Finally… A Change

Well well well, last Saturday was the day I enrolled into ICA. The date: 06/21/2008

I have to tell you it took me a while to live up to my dream of being a life coach. For the past 2 years I’ve been struggling and struggling on the ‘idea’ of being one. And boy did I go through some major changes in life. Saying it was easy is most definitely an understatement.

Here’s a little background for the new-comers out there. In 2006 I heard of a man named Tony Robbins from a magician friend who I was helping out with a website at the time (a career I thought I was meant to do).  As we talked about the site he would casually spit out this mans name like a machine gun every 30 minutes. Saying things like, “He’s changed my life so much! You have to Google him tonight. Google Him!”

Being 20 I didn’t really much think about it as I was still going to The Art Institute here in Las Vegas. Well, a few days passed and so did the weeks. But somehow someway while I was channel surfing I came across an infomercial of Tony Robbins and his all-new Get The Edge Program. I listened and watched entranced by this mans words and passion. At that point I decided to take a look at his programs, his website, and his biography. I soaked it ALL in. Not letting one slip of advice and wisdom pass by. I took notes, upon notes, upon notes. I couldn’t get enough.

June 2006 was the first month I went to my first ever personal development seminar. I was with my girlfriend at the time who apparently was the one I thought I’d end up with for the rest of my life. But that story comes at a later time. Anyway, by the end of this seminar I said to myself, “I want to be like him, I want to help people like he does, I want to be a life coach.”

That’s how this journey started. Why it took me 2 years? Here’s the answer: Life

You see over the 2 years, a ton of dramatic losses and inconceivable personal wins kept me from reaching that goal. One set-back was the break-up of my girlfriend for 5 years. At 21 it was a devastating blow to my identity. I didn’t want to live. Everything around me felt worthless. I felt worthless. I lost who I was and wanted to be. I would keep saying to myself, “Ron, you’ve quit everything in life. Why stop now? You won’t amount to anything anyway.” For an entire year and a half I indulged in destructive habits. Ecstasy, alcohol, and cocaine were my go to buddies. Which forced me towards more depression, more sadness, and even more drug use. I’d like to say now that I was addicted to the emotion more than the drugs. I was addicted to the feeling of not feeling. I loss all control of wanting to be a life coach. I even got other life coaches to coach me, but only to drop out and go back to my regular habits of self-abuse and destruction.

2007 hits. Things seemed like it would be this way forever. It seemed forever. 2007 ends. I cried and took a long hard look at who I’ve become late one December evening. I filled myself up with so much hurt and pain that night I decided to move out of Vegas and back to Hawaii, where I was born. I spent the last $200 I had on my flight back home. My aunt ended up helping and giving me a place to stay in one of their open rooms. Things still didn’t get easy. It still was spiraling downhill. While I was there I couldn’t find a single job that would take me. Though I didn’t try too hard either. After about a month of confinement I began to crack, I wanted out. I wanted to go home (Vegas). I wanted to make something of myself. I wanted to not feel like I used to in Vegas. So for the rest of my remaining time there, I made it a point to relax. I made it a point to fill myself back up with the love and beauty of life. I remember waking up every morning and walking out on the patio and just watching the ocean and the sun dance together. I felt so blessed to be alive.

When I got back I decided I needed to change who I was. I needed to push forward instead of backwards. So I did. I started looking for a job that would support me, as well as go to ICA. I prayed and prayed to God that I would find a job that I loved to work at. A job that was aligned to my life’s values of love, passion, faith, and determination. I started reworking myself by relearning all the teachings and wisdom of my life’s experiences, NLP, and the teachings of other self-help superstars. I began to look for a job (something I didn’t have for a year) and within a month I landed a position at Borders Books and Music. And 5 months later here I am. This is the only work environment that I’ve found that has the secret mantra, “it’s okay to be me”. And that’s what I love about it. I enrich other peoples lives. And with the money I’m making there, it’s going straight to ICA. I’m proud of who I am now and what I’m growing into. I’m loving life. And am definitely influenced by life.

Influence Life.

~ by Coach Ron on June 26, 2008.