Letting Go of the Highlight Reel Life

I wouldn't know until later that the day I met "Greg" was the darkest of his life. It's a Friday, and he's my last appointment of the day. He is wearing tailored pants, handcrafted leather shoes, light cologne, and looks freshly shaven. His face doesn't show any of the despair that he later reports. What it comes down to is that his highlight reel life is killing him.

Greg isn't a trust fund baby. He works for everything he has, but his desire for luxury, pretty women, expensive travel, and fine food has him swimming in debt. He can't keep up appearances and doesn't know what he will do. He fears he will lose it all- the house, the girlfriend, everything.

After talking with Greg for a while, we discover that although Greg really does enjoy his life, he values stability and living worry-free more. Although he really likes pretty women, he prefers someone who can engage him in witty conversation more. So, his driving force for living such a splashy life wasn't his own desire, it was for the social media highlight reel.

A few authentic conversations helped Greg to make the following changes.

Sometimes you don't have to do years of therapy or coaching to create change. You just have to be courageous enough to speak your truth, then live it. Having support, a safe space, great friends, and a little courage can do wonders.