Episode 121: Finding Your Why: How to Break Free from Burnout and Build Meaningful Work with Dr. Eric Arzubi

Listen to Episode 121 with Dr. Eric Arzubi →

When Success Feels Empty

You've achieved everything society says brings happiness and fulfillment. Yet something important still feels missing from your life. You wonder if leaving success behind makes any sense. Could fear of regret be more powerful than fear of failure?

Imagine having a corner office on Wall Street by age 30. But feeling like something important was missing from your life. Despite outward success that everyone envies, internal emptiness persists daily.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Eric Arzubi, who had this exact experience despite his impressive financial success. Despite his success, he felt a deep pull toward something more meaningful than money and status could provide.

That pull eventually led him to leave finance behind completely. Become a psychiatrist and take on the challenge of transforming mental health care in Montana through innovative approaches. Through trauma-informed telehealth addressing real access gaps in care.

Dr. Arzubi shares his inspiring journey of walking away courageously from financial security to follow a calling. Revealing how the fear of lifelong regret ultimately outweighed the fear of change and starting over.

Through his story, you'll discover why the search for meaningful work can be driven by different emotions. And how creating "safe enough" spaces provides the foundation needed for career change without perfect conditions.

Whether you or someone you know is contemplating career change, this episode offers practical advice for recognizing whether your anxiety is a trauma response blocking you or a signal that it's time to move toward meaning.

The Wall Street Success Story

The opening quote captures "I was more afraid of regret than I was of failing at something new." This captures Dr. Arzubi's journey perfectly and powerfully.

The Wall Street success involved a corner office by age 30. Financial success and everything society says you should want achieved. Yet something missing from his life despite material abundance. Despite material abundance creating emptiness instead of expected fulfillment.

The missing piece involved despite outward success appearing complete externally, he felt a deep pull toward something more meaningful. This pull wouldn't stop no matter how he tried. Wouldn't stop pulling him toward different work and purpose.

Understanding the Biology of Trauma® reveals burnout's biological roots in the body. The pull toward meaning represents not just dissatisfaction with work. But actual pull toward different work, different purpose, different life. Different life aligned with deeper values and calling forward.

Leaving Security Behind

Leaving finance behind meant walking away from financial security completely. From status, from safety net to follow a calling. This takes courage that most people never find within themselves. Never find because fear of change outweighs everything else.

Becoming a psychiatrist required he went back to medical school. Trained in psychiatry and started completely over in a new career. In a new career at an age when others settled. When others settled into comfort and stopped risking anything.

The Montana challenge involves taking on transforming mental health care in Montana through trauma-informed telehealth addressing real gaps carefully. Addressing real gaps that leave rural populations without access. Without access to quality mental health care they desperately need.

Fear of regret was stronger than fear of failing completely. This is what motivated the change toward meaningful work. Regret was a scarier prospect than trying and not succeeding. Than trying and not succeeding at a new challenging career.

Understanding Your Fear

Regret versus failure differs because failure is trying and not succeeding at something you attempted courageously. Regret is never trying at all despite the pull. Never trying means regret lasts forever without resolution possible.

The different emotions driving search for meaningful work matter here. Not always positive excitement pulling you forward with energy. Sometimes regret, sometimes dread of what could be if unchanged. Of what could be if you ignore the calling.

Creating safe enough spaces means not perfectly safe but workable. But safe enough to make big changes without guarantees. Foundation for career transition that acknowledges realistic risks involved. That acknowledges realistic risks while still allowing movement forward.

How to know if fear is trauma or just healthy caution when facing change requires discernment. This distinction matters enormously for making good decisions moving forward.

Distinguishing Fear Types

Fear as trauma appears paralyzing and out of proportion. Out of proportion to actual risk involved in change. Rooted in past experiences, not present reality you're facing. Not present reality requiring appropriate assessment and preparation only.

Fear as caution remains proportional to risk you're taking. Motivates preparation, not paralysis preventing all movement forward completely. Responds to present reality, not past trauma stored deeply. Not past trauma creating exaggerated threat perception clouding judgment.

The distinction tools Dr. Arzubi shares help tell the difference between these two types of fear clearly. Practical assessment you can do yourself or with support. With support from people who understand nervous system responses.

Nervous system safety is key for successful career changes. Your nervous system must feel safe enough to risk change. To risk change without triggering survival mode blocking decisions. Biology blocks thoughtful decisions when survival mode activates fully.

Steps for Transitioning

Building safety first before making big changes matters significantly here. Build nervous system safety creating foundation for successful transition. This creates foundation before taking irreversible steps toward change. Toward change that cannot be undone if things go wrong.

Steps for transitioning into meaningful career Dr. Arzubi shares specifically. Specific steps he took that worked for his transition. That worked moving from finance to psychiatry successfully over time.

Step one involves acknowledging the pull toward something different. First step is acknowledging the pull without dismissing it. Don't dismiss it as midlife crisis or temporary dissatisfaction. As temporary dissatisfaction when it persists over months and years.

Step two means assessing fear type, determining if it's trauma fear or appropriate caution about real risks. This determines next steps you should take toward change. Toward change that honors both calling and legitimate concerns.

Building Meaningful Work

Step three requires creating enough safety in your nervous system to take reasonable risks forward. To take risks without triggering complete survival mode shutdown. Complete survival mode shutdown preventing any movement toward goals.

Step four involves starting small without quitting everything tomorrow impulsively. Start with small steps toward the new direction you're considering. Toward new direction testing waters before full commitment required. Before full commitment that cannot be reversed if wrong.

Step five means getting support because you can't do this alone. Find people who support your transition and your why. Your why guiding you toward meaningful work over security. Over security that brought emptiness despite material abundance achieved.

Breaking free from burnout requires changing the work itself fundamentally. Not just taking vacation or better self-care while continuing. The work itself must matter to your deeper values. Must matter, creating alignment between inner and outer life.

Navigating Pushback

The burnout context shows his Wall Street success came with a cost. Came with burnout because empty success creates this inevitably. Meaningful work prevents it by providing purpose beyond money. Beyond money and status society values most highly.

Navigating pushback happens when changing careers and implementing new ideas. Pushback happens from people threatened by your changes. How to navigate it without abandoning your calling matters.

The pushback reality includes people will question you and doubt. Doubt you and tell you it won't work succeeding. This is normal when you challenge the status quo around them, making them uncomfortable with their own choices.

The why connection shows when you know your why clearly, pushback can't stop you from moving toward it. Your purpose stronger than others' doubts about your decisions. About your decisions to leave security for meaning and purpose.

This Episode Is For: 

✓ People feeling successful but unfulfilled

✓ Anyone contemplating major career change

✓ Those struggling with burnout despite outward success

✓ People afraid of regret more than failure

✓ Anyone wondering if their fear is trauma or caution

✓ Practitioners interested in innovative care delivery

✓ Those supporting someone through career transition

✓ Anyone needing permission to leave success for meaning

What You'll Learn

Listen to hear Dr. Eric Arzubi's journey from Wall Street corner office to psychiatry driven by regret. Learning how to distinguish trauma-based fear from healthy caution wisely. Why nervous system safety is key for career changes succeeding. And practical steps for transitioning toward meaningful work while navigating pushback and building trauma-informed solutions to real problems.

Your fear of regret might be stronger than your fear of failure.

Listen to Episode 121 with Dr. Eric Arzubi →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

Join the Conversation

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?

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