Could Your Past Hold the Answer to Your Best Future?

Have you ever felt that you needed “more of you” in order to achieve that important project or fulfill that desired dream? Have you ever said to yourself, “If only I had more willpower, better self-esteem, more resilience, or more discipline I would be getting more out of life.”

Not long ago, I was having a coaching session with one of my clients. She gave me permission to share part of her story, but let’s call her Marie, a 37-year-old woman. She considered herself to be introverted and shy. She had a goal of having an online business that kept getting the #1 spot on her list of New Year’s resolutions, but, for some reason, kept getting pushed out to the next year, then the next and then the next. Has that happened to you?

When I asked why she had this goal, you could see her face glowing while answering, as if she, all of a sudden, forgot she was “shy.” The core of the conversation continued like this:

Edward: “What do you think is holding you back?”

Marie: “I don’t know … I guess I don’t I have what it takes.”

This was a major underestimation of herself. Marie is a very smart, talented woman with a great position in a big corporation. She graduated with a major in business administration and has studied and worked in internet marketing. She certainly has the skillset to propel her to online success.

Edward: “What has been the biggest challenge you have to face in your past?”

She went into a deep silence, took a deep breath…

Marie: “When I was eight, my father was an alcoholic. Whenever he got drunk, he would start beating my mom. He was a strong, 6’4”, 260-pound man. This used to happen two or three times a month. My mom did know how to defend herself.”

Edward: “How did you react?”

Marie: “Sometimes, I would go to a corner, covering my ears and closing my eyes, but most of the time, I would literally jump on his back, trying to make him stop or throw myself on top of her body as to take the abuse. Sometimes, he would stop.”

Edward: “You are amazing. Now that you are older, what qualities do you think you had to have when you were eight in order to confront the situation the way you did?”

Marie: “Resourcefulness.”

Edward: “How so?”

Marie: “I was only a child in front of this abusive giant. For me to jump between them or try to grab him and make him stop was an almost losing proposition, but I would not let go and kept yelling my lungs out.”

Edward: “…Yet, that belief did not keep you from trying. What other qualities did that 8-year-old have to have?”

Marie: “Fearless and risk-taking. Persistent. Resilient. Did not allow the size of the challenge to stop her from doing what she thought was the right thing to do.”

She was on a roll.

Edward: “Now that you realize that when you were eight, you were already a risk-taker, someone who stood up for what was the right thing to do, someone who jumped and took action in spite of a big challenge, someone who, against all odds, gave 100% of what she had, how can you use those qualities to help you create the online business you want?”

I saw Marie glow again.

Her business, which for four years was on paper, has already launched with a few different partnerships and is poised to be a success.

When you think about your past, what challenges have you successfully faced? It does not have to be as dramatic as Marie’s. Sometimes, the challenge may have been getting through college or buying your first house. Sometimes, the issue is not that we don’t have what we need, it’s that we forgot how powerful we are. While the answer to your best future is what you do in the present, what you do now is determined by who you think you are.

How you have faced challenges in your past might reveal the qualities you forgot you already possess. Use them and see yourself glow … again.

Get In-Powered!Edward A. Rodriguez is a coach, co-author and transformational trainer. He is founder and CEO of Better Graphics (a promotional products company) and In-Powerment! Center (an international training company for productivity and personal development). He is an NLP, HNLP, and neuro-strategy certified trainer. He has many certifications as a life and executive coach, serving clients in different countries. Edward has developed internationally known transformational programs and has co-authored books like La Biblia de la Motivación (The Bible About Motivation) and Empowered, which was co-written with other authors such as Wayne W. Dyer, John Assaraf (from the movie The Secret), Brian Tracy, etc. For more information, call 1-888-2-IN-POWER or write to info@EdwardRodriguez.com.