Kamjah .. The Chronicles

As you may have noticed I have been pretty quiet on here for the past few weeks and  trust me, there is a very good reason for that. Truth be told I was away on a road trip up the East coast with my significant other. Together from South Florida we traveled North to the Nations Capital where we explored lots of historical sites as well as places like the Zoo and the National Air and Space Museum. From there we headed further North to Rhode Island where we connected with mother nature in the ocean through some surfing and then from there onward to Boston and New Hampshire. In New Hampshire we camped for two nights and experienced muscle soreness like no other after persevering up the Huntington Ravine trail of Mount Washington.

Having been on many adventures around the world like exploring temples  in Bali, Indonesia to hiking deep into the Jungle of Panama, I still beleive that simple road trips when done right can be among the best.

For you, because by now you’re probably somewhat curious, I went ahead and posted a handful of pictures from the adventure below.

Please enjoy!

Your Coach
Geoffrey
(305) 851-2459

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
Helen Keller

Air and Space Museum - Washington DC area

Narragansett Beach Rhode Island

Historic Town in Massachusetts

The White Mountains up ahead (New Hampshire)

Working the camp fire

View from Mount Washington

Half way up the trail - so beautiful, as there is nothing quite like hiking and reconnecting with mother nature in the way that only hiking can bring..

This is where the trail got really fun and challenging

In North Conway taking it easy the next day after hiking. Can't remember the last time my leg muscles we so sore. The irony is that I would do all over again in a second!

The Swift River (White Mountains, NH) - ultra chilly water..

Have you ever battled with losing weight or do you know someone who has? It’s a health condition that is more common then you would probably think. And most people who battle with this issue fall into the category of serial dieter. If this is the case then we can bet that most, if not all of those diets have eventually failed. In fact research suggests that once we finish a diet we are more likely to put the weight back on. Does this sound familiar? Are you craving foods and have that compulsive desire to eat unhealthy things like cake and sweets and things that prevent you from losing weight and keeping it off. Have you had the advice from your doctor to cut back on the calories and the fat to improve your health and you just can’t do it? The chances are you have been successful in many areas of your life but just can’t stay on that healthy diet and lose weight no matter high hard you try.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to never have to worry about food again like a naturally thin person and wished that you could be like that? Have you ever wondered how certain people eat whatever they want and never gain weight? And have you also noticed that all those weight loss programs come down to diet and exercise and then more diet and exercise. But if you have done all that and still have a problem with achieving your weight loss and fitness goals, then what are you going to do? Well if you are ready to learn the real solution then keep reading.

The real solution is a lot simpler then you think and you won’t typically hear it from most personal trainers or dietitians because it starts with how you think and the relationship you have with yourself. If you think like an overweight or out of shape person then even if you get into shape at some point you’ll quickly revert back to your old self almost 100% of the time. This is very dangerous, because through the cycle of losing, and then gaining, then back to losing again forms a negative behavioral feedback loop. This loop will keep you trapped, feeling badly about yourself and enslave you to forever be investing in the expensive latest hope filled diet crazes and quick fix personal training.

Have you ever noticed that the people at the gym who are in shape are typically not the ones working out with the personal trainers.. Then have you ever noticed the people that are typically working with the personal trainers are the one’s out of shape, and you see them a few times to never see them again.. If you have, then suppose there is a reason for that. Suppose that if being in shape and losing weight is not about the action, then maybe the real answer rests within our thoughts and beliefs..

If you agree that the answer lays within your thoughts and beliefs then you will also probably agree that the way to avoid problems is to first address the issue, with that issue being your thoughts and beliefs. I bet you could imagine what it would be like waking up in the morning feeling complete and whole. Eating the right things because you want to, instead of because you feel like you have too. Then imagine going to the gym to work out because that is part of who you are instead of as someone trying to keep up with false images and perceptions. If you were able to imagine that then you should also be able to imagine living your life healthy and from a place of real balance, real understanding and real direction. You can do it, all you have to do first is allow it to happen. It’s easy to get excited when you think about it because it can make you feel really good.

What are my options you might be wondering? NLP based Coaching is a very powerful place to turn first. It’s a cognitive based approach that works (Landmark, EST, Tony Robbins, most Conventional Coaching models etc.. base a lot of what they do off of NLP…NLP in sorts is “the source”). With that being true, after coaching now equipped with the right mind-set, you’ll be ready for the quality personal trainers to show you the exercises and the experienced dietitians to instruct you on how and what to eat.

Now that you’re aware of what’s possible with NLP based Coaching, find your own reasons to give it a shot. Then get ready to experience those necessary changes and shifts in your life that will lead you toward allowing yourself to truly realize your fitness and weight loss goals; and have them take shape permanently.

~ Geoffrey

If your time is valuable then maybe you are ready to save it along with: money, energy and resources by first getting into the fitness lifestyle mindset. Call now (305) 851-2459 for a FREE 15 minute consultation.

For more information on Geoffrey Schmidt’s Life Coaching, Career Coaching, Relationship Coaching, Business Coaching, or NLP services please contact him directly at: (305) 851-2459

Thinking Style and Personality Assessment

Try it - this is Fun and Revealing!!

Do you want to discover how you think? The way we think influences our personality and our lives.  Understanding that gives us more personal power and better options in life.

Below is a link to a 16 question assessment that has the potential to shed more light on how you think and move through this world then ever before.

After you enter your first name and e-mail you’ll then answer the 16 questions to get your results.

Click the link below to get started. (It’s FREE!)

Click here: http://www.kamjah.com/meta-programs.php

(make sure to listen to the audio commentary at the end when you are finished)

“If you know your opponent and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
If you know yourself but not the opponent, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the opponent nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” - Sun Tzu

Designed and brought to you by: Kamjah Coaching // (305) 851-2459 // www.kamjah.com

Services in: Life Coaching || Business Coaching || Relationship Coaching || Career Coaching || NLP

See pictures now from the workshop held on June 13th, 2010 @ Simply Yoga in Delray Beach, Florida

This was a wonderful life coaching experience that attracted participants from: Miami, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Ft. Lauderdale.

In 2 hours everyone got introduced to the blind spots in their life and equipped with real solutions and strategies that they can being applying immediately.   In addition there was an unadvertised bonus that participants got to experience at the end called “Creating Your Circle of Excellence.”   This a Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) technique that is used by many of today’s top athletic trainers to empower athletes to quickly be able access a states of resourcefulness and excellence on demand.  As you can imagine, this technique is not limited to just athletic enhancement.

The next workshop is scheduled for June 20th, 2010 at the same time and location above. This workshop will be focusing on Dating and Relationships. Sign up now here: click here

Do you want to join us and be part of the group? If so..

The next workshop is scheduled for June 20th, 2010 at the same time and location above. This workshop will be focusing on Dating and Relationships. Sign up now here: click here

For even more information call: (305) 851-2459

You have emotions, but your emotions are not you. You have a body but your body is not you. You have an emotional life but you are not your emotions or your feelings.

Emotions are very powerful things and like our outer form (body), they are nothing more then tools to help us navigate through the world. At best emotions are ‘present moment’ indicators and NOT to be confused with ‘intuition’.

All too often people find themselves over-identifying and making decisions based on their emotions instead of on who they really are inside. Over identifying with your emotions can lead you toward developing a self identity based on emotional responses which then becomes dependent upon external qualities (looks, physical, etc) and actions (validation, approval, etc..).

How do you know if you are making a decision based on  emotion as opposed to who you really are inside?

Let’s find out.

For starters before you make a ‘yes’ decision about something ask yourself first: “is this ‘yes’ answer is coming from  ME  based on who I  really am inside and what I stand for”?. If not and you answer that question with a no then chances are your decision is charged off an emotion instead of yourself (YOU).

Examples of EMOTIONALLY based decisions include:

1. Investing money that you can’t afford to lose by being seduced into the ‘big win.’
2. Sleeping with someone only to feel better about yourself then feeling bad about it the next day.
3. Receiving plastic surgery expecting it to solve your issues and still having the same issues that you had before the surgery.
4. Getting angry and then losing control like beating someone up or self abuse like drinking.

Examples of the above decisions reflecting the SELF instead and not being emotionally driven:

1. Investing & losing money… The flip here is that you can live with it. You first made sure you were clear with yourself on knowing the risks associated and the fact that it didn’t work out doesn’t make you feel bad. You move on.
2. Sleeping with someone… The flip here is doing so because you truly want too and not giving it a second thought.
3. Getting plastic surgery… The flip side is getting plastic surgery from a place of personal enhancement where you go into it already feeling great and then enjoying the enhancement after.
4. Getting angry and realizing your anger is only an emotion and taking time to cool off.

Next time you feel prone to making an impulse decision take a moment to notice where it is coming from and make note of the emotion you are feeling at the moment. Then cross reference that decision against who YOU are and what YOU are all about. Decisions that truly come from you are solid and there can be no such thing as regrets from them, and at worst only learning experiences.

When you learn how to recognize truly that YOU are not your emotions, and YOU are not your physical form then YOU become able to make better decisions that truly serve your identity instead one’s that gamble with it.

Geoffrey

(305) 851-2459

Geoffrey provides  Life Coaching,  and NLP services offered over the phone and in person here in South Florida  If you’re life sometimes feels like you’re trying to  juggle cotton balls in hurricane then maybe now is the right time to get started with coaching.

It’s no mystery that I’ve taken a sabbatical from blogging and the e-mails I’ve received from readers have reflected what this blog means to so many people.  We all know how life can go and yes, even the coach’s is no exception.  Over the past few months I’ve been tied up with more speaking engagements, more clients, more trainings,  more appearances you may have noticed that the website has been redesigned but now I’m still busy and back to blogging.   Keep you’re eye out as more blogs on the way..and not just my articles either.  I’m opening this blog up so you’ll have to stay tuned to see what’s coming!

By the way.. Simply Yoga of Delray is hosting my Balancing Your Life workshop this Sunday 6/13/2010) in Delray Beach, Florida.  See my events page for more information: click here

Yours in Coaching

Geoffrey

Do you ever get the feeling like you could be more, or as if there is something else out there for you? Maybe you wake up feeling like something is missing, like there is that ’something else’, but you can’t put your finger on it.  Then again maybe you can put your finger on it but find creative ways to justify ignoring it, thus at the end of the day deep down feel that perhaps you are not being true to yourself.

You get these feelings ’signals’ from your unconscious when something is out of alignment. Your unconscious always knows. When people suppress these feelings and keep them hidden / pretend they don’t exist then you start to  feel less then what you deserve and maybe even feelings of sadness. On the flip side when you give yourself permission to accept and embrace them you then begin the natural  journey of  exploration  toward your real  joy and life purpose / fulfillment.

On a scale of 1 – 10 rate yourself in the following areas:

> I know my purpose:

> I have a clear identity:

> I know what my passion is:

> I know what my unique gifts are:

> I take consistent action toward my intentions:

Now add up the score..

If you scored between 43 – 50 then congratulations, you seem clearly on point, if you scored between 37 – 43 not bad though you can probably benefit from some tweaks here and there and if you scored below 37 then it’s time to take control and create a solid plan.

To move toward your passion you must first truly understand what it is. As there are many definitions of passion I will share five beliefs that may fit your concept nicely.

1. Passion is an intense desire

2. Passion is inspired action

3. Passion is a powerful connection with what you do

4. Passion is a natural extension of your own unique brand of love

5. Passion is acting from divine guidance

Take 5 minute to think about what you can apply the 5 beliefs listed above to… When you are finished and have a few ideas, give yourself some time to answer the following questions:

– What do you have an intense desire to do?

– What inspires you?

– What is it that you do that you feel you have a powerful connection with?

– What feels like a natural extension of you that you love?

– What is it that you enjoy doing that feels so natural that it’s like your coming from a place of divine guidance?

No hurry, take your time and relax with these questions..

Congratulations, if you completed that exercise then you have arrived at a point farther down the road then you were at before.  Imagine what it would be like to be able to finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together completely and begin living your passion daily, starting now.

Act on your inspiration!

Recognizing and then living according to you’re natural alignment can take some practice.  The good news is that ANYONE who wants it bad enough and simply takes the right action and practice to allow it to happen can DO IT!  As you can imagine with the right support you can arrive a lot faster.  Toward reaching your passion!  Cheers!

- Geoffrey

(305) 851-2459

Ready to move forward? Geoff provides  Life Coaching,  and NLP services.  Geoff calls home: Miami - Palm Beach - Los Angeles - Boston //  Start living your best life and contact Geoff today.

Part 2 in a 2 Part Series

Part 1 - “Learning a New Behavior - Forming a New Habit” - read it: click here

Part 2 - “Replacing an Old Habit with a New One”

In Part 1: “Learning a New Behavior – Forming a New Habit” you learned what to do in order to let go of old habits that are not serving you and the steps to take to install new ones’ that will.

Assuming you have read Part 1 ( click here to read ) and you are in the process of adding or changing up  habits  then here are some things to be aware of as well as some additional information you will find useful.

The Process of Habit Change:

Whenever we start the process of habit change there is a natural set of steps we go through. These steps include:

1. Pre-contemplation - This is where we think about changing a habit. We say to ourselves “I don’t think this habit is serving me any longer.”
2. Contemplation - This is when we consider what it will take to move forward and make the change.
3. Preparation – This is when we assemble the resources we are going to need (like an NLP life coach) to facilitate the process.
4. Action - At this stage we have put the wheels of action into motion. We are now actively pursuing to evict the old habit and working to replace it with the new and better serving one.
5. Maintenance – Maintenance is necessary because old habits die hard. This can come in the form of solid support structures in place like working with a coaching and daily reminders.
6. Termination - The time and place when the non-serving habit is completely gone and fully replaced with the one that serves you better. This is what we are aiming for!!

Stay alert and aware for Negative Responses to Habit Change!

As I’ve mentioned before old habits die hard so watch out for the following tricks that old habits will try to play on you:

1. Immobilization: Here you will feel confused and begin to question if getting rid of this old non-serving habit is truly possible and even worth it. These feelings are not good so move forward each day knowing that you are only being tested. Old habits don’t want to go so will try every trick in the book to stay. Remember to stay strong and stay focused and know that those feelings are only temporary and there is light at the end of the tunnel no matter how long that tunnel may seem.

2. Denial: This is a big one that creeps up so stay alert. This is when you start to convince yourself that the belief you want to change really does not need to be changed. Say for example you drink excessively; through denial you may convince yourself that you really don’t have a drinking problem even though all the while deep down you really know you do. Be on the lookout for denial.

3. Bargaining: This is where you try to tell yourself ‘ok I can follow the old habit a little’. No - shut your mind off to any and all mental negotiating. Bargaining is what slowly brings you back to where you started. Always remind yourself why it is you want to change that habit in the first place.

4. Depression: This one can hit hard especially when the habit you are working to change really affects a large part of your reality. Depending on the strength of the habit and its size it may go as far as impacting your whole identity. I remember talking to someone who said I quote: “for 15 years I was a drug addict, pills, heroin, you name it…and then after I beat the addiction and quit drugs (killed the drug habit) my whole life and reality changed. I got new friends, a new outlook, a new perspective, a NEW IDENTITY. Now maybe it isn’t a drug habit for you but you get the point. Change and evolution is a good thing and everyone’s journey is different so feel free to embrace yours and whatever come from with it.

To help minimize the negative responses you may experience there are some things you can do like focus on the positive reinforcing responses instead.

1. Informed Optimism: Take 15 minutes to write down all the benefits you will gain from adopting this new habit.

2. Informed Pessimism: Take 15 minutes to write all the negatives associated with keeping that old non-serving habit.

3. Realism: Take 15 minutes to write the hard core realities you can truly see yourself experiencing by fully adopting the new habit.

4. Completion: Take 15 minutes to write down how much you see your life being changed and improved and what you will be like after the new habit has become fully integrated and part of you.

Make sure to take 15 minutes each day to read over your positive reinforcing statements. Doing this will help make the process flow by quicker and smoother, not to mention feel more natural as well.

Changing habits is rarely easy and entirely possible. If you think you can benefit from adopting new habits that will serve you better and can see the value of being supported by a trained and experienced professional along the way, please feel free to contact me for a complementary consultation. I’ll review your issue and be able to make the determination if coaching and NLP is right for you.

If you haven’t done so already then I highly recommend that you read Part 1  as it was written to go hand in hand with this one. Go to Part 1 now: click here

~ Geoff

For more information on Geoffrey Schmidt’s coaching, NLP or speaking services please contact him directly at: www.kamjah.com/contact.php or call: (305) 851-2459

2 Part Series

Part 1 - “Learning a New Behavior - Forming a New Habit”

Part 2 - “Replacing and Old Habit With a New One”

Learning a New Behavior
Forming a New Habit

Can you imagine letting go of the habits that are not serving you and replacing them with ones that are. I bet you notice how good it feels to imagine that. You may even find that you like the idea so much that you keep reading to see what comes next!

Lets start with defining what a habit is..

A habit is an automatic response / reaction to a specific stimulus. Once you experience the stimulus you do the habit without thinking. We form habits for two primary reasons: 1. to bring us closer to what pleasures us and 2. to move us away from what we perceive as causing us pain. Another way to put is is that every habit has a positive intention, whether we are conscious of it or not.

First lets go over the stages in learning:

1. Unconscious Incompetence - This is where you are unaware that you don’t know

2. Conscious Incompetence - This is when you are aware that you don’t know

3. Conscious Competence - You know what you need to know but you still have to consciously think about it

4. Unconscious Competence - You know what you know so well that you don’t even have to think about it

Here are some examples of activities that many people in their life have achieved the level of unconscious competence in: driving a car, making toast, taking a shower, brushing their teeth, riding a bike, etc…

See if you can think of some things that you might benefit from having a level of “Unconscious Competence” in..

Say for example you want to become a more social person and perhaps you suffer from social anxiety. If you recognize that it will benefit you to become a more socially aware human then you are starting at the level of “Conscious Incompetence” and through practice and coaching you can rapidly reach the level of “Unconscious Competence”. That’s the level where you automatically know the right thing to say and do in almost all situations.. Kinda like you don’t even have to think about the right words instead they just come.

The steps involved in forming a new habit:

1. Map the Behavior - The first step for learning a new behavior is to have a mental map of it, to understand what you are learning and why. Take 20 minutes to imagine yourself stepping into the new behavior and living it. Notice all the details and how good it will feel and the benifit you reap because of it. It’s always good to be clear in the purpose and how it is going to serve you. Take 45 minutes to write this down in detail. If for nothing else, clarities sake.

2. Practice - Once you have a mental understanding of the behavior, you need to practice the action over and over again in order for it to become a habit.

3. Positive Feelings Catch Up - Initially, as you practice the new behavior you will probably feel uncomfortable, awkward, and worst of all…phony. As you continue to practice, you feel more and more comfortable. Feelings lag behind thinking. The you practice over and over again is so the you can become more and more comfortable during the behavior.

4. Behavior Becomes Automatic - With consistent practice, emotional comfort increases. Eventually the new action becomes automatic; thus it becomes habit.

What new habits do you want to acquire?

For many people it’s the habit of knowing what to say in social situations, for others it’s the habit of waking up early, and for some it’s gaining the habit of going to the gym daily. Right now, choose the new habit you want to create and get to work. Do you want to reach your habit goal faster? If so then sooner or later you may want to contact a life coach like me. I wrote this article so naturally as you can imagine and see I know a thing or two about this subject. Either way good luck and stay tuned for Part 2: Replacing an Old Habit With a New One.

————————

~ Geoff

(305) 851-2459
www.kamjah.com

Get Life Coaching Today! — Phone Coaching and In Person Coaching Available

Life Coaching & Career Coaching & Dating Coaching

Walk the Fire Part 2 “The Birth”

Haven’t read part one? “The Idea”: click here

I said a while ago part two was coming so here it is. Now run to the kitchen and grab some pop corn, and your favorite carbonated beverage, sit down, calm down, relax and enjoy.

The time came for that ultimate leap of faith in myself. I had hit that point where I no longer was willing to tolerate the heavy price the 16 - 18 hour days were charging on my: mind, body and spirit. The time had come to resign from my career and build what I had started.

I remember making that decision on a Friday. My Saturday and Sunday were not easy. Every kind of thought that you can imagine that might come from a decision like the one I was weighing raced through my mind. “What about the company-they need me”, “I like the company owner, he is my friend, is this right?’, “Will my business succeed?”, “Do I really know what I am doing?”, “What will my family think?”, “What if my business fails, my girlfriend (soon to be wife) leaves me, and my family disowns me and I wind up homeless - then what?”.. It’s remarkable what goes through one’s mind when they choose to leave security to move forward into the unknown.

That Monday, I woke up wanting to throw up. Walking into my boss’s office, I was nervous and I’m not a person that gets nervous easily. Sweat running down my arm, a lump in my throat, and my stomach twisted in knots I felt like I looked like I was taking a walk to the electric chair. I sat down, got myself together as best I could to give him my two weeks and tell him what I was doing. He about fell out of his chair. I wasn’t surprised, as I was a good earner for the company and even more so I was part of the family. This was not resigning from any normal, run-of-the-mill, pedantic job. I was extremely close with my boss, his wife, mother, brother. Needless to say it wasn’t an easy break.

In the end it wasn’t such painful a process. He reminded me that I always have a place to come back to, and wished me the best of luck. I really couldn’t have asked for a happier ending. I’ll never forget what he said as I was walking out the door… “Geoff, always remember one thing-the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. That quote still makes me laugh, and it’s true. We spend so much time agonizing over moments like this-ending a relationship, quitting a job; always keep in mind the very worst that can happen-it’s probably not that bad.

After the decision went into action it was time for me to inform those that needed to be informed. Naturally my family was at the top of the list. That night I remember calling them. I figured I had already surprised a few people that day so since I was on a roll why stop and better yet lets go straight to the top with my mom and dad. Like everyone else they acted surprised. I got an earful on “What about your retirement?”, “What if you have kids someday?”, “What about this….and what about that?”.. I heard it all.

Over the next two weeks while I finished up at my day job I continued to bring people into the loop. Like anything in life, the first few were the hardest and then over time it became easier and easier. After all it was my opinion that mattered most to me, and that’s what I was sticking with.

After everyone was notified, I incorporated and my new company was officially born.

More in the next blog: Part three of Walk the Fire - “How high can you jump”..

Life & Business Lessons from part 2:

- Believe in Yourself…IF you want to make big things happen then you have to believe in yourself FIRST.

- Perspective…Nothing is ever as bad or as good as it seems.  It is what it is.

- Opinions…Everyone has one, it’s your opinion that matters most.

- Decisions…Have the courage to make them, and never look back.  With decisions you either get what you imagined or a learning experience.  Only good can come if you look at it right.

————————

~ Geoff
(305) 851-2459

Get Life Coaching Today! — Phone Coaching and In Person Coaching Available

Life Coaching & Career Coaching & Dating Coaching