It was a number of years ago, that I felt lead to stop by an auto body shop. The shop was located in the next town over – just a random shop that I’d never been to before. It was about 9:30 in the morning. I, simply, knocked on the door, and asked to see the owner.
He said “My name is Joe, I’m the owner, how can I help?”
I said “Joe, I’ve got a crazy request. Do you have an old, beat-up rearview mirror that I could have?” He laughed and said, “That is crazy!” He then said, “If you don’t mind me asking…what are you going to use it for?”
I said, “I meet with some guys that are trying to get their life back on track. Life has been tough on them; many have made poor decisions. But you know what? The past continues to haunt them. Joe, they’ve driven their life into the ditch so many times. And sometimes they drag their family through it. Joe, I was fortunate enough to get drafted into the NFL. And as a running back, I had experienced fumbling, dropping the football…not good. But I knew I needed to learn from my mistake, and then move on – to not dwell.”
Joe then said, “Greg, stop! stop! Come into my office”
So I followed Joe to his office, where he asked that I close the door behind me. I asked him what was going on and he said, “That’s me too…I am also stuck in the past…all the guilt and shame.”
I asked, “Does it feel like a backpack full of bricks?”
Joe responded, “Oh yes. You know it does.”
I said, “Joe, it doesn’t need to be that way. The rearview mirror is meant for reflection, NOT DWELLING. Let it go! Don’t be a prisoner of your past, it’s meant to be a lesson, not a life sentence. You’ve got a massive windshield of opportunity in front of you. Let it go…move on.”
Joe all of a sudden rushed out of his office, up the ladder to the loft. Down he came with a box full of rearview mirrors. He said, “Greg, reach in there and grab any one you want.” He grabbed one and said, “How about this one? Look how beat up this one is!”
I said, “Joe, that’s the perfect one…thank you so much!” He responded, “Greg, go get these guys freed-up.”
My name is Greg Amsler, owner of IMC Company, and Tip Master for the LeTip of Carmel Chapter. In addition to running my business, for the past 10 years, I have been mentoring and coaching individuals that have troubled pasts or complicated circumstances. Sometimes the guys I meet with feel like “damaged goods” or “unemployable.” These guys were not seeing the potential they have because they are too busy focusing on the past, focused on what life and circumstances had been and not looking through the larger windshield of opportunity before them.
As for Joe, I went back to visit him, just three years ago. I knocked on the door once again. There was Joe with a big smile, like I was a dear friend. He said, “I remember you!” I said “Joe, I just want to thank you. I have continued to meet with these men on a regular basis, and after all these years, over 400 guys have touched this mirror, and have been freed up from their past.” I, then, thanked Joe for being an important part of their restoration story.
Seeing men get their lives back on track, being reunited with their families, is a gamechanger. So much so, I started a non-profit, Coaching Good, to help even more men reach their full potential. At Coaching Good, I simply come along side these men, mentoring, and coaching them on a regular basis. Giving them the support and direction so they can gain the life skills they need to launch meaningful careers, so they can move forward in life and make a positive impact in their home, neighborhoods, and their local communities. To learn more about Coaching Good, please check out the link below or give me a call directly: www.coachinggood.org
All those years ago, I would have never guessed back then how the “rearview mirror” would become such an important tool and a reminder to stay focused on the large windshield in front of you, while briefly looking back, learning from mistakes, and moving on. Leave the past where it belongs, in the past.
-Greg Amsler
LeTip of Carmel, CA
The IMC Company
