Today we’d like to introduce you to Chas Allen.
Chas, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up among the lush landscapes and rolling green hills of Lexington, Kentucky. I was raised by my family and the community to be a “good boy from a good family”. I lived a charmed lifestyle in my early adolescence. The kind of upbringing that instilled values of knowing the difference between right and wrong, and to always say yes ma’am, yes sir, and address elders with a please and thank you with the warmth of southern hospitality and grace.
My life changed when I turned 18. In a matter of months, my life became clouded by the pain of death, loss, grief, and perceived betrayal from those I loved and trusted most. I found myself searching for meaning as I began transitioning into adulthood and coming up without any answers. I only found more pain, and my misguided struggles turned quickly into anger, and ultimately, destructive behavior.
The destructive behavior only escalated as I experienced the freedoms of the college lifestyle. Several friends during my freshman and sophomore years were planning a rare book and art heist valued at $12 million dollars. I reached a point in my life that I didn’t care what happened next. I just wanted everything to change. I didn’t care if we were caught, or got away with it. All I knew was that I wanted my life to be different. I agreed to drive the getaway car and take part in the heist. It was at the age of nineteen that I became a criminal.
Alongside three friends, I took part in a crime that has become known as the Transylvania Book Heist, stealing volumes of books and paintings including John James Audubon’s Birds of America and Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. After months of investigation, we were arrested by the FBI and each sentenced to 87 months in federal prison. While in prison, I dedicated my time to self-development and the pursuit of growth. It was within prison walls that I found the meaning that I had searched for as a child.
There, I was forced to take a long hard look at my actions and discover who I truly am. I grew up seeking perfection, but the more I learned about myself the more I understood that my flaws are also a part of who I am.
I am a person who has moments of weakness and strength, courage and cowardice, hope and despair, struggles and triumphs. I fully and completely accepted responsibility for my past actions and in doing so, I became free. The more I learned about myself and came into acceptance of who I am, I found forgiveness, and found a way to love the parts of myself that I once attempted to deny or believed wasn’t lovable. In time, I ultimately healed old wounds and found a passion for helping others achieve similar growth and healing of their own.
Now, I work with individual and group clients from all walks of life and around the world as a life coach offering guidance in mind-body-spirit transformation. I also founded the company WoRx Wellness along with a network of service providers and in the greater Los Angeles area offering yoga, group fitness, meditation, and psychology coaching for companies, corporations, and communities.
As a writer and public speaker, I strive to embody the message “embrace your story” with the hopes of positively impacting the lives I encounter. My story has recently been featured in the film American Animals, in theaters June 1. For the full story of my younger, more rebellious self, the book, Evolution: Becoming a Criminal, is now available for pre-order, or in-stores June 19th.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road I have traveled on my life’s journey has been the opposite of smooth. I have experienced extreme highs and profound lows on the spectrum of life. The depth of the lows experienced taught me how to expand even in times of contraction; to find love, gratitude, and appreciation, no matter the circumstance, even during times of pain. The highs have broadened my vision to further understand that our lives are only limited by the scope of our own imaginations.
The challenges I have faced taught me that we do not have to be defined by our past. We shape our future one choice at a time, every single moment, and every passing moment is another chance to turn it all around.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Chas Allen – what should we know?
I am an author, speaker, and life coach. My personal philosophy is to flow through life like water, benefiting all in my path.
I found a passion for writing that I never expected as a child. I was always business-minded growing up. It has become meaningful to me to share my truths, whether through writing my own books, co-authoring and helping other people share their stories, or speaking to an audience. Sure, it’s therapeutic to write, but beyond that, I believe when we share the story of who we are with others we open ourselves to authentic connection. When we connect with people through mutual understanding, we grow and we heal. That’s when we thrive.
As a coach, I have been honored to work with hundreds of incredible individuals from all walks of life, from all over the world. I support my clients based on their unique needs in any one, or all three categories of mind-body-spirit growth, healing, and personal development. My teaching style is a blend of multiple methods, studies, and philosophies, and is grounded by the depth of my personal life experience and exploration of self.
I operate a company called WoRx Wellness along with a network of skilled instructors and accounts managers to provide yoga, group fitness, meditation, and psychology coaching services to companies, corporations, and living communities looking to enhance company culture and uplift employees and residents throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I wouldn’t have maintained an outlook of positivity and growth through a fraction of my challenging life experiences without the unrelenting love and support of my family and closest friends. The measure of my gratitude for those who have always supported me is beyond words. If you’re reading this, you know who you are and I love you.
Pricing:
- Evolution: Becoming a Criminal available for pre-order $19.95 on amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Becoming-Criminal-Chas-Allen/dp/1628655380
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chasallen.com, www.worxwellness.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @chasallen
- Facebook: @officialchasallen
- Twitter: @chasallen
Image Credit:
JSquared Photography, Melissa Walsh
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