Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the blockbuster film Back to the Future. This film, along with the television show Family Ties, helped establish Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly) as a household name, and forever burned into the minds of a generation the images of a DeLorean sports car and a wild (in both personality and hair) Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd. The intriguing aspect of this story line is that our actions, however small can have a significant impact on the course of our future. As the story goes, Marty is accidentally sent back in time to 1955 before his parents started dating. Marty’s presence there all of a sudden causes his mom to fall in love with him. Marty then has to work hard to bring his parents together and get them to fall in love, in order to preserve his own life and future. After Marty’s time in the past, and his manipulation of some key scenes in his parents courtship, his future is radically different. Whereas his father was a pushover before, he now is a successful author. His mom, who was an overweight alcoholic, is now fit, and sober. His siblings, too, have changed from being students on the fringe to becoming popular and successful.
This kind of change is possible with anyone, though not in the fictitious way presented in this story. Altering the course of your life, bringing confidence, and success where they were lacking, and providing direction are all part of what coaching is about. As a Life Coach, I can’t take you back in time to change your “present future”, but we can start today to radically change your not-too-distant future. The lives of your kids and your grand kids could be at stake based on the choices you make today!