In this episode of The Alchemy Podcast, host Doug Cartwright dives deep into the emotional realities behind high-performance living. 

As an executive mindset and transformational coach, Doug reflects on patterns he sees in his one-on-one coaching sessions specifically, the mistaken belief that success will eliminate emotional discomfort.

Doug unpacks powerful metaphors and practical tools to help you increase your emotional capacity, embrace unpleasant emotions, and access what he calls your natural state: calm, confident, and clear. If you've ever wondered why you still feel anxious even when things are going well, this episode is for you.

Doug shares hard-won lessons from personal development, coaching, and lived experience, giving you frameworks to stop fighting your inner world and instead create space to thrive in it.

Timestamps of Key Moments:

0:06 – Doug introduces the recurring emotional challenge among high performers

0:07 – Doug shares client story: success doesn’t eliminate anxiety

0:08 – Redefining emotions: Not good/bad, but pleasant/unpleasant

0:09 – Quote: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”

0:11 – Doug’s inner boardroom metaphor for emotional capacity

0:12 – Turning your emotional boardroom into a football stadium

0:14 – The roommates metaphor: learning to live with discomfort

0:17 – Doug explains emotional surrender and the 90-second release

0:20 – Triple C: Calm, Confident, Clear – your ideal state

0:23 – Why decision-making fails in emotional discomfort

0:26 – Life won’t unfold as planned – learn to regulate yourself

0:30 – Bring your best self – emotional regulation impacts everything

Follow Doug:

• IG: @doug_cartwright
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