Coaching
Lessons From A Feline
By Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia
You may have watched the series Breaking Bad , where a fictional character the chief protagonist Walter Hartwell White Senior was a chemist who discovered he had a terminal disease . He decided to use his skills in chemistry to manufacture drugs , which he then commercialized , in order to provide for his family .
The Walter White I want to tell you about is actually a cat . The vet says he is about 5 years old . He seems to have had a rough life . When he walked through the door , his ears were bleeding , his front paw was broken , he was limping and he was so skinny , you could see his rib cage . His fur was matted , he had wounds from fighting and he looked defeated .
Now I appreciate not all of us love pets , and I can ’ t say I would have ever described myself as a cat person either , and cats and marketing ? But as you know , if you follow this column , one can learn from different sources . So let me tell you about the lessons we learnt from Walter White .
Our first reaction was to shoo him away . He sat there looking at us pitifully , almost willing us to help him . We gave him something to eat . He ate it so fast , it was clear he hadn ’ t had a decent meal in a while . He would limp away , and limp back to us as he tried to figure out if he could trust us .
# Lesson 1
Don ’ t ever give up . Your will to live , your will to succeed can carry you over life ’ s challenges .
He needed a name . His fur is white , with grey patches and a grey tail . He hasn ’ t a mean bone in his body , and he certainly is no drug dealer . But we saw beyond that , we saw a kind hearted soul and Walter White it was .
# Lesson 2
Choosing a brand name can be simple or can be complex . Don ’ t overthink it .
Walter ’ s eye was not looking good . And then there was his fractured paw . He needed to see a vet . The vet said he needed surgery to fix the fracture . It was way beyond the budget . Walter was miserable at the vet ’ s clinic so we brought him
Cats are honest , authentic , and independent . Perhaps leaders might want to take a leaf out of these characteristics . And did you know that a cat ’ s purr is therapeutic ? Research has shown that a cat ’ s purr can lessen the level of stress in a human and help with healing . home . He was scared , shivering in fear and looked out of sorts . We tried to pet him and gave him time to feel comfortable again .
# Lesson 3
Sometimes life has scary moments but love and support will always keep you going .
Every day , Walter would lie in a corner , barely eating . He looked sad , depressed . His eye was still bothering him , it looked like it was oozing blood . When he did get up , we noticed something . The paw that was fractured seemed to be in a healing state , he was able to put pressure on it and use it while walking . His fur started growing back .
# Lesson 4
We can all benefit from a stop and reset break . Burn out is real . Doing nothing , can help you heal both mentally and physically .
We have a few other cats that have decided to adopt us . They chose to be with us and spend time with us . We are in a mutually beneficial relationship , where we take care of their basic needs and they shower us with appreciation and love . And most importantly , trust . The cats know , without fear of contradiction , they will get the help they need . And it is an instinct , not through data .
# Lesson 5
Trust is the foundation of any relationship whether it is employment , friendship or a personal one . Data may help you dear marketer to make informed decisions ,
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