The Secrets of Self-Confidence

Guest Author: Ivana Pejakovic

The key to success, happiness, and overall life satisfaction is confidence. Those who lack confidence tend to miss out on opportunities that would bring them closer to what they desire.

While some people tend to lack confidence in multiple areas of their lives, others only lack it in one or two situations. We are most likely to lose our self-confidence when trying the new and unfamiliar (when we don’t have a clue as to how things will turn out) or in situations that bring up bad memories (e.g., presenting, meeting new people, etc.).

Self-confidence is not something we are born with; rather it is something we can build on throughout life. Unfortunately, confidence is not something that will automatically add up over time. Our level of confidence is influenced by our upbringing and it is dependent on how determined we are as adults to overcome our fears and build on our abilities.

Here are 6 steps you can take on a daily basis to help boost your confidence levels.



Self-awareness: Being aware of your thoughts, feelings, attitude, and behaviour is an important part of building self-confidence. Knowing what makes you nervous or uncomfortable is the first step to gaining the confidence to overcome the fear.

Self-acceptance: After you become aware of yourself and of the situations that bring you discomfort, it is important you accept yourself as you are. This doesn’t mean you’re accepting the situation for what it is and you aren’t willing to change it. It’s simply an acknowledgment that you aren’t perfect. Once you can accept this, you can free your mind from negativity and you are able to start working towards improving the areas you wish.

Eliminating False Beliefs: Chances are you hold beliefs about yourself that aren’t true. These beliefs hold you back from trying new things and as a result further deteriorate your confidence level. Challenge what you believe about your abilities and about what you deserve through everyday action. As you start showing yourself that you CAN accomplish things, you will start breaking down the false beliefs and building your confidence.

Positive Self-talk: Do you have a habit of putting yourself down? To build self-confidence, you absolutely must speak to yourself with respect and faith. Even when you’re not sure of how things will turn out, you need to speak to yourself in a positive, encouraging, and loyal manner.

Taking Responsibility: Everything that happens in your life is a result of how you thought and of what you did. At times, it is difficult to connect your role to an unfavourable or favourable outcome; however, with enough analysis you’ll be able to connect the dots. The purpose of taking responsibility of what happens in your life is not to blame yourself, but to gain a sense of control over yourself. Control means you have the power over how you behave and think. Knowing how much control you have over yourself in any situation automatically boosts self-confidence.

Keep Trying the New: There is no better way to build confidence than to try something new each day. You don’t have to start with major things, however if you try something new each day, over time you will notice you’ve become more daring. The trick of course is to be proactive in your life and search for new things you can experience.

Join me and our resident experts on Twitter for a live discussion of confidence and fear; Thursday, June 2nd at 4PM EST #AskTheCoach

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach, Author & Speaker

The Secrets of Self-Confidence

Conquering Fear

Are you afraid to try new things? Or do you make a few tentative steps then give up before you’ve had a chance to really begin? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? Is it to avoid failure or rejection? Do you feel the new task is too difficult, or you lack the required skill set? Is it a few steps too far out of your comfort zone? Are you concerned that others will point their fingers of judgment at your efforts?

If you answered yes to any of these responses, then shame on you. You’re justifying your fear with yet another Pyramid of Failure. They are not answers; they are excuses. There is only one correct response: you simply lack the confidence. You are accepting defeat and confirming the false belief that you are not good enough and reinforcing your negative self-defeating behaviours. When you lack self-confidence you allow fear to dominate your life and you miss out on many opportunities.

Fear feeds on itself, preventing you from completing many tasks. You begin to avoid situations where you will be forced to confront your fear, and experience a deceptive sense of relief. Sometimes new fears begin to emerge creating new restrictions and new situations to avoid. These behaviours further weaken your confidence, and strengthen your feelings of emptiness and regret. Accepting defeat without trying is one of the worst types of failure.

Don’t waste your energy giving strength to fear; focus it on rebuilding your self confidence and by trying things you have never tried before. It is always a challenge to do new things in life and just the act of accepting these challenges increases your conviction and lays the groundwork for renewed confidence and courage. Don't let fear stop you from enjoying life. Set a course to learn why you are afraid, and commit to learning the root cause of your fright so you can challenge and overcome it.

How to conquer fear before it conquers you:

1. Acknowledge the fear.

2. Recognize that the fear is irrational and poses no danger.

3. Ask yourself what would happen if you complete the task despite the fear.

4. Set a date for completion.

5. Visualize yourself completing the task.

6. On the date set make sure you complete the task.

7. In your journal, write down what you learned from the experience.

8. Read back what you wrote and refer to it often.

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach Toronto, Author & Speaker

Conquering Fear

If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first,
and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more,
and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting
and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch,
and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less,
and learn to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious,
and seriously play.
I would run through more fields
and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tagging.
I'd see the oak tree
in the acorn more often.
I would be firm less often
and affirm much more.
I'd model less about the love of power,
and more about the power of love.

Author: Diane Lootmons

If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again

Giving life, reclaiming my own

Guest Author: Marci Warhaft-Nadler

I knew when I became pregnant with my son, that I would love him and do whatever it took to make sure that he would be safe and happy. What I didn’t expect, was how becoming his mother would also make me take care of myself for the first time in my life.

Growing up, I was a very confident, outgoing little girl. It wasn’t until I turned 17 that my life took a drastic turn. My brother Billy, who was just the coolest and most handsome big brother in the entire world, had become ill. His illness took him from me when he was just 21 years old. I was shattered. Feeling like I had lost complete control over what was going on around me, I turned my control inwards. I started starving myself.

It was easier to cope with the pain from an empty stomach than the pain of accepting my brother was gone. He had always found a way to make me feel special. With him, I felt pretty, funny and smart. Without him, I felt none of those things. Thinking I would never be good enough I tried instead to be THIN enough. As any anorexic can tell you, thin enough just doesn’t exist.

There were moments when I felt stronger and promised I’d take care of myself, but the strength never lasted.

When I met my husband I believed that marriage would solve everything, I had a man who loved me unconditionally, surely that would be enough. Unfortunately, his love and acceptance for me wasn’t enough to bring out my own. My battle with self-esteem and body image continued, until a couple of years later, when my child saved my life.

As soon as my husband and I started discussing having a baby, something changed in me. It was as if I knew what had to be done and was prepared to do it. I needed to get my body as healthy as I could, so my child would be okay. Amazingly, when my doctor told me that carrying a little extra weight would make conceiving easier, I slowed my workouts and upped my calories. It didn’t take long before I was pregnant with my son. For the first time in my life, I felt EMPOWERED. I was someone’s mom and he was depending on me to make intelligent, responsible choices for him and for myself.
I watched my belly grow and my hips widen and I felt beautiful, for the first time in a very long time; beautiful and strong.

Halfway through the pregnancy, life sucker punched me once again, with some news I was not expecting. My mom, who had battled and beaten Cancer throughout her life, had lost her last battle. I had never imagined becoming a mother without having my own to share the experience with. I was devastated. My family was worried. Their concern was that this incredible loss was going to send me right back into the madness of my eating disorder. But I knew differently.

I was a mom now. I owed it to my child, to my own mother and to myself, to continue on the path of self-acceptance I had started when my motherhood journey first began. The greatest tribute I could give my mother was to take everything I had learned from her and help it make me the most loving parent I could be.That love had to start with myself.

When I became my son’s mother, I also became a friend to myself. From a girl who never felt skinny enough, to a woman who loves her curves.

Motherhood changed me because I’ve stopped worrying about what I’m NOT and feel blessed for who I AM.

Interested in more information? Join Marci and me on Twitter for a live discussion on Body Image; Thursday 4PM EST #AskTheCoach

Bruno LoGreco life coach, author & speaker

Giving life, reclaiming my own

Body Image Dissatisfaction in Midlife Women

Body image can be defined as one’s evaluation of or feelings towards one’s body. Although body image and body dissatisfaction was long thought to be an ailment of teenage girls, body image issues are now becoming more apparent in midlife women (Lewis & Cachelin, 2001).

According to Lewis and Cachelin, the current social pressures and concerns with ageing, the belief that slim physiques result in youthful looks, and the unrealistic expectation for middle-aged women to retain their youthful appearance are significant contributors to the development of body image issues in older women. Even magazines aimed at midlife women typically show younger women on their covers and in the fashion and beauty sections. The magazines that do use older women show them to be 15 years younger, as signs of age are airbrushed (Nett, 1991). As such it is getting harder for ageing women to feel comfortable in their bodies.

The question that remains is why do middle-aged women use younger women as a reference point? Below are 3 explanations.

1. Social Comparison: Today’s beauty standard is based on the young women found in the media. Thus, women compare themselves to these standards to evaluate their level of attractiveness. Although, one would expect older women to be less likely to identify with females 30 or more years younger than them due to differences in lifestyle, maturity levels and inevitable body changes that occur with age, research shows that women of all ages compare themselves to the models portrayed in the media (Lin & Kulik, 2002; Tiggemann & McGill, 2004; Hawkins, Richards, Granley, & Stein; 2004).

2. Individual Thin Ideal Internalization: Thin ideal internalization happens when a person absorbs the attitude approved by those around them such as, the family, peers, and the media. McLaren, Kuh, Hardy and Gauvin (2004) looked at the effects of body-related comments that middle-aged women, 54 years of age, could recall throughout their life. They found that women absorb the opinions of family members and the impact of social feedback on body-esteem is not restricted to younger females. Negative comments received in adulthood by significant others, such as, life partners, have similar effects on body dissatisfaction.

3. Thin-Ideal as a Predictor of Success: Women experience a great deal of external pressures, to be thin, particularly, when other benefits of being thin are praised to her. Studies found that attractive people are perceived to possess more desirable traits and positive life outcomes than less attractive people (Eagly, Ashmore, Makhijani, & Longo, 1991). According to Harrison (1997) this cultural belief that physical attractiveness is key to life success is why older women compare themselves to thin ideals and why they are dissatisfied with their less than perfect bodies. Because the majority of women in their midlife do not look like the successful looking models, they may feel they are also lacking in other areas of life which create negative feelings about the self.

Interested in more information? Join me on Twitter for a live discussion of body image issues; Thursday 4PM EST #AskTheCoach

This is YOUR time to choose to how you perceive and think about yourself! Life Choices - Yours to Make!

Bruno LoGreco, Life Coach Toronto

Reference:

Eagly, A. H., Ashmore, R. D., Makhijani, M. G., & Longo, L. C. (1991). What is beautiful is good, but…: a meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness stereotype. Psychological Bulletin, 110, 109-128. Lewis, D. M., & Cachelin, F. M. (2001). Body image, body dissatisfaction, and eating attitudes in midlife and elderly women. Eating Disorders, 9, 29- 39. Nett, E. M. (1991). Is there life after fifty? Images of middle age for women in Chatelaine Magazine, 1984. Journal of Women and Aging, 3, 93-115. Lin, L. F., & Kulik, J. A. (2002). Social Comparison and women’s body dissatisfaction. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 24, 115-123. Hawkins, N., Richards, P. S., Granley, H. M., & Stein, D. M. (2004). The impact of exposure to the thin-ideal media image on women. Eating Disorders, 12, 35-50. Tiggemann, M., & McGill, B. (2004). The role of social comparison in the effect of magazine advertisements on women’s mood and body dissatisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23, 23-44. McLaren, L., Kuh, D., Hardy, R., Gauvin, L. (2004). Positive and negative body-related comments and their relationship with body dissatisfaction in middle-aged women. Psychology and Health, 19, 261-272.

Body Image Dissatisfaction in Midlife Women

Healing Power of Journaling

Journaling Improves Mind, Body and Soul

Life is not easy and there might be days that you wish you could hide under a rock to shield yourself from the world. But you know that won't get you anywhere so you soldier on.

What are your life challenges?

Your things to do lists are piling up, you can't let go of past problems or figure out recent challenges. You have a hard time concentrating on tasks and the drive to succeed is slowly dwindling because you are too overwhelmed. Maybe you just aren't happy and fulfilled.

If this has gone on for a while you might be starting to feel the physical effects of it. Always being tired and unable to get the energy you need to do all you want to get done in a day takes a toll. When productivity in life plummets, stress heightens. You need to do something to clear the clutter in your mind. You can find huge benefits from writing it all down in a journal. You might also consider hiring a life coach to help you.

Reducing Stress Through Journaling

Continued stress will take a toll on your body and your mind. Your body responds to stress as it does with viruses. It knows that there is something wrong and wants to attack it in order to protect you. While your immune system is busy taking care of your stress, it has a difficult time fighting other antibodies that your body meets which causes you illness. This makes problem solving difficult.

With all the work that your mind and body are doing, you might feel exhausted and this exhaustion often leads to lack of motivation and stops you from being productive. You may think that you need medication to help you overcome the stress you experience but the power of journaling can result in a natural problem solving method that could help you in ways that you never thought possible.

The Healing Power of Journaling

Journaling or the act of writing down everything that goes through mind at the time you sit down to write. You can write all of the thoughts, feelings, and frustrations you experience on paper. As you write, you will feel the stress slip away and you will start to have a new perspective on things. Journaling can be structured or non structured and a life coach can teach you many structured methods of journaling.

The power of keeping a personal journal can help you focus, solve problems, and lead you down the road of self-growth. When you express yourself on paper, you can take time to step away and look at your situations realistically. You can makes plans for yourself and create new ideas. Writing down goals you have for yourself will help you feel more confident and motivated to get the things you want to help you find happiness.

This practice helps to clear your mind and control of your once hectic life. The healing power of journaling can have amazing effects on your whole mind, body, and soul. You will find that you will be able to live life to its fullest and be a happier and more focused person.

You can journal when frustrated, when you need clarity or when you are experiencing happy moments in your life. Many people find that a daily online journal is the most effective and attainable way to get and feel connected resulting in attaining the maximum benefits of journaling.

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto

Healing Power of Journaling

Proper Stress Management - Simple Ways to Bring Your Stress Levels Down

Stress is a normal physical reaction to everyday life activities and situations. For most people, life is filled with continuous duties, deadlines, irritations, and demands. As a result, stress and anxiety is a fact of life for many people. While a small amount of stress is good, heavy and frequent stress is dangerous to your mental and physical health.

Continual stress often leads to physical and mental health problems as it disrupt many systems in your body (e.g. suppress immune system, increase blood pressure, increase risk of heart attack, speeds up aging, etc.) Stress has also been shown to lead to depression and anxiety.

If you’re finding that you’ve been feeling stressed and anxious more frequently, it is time to take action and bring your life back into balance.

Where does it come from?

It is tempting to believe that stress comes from outside of you. This way you have things to blame and a reason to feel a victim. Stress, however, comes from your perception of your daily activities, your interpretation of your life, and your beliefs about yourself. It comes from your perception of your environment, your work, and your level of control in your life. Stress also comes from your reaction to external events.

What can you do about it?

It is possible to reduce the amount of stress in your life! The first step to stress management is knowing and believing that you are in control of your life. Once you’ve mastered this belief you gain control over your life and everything else becomes a breeze.

So once you understand that you are the master of your domain, what next? To help you manage with stress, you can pay attention to 3 areas to help minimize the strain in your life. These are: psychological factors, physical factors, and life skills.

1. Psychological factors. The stuff going on in your mind is one of the main contributors to how much stress you experience. A negative perception of yourself and of your life adds to your stress and anxiety levels. What can you do? Eliminate your self-limiting beliefs, build confidence and self-esteem, stop self-sabotage, be optimistic, create reachable goals, talk to a friend, count your blessings, choose to be happy, appreciate what you have, know your values, control your emotional reactions.

2. Physical factors. How you treat your body makes a huge difference on how you feel. That is why it is important to take care not only of your mental health but also your physical health. Be sure to respect your limitations to avoid burnout, eat healthy, exercise, get a good night’s rest, breathe deeply, learn to relax and meditate.

3. Life Skills: Life skills are those skills that can simplify your life. This includes learning how to: manage your time, prioritize, get organized, create time for you, communicate with others, and learning other skills to improve the quality your life.

Interested in more information? Join me on Twitter for a live discussion of Stress Management; Thursday 4PM EST #AskTheCoach

This is YOUR time to choose to manage your stress! Life Choices - Yours to Make!

Bruno LoGreco, Life Coach Toronto

Proper Stress Management - Simple Ways to Bring Your Stress Levels Down

Balancing Stress

The melodic truth gifted to us all by Eckhart Tolle, in the opening of his book: Practicing the Power of Now, recites stepping out of one’s self and simply observing. Whether it be a difficult situation, personal issue, struggle with inner-self conflict or simply loosing life to Father Time. By becoming the observer, you activate a higher level of consciousness. Thus, crystalizing all the things that truly matter – creativity, love, family, friendship and inner peace – take shape, forging beyond the mind. Calmness abounds.

These days, how many of us truly resonate with living seamless and fulfilling lives? We all chase the hands of time, barely winning the race. We run about our crazy days much like robots. Not quite realizing the magnitude of stress building and festering from deep within us all. Stress is a fact of life. The impact that stress carries can for some, be quite overwhelming and for others a charging force.

You could say there is “good” and “bad” stress. For stress to be considered good it must be well managed so that it may stimulate and serve as an aid for achieving balance in all aspects of your life. Good stress may work as a motivator to propel higher achievements within ourselves.



Bad stress unfortunately has an adverse effect on most people. It can cause you to break out in a cold sweat, your heart rate may accelerate, and you may even feel a surge of fear brewing from within thepit of your stomach. All this can make you feel ill both internally and externally, thereby harming your personal health, well-being and happiness.

Logon to Twitter.com and search #TipTuesday for hourly tips on how to reduce stress and anxiety by Bruno LoGreco master life coach, mentor & spokesperson

Join me and a team of experts this week as we discuss Stress & Anxiety on #AskTheCoach Thursday 4pm.

Balancing Stress

What Are You Ashamed About?

Humans are extremely intelligent Beings. Most of us are under our parent wings for almost two decades while we learn as much as we can before moving on and creating our own life. That’s 20 years of experience and wisdom to draw upon as we live out our lives. Do you know any other mammal that nurtures their offspring for almost 20 years? It also means 20 years worth of wrong messaging and false beliefs passed down to us from past generations if we don’t use wisdom to challenge those beliefs to create a set of new guiding principles that adhere to our own moral conduct.

Did you know that most of our emotional reactions are learned within the first 6 to 7 years of life? We learn moral conduct; knowing right from wrong by age 3, the birthplace of Shame:

“Humiliation or distress caused by the conscious of wrong or foolish behavior.”

That’s how old I was when knowing that I wouldn’t be accepted in our general society because according to them, whomever they are, who I am is “Wrong.” So for 31 years I struggled with a moral conflict - Right vs. Wrong.

For most of the two decades while under my parents wings I chose to do the “right” thing. I cooperated and lived my life according to socially acceptable norms. It wasn’t too difficult to do. I adapted to my environment and behaved exactly the way people “should.” I observed and watched very closely how my kind reacted to societies ignorance. And I made sure my response wasn’t the same. It’s another testament of human beings tenacity for survival.

Being consciously aware of every step you take. Every word you speak. And every lie you create eventually does take a toll on your psyche. It makes you sad, angry and bitter at the world. You feel like a prisoner trapped inside a small universe, yearning for freedom but fearing the consequences. “Is it really worth it – My freedom at their expense?”

Who is really suffering?

Who I am and who I was becoming because of a moral conflict, were at opposite ends. Imagine an elastic band being stretched. At one end is me – authentic me running away from society. And at the other end it was adaptable me, who I’d become, running towards society. How much further can the elastic band stretch before snapping?

Is who I am so “Wrong” or is what they believe “Wrong”? That was the question needing an answer. If they are right and who I am is “wrong” then I deserve to live inside a small universe. But if I am right and live according to my moral conduct and do no wrong. Then I should grow as a Human Being and my universe should grow by leaps and bounds.

Ask Yourself:

1. What is so wrong about me?
2. What is the worse case scenario should anyone learn the truth - Does anything change?
3. What is the worse comment someone can say?
4. If I continue to stretch the elastic who is going to get hurt?
5. Who is likely to judge me?

That’s when I realized the most important questions needing answers are:

1. Do they contribute to my overall growth?
2. Will they help my universe grow by leaps and bounds?

Join us Thursday at 4pm EST for #AskTheCoach as Ivana Pejakovic B.Sc., MA takes the helm and will lead a 1-hour discussion on:

 Shame: “A painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the conscious of wrong or foolish behavior.”

Don’t miss it!

Bruno LoGreco Life Coach, Author & Speaker

What Are You Ashamed About?

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day

When Inspiration Knocks

The past several weeks have been incredible. I have learned a whole bunch of new skills, met some really incredible people, all of who share a common interest - To help one another to live a life of purpose and passion. All walks of life from around the world are doing it. How incredible is that?

I am inspired by what I see. When inspiration knock’s you don’t wait for the next one, you open the door and see what lies on the other side. Sometimes you find nothing but sometimes you find more than you ever imagined you could find. What I found on the other side was a vehicle to communicate and share my message with likeminded people, and with men and women from around the world who can benefit from my process: Challenge Your Beliefs. Take Back Control. Break Down The Box. That’s what I share in my new book plus my own personal experiences, which led to the development of my 10-Week Self-Awareness Program also known as U-Turn.

Fortunately, I am one of those people who see the big picture - visionaries, before seeing the details. In fact I don’t see details. I see a maze. I see a big black maze with a stunning picturesque image of my goal at the center of it. I haven’t a clue how to navigate through the maze to arrive to the centre. Without really knowing where to start I just start anywhere. I keep my eye on the goal, and if I don’t lose sight of it I find my way to it. You are better off getting lost along the way than trying to plan your route without ever being there. You learn so much more getting lost and trying to find your way than you would if you know how to get there. It took 5 years to get here. And there’s no way a planned route would have led me here. Live and learn is what I believe.

That also implies going easy on you for making mistakes. I make a ton of mistakes, if you want to call it that. I’m like an artist. I need to see what I am creating. If I don’t like what I see I create something different on top of it. I know if I throw enough paint onto the canvas eventually it will turn into something beautiful.

In an earlier post Achieving a Milestone and Celebrating Success, I blogged about getting a new website to celebrate a milestone. Am still getting a new website, only that the launch date for it is 6 weeks away, at the earliest. At least my new book is finished. It just needs a new Title. I’m not a fan of the original one. It’s not catchy. So we’re playing with a few different options. You should be able to buy a digital copy in the next couple of weeks, right here on my Blog.

All in all, the past several weeks have been invaluable. From the incredible people I’ve met to the level of knowledge I’ve gained, to creating a new TwitterChat #AskTheCoach. It’s a weekly discussion on various Health & Wellness topics, promoting healthy living for vitality. Next week Ivana Pejakovic B.Sc., MA takes the helm and will lead a 1-hour discussion on:

Shame: “A painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the conscious of wrong or foolish behavior.” Hope you join #AskTheCoach Thursday 4pm EST.

Now I leave you with this. Everything happens for a reason. The reason may not be clear in that moment but give it some time and you will learn why it happened. Live and learn. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. And follow your heart.

I'm off next week. Getting some much needed R&R.

Bruno LoGreco life coach, author & speaker

When Inspiration Knocks

Exercising Your Brain

Brain Power is the key to success. Well one of the many keys. It's still very important to expand along your journey of life. Why you ask? Well if you are living in a world where you know everything, you would be bored out of your mind.

I believe you have to expand your brain power everyday. Living a life, where you are learning something each day is important. Maybe you just found out that you only use 10% of your brain, but others can exceed this 10% and go further. Would you want to be one of those people who exceed the 10%?

You don't have to be in school to learn. I learn from networking, internet, books and even television. They are great ways to learn and expand your intellect. They can be fun facts or actual current events in the news.

Personally, I like to learn about things am interested in, otherwise I won't remember something that I found dull. When I am surfing the net, I look up topics like psychology, social behaviour, etc.. Now let's say you are a stay-at-home mom, you may look up things that have to do with purpose and passion or ways to fulfill your need for something more.

I even learn about things that don't relate to me. So I can have information about various aspects of life. It is nice when a group of my friends are having a conversation about current events and I can participate confidently on the various topics. The greater your knowledge the more confident and engaged you will be with those around you.

Living and learning go hand in hand. Keep exercising your brain for longevity. Learn new things your interested in, things that will help you live a meaningful and purposeful life everyday. Your brain will reward you generously when you do.

#AskTheCoach

This week on #AskTheCoach Guest Expert Dr. Nick Campos discusses How To Keep Your Brain Healthy for Vitality - Thursday 4pm Est.

Bruno LoGreco life coach, author & speaker

Exercising Your Brain

Mental Health - The Key to Vitality

This week we’re talking mental health.

We want you to feel good about yourself and to enjoy life so you can be successful at whatever it is you set off to do. The best way for you to do that is through proper exercise, nutrition and mental stimulation. Similar to how your body functions optimally when you exercise and provide it with nutrients, the brain needs the same level of attention if not more; it needs the right food, oxygen and mental stimulation for it to function optimally.

The brain, albeit a small organ, it consumes 25% of your overall energy. A study in the May 2001 issue of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, reported that the brain consume up to 30% of stored energy during the execution of tasks requiring critical thinking.

With proper nutrition and mental exercise you can reduce stress and anxiety and be better equipped to cope with day-to-day activities, and you will find yourself being less irritable with others while having greater reasoning skills.

Give the brain what it needs and in return it will give you vitality and the enjoyment of life.

Tuesday: #TipTuesday: Tips all day long on twitter to boost brain power and increase your vitality

Thursday: #AskTheCoach 4pm EST TwitterChat – Ask industry experts questions to help you sustain a healthy well-balanced lifestyle

Bruno LoGreco life coach toronto, author & speaker

Mental Health - The Key to Vitality

Achieving a Milestone and Celebrating Success

So after four-years of trying to write my book, I finally finished it. There was no way I could have written it four-years ago without the experience and the knowledge that life offers. One experience after another, each one led me to a piece of valuable information unbeknown to me at the beginning of my journey. Its what they call “Aha” moments – After almost every experience I remember saying to myself “there’s no way I would have known this until this moment. I don’t know how on earth I could have believed I had everything I needed to write a Best Seller, four-years ago - Naïve... Right?

One of those moments happened in the summer of 2010, four-years into the journey. Two colleagues and me were sitting on a patio, on a hot summer afternoon. We were having lunch and discussing an idea for a new television series. One of the guys who was there is a television Executive. His job is to put television shows together. He works with some of the big names in the industry. Just the person you want at one of those luncheons. I was very excited about meeting with him and after a few short minutes of introductions he asked me:

“So Bruno, tell me what do you do?”

I explain how I developed a 10-week program designed to help people break down self defeating negative behavior, overcome fear; literally breaking down the box, while boosting their confidence and self esteem and putting them on a path for success. My program reduces stress and anxiety, and wipes-out unneeded therapy.

“Sounds great! So how do you do it – tell me how you do it in 10 weeks?”

Easy… I do it in 3 Steps

Step 1: Undoing The Doing – In this step the client identifies their limiting and negative behavioral patterns along with the root cause. They then change their perception surrounding the event, which gives them the ability to create space for a new belief system and identity.

Step 2: Values and Strengths - Once they see who they aren’t they want to know who they are. In Step 2 they learn values, strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes – everything that makes them a unique individual.

Step 3: Purpose and Passion - They use what they learn in Step 2 to create a path that best works for them using their innate abilities – their strengths and values to create a life of dreams purpose and passion.

I thought I nailed it. I guess not because he then said, “That’s great Bruno, but how do you do it?” “What do you mean - How do I do it?” I asked. “Bruno, just because you know how to do it it doesn’t mean the rest of us do. What’s common sense to you isn’t obvious to your audience. You need show them how you are doing it.” Busted! He caught me with my pants down. Something fundamental I teach to my clients and yet I wasn't taking my own advice… “Why don’t you go away and come back with the how.”

Until that moment – I hadn’t had to try to explain it more than I did to anyone. Even though the process works it wasn’t documented the way he wanted to see and hear it. And that was one of the missing components to my book. So everything happens for a reason. And everything has it's time. That experience was the catalyst that led to the next experience, and so on. And now the book is ready. I have huge plans to get the book published and into book stores. Let's see if I can pull it off. In the meantime I am celebrating to mark this milestone. We’re about to launch a brand new website with lots of new features. You will be able to buy the book right here, too.

Something else I am totally excited for - #AskTheCoach. A live Twitter Chat Thursday 4pm EST. Meet Health & Wellness coaches who answer your question. Hope you join us and participate in the festivities.

Bruno LoGreco Life Coach, Author & Motivational Speaker

Achieving a Milestone and Celebrating Success