What Is the Cloud?

Yes, this is somewhat of a long story, but I promise it will be worth the read whether you contribute or not. In fact, telling the story is part of the mission behind this entire project. So please, read on.

Origination of the “Cloud”

Dissolve The Cloud originated in February 2015, inspired by a delightful woman who was a Life Coach, a Therapist, a hospice volunteer, and someone who touched the lives of thousands of people. Having known this woman for only two hours over the course of three weeks, she taught me how to “let it go” and not let things bother me.

It was an odd experience to wake up the next morning and simply not care. That doesn’t mean “not care” as in giving up, but instead not internalizing the things around us that we can’t change.

I was dealing with a magnitude of stress at work and decided to reach out to our Employee Assistance Program. There is no shame in using it if you have one. You’re not alone. In that first hour-long session, she didn’t even let me talk about work. She immediately went into “life coaching” mode and taught me how to cope with stress, shift my mindset, and reframe things. Some of what she said made sense immediately; some of it confused me until I reflected on it later.

That night, I watched a movie she recommended. For the first 15 minutes I thought, “Why did this strange woman recommend this strange movie?” But afterward, things began to click. Once I attached something tangible to the message, the Cloud was born. Actually, “Dissolve The Cloud” was born, because “Kill The Cloud” was too violent and “Punch The Cloud” wasn’t even possible. But clouds dissolve.

I soon realized that the Cloud was always there—actually two clouds. The first is that little black cloud that hovers over your head. We all have it. The second is the environment around you. In my case, it was a toxic workplace. I imagined it as a poisonous green aura cloud moving through the building. Whenever it got too close, it zapped me into a bad mood.

The next day at work, I could practically see this cloud drifting around as people arrived. I watched, listened, and learned. Somehow, I didn’t let anything bother me that entire day. After several days, coworkers noticed I looked less stressed. I shared the story with them. One coworker predicted it would last two weeks at most. A month later he admitted he was now “dissolving the cloud” too.

So what does it mean to dissolve a cloud? It’s simple, but it requires a mindset shift. When you back away from the poisonous green aura cloud, you’re left with only your small black cloud. That black cloud begins to dissolve. As more and more people step away from the green cloud, it starts dissolving too.

Just like real clouds, they return—but each time they get smaller and have less power over you.

Tragedy Strikes

You may have noticed I said this “was” a delightful woman. She tragically passed away less than a month after my last session with her. I had emailed her a couple weeks earlier and hadn’t heard back, but she was always extremely busy, so I didn’t think anything of it.

While looking up an obituary for someone else, I found hers instead. I was stunned and devastated. Despite only knowing her for two hours total, she changed my life forever. There was no way I wouldn’t attend her wake.

When I arrived, police officers were directing traffic. The line to pay respects stretched out the door and around the building. Inside, there were likely over a thousand people. I eventually reached her husband, who asked how I knew his wife. I told him she had counseled me for two hours and changed my life. He was astonished that someone she barely knew waited in line that long.

At the wake, people were reluctant to discuss the cause of death. It was initially believed she committed suicide. Later, those who truly knew her refused to accept that. The more likely explanation was exhaustion. She was known to fall asleep at work from how busy she always was.

The belief is that she pulled into her garage after a long, exhausting day, closed the door, and unintentionally fell asleep with the engine running. As heartbreaking as it is, this explanation makes sense.

The moral is this: if someone so strong, loving, and committed to helping others can fall victim to exhaustion, it can happen to anyone. You must take care of yourself. You must put yourself first sometimes.

What’s Next?

I vowed to keep Dissolve The Cloud alive in her memory. Out of respect for her family, I haven’t mentioned her name. The healing process is long, and they deserve their privacy.

In the meantime, I’ve subscribed to a service that helps me find helpful content about coping, mindset, and emotional resilience. I post them regularly. Additionally, please consider purchasing “Happiness Today!” which helps support Dissolve The Cloud and its future.