Sad & Furious

What do you think are the two most suppressed emotions I see in my practice coaching top-level entrepreneurs and high-achievers?

Exactly: Sadness and anger.?

It’s as if there was an unspoken law, a "rule" that these emotions at all costs must be avoided, pushed down, neglected and not felt.?

I mean, I've met hard-nosed female CEOs who never, ever look sad. On the flip side, some are sugar and spice outside but a ticking time bomb inside.

Now, I get that in the high-stakes and fast-paced world my clients live in, raw emotions are a taboo. ¨

But the irony? Repressing these fiery emotions is damn exhausting. Think about it: "de-pressed." It's like pushing down on a lid to keep a jack-in-the-box from springing out. Ever seen a hydraulic trash compressor? It’s a bit like that. A lot of power to press something down - that doesn't magically disappear. It just gets more condensed. And later much more difficult to pull apart again.

Imagine the force it takes to do that!

But what if, instead of playing whack-a-mole with your feelings, you channelled that energy toward your goals? Picture a fire hose blasting water without any control — it's wild. Direct it right, and it’s a game-changer. (Hint: Apply this metaphor to your daily grind. You’re welcome.)

The very energy that propels many to success is the same that throws them into burnout. Shitty deal, right? When things go south, traditional remedies just send them to zen retreats where they colour mandalas and are supposed to talk about their problems and get some rest. The problem is, they CAN'T just "switch off."

Emotions — they're raw, primal, and tied to our very survival. It astounds me how many folks are clueless about navigating their own feelings. It’s like they've mapped the entire Amazon but are scared of their backyard. (The very same people then slide into my DMs, stressed about "overthinking everything and constant worry")

For most of my clients, confronting sadness or letting their real anger play out feels riskier than doing a bungee jump off a cliff.

The dance between emotional conditioning and past traumas is genuinely captivating. Somewhere down the line, many of us absorbed this idea: showing anger or sadness might upset mum or dad. Naturally, none of us wanted that. After all, making them proud and earning their smiles meant the world. It also seemed like our ticket to unconditional love. (so much for 'unconditional.')

You don’t need a string of degrees to get this: Every person, without exception, hungers for love, especially the affection of their parents. Desperate to keep that love intact, we begin this art of emotional camouflage. We mask our true selves, especially if we’re feeling down or cross at any given moment.

This is where our genuine selves begin to fade. Fast forward a few decades, and you encounter successful high-achievers, who have everything yet feel utterly adrift, lonely and empty.

They're disconnected from their core, layered in a maze of self-imposed moulds and expectations.

Here's the silver lining: Address this right, without having to spend years on a therapist's couch, and the emotional storm can pass. I've seen my clients transform swiftly. If more movers and shakers got this, it’d be a game-changer for them, their business and everyone in their orbit.

It's my mission to bridge the gap. It’s not just the hippies in baggy trousers who can tune into their feelings. The ambitious folks can too, all while making a dent in the universe. It's entirely possible to be genuine, deeply connected, and still chase those big dreams and dollars.

If that resonates, I’m here to back you up.

And please forward this to someone who needs to hear this.

Johannes