You have everything that you need for success as a coach—and it’s all right there within you already.
By Rev. Dr. Alexander Balla CMLC
It’s no secret and there’s nothing to be ashamed of in admitting it: All of us want something more out of life. A lot of us tend to keep our wants hidden from those around us for a multitude of reasons, but tightly bottling up our desire for a better life inside ourselves just isn’t healthy at all. In fact, it’s downright detrimental. We need to find a better way to move through this world in a manner that empowers us.
You’ve been called to achieve the dreams that you have locked away in your heart, to do the things that you feel called to do in this life, and to do the legacy work that’ll leave this world a better place than you found it. Again, there’s nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to saying, “I want more.” Wanting more out of this life means that you want to shine just a little more light into the darkness. It means that you want to be a beacon of light in what appears to be an otherwise gloomy world.
To do that, however, you need to acknowledge what you already have. You simply cannot allow yourself to get caught up in dwelling on what isn’t yours yet because flow follows focus. If you’re constantly thinking about what you don’t have, then you’re actually just meditating on lack. If you’re meditating on lack, whether through the laws of psychology or the spiritual laws that many have already come to regard as fact, then you’ll continue to call forth less and less goodness into your life.
You can identify with psychology’s Self-Fulfilling Prophecy or you can call it the Law of Attraction. What you call it really doesn’t matter because the end result is still the same. You’ll only ever move toward the things that you think about most often, and, if you’re moving yourself toward experiencing a more profound condition of lack, then that isn’t going to help you one bit. It isn’t going to help anyone else either. You, however, have been positioned for greatness. That’s what you need to meditate on. Don’t let this moment slip through your fingers just because you can’t quite see what you want just yet.
Maybe you want to start your own coaching practice. That’s great! Becoming a small business owner is a fantastic dream, and I believe in you! I know you can do it, and I know that you’re capable!
Sometimes, however, you need to look at exactly what you have and work with that first. You might be asking me, “Well, what can I do with what I have? I don’t have much to start off with.” That’s where I’m going to step up and tell you that you’re wrong. I’m sorry. I know that nobody wants to hear that they don’t have their facts straight. I know that nobody wants to be told that they’re incorrect. I know that nobody wants to be made aware that they’re not right. I, however, cannot allow you to indulge that sense of lack because you’re only going to find yourself sinking deeper and deeper into despair if that’s where you stay. Someone needs to tell you that you have everything that you need, and it’s all right there within you already.
Before you say, “Alex, that’s as cliche as it gets,” let me tell you what I mean. I don’t know who planted those seeds of negativity within your heart, but now is our chance to pull them up at the roots! You deserve better! You deserve to know what you’re really made of and what you’re capable of doing! First and foremost, you have your mind and your mind is one of the most powerful forces for good in the known universe. You can’t get around it, and I won’t let you. You’re a powerhouse of manifestation! With that same mind, you were able to complete your coaching training and, by the grace of something so much bigger than ourselves, you now have the credentials required to start making the world a better place.
Owning and running your own private practice may come, but if you start laying the foundational groundwork now, then you’ll be setting yourself up for success in the near future. If you can’t take what I just told you at face value, then take my testimony into account instead. You can use the knowledge that you’ve acquired through your training to start pushing yourself to greater and greater heights wherever you are right now, because that coaching skillset will take you well beyond starting a practice. There’s so much more to this than just that one outcome, and, if you start thinking outside of the box, then you’ll find that you’re already in a position to do great things with what you’ve learned. Allow me, if I may, to explain what I mean.
How it Works
The corporation that I currently work for has been moving toward a more people-centered approach to management. Those at higher levels well above my pay grade have recognized a tremendous need to dial back on disciplinary functions in a manner that gives way to strategies that’ll build people up, rather than tear them down. Obviously, there will always been a need in the workplace for certain types of disciplinary action, but we’re moving away from verbal warnings and write-ups for every little issue because it’s being proven that those are scare tactics—and scare tactics are highly ineffective. When I interviewed for the supervisory position that I’m working in now, I very boldly told them, “It sounds to me like your team needs a coach and, as fate would have it, that’s exactly what I am.” The rest, as they say, is history.
What I’m trying to tell you is that your training is worth a whole lot more than you might think, and, now that you’ve earned your certifications, there’s absolutely no reason for you to be dwelling on what you don’t have. Your education isn’t just something that you can put to good use as you start your practice. I’m sure that good break will come your way, but employers are scouring the résumés that they receive for all of the qualities that make for a good coach—and your certifications are proof positive that you already have what it takes. Beyond even that, your coursework counts for continuing education in the workplace, which is something that isn’t lost on prospective employers. In the meantime, while you grow your business venture, you might want to consider selling yourself as the top-tier manager that you already are, because all of that coaching know-how has you set up for success in leading teams.
When I took over leading the team that I’m in charge of today, I started building programs centered around the coaching modality. Now, almost a year later, those programs are thriving and I’m receiving the attention of my superiors in ways that I never would’ve dreamed possible even a year ago—but I had to think outside of the box in order to get where I am today. We’re talking about the bold moves that brought me out of working entry-level factory jobs in the field of manufacturing to becoming one of the top performers in security management—and a lot of that success started with recognizing the potential of my prior training in coaching.
Once the lightbulb lit up in my mind, I went from a struggling bi-vocational minister operating machinery in a shop that offered no upward mobility, to an overnight success story working in management for one of the largest security firms in the nation. I want the same for you, and, if we’re being honest, I want you to have even more than that. You’re capable of doing so much where you already are, especially if you work for a company that tends to promote from within. If that’s not the kind of company you work for, as it was in my situation, then I highly suggest that you start looking for companies that do have that mentality established within their culture, because you’re destined to do amazing and incredible things.
Here’s the bottom line: You need to use what you already have. There’s a phenomenal chance that, given what you’ve already accomplished through the work that brought you to your certifications, you may already be in the right place at the right time. The company that you’re working for now is probably looking for more than just another boss. They’re looking for genuine leaders and every outstanding leader is, with absolutely no exceptions, a fantastic coach. As you build your dreams and as you climb the ladder that leads to your success, remember not to give up on starting your own practice, because the experience that you gain putting what you know to use is going to be invaluable. It’s also going to lend even more credibility to your cause when you start advertising and taking on clients. When you can tell someone that you’re a certified coach and that you’ve used that knowledge to grow teams in a way that has made you a facilitator of success, that’s a real and tangible way to turn some heads, because then you’re more than just another coach with a certification.
Lots of people in this world have vast amounts of education, but when you can display a proven track recordof bringing individuals to the next level in their lives, that’s where the rubber meets the road and that’s what makes all the difference.
So, don’t give up! Your best days are still ahead of you, and, because of what you’ve learned through Transformation Academy and other programs you have completed, you can tell the world that you have an education that’s going to make you a rockstar manager! Don’t just stop there either because the outcome of my own success story isn’t your limitation. You can do more and take this even further than I already have. Use what’s in your possession right now while you get things in order, and that private practice will follow in the wake of the efforts that you put forth. Just remember, what you wind up doing in the interim might be even more rewarding than you anticipated.
You may even end up like me and decide to put that private practice on hold while you change the face of corporate America for the better one program at a time. Regardless of which path you take, know and understand that your options are boundless as a certified life coach and even the sky can’t limit you. Think outside of the box, grow yourself in new and exciting ways, admit that you want more out of life, make bold declarations in voicing your desires, and chase down your dreams with everything you already have. Do these things, and you’ll find yourself living a lifestyle of excellence that leads to standard of abundance in your work and in all of life’s adventures!
Bio
The Reverend Dr. Alexander Balla is a trained Spiritual Care Specialist with over a decade of experience in the fields of pastoral counseling and life coaching. After serving for 10 years in the fire service as an interior structural firefighter and an emergency services chaplain, he aimed his efforts toward military chaplaincy. Following his recruit training, he became the first commissioned active duty chaplain in over 150 years to serve in the Connecticut State Guard. After receiving an honorable discharge, he found himself working in security management, where he continues to apply his knowledge of positive psychology and success coaching to his work for the advancement of his team of security professionals. Contact him at: manifestmylife.loa@gmail.com.
