments.

I experience setbacks, disappointments, shame, guilt, anger, resentment and failures just like everyone else - maybe even more than the average. But it's not a comparison game.

Knowing that others experience these feelings and have a similar experience like you're going through now, it's like a light switch in a dark room.

You feel less lonely because you're not alone.

You are not crazy, you are not weird, you are not on your own.

There is hope. There is always hope. Human civilisation has survived this long because of hope.

~

Today, I feel so much stronger. I feel inspired. I feel the sunshine once again.

Winston Churchill once said "Don't waste a good crisis" meaning that this is the time where we can push ourselves to grow. Be proactive. Find this as an opportunity to do things differently.

If you HATED your job or career, take this time to connect with what you love.

If you HATED being stuck in traffic going to and from work, find other ways to not go back to that life.

If you had to completely pivot your business, use this time to re-engineer your entire company.

Quit all the things that don't matter in your life and don't feel guilty for it.

Spend time with people that matter.

Forge deeper connections to those you've realised have had a huge impact on your life.

The Universe/God has given you a rare gift which is the gift of life.
 

Stay Peachy,

Sheryl Thai, CEO
League of Extraordinary Women

If you're feeling down and can't shake it - talk to someone. A trusted friend or person. Below are two free resources available.

Lifeline (Australia): 13-11-14 is a confidential telephone crisis support service available 24/7 from a landline, payphone or mobile.

Beyond Blue (Australia): 1-300-22-4636 OR chat online between 3 pm & 12 am 7 days a week.
 

Thank you to SmartCompany for the opportunity to share my story on this topic.