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What if the thing you can’t control becomes the reason you double down on the thing you can?
Gary was born with Spina Bifida and been a wheelchair user most of his life. On paper, he did everything right: degree, 30-year career in IT, stability, the life most people chase.
But purpose doesn’t live on paper.
At 45, he asked: “Is this it?”
He gave up alcohol in 2018, unlocked energy and clarity he’d never felt before, and by 2023 had left corporate behind to become a full-time coach.
Now he helps people in midlife rebuild self-trust, shift habits, and discover it’s never too late to change.
In this episode, we dive into:
🟧 Why self-belief started at home, with parents who never treated him differently
🟧 The hidden cost of 30 years in corporate (and why security can be a trap)
🟧 Giving up alcohol → energy + clarity → a new chapter
🟧 Why “burn the boats” is the worst advice for most people🟧 Awareness → action → acknowledgement: the real system for rebuilding self-trust
🟧 Why ordinary days well-lived matter more than chasing peak moments
🟧 The lie of “I’m an all-or-nothing person” — and how to flip it
Whether you’re 25, 45, or 65 — this one’s proof that reinvention doesn’t have an expiry date.
Follow Gary:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachgaryallen/https://thelifedesigner.substack.com/
Follow Caolan:
https://www.instagram.com/kelly_caolan/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/caolankelly55/