Hurry hurry run run there's no time for this

A few summers ago I was driving home alone from New York. I was driving on Interstate-90, next to the St. Lawrence River. It’s a beautiful drive – very picturesque in spots. Hillsides lined with trees along the River. In the car I was listening to “Slowly” by Macy Gray.

Would it be so bad if we just stopped for a while

And enjoyed the thrills we could all be still let the world just pass us by

But it's all hurry hurry run run there's no time for this

We want more and more got to win got to score so afraid of what we'll miss

And it moves so fast

Nothing lasts

A culmination of the song and scenery awakened me to a new level of awareness. Suddenly everything moved in slow motion. Me, the car and everything else became part of the picture. In one eye fixation I processed a panoramic view of the landscape. It was incredible. Everything was so crisp, so vivid and rich in color.

What I took away from that drive was a tool to help my life coaching clients and me slow down and to enjoy the moment. When you are in the moment taking in everything with clarity, that’s when real opportunities present themselves. That’s when you could see things you wouldn’t otherwise see.

But, life does take over and just like anything else you learn, if you don’t practice it you lose it – its natural. However, with awareness not only do you need to constantly practice it you need to continue to learn how to apply it to all facets of life – and that’s a lifelong journey.

This morning I learned something new about myself. Something I didn’t know I had until it happened again. Without any distractions (and this is why I am a morning person) I caught myself in a similar state of mind moving in slow motion and voila! I became aware of something new. It is the missing link to the next step in my career and now I have it…

I’m blessed and grateful. Thank you!

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author & motivational speaker

Hurry hurry run run there's no time for this

Stress management: What is stressing you out?

By Ivana Pejakovic

Dealing with your stress can be easy enough... once you realize what is stressing you out, that is. Our lives are full of activities, duties, and responsibilities. It is full of things making you rush, hurry, and hustle and bustle. Life, however, does not need to be like this. If you put a filter on what you will accept to be a part of your life, you avoid many of the unnecessary stressors that are destroying the quality of your life.

Often times we take on responsibility for things we have to, for things we do not want to do, for things we feel that we need to do, and for things we can’t do. If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must carefully choose what you will commit yourself to.

The key to managing stress is taking charge of your life. The first step is to realize which activities in your life are unnecessary and bring you strain. Although you may not be able to eliminate all of them, you are certainly able to reduce and remove the ones that you do not need in your life.

To help you identify your stressors, start keeping a list of things in life that make you angry, stressed, and anxious or produce any sort of negative feelings within you. Rate each item on your list from 1 to 10 in terms of how stressful you find it. This will give you an idea of the top stressors you are facing.

Identifying the activities that are stressing you out, however, may be easier than trying to eliminate them. You may find yourself in a situation where you’re taking care of your immediate family and your parents, you’re juggling a full-time career (or maybe 2 part-time jobs), taking care of your home and pets, in addition to trying to maintain a relationship with your partner, kids, family, and friends.

In fact, you may just say that nothing in your life can be cut out. Maybe.

Review your stress list and decide on which responsibilities you can delegate to your family members. Ask your partner to pick up the groceries (provide a list if needed) and ask your kids to help clean up around the house, do the laundry and walk the dog. Enforce a rule where everyone needs to clean up after themselves.

See what activities in your life can be avoided all together (there must be at least 2 on that list) and which ones can be reduced. If you don’t know how to distinguish between the important activities and the not so important ones, pay attention to which ones must be done and which ones you feel should be done. Get rid of any of the ‘should do activities’ and focus on the ‘must do activities.’

Don’t forget to say ‘No’ when your schedule is already full. If you have a hard time saying now to your loved ones, see if you can trade off. Maybe they can help you with one of your activities as you help them with theirs.

Dealing with stress can be as easy as filtering through the activities that you need to do and activities others can help you with. Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask others to do their share. Once you share the responsibilities you will reduce the amount of stress you’re facing.

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author and motivational speaker

Stress management: What is stressing you out?

Domestic Violence

www.blogtalkradio.com/janettesmithonline Tuesday November 23rd, 2010 @ 4pm CST

Domestic Violence

Christmas Shopping Stress No More!

By Ivana Pejakovic

One of the biggest causes of stress over the Christmas season is gift shopping. Over the years we have started competing to see who can buy the biggest and most expensive gifts. It would appear that sentimentality is no longer necessary in our society. The most memorable gifts, however, have always been and continue to be personalized and free of charge.

While store bought gifts are an easy way out, I recommend you put on your creative hat and show those most important to you how much you care in your own way. Your gift idea will be unique, sentimental, and is bound to score you some extra points with your partner, children, friends or boss. So, use the time you would normally be stuck in long line ups and start working on what your loved ones will truly cherish.

Tips for personalized Christmas gifts this year:

1. Create a scrapbook or personalized calendar from existing family photos and materials.
2. Create a coupon booklet. Use your creative skills to make it visually appealing. Your coupons can include things such as your participation in an activity the gift recipient likes to engage in or signing up for a sport together. The type of services you offer will depend on who you are giving this gift to.
3. If your family or friends are interested in personal development, create a booklet with articles of their interest and integrate pages with positive/ encouraging words and images (e.g., goal settings, core values, and behavioural awareness).
4. Give someone the gift of your time by hanging out with them and opening up the lines of communication.
5. Create a family newsletter to be distributed to all family members. You can interview each family member you plan on including in the newsletter and write a short blurb on what’s going on with them, what their hopes and dreams are, their New Year’s resolutions, worries/concerns, values, etc. Don’t forget to include a short bio too.

Bruno LoGreco, life coach toronto, author & motivational speaker

Christmas Shopping Stress No More!

Did you know...

if you hear something enough times you begin to believe it?

How many times were you labeled “lazy” or “procrastinator”, how about “dumb ass” or “stupid?” What else might you have been labeled in the past? Take a moment and write down some of those labels onto a piece of paper.

What do you believe about yourself - When you doubt yourself and don’t feel confident in your abilities; when you believe failure is on the horizon and that you’ll be judged for it. What words come to mind? Take a moment and write them down.

Compare the two lists. Did you carry those labels forward to the present?

Are those the same labels stopping you from pursuing a different kind of life - The life you thought you should be living instead of the one you are living?

Challenge Your Beliefs

Take Back Control

Break Down The Box

Tri-Commitment to Success

by Bruno LoGreco Life Coach, Toronto

Did you know...

Perfectionist, The Ultimate Procrastinator

Are you a perfectionist? Someone who cannot tolerate errors and will go the extra mile to ensure whatever you are working on is perfect?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to the question above, I bet that you also procrastinate. Meaning you spend more time and energy on useless tasks instead of the real important ones. Lets face it useless tasks provide you with a sense of satisfaction – a reward because you can finish them, but those other tasks they take longer and will require much more of your time and energy to achieve, and there is a slight chance you might fail at it, so what’s the point you might think - Right?

Excuse after excuse you find a reason not to tackle those important things, busying yourself with useless tasks that provide you with instant gratification. However, did you notice those important tasks never went away? There still there waiting for you aren’t they? And if you continue putting them off you will eventually start to feel anxious at the thought of them. You might even be feeling a bit anxious at this very moment. Just be careful not to spend more time than necessary on useless tasks because the really important ones, they never go away.

I also bet that if you had the right tool you wouldn’t be such a procrastinator.

Here’s my 3-step ACT formula to help you overcome procrastination:

1. Acknowledge - What is the project?
2. Accept - It will require your time, energy, patience and commitment.
3. Identify - What is the effort, what must I do?

Don’t wait another moment do it NOW...

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author & keynote speaker

Perfectionist, The Ultimate Procrastinator

Mind-Body-Soul - A Fine Balancing Act

According to a 2008 survey released by Canadian Community Health, 53% of adult women and 51% of adult men are not active during their leisure time, if they take any leisure time at all. “There simply isn’t any time left to fit everything into a day”, said Eva Lahman, entrepreneur, wife and mother of two. “I struggle everyday trying to accomplish everything I must do to be successful in business and to take care of my family... Read More

Mind-Body-Soul - A Fine Balancing Act

Who cares? People will judge you anyhow

You guys have been great and I appreciate everyone who stops by and takes a moment to read this blog. I know that some of you have been following me since I started down this journey back in 2006, when my writing skills were horrid, but you didn’t care. You were interested in the message rather than my writing skills. I am grateful you stuck with me and continued to come back to read more.

Even though I knew my writing skills were piss poor it did not stop me from writing weblogs, articles, e-books, books and more. I didn’t care how poor my skills were I wanted to share my ideas with you and the only way I could do that is by writing it, or I could have paid someone to write it for me. I’m not sure that would have been feasible as the new life coach on the block.
At first I was apprehensive. I was nervous about publishing my thoughts for the world to read because similar to you I was also afraid of being judged. But I knew the only way I would become successful as a life coach and author, and to get to that place I dreamed of, I would need to put it all out there. All of it for everyone to read and to be judged by. So I had to take a decision. Put it all out there for everyone to read, or regret it later when I think back to what I could have been.

Okay, so I’m still not the greatest writer and forget about grammar, but I really don’t care. I’m still learning to write and because it’s not a natural strength of mine I might be learning to write for the rest of my life, and that’s okay too. That’s what editors are for. My weakness is their strength. How perfect!

If you have a dream, something you always wanted for yourself but are too afraid to go after it because of what people might say and think, I have news for you. People will say and think exactly what you believe they will because that’s just the way negative people think. And there are lots of them in this world. Ask yourself, Do these people contribute to my growth? If you answered NO, then who cares – Put it all out there.

You should also know that the only people who will judge you are those who are insecure themselves. For example, the only people who ever judged me for my poor writing skills were those who were insecure themselves about their own skills. What’s funny is their still vacillating about their skills doing the same thing they were 4 years ago while I’ve moved on and had the opportunity to work on 2 television shows, one of which is a hit series syndicated in 42 countries, a national spokesperson and in development of a docu-series.

“When we allow ourselves to become vulnerable, to take chances, and to risk our pride, that is when we find our own glory.” ~Richard Corman

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author and motivational speaker

Who cares? People will judge you anyhow

Do you need holiday stress tips?

I bet the level of stress in your life is mounting right about now. Take it from me, you need to slow down and take a breath. With just a little bit of planning and some time management, you will feel less stressed and more effective while making time for yourself to enjoy the holiday season.

If you are one of those people who believes giving is better than receiving and does a thousand times more for everyone else and nothing for yourself because you think there just isn’t enough time left for, you might want to find time for yourself before January or you won’t have much left to give to others except animosity and anger.

Take a breath and slow down this holiday season. Here are 5 holiday stress tips that will help you do just that.

• Meditate – Clear the path to the mind and gain clarity to remain calm and focused, during the holiday season. Find a quiet place in your home or at work. Begin with a 5-minute breathing technique, listening to your own breath, and work your way up to 20-minutes. Bring a stopwatch with you if you feel anxious. Let it tell you when time is up rather than looking at your watch.

• Plan ahead – Make a list of everything you need to accomplish this holiday season: menu, gifts, baking, Christmas cards, events, etc., anything that requires your time and energy. Write it down on a piece of paper.

• Take Inventory – When you have a clear picture of your day-to-day responsibilities along with the amount of effort it will require you to accomplish the task, you are able to manage your time more effectively. And one of the benefits of time management is lower amount of stress because you make more time to do other things.

• Schedule – Clearing the mind, planning ahead and taking inventory makes scheduling a breeze. Now that you know everything that is causing you stress this holiday season get it out of your head and schedule it into your calendar. You’ll be surprised at how much time is left for you.

• Me Time – That’s right “me time” The holiday season is all about giving but if all you do is give –give, and give, you’ll eventually run out of things to give. So now that you do have time in your calendar, because you followed my holiday stress tips, schedule some “me time” and enjoy the holidays.

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author & motivational speaker

Do you need holiday stress tips?

You screw up one time, you miss one session, you fall off the wagon and you are out!

I meet all kinds of men and women from different walks of life. They come here hoping that I have the ability to help them find happiness in life. For most people, I can turn their hope into reality. I can help almost anyone overcome whatever behavioral issue they are suffering from except for addictions. Additions are not my area of expertise.

Several months ago I met with a very unique young woman. Someone extremely special in her life scheduled a consultation on her behalf. The first time I laid eyes on her, I’ll admit, I was skeptical and unsure if I could affect change in her. She’d been in trouble with the law, diagnosed with several mental disorders and was an addict to boot. More than I was prepared to work with.

The consultation did not last very long, in fact less than 30 minutes. Toward the end of the meeting after bombarding her with dozens of questions I decided that she wasn’t a good candidate for my life coaching program. Right before I was about to deliver my decision to her, she broke down and started to cry. She looked up at me with her teary blue eyes and in a state of vulnerability and said, “please help me." My heart sank. For the first time in the 30 minutes that we were together, I had finally felt her energy. It was a light, tingling sensation followed by warmth. It was an odd sensation, it led me to say, “This is the way it’s going to work. You screw up one time, you miss one session, you fall off the wagon and you are out. You must agree to and commit yourself to a rehabilitation program, and you must be enrolled before we can begin. Do I make myself clear?” She looked at me and said, "I promise, I will do whatever it takes."

Did she have any relapses? Yes. Did I expect her to be perfect? No. Did she prove me wrong? Absolutely.

We are now into month #3 of her life coaching program. She has secured a job. Has become an active member of society. The relationship with her parents has improved tremendously and she is on a path to success. But the most incredible aspect of this story is deep down inside of this unique, incredibly talented, determined soul is a voice so spectacular it will send shivers down your spine.

I am so proud and honoured to have the opportunity to work with such a person. I can't wait for the world to meet her.

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author & television personality

You screw up one time, you miss one session, you fall off the wagon and you are out!

Holiday Season Stress Buster and Confidence Builder

It’s that time of year again when family and friends gather to share experiences and to celebrate the festive season. It is also that time of year stress and anxiety shoots up and goes through the roof for many people.

We all have in-laws and extended family that believe they know better. It doesn‘t matter if they don’t have any experience or knowledge in the subject matter being discussed, they insist on being right and you wrong regardless of any experience and knowledge that you might have. And the funny thing about it all is, even if you did produce facts to support your position they will still disagree with you.

Mother Theresa once said, “When you are confident in you and what you speak of, it won’t matter what anyone else says or does, you won’t bat an eyelash.”

Here are 5 tips to help you develop confidence for this holiday season.

• Know who you are – Spend some time reflecting upon the past 5 years. Make a list of successes and zero in on your strengths.
• Positive Affirmation – Write 3 positive things about yourself. Use values and adjectives that describe your natural characteristics.
• Put yourself first – It doesn’t mean you are being selfish it means you are an equal to everyone else.
• Say “no” – You can say “no” to anything being asked of you. Take a stance and have a position. Nobody will be able to argue with it.
• Silence is golden – You can’t control what comes out of anyone’s mouth but you can control what comes out of yours and you don’t need to respond to any comment if you don’t feel you need to.

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author & motivational speaker

Holiday Season Stress Buster and Confidence Builder

There's No Help For You...

What would you do if you went to a therapist for help and after a few sessions he says to you, “There is no help for you, there isn’t anything anyone could do for you to help you with your problems. You are on your own.” What would you do if your therapist said that to you?

That’s exactly what happened to Sonia. Sonia poured her heart and soul into telling her therapist everything that had happened throughout life to her. She hoped and preyed to find someone who would understand and could help her, but she had no such luck with this therapist. Could you imagine how she felt at that moment? She walked away feeling crushed.

“Oh my God! A professional just told me there’s no help for me. They were right – all of them. I am a crazy, loud woman. I’m useless.”

Can you blame her for wanting to sabotage her life? She believed there was no possibility for help. How does she go about finding a better life after someone who’s supposed to be able to help her says there is no hope for her?

Even after the hard blow to her soul, Sonia didn’t give-up. Deep down inside she knew she wasn’t crazy. She knew she had much to offer the world, so she turned to her family doctor.

By this time her anxiety was through the roof. Can you blame her? Imagine having to prove yourself for 40+ years. Giving up on your dreams doing everything for everyone else, which goes unappreciated. And whenever someone does notice anything it’s never good enough. I don’t know about you but my anxiety would be through the roof, too. So the doctor prescribed her medication. The meds were to help her cope with the anxiety.

Then one day she remembered watching an episode of Style By Jury with expert life coach Bruno LoGreco. She ran to the computer and googled ‘life coach toronto’ and sure enough the first life coach on the search is Master Life Coach Bruno LoGreco.

It has been 6 weeks since I first met Sonia. Her life isn’t the same anymore. She’s a much calmer person today who makes wiser decisions. She is in the process of letting go much of her 40+ years so that she can make room for new experiences. Her relationships have improved, but the biggest improvement she’s made thus far is she now has self-respect. She’s not worried about other people controlling her life anymore. She’s reclaimed her control and is breaking down the box.

Sonia is an inspiration and I cannot wait until you meet her. She truly is an inspiration.

Bruno LoGreco Life Coach, Author & Motivational Speaker

There's No Help For You...

Master Your Domain - Fulfill Your Personal Needs - Live Your Dreams

Tri-Commitment to Success is finally here. It has taken me many years to produce what I feel is the best personal development workshop in the industry. I have taken the best tools, which I’ve been using in my life coaching practice since I first started coaching professionally.

Before I was a professional life coach I was a business coach. In my last corporate job before I became an entrepreneur I worked for a Fortune 500 Pharmaceutical company. There I coached employees to become more effective in their role. Even if I knew they were in the wrong role. My job was to help them improve their skill set so they can function at a higher capacity, regardless of their strengths and weaknesses.

With both professional and personal coaching experience I was able to take the best of the best and create a solid program to help men and women from all walks of life see what they alone cannot see.

I believe knowledge is power, and when you can see reality right before your eyes, you take different decisions - choices you did not believe were available to you. And once you can see what you were once blind to your life will take on a whole new meaning.

And that is what Tri-Commitment to Success is about, 3 steps for you to become the Master of Your Domain, Fulfill Your Personal Needs and Live Your Dreams.

I hope you will join me on this incredible journey of self-discovery.


Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto, Author & Television Personality

Master Your Domain - Fulfill Your Personal Needs - Live Your Dreams

Screw Ups- How to Handle Them! (YES, I share one of my on-air wrecks!) [HD]

Screw Ups- How to Handle Them! (YES, I share one of my on-air wrecks!) [HD]

Kathryn Bechthold: Biz or Bust

I have to admit, as an entrepreneur, wife, mother and big picture thinker, my life is not always in balance. In fact, lately, I have been totally out of whack. I have been behind on a deadline, my husband and I have barely been able to throw out a quick hello in between work and kid stuff and my kids have been sick – not to mention... Read More

Kathryn Bechthold: Biz or Bust