My Crazy Ride

Floating through the highest highs and lowest lows

Simone Gobbo
Aug 25, 2017 · 5 min read

I was laying on my sofa. Covered with a blanket above my head. I felt awful. I felt stressed. I felt anxious. I couldn’t understand what was the point in all of this.

I had started my own agency a couple of months before that afternoon. A couple of rocky months. Moments of ecstasy scrambled with fear, pride, sadness and anxiety.

I started my own business because my previous one imploded. The friendship that was base upon imploded too. I felt shattered in a million pieces. My life had been shaken from its foundations and I struggled to understand what I was facing.

Moments like this make you wonder why you don’t just apply for a job. You want the pain to go away. You want to be happy again.

But these moments go. They always go away.

I emerged from my blanket. I got to my desk. I opened my laptop and started working again.


Lonely, I am Mr. Lonely

Being on my own I realised that the hardest thing was working every day without a safety-net. All the issues start and have to finish with you. Nobody can give you a hand. You are the last line of defence between your business and total failure.

Getting used to that has been by far the hardest bit.

There’s nobody there to share your wins. Nobody there to alleviate the burden of a stressful situation. Nobody there to have a drink with once the daily battle has ended. And you survived.

Because you always survive. No matter how rough the day gets.

You get used to it. Slowly, but you do.

That sensation of being the last man standing is still there, though. A sensation of sheer pride or fear. Depending on the situation you’re facing.

You go from moments where you feel invincible. Where you feel alive and you love every bit of what your work entails. Other times you just can’t understand why you are doing this to yourself. Why did you pick the hard route? Why haven’t you chosen to be normal?

It’s a constant dance between these two contrasting emotions. A deadly tango between euphoria and depression. A sensual flirting with the joys of success. An honest disquisition with your deepest fears.


Ups And Downs. No Problem

Black and white. Light and dark. Success and failure.

All facets of one single entity. Sides of the same coin. All essential parts of the beautiful mess that we call life.

You see, reasoning by absolutes is the problem.

We look at the extremes and feel like they are the whole story. Life is not black and white. Life comprehends all sorts of grey shades. The sooner you get that, the sooner you can start reacting at what life throws your way.

Life has low moments. Life has happy moments. Life has all sorts of moments.

The mistake we make is to think that a state of absolute bliss is what a happy life looks like. No worries. No bad days. No moments where you want to give up. Where you feel you are close to breaking and you don’t think you can take it any longer.

That’s a lie.

Life is full of negative moments. You need to take them for what they are. Moments. Bad days. Uncomfortable situations. They are part of life and you cannot do anything about that. Your best chance is to look at these moments in a detached and distant way. Don’t give these moments too much attention and they will lose their importance.

When you start realising that having a bad day where you feel crap is normal you will start dealing with it. It will become another chore you will need to do that day. Deal with it.

If you need help, seek it. If it’s laziness, get over it. If it’s burnout, take a break.

Life will continue. The world outside won’t stop. Things will keep happening. Problems won’t just go away if you don’t deal with them. Life will progress, but it will never solve your problems for you. Do yourself a favour. Deal with what’s bothering you and get back to living your life to its fullest.


I still have highs and lows. Who doesn’t?

The past months taught me a harsh lesson. Life is made of electrifying moments. Life is made of tough moments. Life is made of everything in-between.

It’s all in how we look at them. How we approach them. We are the factor that can make the difference.

Savour the happy moments, because you know that the glee won’t last forever. At the same time face the difficult moment with pride, with courage, with rationality. They won’t last. You are strong enough to survive them. You need to find that fire inside you.

Life is how you deal with these absolutes, but it’s especially how you deal with everything in-between. Live every day. Make it special. Make it worth living.


A link to my last post. Would mean a lot if you gave this a read.


Thank you for your attention. If you liked what I had to say, hit the clap button or drop me a response, keep in touch following me. It would mean a lot.

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Simone Gobbo

Written by

Digital Strategy @ Shape + Letter.