Written by Shauntae E Lewis, Founder & CEO/Certified Grant Writer Shauntae E. Lewis, a Certified Grant Writer, is the owner of Grant Life Consulting, a woman and veteran-owned consultancy that specializes in grant management. She is an Air Force veteran with over 18 years of experience in business writing, organizational management, and business development. Picture it. You have a passion for helping those within your community, maybe even nationwide! You develop a nonprofit and then realize that you need money to support your vision. So, you start researching grants. I mean, it can’t be that hard to find funds for a project that will help the community, right? So you scour google for hours looking for the perfect grant only to find that the same request for proposal (RFP) keeps appearing and the deadline has passed. UGH! What am I doing wrong? Or maybe you found a grant that speaks to your mission and vision. Yayy! You pull out your laptop and prepare to start writing the proposal, but you don’t know where to start. Or you started and got stuck because you’re really not sure what you should write. Can I tell you a secret? Listen closely. You are not alone! I cannot tell you the number of nonprofits leaders that reach out to me at their wit’s end. Most nonprofit founders know what a grant is but have no idea what the process is to obtain grant funding. It’s not the nonprofit leader’s fault. With so much information related to grants on the internet, it is easy to get confused. For example, you may remember the 90’s commercial with the guy in the suit decorated with tons of question marks proclaiming his ability to get you to grant money, asking you to purchase his book. You buy the book only to find grant opportunities with no direction on how to write the grant to secure the funds. Why? Because it’s easier to find a grant than to apply for it. The grant proposal is the last step of the proposal process. So if writing the grant is the final step in the grant proposal process, what is the first step? I’m so glad you ask. This article serves as a very high-level overview of the initial process that a nonprofit should follow to start securing grants for their organization Step One: Find your Grant Team: You have the dream but do you have the team? Why is securing your dream team so important? As with any team, it is crucial to know who the players are and their role(s). While the size of your organization dictates the size of your dream team, the following roles are a requirement for success. The Expert – This person knows the ends and outs of the organization, is current with company data and treads, and serves as the go-to person for “grey area” type questions. The Finance Guru – This person handles the company’s budget. The Finance Guru is also the person that should review the budget narrative to ensure that the numbers and budget narrative coincide. The Administrator – This person is responsible for creating team meetings, managing deadlines, and ensuring that all attachments have been received, including partnership letters. The Administrator gathers all documents needed for grant submission. The Writer – This person understands how to read the request for proposal (RFP), evaluates the program for success, and writes the proposal, ensuring proper grammar and that the funder’s ask is clearly articulated. Step Two: Program Development: You have the team. Now what? You’ve established the team, and roles are defined, now is the time to develop your program. Program development is creating and outlining the organization’s mission, identifying and articulating community needs for the project, and providing solutions. This document also outlines barriers to entry, similar programs, identifies collaborators, and addresses sustainability. Properly outlining your program is one of the essential parts of the grant writing process as it sets the stage for what’s included in the proposal. Step Three: Review the Numbers: Budget Time!! Using the proposal, we can identify what is needed to ensure a successful program. If you are proficient in Excel, I would recommend using a spreadsheet to accomplish the mission. Creating the budget isn’t the only step in the budget process. To complete a proper budget, a budget narrative is required. The narrative explains the line items shown on the budget spreadsheet. These two documents must line up. Budget mistakes are one of the biggest reasons grant proposals are rejected. Step Four: Grant Research: Where should we look? We learn of grant opportunities from our network of partners, friends, and family members. Often, we use search engines like Hello Alice, Grants.Gov, and Candid.com. The goal of grant research isn’t to just find a grant. The ultimate goal is to find a funder that properly aligns with your organization and review their grants. Identifying the ideal funder allows you time to contact the funder and build a relationship before grant submission, increasing your chances of securing funding Now that you’ve identified the funder, it’s time to review the RFP. The RFP is the guide to writing a successful proposal for that specific funder. Word of advice: read it, print it, and reread it, again and again! Step Five: Write the Grant: Finally! It is proposal writing time! Do you see why the grant proposal is the last step in the grant process? Completing the preliminary steps before writing the grant proposal allows you to complete the project with ease because you have all the necessary information to complete the process. And if there are any unanswered questions, you know which member of your dream team to call While your organizational needs will vary, the keys to writing a solid, successful grant proposal never changes. To learn more about available grant opportunities in your area or speak with a knowledgeable grant representative, feel free to reach out to a member of the Grant Life Consulting team. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Shauntae E Lewis, Founder & CEO/Certified Grant Writer Shauntae E. Lewis, a Certified Grant Writer, is the owner of Grant Life Consulting, a woman and veteran-owned consultancy that specializes in grant management. She is an Air Force veteran with over 18 years of experience in business writing, organizational management, and business development. She has a background in Business and is a member of the American Grant Writers’ Association, holding professional certifications in nonprofit program and budget development and proposal writing for foundation, corporate, and government grants. Additionally, Shauntae has extensive knowledge in program design and development, organizational training, recruiting and retention, collaborative management and marketing.

Written by Dr. Kaylarge Eloi, Educator & Author Dr. Kaylarge Eloi is an accomplished educator and expert in the fields of leadership, healthcare administration, and forensic psychology. With a rich academic background that includes an Ed.D. with a focus on Organizational Psychology and a Ph.D. in Human Services, Dr. Eloi possesses a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise. In every profession, titles are markers of achievement. They signal expertise, authority, and the culmination of years of effort. But when it comes to mentorship, titles can sometimes create distance between people who are meant to connect. True mentorship thrives not on hierarchy, but on humanity. Before we were mentors, we were people, curious, uncertain, and eager to learn. We were shaped by experiences that humbled us and by others who believed in us long before we fully believed in ourselves. Remembering who we were before the titles allows us to approach mentorship not as an assignment, but as an act of genuine connection and shared growth. The person before the position When mentors see their role only through a professional lens, mentorship risks becoming transactional, a checklist of advice, career tips, or skill-building sessions, but effective mentorship begins with authenticity. It’s about the person, not the position. Being human first means asking questions that go beyond performance goals, How are you really doing? What motivates you? What’s been hard lately? It means creating space for vulnerability and self-discovery, both for the mentor and the mentee. When we strip away our titles, we remember that mentorship isn’t just about producing results. It’s about cultivating resilience, confidence, and purpose in another person. Those qualities grow best in relationships rooted in empathy and trust. Being human first means valuing relationships over resumes and compassion over control. It means celebrating progress, not perfection, and recognizing that mentorship works both ways. A human-centered mentor learns as much from their mentee as the mentee learns from them. The exchange of perspectives, across generations, cultures, and experiences, expands empathy and deepens understanding. In this sense, mentorship becomes a mutual act of becoming, two people evolving together. Leading through story and shared experience Mentorship built on humanity involves storytelling. Sharing not just what we’ve accomplished, but how we got there, the doubts, detours, and lessons learned along the way, reminds mentees that success is not a straight path. When mentors reveal their own moments of uncertainty or failure, they normalize the growth process. They show that learning is continuous, that mistakes are part of mastery, and that leadership is less about perfection and more about perseverance. These shared stories transform mentorship from instruction into inspiration. The reciprocal nature of growth The most effective mentors know that mentorship is not one-directional. Every conversation, every exchange, offers a chance to learn. When mentors approach relationships with curiosity instead of authority, they remain open to new perspectives, especially from those whose experiences differ from their own. Being human first reminds us that titles may define our roles, but they don’t define our capacity to grow. A mentor’s humility can become a model for lifelong learning, reinforcing that leadership is not about having all the answers, it’s about asking better questions. Restoring heart to professional mentorship In today’s fast-paced professional environments, where productivity and outcomes often dominate the conversation, mentorship serves as a vital reminder of the human side of success. A “human-first” mentor listens deeply, celebrates small wins, and understands that professional development is inseparable from personal well-being. When we mentor from the heart, we build more than skill sets. We build confidence, belonging, and purpose. We create cultures where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to become their best selves. To be a great mentor is to remember what it felt like to be guided, uncertain, and hopeful. When we reconnect with who we were before the titles, we rediscover what mentorship was always meant to be, a partnership in becoming, not just better professionals, but better people. Follow me on LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Dr. Kaylarge Eloi Dr. Kaylarge Eloi, Educator & Author Dr. Eloi is not only an educator but also a prolific researcher and author. Her publications delve into critical topics surrounding cultural competence within healthcare and criminal justice settings. She has contributed to the understanding of how Pacific Islanders perceive the cultural competence of Western healthcare providers, as well as exploring the views of released offenders regarding hiring managers' cultural sensitivity. Her seminal work, "Creating an Organizational Culture that Supports Offender Rehabilitation Towards Maintaining Gainful Employment for Returning Citizens," highlights her commitment to fostering inclusive environments that promote rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

Written by Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. Many of us love technology, which means having the best hardware, software, and people who know how to leverage the tech. We know that technology has transformed the workplace. It’s allowed us to do things that were once only the areas of experts because of platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and others. But systems change can help us do even more. Here’s what nobody wants to say out loud. Technology alone isn’t going to scale your business. It may help during a transition to doing things more quickly and cheaply. But if a company doesn’t have its team culture , systems, and operations in order, it won't be a transformative business at a very competitive time. That’s where systems change enters the scene. The difference between “cool” and “transformative” Tools don’t change things. People and systems change drive change. So, if your company and products feel like they’re stuck, figuring out how to be transformative is a nut that needs to be cracked by every business leader. Transformation means changing the very definitions of what we do within our companies and how we do it. For instance, at my company, we’ve given new life to about 40 million pairs of shoes and sneakers that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. They didn't go into landfills because we have the best tech. They didn't go into landfills because we took a look at broken systems (e.g., social good, fundraising ) and figured out how to tell a new story. We were transformative and grew market share because we leaned into making meaningful connections. Shoes from American closets help supply jobs for people in developing countries. In the process, we create jobs for Americans, help organizations engage and lift up their communities, and, as a bonus, do something good for the environment . In short, we connected the dots between the needs of organizations in the United States to raise funds or engage their communities differently and people living in countries worldwide with the need for shoe reuse inventory. Again, the big bonus is doing something for the environment to be sustainable with our natural resources and mitigate climate change . Tech is the tool: Systems change is the mission The fact is that tech, for its own sake, won't make lives better. To an extent, there's a recognition that we can't just let corporate tech take over our lives and companies without any consideration. What's more essential is to revolutionize, company by company, how we integrate our teams, operations, and processes (the systems) more seamlessly.  In other words, for business leaders, it’s the precise instruments you employ when you have already made explicit what your aims are and why you’re pursuing them. It’s essential not to lack the proper structure. And if you’re fixing superficial issues rather than fundamental ones within your company, no cool tech  is going to save it from itself.  Instead of merely applying a Band-Aid to a profound internal problem  (e.g., low team attrition, poor supply chain channels, excessive expenses), leaders must focus. In other words, they must put their energy and attention into the team members and work with them to redesign what they're doing if it's no longer working. "Disrupting," new tech, or changing things just to change things and for the sake of comms doesn't work. In short, if you see your company going backward and systems not working right anymore, it's essential to get holistic thinkers  on the team. Get people who don’t just ask, "How do we make more money?" but mainly ask, "How do we create something better?" Building a culture that outlasts technology It’s no secret that tech is moving fast. It’s not uncommon for platforms to make updates and changes several times a year. But here’s the thing. Company culture is constant. Moreover, it helps leaders to adapt to the changes. If they’re properly aligned with your goals, they’ll keep your company from stagnating, which you can’t do. Systems change isn’t about new workflows. It’s about a leadership mindset. Done right, when you change systems, you empower people to think and act beyond their job titles. Your team understands not only the why of what they’re doing but also the how. And that delivers ownership, which leads to lasting and continuous resilience and change.  If you’re a leader who wants to make a big impact on your company genuinely and maybe even the world, get past the shiny tech toys. Instead, look at your entire operation and systems. And if your team isn’t aligned, work with the key people to help you determine the path forward and align everyone. If needed, get help from a consultant or additional team members . Don't just provide capital to the next sparkly tech tool or resource. Instead, invest capital into the people who are going to help you build the future. You know, the ones who are actually going to piece together all the bits of the broken system you may have and make something that works. Fund them. Sure, tech is cool, but people, systems, and processes are cooler. © 2025 Wayne Elsey . All Rights Reserved. Follow me on Facebook,   Instagram , LinkedIn,   and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Wayne Elsey Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. This social enterprise helps nonprofits, schools, churches, civic groups, individuals, and others raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations and the environment.

Written by Janice Elsley, Leadership Expert, International Author, and Podcast Host Janice Elsley is a leadership strategist, author, and keynote speaker who helps CEOs and leaders elevate their impact. As founder of Harissa Business Partners, she blends neuroscience, change management, and human design to drive success. When most people think about leadership, they picture authority, the corner office, the confident tone, the steady hand that makes the tough calls. But here’s the truth. Real leadership isn’t about control. It’s about connection. It’s about the way you make people feel when you walk into a room. It’s about presence, that quiet, grounded energy that says, “You’re safe here. You matter here.” And yet, in my twenty years of working with executives, emerging leaders, and women across industries, I’ve found that presence, not power, is what separates the leaders people follow because they have to from the ones they follow because they want to. So let’s talk about what it really means to lead with presence, and how you can start cultivating it today. Presence begins before you speak We’ve all met that one person who commands attention the moment they enter a room. They don’t need to talk over anyone. They don’t need to flash a title or achievement. People just feel them, calm, confident, sincere. That’s the power of energetic presence. As a leadership coach, I teach my clients that before you even open your mouth, you’re already communicating. Your energy, your posture, your tone, they’re all signals. If you’re rushed, distracted, or anxious, your team feels it. But when you walk in grounded, steady, and emotionally attuned, you create psychological safety. Because the truth is, people don’t remember your slides or your metrics. They remember how you made them feel in your presence. The science behind connection Neuroscience tells us that humans are wired for emotional contagion. We catch the emotions of those around us. Your nervous system speaks louder than your words ever will. If you’re tense, your team will unconsciously mirror that tension. If you’re calm and open, their brains register safety. And here’s where leadership transforms. When you choose to regulate your own emotions before leading others, you stop reacting to pressure and start responding with clarity. In other words, leadership presence isn’t performance. It’s self-awareness in action. Leading with heart, not haste Great leaders don’t fill silence with words. They fill it with meaning. When you’re fully present, people feel seen. You listen deeper. You pause longer. You speak with intention instead of impulse. Try this in your next conversation. Instead of thinking about what you’ll say next, listen for what’s not being said. Notice the emotion behind the words. Ask, “Tell me more about that.” That’s when people open up. That’s when you earn trust. And that’s when influence becomes effortless, not because you demanded it, but because you created space for it. The courage to slow down In a world obsessed with speed, stillness has become a superpower. Leaders who pause, reflect, and respond with presence are rare and magnetic. They bring warmth into meetings that would otherwise feel cold. They see the human before the headline. And it’s not about being soft. It’s about being steady. Because when everything around you is chaotic, your presence becomes the calm that others anchor to. That’s what real leadership looks like. The leadership challenge If you want to lead with more presence this week, try this: Before any meeting, take one deep breath and ask yourself, “What energy do I want to bring into this room?” In conversation, listen longer than you speak, and notice the shift. Afterward, reflect on how people responded. Did they seem calmer, more open, more connected? You’ll be surprised by how quickly your influence deepens when your presence does. Final thoughts The best leaders don’t chase attention. They earn it quietly, through authenticity and emotional intelligence. They don’t demand respect. They cultivate it, moment by moment. And when they leave the room, they don’t just leave a title behind. They leave a feeling. Because leadership isn’t about what you achieve in your career, it’s about who you become in the process, and the hearts you touch along the way. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Janice Elsley Janice Elsley, Leadership Expert, International Author, and Podcast Host Janice Elsley is a leadership expert, author, and keynote speaker helping CEOs and executives future-proof their leadership with neuroscience-driven strategies. As founder of Harissa Business Partners, she drives performance, inclusivity, and talent retention. Her book Leadership Legacy and programs – Leading Edge Women, The Leading Edge, and First 100 Days of Leadership – equip leaders with the confidence and strategies to make an impact. Whether coaching executives or delivering transformational keynotes, Janice creates real results.

Ayomide Inufin is redefining the art of spoken word. Through his innovative platform Spotlight Poetry and his award-winning creative expression, he is using poetry as a bold force for change, empowerment, and storytelling. In this exclusive interview, Ayomide shares how he inspires new voices, elevates the creative community, and continues to push the boundaries of poetry worldwide. Ayomide Inufin , Creative Writer, Poet, and Visual Artist Who is Ayomide Inufin? Ayomide Inufin is a creative, one who has over the years delved into creative writing, poetry, screenwriting, promotional writing, business writing, and numerous other writing forms. I will be cheating my creative dexterity if I identify as a particular kind of writer because over the years I have invested in almost all kinds of popular writings you might think of. Ayomide Inufin is also a multi-award-winning creative who has quite a number of achievements to his name. His writings address society and are perceived as a tool to help shape the human world. What first inspired you to use poetry and art as a voice for societal change? The brevity, the precision, the command of language, tone and attitude, the form, the mode, it allows internal and external expression that comes from the spirit, soul, and body. I call it an art that helps me steal the human’s inner child and take full custody. It was my fastest relatable form of writing in my course to communicate my ideas to the world. How did Spotlight Poetry come to life, and what impact has it made so far? Honestly, I got tired of the way poetry is perceived by the public, boring with some pain bearing use of language. Additionally, part of the concept is to make it a form of entertainment that serves all and sundry, so the intention is to transcend it from just a genre to a general form of entertainment. Spotlight Poetry has given my audience the mindset to have and expect a particular standard whenever my project is coming out, the uniqueness of how the creativity is birthed and delivered in performances, films, and the likes. For now, it is in its developing stage. Spotlight Poetry is a growing idea. Its essence has engineered my own form of art, and its effects have caused me the desire to explore and expand beyond my writing and artistic abilities. I would not stop receiving comments and suggestions from my pool of online audience that I should expand my creativity and explore the literary platforms in western countries. In the course of developing my writing potentials and creative capabilities, as well as adhering to public opinion, I decided to pursue this idea. Now we are here. What makes your concept of Champagne Poetry unique in the world of spoken word? Firstly, the outlook. It is more like a catchphrase, and coincidentally, Canadian rapper Drake said something about it in his music, and the whole coincidence made sense to me. It is a sellable cliché in the creative space, more importantly the spoken word industry. The real campaign has not even unleashed. It is still a brewing flame at the moment. My team and I are working on bringing it out to its fullness, and we hope that globally reputable media platforms such as Brainz will be a space where it picks its wings to fully soar. How do you help emerging artists and writers find their authentic voice? The first thing I tell my mentees and those who wish and love to write and create like me is to do the work, write and create original content. It is very alright to cover or copy content in a way that brings about recreation. They did that to lots of my creative works. However, to write and create is how to first build yourself. Furthermore, to find yourself, to have a voice, you need to be authentic. You need to tell your story. You need to create your personal niche and stick to it. These are what I tell creatives who are willing to learn under me. What challenges do creatives face today, and how does your work help them overcome these? Writer’s block and repetition are the main challenges in the creative world. Creatives tend to recycle way too much, and it ends up not amounting to anything fresh. Hence, I tell my mentees to focus on topics that are not well delved into or the ones that have not been really addressed, and this is how I make it work for them. How do you blend creativity with entrepreneurship in your art business? The key is to understand that it is first a gift, a developed skill before it became business. Now that it has become a sellable asset, I use the scope of what a client needs to put up content, using storytelling, punchlines, copyright strategies and content landmarks. These are catchy phrases that a client needs that make the business or brand thrive, and this has been helpful to me over the years. In what ways has winning multiple awards shaped your artistic journey? To be very honest, it is actually an interesting thing to always win, and this is a huge fuel to my journey as a creative. There is something winning does to you; it makes you keep doing it even during unlikely moments. As much as losing could either be a fuel or a flaw in one’s writing career, winning does much more, and I can boldly say that it has been a major factor in my consistency so far. What role does storytelling play in driving awareness and transformation through your art? I want to believe that nothing sells in this world without a story behind it. Every brand we know today has a unique story that has sold them and bought them the dignity they have today. Likewise, my art. My storytelling craftsmanship has created noticeable attention to quite a number of people, brands, and things in the creative world. Its effects have connected me to things I now have personal relationships with. Storytelling is a powerful tool while creating. To me, it is easy to communicate when you apply it because most of the time it works, and it does not just work, it gives results, and my art is a living testimony. How can individuals or organisations collaborate with you through Spotlight Poetry? Through filmmaking, short and full length films, collaborative writing, brand and product advertisement, business proposal writing and execution, creative project management, and whatever has to do with creating, writing, critical thinking, business strategies and execution. What message do you hope your audience takes away from your performances? One sentence: paradigm shift of mindset and mental thought path. What exciting projects or opportunities should your followers look forward to next? My team and I have exciting stuff coming. We have a collection of visual and textual Spotlight Poetry coming up. A social business brand will be launching in the coming year. A social networking seminar is also rolling out next year, and many more we are yet to fully design as well. Anticipate. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more info! Read more from Ayomide Inufin

With twenty-four getaways under her belt and the same passion since day one for leading these transformational trips, an Erica Stanzione Retreat is so much more than just a luxurious vacation. It is a true holistic offering of how incredible we have the ability to feel when we give ourselves the gift of space from work and our responsibilities at home. Moving our bodies vigorously each day, calming and resetting our nervous systems with breathwork and meditation, processing and elevating all things internally through journaling, nourishing our souls with deep connections and high-quality meals, all while marveling at unforgettable landscapes in paradise, is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. These rare and unparalleled wellness escapes not only restore and reset us, but reshape how we live and work when we return home. In addition to extended yoga, meditation, breathwork, and journaling sessions each day, both of these retreats involve culturally significant excursions that include, but are not limited to, boating and snorkeling, salsa dancing, hiking, drumming on the beach, a cooking class, coffee and chocolate tasting, private walking tours, oyster harvesting, national park tours, and exceptional meals. Colombia February 21 - February 28, 2026 – This trip includes adventures across Cartagena, Medellin, Cannua, and the stunning Rosario Islands. Limited spots remain for Colombia, so please contact Erica or her team at The Travel Yogi right away if you are interested. Croatia October 3 - October 10, 2026 – This soulful getaway includes escapades and private boat tours on the Adriatic with stops in Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Split. About Erica Growing up as an athlete, Erica always felt a strong connection to physical movement. It wasn’t until her early twenties that she desired a stronger connection to her emotional self and a deeper sense of fulfillment within that movement. Since 2003, she has been a devoted yoga student, practicing and studying all over the world, which led her to completing extensive certifications and truly learning the depth of work she was meant to share in this lifetime. Erica guides public classes and a private clientele in Manhattan and New Jersey, and hosts wellness retreats both domestically and internationally, with offerings that have included Mexico, France, Spain, Iceland, Ecuador, Morocco, and Italy. She has also taken her passion for fostering community and created a transformative Yoga Alliance certified 200-hour teacher training program that she leads each year, and has graduated ninety-five trainees as of 2025. Erica’s unique style of classes, workshops, getaways, and trainings is strongly driven by the emotional and spiritual aspects of the practice, but also invites empowering levels of strength both mentally and physically. The intention behind everything she creates is to serve as a sacred container where her students feel safe to step further into their power, confidence, emotional intelligence, spiritual connection, and evolution. Erica’s breathwork, meditation, yoga, and journaling practices have radically shifted, healed, and elevated every single aspect of her life, and she is eternally grateful to be able to share these life-changing tools with every yogi she is blessed to cross paths with. Contact https://ericastanzioneyoga.com/ Instagram:  ericastanzioneyoga Email : estanzione@gmail.com Because some of the best stories in life are found between the pages of a passport.

Written by Sher Downing, Entrepreneur Most entrepreneurs face an invisible challenge, building a business while caring for an aging family. After 30 years in edtech and her own entrepreneurial journey, she helps others master both. The workforce is brutal right now. There is no sugarcoating it. Waves of layoffs continue to reshape industries, leaving even the most experienced professionals questioning their next move. But here is what I have learned from studying the workforce from multiple angles, the impact of mass layoffs, the unique challenges facing caregivers, and the paths people forge in the aftermath. This moment of disruption is also a moment of rare possibility. The crisis no one asked for If you are reading this, chances are you have felt the tremors. Maybe you have been laid off. Maybe you are watching colleagues disappear from Slack channels and wondering when your turn will come. Maybe you are a caregiver trying to balance impossible demands, realizing the traditional career ladder was never built for someone with your responsibilities. The anxiety is real. The financial pressure is real. But so is the opportunity hiding within this chaos. The fork in the road Right now, you are standing at a critical juncture. The question is not just about survival, it is about direction. Are you simply going to slot yourself into another job that looks remarkably like the one you just left? Or is this the moment to pursue something more? This is not about toxic positivity or pretending that losing your income is a blessing in disguise. It is about recognizing that disruption, however painful, breaks the inertia that keeps us stuck in patterns that no longer serve us. The reckoning: What you have been doing vs. what you want Here is your assignment. Take a brutally honest inventory. What have you actually been doing with your professional life? Not what your LinkedIn profile says, not what sounds impressive at dinner parties, but what has your day-to-day reality been? Now, what do you truly want to do? The gap between these two answers is where your next chapter lives. This requires you to be truthful with yourself in ways that feel uncomfortable. Maybe you have been chasing prestige in an industry that drains you. Maybe you have been prioritizing salary over meaning for so long that you have forgotten what energizes you. Maybe caregiving responsibilities mean that the 60-hour workweek model was never going to work, and you need to design something different. Taking the holistic view This is the time to zoom out. Way out. You need to take a holistic look at your entire life, not just your career in isolation. Consider: Your personal situation: What are your actual financial obligations? What flexibility do you have? What constraints are non-negotiable? Your goals and dreams: What did you want before you learned to be realistic? What would you pursue if you knew you could not fail? Your short-term needs: What has to happen in the next three to six months to keep you stable? Your long-term vision: Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years? What kind of life are you building? This is not about choosing between practicality and passion. It is about seeing the whole board so you can make strategic moves that honor both. Your decision, your path Here is what I cannot do. I cannot tell you what you should do next. Anyone who claims they can is selling you something. Only you can make that distinction. Only you know the texture of your life, the responsibilities you carry, the risks you can absorb, the dreams that keep you up at night, the skills you have built, and the ones you want to build. What you can do is be truthful. Be honest. Look clearly at how things can be different. Ask yourself: What would I do if I were starting over today, knowing what I know now? What parts of my current path am I keeping out of fear rather than desire? What would my life look like if I got my balance right? The opportunity to start over This might sound strange given the circumstances, but you are being handed something valuable, a forced reset. The comfortable inertia has been disrupted. The path you were on has been interrupted. And while that is terrifying, it is also liberating. This is your opportunity to start over. Not to pretend the past did not happen or that you do not have responsibilities, but to consciously choose what comes next rather than defaulting into it. You can recalibrate your balance. You can refocus on your true priorities. You can design the next phase intentionally rather than letting it happen to you. Meeting the next decade head on We are at the threshold of a new decade in our professional lives. The old rules are being rewritten in real time. The organizations that promised stability are proving how fragile those promises were. The career paths that seemed inevitable are disappearing. But that means you get to be an architect of what comes next, for yourself at least. This does not mean the brutal parts disappear. The job market will still be challenging. The interviews will still be exhausting. The financial pressure will still keep you up at night. But you will be moving forward with intention. You will be taking steps toward something you actually want, not just away from something you fear. You will be building a professional life that aligns with your whole life. The next best step So what is the next best step to keep moving forward? Only you can answer that. But here is how to find out. Get truthful about where you are. Get clear about where you want to go. Get realistic about what the path between here and there looks like. Then take one step. Just one. And then another. The workforce is brutal right now. But you do not have to be its passive victim. This is your moment to reevaluate, recalibrate, and rebuild, not into what you were, but into what you are choosing to become. The question is not whether you will survive this disruption. It is whether you will use it to finally create the professional life you actually want. The choice, as always, is yours. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website   for more info! Read more from Sher Downing Sher Downing, Entrepreneur With three decades of experience in academic and corporate training, she has been a driving force in the evolving edtech industry. After building extensive expertise in educational technology, she made a strategic pivot to entrepreneurship. Now working as a consultant and researcher, she specializes in helping entrepreneurs navigate the complex balance between building successful ventures and caring for elderly parents. Her unique perspective combines business acumen with real-world caregiving insights. She shares this expertise as the host of the Forward Thinking Experts podcast, where she explores innovative approaches to modern challenges.

Written by Adriana Bárbara Rodríguez, Mind Coach Adriana Barbara is a mind - specialized coach who is focused on helping CEOs and high-level entrepreneurs to develop their leadership teams by assisting each member to transform their mindset from the root. Imagine walking out of a conference about how to achieve success. You took notes, everything made sense, and you left feeling excited and determined to transform your life. You tell a friend or your partner about your plans and start the next day full of motivation. You review your notes, make a few changes, and feel different, hopeful. But as days go by, the initial excitement fades away. Old thoughts and habits creep back in, and before you know it, you are acting just like before. Even worse, frustration sets in for not being able to change. Has that ever happened to you? In this article, you will discover why this happens and how to achieve real and lasting change. The mind: The ground where your habits take root Our mind has two main systems: the conscious mind and the non-conscious mind. The conscious mind is rational. It analyzes, chooses, and decides. It is awake when you are, but it represents only about 1% to 5% of who you truly are. The non-conscious mind, your emotional mind, never sleeps. It is active 24 hours a day and stores your mental conditioning, all the beliefs, emotions, and paradigms that shape your perception and behavior. Even if you are not aware of it, this is the part of your mind that truly runs your life. When you hear a powerful idea, like at that conference, your conscious mind understands it, but that does not mean it automatically gets recorded in your non-conscious mind. If the idea does not get anchored at that deeper level, it simply fades away, and your old patterns take control again. How to rewire your mind from within To create real change, you must activate neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections and reshape itself through experience. Here are three simple yet powerful techniques to consciously direct it: Visualize with emotion: Vividly imagine yourself already being the person you want to become. See yourself acting, thinking, and feeling in that new way. Emotion is the language of the non-conscious mind. When you feel, you imprint. Speak to yourself differently: Your voice has power over you. Replace your inner critic with affirmations that reinforce your new identity. Every word should be a seed guiding your mind toward the version of you that you are creating. Repeat until it feels natural: Repetition creates habit. Live each day as if you already were that person, until your mind and body adopt it as their new normal. By practicing these steps consistently, you will consciously direct your brain’s neuroplasticity. You will be reprogramming your mental circuits and planting new beliefs that shape your thinking, feeling, and behavior in alignment with who you want to become. Change is not about willpower. It is about mental training. And that training begins today, every time you consciously choose what to think, what to feel, and who you want to be. Would you like me to guide and support you in transforming your mind, or your team’s? Learn more about my coaching and training services on my website. Master your inner world and achieve better results in every area of your life. Do not miss my next article, where we will keep exploring how to use your mind and emotions effectively to achieve your goals. Follow me on  LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Adriana Bárbara Rodríguez Adriana Bárbara Rodríguez, Mind Coach Adriana Barbara is a mind-specialized coach who is focused on helping CEOs and high-level entrepreneurs to develop their leadership teams by assisting each member to transform their mindset from the root, achieve their full potential, and improve their highest productivity in order to accomplish the organization’s goals in an effective and sustainable way, with her innovative neuroscience method in leadership.

Written by Monique Farmer, PR & Communications Consultant Monique Farmer, APR, is the founder of Avant Solutions, a PR and communication consultancy that helps nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and small businesses elevate their messaging and build stronger connections with their audiences. Let me tell you something I have learned the hard way. Ambition without boundaries is a recipe for burnout. And if you are a woman in midlife, juggling career goals, caregiving, relationships, and your own shifting identity, you know exactly what I mean. There comes a moment, and maybe it has hit you recently, when you realize that the pace you have been running at is no longer sustainable. Not because you are incapable, but because you are finally tired of putting yourself last on your own list. The ambition is still there. The dreams are still real. But the way you pursue them, that part needs to change. Enter boundaries. Now I know, I know, boundaries can feel like walls. Like you are shutting people out or saying no to things you should say yes to. But that is not what healthy boundaries are about. They are not about rejection. They are about respect. They are lines drawn in love, love for your energy, time, vision, and sanity. Let us start at work. Work-life balance: Redefining boundaries for success Maybe you have spent years being the one who always stays late, picks up the slack, and answers emails at midnight. Maybe it is time to stop. Not because you do not care, but because you care too much about your health, your creativity, your peace. What if success did not have to come at the cost of your well-being? What if you could be excellent and shut your laptop by 6 p.m.? That is what boundaries at work can do. They help you lead without leaking. You stop overfunctioning for systems that will keep spinning without your exhaustion. You start reclaiming time for thinking, visioning, and simply breathing between meetings. And here is the thing. People will adjust. They might be surprised at first. But when you model what healthy ambition looks like, you do not just protect your peace. You give others permission to do the same. Time management: Guarding your energy Then there is time. And listen, time boundaries are life boundaries. They are about deciding how you want to feel at the end of the day, and reverse-engineering your calendar to support that feeling. One of the simplest time boundaries I have seen work wonders is the top three rule. You pick three priorities for the day, just three. Not fifteen. Not whatever is loudest. Three things that matter. You anchor your energy there and let the rest flow around it. You can also time block moments just for you. Maybe it is 30 minutes in the morning to journal. Maybe it is a standing no-meetings block every Friday afternoon. Whatever it is, protect it like you would a boardroom presentation, because it is just as important. Now, let us talk about fulfillment. Personal fulfillment: Making room for joy This is the piece so many ambitious women miss, because we have been taught to produce, not to play. But fulfillment is not optional. It is fuel. It keeps your inner fire lit when the world gets cold. And that means setting boundaries to protect your joy. Yes, joy. Not productivity. Not perfection. Not performance. Joy. Maybe it is saying no to weekend work so you can go to your dance class, read novels, paint, garden, or nap with your dog. Maybe it is refusing to be everyone’s fixer so you can finally fix yourself a plate and sit down in peace. Boundaries make space for delight. And if that sounds foreign, it is probably a sign you need it even more. But here is the part most of us struggle with, self-prioritization. Self-prioritization: Giving yourself permission Somewhere along the way, we were taught that caring for ourselves was selfish. That saying no was rude. That rest had to be earned. And it is just not true. Prioritizing yourself is not self-centered. It is self-sustaining. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and you should not have to. So give yourself permission to create rituals that restore you. Maybe it is a nonnegotiable bedtime. Maybe it is a Saturday morning walk without anyone needing anything from you. Maybe it is finally unfollowing the account that makes you feel less than. Set emotional boundaries, too. Protect your energy from chronic complainers, toxic group chats, and situations that leave you drained instead of inspired. A simple boundary-setting blueprint Here is a gentle truth. You are allowed to disappoint others in order to honor yourself. Let that sink in. Because here is the blueprint, plain and simple: Boundaries around work create space for rest and vision. Boundaries around time help you focus on what matters. Boundaries around joy remind you that life is to be lived, not just managed. Boundaries around self say, I matter too. So this week, try something radical. Set one boundary. Just one. It could be tiny. It could be not answering emails after dinner. It could be blocking 15 minutes for deep breathing between Zoom calls. It could be saying, "Let me get back to you," instead of saying "yes" out of habit. Whatever it is, make it yours. Make it sacred. Because ambition without boundaries is burnout waiting to happen. But ambition with boundaries, that is leadership. That is legacy. That is how you rise and rest. You have already done the hard part. You have shown up, given, and built. Now it is time to draw the line that says, "This is what success looks like for me now." And then honor it like your peace depends on it because it does. Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Monique Farmer Monique Farmer, PR & Communications Consultant Monique Farmer, APR, runs a PR/Communication Consultancy, Avant Solutions ,  and is the creator of   Anvil Ready , an online communication strategy builder that aids the communication professional in creating communication plans. She teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. Farmer spent 12 years working in the federal government prior to working in corporate communications for ConAgra Foods (now ConAgra Brands), then leading communication strategy for Nebraska’s largest school district. In March 2024, she published her first book,   Chart Your Path: A 9-step Method to Getting Unstuck .

Written by Cyril Ibrahim Sader , Homeopath Health Consultant Cyril (I.C. Hom.) is a dedicated and compassionate Homeo pa th with experience in holistic healing. He blends both classical & modern homeopathy. He heals clients from all over the world, from his hometown, Beirut, Lebanon. If you have been through a traumatic experience, know well that you are not alone. For those who follow the news, you will know that my city, Beirut, has experienced its share of shocking and traumatic events over the past few years. As a result, one of the most common issues I am consulted for is chronic, unresolved grief, a condition that quietly undermines both emotional balance and physical health. Holistic healing through homeopathy Homeopathy is a natural form of medicine that has been used for over 200 years to treat the whole person rather than just isolated symptoms. At its core, it is based on the understanding that illness is not merely a physical condition, but also a reflection of how an individual is coping with life. In contrast, most modern treatments today tend to focus on alleviating specific symptoms without addressing the underlying mental or emotional causes. This is where the concept of the psychosomatic connection becomes essential. Science increasingly recognizes that the mind and emotions have a profound influence on the physical body. By treating the person as an integrated whole, mind, body, and emotions, homeopathy seeks to promote genuine and lasting healing. This holistic approach not only relieves physical symptoms, but can also lead to a deeper transformation in overall well-being. Homeopathy and emotional healing Homeopathy shines when it comes to addressing the deep emotional wounds that often underlie physical illness, particularly shock, fright, trauma, and grief. These emotional states can have lasting effects on both the mind and body, and modern medicine often struggles to fully alleviate them. Hypothyroidism after chronic unresolved grief One of my first cases in 2025 was a 45-year-old woman, Z.G., who came to me with hypothyroidism. She occasionally experienced intense fits of anger, and her thyroid function tests showed elevated TSH levels, indicating an underactive thyroid. During our consultation, she shared the profound losses she had endured, the deaths of her father and brother. The consultation process is central to homeopathic practice. It is where my clients and I work together to uncover the deeper emotional or psychological roots of their physical symptoms. My training allows me to identify connections that may not always be apparent from a conventional medical perspective. In Z.G.’s case, it became clear that her prolonged, unresolved grief was at the heart of both her emotional turmoil and her thyroid imbalance. After administering a carefully selected homeopathic remedy aimed at addressing grief, her TSH levels gradually returned to normal and have remained stable ever since. Remarkably, she has not experienced another episode of uncontrollable anger. Mental confusion after grief Another memorable case I encountered in the summer of 2025 involved a 68-year-old woman, J.N., who came to me suffering from mental confusion and persistent physical pain. About half an hour into our consultation, it became clear that her symptoms stemmed from deep, unresolved grief, feelings she had kept bottled up for years. I administered a single dose of a homeopathic remedy for grief, and within minutes, her entire demeanor shifted. She relaxed her posture, began to express her emotions freely, and seemed to transform right before my eyes. Later, she called to thank me warmly for the relief she experienced during that session. Grief and shock after a positive HIV diagnosis Not all grief arises from the loss of loved ones. A few years ago, I treated a young man who experienced profound shock and despair after being diagnosed with HIV. He described the situation as feeling like he lost his entire life. Although some might not label this as grief, his body told the story. He suffered from daily diarrhea, insomnia, loss of appetite, and severe anxiety about being alone. During our consultation, I offered him a homeopathic remedy for grief, adding it to his tea. The next day, he called to tell me that his diarrhea had completely stopped, his appetite returned, and that he finally felt calm enough to resume his normal life. Healing psychosomatic symptoms following sexual trauma One of the most emotionally challenging cases I have worked with involved a 35-year-old woman, G.H., presenting with a range of symptoms, daily diarrhea, immediate bloating after eating anything, insomnia, shoulder-to-arm pain, and menstrual irregularities. During our consultation, she revealed that she had been raped many years earlier and had already undergone psychotherapy. However, her lingering physical symptoms, especially those affecting the lower area of her body, suggested that the trauma was still being held in. I prescribed a daily dose of a homeopathic remedy specifically indicated for shock and trauma of this nature. Within two weeks, she reported a remarkable improvement. Her diarrhea stopped, her bloating normalized, her pain subsided, and her sleep returned to normal. Empowering Miraculous healing, as such, is easy with homeopathy only because the body is able to return to its natural state of balance. The remedies we give are personalized for each case, supporting the body’s return to harmony. In a word, it is empowering. Few healing modalities compare to homeopathy when it comes to addressing shock and trauma. It is truly inspiring to witness the transformation on my clients’ faces as they heal and rediscover their power and vitality. The silver lining is that humans are remarkably resilient. Despite the odds, life finds a way to move forward. And when the time is right, healing emerges, bringing with it the hope of feeling whole once again. Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cyril Ibrahim Sader Cyril Ibrahim Sader , Homeopath Health Consultant Cyril (I.C. Hom.) is a dedicated and compassionate Homeopath with experience in holistic healing. Specializing in individualized treatment plans, he blends classical homeopathy with an understanding of mind-body wellness to support patients in achieving lasting health and balance. Known for his gentle approach and attentive care, he helps people of all ages navigate chronic conditions, emotional stress, and everyday ailments. He heals clients from all over the world, from his hometown, Beirut, Lebanon.

Written by Bethany Nicole Donovan, Licensed Psychotherapist Bethany Donovan is an experienced psychotherapist, licensed in both Virginia and Washington state, specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders, trauma, and complex PTSD, as well as working with military members, veterans, and their families. In Part 1 , we explored the first four mindful steps to deepen your walk with Christ. In this continuation, we move into the final steps, worshiping intentionally, practicing daily surrender, and treating others as if they were Jesus Himself. Each practice invites you to live with greater awareness, presence, and love, transforming everyday moments into sacred encounters with God. 5. Worship intentionally Speaking of worship, how many times have you been in church and spaced out during the musical worship portion of the service? How many times has it been “just another song” for you? Do you often find yourself singing a worship song and instead of pondering the meaning of the lyrics, you’re mentally checking out and reviewing your to-do list, thinking about a conversation you had earlier, or planning your post-church brunch spot? Done mindfully, worship can be a deeply intimate time of surrender to God and soaking in His presence. When we stay present for worship, ponder the meaning of the words, and really let their meaning sink into our very being, it becomes an altogether different experience. This is one of the ways that we can really “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Specifically, singing has been linked to improved well-being and beneficial shifts in stress physiology.[1] Musical worship is an especially powerful way to go deep with the Lord because music has a way of circumventing our threat responses and calming the amygdala and related limbic structures that ruminate and get locked into anxiety.[2] Music also activates multiple brain areas at once, including the auditory cortex, motor cortex, prefrontal regions, and reward circuitry such as the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. This creates more integrated, less compartmentalized brain function.[3] [4] The experience is one in which your mind is spacious, open, and available to God, which makes music particularly powerful in terms of moving us out of mental spaces like fear, worry, and despair and moving us into states of resolve, gratitude, and peace. Worshipping with others has added benefits as it increases social bonding and feelings of unity and belonging through the coordinated release of endorphins and oxytocin,[5] [6] and congregational singing itself is associated with improved mood and stress markers.[1] So the next time you’re in church, come early to take part in the entire musical worship portion of the service and try to bring yourself fully into the present moment. When you notice your mind wandering, catch it and bring it back to the moment. Do it as often as you need to, and, eventually, with practice, you will become increasingly capable of staying in the moment for longer periods. The good news is that for many people, a few moments of intentional attention are enough to sweep us up into the moment where we no longer need to intentionally focus as we enter a positive dissociative state often referred to as “flow.” Give it a try and notice how you feel before and after the worship. I also encourage you to give it a try at home by yourself, especially if you’re struggling emotionally. Put on some worship music that directly speaks to the struggle you find yourself in and pour your heart out to God through song. Many find this to be highly effective in providing hope and calming anxiety. As the worship song “That’s the Thing About Praise” by Benjamin William Hastings & Blessing Offor puts it, praise won’t always change our circumstances or solve our problems, but “it’s good for the heart”.[7] Now that we’ve talked about worshiping intentionally, let’s discuss another practice that often requires both intentionality and inner fortitude, surrender. 6. Daily surrender As a therapist, one of the struggles I see most often, especially in trauma survivors, is the need to control every aspect of life. This rarely comes from being a “control freak.” More often, it stems from trauma-induced fear. For many, having a sense of control provides a feeling of safety within a nervous system that otherwise feels under threat most of the time.[8] [9] The subconscious belief often sounds like, “If I can predict every threat and control every circumstance, I can prevent terrible things from happening to me and the people I care about.” Of course, that is not true because much of life is beyond our control. This is where faith becomes especially important. It can be tricky to discern what our responsibility is and what we should surrender to Jesus. We might ask, “What is my part and what is God’s? Surely, He doesn’t want me to be a lump on a log doing nothing.” True. Scripture is full of wisdom warning against laziness, especially in Proverbs. But surrender is not laziness, it is trust. Learning to surrender is an ongoing process, much like sanctification. There are things God asks us to take responsibility for, such as loving our neighbor, serving the poor, working diligently, and caring for our health and families. There are also things we simply cannot control, such as others’ choices, how people perceive us, or unforeseen events. When something falls into the latter category, it is the perfect opportunity to “let go and let God,” as the saying goes. Mindfulness plays a key role here. First, it helps us recognize when we are trying to control what we cannot control. Second, it reminds us to intentionally release those things to God in prayer. I encourage you to do this daily, preferably in the morning, and again at night if needed. When we face situations that feel out of control, we can remind ourselves of what God’s Word says about His sovereignty and trustworthiness. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Jeremiah acknowledged, “I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course” (Jeremiah 10:23). And Jesus comforted us with these words, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. So don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29 to 31). Surrender might be one of the most challenging practices on this list, but it gets easier with time. If we ask Jesus to take the wheel but keep our hands on it, we only create detours, delays, and exhaustion for ourselves. Try it for a week. Each morning, consciously hand Him what you cannot control and notice how your mind and body respond when you truly let Him drive. Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Taking His yoke upon us means letting Him carry the greater weight. It is a profound relief when we finally drop what we were never meant to carry and place it in His capable hands. When we practice surrender daily, our hearts become softer, our reactions gentler, and our compassion deeper. As we trust God to handle the things we cannot, we are freed to focus on what we can, including loving others well. This naturally leads us to the final mindful step, treating others as if they were Jesus Himself. 7. Treat others as if they were Jesus Himself This one is simple, it is exactly what the step title suggests. The inspiration for this practice comes from the following Scripture: (34) Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (35) For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, (36) I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.” (37) Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? (38) When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? (39) When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?” (40) And the King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” (Matthew 25:34 to 40) As you walk through your day, interact with the people you encounter with the same respect, kindness, and love you would show to the Lord Himself, and watch how it transforms your experience. Challenge yourself to take up His command to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34). Not only will this take intentional effort, increasing your capacity for mindful living and sober-mindedness, but it will transform how you feel about yourself and others. It will also add credibility to your witness as a follower of Christ as you share His love with the world, truly living as “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13 to 14). Bonus mindful step: WWJD? As you may have guessed by the title of this final step, yes, I was a 90s kid. I remember when these bracelets were all the rage. Perhaps you remember them. They came in many forms, but those I remember the most vividly were the colorful silicone bands with the letters “WWJD?” printed on them. In case you are not aware, “WWJD?” stood for “What would Jesus do?” These bracelets were a real-life example of a mindfulness cue. The hope was that they would serve as a reminder to try to act, walk, talk, and choose like Jesus every time we caught a glimpse of it. Did they work? Only as much as the person puts in a conscious effort, I suppose. Unfortunately, the bracelet couldn’t do the work for us. Fortunately, you can choose to put in the conscious effort to be more like Jesus each day. Practically, this might look like committing to a challenge wherein you work to act like Jesus as often as possible throughout the day for a set period, such as a week, two weeks, or a month. Start small and work your way up. You’ve got your whole life to practice, and, frankly, that’s what we are called to do. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Each of these mindful steps, including this final reminder to live as Jesus would, draws us closer to His heart and shapes us into His likeness. As we practice them with intention, we begin to notice that mindfulness and discipleship are not separate pursuits at all. Rather, they are one and the same, walking daily with Christ in awareness, discipline, love, and obedience. Conclusion A mindful walk with Christ is not about adding more to your to-do list. It is about choosing presence with Him in the ordinary moments of your day. Name what you feel and bring it to God and a trusted other. Sit with Scripture through Lectio Divina. Be still and listen for His voice. Step outside and let creation draw your attention back to His nearness. Worship with intention so your mind grows spacious and open to God. Practice daily surrender so you release what you cannot control and take faithful responsibility for what you can. Then move into the world and treat every person as if you were meeting Jesus Himself. These small, repeatable choices form a holy rhythm that lowers hurry, steadies the heart, and strengthens your witness as salt and light. As the Scriptures say, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). So, start where you are with what you have, and give the effort you can. The Lord who made Sabbath for your good will meet you as you slow down, pay attention, and say yes to Him in each step. Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Bethany Nicole Donovan Bethany Nicole Donovan, Licensed Psychotherapist Bethany Donovan is a licensed psychotherapist in Virginia and Washington state. She is a veteran of the United States Air Force and Operation Enduring Freedom, serving for one deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Bethany is a certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP) and is extensively trained in treating complex PTSD through EMDR and other trauma-informed therapy interventions. She has many years of experience working with the underprivileged and underserved populations, such as the incarcerated and homeless, as well as military members, veterans, and their families. Bethany has a passion for helping people heal from their past wounds so that they can go from surviving to thriving in life and build a life that they feel is worth living. References: [1] Grape, C., Sandgren, M., Hansson, L. O., Ericson, M., & Theorell, T. (2003). Does singing promote well-being? Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science, 38(1), 65-74. [2] Koelsch, S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(3), 170-180. [3] Menon, V., & Levitin, D. J. (2005). The rewards of music listening: Response and physiological connectivity of the mesolimbic system. NeuroImage, 28(1), 175-184. [4] Zatorre, R. J., Chen, J. L., & Penhune, V. B. (2007). When the brain plays music: Auditory-motor interactions in music perception and production. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 8(7), 547-558. [5] Vickhoff, B., et al. (2013). Music structure determines heart rate variability of singers. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 334. [6] Dunbar, R. I. M., Kaskatis, K., MacDonald, I., & Barra, V. (2012). Performance of music elevates pain threshold and positive affect: Implications for the evolutionary function of music. Evolutionary Psychology, 10(4), 688-702. [7] Hastings, B. W., & Offor, B. (2022). That’s the thing about praise [Song]. On Benjamin William Hastings [Album]. Sparrow Records. [8] van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking. [9] Siegel, D. J. (2012). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

Written by Fahd Khater, Published Author, Entrepreneur & Speaker Fahd Khater, a marketing visionary and Guinness World Record holder, has reshaped the global advertising landscape with innovative strategies and award-winning campaigns. Renowned author and industry leader Fahd Khater distills decades of expertise into actionable insights, empowering professionals in marketing and client management worldwide. As artificial intelligence advances, trust has become the missing ingredient in user adoption. This article reveals why humanizing AI through empathy, transparency, and emotional design is the key to building technology that people actually believe in, and how brands can lead with compassion in a digital world. The problem no one wants to admit Everyone is racing to build smarter AI. Faster algorithms, bigger datasets, better accuracy. But here is the uncomfortable truth. The smartest AI in the world will not matter if people do not trust it. We have built technology that can predict what we will buy, who we will date, and even how we will vote, yet many still hesitate to use AI without a raised eyebrow. Why? Because we forgot one critical ingredient, the human being on the other side of the screen. AI does not fail because of a lack of intelligence. It fails because of a lack of empathy. Intelligence without emotion is just calculation We have designed AI to think like humans, but rarely to feel like them. We measure success in precision and speed, not understanding. When your customer service bot responds perfectly but sounds robotic, it may solve the problem, but it does not build trust. Trust is emotional currency. It is built on the subtle cues that make people feel seen, safe, and understood. That is what humanizing AI really means, not teaching it to mimic us, but designing it to care about what we care about. The brand lesson: People do not buy technology, they buy trust As a strategist and CMO, I have seen how the world’s most successful brands are not the ones with the most advanced tools. They are the ones that make people feel something. Apple sells belonging. Tesla sells belief. OpenAI sells wonder. People do not connect with AI features. They connect with AI personalities. So when we design AI for business, the real question is not “What can it do?” but “How does it make people feel?” In other words, AI is not just a product. It is an experience. And every experience is emotional before it is logical. The emotional design framework To humanize AI, we must design not just for performance, but for psychological safety. Here is where most organizations go wrong. They build AI to act human, instead of to understand humans. Empathy mapping: Start by identifying what the user feels before interacting with your AI. Fear? Curiosity? Frustration? Design the tone and flow to meet them there. Transparency: Tell users what your AI knows and what it does not. Honesty builds trust faster than perfection ever will. Emotional responsiveness: Acknowledge human emotion. Even simple cues like “I understand this might be frustrating” make the experience feel alive. Purpose alignment: AI should have a clear reason. People do not trust systems that act without purpose or empathy. The controversial truth: AI is becoming more human than many leaders Here is the twist. The more I study AI behavior, the more I see a reflection of us. AI does not create bias, it mirrors it. It does not spread misinformation, it amplifies ours. The real danger is not AI becoming too human. It is humans becoming too artificial. We outsource thinking, empathy, and connection to technology, while complaining it is taking our jobs. If we want trustworthy AI, we must first become trustworthy humans, leading with values, transparency, and genuine connection. Technology does not create trust. People do. The future belongs to the human-centric technologist As AI becomes part of every brand, leadership must evolve from technical to emotional. Tomorrow’s leaders will be measured not by how well they use AI, but by how well they humanize it. Because in the end, people do not want perfect machines. They want technology that feels human enough to care, and smart enough to help. Final thought The secret to building technology people actually trust is not in the code. It is in the compassion that guides the coder. The future of AI is not artificial. It is deeply, powerfully, human. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram,   LinkedIn,  and visit my website! Read more from Fahd Khater Fahd Khater, Published Author, Entrepreneur & Speaker Born in Lebanon in 1978, I am a Notre Dame University alumnus with a bachelor’s in Mass Communication (Radio/TV). With 20+ years in the agency world, I’ve led impactful campaigns in 70+ countries, earning awards & setting a Guinness record. Now an author & speaker, I share insights to guide leaders.