Reflections from my 25th MBA Reunion

Last weekend, I attended my 25th MBA reunion (virtual). You might know me only as your fun and energetic yoga & wellness coach, so it might be worth explaining that I used to live a high-stressed corporate life. It's the kind of life you would expect from an Ivy League graduate, with a heavy focus on advancing my career, career titles, and compensation.

During my reunion last weekend, I heard from some amazingly successful classmates: CEOs, executives, and company founders who sold their businesses for large sums.

I also sadly learned that nine of my classmates have already passed away. While sad, at 1% of my class of 780, that number is probably "normal" for our 50-60 age group. But what shook me to the core was one particular name on that list: I will call him Tom here (to preserve his privacy); RIP 2015.

Tom was one of my friends in business school. He met his future wife at Wharton and I attended their wedding right after our graduation in 1996. They were such a fun couple. Their wedding was one of those go-all-night events that ended with breakfast the next morning!

The last time I saw Tom and his wife was about ten years ago when I visited them in London (where they permanently lived). We gradually lost touch over time, as happens so often when our lives get busy. Now Tom is no longer with us. Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) took him at the young age of 47.

Throughout the reunion weekend, I heard more stories from fellow classmates who have been inflicted by significant health issues. The word cancer came up frequently. It made me wonder to what extent immune systems weakened by high-stress lifestyles might have made some of us more vulnerable to these health issues.

As we know from science, stress puts our bodies into fight-or-flight mode, which releases stress hormones into our bodies. When we stay in this fight-or-flight mode for long periods, the stress hormones inhibit our immune systems, which eventually results in illness and disease. Stress (physical, chemical, and emotional) can ultimately lead to serious diseases.

I was near-burnout in my late 30s after spending 15 years in a super-stressed career in investment management. I felt the pressures of it daily. I drove myself super-hard and rarely made time for self-care. By the age of 39, I was overweight, suffered from chronic back pain, and didn't sleep well.

I knew something had to change. I went seeking answers and started my transformation into a more balanced life that now also includes teaching yoga and wellness. I have passed up compensation and fancy job titles as part of that transformation, but I have gained so much more in return!

Why am I telling you all this? Because we all might need a wake-up call. If you still measure success in terms of job title and compensation, I encourage you to think about better measures for success. These measures will be individual to you, but they might include having free time to pursue your hobbies, having healthy relationships, your mental and physical health, etc.

If you have all the money in the world, but you are burning yourself out in the process of creating that wealth, is it worth it?

If you're ready to focus more on your physical and mental well-being and want to learn more about my services, check out my website [click here].

Best,

Christine

Wellness & Yoga with Christine

Inspiring you to bring wellness into your life and providing you with the tools to do so.​​

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