“Achievement has always been a drug for me. Maybe it’s because...

“Achievement has always been a drug for me. Maybe it’s because I was a middle child and would do anything for recognition. I remember being a child and sitting at the piano for hours, with tennis balls under my hands, trying to get the right finger positions. Or trying to memorize more songs than my older sister. I got pregnant in college and gave birth to my son during my sophomore year. I was an unwed mother. I didn’t want to be a statistic. I wanted to achieve something. I wanted to prove that I could succeed and raise a great kid. I graduated on time. I was so proud of myself. I never accepted any help from anyone. I went into sales and I threw myself into work. Every time I reached a goal, it was like a drug. There was a sense of euphoria every time I hit my numbers. For the last few years, I’ve been working sixty to eighty hours a week. I led a sales team of thirty people. But my company got acquired and three weeks ago I got laid off. And I’m thinking that maybe it’s time to take a pause. For my whole life, it’s just been me and my child. And he turned out great. I’ve laid a strong foundation. I think it’s time to finally realize that things will be OK.”