Written by: Johnny Tan, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Happy April, Everyone! These days we are encouraged to be “Our Authentic Self.” Interestingly enough, the journey to our authentic self requires us to go through the profound process of becoming fully aware of who we are and embracing our true selves. In February, I shared with you how my life’s journey began, from being adopted at birth, to meeting my 9 Moms along the way, and how that led me to live and perform in my Genius Zone. If you haven’t read the story yet, I encourage you to do so. It will help facilitate understanding of this month’s theme, Self-Awareness, which is the first of the six foundation cornerstones to Self-Mastery, as we explore what it takes to properly introduce ourselves, “Our Unique Brand” to the world.
Over the years, I have been lucky to have had my 9 Moms sharing their living wisdom with me. In March, the annual International Women's Day celebration was an excellent reminder to acknowledge the women in our lives and their outstanding contributions to our well-being. Among the many incredible stories about my empowering 9 Moms, the one that serves as the base essence of what makes me who I am today is their initial collective effort in nurturing my heart, mind, body, and spirit with the knowledge that I matter! They taught me a delicate approach to Self-Awareness; how to discover the power of my authentic self, which is (Me, Myself, and I). My 9 moms told me that my self-awareness is the most important personal asset I possess, and it is the foundation for my happiness and success. They are right! In a nutshell, here is what I learned; We live two lives. One is our Public Life, and the other is our Private Life. ME; is Our Public Life ‒ It is what we want people to see us as and how we want them to think of us. But unfortunately for some of us, our public life practically dictates our very existence. It is the facade we believe in, and eventually, we lose Our Identity! MYSELF; is Our Private Life ‒ It is the real us. Collectively, our strengths, weaknesses, values, and fears. All these “Private Assets” are the ingredients that contribute to our True Identity. Please take note; there are no “Liabilities,” as everything are “Assets!” I; is Our Authentic Self ‒ It is the result of Me and Myself coming together “As One.”
Our Authentic Self is “Our Personal Brand.” It is a collection of our “values and integrity; mission and passion; and vision and purpose.” The degree of our Authenticity and our Branding quality is tied to our willingness to share our “Private Assets.” When we arrive at our Authentic Self, “Our Personal Brand,” we have core values that never change but rather go through refinements over time. We are now ready to introduce Ourselves to the world with the “Right First Impression.”
This Conscious Awakening leads us to live every moment with quiet, graceful Confidence! Our Conversations are always from the heart. We Listen to learn, not in anticipation of to reply. We earned Respect by “listening to someone into existence.” We Speak with humility as it helps establish Credibility and Trust. When we win someone’s Connection, we gain their Confidence. The dynamic of this synergy occurs during the silence in between words. The final result is cooperation and love.
Always remember, Words Have Power. You can harness The Power of the “Just for Today” mantra to center and ground you at any given moment. Here are Six Recipes for Living to Transform and Nourish a Healthy Self-Awareness Mindset. Just for Today… I will not worry. I will not be angry. I will do my work honestly. I will give thanks for my many Blessings. I will be kind to my neighbors and every living thing. I will let Curiosity educate me about Myself, Others, and The World.
***The first five recipes are The Five Principles of REIKI
By the way, Authenticity is a Big Word! We hear it all the time now. What ultimately Defines Us is what my Southern Belle mom taught me a long time ago: "Although our authentic charm may open the door, our authentic integrity keeps the door open.” It takes a lot of courage to live with Authentic Integrity. But when you do, you are setting yourself up for divine happiness and success. Consider this; Would you like to hang out and be associated with an honest and sincere trustworthy friend? If your answer is Yes, then be that person. You will be surprised at how refreshingly welcomed you are in any setting! Remind yourself; You are Your Brand, so how do you want to be remembered? Let your Self-Awareness usher in the Confidence that brings you one step closer to your desire to live and perform in your Genius Zone! Up next in our journey of Self-Mastery is Self-Understanding! Till then.
With gratitude and blessings always,
Johnny Tan
Social Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO, From My Mama’s Kitchen®, Experiential Keynote Speaker, Executive Career & Life Coach, Mentor, Multi-Award Winning & Bestselling Author, Talk Show Host, Publisher of Inspirations for Better Living, and REIKI Master Teacher & Healer. Top 100 Visionaries in Education Award Winner 2020-2021 (Global Forum for Education and Learning ‒ GFEL)
Johnny Tan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Johnny Tan's life journey and spiritual awakening have prepared him to be a compelling, fresh voice for conscious living and working. A former young successful COO at 33, and now, as an experiential keynote speaker, executive career & life coach, and mentor, he inspires and empowers others to reach their highest potential with a profound transformative message; “Resilience ‒ Designing Our Life to Live and Perform in Our Genius Zone.” Here is where we experience the Synergy of Success, Harmony, and Joy in everything we do!
Johnny is a Social Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of From My Mama's Kitchen®, publisher of “Inspirations for Better Living” digital magazine, and the author of the multi-award-winning and bestselling book honoring his 9 Moms, From My Mama's Kitchen ‒ “food for the soul, recipes for living.” His “Words Have Power” approach to life helps people discover and connect with their highest self through inspiring quotes. Johnny was recently awarded the prestigious 2020-2021 Top 100 Visionaries in Education by the Global Forum for Education and Learning (GFEL). He is also a REIKI Master Teacher & Healer.
