•  Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura  ché la diritta via era smarrita…

Midway in our life’s journey, I went astray

from the straight road and woke to find myself

alone in a dark wood.

- Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy (John Ciardi, translator)

Chapter 1 Our hero sees the summit

"Nailed it!” 

CW fist pumped as the door to the board room closed behind him. The CEO’s executive assistant saw the gesture and gave him a thumbs up. 

He'd known that the report would be well-received. The numbers for his division were up and to the right. The new project was ahead of schedule, under budget, and was already generating positive cash flow. But he had a bigger agenda. He wanted to set a vision for how much more his division could do for the company. CW also had a longer play in mind. 

The only surprise was when the board had applauded at the end. The directors were financially driven, and famously sparing of compliments. He'd never heard of them affirming an executive like that.

At the cocktail hour after the board meeting, the CEO took him off to the side. “CW, I couldn’t be more proud of you. We have given you increasingly difficult assignments. You’ve always met or exceeded our expectations. This project you just completed is the most important assignment we’ve handed you—it will determine the future of our company. I knew you would do well. What I didn’t expect was how masterful your board presentation would be. Our chairman blurted out to the whole group after you left, ‘Put him on your list of potential successors.’ 

 “CW, you know I can’t promise that you will have my job. If you keep this up, I don’t know anyone inside or outside the firm who could lead the company any better.”

 But something is about to go terribly wrong.

  Chapter 2 Our hero falls into a dark crevasse 

Four weeks later CW is sitting in his executive coach’s office. He's haggard, has lost weight, hasn’t been taking care of his health or appearance.

Dr Virgil asks, “What’s troubling you, CW? Why did you need this ‘emergency’ session? When you called me after the board meeting last month I’ve never heard a greater tone of triumph in your voice.”

“My world has fallen apart. I can’t sleep. I’m drinking too much.”

  “Has something gone wrong at work?”

“No, if anything, they see me as more successful. The key competitor to my division had a major recall. And, in the meantime, the government mandated that all the suppliers in our space must have a solution like ours. Sales have exploded in the last few weeks. Our stock is up 8% just based on my business unit.”

“Then why are you here?”

 “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I don’t understand it. I should be on top of the world. But, and I know this sounds extreme—and don’t worry, I won’t do it—I keep fantasizing about taking a handful of pills and going to sleep and never waking up. 

 “I’m in hell.

“Please help me.”

Dr Virgil looks at him with compassion. Instructs him to stand up and do some deep breathing. He pours CW a glass of water. And says,

“You know my methodology. You’ve practiced it many times here in my office and on your own. Let’s start by going back to an early time in your life. A time when you felt the opposite of the way you feel today. A memory of heaven."

As you read this ask yourself:

- What's gone wrong in CW's life? 
- Why has he gone from heaven to hell in four weeks? Especially given all the professional success he's experienced lately. 
- What early memory of "heaven" will come to his mind? How old will he be in that memory?
- Do I identify with CW? In what ways?