Four hospital stays. One pattern.

Last month, I coached four leaders from four corners of the world.

Different industries. Different ages. Different stories.

One shared outcome: each spent days in the hospital after stress from their work pushed their bodies past the breaking point.

Two were crushed by toxic clients. Two by toxic jobs.

Each told me a variation of the same thing: "I thought I could handle it. I thought I was irreplaceable."

Their bodies disagreed.

I've seen this up close. My mom died of oral cancer in 2013. She hadn't smoked in over 30 years. I believe her cancer grew because she felt powerless to speak up about a boss and a workplace she hated. She used to say, "I wish I could give him a piece of my mind."

That lesson sits heavy with me.

Every moment you spend in a situation that harms you steals from your life. Your energy. Your family. Your joy. No amount of money makes that trade worth it.

There's a saying: "The man with his health has a thousand wishes. The man without his health has only one."

We act like tomorrow is promised. But nothing is. Not your job. Not your spot on the team. Not even waking up the next day.

Companies replace you in days. Sometimes hours. But your family, your body, your spirit? Those are yours alone. Irreplaceable.

I used to brag about my pain tolerance. How much I could take without cracking. Looking back, what I called strength was really just surrendering my life to someone else's agenda.

Workaholism is the only addiction we celebrate. It's time we call it what it is.

Here's what I've seen after coaching 250+ leaders over the last 18 months: When they work in alignment with their gifts and protect their boundaries, their health returns. Their families thrive. Their businesses grow.

Your standard for what you tolerate sets the tone for your life and your legacy.

What would shift if you stopped treating yourself as replaceable?

Marissa

P.S. If something in you recognizes this pattern (and you're ready to interrupt it before your body does it for you) I have a few advisor calls open this month. In 45 minutes, we'll name what's costing you the most and map your first move toward something sustainable. Book yours here.