How did people react to my change from lawyer to mindfulness coach … and the important lesson I learned from their reactions:
FIRST PHASE – The phase where I publicly announced that I was leaving the legal profession and starting with a coaching career.
The reactions of the people around me (the most common comments):
- He’s not normal.
- He’s leaving a reputable business he built for so long for this ‘new age’ nonsense.
- He must have gone crazy, or something strange has happened to him. It’s just a whim; he’ll give up quickly.
- I thought he had some common sense – at least he seemed to.
SECOND PHASE – The phase when coaching became my “main job.”
Reactions from the same people (the most common comments):
- How dare he charge money for his hobby!
- What idiots are paying him for it!
- He should be ashamed to charge money for something he enjoys!
- He’s cheating people with some ‘new age’ nonsense.
THIRD PHASE – I don’t know how to describe this phase in one sentence.
Reactions from the same people (the most common comments):
Hey, Tomislav, can I have a word with you? I need to do something about this unbearable stress. I need someone I trust and who has experience and understands things.
In short, most people think and behave like sheep. They follow the crowd and do what others do. If you are just starting your coaching practice and have similar experiences, pretend that you care what they think of your business choices; that way, they’ll leave you alone faster. But don’t give up on your dreams just because they think so!
