Written by: Phan Thi Quynh Trang, 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 process of learning never ends. After receiving a degree and beginning a profession, it doesn't end. Career-minded people can continuously advance their abilities and get better at their employment by continuing their education. It is crucial for school administrators in the field of K–12 education administration to encourage teachers to pursue professional development in order to improve not just the learning results for their students but also their own effectiveness and job satisfaction. Trang Phan has always been passionate about sharing her love towards teaching and training ESL with others. Trang strives to deliver top-notch lectures and give her students top-notch care. She is enthusiastic, imaginative, and compassionate. She is skilled in theory and practical application. Trang came to understand the need to swiftly adjust to shifting circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. At that point, she had no choice but to continue on her chosen professional path in education or risk losing everything. Trang, however, had to go in a totally different way. And she came to the realization that educators may now engage with audiences and share their expertise in what seems like an infinite number of ways thanks to technology. Because Trang is an excellent teacher, she may use technology to teach and highlight flaws in manufacturers. She learned that the educational entrepreneur uses financial resources referred to as ‘studying’ to create positive value change through her contribution to the nation's educational technology units. She says, "A new challenge worth taking on is motivating educators to realize their value, stay current, and broaden their horizons for the sustainable development of the educational technology industry." In the quest for ‘10 Most Influential Edupreneurs of the Year 2023’ we crossed the path of Southern Ontario Collegiate (SOC), and interviewed the Director, Trang Phan, where she shared her professional journey and the technological advancements she is going to implement in future. To learn more about Trang Phan read ahead. Sharing Expertise As a Training and Development Coordinator at Wee College Inc., Trang and her team believe that for a child, it means finding their voice and claiming ownership of their learning in an independent and relevant way. For teachers, it demonstrates their commitment to tying curriculum objectives together in a way that is enjoyable and interesting for students. It indicates that they regard themselves as collaborators in an initiative to foster curiosity and progress. She says, "As a parent, it’s about becoming invested in the journey and experiencing the wonder of your child’s achievements. As the most significant emotional investment of all, the Wee College learning partnership is a catalyst for sharing new experiences with the people you love most." To those who know Wee College, it’s a beehive of wonder, laughter, and inclusion. It’s about nurturing an environment that thrives on empowerment, exploration, and family while ensuring that the passion for learning lives and breathes beyond its classroom walls. Southern Ontario Collegiate Trang is the regional director of Southern Ontario Collegiate, a school that specializes in high school, pre-university, and ESL courses while also offering in-class private education services. It gives students the chance to learn and choose a successful career path. SOC has a proven track record of accomplishment and has emerged as a leader in the provision of high school and pre-university courses to students looking to succeed in the modern world. Since opening its doors in 1980, Southern Ontario Collegiate (SOC) has grown significantly. Every year, it welcomes more students, but the major goal is to support all students in realizing their potential. The founders of SOC were themselves international students—University of Toronto graduates—who wanted to make the Canadian educational experience more positive. They created a perfect environment for academic greatness, but with a more balanced approach. They have small class sizes, a low student-to-teacher ratio, and a high level of care. Twinkl Educational Publishing Trang works as an editor and writer for Twinkl Educational Publishing's teacher content. Twinkl, which has earned the trust of teaching communities all around the world, offers immediate access to a wide variety of teaching, planning, and evaluation tools to assist learning from infancy. It contains materials produced by experts for: Ages 0-16 Planning and Assessment Welsh, Scottish and ROI Curriculum SEN EAL SLT Teaching Assistants Child-minders Home Educators Parents Every child deserves to be loved and cared for since they are each distinct and unique, according to the team. The centre firmly believes in providing the most captivating and motivating content. Remarkable Work Experiences Without a doubt, the classroom experience is crucial to acquiring the abilities needed for effective teaching. Research has demonstrated that teachers' effectiveness grows with experience, especially early in their careers, and under favorable conditions, it continues to increase over the course of their careers, even when educational achievement is merely measured as test scores. A large portion of teachers' time is spent on student evaluations, curriculum creation, and other paperwork in addition to the hours they spend lecturing in the classroom. Teachers who participate in professional development training can improve their time management and organization skills. In the end, this increases teacher productivity and frees up more time for them to concentrate on the children rather than the paperwork. The table below shows Trang's years of work experience and how much of her time is spent on curriculum development, student evaluations, and educational work. Educap., JSc (Sep 2016 - Feb 2019). Executive Consultant (Remote ‒ online) Consulting TESOL courses Performing work to support CEO, supervise, and manage according to the request of the Director. Implementing instructions from the Director. Managing and supporting courses at the company. Reporting to the CEO to coordinate and supervise the daily operation of the training course. Building training plans, images, share professional articles, and connect with a community of students. Achievements Responsibilities: Organize regular training courses for TESOL courses in Hanoi. Organize teaching method workshops in many cities across the country. Supporting seniors trainers on training and connect more than 10,000 TESOL students. Anh Quoc Preschool (Sep 2016 - Dec 2021) Full-time Early Childhood Educator/ ESL Senior Teacher Responsibilities Evaluating special-needs students, determining skill levels, and functional capabilities. Modifying lessons and revising the standard curriculum to Match the child’s functional capacity and accommodations. Co-teaching in integrated learning settings. Meeting parents and others to review goals and assess Creating materials to assist in teaching. Advising parents on how to work with their child. Achievements VTV24 Vì tầm Vóc Việt (Guest Speaker) Homeschooling or not Building good habits for children (topic: using smartphones and TVs) Ms Trangphan Tesol (Sep 2016 - May 2021) ESL teacher (Part-time night shift) Responsibilities Organizing and delivering classroom lectures to students. Evaluating a student’s class work and assignments. Preparing classroom and coursework materials, homework assignments and handouts. Recording and maintain accurate student attendance records and grades. Classroom management. Maintaining discipline in the classroom. Creating a vibrant teaching atmosphere. Creating lesson plans and learning activities Reports to parents. Achievements A reading program builds the love of reading for young children, connecting parents and children to having time to read together. Follow me on Facebook, YouTube, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Phan! Phan Thi Quynh Trang, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Teaching and training ESL has always been my passion, and I am dedicated to contributing to the success of others. I am enthusiastic, creative and caring, proficient in theory and practical application, and always strive to provide quality lectures and provide quality care to my students. During the Covid 19 pandemic, I realized I needed to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. The only option I had at that time was to either lose everything or to continue on the educational career path that I had chosen. However, I had to continue in a completely different direction. And I realized that Technology has made it possible for educators to connect with audiences and share their expertise in seemingly unlimited ways. Since I have expertise in teaching, I can apply products to teaching and point out the weaknesses of manufacturers. Through my contribution to educational technology units in the country, I discovered that the educational entrepreneur creates positive value change using economic resources named "studying". A new challenge worth taking on is motivating educators to realize their value, stay current, and broaden their horizons for the sustainable development of the educational technology industry. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Written by: Traci Philips, 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 mean, look at me!” my daughter exclaimed, thrusting her phone in my face and pointing at a picture on Instagram taken 3 years ago. “I. Was. UGLY.” I looked down at the photo. Staring up at me was the face of my child at that awkward developmental stage that was 12 years old. “And, I know what you’re going to say, but that’s what you are SUPPOSED to say. You’re my MOM!” I looked at my daughter, smiled and responded gently, “oh, really?” “Yeah,” she countered and went back to grimacing at her picture. “Well,” I started slowly, “I was going to say I remember feeling the same way. That’s why I don’t believe there is a single picture left of me during that time in my own life. I destroyed all of them. My daughter looked up suddenly. “Really?!” “Yeah, really,” I said sitting down next to her. “And you know what else?” “What?” “I don’t think we can define ourselves by a transitional time in our lives. I mean, what if a caterpillar tried to exemplify its identity and value at the time it’s half eaten up within the chrysalis becoming a butterfly? I think that is most likely a pretty ugly stage if you evaluate it simply by how it looks. The thing is, as we transform, it is often awkward and messy. If we become absolute about what this time means, without looking at the larger picture, we miss its true purpose and significance. We also risk creating a lot of unhappiness and strife in our lives. My daughter quietly nodded, eyes round, listening intently. I continued. “We may not be the most beautiful and put together during times of transition, but without it, we can never become transformed. The awkward cygnet cannot become the lovely swan, the caterpillar cannot become the butterfly and you cannot enter the next stage of who you are meant to be without this essential time of transformation.” I was recently tagged on a post about pronouns. The author of the post stated that the “right” thing to do these days is to clarify and use the pronouns that apply to how we want to be identified and, like with names, make sure we are using the correct one when referring to someone else. The person went on to say that if we fail to do this, we are being offensive and disrespectful to the person and their choice of identity. I see this a lot these days… statements of absolutism. “If this then that” comments that draw a straight and unalterable line of belief and definition. I experience it from my daughter. I mean, try to tell a teenager that (s)he may not be seeing or understanding the whole picture. They are right, and that’s that. It’s a very “I know it all” stage. Developmental times of “becoming” tend to look this way. As we each move through the process of individuation, we hit the “adolescent” stage of our transformation. We concretize our perspectives as a way to ground us to something, as this time of change is one of extreme fluctuation and unpredictability. It’s hard to know which end is up, and having certainty in our thinking and beliefs gives us something firm on which to stand. We can get caught in the practice of discovering “the way” and then affixing ourselves to this as we would a life raft that is offered as we are struggling not to drown in stormy waters. The key is to have foresight and realize, that although we seem oh so certain of what we understand and choose to believe now, when we mature into the next stage, we will be given a greater perspective on just how much we didn’t and couldn’t see before. At this time, we are all growing into new ways of doing things. As we question and reevaluate so much in our lives, there are shifting ideas on how to establish ourselves on so many levels. We are looking for answers and solutions for the changes and challenges. Just like teenagers trying to figure out their developing identities, with this can come a type of orthodoxy in what we find and determine is the new “right” way. I see this in the leadership world with the expectations around leaders being “servants” and “selfless.” Again, like the teenager who wants to see himself/herself as an adult and to be treated like one, we might view the solution, but not be ready to BE it, yet. If we don’t progress, naturally, through the stages of awareness, engagement and ownership, first, to learn who we truly are, we risk not becoming true servants or selfless leaders, but instead becoming martyrs to others’ expectations of who and what we need to be. We must allow the developmental process to play out before we are truly ready to step onto that next stage. It’s good to hold up the ideal, but then realize we reach it incrementally. When we are in the process of becoming, it is important to have grace, humility and curiosity. A lot still is unfolding and needs to transform within us so that we can be ready to identify, fully, with a new way of being. The 18-year-old boy can put on his father’s suit, and even if it fits, this doesn’t instantly make him a man. When it comes to following the trends and things we are being told from the outside world, it’s best to be careful not to immediately assume that any one way is the magic solution that will deliver us from the confusion and uncertainty that we feel. Again, like with the transitional stage of the teenage years, this is supposed to be a time of confusion and uncertainty. This type of environment sets the stage for us to discover who we are and find our way in the world. It is a crucial time for engaging with ideas and testing them out. We must be allowed to try on and experience, for ourselves, what seems true and feels right, while also remembering this is an interim period. We are only visiting this phase of our lives, it is not, as with all times, where we will always be. If we too strongly attach ourselves to absolute identities, ideas, view points and beliefs, it will have us missing the larger picture and can have us, again like with teenagers, at odds with others and challenged and challenging in our demeanor and approach. So, when we find ourselves so sure that our way is right and the other person’s way is wrong or that simply identifying a possible solution means we all need to jump on that bandwagon and expect ourselves and others to instantly follow this new way, a good rule of thumb would be to pause and reflect instead. As we do this, we can consider that there may be more to learn and know, and perhaps, we are being too hasty in our fixed thinking and expectations. We can remind ourselves that it is good to question our own assumptions and test our theories before we jump to conclusions. We don’t know what we don’t know, and we can be curious in our inquiries and observations as we investigate what is true for us. It is also only fair to allow others to follow the cord of their ideas and what they are meant to find through their own discovery. With time comes wisdom, and just because we think we may know better doesn’t mean we are ready to do better. We get to allow ourselves this necessary time of grasping around in the dark to identify who we are now and what we are capable of doing and being. We are in a time of deep experimentation and exploration, and we only truncate this developmental process when we become to rigid. As a word of caution, in a time when it is so easy to jump to absolutes, when we don’t take the time to step back and consider that we might be wrong, or at the very least, we may not be seeing the entire picture, we risk creating realities we cannot easily rectify. Want to learn more from Traci? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, or visit her website. Read more from Traci! Traci Philips, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As an Executive Leadership & Performance Strategist, Traci Philips supports visionary business owners and corporate executives to learn and practice better communication, resolution strategies, decision-making, and leading during times of change and when the stakes are high. A three-year stint co-facilitating a men's transformational program for industry leaders incarcerated in Federal Prison taught Traci more than she could ever have learned elsewhere about high-stakes leadership and the cost of bad decision-making. This experience fueled a passion in her to help top leaders learn what they needed to know so they wouldn't end up losing what matters most. Her ultimate goal is to support her clients to live authentically and lead powerfully by creating more awareness about who they are, how they want to be seen, and what legacy they want to leave behind. Traci is the co-host of Eavesdrop in the Moment, a bi-weekly podcast that discusses current trends and leadership. Her book, Looking In: Discover, Define and Align the True Value of Your Life, Leadership and Legacy is helping leaders around the globe increase their confidence and self-identity to meet leadership demands and their personal performance potential.

Written by: Anthony Moss-Zobel, PCC (ICF), 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. Two recent studies have shed light on the impact of interruptions on task completion accuracy. The first study, led by Michigan State University, found that even short interruptions, such as silencing a buzzing phone, can have a surprisingly large effect on an individual's ability to complete a task accurately. The study involved 300 participants who performed a sequence-based procedure on a computer, and interruptions of about three seconds doubled the error rate. ‘Sometimes participants were interrupted and told to type two letters – which took 2.8 seconds– before returning to the task. When this happened, they were twice as likely to mess up the sequence.’ The second study, by Mark, Gudith, and Klocke, examined the cost of interrupted work on productivity and stress levels. The study found that interruptions can increase stress levels and decrease productivity, as it takes an average of 25 minutes to regain focus after an interruption. The study highlights the importance of managing interruptions to improve productivity, reduce stress levels, and achieve better quality work. ‘Surprisingly our results show that interrupted work is performed faster.’ ‘Yet working faster with interruptions has its cost: people in the interrupted conditions experienced a higher workload, more stress, higher frustration, more time pressure, and effort. So interrupted work may be done faster but at a price.’ ‘Our results suggest that interruptions lead people to change not only work rhythms but also strategies and mental states.’ Together, these studies emphasize the importance of minimizing interruptions during complex tasks that require attention to detail. Short interruptions, even as brief as a few seconds, can significantly impact task completion accuracy, productivity, and stress levels. Individuals and workplaces should minimize interruptions, such as turning off phone notifications, finding a quiet space to work, or implementing policies limiting interruptions during critical tasks. In addition to the steps to minimize interruptions, I like to recommend another useful tool; Neuro-led Coaching Focus Time Planner: It includes assisting clients in chucking down, writing and clarifying intentions, attending to feelings/emotions, considering the physical environment, sleep/rest pattern, and setting a timer. The idea is to help support habit formation which supports focus and attention improvement. By helping clients & students manage interruptions; schools and workplaces can optimize performance and achieve better quality outcomes. These studies provide valuable insights into the impact of interruptions on task completion accuracy and productivity and highlight the need for effective interruption management strategies. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anthony! Anthony Moss-Zobel, PCC (ICF), Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anthony Moss-Zobel, PCC (ICF), is a Doctorate of Business Administration student. He leads Neuro-led Coaching & Consulting, specializing in personal & professional cognitive neuroscience coaching and training in the public and private sectors. He also is an associate lecturer in team leadership, communication & HRM. He partners with NeuroEducation experts in France, the USA, and Africa to bring neuroscience insights to the classroom which has been proven highly effective. His work in Ghana and recent collaboration with Consortium International pour la Formation et la Recherche Coopérative en Education (CIFORCE) and l’Institut Africain pour la Neuro Education et la Ludopédagogie (IANEL) brings NeuroEducation across West Africa.

Written by: Elena Antonovska, 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. These days, the balance between business and personal life is seemingly impossible to achieve. Technology, job insecurity, lack of employees, workload, market conditions, etc. they increase the level of stress but also the length of working hours. At the same time, the dynamism of life in general, expectations, desires, tendencies, ambitions, etc. have the same, stressful effect on us. All of these can affect relationships, health, and happiness. In any case, each of us is different as an individual, so balance is also an individual category. We believe this article will give you some direction to create a balance that works for you personally. Let's first define what work-life balance is not: Balance between business and personal life does not mean an equal share of time. Trying to allocate an equal number of hours to each of your various business and personal activities is usually thankless and unrealistic. Life should be more fluid. The best individual work-life balance will vary over time, often on a daily basis. The actual balance today is likely to be different tomorrow. The actual balance for a single person will be different compared to a person who is married or has children. There is no perfect, one-size-fits-all balance that we should strive for. The best balance is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives. However, at the core of the definition of effective balance are two key everyday concepts that are relevant to each of us. They are daily achievements and enjoyment, ideas almost deceptive in their simplicity. These two concepts answer the most important question in life: "Why is something important to me?" (more income, house, car, job, relationship...) Most of us have an idea of what achievement means. But what about enjoyment? Is it just a moment of instant gratification or happiness? In a live context, enjoyment would mean pleasure, happiness, celebration, love, and well-being. In a few words, a feeling of life's joy. And these two concepts always go together. The secret is to find and achieve meaningful achievements and celebrate them every day. It applies to all aspects of our lives: work, family, friends, and ourselves... And then, empower other people and help them do the same for their own lives. These are simple concepts that can be easily applied. Below are a few more directions that may be useful to you. 1. Forget perfectionism Strong, self-reliant, independent, and hard-working people often develop perfectionist attitudes and habits, which further make a mess of their life. Life is certainly not perfect and not made that way. Perfectionism can become destructive, get you stuck in the status quo, give you complexes, and even bring you to burnout. 2. Disconnect From all technology, work messages, responsibilities, correspondence, replies... Be unavailable for some part of the time. By not reacting to all the news and notifications, you will develop greater resilience and thus an increased sense of control over your life. You have no obligation or responsibility to be available all the time in just one part of your life because every segment of life requires your attention. Therefore, create quality time spent, especially with those who are near and dear to you. 3. Exercise and meditate Look at the activities that seem unimportant or superfluous to you, like the need for food, sleep, or showering, even though we may not understand what they do for us, and it is of benefit to us. Exercise is a great stress reducer. It releases endorphins throughout our body, thereby improving our mood. At the same time, it can easily put you into a meditative state. Or, just meditate. Or, do yoga. And, if the lack of time really presses you, you can start with breathing exercises and 10 minutes of meditation. The most important thing is to start taking care of yourself, again, every day. 4. Don't waste your time aimlessly Set your priorities. Think about what is most important to you. This list will be different for everyone, so make sure these are your priorities, not someone else's. Set firm boundaries for yourself to ensure that you devote enough focus, attention, and energy to the people and activities that matter most to you. There are ways, what is important is commitment. Everything else is secondary and best left out of your schedule. The better you are with yourself, the better you will be with others. You can't give what you don't have, whether it's time, money, love, or anything else. Example of Time Thieves: Cleaning and tidying up, Talking to distant relatives Sorting out the computer and email Surfing the Internet Spending days preparing for work by getting more information. 5. Change the structure of your life The comfort zone is usually recognized by the routine. Habits change. Ask yourself what do you need to change to make your life easier? Give up the idea of doing everything by yourself, and delegate. Delegation is always a win-win situation. By doing so, you not only divert responsibilities but also create a support group, a team that is on your side. 6. Start small Drastic, extreme changes are never long-term. Don't force yourself and get frustrated. Start with the measure you can handle. You need to see that you can do it, that you succeed, and then increase the dose. Start with the measure that suits you. What could you start with: Do small things immediately Laugh A lunch break is a lunch break Optimize workflow Focus on the positive Use the time while commuting to work Be active Make the most of your vacations Everything you do is for you. Positive or negative. Choose wisely. We wish you harmony and success! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Elena! Elena Antonovska, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Elena Antonovska is International Coach Federation – Professional Certified Coach with the main focus on deep transformation through coaching and other methods and developing individual leadership potential, widening the perspective and supporting motivation, creativity & connection. She is a Personal & Professional Development Mentor, Master Teacher with a vast knowledge of the human nature and methods of working with it. She acquires her professional experience in various business environments in the field of communication, coaching, training, entrepreneurship, and practical approaches in personal & professional development. She brings the experience, knowledge, and understanding to her work with leaders.

Written by: Diane Hiller, 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. The vibrant health of any environment can be assessed by the health of the plants and trees, either internally or externally. Indoor or outdoor thriving plants indicate lively or good “chi.” Feng Shui adjustments can be made to the home’s interior or exterior. Here the focus is on the exterior of the house. As you may know, the architecturally designed main front door is one of the most important parts of Feng Shui. There is often a debate about the right color. It is essential that the path be clear and transparent and that nothing blocks the pathway. The numerical value of any home also has meaning. If there are multiple numbers, you can add them together to reduce them to a single digit. For example, 450 would = 9. In traditional Feng Shui, the number 4 is not considered a good number, as well as 5 or 7. Not all subscribe to this; any house number can be energetically changed. For example, if you have a 6 address, you can place a hidden 3 behind it, energetically changing it to a number 9. This is auspicious for money and success. A recessed or hidden front door needs to be corrected energetically. You can look at color in several ways. In the three-door bagua method, your front door can only open into Knowledge (blue, green, or black), Career (black or dark midnight blue), or Benefactors (grey, white or black). So, you can choose one of those colors based on where the door enters. Or you can use a bright, vibrant color such as red or yellow to “bring the chi.” The garden or yard options are endless, but some are benches, Buddha statues, Koi ponds, bird feeders, garden globes, solar lights, and various plants and shrubs by color. Tree shapes can also indicate an element in the cycle of the five elements. Each element also has a shape: Fire – triangle Wood – rectangle Earth – Square Metal – circle Water – wavy or curvy For example, tall, pointed trees indicate the fire element. A consultant will consider all these factors when looking at a home's exterior. A home exterior with three of the five colors in the production cycle of the elements will create rapid progress for those in the house. When considering using any garden Buddha statue, you should be careful about placement. Since Buddha chose to be alone, placing this in your partnership or Kun area is not a great idea unless you want to stay single forever. Moving water or Koi ponds are powerful; I would put mine in Career (water), not Reputation (fire) because fire overcomes water. Always remember the cycle of the elements. When looking at a business, this cycle of elements also comes into play. Please see the previous article for the production and overcoming cycle of the elements. Taken into account would be what the business does. A nursery, for example, is primarily earth or wood chi. Since the earth produces fire, using too much red would detract from the earth’s elements. Fire overcomes metal, so any business associated with metal would not benefit from too much exterior red. If trees are dying and need to be removed, we will do what is called a red rice blessing. A tree dying in a certain qua can harm the energy of that area and a family member associated with that area. (Beyond the scope of this article) To do a red rice blessing, you will need the following: Several pounds of white rice Cinnabar (a Chinese powder) or some people use Paprika Grave’s Wood alcohol which is 190 proof, or any alcohol over 90 Proof, such as Bacardi Rum You will add the rice, cinnabar, and nine capfuls of alcohol and then empower it with prayer. I use mala beads and do 108 rounds of mantra. You can use any prayer you want. I use the traditional Buddhist prayer and place my left hand over my right, thumbs touching, at my heart chakra, and "Borrow the Buddha's Chi.” I do this nine times, then say Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hung 108 times while mixing the rice. You can borrow any chi or use any prayer but do it nine times and then 108 into the mixture. You will then sprinkle the rice around the root of the tree that has been cut. If the tree is totally dead, you do not need to do this. When done, the intention is to release the tree spirit to a high vibrational realm and to correct for energetic damage to the gua. We also adjust the exterior chi by going to the four corners of the property and throwing rice outward in the four cardinal directions, downward in the four directions, and upwards three times to raise the vibrational frequency of the property. It’s too much information, I know. I have family members, and others have me do the mixture for them. The first time I needed the alcohol, I was with a friend and went to the local store and said, “What do you have that is over 90 proof?” My friend looked at me like, “What?” wondering what I needed it for. The guy at the liquor store asked the same questions. LOL. I told him I was doing Feng Shui. He replied, “Ok, lady, sure, no one ever says they are going to drink it; they say they need it to do surgery on their cat or some other crazy thing.” LMAO After doing the above, you can empower plain table salt and do an unbroken ring around the entire house as an additional layer of energetic protection. However, when I did this as a novice, I did an unbroken circle around my whole house on the lawn and ended up with dead grass all summer. Do it around the exterior foundation. Oh, my curious neighbors… I was out there one day doing Tai Chi, and one of them stopped and asked. “Are you trying to make it rain or something?” Here it is nearly Spring. I can’t wait to get out and do some gardening. And some more Feng Shui. “Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.” – May Sarton Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Diane! Diane Hiller, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Diane is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Psychic Medium, Certified Feng Shui Master, and Medical Intuitive. She has been tested for accuracy. After working in the nursing field as an LPN. She returned to college and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She then went on to earn her Master's (MSW) with a Major in Clinical and a Minor in Research, both from the University of Connecticut. She is licensed by State examination as an LCSW. In 2005 she founded Elemental Empowerments, LLC. She is noted in the book “The Top 100 Psychics and Astrologers in America.”In February, she was honored and humbled to be named TOP PSYCHIC MEDIUM OF THE YEAR for 2023 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) "for her outstanding leadership, dedication, commitment, and enlightenment to her field." She will be presented with an award in December at the Plaza Hotel in NYC. Diane is considered one of the most well-researched psychics In North America.

She ran away at 5 years old and was gone an entire week. She came home riddled with fears and, in turn, became a people-pleaser. At age 51, she decided to face one fear every day for an entire year. In doing so, she gained an exorbitant amount of confidence and now uses what she learned to fulfill her mission of empowering 5 million women and men to write their stories to make a greater impact on the planet. Lynda Sunshine West is the Founder and CEO of Action Takers Publishing, a Speaker, 22 Time 1 International Bestselling and Award-Winning Author, Executive Contributing Author at Brainz Magazine, Executive Film Producer, and Red Carpet Interviewer. Lynda Sunshine West, Book Publisher Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and aunt. I ran away when I was five years old and was gone for a week. I only went to the neighbor’s house, so I was safe, but I would have been gone forever had my mom not brought me back home. Something happened during the week I was gone that changed my life for decades to come. No one came to get me, so a belief locked in tight into my brain and that was the belief that no one came to get me because they didn’t love me and didn’t want me around. The majority of my actions in life were based on that one belief. I basically crawled into a ball and didn’t share my voice. I had so many fears that stopped me from living. At the age of 51, I hired a life coach and that is really when my life started. One thing led to another and to another and seven years after working with my life coach, I landed on my business, a book publishing company. I am the Founder and CEO of Action Takers Publishing. Although I was never a reader or a writer, I fell into book publishing. If you told me three years ago, I’d be a book publisher. I would have laughed in your face. It’s not something I ever imagined I’d do, but I’m so glad I had an epiphany in August of 2021 that landed me on the publishing road. I had put together two collaborative books and decided to launch them eight days apart. They both hit 1 International Bestseller status in under eight hours. At the end of the day, I looked at that and said, “WOW! I love this. I know what I’m doing. And I’m damn good at it. This is what I’m going to do, book publishing.” And that’s when Action Takers Publishing was officially born. What do I do for fun? While my business is a LOT of fun for me, I love playing bass guitar and singing in our rock band, UselessRhetoric. I also love going to the beach with Wheatie (my husband) and spending time with Pup Pup and Mason (our Maltese and poodle). What is your business name and how do you help your clients? Action Takers Publishing is on a mission to empower 5 million women and men to share their stories with the world to make a greater impact on the planet. By sharing our stories, we can positively impact more people. We help our clients get their messages into the hands of eager readers. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? We believe in collaboration and cooperation over competition. We work mostly with entrepreneurs who are in service-based businesses and are interested in collaborating with other entrepreneurs. The focus of our book publishing company is building community through our collaboration books of 15 or more people. The connections that are made in these collaborative books have been phenomenal. What are your current goals for your business? We are a newer company and published 12 books in 2022 and our goal for 2023 is to double that number (or more). With a mission of empowering 5 million authors, we have a long road ahead and are excited to take on the journey. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? With Action Takers Publishing, I am building a legacy. Our books are inspirational and motivational. You can never have too much positivity in the world. On a personal level, I’ve been working on my mindset in relation to a chaos state versus a flow state. One thing I realized at age 59 was that I was causing my own chaos in my life. Having that awareness has taken me on a path of moving into calm and flow. It’s been a weird feeling because my mind and body was in chaos for so many decades. I’m embracing this part of my journey and experience a flow state more and more each month. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? My husband is by far my greatest supporter, my mentor encourages me to strive for more, and I am grateful to both for believing in me. What is your work inspired by? You know what? I was never a reader or a writer. As a matter of fact, I spent most of my life saying, “I’m not a writer. I suck at writing.” But in 2015, at age 51, I decided to break through one fear every day for the entire year because I realized fear was stopping me from living my life. Embarking on that journey was one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever given to myself. Two months into breaking through a fear every day, I was invited to share my story in a book called Footsteps of the Fearless. I was scared because “I’m not a writer,” but I said “yes” and did it anyway. That was the start of something that I had no idea would happen. After breaking through those fears every day, my mentor suggested I write my own book called The Year of Fears because “there are people out there, Lynda, that need to read your story to help them break through their own fears.” So, I wrote the book. After self-publishing The Year of Fears, I had an idea to put together my own collaboration book by bringing together some of my friends and self-published Momentum. I had so much fun bringing those incredible people together in a book, so I decided to do it again and again and again. Fourteen books later, I’m going strong and still loving what I’m doing and am still inspired by the stories that our authors are telling. They motivate me to keep going and sharing. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. I worked in the corporate world for 36 years and had 49 jobs, which evidences that being an employee really wasn’t for me. At age 51, I quit my 49th job to embark on the journey called entrepreneurship. The first seven years were hard. I had no idea what I was doing or how to make money. I was a terrible entrepreneur. But I kept after it. We almost went homeless during the journey, so I had to go back to a job to avoid that from happening. I never felt like a failure for going back to a job because it was necessary in order for me to keep going. I needed to figure out the triad formula (KNOW what you do, LOVE what you do, and be damn good at it to the point that people will pay you) and would never figure it out if I quit on myself. While I was working at my job, I was saving money because I knew I was going to quit again. I just didn’t know exactly when. I truly believe I needed to go through those first seven years the way I did them in order to experience what I experienced in order to be where I am today. My greatest achievement so far? NEVER GIVING UP on myself and my dreams. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? The judgment. In the book publishing industry, there are a bunch of people who believe you need to be a literary genius in order for your book to mean anything. I say that’s a bunch of bull. Here’s the truth. Our stories matter and can inspire people, but we must tell them for that inspiration to happen. My book, The Year of Fears, isn’t written very well because “I’m not a writer,” but my book was written and published. When Carrie told me she bought my book, “read the first fourteen pages, and already broke through five fears,” I realized that it’s not about being the perfect author, but is about being a published author so people can find your book and effect transformation in their lives. I used to allow my fear of judgment stop me from making a living. I no longer have room in my life for people who are judgmental. It no longer serves me and my higher purpose, which is about sharing people’s stories. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. The greatest pivotal moment in my life was the day I raised my hand and said “YES” to myself. That was the day I hired a life coach who helped me to see who I am, what value I have to offer and to help me learn how to take action on my dreams and desires. I will be forever grateful to Liz Stone for helping me unlock the brilliance that was inside of me all this time, but I was too scared to let it out due to fear of judgment. Hop on a call with Lynda Sunshine West and find out how you can become a published author with Action Takers Publishing. Simply go here and book your free consultation today. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Lynda!

Written by: Deborah McPhilemy, 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 month I wrote an article about how ‘you being you’ unlocks your Personal Power (you can read that article here.) So, have you stepped into your personal power yet? If not, why not and how do you even know? Start living what you have learnt If you are reading this article, I can only assume that you have already started down the road of self-development. If you are anything like I was, you’ve probably read, or listened to, tons of self-help books, attended multiple workshops, taken part in quests and challenges, downloaded endless amounts of webinars and tuned into a variety of podcasts. I love that technology has evolved so much that we now have access to so many teachers all over the world that can help us to become the best versions of ourselves. However, the downside to having so much access, is that we can become addicted to it and becoming addicted to self-development means that we often don’t recognise when it’s time to stop learning and start living what we have learnt. Having a frame of reference will help. There are quite a few Life Coaches out there that will tell you to ignore your past, to ‘leave the past in the past’ and that you should start living in the present! However, the reality is that we are all the sum total of our pasts. You are who you are today because of every single experience you have had up until now, and in my opinion, being able to look back at the past and see just how far you have come will give you a frame of reference. Recognising your progress is what will inspire, and motivate you, to keep moving forward so that you can become, or return to, that person you want to be. If you do as some coaches suggest you do and ignore your past and shove it down into some deep dark crevice of your mind, you will have no frame of reference to draw from and it could keep you mentally trapped thinking that you haven’t made any personal progress at all. Constantly developing yourself can become a bad habit I honestly believe that self / personal development is imperative for all of us. It makes us better people, it helps us to feel better about ourselves, to progress in life and it makes the planet a far better place to live when its inhabitants are feeling more content, but you need to know when to stop burrowing down that self-development rabbit hole. The danger of not recognising your progress to date, is that you could find yourself getting into a habit of always looking for the next thing you want to ‘fix’ about yourself, your mind getting stuck in a loop of always looking for what is wrong instead of looking for what is right. And the more you’re stuck in that loop, the deeper you burrow into that rabbit hole which can leave you feeling exhausted, burnt out or even depressed. The way to know when to break that self-help habit is to pay attention to how you feel and what is going on in your life right now. For all you know you might have already reached your personal development destination without even being aware of it. So, let’s take a look at some of the signs that will give you an idea of whether you are ready to step into your personal power or whether you still have a little way to go. You have peace of mind Your thoughts have become quiet, you no longer have an inner chatterbox (your shitty committee) questioning your every move, doubting your decisions, giving you it’s a constant barrage of negative unsolicited opinions, putting you down at every opportunity it gets and keeping you awake at night! You find that you can now sit and do nothing. When you sit in the garden, or stare out at it through the window, you find yourself having no thoughts, or instead you have thoughts like, ‘gosh that tree is pretty’ or ‘I love those flowers’ or ‘I’m so grateful for this beautiful blue sky we have today’. You no longer feel a sense of worry, you know that whatever you need to do will get done. You move through your day doing whatever you need to do easily and effortlessly. You no longer procrastinate You know what you want and when you want it. You trust yourself and your choices. You no longer have to ask everyone else for their opinion on what to do with your life. You choose for yourself, by yourself and you feel comfortable with the choices you make. You are decisive You make a decision and you go with it, you follow through. When you make decisions, you instinctively know they are right – you feel it in your gut – you feel a sense of peace in your tummy, you no longer have those churning sicky sensations of worrying and wondering if you made the right decision. The self-doubt has gone! You trust and believe in yourself You find yourself feeling quietly confident, even the way you walk has changed. When you walk you feel good about yourself, you feel 100% comfortable in your own skin. You no longer feel burdened, as if all the responsibility, and the weight of the world, has been lifted off your shoulders. You trust in life and that things will turn out exactly as it’s meant to You have a deep sense of knowing that things will turn out the way they are meant to. If something comes up or goes wrong with your plans you know it’s because there is a message, or something you need to learn, about the situation. Or, that it was not meant to be and that something better is meant for you. You no longer feel like you have to force things to happen You’ve got to the point where you can make a decision, take action and follow through on your action steps knowing that your plans are working out. You no longer feel the pressure to personally make things happen. The urge to constantly check-up, or check on people, ‘just to make sure’, stops. You like and love, yourself You have become your own best friend. You enjoy your own company, you enjoy spending time with yourself, you fulfil your own needs, you practice great self-care and you no longer feel self-conscious. If you want to get up and dance, you do it without a care in the world of what other people may think of you. You feel safe You no longer feel like the world, or people, are out to get you. You start attracting good things and good people into your life. You can spot a scam or scammer a mile off and it now amuses you instead of making you feel angry. You don’t play the blame game You know that your choices and decisions are yours, that no one else is responsible for what you do. You own your feelings; you don’t blame other people for making you feel a certain way. You take responsibility for your own actions and your behaviour and never accuse anyone else of ‘making you do it’. You have freedom You feel free to be you! You don’t feel trapped anymore. You know that if you feel unhappy you can express it, if you feel disrespected you can say so, if you need to ask for help (from a person or the universe) you can do so without any feelings of embarrassment or hesitation. If your relationship is no longer working and you want to end it, you can decide to do so knowing that you are doing the best thing for yourself and those involved. If you are not being paid enough at work, you are able to ask for a raise and if you don’t get one you feel free to leave knowing you will find another job that is worthy of you. If you are an entrepreneur or business owner, you work on your terms, you do what you love and you get paid for it. It's time to step into your Personal Power If all of the signs above resonate with you, then you are definitely ready to step into your personal power which means that you can now navigate your life effortlessly. That you have reached that point where you can make changes, achieve goals and manifest your desires without restraint! If you are only realising now how far you have come, then make sure that you take some time to celebrate your achievements, to give yourself a pat on the back, to be proud of what you have accomplished. The road to empowerment is a hard road, not many people take it as it takes extraordinary grit, commitment and dedication. You are one of the few that have done it, so be in awe of who you are and enjoy the incredible fruits of all your work. If it’s not your time yet, keep going ‒ it’s worth it! If you are not there yet, if some of the signs above do not resonate with you, then keep going! It may be tough at times, but take it from me, the end result is so worth it! Looking back at my own life which was filled with incredible emotional and mental pain, poverty, abuse, and violence, compared to the life I enjoy today which is filled with love, delicious foods, travel, adventure, laughter and fun, I know that it’s because I never gave up! Deep down I always knew that there was more to relationships and life than what I was experiencing, and I was determined to have the life I dreamt of. It took sheer guts and determination to face my demons, to forgive my perpetrators, to sit with the pain and move through it! It also took courage and trust to keep going knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. So never give up, the person you want to be and the life you want to live is right in front of you, you just need to grab it, to take action and trust the process along the way. Deborah McPhilemy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Deborah McPhilemy is the Founder of Selfie School, a Self-Empowerment Academy that empowers and educates women and children holistically, so they can become completely comfortable being themselves. After coming from a disempowered background of being bullied and abused, she completely ‘lost’ herself. After spending years healing and rediscovering who she was, she returned to being herself and her life was transformed beyond recognition. She now spends her life helping others to do the same, as well as helping them in a preventative context.

Written by: Karen Cruise, 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. Research suggests that 75% of young people struggle with low self-worth at one point or another. What is self-worth? Self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth are all terms that are often used interchangeably, but self-worth is the feeling of being good enough, worthy enough and belonging. The difference is that self-confidence focuses on specific areas, self-esteem often relies on external factors, and self-worth is an internal feeling and general view of our place in the world. All three issues can intertwine and affect each other – negatively or positively. With self-worth, children will feel liked, accepted and worthy of being treated with respect. What’s the difference between low and high self-worth? Five top tips to help kids build self-worth It can be difficult to see children struggling with their self-worth, but self-worth can grow. Parents and teachers can help kids to build their self-worth with these strategies: 1. Challenge negative words Self-criticism can be something that happens so regularly it becomes normal. So try to catch the times when a child says, ‘I’m no good at…’ or ‘I’m rubbish with…’ And gently try to challenge these criticisms with a new perception. Similarly, make sure you’re not criticising yourself too. Children will pick up on the times you put yourself down, and it can normalise self-criticism, which is something to avoid. 2. Find their passion A club, sport, hobby or activity that they can find rewarding can be a great way to build self-worth. With this, the focus should be on enjoyment and feeling good rather than necessarily being good at the activity. Adults can help to normalise this by getting involved in activities, even if they’re not necessarily things you excel at. 3. Set goals One of the ways self-worth can grow is with progress. Setting a goal to work towards can be a fantastic way to build a sense of achievement, increase motivation and prove to yourself that you’re able to persevere. The goal could be to learn a new skill, to give back – such as fundraising or volunteering, or trying something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. 4. Make learning the goal It can be so easy to just do something for a child when they’re struggling. But increasing self-worth focuses on the learning journey rather than the destination of achieving. Try to show, teach or help children when they face a challenge rather than stepping in and taking over. 5. Ensure the fundamentals are in place General well-being can play a massive part in feelings of self-worth and confidence. Good sleep quality, a healthy diet, regular exercise, spending time outdoors and having self-care strategies can all help boost self-worth. Recognising increases in self-worth After helping your child to increase their self-worth, you may notice benefits such as; They spend more time with friends or have fewer friendship dramas Spending more time on their hobbies and practising their skills Feeling more able to give back, volunteer and help others Finding it easier to recognise their achievements Trying hard when facing a challenge and not giving up. If you’re still not seeing changes to your child’s self-worth, coaching can be a great way to let children talk about what’s affecting their self-worth and build tailored strategies to boost it. If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of coaching for self-worth and whether it’s right for your child, contact Karen for a chat Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Karen! Karen Cruise, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Karen Cruise is an expert in life coaching for children and young people. She was written off at school and left with no qualifications. Despite this, she had a successful corporate career as a senior leader, passed her GCSE's aged 52, achieved a university degree and is the founder and CEO of a successful, award-winning social enterprise, Flourished Minds. Her company focuses on supporting young people to excel; improving their confidence, self-esteem and self-belief and helping them to realise their fullest potential. Her mission: To help every child to tap into their wonderful uniqueness.

Written by: Jutta and Ricardo dos Santos Miquelino, 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. In the era of unlimited access to knowledge, where Google and chatGPT are making it possible to access information anytime and anywhere, it’s becoming much less important to carry around extensive knowledge in our heads. Instead, we’re now able to rely on technology to provide us with the information we need in bite-sized pieces. Images created with the help of Midjourney, (c) Ricardo dos Santos Miquelino, 2023 Shouldn’t our focus, therefore, shift from trying to "upload" information into our brains, to developing the ability to connect knowledge, question content critically and creatively, and ask good questions? Asking good questions helps us in both our personal and professional life, by allowing us to seek out new knowledge, clarify misunderstandings, and explore new ideas. It helps us become more confident and self-directed learners rather than rely on memorized content. In the future, the emphasis in education should be on learning how to ask good questions, rather than memorizing facts and information. This will enhance our skills, make us more creative, and help us assess the reliability of information. Let’s look at 3 ways we can put this into practice: 1. Knowledge and Expertise Both good general knowledge and expertise have their own advantages and limitations, and both are important in different ways. Good general knowledge is crucial for personal development, communication, and problem-solving, while expertise is critical for success in many professions. In today's world, a combination of both is necessary to navigate the complexities and succeed in various fields. AI can fill in the gaps in general knowledge and assist experts in their fields. It has the potential to replace or significantly impact expert knowledge in various fields, such as medical diagnosis, financial forecasting, and legal research. However, AI-based systems still need to be trained and maintained by experts, which provides opportunities for experts to remain relevant by contributing to the development and improvement of these systems. In the future, rote memorization will likely become less important, as the use of AI frees us from the need to acquire extensive knowledge before understanding and questioning complex information and concepts in a specialized field. Still, AI will never completely replace human expertise: we still need the ability to challenge AI's findings, reflect on them, and make informed decisions based on the results. 2. Creativity In a rapidly changing world, access to a broad base of knowledge across disciplines is essential for sparking creativity. Good general knowledge broadens our perspective, provides context and understanding, and develops transferable skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. So being ‘smart’ in the future will depend on our ability to ask good questions, gain a combination of general knowledge and expertise, and use AI to enhance our knowledge and creativity. Our emphasis should be on developing these skills rather than memorizing content. What the future requires is easy access to a broad range of knowledge across diverse topics and disciplines. This access provides opportunities to establish connections between different areas of knowledge, to think critically and creatively, and to communicate effectively with others. In essence, a general understanding of or access to various aspects of life aids in personal development, communication, and problem-solving skills. It also helps us comprehend and navigate the world around us, including current events, social and political issues, and cultural trends. The key is to have unlimited access to knowledge. To make the most of this access, we need to learn how to effectively manage the vast amount of information available ‒ and asking good questions can help us in this endeavor. One of the crucial benefits of asking good questions is that it promotes critical thinking and challenges our existing beliefs. When we ask questions, we actively engage with information and strive to understand it, leading to a deeper exploration of a topic and consideration of different perspectives. In comparison, simply memorizing content does not encourage critical thinking or challenge our beliefs. We may recite the information without truly comprehending it or considering alternative viewpoints. Even worse, we may waste valuable time gathering and memorizing information that is readily accessible with just a few clicks. Instead, this time should be used to enhance our understanding and creativity through meaningful questioning. 3. Trustworthiness Online content has been a major catalyst for innovation and human progress. It has enabled the spread of new ideas and advancements in technology, improved access to information and resources, and enhanced civic participation and accountability. It has empowered individuals and communities and transformed the way we communicate and work. The continued evolution of the Internet and online content holds the potential to drive future innovation and progress. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, we may see a future where traditional learning becomes obsolete. However, the reliability of online content can be highly inconsistent. While there is a vast amount of accurate and trustworthy information available online, there is also a significant amount of unreliable or misleading information. This is largely due to the fact that anyone can post information online, regardless of their qualifications or expertise in the field. This results in a wide range of information available online, ranging from credible sources such as academic journals and government websites to less credible sources like personal blogs and social media posts. The potential for misinformation and disinformation to spread quickly through online platforms and social media is another factor that can affect the reliability of online content. Anonymity and accessibility of the Internet also make it easy for a wide range of actors to spread unreliable and malicious information, from propaganda and political manipulation to phishing and fraud. To determine the reliability of online content, especially as it serves as a basis for AI, it is crucial to assess the credibility of the source. This can be done by looking for evidence to support the claims, such as the author's qualifications and expertise, the reputation of the publisher, the date of publication, peer review, the impartiality of the sources, and fact-checking. Ultimately, it is up to individuals to judge the reliability of information found online. By being critical and skeptical and verifying information from multiple sources, individuals can distinguish credible information from unreliable or misleading content. This, in turn, determines the quality of AI, and informs whether regulatory action is necessary. Looking to the future AI will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the role of expert knowledge, but it will not replace it entirely. AI-based systems can augment human expertise by providing new insights and automating certain aspects of work, but they still require a human touch to interpret the results and make informed decisions. Instead of replacing experts, AI can support and enhance their work, freeing up time for higher-level tasks that require specialized human skills and knowledge. The future of AI is not about rote memorization, but rather, it's about asking good questions. By asking questions, we will be able to discover new knowledge and understanding with the help of AI. This will lead to the development of new theories, insights, and a deeper understanding of our world, fostering creativity and innovation. Asking good questions will also help us communicate more effectively with each other and with AI. We’ll be able to incorporate our own understanding of a topic into meaningful discussions with others, allowing for better collaboration and learning from diverse perspectives. In conclusion, the ability to ask good questions and think critically about information will be key to our success in the age of AI. While memorization may still have its place in certain situations, it is the ability to ask good questions that will define us as individuals and enhance our democracy. Asking good questions will help us learn more effectively, discover new knowledge, and sharpen our understanding, giving us the confidence and self-direction needed to navigate the digital age. Digression In the past months, ChatGPT, a language modeling software developed using OpenAI, has revolutionized the way we search for information. ChatGPT* can talk to us and understand what we (want to) say. It uses "deep learning" to understand and use text like a human. It's like having a very smart robot friend by our side, answering all our questions, conversing with us, and having access to the entire wealth of human knowledge at all times. And in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be able to upload the knowledge we need directly into our brains via a data line (see Neuralink and Co.). Anytime and anywhere. And by the way, this content was inspired by several hours of dialogue with Chat-GPT3 in January 2023. *Note: At the time of writing, the GPT-3 version can handle 175 billion parameters. Within the next few weeks, GPT-4, with the almost unbelievable ability to handle an unimaginable 100 trillion parameters, should be introduced. We’re sure that this will lead to completely new insights for mankind. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jutta and Ricardo! Jutta and Ricardo dos Santos Miquelino, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jutta and Ricardo share 50 years of experience leading business transformation projects in both the corporate and startup worlds. With their work, they have a strong focus on creating positive and inspiring environments where leaders and employees are excited about change and create freedom and awareness for innovation excellence in organizations.

Written by: Annette Densham, 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. There is enormous value in using PR to ramp up your profile, and the main ingredient is you. In 1964 Bob Dylan sang ‘times they are a changing’ and keep changing they do. You no sooner blink, and the latest and greatest marketing strategy from last week is no longer relevant. Keeping up with what works is another job you as the business owner have to master. But a vital job because if you don’t promote your business, then no one else will. With Facebook constantly changing the rules of engagement, Google changing their SEO rules, Instagram changing the way brands interact, new marketing strategies being marketed at you…when do you sleep, let alone run a business? Find Innovative ways to reach prospective clients The thing with being a savvy business owner is you must find innovative ways to get your wares to prospective customers and clients on a tight budget. The beauty of using public relations to get attention is there are so many tools and platforms you can use for little or no cost. Think of PR as consistently dropping breadcrumbs leading back to you. Of putting enough of you out there that people cannot help but get to know who you are. What is great about how the world has changed is there are so many people you can reach out to share your message. There are bloggers, Insta influencers, tweeters, online forums, websites, newspapers — online and offline, radio and podcast programs, newsletters, networking events, conferences… PR needs to be part of your overall marketing strategy The real value of public relations lies in being consistent (plan, plan, plan), getting consistent media coverage, tapping into the wide range of free tools on offer, and not giving up. If you are expecting to become an overnight media star, think again. Building a brand takes time. Here are some ideas to ramp up your PR and your profile Write more There are so many ops with digital magazines who are looking for content to share with their readers. Approach the editor with your idea, images to go with the piece and get writing. Write about things you know about — the problems you solve, the solutions, observations and tips and tricks to help the audience out. Video more People do business with people. They want to see you and hear from you. Video helps build the important relationship glue of know, like and trust. Your videos do not have to be long — these days we have the attention span of a gnat. To make things easy on you, repurpose the content from the articles you are writing for the online mags. Join Facebook business groups Someone has already done the hard work for you — built an audience. But do not be a wham, bam thank you ma’am poster by just selling, add valuable content. Share your thoughts, answer questions, offer help, share your wins, and share your client stories. The idea is to become part of the community. To become known and liked, so people either recommend you or ask for you. It takes time, all good relationships do, but it is worth it. The only tool that may not work is you… all the above are proven free ways to get attention. But you have to do the work to make it happen. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Annette! Annette Densham, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Multi-award-winning PR specialist Annette Densham is considered the go-to for all things business storytelling, award submission writing, and assisting business leaders in establishing themselves as authorities in their field. She has shared her insights into storytelling, media, and business across Australia, UK, and the US speaking for Professional Speakers Association, Stevie Awards, Queensland Government, and many more. Three times winner of the Grand Stevie Award for Women in Business, gold Stevie International Business Award, and a finalist in Australian Small Business Champion awards, Annette audaciously challenges anyone in small business to cast aside modesty, embrace their genius and share their stories.

Written by: Kristen Lessig Schenerlein, 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. On a typical Tuesday, entering a local coffee shop for my coaching session much like I entered many meetings, late and frazzled. Recognized locally top 40 under 40, I was a 28-year-old new mom who just a few years embarked on a journey to follow a passion born out of an undergraduate course. Now juggling the demands of motherhood alongside leading a fast-growing nonprofit organization, I was feeling less than present (or prepared) in any aspect of my life. In fact, in many ways, I felt out of control, which resulted in a slew of negative thoughts about my inability to lead, to parent, and to execute on my primary responsibilities. I was exhausted, irritable, and overwhelmed emotionally. In retrospect, I was burned out. Maslach defines burnout as “a psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors at work, involving three key dimensions: overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment” (Maslach & Lieter, pg. 103, 2016). My coach identified burn out as the problem quickly that day, asking “when are you going to take back control of your life?” With his guidance, I foraged a new path and shifted my mindset. I was introduced to the power of abundant thinking, which is “an attitude and mindset that focuses on what we do have” (Milton, 2018) the necessary antithesis to nonprofit thinking rooted in scarcity (what we do not have), as a result of operating with limited resources for those lacking resources. Perhaps in that moment, I shifted from an exotelic perspective, satisfied with reaching a goal at any cost, to autotelic, fulfilled by immersing myself in the experiences, working towards a goal of well-being and success (Brandwene, L., personal communication, November 20, 2022). Today coming full circle, my coaching practice is devoted to supporting fellow nonprofit leaders in enhancing their well-being through mindfulness-based coaching, guiding them to shift their mindset from scarcity to abundance. Non-profit leaders need mindfulness and movement so they can have the energy and clarity to execute on their mission. Abundant thinking centers around an appreciation for life in its fullest sense, a life of joy where you experience the strength of the mind-body connection (this is where mindfulness and movement come into play). I know firsthand leaders are stressed, strained, and left wearing numerous hats leading (e.g., teams, communities), managing (e.g., board of directors, financials), and doing (e.g., running programs, writing grants, creating and implementing HR policies). The frazzled energy of multitasking trickles down through the organization creating an environment that serves as a breeding ground for stress and eventually burnout. In the most recent Quarterly Review on the Health of the Nonprofit Sector Americans were polled and believe that a healthy nonprofit sector is essential to our society. The importance of the nonprofit sector can be viewed as a measure of human flourishing given the importance of services provided for our communities. In the second quarter of 2022, nonprofits contributed $1.4 trillion to the economy, remaining the third-largest private employer in the U.S. economy and growing jobs four times faster than for-profit organizations ( Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector 2022 , 2022). Given the size and scope of this workforce, it becomes even more important that we work to intervene to ensure that nonprofit organizations have access to programs that shift leaders and their teams to more abundant mindsets. To combat the increased stress levels resulting from societal pressures, organizational structure, limited resources, and high demand Positive Psychological Interventions that support well-being and provide opportunities for the selfless team members to also experience flourishing in their lives. As my coach challenged me over a decade ago, I challenge my clients to embark on a wellness journey that incorporates both mindfulness and movement, connecting with both their mind and body, tuning in regularly to their physical and mental states. I realized in that one coffee shop session that I needed to own how I was showing up and part of taking back control of my life meant prioritizing myself first. I almost instantly began a morning routine of meditation and reading to ease into the day. I found solace in physical activity (team workouts, walking meetings, solo run or walk, or a challenging yoga class) providing myself with a physical reset aiding me mentally, increasing energy and building resilience for the next challenge. Mindfulness and movement allow for greater self-awareness, allowing you to navigate the inevitable challenges of work within the nonprofit sector, while also maintaining a level of self-care that supports you as a whole person. I begin work with clients (phase one) laying the groundwork for a culture of well-being, introducing concepts, having open discussions, and coaching leaders to model behaviors. In phase two our focus continues growth and development of each team member introducing specific mindfulness practices and movement, building off the foundation from phase one to increase the team’s capacity and efficiency. Judith Rodin, former President of the Rockefeller Foundation encourages us as a society to look ahead to find new ways to innovate and improve the nonprofit sector. “Working to solve root problems alone is not enough and will never work because the pace of change is too fast. What’s needed now is to build capacity, connect practitioners, and provide a platform for sharing knowledge and advancing common agendas” (Rodin, 2015). I relate this concept of the pace of change in nonprofits to how Dr. Michael Baime depicted work on an assembly line. At some point a system that is under too much stress and demand over a sustained period of time will lose its capacity. Similarly, individuals will experience issues with memory, sleep, appetite, and other biological processes when under too much stress (Baime, M., personal communication November 20, 2022), impacting not only the ability to lead and deliver the results that are often highly regulated within the nonprofit sector but perhaps more importantly, their bodies, their health, and their lives overall. Long-term success requires leaders to create a culture of growth and learning for the service providers (team) while maintaining focus on those they serve and the mission at hand. This is a more holistic approach to nonprofit leadership and one that recognizes that just like healthcare professionals, nonprofit leaders are often selfless and are drawn to the field because they are passionate about a mission. Too often the stress and high demands of the work result in a loss of connection to those being served, unintentionally falling into what can be seen as preservation mode, becoming numb to their collective impact (Baime, 2003). Many nonprofit teams get caught up in the “doing” aspect of their work and lose sight of the “being” aspect, where they can experience an ease and flow in their work versus being stressed looking at their list of 100+ items on their “to-do” list. Their stress is a clear sign they are getting in their own way, impeding the flow that could be created (Baime, 2003). Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow is essential to mindfulness as it relates to controlling our inner experiences to obtain optimal experiences (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008). Mindfulness practices and regular exercise allow us to shift our focus from others to ourselves, as a result we are better equipped to help those we serve to navigate their challenges. Connecting the mind with the body ensures that we are considering ourselves as a whole person, improving self-awareness, efficiency, and communication. Most scientific models of mindfulness focus mostly on disengaging from negative thoughts. True benefit can be derived from cultivating positive states of mind that aid in managing setbacks inevitable in nonprofit work, expanding our thinking can have a greater impact within our organizations as well as our personal eudaimonic (good within itself) well-being (Garland et al., 2015). Exercise as an intervention promotes this generation of new brain cells, especially in the hippocampus and is effective in helping us control stress and anxiety, while also increasing cognitive abilities. In other words, changing the body, changes the brain. With consistent exercise we put the brakes o and n the area of the brain called the amygdala, which controls and regulates our emotional responses (Hagerman & Ratey, 2008). The proposed Intervention Plan is based on a phase two plan for a national nonprofit organization looking to enhance the well-being of their team and shift the organization's culture. Intervention​ Description Frequency/Duration Morning Mindfulness Meditation Huddle Daily practice before setting intentions for the day, aiding in prioritizing tasks. Executive Attention. Daily solo (with hold on calendar) or combined as a group with guided recording. Stop. Breathe. Be. ​Mini mindfulness break allows you to be present for a few moments, disrupting automatic habitual thoughts, resetting energy. Emotional Regulation. Between Zoom meetings, ending meetings 2-5 minutes early. Support amongst the team to encourage this and standardize it. Walking Buddies Partner with a member of a team or partners that you can buddy up for a walking meeting. Each day identify one meeting that you can take walking. Well-Being Win! Each team member shares their “well-being win” which can include some self-care, time connecting with family, etc. (reporting using PERMA as a guide). Top of each weekly team meeting agenda. As with any new activity, an effort is required on the part of the team member. We are evolutionarily wired to conserve energy (Ratey, J.J., personal communication, November 18, 2022). It takes attention and intention to successfully implement phase two and therefore each member must be invested and see their personal well-being goal alignment with the overall goals for the team. Making this connection will help all remember with the intrinsic motivation needed to engage in new activities with the leader's clear vision for well-being also contributing. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kristen! Kristen Lessig Schenerlein, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kristen Lessig-Schenerlein, a social entrepreneur, mental fitness coach and yoga instructor, is an expert in nonprofit leadership, forever passionate about the fields of neuroscience, positive psychology, and performance science. After nearly two decades of being driven by a mission, almost to complete burnout and after having experienced the real life effects of working within a toxic environment, Kristen began down a new path in service to others facing similar challenges. She integrated her own personal yoga practice and energy medicine into a science-based coaching practice. She became a trained yoga instructor guiding her clients “on the mat” and also an ICF Certified Professional Coach and a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach to support her clients “off the mat” with mental fitness training and coaching. Kristen has dedicated her entire career to transforming the lives of others and sees herself now as a guide to those willing to do the innerwork necessary to link their power with their passions, so that they can live a life more in alignment with their values, while showing up authentically in aspects of their lives. Kristen is the founder of Koi Coaching and Consulting, serving clients around the world, thanks in part to being part of the coaching team of BetterUp as well, whose mission is to make coaching accessible to all, unlocking greater potential, purpose, and passion. Born in a small coastal town in Connecticut, Kristen also spent a good part of her career in Richmond, Virginia, where she founded her nonprofit organization before moving back to the coast where she now resides in Southwest Florida with her husband and a blended family of four beautiful children.

Written by: Emanuela Visone, 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. Most of my clients had the leaky gut syndrome, a digestive disorder that is not yet fully understood, especially in conventional medicine. But clearing it up is a top priority if you want to maintain your health. As it turned out, leaky gut causes foods that ordinarily were fine to wreak havoc on your system. With my guidance they were able to heal their gut and come back to enjoying nearly all their favorite foods — without the embarrassing symptoms! Most people do not understand that digestion is absolutely the foundation of our health. Because of the way our bodies are connected, inflammation in the gut can eventually lead to inflammation in the bones, heart, brain, or beyond, making osteoporosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, or other diseases you may have a genetic predisposition for more likely as you age. Let’s take a look at leaky gut syndrome, and how you can resolve it naturally. If the gut is not healthy, neither is the rest of the body. It is the point of fuel and nutrient entry that runs the body. If healing is at a standstill and you are at an impasse, look at the gut to see if it is holding you back from getting healthier. Chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, and escalating food allergies are among the many problems caused by the leaky gut. If gas, bloating, abdominal pain, indigestion, alternating constipation, and diarrhea are symptoms, you may be headed for the development of new symptoms and new diseases. If you are taking over-the-counter medications for pain, you may be at high risk for developing the leaky gut syndrome. The purpose of the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, is multifold. Basically, it digests foods, absorbs small food particles to be converted into energy, carries nutrients like vitamins and minerals attached to carrier proteins across the gut lining into the bloodstream, contains a major part of the chemical detoxification system of the body, and contains immunoglobulins or antibodies that act as the first line of defense against infection. The leaky gut syndrome or LGS is a poorly recognized, but extremely common problem. It is rarely tested for. Basically, it represents a hyperpermeable intestinal lining. In other words, large spaces develop between the cells of the gut wall and bacteria, toxins, and foods leak in. This might sound good, but it is a double-edged sword. How does the gut become leaky? By inflammation. And once the gut lining becomes inflamed or damaged, then this impairs the five functions above. The spaces open and allow large food antigens, for example, to be absorbed into the body. Normally the body sees only small, tiny food antigens. When it sees these new, large ones, they are foreign to the body’s defense system. So, the attack results in the production of antibodies against once harmless foods. Once you have antibodies to foods, they can do many things, like attach to a joint space, for example. This then turns on an inflammatory reaction where you suddenly have arthritis that is induced by ingesting food that used to be harmless. Or if antibodies are in the lungs, suddenly you have asthma and unsuspected food allergy can be one of the triggers. Food allergy can precipitate symptoms in literally any organ at any time, once the gut develops these large, leaky spaces. And if that were not enough, these large spaces allow the absorption of toxins that normally would not penetrate the protective barrier of the gut. These toxins then overload the liver so that chemicals cannot be detoxified. Now you have food and chemical sensitivities. It might sound good that the gut can become leaky, because the body would be better able to absorb more amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. For the body to absorb a mineral, it does not just slowly diffuse across the gut membrane. It must be attached to a carrier protein. This protein hooks onto the mineral and carries it across the gut wall into the bloodstream. But when the bowel lining is damaged through inflammation, these carrier proteins get damaged as well, so now the victim is vulnerable for developing mineral and vitamin deficiencies. What types of things can cause the inflammation that leads to the leaky gut syndrome? Many things are very common in the 21st century. Examples include abnormal flora (bacteria, protozoa, yeasts, like Candida, parasites), items that irritate the gut (foods, alcohol, food additives), food allergens, toxins, and genetic enzyme deficiencies (like lactase deficiency, celiac disease). For example, when we take antibiotics we are at risk of developing an overgrowth of antibiotic resistant yeasts or fungi, like Candida. Likewise, it has been known for a long time in medicine that antibiotics can cause the overgrowth of Clostridia difficile, an organism which can then go on to cause of relentless colitis. Likewise, a diet high in sweets (sodas, cookies, cakes, pies, candy bars), alcohol, and caffeine can irritate the gut lining or if a person has a lactase deficiency and ingests dairy products these can trigger the leaky gut. If a person has celiac disease and eats wheat, rye, oats, or barley this can cause an inflammation of the gut lining. Some people are sensitive to fermented foods such as bread, cheese, alcohol, vinegar, catsup, mayonnaise, salad dressings, or anything that has been aged, pickled, or fermented and contains mold allergens. Others are irritated by processed foods and the chemicals that are contained in them. Some intestinal linings can be inflamed using prednisone and other steroids and, of course, the gut can become inflamed because of food or water poisoning with such organisms as Giardia Iamblia, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, or Helicobacter. Last but not least, one of the main causes of the leaky gut syndrome is a classification of medications called “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” or NSAIDs. This includes many prescription medications which are used for PMS, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and various types of aches and pains. There are many over-the-counter non-prescription drugs in this classification as well. These include Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen, aspirin, and the new Aleve, which is the old prescription Naprosyn. NSAIDs are a direct and major cause of the leaky gut syndrome because they inflame the intestinal lining and cause a widening of the spaces between cells, i.e., the leaky gut syndrome. Let’s review the five-fold result of this inflammation of the gut. When the gut is inflamed it does not absorb nutrients and foods properly and so fatigue and bloating can occur; As stated above, when large food particles are absorbed, there is the creation of food allergies and new symptoms with new target organs like arthritis or fibromyalgia; When the gut is inflamed, as stated above, the carrier proteins are damaged so nutrient deficiencies occur which can also cause any symptom, like magnesium deficiency-induced muscle spasm or copper-deficiency-induced high cholesterol; Likewise, when the detox pathways that line the gut are compromised, chemical sensitivity can arise. Furthermore the leakage of toxins overburdens the liver so that the body is less able to handle everyday chemicals; When the gut lining is inflamed the protective coating of IgA is adversely affected and the body is not able to ward off infection and becomes more vulnerable to bacteria, protozoa, viruses and yeast like candida; When the intestinal lining is inflamed bacteria and yeast, of which there are hundreds of species in the intestine, are able to translocate. In other words, they can pass from the gut lumen or cavity, into the bloodstream and set up infection anywhere else in the body. But the very worst symptom is the formation of auto-antibodies For sometimes the antigens that leak across look similar to antigens on our own tissues. So, when an antibody is made to attack it, it also attacks our own tissues. This is how nasty autoimmune diseases get started. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, thyroiditis, and many others are members of this ever-growing category of “incurable” diseases. So, a common scenario runs something like this: a person might be very healthy and then have an antibiotic for a sore throat. The antibiotic does not go only to the throat but goes through the whole system and in doing so it kills off many good bacteria that normally inhabit the intestines. When these bacteria are killed, the normally antibiotic-resistant fungi that remain have no competition and they grow in large numbers and can inflame the intestinal lining and cause the leaky gut syndrome. From there the person can develop new food allergies for example, resulting in arthritis, headaches, asthma, or any symptom. They can start having gas, bloating, pain, alternating diarrhea and constipation which is often labeled “irritable bowel syndrome” or “spastic colon.” They can have poor absorption of minerals which then leads to fatigue, inability to concentrate, multiple chemical sensitivities, and many other symptoms or they can develop a further infection with these fungi and other organisms as the gut lining becomes more debilitated and then there is absorption of toxins from these organisms. These toxins overload the liver detox pathways and suddenly the person is chemically sensitive. So, what does a person do who has headache, arthritis, asthma, irritable bowel, chronic fatigue, brain fog, chemical sensitivities, and much more? They usually go to various doctors, few of whom will do the test for the leaky gut or hyperpermeable gut. To diagnose the leaky gut syndrome, one merely needs to perform the intestinal permeability test. This is an easily performed urine test. Removing the cause means getting off non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, caffeine, and alcohol. Then change the diet so that you are not eating foods that you are allergic to. The rare food diagnostic diet is a tool to help you identify foods you are sensitive to. Sometimes the treatment involves taking anti-fungal or anti-microbial to kill organisms that have overgrown, infected and inflamed the gut. These can be diagnosed through a comprehensive digestive and stool analysis. Next, you must support healthy function of the gut. This is done by thorough chewing of food, increasing fiber, using probiotics such as acidophilus and bifidus organisms which have many beneficial properties in the gut, and by using digestive enzymes, if they are indicated, to help stimulate the breaking down of food into smaller, less antigenic particles. Lastly, the gut must be healed and there are many entities which are useful for this. Fructo-oligo saccharides, better known as FOS, are a special class of sugars which do not foster yeast growth but which the intestinal lining can preferentially use to heal. Likewise, an amino acid L-glutamine is important in healing the gut wall. Short chain fatty acids, aloe vera gel, flax teas, permeability factors, antioxidants, kudzu, bioflavonoids, pycnogenol, detox herbs, correcting nutrient deficiencies, and many more things are beneficial. And often, just like anything that is sick or ailing, sometimes the best thing to do is just rest the gut or fast. A major step, however, in the right direction is first to even know that you have the leaky gut syndrome. For without understanding that it exists, there is no chance in healing it and keeping it healed. In summary, the leaky gut syndrome is prevalent because of the 21st century lifestyle. And it can lead to the development of any number of symptoms and diseases. Unfortunately, it is rarely looked for. So, if you are at an impasse with any symptom and cannot seem to rally, you may find you need to heal from the inside out. If you or someone you know has been suffering needlessly from the leaky gut syndrome or a chronic degenerative condition, I am here to be of service and to help guide you a naturally alternative to achieving victory. You can reach me via my website or email me here. Follow Emanuela on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more from Emanuela! Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Emanuela is a leading expert in restoring health and a Master Transformational, Health, and life coach. After 20yrs recruiting in the finance industry, she discovered her true calling for naturopathy and helping people and their pets throughout the US. The value she provides her clients has put them in a position to gain better health and live a more fulfilling life. Having restored her own health, Emanuela is excited to share her victory and help others do the same, from thyroid conditions, shrinking nodules, blood pressure, hormones, and much more. This inspired her to write her first book, “Healing Through Nature’s Medicine,” A Story of Hope. Having restored her St. Barnard’s health as well, Emanuela coaches many pet owners on how to become their own best healer. She loves spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors, and her deepest passion is helping others transform their health. Reference: Environmental Medicine by Sherry A. Rogers, M.D.