Ep. 77 "Achievements Matter More Than Relationships" - Chris Bolinger's False Narrative

Narrative Podcast

Chris Bolinger grew up in a high-achieving family with three accomplished older sisters and parents who modeled excellence in everything they did. As the youngest and only boy, he was somewhat spoiled but also inherited the family's drive for achievement and discipline. While this upbringing instilled many positive traits, it also led to two significant challenges: an excessive self-reliance that made him believe he was in control, and a tendency to value achievements over relationships. After a successful career in tech that culminated in selling his WiFi company for a substantial sum in his forties, Chris embarked on several ventures including investing in a Christian movie and starting a business to help small church leaders. Both ventures failed financially. During this period, his marriage of 26 years also ended, serving as a wake-up call that his approach to life needed to change. The turning point came when Chris joined a men's ministry program at his church that required a two-year commitment to meet weekly with a group of twelve men. Initially reluctant, this experience transformed his perspective on relationships, particularly with other men. He realized that instead of trying to "fix" relationships like problems to be solved, they needed to be invested in and nurtured. He also developed a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God beyond the transactional one he had maintained previously. Today, Chris lives between Florida and Ohio with his second wife, Libby, and focuses on intentionally building relationships through shared experiences like playing trivia, coaching high school tennis, and spending quality time with family. He's learned that while failure is inevitable, what matters most is not just getting back up, but understanding why you fell and using those experiences to help others facing similar challenges. His life now centers around the belief that relationships, not achievements, are what truly matter.