Are you looking for a way to make ends meet?

If you or someone you know is affected by the economy and are looking for ways to make ends meet, bookmark this blog site because over the next couple of weeks I will be posting tricks and tips on how to make a few extra bucks working from home, to how to deal with those annoying collection agencies that call daily to collect money on the debt they purchased for pennies on the dollar. 

Feel free to drop me an email at bruno@brunologreco.com if you have a specific question or are looking for help on a specific topic. I will try my best to answer every question.

There is no better time than these times for me to share my professional knowledge and experience with you... 

Discussion Topics: 

• Work from home 
• Starting a home business 
• Dealing with collection agencies
• Creating a budget
• SEO tips 
• Negotiating strategies 

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach & Mentor 

Are you looking for a way to make ends meet?

Change

Good morning and Happy Saturday everyone! I haven’t posted in a few days because I’m on a mini vacation in New York City. New York is home away from home and soon might be my permanent home. I’ve been sitting on the idea of moving to New York for a few months but I haven’t made my final decision as of yet. New York City is beautiful, vibrant, and alive, but it’s not conducive for creative thinking. There is something about the big city and the way I think – I’m blocked whenever I am here.

New York is an old city and old cities have old buildings that offer very little natural lighting depending on the architecture plus other neighborhood buildings that trump your building in terms of size - what you are left with is a window that offers direct sunlight for maybe one hour each day. Unlike the apartment in Toronto – it’s a corner unit facing southwest and northwest – the sun penetrates the entire unit throughout the entire day until sunset – it’s a beauty for creative thinking and inspiration.

Moving to New York represents change. Am I prepared for change? Absolutely… I’m always up and ready for change – I welcome change with open arms. Moving to New York implies a lot of change. For one, I cannot write inside the apartment because of the lack of lighting. I would have to find a quiet place somewhere in New York that is filled with inspiration and people. I don’t think this will be too hard to find in a city of twelve million.

I enjoy writing in the early hours of the morning while everyone is still sleeping. The stillness and the soundless of the morning fuels my creative juices with ideas, concepts and theory’s about human behavior and why people behave the way they do given a specific situation. New York would be a wealth of information, but first I have to find the perfect spot, not too far from the apartment.

I welcome change - Big change, small change, or any kind of change. I know as long as I have ‘me’ I will be okay no matter where I live. Whether I live in Toronto or whether I live in New York I will still be ‘me’, and as long as I'm still ‘me’ it doesn’t matter where I live or what kind of change lies ahead.

Happy Saturday!

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach & Mentor

Change

Thankful for it all

Think today of how good life can be. And you'll see that life's true goodness comes not from what you have, but from how much you value and appreciate it. There is no end to the possibilities for richness and fulfillment in your life. There is no limit to what you can make of whatever you have.

Consider what you are able to be thankful for, and you'll discover something wonderful and empowering. You can be thankful for it all.

Look back and you'll see that the pleasures and the pains have both pushed you forward and given you countless opportunities for real growth. You've been supported by the good things you do have and inspired to reach for those things you do not yet have.

The triumphs have given you joy and the disappointments have strengthened your determination. All of it has enabled you to more richly fulfill the beautiful, genuine person you are.

Treasure all that is around you, whatever it may be, and open yourself to the positive possibilities. Be truly thankful for it all, and every day is even more rich and fulfilling than the day before.

-- Ralph Marston

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Thankful for it all

Smiling Is Infectious

Who could have ever imagined one year ago that the world would witness the biggest economic meltdown in history? World markets collapsing with each passing day threatening the United States of a deep recession. I’d like to know, “WHAT HAPPENED?” ~Smiling ~

This is the part I don’t like about awareness and maybe this is why I am smiling as I write this post. I would love no more than to blame George W. Bush for his outstanding achievements in his eight years in office. But I also know focusing on the past won’t change my current situation - only what I do right now could change the outcome. Focusing on the past is resisting what is and that takes a lot of effort and has zero return. I’m no dummy - I’m not going to waste my energy on something that yields no returns.

So the question then becomes: What are you going to do about your current situation? Do you sit and wait for a miracle to happen, or do you start looking at all your available resources to make things happen? I definitely chose the later and made things happen.

Times are extremely tough, the worst they have been in fifty years and they are saying it might get worse before it gets better. So I would like to volunteer myself as a resource. If you or anybody you know is having a hard time and could use a little inspiration, maybe motivation, or a tidbit on how to make an extra buck or two for the holiday season, please feel free to give them my contact information and recommend they reach out to me.

There never has been a better time than these times for people to come together and support one another. Make a conscience effort as you go about your day to smile at others – you want your smile to read: Everything is going to be okay. 

Smiling is infectious and doesn’t cost you anything - everybody could use a smile everyday.  :) 

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach & Mentor 

Smiling Is Infectious

The Search For Love or The Need To Be Loved

Human beings: Mysterious, intellectual, adventurous and emotional, white, black, brown, leaders, and followers, happy, joyful, stressed or relaxed – these are just a few characteristics that make human beings human. Although each one of us was raised in a different environment, no matter what nationality, culture, or race, we all share one fundamental need, and that is love.

Love is the single most needed emotion everybody everywhere in the world longs for. People search for love in partners, in spouses, and in family. Often time the search for love is mistaken for a need to be loved. Unfortunately when the basic emotional need of a child is neglected, the child is left feeling abandoned resulting in an ongoing and long-term search for love in adulthood that is often mistaken for the need to be loved.

The need to be loved is described by loneliness, misunderstood, and unworthy; Nobody to hold and to tell them “I love you and that all will be well” – Nobody to validate how they feel, but many will defend their feelings. How could that be, how could another person defend another persons feeling? Is it any wonder they feel unworthy – When will it be their turn?

The search for the love or the need to be loved

The effects from the need to be loved are profound and reek havoc ranging from sever panic attacks to anxiety for the fear that they will never be loved. Some will develop an inability to trust anyone. They fear that the people closest to them will not be there for them when they need them most. Relationships become battlegrounds fighting to secure the love they finally deserve.

Love is a fundamental need in every human being. In the absence of love human beings are left feeling unsettled, incomplete and continue the search to fill the void within their soul.

Cycling through unhealthy relationships does not heal abandonment nor fulfill your need to be loved. The only true way to do so is to start the healing process. The feeling of abandonment needs to be confronted and dealt with directly. This is the only path to true happiness. Only when you are ready to accept what is and deal with the imprisoned emotions will you begin to understand the difference between love and the need to be loved.

The Search For Love or The Need To Be Loved

What Is Life By Annalisa

WHAT IS LIFE?

Life is an Adventure ... Dare it
Life is a Beauty ... Praise it
Life is a Challenge ... Meet it
Life is a Duty ... Perform it
Life is a Love ... Enjoy it
Life is a Tragedy ... Face it
Life is a Struggle ... Fight it
Life is a Promise ... Fulfill it
Life is a Game ... Play it
Life is a Gift ... Accept it
Life is a Journey ... Complete it
Life is a Mystery ... Unfold it
Life is a Goal ... Achieve it
Life is an Opportunity ... Take it
Life is a Puzzle ... Solve it
Life is a Song ... Sing it
Life is a Sorrow ... Overcome it
Life is a Spirit ... Realize it

Written by Annalisa November 11, 2008

What Is Life By Annalisa

Looking For Holiday Stress Research? Self-Awareness For The Holidays

Imagine the holiday season colored in just black and white, with shades of gray. The Christmas tree dull slate and stark black. It would be dismal, wouldn't it? But now imagine a Christmas tree lit with rich vibrant colors: blues, reds, emerald greens... It would be quite a dramatic difference.

This is the dramatic shift you would experience, just by learning to heighten your self-awareness. Self-awareness--or the lack of it--colors how you see and experience the world around you. Mastering self-awareness opens up a whole new world of opportunity, advantages and experiences, and reduces stress and anxiety levels, especially over the holiday season.

Reduce Holiday Stress With Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is having an unvarnished and clear perception of your behaviors - thoughts, feelings, emotions and your personality. It is an unbiased view of your individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as an unfiltered inventory of your internal beliefs, motivations, reactions and corresponding emotions. When you are in touch with your true feelings and self-aware of your own thoughts and emotions, you are able to fully understand others without judgment and react accordingly, minimizing unnecessary stress and anxiety.

But learning to heighten your awareness can be difficult to achieve if you don't know what you are looking for. Beliefs and mistruths you have adopted, unwillingly and unknowingly over the years. I call these misperceptions "noise." They cloud the way you perceive others and, more importantly, how you perceive yourself.

Clearing away the "noise" and learning self-awareness takes time and dedication. A master life coach can also teach it. The first step towards learning self-awareness is learning about your behaviors and how your emotions react in a given environment.

How to Achieve Self-Awareness For The Holiday Season

There is no quicker path to awaken and learn self-awareness than by consulting with a qualified master life coach. By participating in life coaching, you can immediately begin to wipe away the years of misperceptions and mistruths and begin to see clearly. Master life coaches are trained to direct your attention toward areas of need. They don't just ask questions but instead ask the RIGHT questions in order to get to the root of the matter.

By becoming more conscious of your underlying habits and your behaviors, you are able to live more fully, increase your emotional intelligence and achieve more success, while reducing stress and anxiety.


Learn self-awareness for the holiday season and reduce your stress and anxiety. Visit Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach & Mentor at www.brunologreco.com. You will discover a new vibrant world full of opportunity!

Holiday Season Self-Awareness Package Includes: 

• Two forty-five minute phone calls
  
• Behavior assessment 
• Summary of your behavior 
• Tools to help you reduce your stress and anxiety just in time for the Holiday

From now until the end of December, you could learn about your behaviors and how to reduce holiday stress and anxiety for only $99.00  Call Today to book your assessment 416.725.2092 or 212.987.3998 bruno@brunologreco.com 

Looking For Holiday Stress Research? Self-Awareness For The Holidays

Random Thought About Life

I’m tired. I did not sleep well last night. It seems as if I have a lot on my mind these past few days. I know everything will work out, it always does. Due to the lack of sleep and my wondering mind, I doubt that I will be able to keep a thought this morning. Instead, I decided to write about the random thoughts that are running through my mind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Late last night while working with a client, I noticed something missing from the article I wrote the other day, “When You Suffocate The True You” I noticed I had omitted an important piece of the suppression exercise. If are using the exercise, you need to add the following to the beginning of the exercise: 

1. Become aware when you are around people, which make you feel bad. Notice when you are feeling limited or muted. Write down the scenario – people, conversation, and feeling. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the meaning of life? 

Life is continual change - the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity and continual change preceding death. You are changing with each passing minute, growing and learning to your full potential up until your last minute. 

You could choose to learn and grow with each passing minute or you could choose to make life complicated and remain right where you are, stuck in your comfort zone, rewinding time and reliving the past as if you could change it. 

Life is a never-ending learning lesson. Choose to learn and grow with life, because rewinding time is resisting what is. 

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach & Mentor

Random Thought About Life

When You Suffocate The True You

WARNING

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE. 

READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED. 

Do you ever wonder if the life you lead is really your life? Is your life lacking: Intention, purpose, and goals? Is your childhood dream a past memory? Are you feeling suppressed, depressed and misunderstood? Do you suppress your true feelings? Do you feel disconnected from the person you know lives inside of you? Are you living your life or… the life of another person?

If you answered ‘Yes” to all seven questions it could mean that you are living another person’s life – their intentions and goals. At some point in your life, you unconsciously took on the intention and goals of another person, typically an influencer. The life you once dreamed of is probably different then the one you are living and it’s creating a conflict within you. The end result: stress and depression.

Ask yourself what “suppression” means? Do you know what it means? It means to suppress - voluntary or involuntary, direct restraint on the expression of an instinct. This could happen if you are trying to deal with a situation. You abandon your true self and assume the intentions and goals of another person. This could also happen out of good intention too. Essentially you suffocate the true you, you give up your freewill and power to choose.

So what happened or happens when you suppress your true self:

• You suppress your true intention and goals and you assume another’s identity.
• You resist and create a new identity, but not that of your true self.
• Or you maintain your integrity by being your true self, which implies taking responsibility and acting according to your own identity – Your true intentions and goals.

But, whether you suppress or whether you resist, if there is a direct restraint on the expression of an instinct you will generate emotional charges throughout your life until it is resolved.

Suppression Exercise:

1. Become aware when you are around people, which make you feel bad. Notice when you are feeling limited or muted. Write down the scenario – people, conversation, and feelings. 
2. Become aware of when you are around positive people, which make you feel good, and help you feel better about true self. Write down the scenario –people, conversation and feelings. 
   
3. Review the specific reasons why you were left feeling bad or good in each environment. Write down your thoughts and feelings.
   
4. Write your intentions - Likes, dislikes, purposes and goals that are being suppressed? 
   
5. Who is suppressing your true self? 
   
6. Are you suppressing your own feeling–but originally suppressed by the actions of another person?
   
7. Is your past a present day issue? 

The truth behind your current situation will help you free your true expression, your natural instinct for your life. Learn how to be free.

Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco  

When You Suffocate The True You

Stress, Anxiety - The Economy, AND... The Holiday Season

The holiday season is fast approaching. With American Thanksgiving only one week away and only 39 more days before Christmas, many of you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. When you combine the stress of the holiday season with the current “global economic meltdown”, that’s a recipe for disaster and it’s being distributed to well over twenty million homes, and counting, across the United States and soon Canada.

Everybody seems to have an opinion when it comes to the Big 3 automakers. Personally, I think the government should let them fail. Greed has never worked for anybody, karma has a way of getting back at you. And, if the government bails the Big 3 out, they won't learn the valuable lesson that needs to be had. But, on the other hand and I don't remember the exact figure but I think it’s three million companies will be affected if the Big 3 declare bankruptcy. That’s HUGE, and unfair to all those people that will be affected by the collapse.

Now, add the holiday season, economic meltdown, and the idea of not having a job to return to come January, now that’s a recipe for a major anxiety attach. And that’s not even adding the In-laws into the equation yet. Its not hard to see how quickly anything could trigger an emotion this upcoming holiday season. 

So how do you prevent you from having a meltdown before January?

Easy, follow me:

1. Try not to over extend yourself this holiday season. Create a holiday budget before running out to the store and filling up your shopping cart.
   
2. If you cannot afford to host Thanksgiving and or Christmas this year, DON’T. Your guests will understand and there is no need to be ashamed. Times are tough and no one will judge you. 
   
3. DO NOT use credit cards. Create cash drawers for various expenses on a weekly basis. When the drawer is dry, so is your shopping.
   
4. Sleep. You must sleep at least seven hours nightly. The less zzzz you catch each night, the greater the risk of you blowing-up.
5. Fitness. Yes! I cannot stress enough how important health and fitness is. When you engage in any fitness: Walk, run, weight train, anything, it reduces your stress level.
6. Take care of self. Make sure you are taking care of yourself and you are not running ragged trying to please everybody. You are an equal to everybody and you too deserve a break.
7. Hot water to cool you off. If at anytime you find yourself reacting to a comment or a situation, excuse yourself, take a walk to the bathroom and put your hands under warm/hot water and become aware of the feeling of the water as it runs down your palms, splashing your wrists. Follow the flow and feel the warmth. This will cool you off. 

And always remember: 

• The economy will still be there tomorrow – maybe in better shape but definitely not any worse. 
• If you do lose your job, you will still have the single most important thing in the entire world, and that is YOU. As long as you have YOU, you will be able to find another job.
• And about your In-Laws - they are not looking for change, so why try controlling them?They'll be back next year and you'll have to do it again. 
  

Happy Holidays

Master Life Coach and Mentor Bruno LoGreco

Stress, Anxiety - The Economy, AND... The Holiday Season

How do you measure your self-worth?

"I want to be the best that I can be. I challenge myself each day by achieving perfection."

What happens when you don’t achieve perfection? 

"I do what I need to do to achieve perfection."

How do you know when you have achieved perfection? 

"Because I could see it in their faces, they love what I’ve done or how I made them feel."

 

Who's "They?"

"Them, all of them, you, her, him - everybody around me."

What happens when you don’t make them happy or they don’t like what you did for them? 

"It means I haven’t reached perfection, so I will better myself for the next time." 

So you measure yourself based on how other people react?

"Of course, I’m a giver. My purpose is to make other people happy."

What happens when you don’t make those people happy? 

"For example: If someone came to my house for dinner and they did not eat my food, I would be offended. And not only that, but they are also saying that my house is dirty, or that they don't like the way my house looks, or something. So the next time they come over I will make sure the house is spotless and that I cook a bigger and better meal than the last time." 

Do you find anything odd about what you just said? 

"No, that’s the way I am. I’m here to make other people happy by giving them happiness through the things that bring me joy." 

What brings you JOY? 

"Making others happy"

You base your self-worth by how others respond to you for the things you do for them? 

"No... I didn’t mean it like that."

Then, what did you mean? 

How do you measure your self-worth?

What's Up, Doc?

It’s another gray and dismal day in Toronto. I didn’t do much today. I cleaned my apartment, read a few pages of Anna Karenina and finally I went to Loblaws to pickup a few items for dinner. Loblaws is a Canadian grocery retail chain.

I went to the store to buy basil and cilantro and I came home with cake, chips, and whole bunch of other stuff. Between you and me, grocery stores love me because I never go with a shopping list. I just walk into the store and start throwing items into my shopping cart, when I feel I have everything I need I proceed to the checkout counter. My short exertion to the grocery store to buy basil and cilantro wasn’t costly today - under forty bucks. Not bad.

On the menu this evening:

Rigatoni pasta, basil tomato sauce with Italian meatballs. Mixed greens with slivered almonds, sweet onion with an olive oil and balsamic dressing. And for desert: Crunchy Almond Biscotti and Panettone. I’m entertaining a few guests this evening.

Happy Saturday!

What's Up, Doc?

Spoiled Life Coach With 'Me' Time...

Maybe I am spoiled maybe I’m not but these are luxuries I get to enjoy because of the choices I made. I work for myself as Life Coach. I have the flexibility to schedule clients according to my schedule and availability. When I first decided to become a Life Coach I made a promise to myself that I would not work on Fridays. For most of my adult life I wished that the workweek would be reduced to four days per week. My wish came true but only for a short time when I became a coach. I work Sundays - Sunday is family and teen coaching day - I’m okay with this choice for now.

Yesterday was ‘Me’ day. The weather was gray and rainy, not conducive for a walk in the park or much of anything in nature. I typically meander to High Park. I stayed home all day yesterday instead. The only time I left the house was to go to the gym first thing in the morning and the rest of the day I worked on my new idea, and wrote a few articles.

Can I ask you a question? Do you consider “work” work if you are passionate about what you do?

I don’t think it is work. I enjoy writing. A few people in my life believe that when I write I am working because I write about a specific subject matter, LIFE. I learned the art of journal writing a few years ago and I recommend it to all my clients. I also learned through journaling that my writing skills were horrible, and my grammar was worse. I don’t remember learning grammar in elementary school. I remember learning how to spell, how to add and subtract, but I have no recollection of ever learning proper grammar. So I use Morning Java With Life Coach Bruno LoGreco to share my thoughts and views on life, but also to improve my writing skills.

So, YES… I am writing about what I am passionate about - LIFE, but I’m also improving my writing skills along the way. And, because journal writing is a form of meditation, a method for you become one with self, I chose to spend my “Me” day writing and becoming one with my own thoughts. Even though I was writing about a specific subject matter, writing is very relaxing and soothing.

Do you have ‘Me’ time? 

You may want to consider creating a little ‘Me’ time in your life if you don't already have some. Schedule an appointment with yourself: Read a book, or write your thoughts and feelings in a journal. Take a walk through the park and immerse yourself into nature. Or, maybe a little pampering with a spa day, men included. Unfortunately, the reality is - If you do not take care of yourself, nobody will.

Master Life Coach Toronto native Bruno LoGreco

Spoiled Life Coach With 'Me' Time...

My New Idea

I am so happy this morning. Seriously… I am in such a good mood! I am moving forward with my new idea. This past week I’ve been working towards solving a puzzle. The puzzle I am working on is very complex and has multiple layers and because of the complexity and the amount of time that it takes to solve the puzzle, I’ve been working around the clock. BUT... I am proud and happy to report that my persistence and determination paid off.

I had an ‘Aha' moment this week while learning to solve the puzzle. Do you know what an ‘Aha’ moment is? An ‘Aha’ moment occurs when you are working on something or doing something and you have an idea to solve a problem or to enhance an existing produce or service. Your heart begins to thump and you begin to drift into la-la-land with thousands of images racing through your head with every passing second. When you finally return to reality you begin to wonder why nobody has thought about your idea, and that is when you here the big DONG in your head.

This morning I registered my new domain names. I could not believe they were not taken. The first domain name is not a big secret: www.lifecoachintoronto.com. The second domain name I registered - that one I will not be sharing with you quite yet. If you want to learn more about the second domain name you will have to just keep returning to this blog as I reveal the idea over a period of time.

Oh, by the way if you are looking for a domain name and you are unsure how to pick one, pick a domain name that is relevant to your niche. Try to keep the name to two or three keywords and also know that most search engine skip three letter words or less.

Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco

My New Idea

He Does Not Want To Do Anything With His Life

Two down with two to go…

The weather is still gray and gloomy. Thankfully I snapped out of my dreary mood earlier this afternoon. It doesn’t take me long to snap-out of, one of my moods. Put me in front of a client and I instantly pickup on his or her energy. I almost always could tell when someone is trying to pull a fast one on me. All you have to do is make eye contact and pay close attention to the body language. Actions speak louder than words and if you combine energy to the equation you now have a story. (NOT TO BE USED WITH AWARENESS COACHING)

Client # 2 today was a teenager. His mother contacted me because she was concerned about him. The night she contacted me she told me that her son had already been through therapy a few times and that he is a very smart but does not want to do anything with his life. She continued to tell me that Life Coaching was her last hope and if coaching does not work for him than she wouldn’t know where to turn next.

We scheduled a meeting for the following week. One week later I met with him and his family. Everybody in the family was very pleasant. It was your typical family with two teenage boys. I proceeded with to ask questions for the next hour and half. At the end our discussion I smiled at the teen and I said to him: 

“I totally get you. You think you are smart and know it all and don’t need me or anybody to tell you what you already know. I get you – Tell you what… This! Me and you. This is about you and anything you want. I think you're creative, I think you like to create and put things together. And if it doesn’t work out, Oh Well, Time to move on. 

Did I get that right? I asked. He looked at me and smiled. 

I meet with him on a weekly basis to catch-up and to learn about what he’s been up to since we last met. We also look over his business plan. Oh yeah… I forgot to tell you. He is working towards staring a business. He loves to design and he wants to start-up his own line of shirts with his own branding.

Since we started working together he has saved close to $2,000. Is writing a business plan for www.summercompany.ca, he is testing for his G1 license, and looking continuing education at Ryerson University. Not so bad for a teen that did not want to do anything with his life.

Have a great night!

By the time I finished writing this post I saw my last two clients for the day.

Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco

He Does Not Want To Do Anything With His Life

I Lived In A Box - Now I'm Living My Dream

It’s a gray and rainy day. I’m finding it difficult to keep my eyes open. With one client down and three more to go I better snap out of this dreary mood I’m in.

Just a few months ago one of my clients believed she would never have the opportunity to showcase her collection. She had a dream that one day she would design beautiful garments, bags and what ever else her creativity allowed. Her designs are feminine, chic, made with quality fabrics and definitely for trendsetters - for the artsy type. She also designs garments for woman that have had mastectomies, she wants to give these woman their femininity back through her designs, plus she herself is a cancer survivor.

Before she was diagnosed in 2006 with breast cancer, she was held captive in her own little box, a box she created for herself. The box offered very little if any inspiration or motivation, it only served as shelter to protect her from her fears – the fear of what other people would say about her creations, the designs that she is passionate about, the designs and vision that she’s been dreaming about since childhood. This morning she came out of her little box and exposed her designs to the outside world.

Yes - she was a little nervous early this morning when I arrived to chaperon her to her first show. The purpose of my attendance was for support, encouragement, but most of all to be the voice of reason should she become pessimistic. Shoppers stopped, looked, touched, some even asked questions. Threw the corner of my eye I watched, as she stood proud of her accomplishment. Even if she doesn’t sell a single piece today at the show, she will walk away feeling proud that she did it – she put her mind to it and accomplished what she set off to do.

What are you waiting for?

I Lived In A Box - Now I'm Living My Dream

Safe Inside My Box

Image living in a 20x20 box. The box is divided into three smaller sections – A bedroom, kitchen, and a living room with a small couch facing the only door leading to civilization and to the promise land. The box is dark, lonely, and quiet. There is nothing to inspire or to motivate you – there is only you and your thoughts.

On the other side of the door is promise land, or so you have been told. But, when you attempt to learn what is on the other side of the door you are greeted by noise, congestion, and what appears to be judgmental people everywhere you look. The vision of what you want to see occupies your thoughts engulfing your soul with anxiety and fear. You immediately retreat and close the door to your box.

You see! It’s not so bad in here after all. Yes it is quiet and yes it is lonely, but I don’t have to deal with whatever is out there. It’s loud, noisy, and extremely busy for my liking. How can that be the promise land? I think I will stay right here - safe in my little box.

Not long after you retreated into your little box you begin to experience loneliness and a desire to move on to bigger and better things again. You are growing tired and lonely from being the only person living  in your little box. You are ready to move on, but the only problem is you have to face whatever is on the other side of the door.

It can’t be that bad – they say it’s the promise land and I can do anything I choose if I could just walk out the door and figure it out for myself.

You approach the door with caution. You open the door slowly as you stare up and down the street to gauge what is going on in promise land. The noise is just as loud as the last time if not louder. There is traffic everywhere, and the people standing on the street turn towards you staring you down like you are some creature or something. 

No thanks – I feel safe right here. There is no such thing as promise land. This is my promise land right here in my little box. I feel safest in my little box and nobody could tell me otherwise. Promise land my ass…

Just outside the box about 100 meters to the left and around the corner sits the most incredible view of the promise land. It is filled with peace, love and JOY. The scenery is picturesque – something out of a movie. But… for the poor person stuck inside the box, they might never learn the truth. They have chosen to sit with their own thoughts of what isn’t, and the only emotion they could feel is loneliness. BUT... What they may or may not know is depression will soon be knocking at the door requesting a friendship. 

Are you living inside of a box? 

Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco

Safe Inside My Box

Self-Awareness Through Life Coaching

I love what I do. I really love helping people with the art of Life Coaching. Life Coaching is truly an art form – to understand individuals for who they are: unique, passionate and talented. Yes - everybody has a talent somewhere buried, down, deep, in their soul caught between fear and who knows what else, there is a talent. The trick is to find it… And when they do find their talent, they quickly learn how passionate and unique they really are.

There are Life Coaches in every major city across North America and people are turning to them for support, guidance, and encouragement these days. People are in the mood for change - change in the world, change in politics, and change in self. A shift in consciousness is happening across the globe right now that is quickly gaining momentum.

I’m glad to be part of this shift – To watch individuals go from what they believed to be reality - a reality inundated with noise, emotions, and self-inflicted pain, to a new life of hope, goals and dreams, self-awareness and most importantly self-love. A love for self to self-validate, to feel good and to appreciate you for who you are, not for what another person says you are.

Me along with many other life coaches are here to support you along your journey. You don’t have to do it alone anymore.

Oh yeah… before I forget to tell you, the process to self-awareness will hurt – The truth hurts when you learn how you’ve been treating yourself, but it oh so worth it in the end.

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor

Self-Awareness Through Life Coaching

Life Coaching or Therapy?

What can life coaching offer you? Life coaching can offer many alternatives to traditional therapy or counseling. Unlike therapy, life coaching by Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco is about identifying the root cause - untying the knot at the root of the problem. Only after you identify the root cause and undo the thoughts, which ignite your behaviors, will you be freed to achieve your goals and live your dreams. Life Coaching by Bruno LoGreco will enable you to move forward in your life with self-love and self-awareness.

Many people wake-up at some point in life and ask, “How did I ever get here?” They sit back and contemplate where, how, and when did everything go wrong. Their first instinct or gut reaction is to point blame at their loved ones – spouse, children, parents and/or sibling. Women feel unappreciated, unworthy, and lonely, while men feel disconnected, lost, and afraid of what is yet to come. But you see, the problem did not start in they’re thirty’s or forty’s, the problem started decades before. The root cause could be remnants from childhood. During a child’s first years, immediate influencers need to support their children with encouragement and confidence, showing them they are beautiful and that they are loved. This is positive effect. In the absence of positive effect a child will grow into a negative adult, seeking encouragement and confidence from the outside world. Of course there is fine balance of how much is too much and how much is too little.

Therapy or counseling help individuals talk through their problem – The only problem with talking through the issues and not working towards addressing the root cause is it will only serve as fuel for the negative ego. I used the Ego word. Yes, all of your actions whether you are aware or not are ego driven. You have good and bad ego - if you seek external validation because of the lack of positive effect you received as a child, you might have your back up right now due to my ego comment, but it's reality.

The next time you react and feel that you are not worthy or unappreciated, ask yourself – What am I truly looking for? If you are unable to answer the question, dig deep into your soul and sooner or later you will find the answer.

If you are tired of reliving the past and would like to move onto bigger and better things before for the New Year, then Life Coaching might be the answer for you.

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor

Life Coaching or Therapy?

Balance

I’m working too much – I’m either with a client or learning new material and applying it. I feel myself falling out of balance.

When I became an entrepreneur I declared Friday ‘me’ day. I picked Friday, the last day of the week so I could enjoy two consecutive days off. I work Sunday’s – I work with teens and I also do family coaching. But Friday, that’s my day to relax, go for a walk through High Park, or just spoil myself – anything I want or don’t want to do, that’s why I declared Friday ‘me’ day.

A few months ago I failed to keep my own promise to myself and I started working on Friday’s. After a few short weeks I fell out of balance. It doesn’t take long before I begin to feel burnt-out. I reviewed my schedule and noticed I was scheduling appointments on Friday - as a result I only had one day off each week. My psyche did not like that and I became sluggish. Sometimes I forget that I have the power to make changes to my schedule.

It did not take long for me to bounce back into the groove once I had my ‘me’ day back. I have energy, I’m happy, and I’m swift in my thinking. I find it easier to think and to also be more aware of my behaviors when I’m rested. I see through the noise that inundates most people’s lives. Let me try to explain. There is what you want to see, your perception based on what your sensors are reading through all the noise that surrounds you at every moment, and then there is the reality, what is really happening. The reality of what is really happening can only be seen with objective eyes, not the minds eye. The minds eye judges what it sees based on past experiences.

So you see why ‘me’ day is really important to me as a life coach. I need to be able to cut through the noise and see the reality of things, without this ability I could not help guide my clients to see through the noise and onto better things.

I did it again. Yesterday, after enjoying the day in High Park, I came home feeling exhausted, I wondered why I was so wiped-out... And then I remembered – I’ve been working twelve thirteen hour days these past few weeks and yesterday, my ‘me’ day, I worked with three clients. YES! It was my choice. I thought if I took my clients to High Park, it wouldn't feel like work because I too am enjoying the park. But, the reality is - I'm still working.

Another lesson learned – Time to rebalance self.

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor

Balance

What Is The Behavior Theory?

I learned a lot this past year. 2008 is definitely a year filled with life lessons. I learned so much about, awareness, unconditional self-love, and about the behaviors theory - I learned about my own behaviors and the reason why I react to a particular environment. But the biggest lesson I learned this year is that in life you continue to learn each and every day. And if and when you think you know all there is to know you are either: 1) Dead or 2) Stuck somewhere on your life path.

Imagine for a moment that you are not dead but you feel you know it all – What are you going to do for the rest of your life? How do you fill your day? Are you reacting to different situations? Do you get into another persons life? Are you complaining about tedious insignificant issues? Do you complain about life and how it isn’t fair?

What is the behavior theory? The behavior theory is long but not so complicated theory about behaviors. Instead of trying to explain the theory and making a mess out of it, you could learn more about it by clicking on, what is the behavior theory.

2009 is fast approaching. With less than two months to the to the New Year, I started to plan and set new goals for 2009. Some goals will take me to new heights, while other goals will challenge what I believe about myself. But, with awareness to my behaviors and to life in general, I know I will continue to Create the life I dream about.

So if you would rather sit around in 2009 and worry about what another person is doing, or get your knickers in a knot over what Joe Six Pack said or did, or when you feel that Joe the Plumber is not good at what he does, look back to 2008 and ask yourself where did all your complaining get you? If the answer is nowhere, you might want to take a step back and analyze your behaviors.

Best wishes to everybody from Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco

What Is The Behavior Theory?

10 Powerful Life Coaching Tips

Are you living a life filled with love, creativity and passion, or are you living a life dominated by fear, past emotions, and noise?

Following the path that you long for, a path filled with love, creativity, and passion requires courage and maybe a shift in consciousness.

Do you have what it takes to start working toward the life you dream of - are you ready for self-improvement?

Self-Improvement does not mean you have to change every aspect of your life in order to learn about who you are. What it does mean is that you will challenge what you believe about yourself, challenge your core beliefs, and change how you view the world around you. Do not try to change everything at once, you have a lifetime ahead of you.

To get you started on your self-improvement journey I provided ten powerful life coaching tips. These life coaching tips are designed to help you improve your life and to become your own life coach.

10 Powerful Life Coaching Tips

1. Find some ‘me’ time. Find a quiet, comfortable place where you could reflect. Start with 10 to 20 minutes for meditation or silent reflection. Surround yourself around nature - High Park in Toronto is a great place.

2. Ask yourself what you truly want in life. Are you living your life according to your true dreams, fueled by passion? 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 your thoughts in a journal, even if they seem silly, write it down! You may be surprised by the inspiration and ideas you can come up with when you are not judging.

4. Track your daily tasks and rate each task from 1 to 10. A rating of 1 – You were not successful and you did not love working on the task. A rating of 10 - You were very successful and you loved working on the task.

5. After two weeks of tracking your tasks, review all of the 9’s and 10’s on your tracking sheet – Tasks with a 9 or 10 are activities you have a natural talent and passion for.

6. Identify opportunities in the market place for your natural talent and passion. Ask yourself if you could make a business out of your natural passion and talent.

7. Choose one task each night to complete the next day. This way, you have focus, and you accomplish at least one task as you embark into your new life fueled by passion.

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. 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.

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

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.

Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco

10 Powerful Life Coaching Tips

CHANGE

America has spoken – CHANGE Is coming to Washington and for the American people.
Barack Obama, President Elect won the race to the White House in a landslide historical victory: 338 to 163 electoral votes, and a Democrat majority within the Senate and the House – A huge upset for the Republican Party.

The stars were aligned throughout the entire Presidential campaign for Obama. Obama believed in himself and his cause, his message to the American people – CHANGE. CHANGE Obama believes in and CHANGE the American people are ready for. The message for CHANGE echoed across the nation, the message loud, clear, and unambiguous, that not even Hillary Clinton was able to knock Obama out of the race to the White House. Obama and his supporters all believed that it was time for CHANGE in the United States of America.

With CHANGE anything is possible. Obama proved to the world and to the American people that in the Land Of The Free anything IS possible and that you can become anything you choose and that you can have anything you want no matter what skin color, ethnicity, or religion you are.

Gone are the days of hiding behind the race card – Gone are the days filled with excuses – Gone are all the days of why you cannot. America is a new place, a place where “YES I CAN” is the mantra.

Are you ready for CHANGE?

I challenge each of you to make one CHANGE for the better in your life. CHANGE what you think is impossible to change – CHANGE how you see the world around you – CHANGE the illusion into reality.

How bad do you want CHANGE in your life? Are you willing to exert effort into your cause? Are you willing to fight for what you believe in? Are you ready to live your dream? CHANGE is in you. Are you ready for it?

CHANGE

Take Care Of Self

I’m not sure what exactly I did wrong. Last night while speaking with the newest member of my teen coaching program, I felt a kink in my neck followed by a sharp pain that ran up and down the left side of my back. Moments later I could no longer remain seated in my chair - minutes later, sever pain ran through my neck and across my shoulders. The entire left side of my upper body went into a state of paralysis.

Yesterday morning was no different than most mornings. I was up at the crack of dawn, walked through the living room towards the kitchen. I made a pot of espresso, reviewed the day ahead, wrote some thoughts and off to the gym I went.

I don’t recall doing anything stupid at the gym. I stopped lifting heavy weights two years ago when I injured my shoulder for the last time. Yes, I was a typical boy and thought my body could handle the repeated stress and injuries - so I put my body through vigorous workouts five days per week. I failed at the warming up part – I knew that stretching was a good idea, but stretching took too much time and I was in a hurry. By age twenty-one my mantra was: I have places to go, people to see, and things to do… I guess taking care of myself at age twenty-one wasn’t a priority yet.

Now at thirty-three, I stretch before and after my workout and I do fifteen minutes of cardio. I know fifteen minutes is not that much, but considering I never did any cardio in my past, fifteen minutes is HUGE.

So I am unsure of what I did wrong yesterday or how I even hurt myself to this extent. The entire left side of my upper body is in severe pain - thankfully I was able to sleep through the pain for most of the night.

I learned many lessons along the way, some more painful than others. But this is what life is all about - living and learning through mistakes and successes. Sure some lessons take twelve years before you learn what you need to learn from them, but now you have the information you need for maximum success for the next sixty, seventy or even hundred years. Take care of self, you will be thankful later.

Master Life Coach Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco

Take Care Of Self

Goal-Setting

Did you know something MAGICAL happens when you write your goals?

Early this morning I surfed over to iijournal.com to make a journal entry. iijournal.com is an online private and secure journal that I created for my clients originally, but later decided to make it public, available for anybody to use. It needs some work, a facelift – In the next few months iijournal.com will go through a transformation. Watch for it!

Back to goal writing – Something magical happen when you write your goals. This morning I logged into iijournal.com to update and write new goals. I was not surprised to learn I had already achieved a few goals that were not on my top 10 list. iijournal.com allows you to write 25 goals in each of the following categories: Career, Health, Material, and Spiritual/Romance. From the list of 100 goals, you could select your top 10 and add multiple tasks to each goal. As you complete your tasks, iijournal.com tells you how close you are to achieving your goal. Pretty neat tool, but it does need a little work in terms of navigation.

It truly is amazing what happens when you write your goals and periodically check to see how you are tracking towards achieving those goals. It’s like magic right before your eyes - with little to no effort you achieve your goals. I have to go back and find the article I read about how the brain operates when goals are written. Something to do with the subconscious and how information is stored in our brains - subconsciously we set the ball in motion to accomplish the tasks required to achieve our written goals when we write them somewhere. Maybe that's why the most successful people in the world all write their goals. Did you know that?  

Everybody is different and different people have different ways of writing their goals. For myself, I like to write my short (less than 1 year) and long (greater than 1 year) goals in iijournal, including all the tasks I think I would need to work on before I could achieve my goal. I’m hit and miss with a “To-Do-List”, although I do recommend you also create a nightly To-Do-List, especially if you are a procrastinator. They say when you create a nightly to-do-list before going to sleep, while you are sleeping your brain will begin processing the tasks that require your attention the following day. When you rise and begin your day, you will automatically with no conscious thought work towards completing those tasks. It’s magic - or is it untapped brain power? 

Why don’t you try it? Go ahead and write your goals somewhere. Buy a journal and dedicated the first few pages for your goals, or create an account at www.iijournal.com and start creating the life you want and dare dream of. 

Master Life Coach, Toronto Mentor Bruno LoGreco 

Goal-Setting