The Courage to be Seen: Transforming Pain into Purpose

Craig Stanland
4 min readApr 23, 2024

“Man, I’ve never seen anyone present with such raw, naked vulnerability.”

It’s only thirty seconds after delivering a talk in downtown Brooklyn, and I’m a little caught off guard and humbled. I just laid bare my past: prison, loss, suicide ideation, and the path I took back to myself.

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Craig Stanland

I write about my journey from corporate success to federal prison and finding joy, mission, meaning, and fulfillment beyond professional and financial success.