Founder, Don McLaughlin, shares the story about how hemp-derived CBD and these powerful plant extracts helped pull himself from the pits of anxiety and depression to discovering a newfound purpose in life.
One of our core tenets at PurePower is that long-term success and happiness depends entirely on our giving our best to a mission greater than ourselves. But in order to give our best, we need to feel at our best.
The 2009 photo of me on the left might give the impression that I had it all together. That I was happy and feeling my best.
And for those who knew me then, perhaps I appeared as a successful lawyer and then founder of a successful consulting firm serving Fortune 500 clients. Again, like I had it all together. But the truth is that I was STRUGGLING, daily. At times, I was barely hanging on.
I worked constantly, and STRESSED about it even when I wasn’t. Like when I was on vacation with my family in beautiful places. I worried about it always, and often felt an overwhelming fear, mostly about what people would think about me if the business didn’t succeed. I BEAT MYSELF UP about all the mistakes I perceived I was making. I hated the business. I was MISERABLE.
This led to persistent ANXIETY and then, at times, paralyzing DEPRESSION. Waking up in the middle of the night worried about so many things. Walking around my office in circles, not knowing where or how to move forward, trapped in a downward spiral.
So I got on prescription anti-depressants, which helped for sure, but not without some side effects. I felt even more disconnected from myself, at times like a zombie. I used copious amounts of caffeine to boost me up and alcohol to slow me down. And for awhile it all seemed to be just fine, until suddenly it wasn’t.
I hit rock bottom 3 years later, in 2012, crumpled at 5am in a heap at on the bathroom floor of a luxurious hotel room. And as I looked in the bathroom mirror I vowed to fix whatever led me to that dark place, to become a better parent, husband and leader.
What I discovered over the next few hours COMPLETELY SHIFTED my life, and I immediately discovered a NEWFOUND PURPOSE. And that purpose was to surrender completely in SERVICE to a mission greater than myself, and give my best to that service. I also felt immense GRATITUDE, not for anything in particular but rather just the GIFT of LIFE. My MINDSET completely CHANGED.
I’m convinced the catalyst for these profound realizations and changes started with LOVING MYSELF completely, but not loving my personality or persona but instead whatever force was behind my personality, the force of life that beat my heart on its own that night when I hit rock bottom.
Suddenly I wanted to care for myself as much as I could so that I could give my best, as much as I could, back to life.
So I immediately started caring for myself in ways I’d been ignoring. Over the course of several months I overhauled my DIET, went mostly plant-based, lost 10 pounds, and began meditating consistently. I became more clear, and more present.
In the midst of this recovery, I discovered hemp oil-CBD when I read articles in the Denver Post about athletes using it to deal with stress, anxiety and sleep. I started taking it for the same reasons, CONSISTENTLY. I started to feel better almost immediately and then even more so over time.
Soon I began to EXERCISE regularly, intensely for short periods, preferably outdoors. My ENERGY soared. Out of nowhere, I started running long distances in the Colorado mountains, inspired by the story of Rich Roll’s mid-life turnaround. Eventually I became a 100M ultra endurance trail runner.
A big part of that was because I started to connect more deeply with NATURE during my runs. I also re-invested in RELATIONSHIPS with family and friends. I realized they needed me as much as I needed them, and how we all are so connected in the ways we suffer but each in our own way.
But it wasn’t always easy, and I’d often have to begin again (daily) and recommit to the new habits I was practicing.
Over time my anxiety and depression began to disappear, and I weaned myself off of the anti-depressants. I no longer needed caffeine to function, and stopped abusing alcohol. My life COMPLETELY SHIFTED, and I no longer worried all about me.
I realized that LIFE IS BEST LIVED in just giving our best to it and not worrying that it’s all about me. I realized it’s not about me or about any of us, it’s about our giving our BEST back to life in whatever ways life call us to do so.
And right now for me that call has led me to bring PurePower to the world, to share and spread a message about the miraculous power of plants to heal and the new habits that I adopted that turned my life around.
So if you’re struggling like I was, I hope my sharing helps. My highest recommendation is to LOVE YOURSELF and let go of everything your mind beats you up about.
Reach out to others. Take care of yourself, really. Go for long walks outside. Treat your body well (which I believe should include, for everyone, taking full spectrum hemp oil-CBD regularly).
Why? Because it does something magical over the long-term, and helps subtly make some BIG SHIFTS in health and well-being.
[If you want more about all of the science behind its magic, you can find it in my new book on Amazon, Plants, Performance and the Endocannabinoid System: 21st Century Sports Medicine.]
And through these big shifts I went from barely living to being FULLY ALIVE. Which has led me here, to bring PurePower to the world with the intent to support YOU on your journey to living FULLY ALIVE.
Will you join me?
Let me know how I can help.
We’re all in it together.
-Don McLaughlin
