High Achievers Rethink Success and Identity
On April Fool's Day 2019, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. 💣
On that real-life nightmare day, these words from Dr. Park, Memorial Sloan Kettering ER doctor, changed everything.
"You come to MSK to be cured."
Cancer both stops everything completely and races it forward all at once. In a suspended moment, your whole life - past, present, and the future you had planned - collapses into a single point.
In the days that followed, as I began aggressive chemotherapy while in the hospital for 36 nights (the first time), I realized something profound.
The story I had been telling myself about success…
…about what mattered
…about who I was allowed to be…
Was just that: a story.
It was a story I'd been following diligently, never questioning whether I was the one who had written it or if I was following the script of expectations - from others, my industry, and society.
Before my diagnosis, success looked like what it does to many high-achievers: advancement, recognition, achievement and powering through.
Add in hyper-vigilance and hyper-responsibility, nurtured from an early age (washing dishes at age 11 at the local pizza place), often taking care of myself alone, I now understand...
It was a recipe for failure. Failing myself.
Running on a treadmill at max incline, out of breath, charging ahead was my normal.
Telling myself: "It'll be better when..."If I could just hit the goal..." "Once I achieve this next milestone..."
Cancer forces you to confront the most fundamental question:
What actually matters?
When I was diagnosed with AML, I had lost sight of who I was becoming.
I had accomplished so much yet felt out of alignment.
I felt something was missing—that I was meant for more.
The question "Who am I becoming?" is a full semester personal development course in 4 words.
One question that when answered from curiosity and desire can create whole life transformation.
This question isn't just about where you are or what you're doing—it's about your life trajectory, values, growth, and the person you're evolving into.
Unlike "Who am I?" which focuses on present identity, "Who am I becoming?" asks you to look ahead, to shape your future self.
It's a foundational question of being.
It answers the direction of your personal growth, creating a process of evaluation—whether you're aligned with your values and dreams or drifting into autopilot or external expectations.
It provides a decision filter, helping you make choices today in pursuit of your future.
It reveals whether you are satisfied with your progress.
It sets in motion the required habits, thoughts, and actions to shape your future self.
It recognizes that we are works in progress, always in a state of "becoming" rather than simply "being."
It acknowledges that identity isn't fixed but constantly evolving.
“The future isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you rehearse.”
Our greatest transformations often emerge from our darkest moments. The journey taught me that we don't have to wait for a crisis to reimagine who we're becoming.
Today, I help others navigate this powerful question with the same urgency and clarity I found during my own transformation. Together, we'll clarify your future vision and deepest desires, challenge the roadblocks you give yourself, and design the path to who you're truly meant to become.
No "someday" thinking—just intentional growth aligned with what truly matters.
Ready to stop following someone else's script and author your becoming?
Don't wait for your wake-up call. Make today the day you put in the call for yourself.
Let's create your future, now.
Simply contact me, and we'll book a discovery call to begin your journey of becoming.
