This is Episode 18 of the VulnerABLE Podcast!From being severely bullied for being empathetic, to an addiction to praise his upbringing was anything but easy. It took him years to find his place in life, but now he helps others find theirs!Starting at a very young age my next guest was bullied, but for the strangest reason, the fact that he was empathetic. He had more relationships with adults, teachers and coaches, rather than kids his own age. This lead to him becoming addicted to praise at a young age, as it made him feel accepted by others. He would continuously try and do the right thing, even if he wasn’t sure why he was doing it. It wasn’t until the 8th grade that he’d begin feeling like he fit in, and that was due to him joining the football team. He was far from the best player, but would work as hard as he could to get better. In high school he joined just about every activity he could, hoping that he’d find his place to fit in. Well into his twenties he would continue trying to find acceptance and it would lead to him straying from his values. Making him miserable on the inside, and wearing a mask of happiness and success to anyone looking at his life from the outside. Then when he hit 30 he’d do the unimaginable and attempt suicide because he couldn’t even recognize himself anymore. Being saved by music, the one thing he’d always loved would begin the transition to becoming the strong, incredible human being we see in front of us today. Learning that he could overcome just about anything that came his way at this point, he began a 9 year journey to building the life he was meant to live. Now he’s a coach who’s helping others transform their lives through their story, and align their lives with their values. Teaching them to pull lessons from what they’ve endured and how to transform their work from a hobby to a meaningful career.For more information on Matt Gagnon you can follow him on social media or visit his website:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgagnon1/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.gagnon2Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifestorycoaching/Website: https://lifestorycoaching.net/
