Each of us has another person hidden inside and eager to get out, an alter ego willing to take calculated risks in order to achieve a fuller and more rewarding life.

But most of us are too afraid to leave our comfort zones, so we refuse to let our alter egos surface, and continue to settle for mediocrity or "good enough, "when we could have so much more.

Most of us would rather sit on the couch night after night watching re-runs instead of taking the necessary steps to get ahead in life, such as going back to college for that advanced degree, or investing in personal development tapes or seminars.

It's totally up to each one of us to decide which type of person we want to be, and you have to answer that question for yourself. You're either satisfied with the status quo, or--to borrow an old Army slogan, "You want to be all that you can be."

Let me share a personal experience with you. There was a time in my life when I experienced severe financial difficulties, and during the winter I would have to walk very long distances in the cold without a coat. Most of the time I did not feel cold because I had become mentally conditioned not to feel cold and to being without a coat.

Then one day a concerned friend gave me an overcoat, and I was amazed at the warmth and comfort I felt. I had convinced myself that I was comfortable, until I felt the warmth provided by the overcoat.

Sometimes life is the same way. We choose to ignore the circumstances that limit our growth and development, and convince ourselves that we are satisfied, when in reality we are bursting at the seams to let our alter ego out of hiding.

One of the best ways to release your alter ego and to become all that you can be is to work with a life coach. Millions of people all over the world have found that working with a life coach allows them to find themselves and to reach their full potential.

"Life coaches are like personal trainers for the psyche, and their ranks are growing. Many Americans want their lives to go "from good to great," and they're looking to life coaches to get them there," said Carol Kauffman, assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School, and co-founder and director of Harvard's Coaching and Positive Psychology Initiative. (Source: Coaches Wanted In the Game of Life, by Eve Tahmincioglu - New York Times - January 13, 2008).

Coaches are trained to observe and listen in order to help their clients reach their goals and make significant life changes, both professionally and personally. And coaching is convenient too, because wherever you live in the world you can work with a coach by phone or online.

According to the International Coach Federation, "Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives."

The late Thomas Leonard, founder of Coach University, which has trained more than 11,000 coaches in 51 countries, noted technological advances and other societal changes have made life coaching more practical and necessary than it might have been in previous years.

Mr. Leonard said, "We are now at the stage of human, societal and technological development where each person has not just the possibility to reach his or her own potential, but the probability of doing so if he or she can access the right tools and create a nurturing and challenging personal and professional environment."

And employing a life coach should be considered an investment and not an expense, the same way getting an advanced degree or attending a professional training seminar in an investment in your career. Those who have benefited from working with a life coach indicate that the average cost of a life coach is returned many times over, so it's definitely a wise investment.

As a people, African Americans have a rich history of finding a way to survive, succeed, and excel. But are we missing the boat by not recognizing and embracing the benefits and the value of working with a life coach?

Commenting on the positive effects of coaching and the reluctance of many African American professionals to appreciate it, the Career Development feature article in the April 2000 issue of Black Enterprise magazine states, "...African Americans who often have few mentors and role models in corporate America are underutilizing a service that could make a difference in their career and business success."

Working with a life coach will help you accomplish your goals and achieve the success you deserve much faster. Even more importantly, life coaching will help you unleash the creative, dynamic and adventuresome person inside you that you must release in order to reach your full potential.

Don't miss the boat! Learn more about life coaching today.

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