Colin Sprake describes admitting his anxiety and struggles to a stranger, then his family, which shifted how he saw himself. He argues that hiding problems keeps you stuck and that being raw and real with people who matter is how you actually get help.
The first time I ever admitted out loud that I was struggling was to a stranger. That was really interesting for me. And you know what? So many things were happening in my life. There were so many things going right, but yet there were so many challenges at the same time. And I was going through these challenges and I just needed to speak to someone. I sat down with a stranger and told them all the stuff that was going on. And that also at the same time that I was suffering from severe anxiety that wasn't supporting me and not helping me on this journey. And it was really probably the best thing I ever did because when there's no stake in the game for them, they'll be honest with you. I'll probably be just open, kind, loving, friendly towards you, as opposed to doing that with family. And what the nice part was, once I divulged this to a stranger, it gave me permission to go back and to speak to family. And they gave me the confidence to let them know what was going on. And that definitely made a big shift in who I am, in what I do, and how I do things. Because at the end of the day, being raw, real, and vulnerable are probably my favorite 3 words in the world that I use now in all businesses. I don't care about being fake. I don't care about fake it till you make it or being false. That's not who I want to be. So So think about this for yourself. Are you being raw, real, and vulnerable with your key people in your business? Are you being raw, real, and vulnerable with your family and friends? Because guess what? When you are, people can definitely help you. When you live a facade, the advice you get does not help you.
