#179 He Learned Not To Feel to Survive … But it Cost Him Joy Too with Omar Figueroa

For seven years, Omar nursed his mother through a terminal illness, and he did it the only way he knew how. Compartmentalize. Keep going. Don't feel it. That was the rule he'd been raised on since he was a kid, machismo, you're a man, you don't feel, you don't do this, you don't do that. It worked. He got through it. What he didn't expect was that the same rule would still be running years later, long after there was anything left to survive. He noticed it at his own kids' graduation, a moment that should have brought him joy and instead brought him nothing at all. This is what happens when the tools that helped a person survive something real never get put down once the danger is gone. They don't know the difference between a funeral and a graduation. They just keep doing what they were built to do, which is keep everything out. If you've ever built the life you said you wanted and felt strangely disconnected from it once you got there, this is usually why. Here's where it shows up in his story: 🔹 What his mother did with a belt that taught him a lesson he never forgot 🔹 What happened in him, or didn't happen, the day his own kids graduated 🔹 Why a clip of him nearly breaking down on someone else's podcast got 7,000 views in one day 🔹 The line he uses now to explain why what once protected him started working against him He didn't lose his ability to feel joy. He traded it away to survive something else, and never traded it back.   About Luis Omar: Luis Omar Figueroa is the founder of HGRN Lending and HGRN Real Estate, where he has personally funded nearly half a billion dollars in loans and sold tens of millions of dollars in property across New York. He’s not a figurehead — he’s an owner-operator who sits at the decision-making table and executes. Born and raised in the Bronx and educated at NYU, Luis blends institutional knowledge with street-earned instincts. He built his businesses on discipline, positioning, and relationships — not shortcuts. A marketing strategist by nature, he understands that attention is currency and leverage is everything. Luis doesn’t just close transactions — he builds infrastructure, develops people, and plays the long game. His focus is legacy, leadership, and performance at a high level — in business and in life.   Connect with Luis Omar: Website askluisomar.com  Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/askluisomarfigueroa/  Instagram handle: askluisomar  Twitter: askluisomar LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/askluisomar Appointment Link https://motiapp.com/profile/askluisomar     Connect with Genea Weekly Be the Wolf Call (no cost) – Wednesdays, 7:00 AM PST / 10:00 AM EST https://be-the-wolf.kit.com/freedom Register & learn more about Be the Wolf In-Person Events https://bethewolfnow.com/events Website https://bethewolfnow.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/geneabarnes/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bethewolfnow LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/genea-barnes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@geneabarnes