How to see the bigger picture like a dog

Two years ago I went through a difficult period. I wrote about it here: five lessons I learned with my start-up. In all honestly, I did not think I would recover from the experience. Ill prepared and simply naive to the complexity of finding and working with different team members, I vowed never to go through that again.

But what did it mean for me? Well first of all, as hard as it was for me, it meant that I needed to take time off to heal. I felt I was trying to mend the broken pieces back together using soap. It was a slippery process and only led to more frustration and insecurity. The constant feeling of letting others down took over and I ended up letting myself down in the process. So I let go of everything and I mean everything. Without using distraction tactics to get by, I faced my fears and then things became even harder.

The hardest part was realising I was no longer the same person. Something changed in me. Like a snake shedding old skin for new, I was in denial of this change in me. I had a conversation with myself over and over again. "This was not my first side-hustle, nor was it only one that flopped due to a variety of reason". I had been down this road before, however it felt very different. This time it felt like I had consumed all of my energy into an idea and into building a platform and then making sure everyone knew about it. I was on a roll and went to places and meetings I would only have ever dreamed about many years ago. And yet, this defeat really shook me to my core. I changed. I started living a reclusive life. Social engagements became hard to realise. I knew I had hit rock-bottom when the thought of going to an appointment made me so anxious, that I cancelled just a few minutes before the meeting and lied "I'm so sorry, there has been an emergency..." Looking back, I believe that was not entirely a lie. It was an emergency. I was going down a path where I could not see the light, there was no happiness, there was not even a distraction. The emergency was that path needed to change.

But who would help me get off that path? I did not have the energy anymore nor the will. It got to the point that I did not feel the need to burden my friends or family with what I was going through. It was that isolation and recognition that I was the only person that needed to take myself out of this path. I needed to have a reason to first of all get out of the house. And that reason was not just to do the basic grocery shopping and take out the trash. No I needed a reason to get out in the world and start making connections again. That reason took the shape of a puppy called Lester. At just 2 months old I welcomed him to my home.

What was I thinking? You see, once he was in my home, the dread of taking care of a dog really sinked in. This was not like one of my other side hustles...of course not. Lester was here to stay. The anxiety got to me, but in a twist it was also exhilarating. Sure it was a distraction, but I gone through the hard part of being down a lonely path and now I was ready to the next phase. On our daily walks, Lester would get attention from children and adults alike. I in turn regained my confidence to face the world.

“Dogs see the bigger picture—everything as a whole, not broken pieces of glass that need fixing.—Madison”

― Pam Torres, Its not just a dog

And then one day it happened. I got this renewed energy and picked up my laptop and created what would become my new side-hustle. As I continue to nurture and let it grow organically, I realise that it is taking me on a journey. No matter what I face, I am looking forward to failures, because it in itself does not lead to broken pieces. Now taking the bigger picture approach side-hustle failures are not paths, they are in fact like warning signs most often strategically positioned along my path. There to shake me, reminding to not stop and pick up the broken pieces but instead to keep moving, but make necessary adjustments so that I can reach my destination.

So the next time you see me with a new pet, just know that whatever just happened was a formidable fail.