Category Archives: Thoughts

These 5 Minutes Will Change Your Day

Today I wanted to give you the #1 exercise that will give you your summer body.

Then I thought… well how about 3 foods that activate your metabolism?

Both of them I decided not to do and wanted to focus on 2 breathing techniques to decrease stress in your life in less than 45 seconds.

All of these topics fall short to this weeks message – knowing if you dedicate 5 minutes every day to journaling it will change your life forever.

This week I share a message with you on why journaling will change your life and how it has made massive impact in my life.

How Do You Wake Up With Energy?

On March 6th 2015 I found myself looking for entrepreneur inspiration on youtube. One thing led to another and I watched my first  #AskGaryVee Show. Currently there has been 202 episodes of Gary Vaynerchuk’s show and I’ve watched them all, most episodes twice. The reason why I’m hooked is because the show is based on real questions from real people and Gary gives the most straight up, real answers without any fluff.

As a coach, I’m answering questions daily and more importantly asking questions back. Realizing I rarely share these common questions will my tribe, I want to take a page out of GaryVee’s book.

This led me to today’s message that features one of the many questions I get asked daily over email, text, instagram or facebook.

“How do I wake up with energy?”

This is one of those Q’s I get weekly if not daily.

My answer is always the same,…

Rise with a Reason.

Easier said than done, I know… I’ve been there too. Letting the battle of the bed beat me each morning and the snooze button being my best friend.

80% of people hate their jobs, stated in Deloitte’s Shift Index Survey.  I’m a true believer that this is the culprit. So quit your job and start doing what you love right now, right?

Wrong answer.

For now, remember that if you do not love what you do, then keep making money at your job to support yourself AND spend an hour every morning, every night and a minimum of 8 hours on the weekend to develop your passion project.

At this rate you will spend 18 hours a week and 72 hours a month of quality time not on your job but on your future career.

There are few things in this life of ours that fuel us and fire us up more than loving what you do on a daily basis.

Before I share how I got to the place of being excited everyday and waking up with massive amounts of energy…. I encourage you to commit 8 days to these 3 steps that truly directed my path.

Side note: I love Joseph Campbell’s work and his phrase “Follow Your Bliss.” When I first heard this I was like sign me up, but how do we get there, what are the first few steps?

3 Steps to Direct your Path

1. Wake up one hour earlier (and don’t you dare hit snooze)

2. Move in the morning (aka sweat) for 20 or more minutes

3. Meditate for 5 minutes or more to start and end your day (download the insight timer app-it’s my favorite!)

Many people (before practicing there Big 3) always fight me on wanting to meditate before they move. For most people, bad idea.

Why?

Most people that try to meditate first thing in the morning, fall back asleep only to forget about directing their path. There is incredible power in meditating after movement when you’re in a peak state of energy while your heart rate is elevated. I teach clients how to harness the energy at peak times in their day to create more energy. This is a true game changer technique.

Word Of the Week (WOW): “To get to the place of loving what you do, first come from the place of having peace with what you have.”

Step back from all your “stuff” and appreciate what you have worked hard to get.

Also, what are a few things you have that you didn’t have to work for, the things that were God given? Fill up with gratitude to change your attitude from lack to limitless.

When you start to practice the 3 Points to Direct your Path you will be in the right position to figure out your “WHY”. Our “WHY” we do what we do helps define our direction and provides inspiration.

Simon Sinek gives a brilliant TED talk (3rd most watched) about “Discovering your Why”, here is the link to listen and find your why today.

We will explore this subject more in future Coaching Conversations.

Cheers,

Coach

Finding Something Bigger than “You”…

Almost a year ago I was interviewed by my dear friend Joumana Kidd . If you haven’t seen this interview check it out for 2 reasons.

1. I give my #1 guilty pleasure located in my home town of Fairhaven, MA and….

2. I get to share my faith very openly bc of the safe environment Joumana creates.

My favorite part is when I make Joumana and the whole crew close their eyes and meditate, after only a minute the whole set was “Reset”.

I share for the first time why I gave up playing football in high school, realizing in the moment a huge insecurity I had based off of Joumana’s question (btw – Joumana, you are the Queen of excellent questions).

After watching it again just now, I’m amazed with how much growth can happen in less than a year. The new relationships I’ve made, even some friends that have grown distant that I want to make more of an attempt to strengthen. As I launch my new #‎8DaysAWeek performance supplement line this summer, I realized that the beginning of the creation w/ co-thinker Olaseni Bello was born during this interview.

How I reference my Mum, my first coach of movement, as I always do and how in less than a year she has reinvented herself… #‎MumsKitchen – so proud of you Mum.

Also on this interview I get to honor and share memories and moments of my mentor Uncle Joe which always brings me to happy tears.

Who I am hasn’t changed after only one year, but I certainly have grown, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. For me looking back for a second and gaining perspective provides me the power of progress. Often times I can get caught up in “what’s next” which makes me feel excited for a moment but then I feel “less than” for several minutes too long and that never feels good…

Instead of making a “to-do list” I now make a, “what I’ve done list” and I feel good, better yet, I feel great!!

If you’ve read to this point, which is a miracle in today’s quick culture and immediate results of 15 seconds or less, then I’m certain of 2 things:

1. That you can relate with me on some level, even care about the path I’m walking, I’m humble & grateful for that.

2. Since you’ve made it this far, what’s another few minutes… excited that you are going to watch the interview, bc I guarantee at least one big idea that you’ll take from it will help guide your week of wellness.

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Bonjour from Paris,

Coach

8 Ways To Stop Sugar Addiction

Are you addicted to sugar? I first want to tell you that you are far from alone in this battle.  It’s a known fact that most people crave either sugar or salt. We also know that anything in excess is bad for you.

The thing that most people do not know is sugar is a silent killer. According to researchers, at University of California San Francisco, “sugar contributed to 35 million deaths globally each year.” What does that mean in context?

Sugar should be considered a toxic substance just like alcohol and tobacco.It is one of the leading contributors in obesity, diabetes, dementia, hypo and hyperglycemia, heart disease, and feeding tumors. Scared yet? Well, you should be.

Craving sugar is a real challenge people face today. It’s an addiction, and it’s so easy to fall off that wagon. To help you conquer this cravings, I have 8 game changers to help you decrease your sugar intake.

Crush Your Craving

1. Eat more low-glycemic index foods (low sugar)

2. Eat more frequently (set a timer for 3 hours after each meal)

3. Eat good fats and increase fiber (good fats taste full and rich easily taking the place for sugars)

4. Take an L-Glutamine supplement – it not only helps with muscle recovery after a workout, but it is known to fight sugar cravings

Chromium will also help balance out blood sugar levels and reduce cravings.

 

Post Meal Mindset Movers 

5. Don’t keep desserts in the house. Remember, out of sight, out of mind. (I personally go out for ice cream, bread, or cereal because if its in the house I’m going to eat it all in one sitting guaranteed. Knowing and being real with your limitations is key)

6. Don’t even bring sugar into the house. Substitute with raw honey or stevia instead (When I add honey to my tea, I always add it first so I see the exact amount I’m using and bc I can feel like a kid and make a fun design.) Depending on your addiction to sugar, you may want to stick with stevia and when you kick your craving you can slowly add honey to the mix.

7. Instead of going right into a dessert after a meal at a Restaurant—drink a warm cup of peppermint tea first (and feel free to add one teaspoon of honey) This has always been a game changer for me because after the mint tea it feels like I brushed my teeth and nothing, even my Mum’s brownies don’t taste good after that.

8. Floss and Brush your teeth immediately after a meal — you won’t feel like eating anything after. (you can’t always brush but floss is easy to travel with, make sure you have the mint floss.)

Bonus: Move well daily, no surprise I’m sure, however here’s a big distinction that many people get wrong. Long distance cardio training will actually increase cravings. Make sure your movement consists of resistance training or as seen in the photo, interval cardio, even yoga or pilates will help you win your war with sugar.

Secret Weapon: Add Apple Cider Vinegar to your water and or salads, or be a true hero and drink it straight up and say goodbye to your sugar addiction.

Your weekly wellness challenge is to start to check the labels of the products you are eating. DO NOT eat anything that has more than 9 grams of added sugar. Write me back in the comments section below to tell me what foods surprised you and which foods you can’t go without yet.

P.S. As I continue coaching my clients out here in Paris, the Parisians think I’m a bit crazy because I always turn down the dessert that comes with every meal, unless it’s my treat meal of course. I’m thankful for the awareness around sugar and how closely it’s related to Cancer. I’ve had too much of that in my family, it’s time to change the family legacy, tea time anyone?

Cheers with apple cider vinegar water,

Coach

P.P.S. My mom rocks and so do her recipes! Check out the latest she whipped up for me while I was home:

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#MumsKitchen 
My Mum is always giving our Lebanese background a healthy new twist.

Cauliflower Tabouleh

2 C cauliflower rice
1 C chopped cucumber
3 chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 C chopped mint
3 scallions chopped
Bunch of parsley chopped
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp red vinegar
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
Mix together and let flavors meld in the refrigerator.

 

When you eat a meal do you get tired or energized?

You might be saying I don’t know…

I know you don’t know, but if you did know what would you say? (Tony & Mastin-ism)

I would tell you that it’s not what you eat that gives you the energy, it’s really when you eat.

Recently, I’ve been sharing with clients, friends, family, and everybody in Paris that speaks English that frequency is being fit.

So today (because the when is so much more important than the what) I want to create your success for you or at the very least give you an outline that I hope serves you and speaks to your success.

  • 7am Rise / Drink 16oz room temperature water and break your fast, aka break-fast, eat within 30 minutes of waking up
  • 10am Drink 16oz of water, then have a snack (notice how i’m not sharing what to eat)
  • 1pm Drink 16oz of water, then lunch (add a green veggie)
  • 4pm drink 16oz of water w/ lime, then have a snack
  • 7pm drink 8oz of water w/ lemon, then have dinner
  • 10pm drink 1 cup of Yogi Soothing Caramel Bedtime tea & rest

I’d like to report that more Parisians are having breakfast because of my relentless pursuit of simplifying how to eat well.

Now, go on… rock the when not the what.

Cheers with water,
Coach

What do you do?

How many times have you been at a party or met someone new and the first question they ask you is, “what do you do?”…

What is your usual answer? Even better, what is the feeling you have after giving your answer?

Years ago – my brother from another mother, Dhru asked me to take a deep look into myself and the brand that I wanted to create. It was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do and then I got busy working with clients and avoided doing the hard work to discover the full answer.

Then my sister – from another mister… Seema asked me the question again around what do I do and getting clear on how do I do it. Know that this answer helps to create a brand that is clearer to share with the world.

I still had a lot of resistance (aka stubbornness!) around flushing out the real answer because I just wanted to coach my private 1 on 1 clients.

Finally, Mastin…  another brother from another mother – really challenged me on creating an online business and online program so that my work could reach more people and that I could amplify my message.

Having almost every step needed to launch a program and needing to now just flip the switch – I defaulted back into my comfort zone working with high performers 1 on 1.

After these 3 very special friends that I would call family members challenged me over the last 5 years I finally created the space in Paris to get clear on what it is I do that has birthed my first online program that is coming soon and I wanted to share with you the question that I had to ask myself to create the best answer for myself.

I’ll share my answer with you as well as to what it is I do hoping that it provides clarity for what it is that you do. I hope you enjoy today’s message and it brings clarity to you so that the next time you hear that question you provide an answer that you feel confident about and that gives off the greatest version of who you are.

The answer to this exercise might even provide more clarity in your life, unlock the key to your greatness and send you on your life’s work.


Bonjour from Paris,
Coach

P.S. Love you – Dhru, Seema, and Mastin — you have helped me have the courage to be still long enough to get clear and specific on my message, understand the importance of amplifying my message to many, putting away perfect, and to know what my most important thing is because I am a uni-tasker.

P.S.S. All men are —> uni-taskers 🙂

How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Get?

People close to me know that I average 3 to 4.5 hours max per night and I’ve always felt great on it. Recently I listened to a podcast that shifted my sleep philosophy. Karl from Your Best Life podcast interviewed Dr. Rubin Naiman (a sleep Doctor) and here were my takeaways and the big idea behind it…

  • Our relationship with deep sleep is our relationship with deep self
  • Sleep offers spiritual support
  • Sleep is forgiving
  • Life is lived in the pauses, not the events
  • We are a culture that is addicted to wakefulness (felt like he was speaking directly to me on this one!)
  • Sleep is a vacation of the mind

The Big Idea for me was the question that I recently posted on my Instagram that you see here in this message.

• Can we make rest as important as productivity?

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The background is a picture I took that is literally two minutes from my flat here in Paris. It’s a peaceful area that I’m hoping subconsciously anchors me and allows me to listen to my own message.

My goal for the next week is to go to bed early enough that I don’t need an alarm clock to wake up, that I look at rest as a part of my day and not just the end of my day.

Having this new shift around sleep I now have a Desire to invest into my sleep life, knowing with consistent Discipline I may one day get to the Delight of sleep.

The question I have for you is…

What’s the One Thing you are going to do this week to sleep well?

Bonjour from Paris,

-Coach

P.S. Wish me luck on this one. 🙂

You Must Make The Time To Meditate

There is an old Zen saying: You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.

There will never be the perfect time to meditate – you must make the time. It could be as soon as you start the day, after your morning workout, midday or before you go to bed. While in Paris, I find myself sitting in awe at the beauty and inspiration all around me. It certainly makes it easier – but it still comes down to making the time to sit in silence and knowing the value in it.

I hope you enjoy my next meditation audio below. It’s a 2 minute meditation that will be good for your body, mind and soul.

Sit back in silence and enjoy.
Coach

How To Say Yes In A Different Language

Have you ever asked a question to someone and their response was yes but something inside of you knew they were not being genuine about it? If you answered no then you are either lying to yourself or your intuition needs to be recalibrated. It’s less about hearing an unauthentic yes and more about the feeling you are left with when someone gives you just an auditory yes.

After watching this weeks video I hope you give people the truest and most authentic Yes that lives inside of you. Such a joy for me to share the wisdom of Nikki C. and there’s a reason why I’m teasing out the 5 part interview. Nikki says so much in so few words I don’t want you to miss anything. At the end of the day, I want you to find the gold in each message and let it fuel your week. Find the gold and continue your growth. #8DaysAWeek

Hit play below and let me know what you think!

Bonjour from Paree,
Coach

#1 Way To Create Momentum

It is a great privilege and joy to introduce you to my dear friend and one of the most sought-after yoga teachers in the world, Nikki Costello.

In this video – I share with Nikki my #1 way that I create momentum with my clients and I ask her how it impacts her practice. Nikki’s language around momentum is like a poem with power! After watching this Coaching Conversation or minute of motivation, I challenge you to make a commitment to momentum this week and share it with me and your best friend / loved one. Accountability is essential on your walk of wellness.

Sharing is caring and the deeper you share the more determined your caring becomes.

Bonjour from Paree,
Coach