Becoming a Bulletproof Coach - Chapter 2 "The State of High Performance"

The State of High Performance: Presence

So in my last blog post I talked about setting the foundation of the coaching program. In this post I'll go into further detail on how we not only access presence, but how we use it to be effective coaches, life partners, friends, and human beings. During my first couple weeks back after the two day in person workshop in Pasadena I implemented presence in everything I did. I'd make sure to eat food with presence, listen to friends and family with presence, and go about my day with the conscious intent to stay present. The results were beyond amazing, and now I'd like to share those results with you while also giving a couple suggestions on how you can easily integrate presence into your day to day lives.

Benefits of Living in the Present Moment

After learning how to access presence I began using it constantly. I learned that when accessing it I'd feel more grounded in whatever I was doing, less up in my head, and more aware of what I was actually trying to focus on. Even simply going to the movies I noticed being more present kept me from fidgeting! Now I know not fidgeting in a movie isn't really that big of a deal, but that was just the beginning. Do you constantly have thoughts running through your head that distract you from what you should actually be focusing on? Does your brain run on a repeat at night, constantly playing a story in your head making it impossible to sleep? Do you feel like you can't remember things you just saw, read, or heard? Well from what I've experienced all of that and more is caused by living in the past, or the future. When we live in the present there isn't anything to worry about, there isn't anything to distract you. All there is is the here and now.

There's another reason to access presence, and it's one of the biggest reasons we were taught it so early as bulletproof coaches, and that's because from presence you can tap into intuition and the ability to really connect on a deep level with another human being. Using presence during a one on one session allows me to not only relax, but also step into the other persons shoes. I felt what they felt in a way, and because of that I was able to ask the right questions from their own perspective. I was simply a mirror that was there to help them uncover their deeper truth, because you see as bulletproof coaches we aren't here to tell you what to do, we're here to help you see what you already know deep within.

Simple Tips to Access Presence

Slow down and take in the world around you

Simple yet effective! So many of us walk through life without paying attention to whats going on around us. We run from appointment to appointment never stopping to smell the roses. So I invite you to try slowing down. It doesn't have to waste any of your precious time, just simply look up from you phone while walking into work, or coming home to your family, or walking to the grocery store. Take in the world around you for what it is, a beautiful masterpiece, and while your doing that become aware of how you feel. I'll bet that head of yours that was worried about how well you're going to do on tomorrows test got a little bit quieter.

Sit down and breath
Another exercise that has been used throughout the ages! Meditation is an amazing practice that has been shown to have profound results. But I'm not asking you to sit down for 20 minutes or more, in fact you can access presence in less than a minute if you'd like. Try this... sit down, close your eyes, and start breathing deeply. Count each breath as it goes in and out. Repeat this until you get to 30 then slowly open your eyes while keeping your attention on your breathing, and ask yourself: How do I feel right now? While paying close attention to how your entire body feels. This technique is a great way to calm yourself before bed.

In my opinion presence could end a ton of suffering. I believe if all of us got a little more in tune with ourselves and the world around us we'd make much more positive, heart based, and grounded choices that would improve the quality of life for us and all that we interact with.

Becoming a Bulletproof Coach - Chapter 1 "Pasadena Coach Training Workshop"

First Impressions and An Introduction to Your New Blogger

So here we are starting the new year and as I was pondering what direction I'd like this year to go in, it dawned on me that I've been in need of a creative outlet, a place where I can express myself and reflect on everything this crazy thing called life has to offer. So here I am, Andrew Thill, writing my very first blog post. 

An Introduction to Your New Blogger

So let's share a little bit about myself. First off I'm 27 years old and live in Southern California. I have a fiance named Mikayla who came into my life at the perfect time to get me to stop dragging my butt on the floor and do something with my life and she also came with one of the greatest gifts the universe has given me, a baby boy named Jett. We've all been together now for almost 2 years, and I can't express how much these two beautiful humans have reawakened my heart and soul, something I used to think was baggage that no one needed in their life, but we'll get more into that some other time. Currently I work with my dad in construction while working on my Bulletproof Coaching and ICF certifications. I spend my days contemplating big ideas, playing with my fiance and baby, and thinking up new creative ways to cook healthy food in the kitchen. (There will be recipes in future posts I'm sure!) Now that you have a little background information on me, let's get to the real subject of this post... my first impressions of the Bulletproof Coaching program!

First Impressions of the Bulletproof Coaching Program

So let me just start by telling you a little story about how I found Bulletproof. I used to be overweight, but I've always had an innate ability to find truth and not only the ability, but the need to find it. When I turned 18 I started searching for a diet that would help me get rid of this spare tire around my waist. I followed diets that restricted calories and encouraged you to work out every day, and guess what, I lost weight! However, I felt like total dog poop, and as a seeker of truth that made no sense. If I'd lost all that stubborn weight that made me unhealthy, why do I feel worse now at 160 pounds than I did back at 300? Why indeed... and that question is what drove me to keep searching for a way to not only lose weight but to be happy, healthy, and strong. My search was a long one, I battled my weight for years, until I stumbled upon a video (there are much better videos now) that would change my life forever. The video featured a man named Dave Asprey and his new 'Bulletproof Diet'. As I watched the video I felt inspired by all the scientific explanations he used while teaching this group of seniors the basis of the Bulletproof Diet, this was the first time I had came across a diet that actually explained WHY you should eat like this and HOW it will effect not only your body, but your mind as well. To keep the story short I'll skip to the end... I tried the diet, and it worked! I felt better, I looked better, I was better and this was just the beginning of what would end up being my passion for the next 4 years and beyond.

Now, let's talk about the Bulletproof Coaching program, it all starts with a 2 day in person workshop in Pasadena CA. I'm not going to lie, when I first got there I was a little on edge, all I could think about was 'these people are probably so much more qualified to be here than I am'. But as we sipped on the free bulletproof coffee that was provided for us and I started to mingle a bit with my fellow coaches in training the tension disappeared. We talked about all the fun biohacks we'd tried and wanted to try, how we'd been struggling to teach our family and friends better ways of eating, and how much better we'd all felt since switching to a high fat diet. Then the training began, and may I just say WOW it was everything I expected and more. In this post I really just want to highlight one part of it, one part that could and will change your life if you embrace it, and that is PRESENCE. 

Presence is the idea, no the embodiment of living in the present moment. During the workshop we were taught how to access this presence and how to use it, not only in coaching, but in our day to day lives as well. How do we access presence? It's so simple you'll laugh... Simply close your eyes and become aware! Become aware of your breathing, your chest, your belly, your legs, your entire body, the space around you, the people around you, and that's it you're accessing presence! Give it a try! Amazing isn't it? Some key things to notice when accessing presence, your mind will be silent, your body will be still, and you'll find a kind of inner peace that can only be achieved when your body, mind, and spirit are in sync and fully in the present moment. I'd never been taught something so simple before that had such a profound effect on my mind, body, and soul. From this place of presence I found interacting with my fellow coaches in training effortless, like all the words just flowed out from... from my inner truth, the part of myself that just gets it. I no longer had to fight with my minds inability to let go of fear and doubt, for in this place of presence those thought forms don't exist. 

The whole 2 day workshop, in my opinion at least, was meant to cement the importance of presence into each and every one of us aspiring coaches. Those 2 days have changed my life forever. I now know and can teach one of the most important things in life, and I'll always be thankful to the great teachers who taught it to me over at Bulletproof. This presence workshop would set the foundation for the rest of the coaching course and propel us on our journey to becoming Bulletproof Coaches.

Please feel free to comment and share. I can't wait to share the rest of my journey and much much more with you!