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    Tuesday, September 30, 2008

    What Really Matters?

    So, what really matters to you in your life? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, ‘what really matters, what is important to me, and what are my priorities? If you never stopped to ask yourself these questions, how do you know where you are headed, how do you know what path to take next, how do you know if what you are doing is for you and not for another person?

    Have you ever sat back in silence to observe your surroundings--to watch how children play, to listen to what people speak, to learn what people seek? Take a step back if you could; learn what makes your world go round in circles.

    What did you learn? Did you learn where you are going? Are you headed in the right direction? Are you doing the things that make you happy, or are you doing the things that make others happy? What else did you learn? Did you learn what matters most to you?

    If you are in your twenties, consider setting some goals. You will be thankful later. If you are in your thirties, keep searching the answer is near. If you are in your forties, life is racing by you. You better slow down and learn what you don’t want to learn about yourself. And if you are in your fifties, don’t worry, mostly everybody gets it by sixty-five.
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    Friday, September 26, 2008

    Confidence Crushed In Public View

    I love Starbucks. I often stop at Starbucks for a non-fat latte. Yesterday afternoon on my way to the taping of Style By Jury, I stopped at Chapters/Indigo at Hwy 7 and Yonge Street for my daily dose of java. My mind was slightly preoccupied because I had to memorize a few lines for the show.

    I walked into Chapters/Indigo and from a distance I heard a muffled voice. It sounded like someone was being lectured. As I approached the Starbucks counter, the voices grew louder and louder.

    “What can I get you?” The man at the counter asked. “Can I have a Venti Non-Fat Latte, and a Pumpkin Scone please”? I replied. I open my walled, grabbed my debit card and swiped it through the debit terminal. “You better not do that ever again, do you understand me? Because if you do it one more time, you will be in big trouble?” I leaned forward and tiptoed over the counter to see who was uttering such threatening words and to whom.

    My heart sank. I was witnessing a mother of a four year old reprimanding her son for no apparent reason. “You sit there and think about what you just did,” the mother continued, “You are bad boy.” She continued to speak firmly holding his wrist tightly.

    I walked to the other side of Starbucks as I stood waiting for my latte. “You wait until you get home,” she muttered. I wanted to walk over to the boy and tell him that his mother was very angry, but not at him. My I eyes swelled with tears. I was so conflicted. I had no power and no authority. I needed to vacate immediately.

    My coffee was ready. I added sugar, stirred my coffee, sealed it with a lid and made my way back towards the lady and her son. I glared at the lady, making eye contact with her. I wanted her to feel what her son was feeling. I don’t know if I was successful because I had to leave quickly, not to get myself into any trouble.

    For most people situations like this one is where it all begins. When a child cannot express his emotions, or his expression of freedom because it is being crushed by an authoatiative figure in plain public view, not only is it embarrassing for the child but also whatever confidence they did have is being crushed to a pulp and left for others to see.

    If you ever wondered why adults have low self-esteem, lack self-worth and don’t know what their dreams are? This is just one example of the many why adults lack confidence and self-worth. Children are meant to be children--to laugh, to play, and to have fun. From these activities they will gain inspiration that is desperately needed. Without inspiration children become soldiers, wondering who they are and where they belong when they grow into adults.

    I want you to all know that it is not the mothers fault either. I’m not one to point fingers and put blame on parents. Parents do the best they can raising their children with the tools they were given by their parents. Unfortunately some of those tools are dated and have been proven to do more damage than good.

    Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco
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    Tuesday, September 23, 2008

    Weaknesses Strengths and Confidence

    I believe I figured it out! I think I know why my writing skills are not up to snuff. When I speak, I just speak and say what I have to say with no editing. When I write, I read and reread—adding and deleting words, creating a mess with words that are not needed. So this morning I decided to just write. Write how I speak with little to no editing, no JUDING my own words.

    You be the JUDGE, you tell me if less is better.

    Most people run hiding their weaknesses. I on the other hand show everyone what my weaknesses are because just like you I’m human too. I have my own set of weaknesses, the only difference between you and me is I’m not afraid to show them.

    I’m a firm believer that one should focus on strengths not weaknesses, BUT sometimes a weakness is the missing link in a strength. Take me for example; I’m a Life Coach, my strengths involve helping people achieve their goals and to live their dreams. It’s a great strength to have but unless I tell people what I do, how will they ever know? So I had to find a way to communicate my strengths to the masses.

    After researching my options, it was clear that I could either pay big bucks for someone to do it for me, or I could learn it for myself. I chose the latter and fortunate for me the latter entails writing. Although my writing skills are nowhere near where I’d like them to be, I know the more I write the stronger my skills will become.

    I had no CONFIDENCE in my writing skills when I first started to blog. My FEAR was I would be JUDGED based on my writing skills, but after 125 blog posts not only have my writing skills improved, but along the way I also learned that the thoughts of others could not hurt me. Even if someone did JUDGE me based on my writing skills, how would I ever know unless they left me a comment to read?

    Confidence takes practice and often time it requires you to step outside of your comfort zone, to do the things you wouldn't normally do – doing these very things expose your weaknesses and when a weakness is exposed so is the false belief that goes with it.

    While working with a client yesterday morning in a bookstore, I asked my client to ask a stranger what confidence is and where does it comes from. My client froze and said, “NO WAY, they will think I’m crazy.” So she refused.

    I looked around and noticed a mature couple seated directly behind us in the next alcove. ‘Excuse me’ do you know what CONFIDENCE is, and where does it come from’ I ask. My clients face turned three shades of red. She was so embarrassed--she couldn’t believe I asked complete strangers those questions.

    The man responds, "Yes’ CONFIDENCE is the thing that comes from inside of you, it helps you overcome your fear." The lady chimes in, “CONFIDENCE is knowing that you are good at something and doing it well.” I continued to ask, 'Could you see when someone lacks confidence?' The man replies, “Oh Yes, you could see it, they hesitate.” ‘Do you know anybody that is completely confident?’ “Oh no” says the man, “I have yet to meet anybody that is completely confident.” ‘Thank you for your time’ as I greeted them with a headshake.

    My client almost had a panic attach in the bookstore because I asked strangers what confidence is. I then noticed a store clerk walking down the isle. “Excuse me, do you know what confidence is and where does it come from? This time my client was quite attentive, she listened to what the young lady said about confidence.

    My client finally relaxed. I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes. So I asked her if she still believed others would think she was crazy. She said no.

    Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco
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    Friday, September 19, 2008

    Do You Have Control Over The Uncontrollable?

    The end of another week is near and the weekend will soon be here. Last week I wrote about how Friday’s were once “me” days, meaning Friday’s were my day off. I am proud to say that as of October 1st, I will no longer be working on Friday’s. I’m taking Friday’s off so I could have two consecutive days for self, and so that I don’t fall out of balance.

    Earlier today I was with a client and we were working on self-awareness. I am very happy to report that he has come a long way from when we first started. If I had to complete a report card on his learning it would read “Excellent” throughout the entire report.

    One of the areas we are focusing on is his need to control the things he has no control over. The need he has to feel responsible to try and fix problems that are beyond his power, his authority or responsibility. The need he has to try and make everything “perfect” in his life and that of others, and to try and control every aspect of life so that nothing goes “wrong.”

    He asked me today if he could learn how to let go of control over the things he has no control over. Of course you can, I said. I continued by saying, “if it took you this many years to seek help because you recognized you needed to make some changes about self to get you to where you want to go, what makes you think you could change somebody that did not ask for your help, or control something that is not yours?” His eyes lit up.

    Imagine that, his entire life he’s believed that he has the power and the authority, because after all he is responsible for all the individuals and situations in the world around him, that he could change everything. Talk about an EGO trip… Wouldn’t you say?

    Oh I’m sorry – I’m not talking about you… or you. I’m talking about my client that I was with earlier today. But hey… if this sounds like you then chances are my client is not alone and neither are you. We all try to control the things that are out of our control to some degree, but the good news is: now that you are aware that you try to control the things you have no control over, you might consider changing that behavior or learn how to become more accepting to avoid disappointment.

    But before I show you how to let go of control over the things you have no control over, I should point out that if you are skipping this process and figure you are better off learning how to just become more accepting… Well guess what? One of the benefits of letting go of control is learning acceptance to what is often referred to as, “It is what it is” without walking away from a situation and not really accepting anything but uttering the words in your head.

    Exercise: Letting Go Of Control Over the Things You Have No Control Over

    1. On a piece of paper write everything you would like to control but have no control over:

    a. People
    b. Places
    c. Situations

    2. Next to each person, place or situation, write why you have no control over it.

    3. Answer the following questions for each person, place or situation you have no control over:

    a. I think I could keep trying to control and/or change a person, place or situation because _______.

    b. The benefits I get from holding onto the need to control and/or change a person, place or situation is ______.

    c. I would lose _______ by hanging on to my need to control and/or change _______.

    d. I would lose ______ by releasing the need to control ________.

    Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach, Toronto native.
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    Wednesday, September 17, 2008

    Just Another Blog Post

    As of late I feel as if I’ve been slacking off, not from my life coaching work, but from blogging. At first I created this blog for myself, there was no readership, there was no need to respond to comments nor visit other blogs.

    I had no readership at the time, so there was no need to edit what I wrote. I'd write whatever came to mind and I used very little if any sensors while writing my blog posts. Needless to say my writing skills were less than par.

    Over the months my blogsite started to grow, as did my blogroll – a list of blogsites I routinely visit. I knew that if I wanted first time readers to come and continue to return, I would have to sharpen my pencil and my writing skills.

    Similar to the growth of my blogsite, my life coaching business grew too. Because every client is unique and everybody comes with a different set of circumstances, I require a total of one-hour pre and post client sessions in order to plan. This allows me to plan each session based on the previous week learning’s and summary. Often time I have to do research before I could create a tool that is specific to a client needs.

    Some sessions do not end after the typical forty-five to sixty minutes. Some of my sessions are two hours in length, and the odd time, such as this past Monday, a session could end after three and half hours. Like I said, each person is unique and requires different attention.

    By the time it’s all said and done at the end of the day, I’m pooped and I could barely think anymore. I’m a morning person. I’m highly creative first thing in the morning and that’s when I enjoy writing my concepts and new ideas--one of the added benefits of writing my concepts and new ideas is I get to practice my writing skills. Which reminds me. I also have grammar homework almost every night. Whatever I learn the night before I try to incorporate it into whatever I write the following morning.

    Unfortunately, it’s at this time of day that I also enjoy reading and commenting on other blogs, and as of late, I just can’t seem to get to all of the blogs I enjoy reading. So If you are one of those blogs that I have not visited, know that I’m thinking of you and I will be there very soon.

    Happy hump day!!

    Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco
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    Tuesday, September 16, 2008

    Listen

    I sit here thinking
    Staring at my computer screen
    Something to write something to say
    Confidence comes to mind
    Or maybe something about depression
    Oh, I know--Today we write about teenagers
    That atta be fun, but
    Where do I begin?
    What should I say?

    I began writing about the next generation
    When I was hit in the head
    A daunting thought that carried me away
    Away in the distance with not a thought of what to write
    Then it came back to me
    Oh what to write…

    I started by saying
    Do you ever just sit and watch your teen as they laugh and play
    Have you ever stopped and listened to what they have to say
    There is so much you could learn
    There is so much they need to say
    But only If you stop and listen
    To the words they use as they laugh and play

    Taken by the shiny light
    I lost my thought and went off to play
    Oh that’s right -- I’m sorry for getting carried away
    That does happen when I’m taken away
    So let me get back to what I was saying

    Life is so confusing in this stage of the game
    All I want to know is that everything will be okay
    And when I do make a mistake
    Please don’t get mad at me
    Instead tell me you love me
    And that everything will be okay

    There is so much going on and so much I want to say
    But I need you to stop and listen to what I have to say
    If you listen today but not tomorrow
    I’ll remember the following day
    So listen when I speak and hear what I have to say
    Because that is it for today
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    Monday, September 15, 2008

    What Do I Love To Do?

    What is it that I love doing
    I do it often but I don't know I'm doing it
    I talk with my friends and explain how much I love doing it
    I enjoy and love doing it when I do it
    I think what I do is common sense

    What is it that you are doing
    That you don't know you are doing?
    That you would love to do?

    Life Coaching Tips
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    Friday, September 12, 2008

    False Belief

    Yesterday I dragged my feet the entire day. I was exhausted from the lack of sleep that was caused by all the excitement. From the initial call, to meeting with the producers, to filming on Wednesday, I did not sleep. It was one week ago today that I received the phone call from the executive producer, and last night was the first night I finally slept for seven consecutive hours.

    Back in May I posted a blog titled Insecurity. In this post (I often chuckle when I read older posts –bad English LOL) I wrote about the evolution of my blog, as well as one of my fears. I don’t think I’ve written about this fear since that day--but cameras, or being in front of one once scared the bleep out of me.

    In this same post I described what I feared, the judgment by others for making a mistake. Because I created this illusion an illusion so vivid in my head, it paralyzed me at the thought of being remotely close to a camera. I found out later the illusion I’d created, the root cause to my fear, was so deeply rooted that even if I did act like myself, I still felt like I could not be in front of a camera.

    The feeling I experienced after writing the Insecurity post went from being paralyzed to sweats and heart thumping only at the thought of cameras. That meant I was close but I still hadn’t found the root cause to my fear. There was something else that was causing this fear, bigger than others judging me.

    I was still holding on to a belief, a false belief that I learned to believe at a very young age. I put my entire faith into this one belief, not only in my personal life, but also in my professional life. It wasn’t until I let go of this false belief, the illusion I had created about what would happen “IF” anyone ever found out about my secret, more specifically, my immediate family. And it wasn’t until I no longer believed what would happen, IF my family member ever figure out my secret, that I was finally confident in myself to pursue my long life dream.

    No longer than two months after I let go of my false belief, one of my dreams came to fruition – Talk about the Laws Of Attractions working in parallel with the Universe. Not only did I get to live my dream this past week, but it also was filmed in my own home. The cameras did not intimidate me in the least, I felt very relaxed and comfortable with the camera in my face.

    Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco
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    Wednesday, September 10, 2008

    Its A Wrap

    I'm wiped out -- six hours for only a minute and a half, maybe two minutes at most of air time. I did my final interview regarding the subject, all was good. I was not intimidated by the camera facing right at me. I spoke acing just to the left of the camera lens.
    All and all, it was a successful day, less my less than perfect acting. :) Now I could honestly say, I could never do nor want to do what actors do - not only are they talented, but they have a huge amount of patience.

    I'm in one more scene that will be filmed in about three weeks with the subject to look over her assignment and to see what the future holds for her. What I learned tonight that I could bring with me to the next filming is all the directions given to me by the crew, from how to make a statement on tv (they had a word for it - I forgot), what not to wear, and a whole lot more.

    Everything we do in life is a learning lesson. This happens to be a big one, but lessons are in everything we do especially in the things we do, or don't do, that we are hard on ourselves for. I will be honest with you, my heart was thumping earlier today before the crew showed up.

    Anyway, that's it for tonight, just before 10pm and I should already be in bed.
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    Take 10

    Okay, it's almost a wrap. All that is left for me to do is give an interview -- my thought about the subject. Overall I did well until they wanted me to start acting. Not such a good actor, but definitely did well over all. Of course I have no way of knowing, not until the show airs or I receive a copy.

    It was definitely a great experience- I learned a lot and I would most certainly do it again. I don't think I was afraid of the camera once. Did I really have a fear, or did I put my faith into a false belief, a false belief that I've held onto for many many years? It was a false belief - Life seems a lot easier all of a sudden.

    More as we move towards wrapping.
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    Action

    Okay everyone, I'm sitting in my apartment waiting to start shooting. The subject is outside with the host, they are making their way to my unit. I have the slight jitters, but overall I am feeling very confident. I have a basic guideline as to what I will be saying, but other than that, it's reality. I hope when you all watch the show, you will realize it's made for tv.

    There was once a time I had a HUGE fear of being in front of a camera - today, just like my acrophobia, my fear of cameras will come to pass.

    More to come... Bruno
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    Tuesday, September 9, 2008

    First Impressions

    Have you ever gone shopping for clothing only to find something you really liked, you try it on, and voila, a new you? What did it feel like as you stepped out from the change room, standing in front of the mirror? Did your confidence and self-esteem rise? Were you enamored by the way you looked and felt, did you whisper to yourself, “I feel like a million bucks?”

    When you look and feel like a million bucks--your head stands tall, your shoulders fall back, and your chest out, you’ll project an energy that will show the world around you who you are and what you want.

    This past weekend I had the pleasure to go shopping for new clothing. I’m not a big shopper. I never know what to buy, so I buy what I feel comfortable wearing. Typically the clothing I really love is the clothing you try on and it feel like the designer designed it specifically for you. The clothing which costs upwards of three hundred dollars for one shirt, the stuff with designer labels, the clothing which are far out of my price range, so I never buy it.

    Finally, after two consecutive days, six hours of putting on and taking off shirts, jackets, blazers, and vests, I found the perfect jeans, the perfect shirt, and the perfect cufflinks. Now I can make an impeccable first impression and project my image that best represents who I am both from the inside out.

    My long hours of shopping paid off yesterday – When your image projects who you are and is congruent with who you are internally, you cast an energy to the world around you that shows everybody that you are a confident individual and you are ready to take on any challenge that is thrown at you.

    I felt extremely confident yesterday morning when I sat down with the executive producer and producer of, Style By Jury, as they brought me up to speed on my guest appearance in an upcoming show. I will be a guest expert on the show as a Life Coach. Filming begins on Wednesday.

    The right clothing can surely increase your confidence and how the world around perceives you. You have between three and seven seconds to make a first impression. So if you are heading out for an interview or a date today, look in the mirror and make sure you look and feel the part.

    Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco
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    Friday, September 5, 2008

    Goals & Dreams

    I awoke early this morning, made my espresso, sat down, and began to read the news at CNN.com. I’m hooked on American politics. After my morning briefing, I started to think about my day, preplan each of my sessions, post a blog, and that’s when it hit me. What happened to my Fridays? Friday’s were “me” day’s, but some how I have three clients scheduled for today…

    This is how it starts for many of us – the influence of environmental noise. I wrote about environmental noise where I tried to illustrate how even our own taste buds could derail us from our goals and dreams. I laugh to myself when I read that article now, but the point I was trying to make in the article is that anything could be environmental noise, including you.

    Environmental Noise comes in the form of distractions – distractions from your career, the distractions from the world around you, and even the distractions of your very own thoughts. Distractions are everywhere you turn, and with each turn you make the noise becomes louder. As the noise level increases, confusion slowly sets in, leaving you feeling like a lost child wondering aimlessly in a crowded mall looking for your mother.

    For some, the one’s that are lucky enough to have written their goals and their dreams on a piece of paper, they will be the one’s that will be able to go back and retrace their steps when they do fall, whey they hit the wall, or don’t get what they think they should get.

    All your small goals, your desired jobs, the roles you want to play, they should all add up to your ultimate goal, your life dream. The ultimate goal is about you, how you want to live the rest of your life. Everything between now and your dream is how you will get there. The between part will be all the lessons. Some lessons will be hard, and yes, some will be very painful.

    I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that it was meant to happen the way it did no matter what. Whether it was a job you didn’t get, or a missed appointment, or it just didn’t turn out the way you wanted, there is always a learning lesson to be had, and that is why it did not happen the way you wanted. The answer might or might not be there for you as soon as it happens, but overtime you will see the reason why.

    And for the one’s who do have their goals and dreams written on a piece of paper, you will learn that the noise within the world around you did get loud—maybe you’re mortgage payment, your monthly expenses, or the economy has you doing things. In my case, scheduling clients on Friday’s instead of taking time out for “me”. Luckily I do have my goals and my dreams written on a piece of paper. When I looked back early this morning, I was reminded of my ultimate goal -- Total Freedom, unconditional self-love, living in bliss with oneself. And unless I take time out for “me”, I will forget what my goals and dream are, but most of all, I will not learn how to get to where I ultimately want to go.



    Have a great weekend everybody!
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    Thursday, September 4, 2008

    Rejection Is God's Protection

    Last night while sitting on the couch watching TV, I started to wonder what life would be like if I could not do the things I love to do. I started to wonder what I would be doing if I were not a life coach, or if I didn’t own any other business. Would I still be stuck in a corporate job doing the same thing day in and day out, and would I still be roaming the hallways desperately sifting through my thoughts for any idea that would allow me to leave my full time job to fulfill my dreams.

    On June 22nd, 2006 I resigned from my full time post at one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world to pursue my dream of Entrepreneurship. At the time I resigned, I was living and working in the United States. I returned to Toronto, Canada with dreams of opening a business, of becoming an entrepreneur, but my dream was slowly fading that summer. I had to take an interim job at an energy company to help with my responsibilities while my business partner and I continued to discuss and launch our first company.

    I quickly realized there was a good chance that I would not own my own business as quickly as I thought I would, and as a result, I reacted and contacted my old boss in the United States and begged for my old job. Both my former boss and I were convinced that It was a no brainer for me to get my job back, but as it turned out, my old job had a new criteria attached to it. All candidates applying for my job must have at minimum an MBA – that’s right an MBA. Heck I barely had my high school diploma, let alone my MBA.

    Before moving to the United States, I was working towards my business degree part time, but I put my education on hold while working in the United States. It was early August when my old boss called to give me the bad news that I could not return to my old job. Human Resources said that if they allowed me to apply for the position with no MBA, then they must open the position to all candidates that do not have an MBA. I was devastated, hurt, angry, and fell into a depression.

    I roamed around Toronto aimlessly for two months that summer. I had nothing to look forward to, my career was gone, or so I thought-- no self-employment, just a boring job at an energy company doing everything I hated doing just to pay the bills.

    At the end of September, I had an “Aha” moment – I thought of an idea that involved pets. Although I had no clue about the pet industry, I thought to myself, 'how hard can this be?' So my business partner and I set off on a new mission to open a pet company. The company would be called hero+destiny. (More on the pet company in the coming days/weeks)

    The pet idea sparked a renewed interest in the original idea, the idea I left my career for at the beginning of the summer. Both my business partner and I resigned from our jobs early October, with no revenue, two mortgages and a slew of monthly expenses. We launched our first consulting company that October. The consulting company would fund hero+destiny as well as pay for our living expenses.

    In early 2007, both my business partner and I took a trip to India to source manufacturing so we could have our pet collection manufactured in India. Along the way I tapped into my special talent/gift, the ability to help others achieve their goals and dreams. It wasn't until all the external noise in my head was quiet, that I realized I had a special talent, a talent I could use as a Life Coach.

    Today, I look at how far I have come – I am thankful to human resources for adding the new criteria to my old job – Because if it were not for HR adding the new MBA requirement to my old job description, I would still be working for a fortune 500 company, roaming the hallways desperately sifting through my brain trying to find a better way of life.

    A very close friend once said to me: Rejection is God’s protection. Thank you so much for those words Linda, I cherish these words and live by them each and everyday.

    Happy Thursday!
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    Wednesday, September 3, 2008

    False Belief and Confidence

    What is confidence? Why do so many people lack confidence, while others exude confidence in every aspect of their life?

    Confidence is a feeling or a belief of one’s self-assurance of his or her abilities or qualities. In the absence confidence, a person’s life could come to grinding halt, lowering their self-esteem, leaving the person feeling less than the world around them.

    Often time life coaches and therapists will use positive affirmations to paint over the negative self-talk that is often spoken by a person that lacks confidence. Positive affirmations are definitely needed, however, positive affirmations only serve as nice decoration to fill the wounds temporarily. Don’t get me wrong, I also use positive affirmation, but only after the root cause has been determined. By covering up negative self-talk with positive affirmation, the problem is only temporarily fixed until the positive affirmation runs its course and the person goes back to their regular negative self-talk.

    Positive affirmations are like planting flowers around a tree stump. Sooner or later someone is going to trip over the tree stump because the root system that is well beneath the ground is still intact, holding the tree stump in place. It’s not until you get to the root of the tree and remove all it’s roots that the risk of someone tripping over the stump is eliminated. The same holds true for a person that carries false beliefs about themselves. They will continue to trip over their stump until the root cause is exposed.

    Confidence is a belief, and when you lack confidence in a certain aspect of your life, it means you believe and that you have put your entire faith/trust (not the religious kind) into some sort of comparison (the root). Based on this comparison, each time a situation presents itself within your environment, the judge (negative self-talk) digs into the back of your brain, compares your current situation with that of a false belief stored deep In your root system, and returns a negative value, “I can’t do this, I’m not good enough, There is no value in doing this, etc.”, leaving you feeling like a victim.

    The comparison is the root cause, the false belief you’ve put your entire faith/trust into. Undoing the false belief is as easy as not believing it anymore, but first you must find the root cause, the false belief.

    The truth about self is liberating. I trust you will find at least one false belief in your root system today, and take back your faith/trust, as you rebuild your confidence.

    Rebuild your confidence with Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco
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    Tuesday, September 2, 2008

    He's back...

    Good morning to everyone, and welcome to the unofficial close of the summer season. Today is September 2nd, the first day of school for many, and my first day back to blogging.

    So much has happened since I last posted a blog at the beginning of August. Let me start with my uneventful trip to New York. For those of you who read this blog regularly, you will know that I once feared heights, acrophobia is the correct name. If you recall there was one particular bridge that would put me into a frenzy each time I approached its metal structure. I'm happy to report the last time I crossed the bridge the conversation I had with myself was quite different than past conversations I've had about crossing the bridge. The conversation I had with myself on the last trip went something like this: "Remind me why I'm afraid of this bridge... the scenery down below is spectacular. I can't believe I was afraid to cross this bridge before."

    Although I was not blogging these past three weeks, I was still providing my life coaching services to clients in both Toronto and New York. I find it very interesting how people in Toronto are far different than those in New York. New Yorker's have a bit more noise in their life, about 3x greater than those living in Toronto. That's due largely because of the sheer size of New York. New Yorkers prefer therapy, while Torontonians prefer Life Coaches. Why the difference? That is what I will try to explain over the next couple of weeks.

    Lots to come in the next couple of days/weeks. New style of writing, new coaching ideas and concepts, new tools to learn how to deal with fears, anxiety and depression among other emotions. Over the next couple of weeks I will be focusing on the Inner Child, Ego and awareness.


    If you have a topic or question you would like me to discuss, please leave a comment and I will attempt to respond to as many as I can. 

    Thank you and welcome back!

    Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco 




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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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