.

    Saturday, May 31, 2008

    Life

    These past few months since I started blogging have helped me a great deal in dealing with some of my own insecurities. I have shared with the readers of this blog my fears, my phobias and insecurities. One of my original intentions of starting a blog was to share my experiences; I spoke with so many people that shared their lives with me, so I wanted a venue where I could share my experience with others. My other goal was to show other people dealing with similar life issues that they were not alone, and even people like myself that appear to be confident from the inside out also have demons they confront daily.

    I’m an open book – I’m not one to hide who I am, I like to live in reality. Sometimes reality hurts, and sometimes it brings JOY. I was raised to hide everything from the outside world for the fear of embarrassing the family. I guess Freud was correct, too much of one thing and not enough of the other, (Maladaptive/Malignant) could have the opposite effect. This explains why I become all that much more determined to accomplish something when somebody tells me that I have no business doing it in the first place.

    My journey on my life path is different and unique, just like each of your life path are unique to you. My journey is one that is forever learning, challenging and growing, from each situation I encounter--always challenging myself to new heights. Along the way I will learn new skills and experience new thrills.

    Challenge your fears, your beliefs, your self-imposed limitations, and understand where they come from. Journal your thoughts and ask yourself the questions, and in time you will begin to learn and grow again.

    As Paulo Coelho writes in his new book:"...Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'" I found Paulo through Jenny Thanks Jenny – Awesome Find!

    Happy Saturday!

    Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto
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    Friday, May 30, 2008

    Childhood Dream

    A long, long time ago, when I was a young boy I dreamed that one day I would be an actor. I remember reading the classifieds every Sunday in the Toronto Sun, "Extra Extra,” Extras Wanted Now," "Casting Call Children 8 to 12," "Models Wanted." Then one Sunday afternoon I decided to pick up the telephone and call one of the ads, I was only eight years old.

    My parents are from Italy and immigrated to Canada, so English is not their first language. I dialed one of the agencies number and a lady answered the call when she realized there was a child at the other end of the line. She asked to speak with my parents, I informed the lady that my parents did not speak English and that I would need to translate the discussion. The lady was very pleasant and provided me with the information related to the ad including the address, and an interview date. I hung-up the telephone and walked over to my parents, they were sitting in the living room. In Italian I explained that I had called one of the ads in the newspaper because they were looking for children to act on TV. I told my parents that I setup an interview with an agency, showed them the time and date, and that the lady on the telephone wanted to see them too. Long story short, my father did take me to the agency on the day of my interview.

    My parents not being fluent in English and me, only eight years old, we did not realize we were being sold nothing more than modeling and acting lessons. The casting director as she called herself, sales person to me, convinced my dad to enroll me into lessons, plus buy photos for my portfolio. Twelve months later, I graduated. Over the next few years I auditioned for a few one-liners, I was in about three or four modeling shows mostly in shopping malls, and a dozen movies as an extra. After six years I gave up--I left my childhood dream behind, thinking there was no chance on earth I would ever make it

    FAST FORWARD EIGHTEEN YEARS

    Have you ever played the game: I wonder, wonder why? I do... Last week I wrote about one of my insecurities. I wrote about my phobia of TV Cameras. The mere thought of being in front of a TV Camera paralyzed me. My stomach sunk, my hands would turn into puddles, and I would experience this overwhelming feeling of anxiety--feeling each heart beat as it pounds on my chest. Some of you could relate to the feeling, including the feeling of an elephant sitting on your chest.

    The mind is truly a powerful piece of equipment, locking and unlocking memories for a person to see the truth, but only when they are ready to accept what ever it is and move on.

    Looking back, maybe my childhood dream wasn’t about becoming an actor. Perhaps the dream was lacking in passion, and without passion, there is no dream.

    TO BE CONTINUED

    Life Coach Toronto
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    Thursday, May 29, 2008

    Confidence

    What is it? Where does it come from? Is everyone confident? Is a person confident at everything?

    Challenges, obstacles, and other day-to-day conflicts, often time play a big role in a person's confidence. Any number of situations arises through out the day that challenges a person's confidence. Whether they accept the challenge or decline it, all depends on how confident they are in their ability to successfully complete the challenge, if they are not confident in their ability to succeed, the self-talk begins: I can't do this--this is too hard--I don't know how to--why me, someone else could do this better--if I fail, then everyone will know. Does this sound familiar? Then of course anxiety kicks-in, but that is a different topic.

    Perhaps a person is confident in one area of their life and not so much in another, does that make a person less confident? Take for example me, I am a confident person. I enjoy meeting new people, I take on new challenges that I've never worked on before, but I do not have confidence to sit in front of a TV. Camera (not that I'm going to let that stop me). So maybe I'm not a confident person...

    Not too long ago I witness a young lady my age stand on top of a medicine ball, balancing her with ease. I believed I had what it took to also stand on top of a medicine ball, I had confidence. Lets just say my confidence is now shot; I won't be climbing onto any medicine balls anytime soon. If you are thinking that I wiped out, you are correct. I not only wiped out, I fell flat on my back. I was in pain for a number of days. I now have no confidence in my abilities to ever stand on top of a medicine ball.

    In my eyes, confidence is not just one thing; it's everything, everything we don't even know we are doing. Turn your focus to what you know you can do and let other people do the things you are not so confidant doing. If you have a burning desire to do something because you feel it’s your dream and feel you lack the confidence, then here are four steps to building confidence:

    • Practice
    • Fake it to you make it
    • Learn by your mistakes
    • Love yourself no matter what

    Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto
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    Wednesday, May 28, 2008

    Almond Biscotti

    Something is definitely happening to me. I cannot for the life of me think or write. I have no thoughts. I mean I could still think and function, but everything is at a stand still. This is the same state I go into when I meditate. Total stillness, I could see and hear everything with clarity, but no thoughts, so I leave you with my Biscotti Recipe.

    ALMOND BISCOTTI RECIPE

    3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    1/3 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature soft
    3 large eggs
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    1 tablespoon lemon zest
    2 tablespoon Amaretto Liquor
    1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
    1 large egg white

    Preparation

    Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Mix sugar, soft butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and Amaretto in large bowl until smooth. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until combined. Mix in almonds with wooden spoon.
    Divide dough in half. Using ice cold hands, shape each dough half into long log, covering the size of the baking sheet, spacing both logs apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.

    Bake logs until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool logs about 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
    Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake for about 8 minutes. Transfer and cool.
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    Tuesday, May 27, 2008

    Anxiety

    Most of you know that I read every morning. I read material related to anxiety, depression, fears, phobias, and awareness, and anything else that interests me. Sometimes I write about it, sometimes I don't. This morning I started to write about Anxiety and the various levels of anxiety that lead to disorders such as panic attacks and phobias and then I stopped...I hit a wall as soon as I finished writing the first paragraph--Writers block in full effect and I'm not even a writer.

    Often times when I hit a wall, or become stumped on what to write, its mostly due to not being able experience the specific issue, the emotion that I want to write about. I like to share my own personal experience to what I write and this morning when I started writing about anxiety, a topic that not so long ago I could write about daily-- this morning I did not experience the same feelings, emotions as I once did about anxiety.

    Are all my fears and insecurities, which triggered my anxiety gone?

    Here are some of the symptoms of anxiety:

    • Shortness of breath
    • Dizzy/faint
    • Trembling/shaking
    • Sweating
    • Nausea
    • A feeling of disconnected from your body
    • Cold sweats
    • Chest pain
    • Fear of losing control
    • Fear of dying

    I don't know if all my fears are gone, but it sure does feel like they are...One of the techniques I often practice with my clients is a breathing and awareness technique that I developed. Based on what I've read, the best method to reduce anxiety in a persons day-to-day life is through breathing and awareness techniques. Becoming aware of one's surroundings and tuning out the noise.

    Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto
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    Monday, May 26, 2008

    Day Off

    Another weekend has come and gone, and just like last week I took Friday for myself. I thought about baking Biscotti’s first thing Friday morning, but to make Biscotti’s on a Friday morning is dangerous for me. I’ve been known to eat a few dozen Biscotti’s fresh out of the oven. Any other cookie I could eat it or leave it, but Biscotti’s… Yeah right! Easy come easy go. So I decided not to bake biscotti’s, instead I decided to buy one with my Latte later in the day, and went to the gym.

    To and from the gym I went, got back took a shower, put clothing on, and off to the hair salon I went. The hair salon is the third most relaxing place I like to go. Before I had long hair, I would go to the hair salon every three weeks, now that my hair is a bit longer, they don’t want to see me for seven weeks. Did I mention they give scalp massages…It’s my favorite part of getting a haircut. After my haircut I stopped at Starbcucks for a Venti Non-Fat Latte, before heading home. Sammy arrived just before one in the afternoon for my one hour Shiatsu Massage. When Sammy was finished, I locked my front door and crawled back into bed for my afternoon nap.

    Today is catch-up day.

    Have an awesome day!
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    Thursday, May 22, 2008

    Create

    It has been exactly two years since I left my career at one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. I was at the top of my game when I left. I was negotiating multi million dollar contracts, earning a great paycheck, racking up my air miles and I was only thirty. My closest friends, except for one, thought I was out of my mind to even think about leaving my career to start a business with no promises, just a dream and hope.

    I spent many lonely nights sitting in a hotel room, working all hours of the night and into the wee early hours of the morning. But many nights were also spent dreaming of a better life. A life in which I would create something for myself. Deep down in my soul, I could feel that there was more, I just wasn't quite sure how to get there. Then one day my business partner said that it was time and that she was going to resign from her job so she can start the business we'd been talking about for several years. That's when I resigned from my career too and I started down a new path, a path in which I would create the type of life I was going to live from that moment on.

    My business partner and I both resigned our posts with no income, two mortgages, two cars, two insurance policies, and two sets of expenses from credit cards to house hold expenses and no job. The week that we resigned from our careers, we landed a consulting contract, followed by a second and a third. We had enough revenue flowing to pay our expenses and to create our new pet company, hero+destiny. We hired a designer, we flew to India so we can source manufacturing, and at one point we even entertained new outside partners. (That was a mistake) live and learn. Needless to say we made a few mistakes along the way that put us back, but not enough to make us quit.

    Along the way, something else happened to me - with no distraction from the outside world, or as I call it, noise, my focus started to shift, literally overnight. On March 25, 2007 something spectacular happened to me, something I will never forget. Maybe one day I will write about it, but on March 26th, 2007 I was no longer the same person. My purpose was crystal clear from that day onward--to help others create the life they dream of.

    Life two years later is truly grand! Over the past two years I have learned so much, more than I could have ever have learned working at a major pharmaceutical company with a title and a nice paycheck. No amount of money could pay for what I have learned in a short two years.

    The biggest lesson I learned on my journey thus far: When a person has full control of their life, they begin to create the life they could only dream of.

    CREATE: bring (something) into existence; cause (something) to happen as a result of one's actions;

    Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto
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    Wednesday, May 21, 2008

    Insecure

    When I first started this blog a few months ago, the name I picked was, "A Dreamers Mind." I'm a pisces baby and a huge dreamer. I spent the first 30 years of my life dreaming of the life I knew I could have. At age 31, I finally decided that it was time for me to do something about my dreams.

    In less than two years, myself and my business partner, successfully launched a consulting company, a Life Coaching business with an Online Interactive Journaling website that is 100% safe, secure and private, it's not a blog. And coming this summer, hero+destiny, our new pet company. We have a black board filled with new ideas that we plan on taking to market some day.

    Sometimes the ideas are over the top and require lots of capital to start-up, and other times the ideas are as simple as can be, and I like to give them away to other entrepreneurial people that are interested in creating their own thing. (I have two ideas right now if anyone wants them)

    That was one of the reasons why I started this blog the other reason was to talk about anything, with no sensors, and no editing. I know I am not a good writer, my grammar has never been my strong point and my brain processes thoughts with a start and a finish, often times forgetting the middle, assuming that everyone will know what the middle part is. This is not always the case--actually, it's never the case unless you are a mind reader. I know this about myself, as do most of the people around me. We joke about it, "Bruno is having his own conversation again." LOL I thought long and hard about leaving comments on other blogs, because I know what I think and what I type are not always the same. But I decided to go ahead anyway, because how I write and what I say, with no sensors or editing is who I am.

    Then the blog evolved to more of a life coaching toronto blog (Sorry for throwing in Toronto, it's a keyword for the coaching website that yields good results) and I started to talk about the various topics I study and work on. I also shared my own personal fears and phobias from public speaking, to crossing bridges, conquering one fear only to have a new one show up. I thought I knew the root cause of my fears, so I created a game out of conquering fears/phobias. The other day I left a comment on another person's blog, after I hit the submit bottom, I wanted to change my comment. That is when I realized that my comment didn't need to be deleted, that it was ok because, what I wrote and how I wrote it was truly me, not someone I'm pretending to be. That was the second time I had that thought. (sometimes it takes three times before I get it)

    In the past few months, I've wanted to contact Breakfast Television to be a guest on their show, but I have a phobia of cameras. The thought of being behind a camera does paralyze me. I cannot do it--or so I thought. Then yesterday it came to me. The reason why I have fears, excluding Phobia's--my fear to speak, my fear to give seminars, my fear of t.v. cameras, Its because I am insecure and afraid of what other people with think of me if I make a mistake. I always thought you have to act a certain way, look a certain way, memorize everything you are going to say on t.v, etc. I never for one second thought that if maybe I act like myself just like I do when I'm working with my life coaching clients, with no scripts, no memorizing, just being me, exactly like when I leave comments and don't finish thoughts on other blogs, then I would have nothing to be insecure about, because it's the real me. It is ok to make mistakes on national television… Have you ever watched Lou Dobbs on CNN? Case and Point.

    I'm contacting Breakfast Television via email later this morning - My phobia for t.v. cameras has just disappeared. I'm not afraid anymore-- no tension, no knots in my stomach, I feel like me when I’m meeting a client for the first time.

    I am proud of what I've become. Bruno LoGreco Success Coach Toronto

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    Tuesday, May 20, 2008

    Awareness

    A few weeks ago 20/20 aired a special on (can’t remember the exact title), but the show was about people in major cities in the US, that are so into their own heads that they don’t see what is right in front of them. 20/20 demonstrated how people, thousands of them did not notice kids, ages 7 to 10, boys and girls from different ethnic backgrounds, crying at the side of the street. It was mind boggling and scary all at the same time. 20/20 further showed that children in the same age group, walking with their parents, and kids in strollers, all noticed the kids crying at the side of the street, and one of them even pointed at them, as their parents continued on, not even noticing the crying kids. Of the thousands of people that walked by during this report, only a handful of adults, mostly woman and seniors, spotted the children crying and stopped to help.

    The report was not on awareness or living in the NOW, I really can’t remember exactly what the report was about. But, what I learned from the show was, children all live in the NOW, aware of their surroundings and learning with each passing moment. Each kid that walked by the crying kid, all spotted each other. Why didn’t the parents spot the kids crying? Were they so far in thought, either past or future, that everything around them at that very moment was meaningless? I will never know what they were thinking. Thousands of people deep in thought, with no clue as to the reality of the world around them.

    We can learn a lot from children, but that would require us letting go of the idea that we know more than our children do.

    Past-Present-Future, where do you want to live? Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto
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    Monday, May 19, 2008

    Continual Change

    Today is a holiday in Canada. I promised myself I would take an extra long weekend, a total of four days off so that I can recharge and come back on Tuesday, with a fresh new look and perspective on Life. I’m a day short on my promise, but I promise this is the only thing I will do today.

    I woke-up with an overwhelming urge to write. Four out of seven days, I read a chapter on child development or cognitive behavior, when I finish reading the chapter, I summarize by writing about it and by developing a lesson that I include in my life coaching programs. But this morning when my eyes opened, all I could think about is the meaning of life. In an earlier post, I wrote the definition of Life, directly from the dictionary. The last part, “Continual change preceding death”, this line stuck in my head from the day I posted the definition of Life.

    My mind began to repeat the definition, over and over, trying to understand what each word meant. Continual change really stuck in my head. After a few days I came up with my own definition for a phrase within the definition of Life. Continual Change: Nothing stays the same for any living, breathing, or not breathing, organic matter. Then I started to see “Continual Change” like time passing, second-by-second, minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day – Continual Change.

    I am learning, growing, and changing, with every passing second. I don’t have any control of the past, nor do I have any method to change the past, but I do have control of my future. My future is determined by my actions, what I do right NOW. Because all that matters in Life is what I do at this very moment. What I do right now could change my future, Or I could continue to relive the past and maybe one day, if I think back hard enough, I could change the past, and then finally my entire Life will change.

    Like me, you too are changing with every passing second. Welcome to Life!
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    Sunday, May 18, 2008

    What is your dream?

    In response to David McMahon blog post, "What is my dream?"

    My dream is to live life to the fullest. To have the ability to give back to the people around me - to make a difference in the world and to help as many people as possible realize their dreams. And at some point, I would like to change a few legislations that pertain to our school system.

    Happy Sunday!

    Bruno LoGreco a Teen Coach
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    Friday, May 16, 2008

    Taking The Day Off

    I decided to write a little about myself this morning. Not about my experiences, or about techniques, or the tools I use, just about Bruno and my day.

    I woke-up to dark skies and the sound of chirping birds this morning. It was a bit chilly, but we are still in May. I made my way to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and headed for the kitchen to brew my morning espresso. I sit down with my coffee and I begin to answer emails and structure my day. I decided I wasn’t going to the gym today; I have some administration work that I want to finish before the long weekend. I wrap-up my admin work and pickup my workbook, and read a chapter on child development. No sooner then I could finish reading the chapter, I put together a lesson to address the specific need and turned my attention to my blog post. Today feels like Information overload. Turning off the noise in my head today.

    I still hear the birds, and the traffic from Oneida. Not much going on today. I am taking the day off. I think I’m going to drive downtown later this morning, grab a Latte at Starbucks and read my book on a patio somewhere. I think I will have lunch downtown too, enjoy nature’s beauty, catch the lunch crowd, do some people watching, and head home later this afternoon. Today we relax with no thoughts, no work, just observing and enjoying life, and everything it has to offer.

    Have an excellent day!
    Life Coach Toronto Bruno LoGreco
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    Thursday, May 15, 2008

    Today I realized

    Today my eyes opened wide for the first time in a long time
    Today I realized I am in control of my life
    Today I realized that I have choices in life
    Today I realized I could choose to stay in bed or choose to make it my day
    Today I realized I have a choice to make today a great day
    Today I realized all it takes is for me to say - Yes I can
    Today I realized I do not need others to choose for me
    Today I realized all my dreams could come true
    Today I realized it has been my attitude that has held me back
    Today I realized it is my life and I can do and be whatever I choose
    Today I realized the only thing standing between me and my dream is ME.

    Life Coach Toronto
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    Tuesday, May 13, 2008

    Freewill

    When a person experiences fear, do they surrender their freewill?

    Freewill--The power of acting without constraint of necessity or fate; ability to act at one’s own discretion.

    I don’t have the answer to this question. I’m actually writing my thoughts on fear and freewill. When I look at fear and the various levels of fear, I think about the challenges a person might face. For example, in April I was asked to speak at the Peace-by-Peace festival, the festival was for children in grade four to six. Eight hundred children and adults, and I had never given a speech to a group larger than forty. I almost talked myself out of giving that speech, because I had a fear for speaking to large groups. But, how could I fear something I had never done? I did give a speech that day, I did well for my first time. I learned that I could speak to large groups and that the fear was unfounded. I also learned that I had lots to improve on as well.

    If I had decided not speak at the Peace-by-Peace festival, would I have surrendered my freewill?

    I think I would have. If I had decided not to speak at the festival, the only reason would have been because I was to afraid to screw-up, forget what I was saying, and be embarrassed in front of eight hundred children and adults. That would have determined my fate for any future speaking engagements. Instead, I decided to speak, bring a digital recorder, and learn from my mistake. And besides, who better than children to practice public speaking with anyway...

    So I think It's safe to say in this case, I would have surrendered my freewill.

    Do you have a fear that threatens your freewill? Visit a Life Coach Toronto
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    Monday, May 12, 2008

    Acrophobia

    I have a fear.

    I have acrophobia, an extreme or irrational fear for heights. At one point in my life I was afraid to fly, especially after 911. My fear for flying was so intense I would make up stories moments before each flight. I had a thousand reasons why I should not get on my flight--from profiling the other passengers, to the look and age of the plane, I would even guess the captain’s age and then guesstimate the number of years and experience he or she could have. Oh yeah…you could say I was a nut case about flying. But, I boarded each and every flight I was booked on and because I did board each flight, I have in-flight stories that would bring anyone to their knees from laughter, especially the story when I “thought” we were going to crash. Yeah… I’ll spare myself the embarrassment.

    At the worst point of my fear of flying, I was on average booked on four round trips per month between Newark, New Jersey and Toronto, Canada. That was a total of eight flights a month, two flights each week. I lived in Toronto but reported into the US. I did this commute for almost two years between 2004 and 2006. I did eventually get over my fear of flying I’m proud to say.

    But acrophobia isn’t defeated so easily, it manifested itself somewhere new in my life. Enter big tall bridges, bridges that are traversed by millions of motorist each day. What happens when a person doesn’t even know they have a fear for bridges, when all of a sudden they begin to feel their entire body tensing-up, their hands grip to the steering wheel, and their heart pounding to their chest--what does a person do? I’ll tell you what I did. I braced myself for impact. No reason why I braced myself for impact, I just did, as I raced across the bridge, hoping it would not collapse behind me, as I envisioned my car plunging to the river below.

    There is one bridge just outside of Albany, New York on Interstate 90 that paralyzes me each time I approach it. My heart begins to pound, my hands grip to the steering wheel and my body tenses-up, I see the bridge a mile away. My first instinct is to pull over and wait for a few cars to go first, followed by my next thought that I’m not letting my fear stop me from crossing any bridge. So yesterday was one of those days that I would find myself traveling between New York City and Toronto and there it is from a mile away, the bridge.







    Yesterday as I approached the bridge, I decided I was going to blog about it and I reached for my camera, that was sitting on the passenger seat. I was going to attempt to take pictures of the bridge, drive my car and deal with my fear all at the same time. I knew that If I wanted to pull this off I had to pay ultra attention to everything around me. My hands both on the steering wheel, the camera resting on the top of the steering wheel. I am totally relaxed and snap…snap… snap. I’m taking pictures of a bridge that just ten days earlier terrorized me, along with a dozen other times.







    Crossing the bridge yesterday was no different than driving on any other part of 436 km stretch of I90. I crossed the bridge yesterday with no thoughts. I could only pay attention to the cars around me, the lane I was traveling in, and taking pictures of the bridge as I crossed it. I did not have time to think about what would happen if the bridge collapsed. My heart did not race, nor did my body brace for impact. I was just in the moment, distracted by reality.

    Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto
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    Saturday, May 10, 2008

    Life


    What is life?
    The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity and continual change preceding death.

    Bruno LoGreco Life Coach in Toronto
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    Friday, May 9, 2008

    Core Belief

    How does a person know if what they believe about themselves is true?

    People are meeting new people all the time. In monster cities like New York, London, or in major cities like Toronto, or Vancouver, many men, woman, and teenagers, whether they are looking for love, companionship, or employment, are out there talking about themselves, making connections based on what they believe about themselves, and what they think the other person should know about who they are.

    How does a person answer another person when asked to describe him or herself?

    I am a kind person; I’m loving and caring; I’m a sincere; I’m easy to get along with; I am open and honest about who I am; People around me think I’m the life of the party; I’m a communicator. You never here someone describes themselves with these words: I am insecure about whom I’ve become; I am a jealous by nature; I need constant validation and attention; It’s my way or the highway, I don’t trust anyone.

    A person will develop his or her beliefs throughout their adolescent life and into adulthood, which continues to strengthe. By the time a person is an adult, they will have developed a strong rooted belief system, the core of whom they believe they are and have become. A person will have no any problems talking about themselves effortlessly, no thought will ever be required. The person goes on living believing what they believe, strengthening what they believes about themselves, gaining further strength from friends and family whom reinforce what they believe.

    Psychologists from New York University and Ohio State University completed a study in 1999 that showed roughly 95 percent of all behavior is automatic, not consciously chosen. The study further showed that it required more effort and control to complete tasks and or speak the truth, because it required conscious effort rather than automatic behavior.

    The truth about a person will eventually surface, but the person will not recognize nor believe what the truth is because they believe and have been told that they are what they believe they are. The next time you are about to describe yourself to another person—challenge yourself--ask yourself if the opposite is true.

    Challenge what you believe about yourself, and you will learn what you thought was true, is not so true after all. Learn how you could challenge your core beliefs with Master Life Coach & Mentor Bruno LoGreco, a Life Coach in Toronto with International clients in New York, Asia, and Europe.
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    Thursday, May 8, 2008

    Life Coaching

    From as far back as I could remember I have always been the person people come to for support, or help. Whether it was a friend in need of shoulder to cry on, or someone that is looking to learn how to create a personal budget, to random people at the gym that ask if I could train them. Even when I worked in an office, if there was a fund raiser going on, I would be the guy walking from table to table in the cafeteria during the lunch hour, collecting donations, or telling my boss to relax and not be so stressed out, reminding her to do what she could because tomorrow, the same amount of work would still be there along with some new stuff.

    When a family feels that they have exhausted every possible solution and you are their last hope to try and restore the family unity and to bring peace into their home, and all you do is listen to what is being said and not said--over time you begin to hear what should have been said the entire time.

    When you meet someone that is struggling to keep their business alive and you recognize all they need is cheerleader, someone that believes in them and what they are doing—that is all that a person needs to succeed and to watch their dreams come true.

    Life Coaching is my professional career and this is what I love to do. My level of success is determined by how successful my clients are. The more successful my clients are, the more driven I am to continue to develop new techniques and methods, based on some of my own life theory’s.

    Bruno LoGreco is a Professional Master Life Coach Toronto
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    Wednesday, May 7, 2008

    Thankful


    As I sit outside enjoying this beautiful weather, on the upper east side of New York City, I feel a sense of tranquility, calm, and peace. I hear the birds chirping, the traffic from 1st Avenue, and the odd plane the flies above. I am truly appreciative for my life. I am thankful for what I have, and for what I have accomplished. I am thankful to the people around me. I am thankful for my parents and my brother, I am thankful for my friends and I am very thankful for the one person in my life that means the world to me.

    My purpose in life is to help people succeed, to help people see, what to them seems impossible. I am thankful that I have been given a special gift, a gift so special that the only way It can be used is when I give back to the universe in the way of Life Coaching. I am Bruno LoGreco an International Master Life Coach based in Toronto, Canada.

    Learn more about Bruno LoGreco a Master Life Coach Toronto
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    Tuesday, May 6, 2008

    Midlife Crisis

    One of the first tasks I complete whenever I begin to work with a new client is to learn as much as I can about them. I spend time with my client understanding who they are, and what makes them tic. I ask many questions about who they are, but unaware to them, each question I ask has two purposes and sometimes three. One of the first questions I ask my client is to tell me about who they are. The purpose of the question is pretty obvious, but the second purpose is to understand if they are identified with what they do, their jobs. Three out of five times, the answer will begin with what they do professionally, starting with the title. I am a “Marketing Executive” and I work for XYZ World Wide.

    Try it for yourself the next time you meet-up with an old friend that you have not seen in a number of years. Ask them what they’ve been up to since you last saw each other. Listen to what they have to say and notice if they talk about what they enjoy doing other than work, if they mention anything at all.

    Midlife Crisis: An emotional crisis of identity and self-confidence that can occur in early middle age.

    Does a person whom becomes identified to his or her career become a candidate to experience midlife crisis?

    Any number of life situations can trigger a crisis, aging, menopause, death of parents, children leaving home. In one study, less than 10% of people experienced midlife crises, due to their age or aging. In another study, it showed that some cultures are more exposed to experience midlife crisis than others. Middle-aged adults experience life events that caused added stress, or even depression in their life. However, it was reported that those events can happen anytime throughout a person’s life, and will not necessarily be the contributing factor to a midlife crisis.

    So what really does trigger a “midlife crisis”, and are North American’s more susceptible to experience a midlife crisis than the rest of the world?

    Have you identified your life to your career? Find out by contacting Bruno LoGreco, an International Master Life Coach Toronto
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    Monday, May 5, 2008

    Mood Management

    Do you ever wonder why some of the issues which we encounter along our life journey, are easy to deal with, while other issues send us in a wild tailspin with no end in sight?

    Any number of issues can and will occur over a person’s lifetime. Some issues will benefit the individual such as a huge windfall, a promotion, or some form of good news, and some issues will evoke emotions, such as a career setback, or disagreements. The severity of each issue, good or bad, will have a different impact and effect from person to person, but the effects will slowly begin to diminish within three months.

    The two primary issues that will derail a person and cause long lasting effects that will take greater than three months to recover from are: The loss of a job, and the loss of a spouse. These two issues will set a person back for a long period of time. The person that lost his or her job will typically begin to feel better only after he or she becomes gainfully employed and reestablishes his or her confidence. The later, the loss of a spouse, the effects could last up to eight years and possibly more.

    The following are activities that will help improve the mood of a person dealing with life issues and or death:

    1. Writing in a journal about things for which you are thankful for
    2. Acts of kindness and generosity
    3. Write a gratitude letter and leave it to whom ever you are grateful to
    4. Forgive the people that have done you wrong
    5. Create family time
    6. Maintain a regular exercise regiment
    7. Smile even when you are in a bad mood
    8. Avoid being negative – Use a journal to express your negative thoughts
    9. Consider learning a form of meditation such as Laughing Yoga
    10. Seek support to help you through the rough times

    Bruno LoGreco is a successful Life Coach Toronto
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    Thursday, May 1, 2008

    Goal-Setting

    Not long ago I read somewhere that the most successful people, which only represent 10% of the world population, write their goals and review them regularly.

    We set goals everyday for ourselves. Some goals are trivial, while others are significant and require thought and planning. The alarm clock you set that wakes you every morning, to taking a shower, and brushing your teeth, these are all goals you set for yourself everyday. The goals are small, but no doubt they are goals. Buying a home is also a goal, but buying a home requires a plan. You may be aware of the tasks that need to take place mentally, and begin to execute each task subconsciously. “How much money is needed. Check mls for listings. Find a realtor. How many bedroom, bathrooms? Backyard? City or suburb?” The small tasks will sum the overall plan, which will lead to the goal.

    Some goals you set for yourself will be achieved successfully, some will be work in progress, and some goals, will seem overwhelming to you, and soon will be abandoned. Maybe for the fear of failure, maybe It’s too much work, or maybe it’s just not the right time, but whatever the reason, remember if you abandon any goal, you will never know if the goal you just abandoned is your childhood dream. Everyone has goals, but only 10% track their goals and create a plan.

    Something magical will materialize when you write your goals. Track them in a journal, or an online journal and or goal-setting website. Whichever method you choose to use to track your goals, one-by-one they will begin to materialize. Even the larger goals that require a plan--task-by-task you will secure your success to achieving your ultimate goal, your dream.

    Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto
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    Ten Powerful Self-Coaching Tips

    By Bruno LoGreco

    Are you living the life of creativity and happiness that you've always dreamed of, or are you allowing your fears or other outside factors to influence you?

    Following the path that your heart's desires requires courage and might require a shift in attitude. There are several methods you can use to act as your own life coach and start working toward the life you dream of.

    Ideas for self-improvement

    You don't need to change every aspect of your life at once in order to improve your attitude and outlook on life. Self-improvement can feel daunting if you try to change everything at once.

    A good way to embark on your journey of self-coaching is to make one change and see what kind of impact it has upon your life. The following tips are designed to help you improve your life and become your own life coach. Try out one of the following tips at a time to positively impact your attitude and daily life.

    1. Find some ‘you' time. Everyone needs time alone to meditate and recharge. You may think you don't have extra time in your day. Start with 10-20 minutes to use for meditation or silent reflection.

    2. Ask yourself what you truly want in life. Are you living your life according to your true dreams and desires? You may be unaware of your desires that lie hidden beneath your surface needs and wants, so take the time to find out.

    3. Write everything down. Even if your thought seems silly, write it down! You may be surprised by the inspiration and ideas you can come up with.

    4. Journal daily, but with a twist. Instead of just writing about today, try writing about yesterday.

    5. Keep track of the "happy moments." Each day has potential for many small moments that bring joy and happiness. If you don't make a special note of them, you may not even recognize the small joys in your day.

    6. Choose one task each night to complete the next day. This way, you have focus, and you accomplish at least one task. Tasking and taxing yourself with effort is important in reaching goals.

    7. Smile when you wake up. Smiling is contagious. By smiling you improve your mood and can potentially improve someone else's day as well.

    8. Give thanks each night. Gratitude will improve your outlook on life and help you see all the good and wonderful moments of your day.

    9. Try something new. A new experience fuels creativity and your enjoyment of the day.

    10. Create at least one memorable moment each day. Make each day unforgettable, even if in a small way!

    Taking the next step with a life coach

    Self-coaching tips are great ideas for helping you improve your life. However, you can take your life to the next level with a life coach and mentor. A professional life coach can help you set goals and help you move forward with your dreams. If you're looking for the right path toward happiness, a life coach can help you discover the path your heart truly desires.

    Want to learn more about self-improvement? Bruno LoGreco is a Life Coach Toronto and mentor. Visit BrunoLoGreco.com and find out how to unleash your potential for success and happiness.

    The Success Indicators on Your Life Path

    Many people seek out a particular goal in their life path and are content when they achieve it. The chance to broaden their horizons or learn new things within an existent structure is not as appealing to them as it is to some others. This is an issue that arises in many individuals because they mistakenly think they have achieved what they wanted to in their lives. The plethora of environmental noise around them begins to infringe upon their goals and forces them to lose sight of what they truly wanted.

    A good way to think of this problem is to envision a large square box. This is not just any box though. Rather, in this case, your box has been divided into three separate, but equally shaped rectangular boxes, all stacked on top of one another. Each of these rectangular boxes is a highly important expression of your life goals -- individual levels of success. Within each of these levels of success is an indicator that tells you how close you are to becoming successful in this area of your life.

    Every area of your life that you identify as a potential path for success can be further divided, containing the many different events and obstacles you will encounter as you strive to reach your goals. Think of each sector of your life as being divided even further, with three new sections within one of the three stacked boxes (sectors). Within each stacked box are three separate sections, divided by dotted lines that make up the life path you will follow. These dotted lines are not the same as the solid lines dividing the sectors -- they are a path that you have envisioned since childhood -- a series of goals and pathways to success that you want to follow.

    As young people, these life paths may not be fully formed. Or they might be crystal clear in our minds--long, straight life paths from the early days of college and adult living to the ultimate goal of success that you have always strived for. You can see exactly what you need to do to reach each success indicator and achieve what you have set out to accomplish. And you probably did just this. After all, your goals as a youth were to be successful in the same way that you saw thousands of others live their lives. You wanted to reach your success indicators and experience the measure of success by which you would measure you life for decades to come.

    However, nothing is ever as simple as we envision it during youth. There are countless factors that interfere with your ability to clearly see those success indicators and life paths to success. These factors, or "Environmental Noise," can be detrimental to even the most focused of individuals. Think of what would happen if you dumped the contents of downtown New York into your box and tried to maintain your focus on those goals. Would you even be able to see your life path anymore?

    Everyone must travel their life path with environmental noise inundating them from all sides. It begins to become cloudy. The dotted lines, our life paths, begin to look like the straight lines and the success indicators start to be confused with any number of different distractions.

    And then something will happen and you will realize that you are in fact nowhere near the original success indicators you set for yourself. Everything has changed and yet you are stuck in a way. You are deep within the center of the middle rectangular box and you have no idea which way to go or how to get back on track. The noise only grows louder and you grow dizzy trying to regain your focus.

    It is in this instant that you must clear the noise and return to the basic, almost instinctive mode of thought you experienced as a child. What did you want from life? Where did you want to go? What do you need to get to that point? What was my life path? All of these questions must be asked without the distractions of the world around you muddying up your thought process. When you can revert to a very simple perspective of the world and only spend time thinking of what you want from life, you can be that much more successful.

    You can succeed in life despite the environmental noise, cruising down your life paths and moving through your rectangles with ease, but oftentimes you need a helping hand to clear away the noise and look at life with fresh eyes. There is nothing wrong with asking for help to weed out these distractions and remove the clutter from your life sectors with a professional life coach.

    Is your life path inundated with environmental noise? Learn how you can lift the noise and begin reestablishing your success indicators today. Visit www.brunologreco.com a Life Coach Toronto today.

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    Top 10 Benefits to Journaling

    By Bruno Logreco

    There are countless reasons to maintaining a journal. The top ten benefits of journaling may differ from person to person. However, there seems to be general themes that are attractive in the collective unconscious. Many people are looking to daily entries of their personal experiences to reap some of the following rewards.

    Maintaining a journal is a natural way to exercise the brain. People who make regular entries are taking time to develop writing and communication skills that are very valuable in everyday interactions. This mental exercise also helps to allow your thoughts to flow freely.

    Creativity is a second benefit to consider. This is an important aspect of journaling. The right hemisphere of the brain is associated with visual, imaginative and intuitive facets of thought. When you take time to write, you free the right hemisphere. The ideal entry will be one that puts the inner editor on hold. Thoughts and ideas should flow freely and naturally.

    The uninhibited nature of this form of writing serves a third benefit of developing self awareness. People often create different faces to meet various circumstances. We tend to recreate in distinct situations including the work environment, the community and even when at home.

    The process of keeping a journal helps you recognize the various aspects of your unique personality. The growing self awareness is a powerful force that can lead to even greater benefits in the future. Gaining insight into the self is among the most important aspects to maintaining a journal.

    The fourth benefit is the ability to set priorities. Once you get a grasp on the thoughts and emotions that are filtered through your personal experience, you begin to gain control of them. The process eventually leads to a greater understanding of what is and what is not important.

    The ability to re-see the past is another great benefit of keeping a journal. The pages can be revisited with a fresh perspective. It can be very surprising how much your understanding of an event changes over a relatively short period of time. Some writers find great moments of epiphany when rethinking and rereading entries.

    Journaling is a fantastic problem-solving resource. The approach of using entries to come up with various solutions to troubles is a little different than approaches for self awareness and growth. Many people choose temporary brainstorming techniques that serve to give viable solutions to problems.

    The seventh benefit of journaling is variety. You can choose what kind of entries you want to make. Common choices include brainstorming sessions, automatic writing and reflective notes. Personal journal entries can be made upon inspiration, when you first wake or right before you fall asleep. Some choose to do a combination of these.

    Purging is the eighth benefit to this practice. Many people find it helpful to place negative thoughts and feelings down on paper. Once the negative energy is placed on the page, they are free to let it go. This practice also works well when dealing with anger towards another individual. Purge the negativity and work towards a constructive approach.

    The ability to communicate with others is another benefit of keeping a journal. Those who work with life coaches can find a wealth of resources for sessions. Journaling can help you tap into your fears and dreams, helping your coach gain insight through entries that you choose to share.

    The tenth benefit is improvement in your overall health. Journaling reduces stress. It provides time for you to meditate. The process helps to make the positive forces in your life surface and it helps to bring the harmful elements into light. The result of personal journaling is a new perspective on how you can take control of many aspects of your life.

    Want to learn how online journaling can help you reach goals and problem solve? Learn more about life coach Toronto at brunologreco.com and journaling at iijournal.

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