How Do You Make The Time To Creatively Express Yourself?

Author: Misty Shaw

How Do You Make The Time To Creatively Express Yourself?

Between work, family, and the many obligations of life, where's the time for YOU? How can you carve out the personal time to creatively express yourself? Do you have an inner artist that yearns to paint? Maybe you've enjoyed creating melodies with musical instruments. Is there a hobby you have enjoyed in the past, only to be shelved because of the obligations of everyday life? Your creative self can shine again, simply by making the time to get in touch with your inner creativity.

Your favorite activities may be sitting on a shelf, collecting dust. The items are there, waiting for you to pick them up again. Maybe you have an old sketchbook you can open up again--just draw a few simple doodles to get yourself into the "groove". Is that violin tucked deep in a closet, surrounded by its protective case? Maybe you can bring it out of hiding and play it for your children, allowing them to hear the beautiful sounds of a stringed instrument. If you're a writer, maybe you can maintain a weblog about a subject you're interested in, or creatively write fantastic stories in your journal. If you don't feel artistically talented, you could express yourself by updating aspects of your wardrobe. What colors and fabrics can you wear for those nice dinner outings? What can you change about about your everyday office attire that communicates success? What would you like to wear that would enhance your glowing personality?

Just by taking small steps towards your inner creativity, you will most likely "find" the time to express yourself. After those initial steps, a drummer may polish her percussive skills through hours of practice. The painter creates beautiful abstract images in acrylics to display around the home. The writer begins a process of penning a book to sell through the internet. About that wardrobe--maybe you have found the perfect ensemble for a nice evening at a jazz club. As you refine your creative skills in these areas, you feel great about yourself!

How can you keep these experiences of creativity going? You must be proactive in preserving the time for your creative self. The circumstances of your daily life may eventually crowd in on your creative time. You can schedule your creative time a few days a week, even if only for half hours at a time. When is the best time of day to indulge in your everyday activities? Early in the morning before everyone rises? How about sometime in the afternoon during a long break? Are the evening hours better for you? As you continue your modes of expression, you may experience increased amounts of time.

Now that you've found the joy in your creativity, it is up to you to protect your creative time.

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach, Toronto native

How Do You Make The Time To Creatively Express Yourself?

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

What is Life Coach & Mentor Bruno LoGreco Working On?

September came and went. I did a lot last month. Early in the month I was tied up with Style By Jury, finishing off two episodes for the new season. All I will say about this upcoming season is that it gets real juicy. You will have to tune in to find out how juicy it really is. Check your local listings – In Canada you can tune into the W Network and in the United States you catch it on the Life for Woman channel. Style By Jury is syndicated in 40 countries – I don’t know which 40, though.

From time to time I mess up my schedule. I either don’t schedule the appointment in iCal (MAC version of Outlook), or I do and some how the event is deleted… I doubt the latter so all that is left is for me to take responsibility for my screw-up. I created a little mess with a production date. September 10th, I was scheduled to be the speaker at a seminar sponsored by the Office of Economic Development but I was also scheduled to film a scene for Style By Jury. Both equally important but one I could not cancel. I realized my screw- over the Labor Day weekend. Fortunately, I did speak at the seminar and was able to film my scene a week later.

Later in the month I spoke at the Purchasing Management Association of Canada, at a business networking meeting, held in Ottawa. I was a member of the PMAC when I worked in the corporate world. In my past life before life coaching, I was in Strategic Sourcing. It was my job to outsource jobs to offshore companies. So speaking at the PMAC felt very comfortable and I was able to use my past experience to engage the audience. I am looking forward to speaking at the Toronto Chapter.

The month of September closed at the Mayor’s Luncheon. Over the summer I mentored summer students into starting a summer company. Students are given a Government Grant to start a business. The Small Business Enterprise Center oversees the program in each region across Ontario. Student’s who execute their business plan and produce the expected results receive an invitation to attend the Mayor’s Luncheon accompanied by the center and the mentors. Its great exposure and experience for the winning student.

After a very busy summer and busy September, I snuck a little vacation in before the next few months take over which lead into the holiday season. I’m working on a goal that has been in play for a few months. In due time I will let everyone know what it is. So I need my down time to relax and to re-center so I can get through this next phase of my goal.

If there were no obstacles in your way and you had no doubt in your mind that you could succeed at living out a dream, what would that dream be?

Bruno LoGreco Life Coach & Mentor

What is Life Coach & Mentor Bruno LoGreco Working On?

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

Save Us From Our House

Toronto based General Purpose Pictures producers of the reality TV series, Save Us From Our House, is looking for a life coach to appear on their show.

Last week I was in New York City. I was on my way to client meeting on Thursday when I fell victim to my thoughts as I walked to the 86th and Lexington subway station. I started to think about the day I left my career to start my own company… The thought brought a smile to my face as I whispered, only one more year… They say it takes three years before you can enjoy the fruits of your labour. On October 5th It was exactly two years since I became an Entrepreneur.

I continued to walk to the subway station as I had my final thought before walking into the station, I looked up into the sky and said, “I am thankful for all I have received, I’m thankful for all that I have learned… but I really could use a break right about now.”

My meeting went very well. This was a corporate client. My business partner and I own a consulting company that provides Strategic Sourcing, Project Management and Requirements Gathering services to medium size companies. Based on my meeting, it looks promising that we will close a piece of business in the coming days.

Later that evening when I returned home I checked me email and I found this note: “Hello! I work for a television show shooting in Toronto called "Save Us From Our House." Currently we are working with a family who has trouble communicating with each other. Too much yelling and not enough listening. We are looking for someone to appear on the show to help them with this problem. If this is something you might be interested in I'd love to talk to you more about it.”

It took me all of one minute to respond to the email. I was so excited – another opportunity to do what I love doing on television. When I spoke to the executive producer on Friday, we chatted briefly about my techniques, she asked me if I had any on-camera experience, I said yes and told her I appeared on Style By Jury.

Just a few months ago I was writing about how I was afraid to be in front of a camera – I toyed with the idea of sending Breakfast Television a request to appear as a guest on the show. Today I’m writing about appearing on a reality TV show.

Do you think the Law Of Attraction has anything to do with this?

Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco

Save Us From Our House

Do You Have Control Over The Uncontrollable?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

a. People
b. Places
c. Situations

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bruno LoGreco Master Life Coach, Toronto native.

Do You Have Control Over The Uncontrollable?

Just Another Blog Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy hump day!!

Master Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco

Just Another Blog Post

Taking A Break...

I've run out of steam folks - We all need to take a breather every now and again to recharge, and to find new inspiration. I'm sure I'll be back stronger than ever after my short break. This is what I call Self-Coaching by Life Coach, Toronto native Bruno LoGreco.

Thank you to everyone that have made this blogspot a stop on the many blogs that you read. I'll be back in September - In the mean time I will be between Toronto and New York, New York visiting my life coaching clients.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Bruno LoGreco

Taking A Break...

Depression

Living in fear, stress, and anxiety is no picnic for any person. A person with a chattering mind that draws on the past negative experiences, fuels their emotions as they think about how to deal with their current situation, and play it out in their chattering mind, over and over again, inflicting the person with severe anxiety about the future.

A report that was published by Time, on August 9, 2004, based on a survey of 200,000 Americans, showed Americans experienced symptoms of depression, sadness, or blueness, on average three days in any given month. Women and teenagers are more likely to experience symptoms of depression, hurt, guilt, or just blue. Underweight women are more likely to experience depression than overweight women, and men and seniors have a lower risk of experiencing symptoms of depression. 17 millions Americans, suffer from symptoms of depression annual. In Canada 9.6% of the population will experience a depression episode lasting one year or more, in the United States, 5.2% will experience a depression episode lasting one year or more.

How often do you experience depression and why?

Depression is not genetically caused, although some cases have been reported, depression is largely caused by a person’s environment. I describe “Environmental Noise” in an article I wrote, The Success Indicators on Your Life Path. Contributing factors to depression are, isolation, lack of friends and family support, self-confliction and the largest contributing factor is a feeling of not belonging.

A person that feels that they do not belong will have friends from a broad range of different social networks, friends in many cities and other countries, and has moved two or more times in their early adolescent and or teenage life, from one school to another, city-to-city, or country-to-country. A person that feels they do not belong will consider moving to a new city in hopes of a better life, only to discover the new city does not bring any sense of belonging either. The more common but less sever symptoms of depression are caused by a person’s current situation, immediate influencers, colleagues, subordinates, families, and lets not forget, the winter season, that too is also considered environmental.

Symptoms of depression should be treated, especially for teenagers experiencing symptoms of depression, due in part of a physical move. For others, carrying the weight of guilt on their shoulders, reliving the past and getting a feeling of satisfaction momentarily, will send a person into an episode of depression, lasting decades if left untreated.

Both Depression and Anxiety can be treated without medication. A professional Life Coach or Counselor could determine if further treatment in addition to support is required. In both cases, turning off the chatting in the brain, about the past or the future is all that is needed to recognize where all the chatting comes from, and that is enough for the person to begin the process of self-awareness and healing.

Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto

Depression

Abandonment

What is abandonment? How does it affect a person’s adult life? Is it connected to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?

The meaning of abandonment used loosely is when the needs of a child have not been met. Perhaps the mother was not affection enough or did not express her love for the child. Whatever the case, the basic needs of the child were not met, leaving a gap in the child’s soul. It is very common for a person to have deep issues with abandonment that are both real, actual abandonment, and abandonment that is perceived by them and or about to take place.

A person dealing with issues of abandonment, could learn how not to trust anyone, for the fear the person will not be there when they are needed, might feel they are not important, not worthy, and feel the lack of respect among the people they think are supposed to love them.

Abandonment is found in disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Abandonment is often the root cause in people with BPD. One of the behaviors observed in a person with BPD, is the constant need to heal the wounded soul. The person is not conscious of the void left behind from one of the early development stages when trust is developed, and will go on a life long search to fill the void, or to find the love it so desperately seeks. The person will find temporary ways to fill the void, the wounded soul, but what they will do is begin to sabotage any relationship they are in or push people in their lives aside for the fear they too will be abandoned by them one day.

Abandonment can only be fixed with healing. People dealing with deep, rooted, abandonment issues, will have to come to terms with the understanding that they are the only one that can make themselves feel better, by accepting the hurt and so that the healing process can begin.

Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto

Abandonment

The Benefits of Laughing

I remember when I was working at my last job in the corporate world. I remember walking down the halls, bright eyed and chirpy every morning for almost eight years. I always had a big smile on my face, each and every morning. I swear people hated me in the mornings. I got the look of death when I would say, “Good Morning!” with a big smile to everyone that walked by. The look on some of their faces were priceless and enough to make me chuckle on the inside pretty much every day. There was one person in particular. Oh my god! She was so miserable in the mornings that it was impossible for me not to break out into tear jerking laughter. Don’t ask me why I laughed so hysterically, other than I just didn’t understand not being happy in the mornings. Nothing has happened yet… so why so miserable?

By 8:00 am every morning, I had already been to the gym, showered and dressed, had breakfast, and on my second cup of coffee. I was ready to rock and roll, but now I had to wait for people around me to catch-up. BORING…

Fast forward to 2008. Now I learn, that my life was being enhanced each and every morning by my fellow colleagues in the corporate world that refused to say good morning to me with a smile. Who knew? So thank you for enhancing my life guys, much appreciated!

So tomorrow morning when you wake-up miserable and get to work, and don’t feel like smiling to the person that says good morning to you, keep in the back of your mind that that person’s life might be getting enhanced at your expense.

So before you walk out the door tomorrow morning, try some laughing to get your day started. Start off by taking a deep breath in and exhaling all at once, pushing the air out as you say HO HO, take a deep breath in and release saying HA HA HA. Repeat this process 10 times, getting louder and louder each time. It’s ok if you break out into a dying laughter, that’s the point.

If you do this technique to kick start your day, you will also benefit your health by increasing your endorphins, immune cells, it will enhance your respiration, it will decreases cortisol, and lowers your blood pressure.

HO, HO
HA, HA, HA
HO, HO,
HA, HA, HA
HO, HO,
HA, HA, HA
HO, HO,
HA, HA, HA
HO, HO,
HA, HA, HA

Bruno LoGreco Life Coach Toronto

The Benefits of Laughing

Goals

Do you have any goals, big, small or even huge?
Goals represent the purpose of our efforts. If there is no effort on our part, logic tell us there is no goal in mind? For us as human Beings, to be motivated, would imply that we must have a goal in mind, no matter how big or how small.

The word "motivate" comes from the latin word, motivus, which comes from the word movere, which means "to move." In order to be motivated, you need to be moving, to be working towards a goal.

Goals are based on two characteristics, your personality and your emotions. Your emotions will play two very important parts in you achieving your goals.

1. Your emotions will push you towards achieving your goals but will also push you back from achieving your goals; and
2. Providing you feedback on how you are doing towards achieving your goals.

Your personality is your form, the role you are playing. The word personality stems from the latin word persona, which refers to the masks worn by actors in early theater days.

Recognize that emotions trigger your unconscious ego to be active and at play when you are analyzing your goals. Recognize the self talk, the voice in your head as you attempt to achieve your goals. Can you hear the voice discouraging? That is your ego, trying to prevent you from achieving your goals or it could be trying to propel you to success.

Life Coach Toronto : Bruno LoGreco

Goals