jeff.halevy

Confession: I've been doing drugs, like Schedule 1 totally illegal drugs. Yes, really. (And that's why I've barely been posting to IG.) - While Nancy Regan decided back in the 80's that this particular drug I have been using -- MDMA (also "Molly" or "Ecstasy") -- needs to be classed in a category that means it has no therapeutic value -- I will need to disagree. - Not only based on my recent experience with this drug -- or as I prefer to call it, medicine (administered by a trained professional) -- but the experience of many who also have suffered from #PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), which is a condition affecting #mentalhealth caused by experiencing a terrifying event. - (And let's face it, for most of us have encountered at least one of these events, whether it was on a battlefield or not -- serious illness, family trauma, and emotional or physical abuse are just some examples.) - For years I barricaded myself in a fortress of machismo and numbness, which was originally fortified through the use of unequivocally non-therapeutic drugs. And later, post-rehab, through sheer denial and displacement: "success," "strength," "willpower"...the list does on...and each item deserves quotes for good reason -- none of it was real. (Uh-oh, if we "succeed" for reasons other than those generated by the true self, is it a recipe for disaster? I will bite my tongue, but just take a look at the headlines.) - Now I find myself focusing on what is real. And while I am still in a blissfully scary place figuring it all out, it has made it incredibly challenging to find the "right" content to post to Instagram, land of the happy, strong and successful. Right? 🙂 - But that's just it -- and I do not want to pile on with social media's detractors (there certainly is some good) -- the landscape of social media is inherently illusory, if not deceptive. Deceptive not only to others, but more importantly, to ourselves. And what's worse, is that it conditions us to further bury ourselves in trenches of superficiality and denial. Maybe more so graves than trenches, as this outward display of a false self only kills the true, authentic self -- and if we are breathing, [cont.]

jeff.halevy

This sounds weird...but failing at business is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! 👏 — For the last several years I have volunteered to mentor Minority & Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) mentees for @sbagov. — Today was the kickoff of another season and I am PSYCHED. — Every season I get to teach, guide and lead businesses in this program to $1,000,000 and more. My main method of teaching? Highlighting my MANY, MANY failures! Seriously. 😂 — When you f*ck up you have two options: go cry about it and make sure it never happens again...by never trying — this works 100% of the time by the way 👎 — OR consider it “tuition” and learn how to hurtle forward wiser and farther the next time. I choose the latter. 😎 — Most of the time, I make this lesson #1 for my mentees, because fear of failure is paralyzing. And to #berelentless you need to keep moving! — If you’re in #NYC and are a female or minority #businessowner or #entrepreneur, sign up for this free program on the NYC.gov website! — If you’re lucky, you just might get me telling you about all of my royal screw-ups! 😜