Written by: Helen Kagan, 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. This article is dedicated to all women in every corner of our beautiful planet Earth, old and young, big and small, healthy and ill, mothers, daughters, wives, women of all races, colors, and nationalities, living anywhere and everywhere in the World, all wonder-full, colorful, beautiful, powerful, vulnerable, strong, sensitive amazing women that we can’t live without, that gift us the most precious thing – our Life. March 8th – was International Women’s Day. It is an important occasion to remember and celebrate the achievements of women, as well as to acknowledge the challenges and obstacles we continue to face. Women have made tremendous contributions to society in all areas, including science, art, politics, and business, yet we have historically been marginalized and oppressed in many societies. Unfortunately, not many people particularly in the US, are aware of this important International Celebration of Women. It is important to remember that women are not just powerful and accomplished, but we are also vulnerable and sensitive. Women are often subject to gender-based violence, discrimination, and unequal access to resources and opportunities. Many women also face additional challenges related to their race, ethnicity, sexuality, or socio-economic status. By recognizing the struggles and vulnerabilities that many women face, we all can work towards a more just and equitable society. It is important to amplify women's voices, support women’s leadership, and advocate for policies and practices that promote gender equality. Ultimately, celebrating and supporting women benefits everyone, as we all benefit from a more diverse and inclusive World. I, Helen Kagan, was nominated and awarded to be one of 40 Women-Leaders all over the Globe, to “look up to in 2023” (yes, still pinching myself). This Special Issue of the Passion Vista International Luxury, Business, Lifestyle Magazine was intentionally published and the special Awards Ceremony Event was held in India – all happen on International Women’s Day, March 8th. In the Interview for my Article there, I was asked quite a few interesting and challenging questions related to us, women Leaders, who are undoubtedly going out of our “comfort zone” to grow both personally and professionally, and who just must live our life authentically with dignity and integrity. I will introduce you these serious concepts at the end of this article. But before all these serious things I am writing about in this women-oriented article, I just wanted to bring a little smile. Who are Women? Life Essentials? Here’s a “male perspective” - Okay. It is pretty obvious that women are essential to life as we know it. I mean, without women, who would remind us to wear sunscreen and eat our vegetables? Who would be multitasking like a big boss while simultaneously telling us we're doing everything wrong (regardless of what we’re doing!) Who would be cooking, cleaning, working on computer, talking on the phone, doing laundry, watching TV (all – simultaneously!) and remembering to remind us that we need to call her mother for their birthday, can you believe it? And let's not forget about the totally magical ability to create and sustain life within their bodies - I mean, talk about a superpower! So, to sum it up: women are basically like the miraculous duct tape of the universe - they hold everything together and make sure nothing falls apart. Women – Who Are We? The Unstoppable. A “female perspective” - Well, we're the fabulous beautiful creatures who can conquer the World with a single glance and a swipe of lipstick! We are the multitasking queens who can handle ANYTHING - work, family, friends, mothers-in-law, crazy bosses, ill parents, acting-out teens, and still have time to binge-watch our favorite shows (sometimes). We are the experts in navigating the tricky waters of relationships and always know just what to say or not to say (sometimes). And don't even get me started on our incredible superpowers, like for instance, the ability to carry an entire grocery store on our hips or carry on an empathic 5H-long conversation with a totally depressed crying girlfriend! So, who are we? We're Beautiful Women, and we are pretty much amazing unstoppable powerful and basically perfect (except maybe when it comes to parallel parking) Now, on a more serious note, I would like to first introduce to you a poem I wrote about Beautiful Women (actually “we wrote it together” while I was experimenting with ChatAI that I’ve been very curious about for a couple months:), and a couple of paragraphs of meaningful content about Women-Leaders whose “unspoken society” I now happen to belong to. Beautiful Women Beautiful Women, we are so much to behold Love, Peace, and Strength we effortlessly unfold Caregivers, we are naturally gentle and healing With our Hearts and Souls, generously revealing. Beautiful Women, we are Lovers. The passion ignite our tenderness, desire, our longing delight. We are Mothers, we endlessly nurture and protect our children, whose love or hate we can never reject. We are trustworthy girlfriends, we are dutiful wives who support our men through thick and thin We are partners in crime, we’re partners for life, We are rock in the storm, a shelter from the wind. We are Daughters, embodying youth and grace Our beauty and charm, we gently embrace. We are leaders and followers, we are big and small, We are powerful and vulnerable, but we always stand tall We keep our face regardless our place With Intelligence and Faith, we strongly enthrall. But… in shadows deep, where eyes can't see, There are Beautiful Women who long to be free. Their scars, unseen, are under the skin, They bear the weight of wounds and sin. For years they've suffered, silenced and still, And bruises on heart were put against their will. Their cries are unheard, their grief is unseen, They're locked in fear, they live for a dream When someone will come and set them free. For they are precious, and they are strong, And deserve to be treated with love all along. For beautiful women who suffer in silence, We must be their voice and bring them defiance. We have to stand up for their right to be free, And give them hope for a much better destiny. Beautiful Women. Everywhere. In the splendor Of their powerful Spirit and Soul, we remember That every One brings Love and Light to our lives To share their beauty and eternity forever thrives. Major Traits & Qualities of Women Leaders Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all description, as women leaders are as diverse as any other groups or people. However, research has identified some common traits and qualities that are often associated with successful women leaders. Here are just a few: Emotional intelligence: Women leaders are often empathetic and able to connect with their team members on a deeper level, which helps build trust and foster collaboration. Authenticity: Women leaders prioritize honesty and transparency, and are not afraid to show vulnerability or admit when they don't know something. Strong communication skills: Women leaders are skilled communicators, able to articulate their ideas and opinions clearly and effectively. Strategic thinking: Women leaders are often able to see the big picture and make strategic decisions that benefit the organization as a whole. Resilience: Women leaders often face unique challenges and barriers and are able to persevere in the face of adversity. Relationship building: Women leaders often prioritize building strong relationships with their team members, colleagues, and stakeholders, which helps create a positive and productive work environment. Vision and Purpose: Women leaders often have a clear Vision for the future, live on Purpose, and are able to inspire others to work towards that Vision. It's important to note that the above traits are not exclusive to women leaders, and many successful male leaders also possess these qualities. Also, not all women leaders will exhibit all of these traits, as every individual has their own unique strengths. Successful Powerful Women Leaders. Ethical, authentic, caring, trustworthy, living and leading with integrity and dignity. Interesting facts. There are many powerful women who exemplify the above traits and serve as excellent role models for leadership. Here are just a few powerful examples: 1. Indira Gandhi: Indian politician who was the first female prime minister. In 1999, Gandhi was named "Woman of the Millennium" in an online poll organized by the BBC. In 2012, she was ranked number seven on Outlook India's poll of the Greatest Indian. Gandhi is considered a model of ethical leadership and personal integrity. 2. Malala Yousafzai: A Pakistani education advocate, Malala has become a symbol of courage, determination, and commitment to social justice. Despite facing numerous challenges and threats to her life, she has remained honest and authentic in her fight for women's rights and access to education. 3. Ruth Bader Ginsburg: As a Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg was a strong advocate for equal rights and justice for all. She was known for her unwavering commitment to her principles, and her integrity and trustworthiness were widely respected. 4. Jacinda Ardern: The current Prime Minister of New Zealand, Ardern has gained global recognition for her empathetic and compassionate leadership style, especially during times of crisis. She has been widely recognized for her authenticity and integrity in both her personal and professional life, and praised for her response to the Christchurch mosque shootings and for her focus on social justice issues. 5. Angela Merkel: The former Chancellor of Germany is known for her intelligence, pragmatism, and integrity. She is widely respected for her leadership during the European financial crisis and for her commitment to human rights and democratic values. 6. Kamala Harris: The Vice President of the United States has made history as the first woman, first Black woman, and first person of Indian descent to hold this office. Known for her strong advocacy on issues such as criminal justice reform and women's rights. 7. Mary Barra: The CEO of General Motors is the first woman to lead a major global automaker. She has been praised for her focus on innovation and sustainability, as well as her commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. 8. Greta Thunberg: The teenage climate activist has inspired a global movement to address the urgent threat of climate change. She has been recognized for her courage and conviction, and has been a powerful voice for young people around the world. 9. Ursula von der Leyen, the current President of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. She received numerous awards and honors for her impeccable leadership: the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania, among other honors. 10. Oprah Winfrey, a well-known woman leader, philanthropist, and media mogul who has become one of the most influential and successful women in the entertainment industry. She became a household name and used her platform to address important social and political issues, including education, health, and poverty. She’s also been a strong advocate for women's rights and empowerment. Received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to society and is a powerful example of a woman leader who has used her influence and resources to make a positive impact on the world. These women as many other powerful women, demonstrate that it is very possible to lead with integrity, dignity, empathy, and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world. They embody ethical, authentic, caring, trustworthy, and dignified behaviors, and serve as role models for others to follow. Women and Spirituality It was interesting to explore how spirituality (a very important topic for me personally) can be perceived and/or practiced differently by women vs. men. It is important to acknowledge that spirituality is a very personal and subjective experience, and therefore it is difficult to make sweeping generalizations about how spirituality may differ between different groups of people, such as women. That being said, here are a few ways in which women may approach spirituality differently than men: 1. Gendered roles and expectations. In many cultures, women are often expected to take on nurturing and caretaking roles, which may influence their approach to spirituality. Women may be more likely to seek out spiritual practices that prioritize compassion, empathy, and emotional connection, such as prayer or meditation. 2. Historical exclusion. Historically, many organized religions have excluded women from leadership roles and other positions of power, which may have influenced women's relationship to spirituality. Some women may feel that they need to seek out alternative or more inclusive spiritual practices, such as feminist spirituality or Goddess worship. 3. Healing and empowerment. Many women may turn to spirituality as a means of healing from trauma or as a way to feel empowered in a society that may not always value them. Women may find solace in spiritual practices that focus on self-care, self-acceptance, and self-love. 4. Connection to nature. Some women may have a deep connection to nature and the earth, and may find spirituality through practices that honor and respect the natural world. This may manifest in practices such as eco-spirituality, shamanism, or paganism. Again, it's important to note that these are just a few directions in which women may approach Spirituality differently than men, and there’re definitely many men who would use Spirituality and Spiritual Laws in very similar ways. Spirituality is a deeply personal and individual experience that can vary greatly from person to person. Women roles. Integrity, Authenticity, Spirituality As we all know very well, women play many important roles in society, including but not limited to medical professionals, scientists, caretakers, educators, leaders, and multiple roles in contributors to the workforce. All these roles require a strong sense of integrity, dignity, authenticity, and spirituality to effectively navigate and thrive. Integrity is essential for women in all aspects of their lives, from personal relationships to professional endeavors. It involves being honest, ethical, and principled in all interactions and decisions. Women who operate with integrity build trust with others and are respected for their honesty and reliability. Authenticity is another important trait for women, as it involves being true to oneself and one's values. Women who are authentic are able to build meaningful connections with others and create a sense of trust and rapport that is essential for success in any role. Authenticity allows women to express their unique perspectives and talents, which can lead to new and innovative solutions to problems. Spirituality is also an important aspect of women's lives, as it can provide a sense of purpose and meaning that transcends the material world. Women who cultivate their spiritual lives are often more resilient and better able to cope with the challenges of daily life. Spirituality can also provide a sense of connection to something greater than oneself, which can be empowering and inspiring. In summary, women who cultivate integrity, dignity, authenticity, and spirituality are well-positioned to excel in all areas of their lives, from personal relationships to professional endeavors. These traits can help women build trust, inspire others, and make a positive impact on the world around them. As a woman leader, what was the most challenging barrier in my career? It’s hard to say which was THE most challenging barrier… there were so many! Trying to find mySelf (i.e. my “identity” which was lost in immigration), building my new identity in a new (totally unknown) society, learning language literally “on a job” yet needing to be it sufficient enough to speak & write coherently to deliver my message, hitting the walls on on-going basis due to that still “broken English”, developing and running Clinics to serve immigrants - from scratch, on a shoestring budget, getting rejection after rejection, writing RFP-s, serving clients in a basement (which later became a favorite place for all), dealing with unfamiliar organizational structures and bureaucracy, banging my head against many walls trying to bring my “healing message” across… The concept of “healing” was not popular 30 years ago as it is now, Yoga – was something crazy people do, energy healing sounded almost like propaganda, and my determination, knowledge, drive, and believing I can do it no matter what - were often my only allies. Inventing and developing (literally) from scratch my HealingArts business, was not all roses either – What is that? Really? Holistic Psychotherapist – what an oxymoron! Who does this? What healing? So, this painting of yours will heal me? How? Healing Arts is something Asian, right? – more and more rejections. And challenges. But this is the “cross” we, leaders, have to carry as we create something NEW and valuable and inspire others to follow – for better future, health, happiness, abundance. And this is the price we pay and honor we’re granted to be a Leader, to have a Mission, embrace a Vision, and live on Purpose. As a Healing Artist I felt obligated to create more of “life-affirming” art when those highly transformational 2020-2021, years of many losses and Lessons, hit us. We all had plenty of losses in our lives, but these years became really overwhelming. Which made it even more difficult to continue being grateful (what for?), to love yourself and others, especially to practice Self-Love (how??), to continue being authentic and live with integrity. This all became very difficult because we had lots of significant losses and the main thing we all have lost – was Trust. It is very uneasy to regain trust when it’s lost. It takes time, and healing, and effort. But it is possible. And we need to trust that… Due to pandemics and consequential everything, I personally lost many close people, friends, business, relationships, and of course, lots of art related opportunities. When I lost 3 really big, already scheduled, sponsored, curated SOLO “One Woman Show” Exhibits (100 artworks each) in 3 major cities – Orlando FL, NYC, Rome (Italy), I was crashed, devastated, hopeless, but… survived this, too. During these difficult times, as a result of not accepting all the negatives and striving for the positives, I invented my Wearable HealingArts®. When one door closes, another opens. I do believe in all Spiritual Laws, and I do practice Gratitude. :) HelenKagan HealingArts™. One of my own very strong (and positive!) beliefs is that art heals. And this is exactly why I continue creating, in many different ways, shapes, and forms! I believe that art is a catalyst for healing individuals, society, and environment. I believe that for many of us, creatives, art is a spiritual path, a transformational process, a way of being. I believe in the inter-connectedness of mind, body, and spirit. I believe that now, more than ever, our World needs the positive energy and spiritually-based intentions, beliefs, and values. As a statement of all my beliefs, my “HealingArts” is my unique way to synergistically bring together fine art, expressive arts, and art of healing to enhance wellbeing, make right choices, bring Love & Light, practice gratitude, embrace humanity. I’ve become a published and bestselling author rather suddenly… I’ve been previously featured in many Magazines including Authority, Thrive Global, ArtTour International, Art & Beyond, VoyageMia, Insights, but then was published in a book “We’re All In This Together” (2021) which made me a Bestseller Author. Am continuing to work on my own 2 exciting books (despite all possible challenges) and co-authoring a Book on Authenticity with Jack Canfield. But my most attention and intention has been always dedicated to developing my new unique venue integrating Art, Fashion, Design, and Healing – WearableHealingArts™ , This is ny Vision, Mission and Purpose – to make healing through art accessible to everyone. Our big commercial platform www.WearableHealingArts.com is finally ready!! Please check it out and find unique designer garments, homewear items - anything your heart desires – all made from my original artworks of HealingArts™. You can also visit www.HelenKagan.com to enjoy my original art, healing colors, and perhaps even to meditate on the above concepts about Authenticity, Integrity, and of course – about Beautiful Women :). Thanks for reading! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit my website. Read more from Helen! Helen Kagan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Helen Kagan Ph.D., a scientist, psychologist, artist, a pioneer of creating art with the intention to heal, is a creator of unique HealingArts™ for 30 years. Helen believes art is a catalyst for healing individuals & society and engaging Healthcare & Hospitality to encourage healing through art. As a severe PTSD survivor who dedicated her life to helping others, she synergistically integrates Fine Art, Expressive Arts & Art of Healing. “HealingArts” shown in multiple International Galleries, States, Countries, and Catalogs, won awards, named "Collectible Artist". Dr. Kagan was nominated and awarded by Passion Vista, an International Luxury Lifestyle Business Magazine, to be one of 40 Women-Leaders worldwide, to look up to in 2023. Her Mission now is to successfully run a new unique venue integrating art, fashion, design & healing ‒ WearableHealingArts™ ‒ to make healing through art accessible to everyone. Please check it out - www.WearableHealingArts.com

Written by: Caroline Bellenger, Senior Level 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. As a female entrepreneur, balancing your business with your personal life can be challenging. You may also be responsible for looking after children, caring for parents, and doing much housework while devoting time to your relationships. It’s easy to get caught up in the grind of work and personal responsibilities while forgetting to take care of yourself. However, it's important to remember that your personal life is just as important as your career, if not more so. Taking care of yourself makes you more productive and successful in your business. Here are my five hacks designed to beat the hustle culture and help you reclaim your life and find joy. 1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle Your lifestyle has a significant impact on your mental and physical well-being. Here are some must-dos to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle: Get enough sleep: Sleep is essential for your body to function properly. Lack of sleep can lead to stress, fatigue, and decreased productivity. Try to get at least seven hours of sleep each night but remember, some people can cope with less, so do what works for you. And if life is stretching your limits, power naps during the day can be highly beneficial. Eat a balanced diet: Eating a balanced diet is vital for overall health. Ensure to include plenty of unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Eat reduced amounts of processed foods and sugary drinks, but most importantly, create a healthy relationship with food that doesn't include restrictions or characterise any food as "bad". Exercise regularly: Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve your mood. Aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This exercise can be as simple as going for a walk or doing some yoga. If you want to be consistent, then make sure you are doing exercise you enjoy. No benefit in running if you hate it! Practice self-care: Self-care is essential for your mental health. Take time each day to do something that brings you joy. You could read a book, take a bath, or listen to music. Make yourself a priority. 2. Overcome limiting beliefs Limiting beliefs are beliefs that hold us back from achieving our goals. We develop these limiting beliefs through negative experiences throughout our life, even as far back as childhood. These beliefs can be anything from “I’m not good enough” to “I don’t have enough experience.” Here are some tips for overcoming limiting beliefs: Be aware of your limiting beliefs: The first step in overcoming limiting beliefs is to identify them. Pay attention to the thoughts that come up when you think about your goals. Challenge your limiting beliefs: Once you’ve identified your limiting beliefs, challenge them. Ask yourself if they’re really true. Look for evidence that contradicts your beliefs. Reframe your thoughts: Reframe your thoughts to be more positive and empowering. Instead of saying, "I'm not good enough," say, "I am capable of achieving my goals." Take action: Take action towards your goals, even if you feel scared or unsure. The more effort you take, the more you'll build self-confidence. 3. Crush your goals Setting goals is important for achieving success in your business and personal life. Here are some tips for crushing your goals: Set SMART goals: Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This will help you stay focused and motivated. Break your goals down into smaller tasks: By chunking down your goals down into smaller goals, it can make them feel less overwhelming. It also makes it easier to track your progress. Create a plan: Create a plan for achieving your goals. A plan could include a timeline, a list of tasks, and any resources you'll need. Having an accountability buddy will also help you stay committed. Celebrate your successes: Celebrate your successes along the way, even the small ones. This will help you stay motivated and feel good about your progress. 4. Self-love is essential Self-love is essential for your mental health and well-being. Here are some tips for practising self-love: Practice self-compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness and compassion you would offer a friend. Be gentle with yourself when things don't go as planned. Accept yourself as you are: Accept yourself as you are, flaws and all. Remember that nobody is perfect. Focus on your strengths: Focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. Doing this will help you build confidence in yourself. Practice gratitude: Practice gratitude by focusing on what you have rather than what you don't have. Take time each day to reflect on what you're grateful for. 5. Find your purpose Finding your purpose can give you a sense of direction and meaning in your life. Here are some ways you can discover your purpose: Reflect on your values: Your values are formed in the early years and are the most important things to you in life. Reflect on what you value and how you can align your life with those values. Identify your passions: Your passions are the things that bring you joy and fulfilment. Identify what you're passionate about and consider how to incorporate those passions into your life. Consider your strengths: Your strengths are the things you’re good at. Consider how you can use your strengths to make a difference in the world. Try new things: Trying new things and being curious can help you discover what you're passionate about and good at. Take a class or volunteer for a cause you're interested in. Reclaim your life and find joy In conclusion, as a female entrepreneur, taking care of yourself and finding joy in your personal life is important. By following these five hacks, you can reclaim your life and find joy. Remember to care for your physical and mental health, challenge your limiting beliefs, set and crush your goals, practice self-love, and find your purpose. When you care for yourself and find joy in your life, you'll be more productive and successful in your business. By practising self-care, we can become the best version of ourselves, which benefits everyone around us. So, take some time for yourself today and start reclaiming your life! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Caroline! Caroline Bellenger, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Caroline is an award-winning entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and wellness warrior. After experiencing childhood sexual abuse and over twenty years of addiction and mental health issues, Caroline enhanced her life by creating a toolbox of strategies that enabled her to improve her mindset, and self-esteem and create three successful businesses. As the founder of “Be The Impossible”, she has coached and inspired thousands of women to overcome their own life obstacles and create fulfillment and joy. She is the co-author of three books including Amazon's 1 Best Seller "Queens In Sand Castles". She has climbed to Everest Base Camp and competed in national sporting teams, including representing Australia in Triathlon at 50. Her transformation and achievements are a testament to her courage and determination to define her future regardless of age or past challenges. Caroline has dedicated her life to empowering other women through inspirational keynotes, books, coaching programs, and online education.

Written by: Asha Ghosh, 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. The language we use plays a key role in our success as leaders – it can inspire and motivate our team or breed a lack of accountability, mistrust and friction. Yet, how mindful are we of how we speak to ourselves? When did you last consider how your self-talk affects your motivation and self-belief? How encouraging are you of your own success? What Exactly is Self-Talk? Self-talk is powerful. It can boost us up with an “I’ve got this” or bring us down with an “I can’t do this again.” That internal dialogue of how we express our feelings, both positive and negative, can manifest itself as encouragement and a sense of approval or take on a discouraging tone, with phrases like, “I’m not good enough” and “it will fail.” What are the Effects of Self-Talk on Our Leadership? The insidious nature of negative self-talk can impede our effectiveness as leaders. Studies in psychology and neuroscience have established that our thoughts become distorted by our internal chatter. Left unchallenged, these warped thought patterns become ingrained, habitualand destructive, especially during prolonged times of stress. The effects of this detrimental dialogue creates uncertainty and self-doubt whilst chipping away at our confidence, resulting in an aversion to pursuing ambitions, as well as challenging our mental well-being. One study even concluded that people who battle with more recurrent negative self-talk are more likely to endure workplace burnout. However, research has also demonstrated that positive self-talk can stimulate creativity and leadership abilities. Enhancing the way we communicate with ourselves can grant us the energy and motivation to realise our potential as leaders. Simply put, what we say to ourselves, ready does matter. Here are three steps, backed by research to challenge how we speak to ourselves; Build new skills; build awareness of how we chat to ourselves Build new strategy; take advantage of our inner chatter and use it to our advantage Transform your leadership: role model positive self-talk with our teams and peers How To Improve Performance and Mental Wellbeing through Effective Self-talk? Building strategies to regulate self-talk will create moments of calm from the inner chatter, giving rise to the opportunity to be supportive of yourself and space to choose a different course of action that encourages and supports you. However, this requires you to become aware of how you speak to yourself, which can be challenging. As the Founder of the Honest Partnership, a business dedicated to supporting women to develop themselves and their team to grow and be successful, I have witnessed how hard and uncomfortable it is to start to listen to our inner chatter. My approach is less confronting; by first observe others’ self-talk by watching Netflix. Three Steps to Build New Awareness Skills Step 1: Become Aware of Self-talk in Others I encourage my coaching clients to watch episodes of Reality TV; yes I am advocating screen time, but I am also building new skills too and I have seen the benefits to leaders success in doing this. What reality TV showcases amazingly well is distorted thinking. Whilst watching through the lens of self-talk, my clients build the skills to observe, to listening, and identify distortions in thinking. The shows also demonstrate how distortions manifest and effect others. To help this process, to accompany each show I share this list of common examplesof distorted thought patterns; Polarised - The tendency to view a situation in either/or all-or-nothing terms Catastrophising - Automatically jumping to the worst-case scenario (big leap) Personalising blame - Instantly blaming ourselves no matter the situation Filtering - Focusing on the more negative aspects of a situation whilst filtering out all the positive ones, which could lead to catastrophising What I’m encouraging is for you to look out for and reflect on: What language do you hear whilst watching people interact? How do you respond to the language when you hear it? Uncomfortable? Familiar? How positive or negative do your rate language? (scale of 1 to 5) How aware are the people expressing themselves? (scale of 1 to 5) How are the distortions affecting the situation? (scale of 1 to 5) How are the distortions influencing decision-making?(scale of 1 to 5) How are others reacting to the distortions? This simple process illustrates the effects of self-talk at an individual and a group level and also gives you an insight into how inner chatter is affecting not just you but those around you. Step 2: Become Aware of Self-talk in Yourself With your new skills of observation and listening and greater awareness of possible distortions, it is time to notice your inner monologue. I’ve two simple techniques. In moments of overwhelm, self-doubt, procrastination or frustration, check in with yourself for a few moments and just observe your thinking. What can you hear? How loud is your inner chatter? What has it got to say? A further approach is to set time aside15 minutes to reflect on your day or a particular situation. Observe; How does your mind re-tell you the story? What words are used? How true is this version of the story? How kind are you being to yourself? What can you hear about your distortions? Step 3: Become Aware of Self-talk in Your Team To keep building on your new skills and increase your leadership capacity a further step is to notice how your team communicates; Dynamics in meetings, via Slack and in moments of team pressure. Listen and observe. How positive or negative are the team? Are they celebrating their achievements? Or is more time spent voicing pressure and frustration? Who is being blamed? What themescan you hear from the team? In building new skills, what I encourage my coaching clients to do is now recognise they have created themselves an opportunity to make significant changes. Here are a few scientifically backed ideas I have worked with, no Netflix this time. Take Advantage of Your Inner Voice 1. Be Kind: One study showed kindness goes a long way in improving our performance. It's important to be kind to yourself like you would be to a friend. This can help you feel more confident and successful. If you find yourself being mean to yourself, take a moment to be kind instead. Use a moment of inner judgement to stop. Take a breath. Reflect give yourself a moment to show yourself some kindness, as you would a friend - start small. 2. Distance Self-talk Studies also prove speaking to yourself in the third person benefits is good for your self-esteem. Saying things like Eve, you can do this or Eve, you're enough can help you feel better and stay in control of your inner chatter. 3. Shift Perspective: Alternative perspectives are a further strategy that acts as a buffer from destructive thinking in those moments of challenging inner chatter. When things are hard, it can help to think about what your boss, friends, or family would say or do. They might help you see things from a different point of view and that can help you to stay calm and not get too upset. 4. Affirm: Science has found a way to help us when we're feeling bad; affirmations or statements of positive intent can make a BIG difference to how we feel about ourselves in moments of stress. It's important to use words that come from your own heart, so it feels like it's coming from you. But if you need help, you can look on the internet for things that make you feel better. Now you have built up your observation skills. You are making choices on how you speak to yourself you can now start to embed it into your leadership. Role Model Positive Self-Talk 1. Leading by example: To be an awesome leader you have to demonstrate your commitment to positive language. This takes practice. It requires discipline to maintain a high level of engagement and awareness on your part to be cognisant of what you are saying and how you demonstrate a genuine interest in the team, their ideas and progress. 2. Start small, pick one meeting, write on your note pad ‘role model’ as a reminder and really really listen to yourself and your team. What are you noticing that you’ve not noticed before? Take on another meeting and keep repeating the process. You are building new skills of active listening and observation that can be taken to your next board meeting…now what are you noticing that you have not seen or heard before? 3. Celebrate Successes: Take time to celebrate the small wins and the accomplishments made by each individual or group within the team. Find a moment for each team meeting or as soon as they happen via Slack to take a moment to say well done. Self-talk is both destructive and a strategy for self-confidence and positive well-being. It can be a barrier to progress or be the motivating force behind your success. These small but significant tips and actions are tried and tested approaches to firstly building your awareness of self-talk, building up your skills and capacity to understand what it's doing and the tools to take advantage of this human trait. By harnessing self-talk you are creating opportunities to effect change for yourself and your family as well as for your team and the organisation you work for. You already talk to yourself, so why not make it a productive and supportive chat, a conversation that builds you, raises your confidence and self-assurance you are a success? If you’re interested in how reality TV enabled one leader to understand toxicity in the organisations understanding of their department and how they were able to challenge this held assumption and work with stakeholders solve the business problem, check out my blog post of working with one of my clients. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Asha! Asha Ghosh, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine My coaching programmes have already enabled senior professional women globally to unlock new levels of potential in themselves and their teams. Resulting in these professionals being able to lead, inspire and make bold decisions that not only support business objectives, but also allow leaders to find satisfaction within their home life, all underpinned by promoting a proactive approach to personal well-being. https://www.honestpartnership.co.uk/ https://www.honestpartnership.co.uk/blog/breath-work-natures-tranquilser www.honestpartnership.co.uk/blog/what-married-at-first-sight-taught-a-newly-appointed- leader-about-their-team

Written by: Trina Joy Lucas , 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. Here are 8 essential points to clarify the energetic nature of healthy boundaries. Invest in your spiritual self care body, mind, and soul by deepening your understanding of why boundaries are important for your wholistic health. As a sensitive, loving and caring person, I bet you are well-attuned to where others are at, how they are feeling and even what their needs are! Let me ask you this question. How well attuned are you to yourself? To where your own feelings and your own inner needs are at? Prioritising your understanding of why boundaries are important for your wholistic health can help restore balance and harmony to your life! A quick internet search will provide you will valuable information on why boundaries are important when it comes to maintaining healthy relationships with other people. I would like to switch the focus in this article to the essential understanding of healthy boundaries in fostering and maintaining a healthy and loving connection to yourself. The only way to truly build a deep nourishing and sustaining relationship with your own soul and spirit is to have and hold solid boundaries. Boundaries are not just about setting limitations in your relationships with other people in your life. Boundaries are about what you decide to honour as precious treasures inside of yourself. A fundamental reason why boundaries are important is they help you identify what is of worth and value inside of you. Your boundary is an actual structural component of your energy field. It functions as a protective membrane around the perimeter of your energy body. Your boundary holds a level of protection and insulation for the inner realms of self to support your internal physical, mental and emotional well-being. Boundaries help you honour what is of worth and value inside of you. Your precious internal treasures! To set healthy boundaries it is important to become clear on the value of what you are holding a boundary around. What is valuable is you! You have resources inside that deserve to be revered. You have a capacity for inner well-being and wholistic health which you deserve to treasure. You have wondrous gifts of character and nature which are essential for you to nourish and hold as precious to the level they deserve. Which is extremely high! Your soul and spirit have the capacity to nourish and feed your self-esteem from the inside out. Your soul holds within it the effortless knowing of your true intrinsic value and worth of nature and character. Your spirit has the capacity to circulate this truth through your whole body and into your mind and emotions. When you are connected to your soul and spirit within, it becomes very clear what your worth and value is as well as your needs when it comes to holding a boundary of protection around them. To understand more about soul and spirit and how they are deeply significant to your life take a look at my article on Soul vs Spirit: What’s the difference between soul and spirit? This is the tricky part to overcome when it comes why boundaries are important for your wholistic health. In order to build a deep connection with your spirit and soul you need to have healthy boundaries. And in order to build healthy boundaries, you need a connection with your own soul and spirit to truly understand the value of your own worth. This can might sound like a catch-22! However, p lease rest assured, in my 26 years as a Psychic Spiritual Healer I have over 26000 hours of clinical experience on how to navigate this conundrum. It brings me great joy to offer the benefit of my experience to you today with 8 essential points on the question of why boundaries are important for your spiritual self care mind, body and soul. 1. Why boundaries are important for your wholistic health: A case study I am sure you can relate to. A client of mine, let’s call her Mary, made the following statement to the group during a recent online session for my mentorship program the Spiritual Healing Sanctuary. It was a statement I feel you may be able to relate to. Mary said, “I’m not in control of my life, and everyone else is pulling the strings”. My professional self immediately knew that Mary required healing support for her boundaries. How? Mary’s feeling of being at the beck and call of everyone else in her life is a classic symptom of an issue with the energetic structure of her boundaries. Due to under-functioning boundaries, Mary was experiencing a disconnect from her soul and spirit where they resided deep in the fabric of the body. As a consequence, the ability of her spirit to hold an inner space of potential for positivity and change had evaporated and she was feeling hopeless and helpless. The spirit is a potent life force and the disconnect Mary was experiencing left her lacking in energy, vitality and motivation. Furthermore, not being able to connect with the nourishing presence of her soul had Mary experiencing herself as being of lesser value and worth than other people in her life. Consequently, she was elevating the needs of others above her own and her ability to hold a boundary of worth around herself was deeply diminished. A subsequent Psychic Spiritual Healing identified that Mary had a big gaping hole in her boundaries. Due to this hole, Mary was not generating enough of her worth and value from the inside of her body grounded and centred in her own soul and spirit. Instead, Mary was looking to the world around her to validate her worth and this was diminishing her ability to feel like she was in control of her own life. In the spiritual healing, we fixed the structural hole in her boundaries and reconnected her relationship with her inner soul and spirit. It is quite incredible to witness the immediate shift in a client after a hole in a boundary is fixed. 2. Your boundaries have a literal structural form. I know because I see boundaries every day with my psychic senses! It’s true. Your boundaries are a structural component of your energy pattern. In fact, your boundaries are the outside perimeter of the energy pattern of your body. It is important and helpful to know your boundaries are not just a random psychological constructor a convenient idea or a concept. Boundaries can have structural dysfunctions. I see this daily in my spiritual healing clinic whereby my psychic senses are able to clearly show me when a client has a structural issue with their boundaries. You can literally have areas of weakness leading to actual holes in the membrane that is the boundary around your energy pattern. It is also visible to me where energy is pouring out through these structural dysfunctions in your boundaries. It is equally clear and visible where unwanted energy has been able to seep into your private and personal internal space inside your body through your boundaries. The structural component of your boundaries can be likened to the perimeter walls of a house. Without a perimeter wall around the outside of your home, there is far less definition of where your home begins and ends. This is the same for the home you live in for the duration of this life which is your body. Furthermore, when the structural perimeter around your home is compromised, outside environmental presences and influences can come and go into the interior of your space easily without having to politely knock on your door and seek permission. 3. Healthy boundaries protect and insulate your 3 main inner core needs. In regards to the bigger picture of your wholistic health and spiritual self care that includes mind, body and soul, you have 3 essential core needs. They are as follows. To feel loved. To feel safe. To feel understood. A degree of fulfillment to each of these needs enables you to not only survive being a person in this world but also to thrive, flourish and experience an inner sense of well-being. If one or more of these needs are undernourished or missing, then your ability to connect to the deepest fundamental truth of self, your soul and spirit, disconnects. With a disconnect to soul and spirit, it becomes increasingly challenging to manage what you give out to the world because you are not able to honour and nourish your own basic core needs. Connection to your spirit circulates a life force throughout your body, mind and emotions that help you feel loved. This often unconscious stream of unconditional love from your spirit supports you to experience a relative sense of safety in the world. An internal sense that you have meaning and value and are not merely a pawn being shuffled around at the mercy of unknown and potentially unsafe forces. Connection with the presence of your soul woven through the deep inner fabric of your body and mind helps you know you are understood. That what is unique and valuable about you, your nuances of character and nature, are understood. Why are boundaries important? Because a connection to your soul and spirit is essential to hold healthy boundaries AND healthy boundaries are essential for you to experience soul and spirit connection. 4. Spending too much time extending past your boundaries structurally weakens them. This is so important to understand and thus I want to make this point really clear to you. Spending time connecting with the outside world and extending your energy in an outward direction needs to be counterbalanced by extending your energy inwards and spending time and resources on connecting to yourself. When this balance is tipped in favour of connecting outwardly, your energy starts to extend past your boundaries. Remember why boundaries are important. They are the structural perimeter around the outside of your energy pattern. If your energy is moving outwards in excess for too long your boundaries become structurally weakened. This takes us back to number 2 in my list of why boundaries are important. Connecting with the outer world at the expense of forging a connection with your inner world leads to you disconnecting from your own inner wisdom. You can become disengaged from your inner knowing of what is right for you in the unique moments life presents to you. It becomes more difficult to register your wisdom; to hear it and to follow it. You can find yourself rejecting your inner knowing when the conventional wisdom of the outside world does not align with it. You can end up rejecting your inner wisdom of what is right for you and start putting the needs of the world above your own. 5. How to know you have a hole in the energy structure of your boundaries. Being a real structural phenomenon, your boundaries at times may need maintenance and repair. Holes and frayed leaky vulnerable areas in your boundaries do not happen overnight. Essential signs and symptoms preempting boundaries leaks and holes. Mary’s story from earlier is an excellent example of how your life circumstances can lead to a structural breakdown in your boundaries. You lose sight and perspective of your own needs. You begin elevating the worth and value of other people’s needs above your own. The imbalance in your needs versus the world’s needs occurs gradually, bit by bit, over time. An unconscious pattern begins to assert itself whereby your default behaviour is now to dismiss your own needs and be hyperaware of other people’s needs. By the time you have become aware of this unbalanced pattern, you have rationalised that the behaviour is serving you. You tell yourself that putting other's needs above your own makes you a good person. You are now caught in a catch-22 where to feel of value and worth to the world, you must be putting others’ needs above your own. Placing other people's needs above your own and making your inner sense of value depend on how well you care for others will over time erode the structure of your boundaries. Not spending enough time looking after your own needs results in a disconnect from your own inner soul and spirit nature. Similar to what occurred with Mary, you can begin experiencing the following signs and symptoms. Helplessness. Hopelessness. Low vitality, energy and motivation. You can feel like a pawn shuffled around the greater chest board of life at the mercy of other people's needs and wishes. Your body mind and emotions have a great capacity for sensitivity. And this is why boundaries are important. Your capacity for sensitivity can become a super burden when it is mostly used to attune to the needs of the world at large and not your own. 6. A major cause of damage to the structure of your boundaries is trauma and stress. Stress comes in many forms in your life. You can have an underlying physical or energetic health imbalance, which you are unaware of, causing stress in the body. You may be in challenging and difficult circumstances for a prolonged length of time leading to stress. You may have encountered traumatic events in your life either recently or far in the distant past including past lives. Trauma and stress result in you spending a disproportionate amount of time populating the outside edges of your boundaries in a hyper-vigilant manner. Trauma and stress result in the fight, flight and freeze response of the body being activated. The fight and flight response sends the majority of your energy presence to the outside perimeter of your body to keep you alert for any external threats. Trauma stored sits in the body in a heightened state of fight-and-flight wakefulness. This means there will be a certain amount of your energy being sent to the fringes of your energy field where your boundaries lie, to keep alert to external threats. The more prolonged the period of time you are stressed or sitting on unprocessed trauma without it abating, the more your energy presence is hanging out at and pressing down on your boundaries at the outside edges of your energy field. An excess of energy taken away from deep in the core of self and redirected to the edges of self, at your boundaries, after a while will weaken their structure. This brings me to my final point. I am sure you understand by now why boundaries are important. However, you may now be asking the question how do I take care of my boundary's structural needs so the occasional inevitable leak can heal and holes can be potentially prevented? 7. How to care for the energetic structural health of your boundaries. I am sure it is now abundantly clear to you why boundaries are important for your wholistic health when it comes to balancing the demands of your life in a hectic world. Boundaries enable you to be more empowered, nourish your core needs, and connect to your true inner worth and value guided by your soul and spirit. Consider these 4 points when it comes to caring for the structure of your boundaries. Create balance by ensuring you are attuning and attending to your own core needs just as much as those around you. When you notice this balance is out, adjust it. Oftentimes, a simple adjustment in this balance will give the frayed and leaky edges of your boundaries a chance to heal. As much as you spend time connecting with the outside world around you, spend enough time connecting into the internal spheres of self. This assists you to keep the connection with your soul and spirit within your body healthy and alive. I have a heap of free guided meditations to assist you with this. A healthy connection to the soul and spirit within ensures you are infused with the energy you need to meet your 3 basic core needs, engendering an innate knowing of what a treasure and gift you are to the world. You are of enormous worth and value! A hole in your boundaries can oftentimes be fixed by retreating. Spending more time in your inner world, connecting to your soul and spirit, and receiving their love. This retreat into the core of self gives you the opportunity for holes in your boundaries to heal. The understanding I have offered you today on boundaries comes from my clinical experience of practising for over 26 years as a Psychic Spiritual Healer. There is a lot of great quality information online about boundary health and care. It is my sincere hope my unique spiritual healing take on why boundaries are important offers you a fresh perspective. As I said at the beginning of this article healthy boundaries help hold the space for you to deepen your connection with your soul and spirit within. To understand more about the benefits of deep soul and spirit connection, please read my on. Your spirit is a life force of love running deep through your body which offers you a spark and vibrancy of vitality that enables you to glow with a sense of meaning, joy and purpose in your life from the inside out. Your soul whispers wisely from deep within to your body, mind and emotions reminding you of the genuine divine intrinsic worth and value of you as this human person living this life. 8. Would you like support to maintain the structural health of your boundaries and connect to the inner wellspring of self-worth and self-value available to you in your soul and spirit? I have the following resources to offer you. Take my free ‘what is your spiritual gift quiz’ by clicking h ere . This intuitive quiz will offer your valuable insight into your soul gifts and how to nourish them. Join my Facebook community and enjoy 2 free guided meditations a week to facilitate spirit and soul connection. Sign up to use my free guided meditations for spiritual healing on my website by clicking here . A special offer to own my online course ‘The 13 chakras system: Accelerate your Connection to your Soul and Spirit”. Use the code‘BrainzSpecial’ to receive 50% off the purchase price. Click here to discover more and make your purchase. Apply HERE for an opportunity to join my 6 monthly membership community called The Spiritual Healing Sanctuary . Deepen your connection to your spirit, discover the spiritual roots of your wholistic health, and unlock your personal growth to reach your potential. Receive essential knowledge, powerful twice-monthly spiritual healings, and learn spiritual tools to support your transformation for health and growth guided by the love of your spirit. Reach out to me and let me know you’ve read my article. I’d love to hear from you. With love and respect for your unique path through life. Follow me on Instagram , TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook , and visit my website for inspiring content on the spiritual roots of health and personal growth to transform your life. Read more from Trina! Trina Joy Lucas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Trina Joy Lucas is a Psychic Spiritual Healer and international expert on the spiritual roots of health with over 26 years and 27000 hours of clinical experience. Trina grew up isolated with a myriad of health issues that defied conventional treatments. A Bachelor of Health Science with Honours in Traditional Chinese Medicine coupled with Trina awakening psychic talents to communicate with a team of Healing Spirits resulted in a deep understanding of the broader spiritual underpinnings of the human body and psyche. Trina is a grounded and practical teacher, writer and speaker who empowers people to (1) understand and heal their symptoms while gaining insight into their purpose and meaning and (2) develop their personal soul-based gifts and abilities. It is Trina’s mission to use her expertise to educate the world on the science of spiritual healing, bringing a holistic approach to medicine to focus on exceptional outcomes for clients. Trina runs courses, a membership-based group, The Spiritual Healing Sanctuary, and offers one-to-one spiritual healing and mentor sessions. Trina’s message is simple: “Your spirit is a powerful agent of change. Be the gift to self and others the world needs – body, mind and soul.”

Written by: Michelle Schafer, Senior Level 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. Last week, I watched a documentary that will stay with me for a long, long time. The Oscar-winning "My Octopus Teacher" is an incredibly moving story about filmmaker Craig Foster who befriends an octopus and their evolving relationship over the course of a year. It's set in the spectacular Western Cape of South Africa and explores powerful interactions between humans and nature. The story begins from a place of stress, anxiety and overwhelm – Craig recognizes after working incredibly hard that he was burned out and his relationships were strained. His life needed a sharp pivot to recover. As a child, he loved the water and enjoyed exploring the mysterious underwater world. So he returned to what he loved. As much as the film was about nature (he shares incredible facts about the octopus), taking a pause in life, and reconnecting to things you love, there were several lessons for leaders in there. 1 - Trust takes a long time to build and can be lost in a second. Craig ventures into the water every day and gets familiar with the octopus' habits. Over time, he builds so much trust with her that she makes physical contact with him. But one day he drops his camera startles the octopus and she swims away. He's not sure she will trust him again. With teams, trust is like a bank account – some activities and behaviours build trust (like deposits to the account) and some things act as withdrawals to this account. 2 - Resist the urge to "jump in" and solve the problem. When the octopus is attacked by a shark, Craig is so overcome for her wellbeing that he decides to shell some oysters and leave them for her in her den so she could have some food. He realizes in hindsight that this action did nothing to help, and he was getting in nature's way. This is an important lesson for leaders - as much as solving the problem may seem like "helping," it limits the team's ability to bring forward their solutions and ideas, which in turn limits creativity and innovation. 3 - Be proud in the face of adversity Craig's heart was bursting with pride for the octopus, as she had to deal with several challenges as the story unfolds. As your team works through issues and roadblocks together, be aware of their experience, and recognize their efforts in the face of these challenges – even when (and especially when) those efforts produce a different result than you were anticipating. I dare you to watch it and not cry. There is more emotion packed in this film than you can imagine. Truly beautiful – and so much for us to learn on many levels. If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your perspective below. Follow me on Facebook, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michelle! Michelle Schafer, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle Schafer is an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach and Facilitator specializing in career transition and leadership. She is the owner and founder of Michelle Schafer Coaching, empowering people to achieve career fulfillment. Michelle has personally experienced two significant career transitions through restructuring and has reinvented herself for new careers both times. She deeply understands the physical, emotional and mental impact associated with a job search. Michelle is passionate about people and inspired by their progress, working with clients at all levels of an organization and across sectors including federal and municipal government, high tech, not-for-profit and financial services. Michelle offers coaching 1:1 in groups and recently was certified in the foundations of team coaching with the Global Team Coaching Institute.

Written by: JL Keez, 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. When did standing on the scales to monitor my weight become so important? When did restricting my food intake become a ‘thing’? When did I start to spend endless lengths of time scrutinising my look in the mirror? And exercise… far out… I am exhausted! When did sensibility of mind become replaced with this barely there desire to control every aspect of my life? You know, I am so tired, I simply do not recall. This is how an eating disorder can creep into your life; one day thriving, next, barely there. Sadly, once we acknowledge there is something amiss, the toll of an eating disorder has already begun its destruction. Within the depths of our being lies the answers as to why an eating disorder has insidiously been allowed to grow and envelope the body. A body that just yesterday flourished, yet, is now in the grip of a long shadow, where the shades of your story have taken hold. From the moment of conception we connect with the world we are to join on the day of our birth. Events felt from the warmth of the womb we inhabit are already imprinting their messages upon us. Our tiny brain registers each, digests each and implants the learning – learnings which will determine and shape our character, our individuality, our health status. Our births herald a new existence, where direct contact with others and events experienced adds to the learning; the implanting. Where events hold trauma unresolved the opportunity to create a shift within your mental health status is a possibility. This was my story. Arriving blue eyed and blonde, ready to explore this thing called life, I was met with the greatest of teachers – abuse. Damning in its infliction, controlling in its nature, unaware of the consequences, I took on board all that the abuse taught me. My character, my filter for life, how I connected, how I related, the choices I made, became a concoction of the messages implanted in a brain not knowing any different. The perfectionist evolved. The high achieving standards were mandatory. Looking over the shoulder to avoid criticism, and exclusion became a way of life. Striving for friendships turned others away. Loneliness joined me in the school yard. I won every athletic event I entered – yet inclusion did not walk through the door. Searching for resolution I concluded it was me, I was the issue. With self esteem in the bin I made the only choice available – get into acceptable shape! Within a short time the thriving athlete, the vocalist, the creative talent, discovered that not only did she lose her much enjoyed abilities, she did not gain the acceptance sought. However, the dominating belief that I was to blame, found me devise new behaviours for the purpose of acceptance. Nine years from the inception of this way of life left me wanting. It was getting me nowhere. Instead, the barely there existence took on a new look. Mental health declining due to the thoughts I carried as to how life apparently works plus the deprivation of nutrition, meant a whole range of conditions joined me – chronic fatigue, migraines, depersonalisation, OCD and suicidal depression. This life of illusion finally took its toll – with the eating disorder ravaging my body, I was forced to reach out. Psychiatrists, naturopaths, nutritional intervention, allergy treatment, hypnotherapy – you name it – I was on a pathway to nowhere; again! Kind souls suggested ideas. I researched – what the heck was wrong? At last, the words anorexia nervosa entered my world. Weight restoration was difficult. Bullying was the therapy used. Gradually I relented once I could let go of the idea that this look I had created years ago was not the answer for my loneliness. The return of my health was the carrot at the end of the stick. Alas, health did not turn up. The associated illnesses had put their claws in and they were not ready to leave. More years of suffering. More years of searching. Lining up pills to escape the misery was joined by nightly walks with ‘suicidal depression’ – unwelcome encounters known only by me. OCD drove me spare. Migraines were a two day sentence of agony up against the wall. Anxiety decided to add to the collection. Depersonalisation robed me of any daily memory of events. Debilitated and just wanting it all to end – the decision made at 15 to allow anorexia nervosa to become my life, was now acknowledged as the biggest downfall – leading me into a dark tunnel filled with endless sadness. Then, seemingly from a place orchestrated over night by ‘the powers to be’, I met a wonderful female psychologist who practised Reality Therapy underpinned by Choice Theory. The light turned on. The time had arrived where that long shadow was to find its Waterloo! The shadow, enveloping me was filled with events which had shaded the colour of my life with black. I was guided to explore my story, my thoughts, my behaviours, physical symptoms and emotions. I examined my beliefs, my values, needs and wants. Most importantly, I reflected upon the relationships I had encountered throughout my life; particularly those pivotal in the early days of my childhood. The shades became my companions, advisers, teachers. Lined with the impact of abuse, each had left their mark. In time, the shades of abuse educated me about life, about acceptance, about how life really works. The shadow, held together by untruths, had cast itself over me as a direct result of how I had interpreted the messages taught through events characterised by all that childhood abuse. I also acknowledged the impact of religious control and the culture of a family living in fear and the need to be ‘seen’ within society. As each event was reframed as to what really occurred, who was at fault, who was to blame, and the understanding the abusers would not be killed should I utter my knowledge – the illnesses collected over many years released their hold. Each illness shared its purpose for being with me, imparting their knowledge, and leaving. Understanding that the fears gained from the family way of life had weighed me down, I assessed the dominating beliefs and values and redirected each to give me peace, and most importantly, me. My needs and wants were addressed and added to my life. The relationships, scrutinised, demonstrated a wealth of connection to the advent of anorexia nervosa. Recovery walked through the door. I emerged to discover this beautiful person existing within me … The dark cloud of despair lifted. The toll of an eating disorder and its companions in crime had been destructive, leaving me beyond recognition. And yet, it would be those very illnesses which would ultimately teach me, show me, that life is a wonderful rendition when created through honouring the self. Denial of self had shed a light on all of the ‘why’s’ as to why my body hurt. Acceptance of self removed the black shades, illuminating colour, infusing colour into my soul – giving shadow no option but to unwrap its hold. I was not to blame, nor was it my fault. The learnings embedded within my brain misled me, pushing me into a life of questioning my existence. My mental health reflected the messaging – what a sad response when there was nothing wrong with me – at all. Where eating disorders flourish, go within. Dive deep into the fabric of who you have become. Seek the ‘why you have become’. Allow the illness to guide you. For this was always the intended role of the illness – to communicate your truth and open the door to the life designed for you. Eating disorders and mental illnesses played out in my life based upon the idea that food and weight would deliver the happiness, the peace, the joy I yearned. In fact, anorexia nervosa and all the attached illnesses were messengers ready to inform and set me free! In gratitude I say ‘thanks’ for all I have learned – abuse in particular – the knowledge you gave, in time, saw me triumph over barely there to thrive once more. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from JL! JL Keez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine J.L Keez survived a nine-year struggle with anorexia nervosa. She endured years of mental illness, including suicidal depression, OCD and depersonalisation. Today, she is the Director of JL Keez Anorexia Unlocked, a passionate speaker, author and Thought Leader in her field. In her role as a Reality Therapy Coach and influential teacher she empowers others to heal their lives through delivering the understanding required to do so.

Written by: Christelle Soto-Suarez, 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. Have you ever wanted to do “something” (joining a specific industry, reaching a senior position, becoming an expert, etc.)… And then realized there was no one “looking like you” (appearance, accents, backgrounds, etc.) doing this “something”? If you have, how did you react? Did you let this lack of role models, of representation, stop you on your track? Or did you keep going for this “something” anyway? Well, if you’re in this situation right now, and you want to “go for it” despite the lack of role models, here are 8 steps that come to mind when I reflect on my time as a woman in construction – from my decision to join this male-dominated and quite traditional industry, to my 25-year international career in that same industry, and then my decision to do something very different. 1. Start with "who you are": The more I reflect on my life experience (not just my career), the more I go back to "Who I Am” – because this is the root to: Wanting to be different, to do things differently from the people I saw around me while growing up; Realizing I’d have to figure out how to create my own path because I didn’t see one I liked around me; Understanding that I’d have to get out of my comfort zone, and put myself in unknown, uncertain, and uncomfortable situations. Of course, at the time of deciding to enter the construction industry, I hadn’t done an in-depth analysis of “Who I Was” – I used broad feelings and perceptions as guidance. Even now, I haven’t (yet) done a full in-depth analysis. I simply take some time, from time to time, to reflect on the questions below, to make some notes, and to go back to these notes later on. It’s a work in progress! But what matters is to answer these questions honestly based on “Who You Are” – not on how you think you should answer them to fit in with your social and professional circles! What are Your Values? What does Success mean to You? What were Your Childhood Dreams? How about Now? What Interests You? What Excites You? What Bores You? What are Your Strengths? 2. Then remember what "inspired" you in the first place Can you remember when you first started to be interested in this “something”? What did you see, hear, read, or understand that raised your interest? What did you want to achieve – in the short and long term? What other, follow-up opportunities came to your mind? For me, the “inspiration” came from a mix of: Addressing in priority my “security and safety” needs by joining an industry that offered "in demand" work, reasonable salaries, and career evolution; Wanting to do something useful and interesting – like building structures critical to human life, that would exist for a long time; Being able to “avoid” starting from the “bottom” positions (salary-wise) in the industry by spending a couple of years studying; Being aware of women entering male-dominated industries, and reaching higher positions than ever before (even if I didn't know any of them) for me, it was supposed to be the beginning of gender equality. 3. Now, Look around you Are you looking for Differences or Similarities? When you realized there was no one “looking like you” doing this “something” What if, instead, you looked for people in the industry or position you’re interested in who have “a little something” in common with you and your situation? There are now many “diverse representatives” in all industries, even if they may only represent a small portion of the workforce; There are many people who started in one field and managed to move to another one despite not having all of the “expected prerequisites”; There are many who started from the “bottom” and managed to “move up the ladder” What if you looked even further away from the industry, the position? People who “look like you” who do/did things no one else “like them” had done before; People who don’t/didn’t follow “social norms”, whether they’re famous or not, whether you know them personally or not; And I would also suggest fiction – because fiction can be a great source of inspiration for “doing things differently”! As I didn’t have access to people in the construction industry (this was pre-internet time!), my “looking around me” was limited. But, as I mentioned above, I was aware of women entering male-dominated industries, reaching higher positions than ever before. For me, that was enough to make me feel that there was a place for me in that industry! 4. What would you "need" to get it? Imagine you’re like everyone else. What would you Need to achieve your goal? What education, experiences, connections, etc. would you need? What’s Stopping you from getting these? There are more and more opportunities for training, mentoring, and networking "targeting" minorities, whether via your employer, professional associations, support groups, etc. And even if formal education can be expensive, there are now many opportunities to study online, while working full-time, etc. Also, do you have to be Exactly like everybody else? After all, there are many ways to get an education, experiences, and connections – including by following a non-traditional career path, bringing something “different” with you, something that can be valued by others. And what if what you have right now is not quite “right” for your goal? Are there opportunities “around” your goal that would also interest you – even if only as a stepping stone on your way to your goal? 5. How much do you really want it? Or, asked differently: How willing are you to Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone for this? This is where there is often a "conflict" between "what needs to be done" (getting uncomfortable) to reach the goal and "enjoying a peaceful, smooth, and comfortable life" And this is where knowing “Who You Are” is so important! Because we only get out of our comfort zone for something we Really want something that is linked to our Values, to what Success means to us, to our Dreams. So, what’s your answer to: What are you ready to do, or not? What are you prepared to lose, to say “no” to? Are you willing to be uncomfortable? Sometimes the answer is “yes, I am”, sometimes the answer is “no, I’m not” or “no, not yet” 6. What’s your Support System? Having a support system is very important, but it can be difficult to build that support system with people who are really there to Support you, and not to give you advice based on their own perspective, values, and meaning of success. And I believe this is where Looking Around You for Similarities (for example, looking for people doing something different) rather than Differences is important! We don't need to be surrounded by people "like us" who want to do the same thing as us we need to be surrounded by people who understand and accept Who We Are and what we Really want to do. I also believe that, sometimes, we need to include in our support system people to whom we don't have direct access, as well as other sources of inspiration and motivation, to empower us to keep going for what we really want to achieve. By that, I mean biographies, books, others’ stories, videos, and podcasts. There is a wide range of options available out there! 7. Finally, take the 1st step! Even if it’s only a very small step, and only you know about it. You have to start somewhere to build up the momentum, then to reach a "cruising speed", and to sometimes have some “high speed” moments! You have to build up the courage to get out of your comfort zone and like pretty much everything, this is done one step at a time. And once you’ve taken a 1st step, you can take another one, and another one. Some steps will be very small and invisible to the people around you, while others will require more courage and be more visible. 8. And when doubts come to you, remember: Who you are; What inspired you; To look for similarities rather than differences; What you need; How much you really want it; Your support system; and To identify another step you can take to move toward your goal! Final words Interested in knowing more about my 5-step process to “Empowering Yourself to Create the Life and Career You Want”? Book a free 45-minute Empower Yourself Discovery Call! Simply curious? Then check out Pistachio-Cassis Coaching website! Subscribe to my Pistachio-Cassis Newsletter for monthly insights on Empowering Yourself to Create the Life and Career You Want. Follow me on LinkedIn for inspiration, motivation, and education about how to empower yourself. And please, reach out to me via LinkedIn or email to let me know you’ve read my article. I’d love to hear from you if you have any feedback, suggestions, or anything else you want to tell me! Visit my website for more info! Read more from Christelle! Christelle Soto-Suarez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Christelle Soto-Suarez is a Personal Leadership & Development Coach who empowers Women in STEM / Construction to create the Life and Career they want, and is the founder of Pistachio-Cassis Coaching. She’s a certified professional coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation. However, coaching is her 2nd career. Previously, she spent 25 years as a construction professional, working on a wide range of construction and engineering projects and in different roles. She worked and lived in several countries, experienced working in multicultural teams, and speaks 3 languages. But however fulfilling and challenging these experiences were, the time came when she realized that she actually felt unhappy, unfulfilled, unsatisfied with where she was in her life. Through her own exploration journey to discover how to create the life and career she wanted for herself, Christelle realized she was actually following a life coaching process. That fascinated her so much that she trained as a professional life coach and she set up her own coaching practice to empower others to also create the life and career they want. Outside of coaching, Christelle loves expanding her horizons through reading, conversing with people with different backgrounds and experiences, and relaxing in nature.

Written by: Yemi Daramola 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. I met Janet at an event in London. She had just resigned her job to try her hands in the fashion industry as a start-up entrepreneur and had convinced her fiancé to invest a huge sum in the same business. The expectation they both had even strengthened the bond of their relationship and were both expecting their marriage to follow the successful launch of the business. Even though I was a business consultant, they saw no need in my expertise as they were sure of their plan, and I poked no nose further than to wish them well. Janet is half-Asian and was very familiar with her continent even though she was born and bred in London. She wanted to design female dinner gown using fabrics and materials from both Africa and Asia and those materials were expected to be utilised into finished products once exported from both Asia and Africa. Janet had all the plans and set the milestones with full hopes for success and had resigned a month earlier our meeting from her highly paid job. By her calculations, she could envisage high returns on the investment and had informed her fiancé. I chatted with them both and wished them well. Five months had passed when I met Janet at a shopping mall in West London and I approached her asking how her business had gone but it was to my chagrin to hear that the well-planned business failed. She said it failed because the chemicals and other contents for the fabric were unknown to her perishable and she had imported them without the alcohol substance required to preserve them hence the business never saw the light of the day and the huge sum invested in it had gone into waste. The added pain to the business stress was that her fiancé cancelled their planned wedding and disengaged her over the failure. I realised Janet had knowledge of the fashion industry and was going to introduce a new fashion style with foreign fabrics combined to produce and add another fashion sense to the world of western fashionistas. She got the business idea right by the novelty of the invention without understanding that there was no such thing as business awareness without its close sibling by the name risk. Her fashion idea if survived would have made the Guinness book of record as the first business in the history of mankind without risk and I doubt if she would have known and pushed for exploiting such record in her ignorance of what risk was to business. Risk is the probability of something or an event happening which could lead to either threat or opportunity that could impact on business envisaged outcome. When you discover a threat, it is meant to be eliminated and where not possible; it must be mitigated to a level where the envisaged benefit of the business would still be viable. When it’s an opportunity, then it must be exploited to gain the full benefit of maximising the envisaged benefit of the venture where possible. By the nature of risks, it becomes sacrosanct to be on the look for them from the start of the business plan till the business invented its outcome and plan must be made where needed to plan for risk even when projects had gone into running operation. Risk is one thing that a businessperson must be on the look for in every milestone or step taking in the direction of business venture. The best way to manage risks are listed below: As soon as you conceive the idea, you must seek for lessons which may include seeking information from similar projects and the resources required for its evolving process without leaving nothing out. List the risks you identify in a record and follow the IDAP process of managing them. The IDAP is an acronym for Identify, Assess and Plan. Identify implies full awareness of the possibilities, either as threats or opportunities. Assessment means calculating the risks to know the impacts and proximity to the business evolution. Plan means the actions to be activated in eliminating or mitigating the risks identified so long as outcome would be realised or exploiting them in case, they are opportunities. Communicate the risks and the plan for it constantly as required to the relevant member of your team who would take the corresponding actions that was planned to manage the risks. There are different tools required for assisting in recognising these risks and the need for a business consultant may be sacrosanct where you need that complimentary effort in your venture either in construction, finance, sales or IT to mention few. Who knows if an accurate risk awareness of business would safe your marriage unlike Janet whose business was the only business in global history without risk and it failed. Protect your ideas by been aware of its risks by every means and remember the motto is continued innovation and improvement. Yemi Daramola, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine He is the Managing Director of Jason Folds Group Ltd and a multi-skilled business consultant with certifications in Business analysis and project management to the professional level. A published writer and a poet. He has been able to offer a complete package of business support to clients through his diverse expertise which saw him growing markets either through writing valuable copies or strategizing market growth as well as managing corporate change or crisis. He is enthused with the growth of his clients’ investments and managing accompanying risks. He also enjoys coaching corporate and individuals on the need for persistent innovation and improvement which is the motto of his company.

Written by: Lilia Ackerman, 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 to be here again with all of you. Hope you are on fire and hungry to know the last two keys to be set for success for accomplishing your Vision! Let’s dive all the way in! Key No.3 Present State of Being It is very crucial to be mindful of the present state of your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being before you start working on the Key 4 The Mission-Planning your action steps. It can make a mayor difference in your outcome. There are seven outcomes that you can benefit from, in order to help establish who you are and who you can become before creating your Mission. 1. Personal Growth - Recognize the areas that need attention, so you can make the necessary adjustments to what you want to accomplish. Awareness is a magic tool; it helps you take responsibility for your actions, emotions, and for your life experiences—which is a sign of personal maturity that helps you avoid blaming others for your life experiences. 2. Self-Improvement - The first step is to analyze without self-judgment about unhealthy habits that may be holding you back from succeeding. Something extremely helpful is to write about previous experiences where you were not able to achieve your goals. Determine what the common denominator is. The second step is to create a powerful habit that is going to help you in your daily steps. 3. Metamorphose the system of limiting beliefs related to your vision, that can be transformed into ravishing beliefs. When you have the truth of what your beliefs are in front of you, you will either see that your beliefs are getting in the way, or they are in alignment with your vision. Facing your limiting beliefs can help in so many ways. First, your life won’t be triggered by them anymore. Uncover where they came from, when you started believing in them, and why you decided to adopt them as your own. You will come to a crossroads, where you have to decide if you want to keep your limiting beliefs (knowing they can prevent you from seeing your dreams come true). This is a bit of a touchy subject, as these limiting beliefs could come from many previous generations; therefore releasing them causes emotional distress. Or you can decide to muster the courage to say, “No more,” release, and let them go. If you choose the second option, you will have an amazing experience throughout your lifetime because you are shifting from a constricted lifestyle to a life of enlightenment and endless opportunities—perfectly aligned on your path for remarkable success! Example: Goal: Start a new relationship. Belief "Love is not for me." Thoughts: It is really hard to meet someone that wants to commit to a relationship. All the good men/women are taken; there is no one left. Outcome: Guess what kind of experience you are going to create? A painful one. Because you will attract partners that are not available for you. With that kind of belief, you are going to attract someone who does not want to be committed to a long-term relationship, or you will see yourself falling for someone that is married. You won’t attract what you want, unless you work on this limiting belief. “Your beliefs are your experiences.” 4. Set your mindset on success - Create a resilient mindset to achieve what you have set out to do. Once you have clarified your beliefs, you can work more easily on your thoughts—since they are a reflection of what you believe. 5. Learn to control your emotions - When you have set a goal, you simply cannot have the luxury of being constantly angry or disappointed every time something goes wrong. This leads to many disadvantages such as wasted time, energy, and/or stress that prevents you from working efficiently and productively. Eventually, you will end up giving up on your vision and becoming part of the 92% of people that fall asleep to their dreams. Therefore, if you recognize that you get angry easily when you cannot find the solution to a problem, now is the time to work in that area of your life. That way, when you are in a moment when you are about to lose it, you can approach the situation with resiliency and shake yourself out of the unhealthy pattern. Instead, find a way to regain peace by applying breathing techniques, going for a walk, connecting with God, or doing something else that can help you channel the emotion you’re feeling. Surprisingly, you will realize that taking responsibility for your emotions will cause your inner genius to start looking for alternative solutions to any problem raised, and it will help you to stay productive, and with a lot of energy. 6. It will serve as a reference of your progress - When doubts like “I haven’t done anything” come in, start by looking back at where you started and how far you are now. It will help you to see the truth. You will be inspired to continue. 7. Peace between you and family – If you are having a rough day due to a project you are working on, rather than blame others for the way you feel, search within to see what is behind that particular emotion. Then, make adjustments as needed to help you back into your brilliant being. Who I am - An important component of the State of Being is the concept of ‘Who I am.’ Many times, Who you are in the present can be an obstacle to achieving your life’s vision. It is important to know your weakness and strengths. Once Who you are is established, an extraordinary life of transformation and triumph is opened up. Now you are in the position to discover with certainty Who you need to become.” ‘Who’ can execute the daily tasks that are required to concrete the Mission? So, this is a wide-open door to making wise decisions on what stays and what it needs to go. It is time to declutter your life! Be honest with yourself to see Who you are now. Do it in a constructive way, with no self-judgment. This is not the time to beat yourself up, but to elevate your being. Making permanent changes helps to improve your lifestyle. This humble action keeps you searching within, and takes your eyes away from others, or past circumstances that interfere with achieving your goals. After all, it is more powerful to change yourself, rather than waste time trying to change someone else. Let me share a piece of information that is a goldmine! Who you need to become is already installed in you. But somewhere from the time you were conceived until now, that brilliant person got lost within. Dive in to find your true self! Example: If you recognize that, “Yes, I am a procrastinator,” then perfect! The next is to ask questions of yourself, until you feel in your gut that you have the right answer. Questions like: “Can a procrastinator be committed to daily, weekly and/or monthly deadlines?” The answer is no. So, if you are a procrastinator, you will never be able to complete your goal. You will find yourself among the 92% of people that start every year with the same goals—the 92% that gives up in the first month of the year. The next question could be something like: “What kind of person can complete tasks?” A DOER – An ACHIEVER. Now that you have the answer, your next step is to intentionally become a doer; because a doer is someone that pursues and doesn’t give up easily, someone that finishes anything they start, regardless of whether they are feeling down or unmotivated. They will stay consistent until the task is done. Your goal at this point is to get familiar with the characteristics of a doer. What do they do to stay resilient? How do they act when facing adversities? How do they plan their action steps, etc.? The more you start acting like one, progressively your inner Achiever will find its way out, ready to carry on any given task. In no time, you will move from being a procrastinator to an Achiever. In the beginning, this might make you feel uncomfortable; but it’s completely natural, because until now, your bad habits—or limiting beliefs—have been a part of your life. Don’t worry. Eventually you will notice that you are becoming less and less resistant, easily acting in your new role. The person you are becoming at the end of your vision will astonish you. You will enjoy a stronger personality, feeling more confident in yourself, resilient, happy, creative, and proud of getting to the finish line. Now, you are part of the 8% that reach their goals. You will never be the same or go back to the old you. The new you won’t allow it because you have felt the full experience of life transformation. Warning! The old you will show up from time-to-time. This is completely normal. After all, you have sheltered it for so long. When this happens, with love and compassion say, “Thank you for being with me, you served a purpose in my life, but your presence is not needed anymore. I have what I need to move on.” This is just an example. Using your own words is more powerful because it comes from within. What to do when the old you shows up: Give thanks. Be grateful for its purpose in your life. Give a short explanation as to why you don’t need it anymore. Let go in peace. When you elevate the standard of your life, it’s like wearing new glasses that perceive the world on a different level of amazingness! “Knowing is wisdom, ignorance is a roadblock.” -Lilia Ackerman By now you are equipped with the three first Keys, which are your foundation, now it is time to start building your bridge to get to your vision by planning your mission/action steps. Key 4 Mission Mission/Action is the bridge that connects your beginning to the completion of your vision. You are the architect in charge of building the stepping stones until the bridge is complete. Steppingstones are mini action steps that you are committed to. In order to build solid and strong stepping stones, you need to be specific, precise, and realistic in your daily, weakly, and monthly actions. Example: Vision: Write and publish a book in nine months. Why: To share with the masses a message of love and forgiveness. A guide to face unresolved issues and enter into a ravishing life.What I have found out is that when unresolved issues have not been addressed, people obsessively think about the event or the offender. This drastically affects their relationships with themselves and with their world because of the bitterness and resentment that are carried everywhere they go. Chronic emotional and physical pain occurs, creating vulnerability in health and in spiritual areas. Therefore, people cannot fully embrace or create the life they dream of. To help people to find their true essence, and happiness. Create another stream of income. Use the book to enroll customers into my wellness programs Mission: Attend all Self publishers’ sessions. Implement the program’s lessons as we go. Specific/Realistic Action Steps: I want my book to have around 150 pages. Which days I can set apart to work: Monday & Thursday How many hours: 3-4 How many pages do I need to write to meet the deadline: 2 1/2 pages. What I am not willing to do – How am I going to resolve the problem: Upload the manuscript on Ingram Spark platform. Hire someone from the writer’s program to do it for me. Complete the book by: September 28th, 2022. Send the draft to the editor to be reviewed by Nov. 4th. Publishing date: January 28th, 2023. Where should I start?: Write about my personal story. Gather everything I already have related to the book and expand from there. Decide what are the main topics I want my book to have: love, forgiveness, health. Complete one topic per month. The End! This is just an example of how it looks to draft and execute the action steps of your vision. I used my book that I wrote in 2022 as an example. Through the process, I encountered life obstacles like helping my daughter that had anxiety issues due to a medication she was on. It was very painful to see her like that; I went to her house for one month to help her. During the time I was at her house, I couldn’t write much. Another issue was that I helped my youngest brother relocate to another city. I traveled to Mexico for 3 weeks. The good thing is, when I gave myself the deadline to complete the book, it was 3 months before the publishing date. This gave me time to recover from the time that I was unable to do anything. I do this every time I am planning my goals—give room for life’s surprises. Now you are completely set for success! Dream Big! After all, you are the Master Key! Because I believe in you, I am gifting you with a 45-minute 1:1 Clarity Coaching Session to identify and transform limiting beliefs into a powerful ones to succeed on your vision. Send an email to mycoachlilia@gmail.com to schedule your appointment! I can’t wait to hear from you! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Lilia! Lilia Ackerman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lilia Ackerman aka "The Truth Digger" knows that to change your world and experience the abundance of life, it is neccessary to make changes and adjustments in your personal life. She gets to the core of your troubles using her education, knowledge of more than twenty years in the Wellness Industry, her gifted intuition, effective strategies, personal experience overcomming unresolved issues, and rising above rejection, sexual and emotional abused, and her Methodology SHIFT.

Written by: Emi Olausson Fourounjieva, Senior Level 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. Recently I had an interesting conversation with a successful C-level Leader from Denmark. We were talking about the latest trends in the Business and Corporate world, the latest shifts on the global arena and noticeable transformations on personal/behavioral levels. It took us to the topic of Crisis Management – a critical aspect of Business Leadership, which is usually not highlighted broadly enough to reflect the depth of its aspects in today’s world. The success of a Business to a large extent depends on how effectively its Leaders manage crises. Having a well-thought-out Crisis Management plan in place is extremely important! However, the most efficient solutions require a careful balance of logical and spiritual approaches. The logical part emphasizes analytical thinking, problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making, while the spiritual side focuses on Human factors, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, Compassion, etc. In Crisis Management, logical approaches are extremely useful for gathering information, analyzing the situation, and developing an action plan. These approaches are particularly effective in addressing immediate concerns, such as ensuring the safety of employees or mitigating financial losses and other business risks. At the same time, spiritual approaches can be helpful for addressing the emotional and psychological impacts of a crisis. These approaches emphasize the importance of Empathy, Compassion, and Mindfulness in managing Stress and building Resilience. They can be particularly effective in addressing long-term concerns, such as maintaining employee morale, keeping the best performers or rebuilding public trust. The key challenge in Crisis Management is finding the right balance between these two approaches. Too much focus on logic can lead to a cold, impersonal response that fails to consider the crisis impact on Humans. Too much focus on the other, softer side, on the other hand, can lead to a lack of clear direction and accountability, which can hinder effective decision-making. Furthermore, having the right Mindset and Soft Skills in place is crucial. Only together they will provide the right level of impact and a successful path to the desired outcomes. The right mindset can help Leaders to stay focused on what really matters during a crisis. A well-balanced, positive and confident Leader stays calm and objective in the face of uncertainty and chaos. This, in turn, can help make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and take swift action to mitigate the crisis. Critical thinking and the ability to learn from failures and setbacks and use them as opportunities for growth and improvement are crucial in times of adversities. Leaders who are likely to turn challenges into opportunities, to learn, adapt, and innovate are more impactful and efficient. Another important aspect of crisis management is Resilience. Resilient leaders are able to bounce back from negative situations, maintain their focus and keep a clearer vision during difficult times. Resilience helps them adapt to changing circumstances and continue moving forward, even when things seem bleak. Being flexible is also very important for successful Crisis Management. Leaders who are open to new ideas and willing to experiment with different approaches are better equipped to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and thrive. This can be especially important in the digital realm, where technological advances and market trends are shifting so quickly. Finally, having a collaborative approach and advanced communication skills can be critical. In a crisis, it is important for Leaders to work closely with their teams, stakeholders, and partners to develop effective solutions. Leaders who are able to collaborate effectively and build strong relationships with others are more likely to succeed. Successful Crisis Management requires Leaders to integrate both logical and spiritual approaches into their response, to balance business aspects and Mindset with the Soft Skills. Leaders must be mindful of the emotional and psychological impacts of the crisis on their own life, their team and stakeholders, and use the right approach to build Resilience and maintain morale and balance in a sustainable way. Would you like to get some support to effectively navigate crises and emerge stronger and more resilient? I helped many leaders to get more Clarity and adapt their Roadmap; I can help You to thrive. Book a Free Strategy Call with me or download my Free Weekly Mindset & Strategy Planner for the Overwhelmed High Achievers to hit your Goals with ease in a powerful way! Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Emi! Emi Olausson Fourounjieva, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Emi Olausson Fourounjieva is a Transformational Coach, Digital Transformation Leader with extensive experience in Digital Analytics and Marketing, Visionaire, Educator and Global Speaker, Advisor on the Advisory Board of two global professional networks. Her strength is to create synergy effects using resources and technologies to get optimal business results in a data-driven, customer-centric way. Emi's initiative "Digital Transformation for Humans" reflects her passion for the intersection of Technology, Business and Human Factors. Her professional experience has led her to the conclusion that Digital Transformation must be boosted not only by the power of data, research, algorithms and technologies but also by human intuition, creativity and adaptability, in order to obtain harmonious and sustainable development. Through her coaching, Emi empowers Leaders to combine their Intelligence and Competence with Soft Skills, helping them become more confident and self-aware, feel positive, have more impact, and achieve goals with ease and joy. Emi sees Mindset as a critical part of any successful Leader's toolbox, which is why she has developed her signature coaching program, "The Winning Mindset for Leaders in Digital".

Written by: Joshua B. Lee, 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. With LinkedIn having over 900 million members, there are just too many opportunities to pass up. If you’re not already looking at ways to generate opportunities on the platform, now’s your chance to take advantage of the incredible potential that awaits you! Don’t let your products or services go to waste – start leveraging LinkedIn today! 🔥 What exactly is lead generation on LinkedIn? It's basically the process of finding potential customers and getting them interested in what you have to offer. Think about how real estate agents hand out flyers for pre-selling a condo…or how gym sales reps call up potential customers to become members. That’s lead generation – identifying who your customers are and then finding a way for them to bite the hook. Why should you care about lead generation on LinkedIn? Like I mentioned, the platform has close to 900 million members. That’s a boatload of potential customers if you ask me. LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform to date, and with its advanced search features and competitive content planning section, it’s no surprise that your competitors are on it 24/7. Plus, get this: 4 out of 5 people on LinkedIn drive business decisions. So, you should consider jumping on the LinkedIn bandwagon. Now that you know WHY you should care… Here are six tips on how you can generate quality leads on LinkedIn: 1. Optimize your profile. First impressions matter. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: fix your profile as if it were on a dating app. Make it clear AND known – what you do, what you seek, and what you’re here for. And I can’t stress this enough: make sure you sound like you’re talking and connecting to your fellow humans. Otherwise, it’ll just look like a typed-up, fancy resume that potentially screams “douche”. You wouldn’t want that, would you? 2. Join LinkedIn groups relevant to your niche. Now you’re ready to mingle. It’s like the virtual version of joining alumni events or in-person networking events. Joining groups in your niche not only highlights your visibility, but it’s a great way for you to keep connecting to people who could either be: Potential customers and/or current customers you could actually nurture and keep happy. 3. Ready to invest? Try out LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator. A paid LinkedIn service. Now if you’re serious AF about building your lead generation strategy, then this paid subscription is for you. Once you subscribe, you gain access to pretty robust features like: Lead Builder, Advanced Search, Saved Leads, Account Pages, and InMail. These features give you an upper hand when looking at profiles and building your “lead bank”, as you are now privy to more details about people you could connect with. Basically, it’s an efficient way to target an audience (think of it like a premium Tinder or Bumble account, where you could see who’s swiped right to you) so you can save time, and essentially, money. 4. Post valuable and relatable content. Share content your audience would care about. It’s not just about the numbers. You need to put out stories that focus on solving the problems your audience cares about. It’s about highlighting your thought leadership while making sure your readers can easily spot “what’s in it for them”. Feeling like you’ve got writer’s block? Here are some ideas on what to write about! 👉 Reshared articles or posts 👉 Opinion pieces to highlight your expertise 👉 Employee stories 👉 Company updates 👉 Tips and listicles And if you ever get stuck in a content rut, well… @Standout Authority may just be the solution you’re looking for! I know it’s a shameless plug, but that’s why we’re here. 😉 5. Leverage LinkedIn’s advanced search engine Time to get specific. The more you can narrow down your search, the better. No more throwing spaghetti strategies on a wall and hoping a noodle sticks. When you can search for specific job titles, locations, or industries, it makes it a whole lot easier for you to drill down and specifically target people you can connect with. Provided, of course, that you know exactly who your customers are! 6. Building your LinkedIn connections over time. Intentionally connect those in your target niche or industry. Don’t just mindlessly click the connect button like there’s no tomorrow. Now that you know LinkedIn has advanced search filters, this makes connecting a lot more intentional! Create a connection-building plan so you can continuously expand your reach. And once you implement all 6 steps like clockwork, trust me when I say that your LinkedIn profile will start acquiring leads like moths to a flame! Ready to bust out the big guns and start collecting quality leads faster than ever before on LinkedIn?Connect with me on Linkedin, and let me know you read this article in Brainz Magazine and I will give you the tools you need to attract, engage, and convert your dream clients! We know! There’s nothing worse than spending hours creating content, hoping it’ll go viral and get the engagement that it deserves… Only to watch your phone notifications like a hawk, to realize you got 2 likes… ❌ Or sending cold DMs that make you sound like a sleazy salesman. ❌ Or having plain vanilla content that makes your profile read like a 2005-style resume. ❌ Or attracting clients that don’t want to pay you for your true value… After generating 35 TRILLION online impressions, we realized this: You just need to create real human connections online because that builds long-lasting relationships and loyal clients. To help you become a standout authority in your industry, we’re opening up 20 spots for our 8-week StandOut Authority Experience Program that will help you... 🔥 Attract your ideal audience 🔥 Engage your followers 🔥 Convert them into customer advocates WITHOUT selling JOIN THE VIP WAITLIST NOW But wait there’s more! 😉 By joining the waitlist, we'll give you something we normally only give to our paying clients – our exclusive LinkedIn Profile Checklist to help you make a rockstar profile that attracts the right audience. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Joshua! Joshua B. Lee, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine They call me “The Dopamine Dealer of LinkedIn” and I’m proud of that nickname. I founded Standout Authority in 2014, so I can work with entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals like you to help you humanize your professional or company brand on LinkedIn.

Written by: Alisha Eisler, 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. Creating a spiritual practice can feel daunting especially if spirituality is completely new to you and creating an ethical spiritual practice can seem even more challenging when you're not quite sure where to start. The options are endless. I've created eight easy ways for you to create a spiritual practice that will not only resonate with you but will also be ethical and help heal generational trauma. 1. Connect with your lineage Our sense of rootedness is directly connected to our own identity – who we are, where we come from, what our story is, who our ancestors are, and how we show up in the world – all connect to our feelings of belonging. So creating a spiritual practice that begins with discovering your heritage allows you the opportunity to be fully rooted in your spirituality rather than picking up a random practice from other people and cultures that may not resonate with you and contributes to your misalignment. Whether you are new or have been practicing for a long time, I invite you to begin with a quest to discover your family heritage so you can fully align with your highest self. Not only does creating your spiritual practice from a place of heritage help you deepen your connection to self, but it also lessens the chance of appropriation like misusing tools, resources, and sacred items from other cultures and modalities. 2. Explore modalities with an open mind If you are choosing to explore the modalities of another culture, be mindful of your intentions and be sure to set time aside to educate yourself on the entire practice. Choosing to leave out a certain aspect or practice of another culture contributes to the erasure of that culture. This means you directly contribute to erasing a culture from history. If you find that you are uncomfortable practicing a modality as it was intended, it may not be the practice for you. Keep exploring. 3. Be open to receiving feedback If you have a practice that includes another culture's ideals or beliefs, it's important to have the understanding that people from those cultures or even those not from those cultures may give you feedback if it is necessary. One of the best things you can do when you receive feedback, especially if it's from that community, is to take in that feedback wholeheartedly and adjust your practice immediately. As a person who may not come from that culture, it can be very easy to misinterpret information that you have learned and then misuse it. Be mindful of how you practice and be open to receiving other forms of education. 4. Share the source of your knowledge & experiences On your journey to discovering different modalities, you may find yourself wanting to share them with the world. Before doing so, it's really important that you also state where you have received your information with the intent to give credit where it is due. This is especially important for spiritual leaders & teachers (or anyone holding space) to set expectations for those attending so that they also hold to that culture's truth(s) and do not unintentionally contribute to generational trauma & cause harm. So be sure to respectfully give acknowledgment. 5. Ask questions Asking questions is an amazing way to do away with assumptions about a modality or about a practice as long as it's done mindfully. For example, if you are out and about going to a spiritual store looking for items to incorporate into your practice, ask questions about the item's history, where the item was sourced from, ask about the shop owner (who they are, their reasons for creating a shop) and if they ethically source their merchandise, do they give back to the community they source from…etc. And then decide for yourself if you should purchase from that place or not. Most shops have an online site; feel free to check there first before asking questions. 6. Understand the intent of the spiritual tool, information, or practice Having a deep understanding of a spiritual item is going to be essential for everybody's spiritual practice because it not only helps to undo generational trauma but also ensures that you are spiritually connecting in an aligned and ethical way. A lot of people misuse spiritual tools & resources because they haven't done the research themselves. This is quite dangerous because they could energetically, spiritually, and emotionally be causing harm to themselves, the environment, and to people they come in contact with. So, do your best to educate yourself! 7. Be mindful of your own biases & privileges In the world that we live today, we all carry biases. There's not one person in the whole world who doesn't have them. It's important to know that when you are starting something new in your spiritual practice you also actively do work on yourself, so your biases do not negatively affect yourself and those around you. For example, if you feel uncomfortable performing a certain part of a practice that's something to take note of, and decide for yourself if you're going to partake in that practice again. I would refrain from choosing to remove the parts of the practice that do not align with you because again it goes back to erasing that culture's history. Also, take note if you have the privilege of opting out. In addition, pay close attention to any thoughts or emotions that may come up about that culture that may be inaccurate. This alone will say a lot about what you may carry in your mind, body & spirit and whether or not you should be practicing that modality. 8. Support the community Lastly, it's important to support the community of the modality you practice. Make sure you are putting your time, energy, and physical money into the community that you are learning from rather than contributing to the imbalance of representation and oppression. This helps to create equity and balance within the world of spirituality and allows space for the elevation and wealth of all of the cultures we celebrate today! So do your research & support the associations and spiritual leaders that are involved in the community in a very ethical way! For more tips, join the Empowered Living Group for Socially Conscious Witches, Healers & Spirituals! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and visit my website for more info! Read more from Alisha! Alisha Eisler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Alisha Eisler who also goes by Ngozi, is a leader in healing generational trauma and an advocate for women's wellness. Having to navigate life in the corporate world as a femme, black, outspoken queer female, Alisha faced many hurdles with equal pay, mental health stability & social equity. She's now dedicated her life to empowering femme presenting people from intersectional backgrounds to heal and self-advocate for their needs and the life they desire. Alisha is also the CEO & Founder of Flourish Ase, a safe haven for mystical folx where she offers 1:1 coaching in her ancestral healing journey "More Than Worthy" and holds group coaching sessions in her "Empowered Femme Initiation" journey.