Written by: Antonie Ziegler, 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’m not good enough. Life is so hard and unfair. I never am appreciated for what I do. Tell me. Are there any other fears or negative beliefs that you tell yourself regularly that you want to add to this list? What do you tell yourself when you look into the mirror, or when you’re alone with no one else but your thoughts? We all find ourselves caught in negative thought patterns. It’s a habit that’s really hard to break. Yet, these negative stories we tell ourselves, they don’t really serve us. If we were able to reflect on our thoughts and discover a different perspective, seeing them as lies, we would realize that behind these there is a part of us that just wants to be seen, heard, loved, and acknowledged for who we are – every part of us, especially the ones we see as ugly or wish to keep hidden. Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote in Letters to a Young Poet: “Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.” This image of the dragon reflects your unwanted, negative thoughts, sweltering inside of you. They are scary. They make us anxious. And they can spiral out of control, if you let them, limiting you and consuming you. But that’s the thing. You’re always in control. You’re a co-creator. What you think and put meaning and energy toward, you begin to grow into. Those thoughts become you. In his poem, Rilke beautifully transformed that image of the dragon as being something that’s scary and fearful into a lovable princess, who saw herself as being perfect just as she is, flaws and all. And you can step into this reality, too. By simply noticing the negative thoughts in your mind, you can start a process of discovery and realization that there’s a part of you that just wants to be seen and heard. It craves acknowledgment. It needs acceptance. And mainly from you. Be honest: How often do you find yourself in thoughts of not being good enough, and like you’re wasting your time, with your life and dreams passing you by? That there’s this empty feeling of something missing deep inside, but you don’t know exactly what it is? In fact, you may feel anger, jealousy or resentment toward those who have what you don’t, with people and external circumstances irritating you so much that your reactions, views and emotions start to affect your choices, work and relationships. You feel unworthy and undeserving, and believe that you’ll never get what you desire, even when things are going right. ‘No, that must be a fluke,’ you think to yourself, ‘people like me don’t get to have this.’ And so, you wait – you wait for the other shoe to drop. Because you know it’s coming. You can see it. You feel it. “It’s always like this,” you say. You are convinced today won’t be any different. Hello, beautiful lies! You’ve just turned the key and opened a door into your negative mindset; a murky place in your subconscious that believes there’s no other way. What you’re thinking and feeling in this place is your inner dragon, awakening inside and reminding you that what you are experiencing is real. It’s safe here. It’s what you know. And while it might not be pleasant, it is comfortable. Paradoxically, as it pushes you back into the dark crevices of your mind, it’s the only way for your inner dragon to keep you out of what it believes is harm’s way. At the same time, though, it keeps you stuck in your mind chatter (a dungeon of your own making), never letting you move forward toward a better version of you. It seems like this is one inner battle that can never be won. Or can it? The lies my inner dragon tells me One of my biggest struggles (and honestly, it took me a while to catch my inner dragon here) is my resentment toward my family members. American spiritual teacher Ram Dass once said, “If you think you’re enlightened, go and spend a week with your family.” This is so true. I thought I was enlightened. Well, sort of. After having done so much personal growth work, I believed I was different ­­‒ that I had finally let go of all that what was holding me back. But reality hits me each time I visit my family back home in Germany. There’s still more work to be done. All of us can be very direct and harsh with each other. When you know that one of us is in a bad mood, don’t even attempt to ask a question, or comment on something in a funny way. It will not be taken well. At some inner level, I know this. And yet… Somehow it still hits me like a car crash when one of my family members approaches me with a harsh and negative tone in their voice. Instead of letting it go, I find myself responding in the same voice, needing to defend myself. And my inner voice will whisper menacingly to me that I’m not appreciated for what I’m doing for them. That what I do never matters. Is it true that I’m not appreciated? My inner dragon says, ‘Yes.’ But it’s a lie. A lie of my own making. A reality I created based on my past experiences, doubts and fears. This isn’t the only negative thought my inner dragon tries to ignite in me. I bet those of you who are entrepreneurs can relate to this: I have a tendency of wanting to write the perfect social media post. I brood over the words, sometimes not knowing how to express myself. In these painfully drawn-out moments, I keep telling myself, “You are not a writer. A writer wouldn’t take so long. Why are you so slow?” What’s the result? I find myself procrastinating and doing something else. Full disclosure: That’s exactly what happened when I was writing this article. I say this, to show you that I’m not perfect. I still struggle with this. And while I love sharing my thoughts and wisdom with you, the negative voice does sometimes still rear its ugly head, lingering in my mind. Now does this mean that I am bad writer because it takes me so long? My inner dragon says “Yes.” But the princess in me knows that writing is a process. It’s not a race. As long as I keep learning from it, strengthening my art and touching even one person with my words who may be suffering like I once was, I know I’m making a difference. To me, it’s no longer about perfection. It’s about impact. It’s about what my words do for others. Be cautious of your inner dragon Now the caveat here is that my inner dragon tries to be my friend. It wants to protect me from others who it thinks won’t wish me well. It wants to protect me from feeling bad when my post or article is not well-written by trying to divert my attention to something else. It makes me want to be anywhere but where I am. I imagine your inner dragon has the same intention. This inner dragon is your ego talking to you all day long. It pretends to know what is good for you, and what is bad. And it will fight to get what it thinks you need. Your inner dragon makes you believe you need to react with resentment, anger, guilt, shame, anxiety… But you always have a choice Your inner dragon has a big ego that doesn’t want to change. Why should it? It has worked hard all these years, decades even, making you believe in its powerful voice. What it says hasn’t always been comfortable for you, some of it has actually been pretty painful, but it’s your shield of armor, protecting you from the unknown and unfamiliar. Why would you ever want to let that armor fall? Why would you step onto a crevice, not knowing how you’re going to make it to the other side? I won’t sugarcoat things. Yes, change is scary. It can have its hard moments. And it takes a lot of effort, trust and discipline. But what if you were to try it out and discover that what lies behind your inner dragon’s voice is not a dark abyss that you endlessly fall into, but instead a beautiful princess who wants to bring you closer to your dreams and your empowered true self? Wouldn’t the fleeting fear be worth it then? Let your inner princess shine a light on what truly matters Let’s have another moment of honesty: What do you tend to do when those negative thoughts enter your mind? Do you put on a happy face? Do you get angry and lash out? Do you feel tension in your body? What if I told you that you can snap out of it – and pretty quickly? That you can let your inner princess wear her crown and lead the way toward serenity, joy and love? The first thing I do when I get angry with one of my family members is I either recognize what’s happening in the moment, or I recall the situation afterward. I start this process by acknowledging my thoughts, such as, “No matter what I do, it’s never right.” I try to feel the emotion behind it. First, it’s anger. Eventually, the anger turns into sadness. I don’t let the emotion linger, though. I move into the next step. Taking a deep breath in, I put a hand on my heart and tell myself that it’s not true that I’m not appreciated. I let myself see that this individual who was trying to hurt me is going through a very hard time and is projecting their frustration onto me. With this insight, I’m able to see this person with loving eyes and realize that we both are struggling with our inner dragons and just want to be loved. I walk the same process when I struggle with my writing. I take a few breaths, and I consciously decide to start and finish at a certain time, knowing that when I stop that it will be perfect the way it is. I’m enough ‒ as perfect or imperfect the writing might be. The thing about something being perfect is that it never really is: it’s always evolving, just like I am and my stories. And you can evolve, too. All you have to do is want to go from surviving to thriving. That’s the first step: envisioning that you too can be enough and can have it all. 4 courageous steps to challenge your negative mindset The invitation here is to transform your inner dragon and listen to the real message it’s trying to tell you. Open your heart and take these steps. Your emotional freedom awaits on the other side of your fear. 1. First, I want you to notice when your inner dragon is at work. Recognize the moment when your mind is in a negative, fearful or judgmental mode. What’s the trigger? Is it someone’s tone of voice, a specific word, or a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable? 2. Acknowledge what’s there. Acknowledge the thoughts you have and say, “Oh, there you are again. I hear you.” Do you feel the tension in your body like tightness in your chest, grinding your teeth, or even a blocked throat? That’s how fear, anger, anxiety, sadness, or grief manifests in your body. Bring awareness to the negative emotions. Don’t fear them, embrace them. They are trying to tell you something. 3. Pause and quiet your state of mind Take a breath and connect with one or more of your senses. Do this for the length of three deep breaths. I like to connect with my body, putting a hand on my heart as I’m doing this step. Next, look what’s around you. Touch objects, noticing their texture and their shape. Take a moment to listen. What do you hear? Perhaps it’s the rustling of the leaves outside on the grass, or the soft pitter patter of your dog running around? All these things help to get yourself out of your busy, ego-centric mind and into a place of clarity and awareness of the moment. Center your senses around that. Be fully present in the moment. 4. Ask yourself what really matters right now. Once you get this far, you have the opportunity to understand what’s really important to you in that moment when you got triggered. You have a choice to either continue staying in the negative mindset or step out of it and question your inner dragon’s voice. Ask yourself: Is it really true? Finding stillness enables you to untangle from your negative mind chatter. You are able to question your own thoughts, the other person’s behavior, the situation you’re in. And you start seeing your inner dragon in a different light. It transforms right in front of you into the princess that wants to share her wisdom and insight with you. Your princess will tell you that you’re good enough, perfectly loved the way you are now. You will be able to discern what really matters from a wise point of view. And you might notice that the other person has their own inner dragon that makes them show up in ways that trigger you. Take small steps every day Creating a new habit is not an overnight thing as your inner dragon doesn’t want to be challenged. You might hardly notice any change in the beginning, and you will tell yourself, “What’s the point in doing this?” Your inner dragon will love you for questioning yourself. Do this process in small steps. Start with catching yourself when you are in a negative mindset, right in the moment or when you remember. You will slowly notice a shift in your emotional state as your awareness grows. Don’t judge yourself when you aren’t able to do it. We humans are habitual creatures just like our inner dragons, and don’t particularly enjoy change. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you take steps in your personal growth journey, and your inner princess will be able to show up and tell you the truth of what really matters. If you're done with the negative mindset and want to make a shift toward a life that is more than just fine and become the person you desire to be, send me an email to antonie.ziegler@gmail.com to open the door to an effortless flow of balance, joy, abundance and connection. Your life can be meaningful, all you have to do is turn the key. The rest will flow as we rediscover you together. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Antonie! Antonie Ziegler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Antonie Ziegler is an intuitive life alignment coach who helps mid-life driven women and high-functioning, burnt-out CEOs on a holistic healing journey to wake up to their truest selves and align with their desires, so that they can live a joyful, intentional and impactful life. In 2016, Antonie was struggling with a toxic relationship: the one with herself. She was knee-deep in the trenches of hopelessness, anger, chaos and emotional pain. Antonie had reached a stage in her life where she realized she was not only hurting herself but everyone around her, and if she continued down this road, she knew she’d not only be alone, but living a life of self-hatred and restraint in a prison of her own making. She had to break free. As she battled her inner dragon and finally took responsibility for her thoughts, feelings and actions, she came to realize that there was nothing wrong with her; that she was perfect just as she was, flaws and all. It was then that she found the YOU, UNFILTERED methodology, which shook her out of victim mode and completely altered her life (a method she currently uses to work through deep emotional pain with her clients as she leads them toward healing), allowing her to climb out of lifelong misery into authentic joy and wholehearted self-acceptance, where she is living her vision each and every day. After decades of being her own worst critic and feeling disconnected from herself and her desires, Antonie became conscious of the deep-level damage our beliefs, negative-self talk and thoughts create in our lives. Since then, Antonie has made it her mission to wake women up to the beauty and power they hold within, so they can move beyond their self-doubt, perfectionism, anxiety and confusion into a place of tranquility, connection and wonder. If you’re ready to fall back in love with yourself, step into living your fullest expression, and create a path to life that feels right, then get in touch with Antonie today. Follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Written by: Vivien Roggero, 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. You might want to learn more about NLP if you are interested in communication skills and personal development. What if someone told you that controlling your language use is a means to attain your personal and professional goals? Some people think that's what neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) does. Let’s explore this meaningful approach more and how you can better understand yourself using it. What is NLP? Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, is a psychological approach asserting that one can modify the methods employed by successful people to achieve goals. This approach focuses on how you communicate with yourself and other people and how it impacts your behavior and behavior outcomes. Elena Mosaner, an ICF coach, a Master NLP practitioner, and the CEO and creator of AlphaMind in La Jolla, California, states that "NLP is a paradigm that influences thoughts, feelings, and actions in both yourself and others. It requires practice as well as mental art." It helps the person learn from their successes and failures which thoughts, behaviors, and feelings are beneficial and which impede them. Since every action is merely a step in the learning process, it is never wrong, even if it appears to fail. History of Origins of NLP At the University of California, Santa Cruz, the linguist Richard Bandler and the information scientist and mathematician John Grinder coined the term NLP in the 1970s. After observing that one of the key differences between "successful people" and others was how they used language to support themselves and others. Grinder and Bandler's pioneering work on NLP, Structure of Magic: A Book about Language of Therapy, was published in 1975. In this book, they draw attention to specific communication styles that distinguish good communicators from others. Along with David Gordon and Robert Dilts, other notable contributors to the field include Judith DeLozier, Leslie Cameron-Bandler, and others. Grinder and Bandler's work developed the NLP meta model, a method they believed may discover language patterns that mirrored fundamental cognitive processes. The late 1970s saw an increasing interest in NLP due to Bandler and Grinder's promotion of the methodology as a resource for people to understand how others succeed. Counseling, the performing arts, sports, the military, law, business, and education are a few industries that use NLP today. How does it work? Key components of NLP include modeling, effective communication, and action. The idea is that if someone can comprehend how another person completes a task, they may copy that process and explain it to others so they, too, can complete the task. NLP proponents propose that each person has a unique reality map. NLP practitioners examine their own and other points of view to develop a systematic overview of a situation. The NLP user learns through understanding a variety of viewpoints. Supporters of this approach think that the body and mind interact and that the senses are essential for processing information. NLP is an experimental approach. NLP practitioners propose that learning, communication, and change follow natural hierarchies. The following are six logical levels of change: Purpose and Spirituality: Involvement in something greater than oneself, such as religion, ethics, or another system, can signify purpose and spirituality. This is the most significant change. Identity: Identity is the person you see yourself as, which also encompasses the duties and obligations you have in life. Beliefs and values: These topics are important to you and your unique set of ideas. Capabilities and Skills: These are your abilities and range of skills to do anything. Behaviors: Your unique activities are known as your behaviors. Environment: Your context or location, which includes any other individuals nearby, is known as your environment. This is the most fundamental change. Each logical level functions to organize thoughts and direct the information below. Therefore, changing one level may result in changing another level. On the other hand, NLP theory states that changing a higher level will likewise affect lower levels. How can Neuro Linguistic Programming benefit you? NLP guides you in reframing your present beliefs by giving new meaning to behaviors, life circumstances, and desired beliefs. It can drastically change how you perceive the world and approach challenges in life. "NLP may teach you to think from a variety of perspectives and is a terrific approach to learn how to communicate more effectively," according to Mosaner. She points out that mastering these abilities makes it simpler to perceive and comprehend the opinions of others. This is especially helpful when there are divergent viewpoints and growing conflicts between individuals or groups. A 2015 assessment of the literature revealed that using some NLP techniques in a multifaceted therapy strategy can be beneficial in certain circumstances. For instance, a 2010 assessment of the studies found that NLP techniques could be effective in treating phobias quickly. Other areas, both personal and professional, where NLP is applied include: Business Education Law Medicine Relationships NLP practitioners contend that it enables you to take charge of your experiences rather than viewing them as things that happen to you. You may create your reality in this way. Common Techniques in NLP Some of the most common NLP techniques include the following: 1. Anchoring Anchoring associates an action with a specific emotional state. It establishes a connection between a physical sensation and a feeling so you can repeat the physical sense to relieve the feeling the next time. For instance, the practitioner might encourage a person to feel confident before asking them to repeat an action, such as pressing their forefinger and thumb together. The intention is for this behavior to trigger confidence later. 2. Rapport The practitioner imitates some of the client's unintentional physical movements to quickly establish rapport and use empathy to lead the client toward their goals more effectively. You can establish more natural connections with others by using rapport-building techniques. They primarily focus on aligning your communication style with the other person to build trust. The main components of this NPL approach are as follows: Pacing Responding to facial expressions Persuading Reversing course Stating your position clearly Actively listening while remaining nonjudgmental 3. Swish Pattern The client is helped to visualize their typical thoughts or behavior patterns and then modify them to produce the desired results. For instance, the client envisages a feeling like depression, giving it a size, shape, and color. Then, as it spirals in their general direction, they keep an eye on it. Once they have a clear picture of it, they try to spiral it in the opposite direction to have a better outcome and emotion. 4. Association Some practitioners use the association technique opposite to the prior method. For instance, an NLP coach, Kathy Welter-Nichols, treats bulimia disorder by associating vomiting with repulsive feelings. She encourages them to have a strong adverse reaction to vomiting because bulimic clients typically don't have any issues with it. Start your personal development journey with NLP. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is used extensively in personal development. You can start the journey of personal development using NLP. NLP is defined in various ways; some say it is the study of human perfection. It's a mindset and philosophy that has generated several approaches. It can assist you in letting go of the past and achieving your goals. Many personal development coaches use NLP because it may quickly effect change. As an Executive and Life coach, I use NLP techniques to help people explore personal development and achieve their goals without losing focus. I’m committed to empowering people through one freedom framework and creating a real impact in everyone’s lives. Want to learn more about NLP training? Looking to start your personal development journey and don’t know how to start? No worries. Reach out to me through a 60-min free discovery call and discover how a life coach can help you achieve your personal development to turn your dreams into reality and live a fully meaningful life. Meet your Coach today, unlock your highest potential and become the best possible version of yourself! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Vivien! Vivien Roggero, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Vivien Roggero is a certified Executive & Empowerment Coach and Entrepreneur. After 15 years of professional journey, expanding from Sales to IT Executive in some world-class startups’, losing his father to COVID, and going through a high-conflict divorce, he decided to dedicate his life to empowering people so they can live a fulfilling life. Those experiences also inspired him to create the One Freedom™ Framework, freedom and purpose-centric approach to life that helps his clients to accelerate their life design process and sculpt growth. His focus is to help clients who feel stuck in their professional or personal journeys or find struggles to re-navigate life after major life-changing events.

Written by: Dave Sewell, 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. How often have you found yourself in a meeting where you are choosing your words carefully for fear of retaliation, maybe even defaulting to saying nothing just to be on the safe side? These environments are not psychologically safe they are what we know as being psychologically aggressive, putting our flight or fight system on high alert, this situation is caused by one or more people in the meeting having stressors in their life that they are struggling to cope with. Staying in Balance Everything in life is about balance, there is day and night, hot and cold, dry and wet to name but a few balances that nature has in place. In these balances no side is right or wrong, it just is, each side having advantages and disadvantages depending on the needs of everything impacted by them. This also holds true for our body; to keep it balanced, we have the autonomic nervous system split into two parts, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. You may know the sympathetic nervous system as your flight or fight system (motivation and action) and your parasympathetic nervous system as your rest and digest system (restoring and recuperating). We need to feel both physically and psychologically safe to stay in balance. Many organizations have the physical safety sorted but not many have the more intangible psychological safety under control. The Challenge The stressors in our lives that we struggle to cope with, send these systems into a state of imbalance, often manifesting in unhelpful behaviors, attitudes, or performance in the eyes of those around us, preventing us from being the best version of ourselves. We do this because the brain has only one stress response system (the fight or flight system) which is designed to get us out of danger. When you think about it when we are in danger, are we happy? No, we are not, we get tense, serious, and even angry which are completely appropriate behaviors when facing down a predator, and here in lies our problem. Our brain does not differentiate between a predator that is about to eat us and a to-do list that we can’t get on top of, both stress us out and both use the same stress response system. That is why, when we struggle to cope with the stressors around us, we go a little bit ‘primal’ and are not very happy, to others we may come across as moody, aggressive, aloof, or difficult to get on with. 3 Things You Can Do to Maintain Balance In a nutshell, to help us develop and sustain a psychologically safe environment around ourselves we should be doing things we love to do, minimizing the things that suck the life out of us and holding a certain mindset that will reduce the chance of activating our stress response system. Sounds simple right, here is a little bit more detail on each of those 3 areas. 1. Do the Things We Love Dr. Edward Hallowell, the author of Crazy Busy, talks about 2 states of mind; the first is when we do things that ‘fill us full of energy (things we love to do, people we love to talk to and environments we love to be in) it puts us into the ‘C State’. In this state, it is easy for us to collaborate with others, be curious, hold high levels of concentration, be more careful, be calm and ultimately be courteous and civil to others around us. In this state, we are happy and much more likely to see the positive in any given situation and significantly more tolerant of others. In ‘C State’ we are the best version of ourselves. When we are in ‘C State’ our brain can hold this place for longer periods of time, indeed this is where we can get into the ’zone’ where time flies by and we don’t notice. For me that could be walking in the hills, playing on my Xbox, reading neuroscience research, or presenting on stage. My question to you is, what puts you into ‘C State’, and are you doing this daily, if you are not, what could you be doing to get yourself into this space? 2. Reduce the Friction Again going back to Dr. Edward Hallowell the other state of mind he talks about is the ‘F State’, this state sucks the life out of you and depletes you of energy. In this state, we can find ourselves feeling frenzied, frenetic, frustrated, frantic, fearful, or fucked off!! This is the state that triggers our stress response or ‘fight and flight’ (hmmm more f words, a coincidence, probably not!) In this state we are anything but courteous or civil, indeed we can be quite forceful and intimidating to others. To use me as an example, things that put me into ‘F State’ are administration tasks like accounting or building PowerPoints, rule breakers, being told I’m useless at something that I have put all my effort into, and curve balls being thrown at me and having no time to prepare. We all have activities, people, and environments that suck the life out of us, again my question to you is this; what are those things for you, and are you doing everything you can to minimize the impact of those in your day. (Note – it’s impossible to go through life completely avoiding the ‘F State’ the key is to be aware of what puts you into that state and do what you can to minimize it. 3. Choose your Mindset When people are unhelpful towards us, our brain sees that as a threat and goes through a process of putting a label on those people so that it can then create a strategy to deal with the ‘threat’. An example of that could be “Sam is never on time to work or meetings”, the threat could be “Sam is stopping me from doing my job which s making me look incompetent”, and the label might be “Sam’s just Lazy” or “Sam is useless”. When someone gets an undesirable label put on them, this can lower their status in the tribe and that is a big threat if the status drops too low the tribe will take action to remove them and that is a threat to the individual’s ability to survive. A better approach might be to hold a mindset of “everybody is inherently good”, when we can hold this mindset, it encourages us to get curious “I know Sam is not trying to be unhelpful, but I wonder why he is always late in the morning, I wonder if I can help him with anything so he can get here on time?”. This may not be the only question you could ask Sam but believing that no one is getting up in the morning to deliberately upset you allows you the ability to ask the right questions, provide a better level of support to people like Sam, to help them which will ultimately help you. If you want to start creating environments where everyone feels ‘safe’ to be themselves, feel ‘safe’ to contribute and share ideas we first need to look inward, become aware of those three points above and once we can get ourselves in to a better space, we will be ready to look after those around us. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or visit my website for more info! Dave Sewell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine “Every child deserves a home where they feel safe and loved.” This is what drives Dave Sewell’s research and approach to executive education and facilitation. Sewell’s own life story has led him to question everything he understood about leadership, from the beatings and shame from his own father to the near-complete psychological breakdown at the hands of a ruthless Area Manager in his early twenties. The question burning inside him, “Why do people behave this way?” and “How do we change this?”. Sewell’s research built a deep understanding of human behavior and our need to feel physically and psychologically safe. None of us are at our best when we are under continued levels of stress beyond what we can comfortably cope with. It is when we are in this space that we are often not helpful to others, indeed we can be quite uncivil, causing us to be more aloof, more confrontational, and less tolerant of others. No one wants to be this person in the workplace or this type of parent when we get home, but it is all too common. Having published the learning of his research in his book Safe Leadership – beating stress to drive performance, Sewell is on a mission to make more workplaces psychologically safer so that every worker can go home with enough emotional and mental capacity to spend quality time with their family, creating that psychologically safe space in the home. He does this through a series of leadership workshops, a longitudinal program, and one on one executive coaching.

Written by: Nikole Haumont, 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. Are your consumers aware of who you are and what you offer? Do they like you and talk about your products or services? Do they trust you enough to refer or buy from your business? If your marketing efforts can accomplish that for you, then you’re on the ideal path to more targeted leads and clients. Keep in mind that people buy from those they know, like, and trust. Therefore, if your answer to the above questions is no, then you have some work to do. The know, like, and trust principle represents the journey your potential clients make when they’re getting to know who you are, the things you have to offer, and what your brand signifies. You need all three to become successful in business. Is the Know, Like, and Trust Factor Important in Business? Absolutely. When your customers feel like they actually know you, they can trust, like, and are more likely to support your business. However, how do you get them to feel that way? The answer lies in connection. Helping your customers feel connected to you and your business will help you increase your know, like, and trust factor. We live in a period where being a faceless business is not enough anymore. More and more consumers like to know more about a business and who is behind it before buying something from them. Also, it is unlikely someone will buy from you after simply seeing a few posts or visiting your physical store. In reality, they may follow you for a long time before they are encouraged to buy something. The key here is to establish a deeper connection with your audience. Do that by sharing more about your business and engaging with those interacting with your posts. Read further for nine easy ways to grow and nurture a real connection with your audience. 9 Ways to Increase Your Know, Like, and Trust Factor in Business 1. Attend local business networking events The initial step to increasing your KLT factor is knowing where to go to make connections. Nearly any event or activity can serve as a networking opportunity, but business owners and professionals with local businesses can benefit from attending local business events. For instance, your town’s chamber of commerce might host events for people within your industry. It’s worth hitting up meetings for professional associations related to your field. 2. Show up more consistently That will look different for everybody but choose a schedule and stick to that. Always be consistent in your business and how you show up for your target audience. Do you have a weekly newsletter? Do your best to stick to an email each week. Do you perform a bi-weekly live stream? Ensure you consistently do it. Consistency has been associated with reliability. If your customers perceive you and your business as reliable and consistent, they’ll likely trust you. 3. Get social in your off-hours Only because you are off the clock does not suggest it is time to stop networking. If you like to expand your know, like, and trust factor, try to chat with attendees at your pilates class or health club. You can even make business connections at your kid’s sports events and school activities. After all, parents often seek something to chat about apart from what is happening on the soccer field. 4. Participate in community events Studies show that most people want to support independent, local businesses. Increase your profile in the community by participating in organizations and charity events. Organize a holiday “toys for kids” drive, sponsor a local fun run, or supply a Little League team in your town with equipment. This will also help to build your social capital. All that helps increase your reach, helping you attract new customers. 5. Start a group If you love to read books, run, drink coffee, eat pancakes, or talk philosophy, you can start a group devoted to your passion. If you often do business from home, having a regular group event will break the monotony you are experiencing. 6. Talk about your company values at events Are you attending a networking event? Why don’t you talk about something that aligns with your company values? That will attract audiences who relate to your company values and are likelier to buy from your business. 7. Share BTS snippets Why don’t you share behind-the-scenes snippets of you and your crew at work? Anything from product making, packaging videos, or simply a day in life could help your target audience feel more familiar and comfortable with your process and work in general. Showing how much time and work goes into making what you do helps showcase and validate the price of your services and products. 8. Speak at university or college lectures If you’re fortunate enough to live in a university or college town, keep an eye on their events schedule, particularly in areas linked to your niche. Colleges often bring in industry leaders or experts in the field, and such events are often affordable or even free. 9. Share your knowledge Have you been in business for a while? You’ve probably gained a lot of knowledge that can be useful to others. Building yourself as an industry expert is appealing to potential customers too. People love doing business with people who know what they’re doing. Consider doing talks at local venues or industry conferences. You can also create a mentoring program that connects upcoming experts with people in your business. Also sharing your knowledge on Facebook can help create the KLT Factor too. Networking is certainly an excellent way to increase your Know, Trust, and Like factors. But it’s also essential to keep that going on social media. However, it can be overwhelming and confusing if you are a busy business owner. That’s why we have something for you. Building trust, sharing value, and attracting people who like to work with you is simple if you know strategies that work. If you want to know more tips, Advantage Alliance can help you. We are a referral networking group for business owners and professionals like you. You’re invited to join us to meet owners and professionals (like you!) who are helping one another to grow their respective businesses. Apply for membership today! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit my website for more info! Nikole Haumont, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nikole Haumont founded Shield Bar Marketing in 2013 after selling her equine magazine and working for GoDaddy. Nikole and her team of highly skilled contractors, combine their expertise to provide the best possible resources for the micro businesses and solopreneurs they choose to serve. The Shield Bar crew works on websites, SEO, social media, logo & graphic design and email marketing. Providing consistency and professionalism for their clients, online and offline, is at the core of what they do. Nikole also co-founded the Advantage Alliance Referral Networking group; and is the marketing subject matter expert for both the Town of Sahuarita, Arizona, U.S. and the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce.

Written by: Jane Morales, 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. Having self-confidence takes part in the way we communicate. It is the ability to defend oneself honestly and respectfully. Every day, we face situations in which having confidence and security in us can be of great help; for example, when requesting an appointment with someone for a life-altering proposition, when approaching a teacher to ask a question, or showing up for an interview for the university or a job. Having self-esteem and self-confidence is also a way of feeling safe, along with the following: You can express an opinion or say how you feel. You can order what you want or need. You can express your disagreement respectfully. You can make suggestions or make your ideas known. You can say "no" without feeling guilty. You can defend someone else. People who speak with confidence and certainty show that they believe in themselves. They are neither shy nor know when not to be overwhelming. They recognize that their ideas and feelings are essential. They are confident. People who are sure of themselves tend to make friends easily. They communicate with respect for the needs of other people and their own needs. They are usually good at resolving conflicts and disagreements. They respect others and, in turn, are also appreciated. Genuine trust and self-understanding requires you to identify the origin of your insecurities since no one like you knows your strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the day, we constantly send negative messages about ourselves like "you see, you've done it again," "you're a disaster," "if you're stupid," and "what a disaster, how clumsy." We do not believe everything we read in the newspapers or everything we see on television, but these messages, as they sound with our voice, do consider them valid. What we say to ourselves becomes a reality. Don't be labeled What you are doing to label yourself is creating a caricature that exaggerates your weaknesses! Also, do you think it's possible to be "something" all the time? Let's take the example of the label "I'm clumsy" is it possible to be clumsy 24 hours a day? If we had to imagine a clumsy person all the time, it would be someone who drops one thing after another, stumbles, loses things, is dressed in stains because he throws the soup on top, makes inappropriate comments, and makes the wrong direction. To have self-confidence means knowing that whatever comes, you will be able to do it, to be convinced that your strengths will always be greater than your difficulties. You'll not have confidence in yourself until you stop labeling yourself: "I'm a mess" or "I'm stupid. All these are limiting labels you have put on so far. Have they helped you succeed? They support nothing in our lives. However, you continue to use them as if they were true. When we put on generalizing and limiting labels, we are doing a disservice to ourselves. What we believe becomes an exaggeration in our lives. What we say to ourselves manifests in our daily lives and what we believe turns into reality. Identify your strengths Everyone knows that we can't be good at everything. That's impossible. Perfection doesn't exist, but we have specific innate characteristics that stand out from others. Do you know what yours are? It is essential to understand what you are good at, get the most out of yourself, and put it into practice. Work on your self-esteem Insecure people need to work on their self-esteem, so they will be able to improve it and gain security. And it is that behind an insecure person or who lacks confidence, on many occasions, we find low and touched self-esteem. These people are exaggeratedly afraid of making a fool of themselves, of not being understood and accepted, of provoking mockery and laughter in their closest environment, etc. We can link self-confidence to possessing specific knowledge, skills, and abilities. Many people lack confidence because they feel that they lack a particular competence. For example, if you need more confidence about your role in a job, it may be because you need more training, information, and knowledge to perform well. On the other hand, people with a high level of competence in a given area often develop great self-confidence in that area as a result. Education, work, reading, and practice can continuously develop more competence. For example, if you play sports and are preparing for a competition, you should train every day. If it is a presentation or public speaking, practice continuously in front of different audiences to develop your skills. Finally, you will find yourself so competent in that area that you will naturally feel confident. Developing it requires being honest about who we are without making value judgments or wanting to change to fit into other people's ideals. When we know who we are and learn to trust ourselves, we reach a new level of intimacy. Trust is a powerful force that resides within every human being. It provides a feeling of greater control over one's life and the ability to accept its challenges. Own your experiences, they can be of great benefit Experiences develop a better ability to think and face the fundamental challenges of life. The feeling of being worthy, deserving, and having the right to affirm one's own needs. Internal growth predisposition to achieving more demanding objectives that imply greater personal satisfaction. Greater self-knowledge, greater self-esteem. Full acceptance of one's defects and limitations, with the sober recognition of aptitudes and abilities. Cultivate confidence Confidence brings a certain amount of intuition that the best is yet to come. However, cultivating it requires having a receptive attitude toward the unexpected. Interest in oneself Although altruism and caring for others are necessary, at certain times or situations, the interest in oneself should be superior to the claim given to others. Social interest We live in a community, and an essential part of our gratifications derives from social interaction; it is necessary to act morally and defend and respect the rights of others. Autonomy Healthy people usually take responsibility for directing and governing their own lives without constantly "needing" the support of others. The ultimate responsibility for your life is yourself. Tolerance to frustration It is necessary to grant oneself and others the right to have things follow a different course than desired. You don't have to issue sentences of condemnation when that happens. Instead, changing how negative emotions are experienced and accepting their unpleasant side is better. Creative commitment People tend to feel healthier when they are vitally involved in a project alien to them and assume some important human obligation. To be accepted The happiness of being alive reflects in people whose esteem and trust are positive. They are esteemed and can have fun. They do not make global assessments of themselves based on their external achievements or the judgment of others. Instead, they choose to accept each other unconditionally. Take risks It is essential to know how to take the risks that sometimes accompany the achievement of specific objectives even though, often, there is a possibility of failure. Failure should be the motivation to adjust and continue fighting for your goals. In the process, we learn how to deal with dreams, strategies, disappointments, and achievements. It is all part of developing solid confidence and healthy self-esteem. But, unfortunately, you do not always get everything you want, and it is impossible to avoid sometimes feeling suffering or pain. Therefore, accept the pain and suffering. In this process, we grow when we learn how to take it and develop new skills in life, such as the need to persevere, mental strength, and inner power to carry on, push through and never give up. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jane! Jane Morales, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jane Morales is a Human Development, Leadership, and Assertiveness Coach, Meditation Master, Writer, and Public Speaker. She holds a BS in Marketing from Bentley University in Boston and a Master of Science in Communications from Boston University. In addition to her higher education, she is trained in The Power of Intention, Positive Affirmations, and Living your own Success. She completed a higher degree in Psychosynthesis Psychology which expands the boundaries of human potential exploring values and purpose in life.

Written by: Poly Panou, 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 post-pandemic work environment has changed dramatically. Nowadays, the leadership style differentiates itself greatly from the one in previous years. The future of work is taking a turn to mental health & embracing even more diversity at all levels of the organization. The future is now, and we need to focus on the following attributes to better lead in the post covid environment: 1. Check into your and your teams’ mental health The first thing that a leader should do is to check on his mental health. Reflect on your own needs and prioritize them since it is the only way to be a role model for your team and eventually the organization. Then it would be best if you focused on improving the team’s mental health. Recent research by Adecco highlighted that the level of support that workers feel from their company plays a major role in whether they decide to stay in their jobs or leave for better conditions. Thus, the more you improve the mental health of your team the better engagement levels your company will have resulting in a great place to work. 2. Redefine communication with empathy Find the right way to communicate with each one on your team. Nowadays, there are more communication channels than ever before, but on the other hand, poor communication is a reality in our everyday working life. Firstly, using empathy, you should discover the proper way on delivering good and bad news to your team focusing on enhancing the shared vision and values. Moreover, you may ask your team to decide on the channel that you could use for your daily interactions. Using these two techniques will empower and boost your effectiveness as a team. 3. Embrace diversity & inclusion As a leader, you will be responsible for people that have diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations contributing to the team's skillset that will make you stronger together. The way you will make everyone feel safe and secure to bring more of his/herself into the workplace will play a vital role in the future of your team structure and organization. Letting everyone be more open, curious, and honest within the team will make them feel like being in their second home. So be the change you want everyone to see as well as an ambassador of equality in your organization 4. Coach & Be coached As leaders, we tend to train simultaneously also as coaches with the basic principles of coaching. In this way, we could assist our team members to maximize their professional & personal development. But we should consider reverse coaching as well. The best practice to do is to pick two timeslots within the week, in the first one you will coach one of your team members with a purpose, and during the second one let one other team member coach you. This is the best gift for you and your team. 5. Support your team in their development An outcome of McKinsey Global institute research for the future of work found that in the U.S. alone, 17 million workers may need to change occupations by 2030, which is 28% more than had been forecasted in pre-covid-19 research. This means that you as a leader should assist the development of each team with a diverse skillset to be able to adapt to the new norm of the working environment. In that way, you could keep your team relevant to new challenges that may occur in the following years. Last by not least, having these skills post covid will ensure that you as a leader will be on top of the new way of working. Being an inclusive and servant leader is the attribute generation Z &X will search for. Follow me on LinkedIn for more info! Poly Panou, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Panou Theopoula (Poly) is an HR Manager/Business Partner, a Coach, an Agile HR Practitioner, and a Mentor. She is currently responsible for the entire HR cycle, specializing in Talent & Performance Management, Engagement, and Retention of Talent & Business Coaching. She is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accredited by the ICF Federation and specializes in Solution Focused Coaching, supporting teams and professionals to improve/develop their professional & personal lives. She is an HR enthusiastic that loves to talks about coaching life, hr management, business coaching, and hr business partnering.

Written by: Lidia Kuleshnyk , 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. Welcome to my column “Burnout and Stress: How to Create More Energy, Time and Health”, where I explore powerful foundations and solutions that support you in creating your legacy of health and wealth. In Part Two, I discuss how to create more energy by clearing your energy. Part Two. How to Create More Energy: Clear Your Energy Clear thinking is considered a critical factor in achieving success. As a high achiever, you recognize that mental clarity and focus help you stay on track and create achievable goals. Having a clear mind is supported with mindset tools and a connection to your passion, values and abilities. “Master your mind, master your power” is a common mantra for high performers. Great leaders are known for their brilliant minds, laser focus and expanded vision. While all of this is certainly true, we also acknowledge how exhausting mental stress can be. Cloudy thinking, brain fog and physical exhaustion slow you down. If left unchecked, you can experience the energetic drag of indecision, poor decision-making, chronic fatigue and burnout, leading to chronic illness and chronic pain . The result: Your best laid plans can come to a screeching halt. How do you maintain a clear mind, strong energy and live in your power, when the stress of life can leave you drained and depleted? How do you manage your stress and prevent burnout, when you rely on your mental clarity and strength to succeed every day? The solution: you schedule in time to strengthen your energy and clear your energy. Clearing Your Energy “Getting Clear” goes beyond the mind into a visceral state of being that is governed by your energy system. There is a holistic connection of mind-body-spirit that supports you in being grounded, energized and focused. This flow of energy is part of the deep circulation of your life force, supporting the strength of your nervous system, immune system, digestive system and all systems in your body. If your nervous system is short-circuited, “fried”, from overwork, then the flow of energy into the brain, and into the cells of the organs of the immune system, becomes depleted. When you are short-tempered and easily “blow a fuse”, you are living beyond your capacity. My Capacity Principle™ of Conscious Leadership and Success teaches you to connect with your “flashing red light indictors” that let you know when you have reached your limit. By tuning in to yourself to know when you should rest, rejuvenate and clear your mind, you can bring balance back to your nervous system, rejuvenate your brain function, and support your drive and motivation , without extreme highs and lows, frustration and anger. The Secret Key: Circulation The key to staying clear and focused is the deep circulation of energy in your body. In oriental medicine, circulation and elimination work together. Your energy needs to stay in flow, to circulate, so that the body can continue to detoxify and regenerate. I call this the micro-process of healing, the ongoing cleansing, clearing and strengthening of every cell in your body. When every cell in your body is energized to do this, you create more energy and a foundation for lasting health and productivity. Stagnation is the enemy of health, vitality and clarity. Imagine a stagnant river...it is cloudy, weak, full of sludge and toxins, unable to create a stronger current to release and regenerate. It is in decline. Like a river that needs to flow, your energy channels, your organs and systems, as well as your muscles, joints and bones, need to be continuously infused with vital clear energy. 8 Ways To Clear Your Energy Here are 8 easy and simple ways to help you release stress, free your mind and keep your energy clear and flowing: 1. Create a Change “Sometimes A Change Is As Good As Rest ” Old English Proverb Creating a change in your life activates movement of energy, supporting circulation , flow and clearing of energy. Change your location: Take a vacation, plan a day-trip, go for a walk Change your clothes: Change your clothes when you arrive home or when you are in different roles throughout your day. This helps you release a layer of stress, unburden and feel relief. Change your daily routine: Take a break from your regular routine. Get creative. Try a new dish or a new way of doing things. Shake off your worries. Change your home, office or workshop: Reorganize your office, kitchen, tool shop to create more ease and flow. You’ll feel lighter, more grounded. 2. Rest Your Mind: “To The Mind That Is Still, The Whole Universe Surrenders” Lao Tzu Give your mind and thoughts a break. Make a conscious choice to not think about your responsibilities, deadlines and pressures for a few minutes. Commit to activities you enjoy that release heavy thoughts, stop over thinking and free your mind, such as: listening to music and audio books reading a novel watching movies staring out the window meditating easy repetitive tasks, like exercise, stacking wood, raking leaves, cleaning the house 3. Laugh “Laughter Is The Best Medicine” Old Proverb Who doesn’t feel lighter and clearer after a good belly laugh? Find a way to laugh, let go and forget about everything. 4. Detoxify “To Err Is Human, To Cleanse Is Divine” Lidia Kuleshnyk Cleansing the body clears your mind and creates more energy. a. Sweat: Enjoy activities that make you sweat: Exercises, Sports, Sauna, Epsom Salt Bath, Hot Shower, Sitting In Front Of A Fire b. Diet: Do a deep cleanse with healing foods, herbs or a kit from the health food store 5. Exercise All exercise is movement and enhances circulation. Choose an exercise that you love and enjoy. 6. Breathe Conscious breathing supports circulation of energy. There are many styles of deep breathing that will help clear your energy. 7. Clear Your Energy Field And Your Home Simple energy clearing techniques can help release stagnation and create more flow in your body and your home Apply simple Feng Shui principles to your living space and office Enjoy a reiki energy healing session Smudge your living space with white sage or use incense and essential oils to clear the energy Add plants that detoxify and clear the air Clap: Clapping is an ancient healing technique that clears energy. Sit still, clap around your body three times in a row. As you clap, feel where energy is heavy. Return back to that area and clap 3 times to release it. When an audience claps together in a theater after a performance, it has a tremendous clearing effect. 8. Connect With Nature And Animals Being immersed in nature and spending time with animals , without cell phones and the distraction of technology, activates the flow of energy in your body , releases stress and clears your energy . Through supporting deep circulation, flow and detoxification, you are clearing your energy. You naturally feel lighter, stronger and less attached to external stressors. Then you are able to manage your energy and stress, create more energy and avoid exhaustion and burnout . You reclaim your health, refine your power and evolve into the conscious leader of your life and a conscious leader of the world. Join me for my next column where I offer more valuable advice on “ Burnout and Stress: How to Create More Energy, Time and Health” To learn how to avoid burnout, and manage your energy and stress, get my Free EBook “ 10 Tools To Survive and Thrive In Uncertain Times” Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin , or visit my websi te . Read more from Lidia! Lidia Kuleshnyk, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lidia Kuleshnyk is a High-Performance Wellness Coach, 3X Best Selling Author, and Founder of AponaHealing.com. Lidia helps overworked, stressed-out, high-achieving men and women master their inner power, manage their energy and stress, and create their highest state of health. As a Renaissance Woman and Thought Leader, Lidia offers pathways for every stage of personal development to help you reclaim your sovereignty and live a Centered, Connected, Conscious™ Life. To Learn More and Connect with Lidia: www.AponaHealing.com

Written by: Jen Landry, 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. Women are strong, powerful, and smart. This is tenfold when we have children. So why do women wear bandaids instead of really living in their strength when it comes to our health and wellness? For those of you reading this who just gave me a giant eye roll, hear me out. Being pregnant, giving birth (vaginally or via c-section), and living postpartum can be very hard on a woman’s body. It causes a lot of physical, mental, and personal changes. During pregnancy, your posture changes, muscles move and change, ligaments get lax, and the pressure inside your system is different. Giving birth can be emotional, difficult, dangerous, and wreak havoc on the pelvic floor and vagina. Then after the baby arrives, there are the emotional and physical challenges that come with that. These changes are much more widely known, however, we are not given the tools to deal with them properly. This is when we insert the bandaids. Women are not taught to control their internal pressure or core during pregnancy, instead, they are given pregnancy belts. Bandaid. Women are not taught better ways to give birth and are not provided proper breathing techniques during labor. They are given stirrups. Good for providers, not mothers. Bandaid. Women are not taught how to bring their posture, core, and pelvic floor back to proper homeostasis after pregnancy and birth. Instead, they are given pads, and period underwear, and told to avoid jumping. Bandaid. I am here to tell you that if you are taught good posture and body mechanics during pregnancy, quality ways to labor (FOR YOU), and what it takes to start recovering after you bring your baby home, then you can rip the bandaid off and never use them again. Life does not have to be lived by constantly changing bandaids or moving from one to the other. Instead, it should be lived learning to adjust for each phase of life. Even if you never have kids, this is true too. Stop giving into the back pain or hip pain while pregnant because it is just “part of being pregnant”. Drop the waist belts for good, use your muscles the way they are intended instead. Stop laboring on your back just because it is easier for your doctor, take control of your birth. Stop wearing pads or period underwear to the gym so you can jump rope with everyone. Instead, work on having the strongest core and pelvic floor in the room so you can jump rope with everyone. Stop worrying about not being able to find time or motivation to work out. All of these “bandaids” can be removed with a few simple exercises and movements a day. Exercises that can be done with your kids, around your family, watching tv, relaxing at home, or driving in the car. It can be optimized by including the exercises in a workout and learning to lift properly in each phase, but it is not necessary to make changes Find a pelvic floor therapist that can help assess your pelvic floor and do an internal exam. Continue to work with them to get your pelvic floor back on track. Then find a qualified personal trainer to help you learn the right techniques and walk through proper workouts or exercises. By starting with a Pelvic Floor therapist, you will have an amazing understanding of how to use and control your pelvic floor. This will allow you to be more prepared and ready for workouts with a trainer. Women’s health is changing and the conversations around it are changing. It’s time we change too. It is time to remove the bandaids and step into our own power. Leave the period panties behind ladies and enjoy life again! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jen! Jen Landry, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jen Landry is a leader in functional fitness. She specializes in pregnant, postpartum, and everyday women. As a mother of two little girls and two pregnancies that left Jen feeling weak, broken, and in need of answers, she discovered the Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Certification. Obtaining this certification changed the way Jen looked at pregnancy and postpartum fitness as well as female health in general. It ignited a fire to help as many women as possible, so they could avoid what Jen experienced. She is the CEO and Owner of Moms Fit Life. Her Mission: Teach Moms they can trust their bodies again and rock mom life with confidence!

Written by: Terry Tateossian, 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. Marketing is one of these disciplines that are ever-changing, evolving, and innovating to meet the demands of the day. And successful marketing strategists quickly learn how to adapt and apply the strategies that put their customers at the center of their campaigns. However, targeting and reaching audiences with laser-focused precision that yields astonishing results, is getting more difficult with every passing year. Thankfully, our knowledge of what consumers are looking for and what they expect from their purchasing journey grows as well. The data tells us that hyper-personalization is what marketers need to pay more attention to. But how do you create hyper-personalized strategies? The short answer is through identity-based marketing. Here’s what you need to know about identity marketing and how it can help your brand’s sales strategies. What Is Identity Marketing? Identity marketing is focused on creating tailor-made experiences that target and deliver the right message and value proposition to the right audience. You might be wondering— isn’t that what you’re already doing by segmenting your audiences by age, gender, location, and other demographics to target them separately? And while these groupings might help you generally narrow down some of the prospects you need to target, they give you little insight into the desires and needs of your audience. Here’s where identity marketing comes in handy. It’s the strategy that actively seeks out, finds, and delivers personalized solutions, based on who your prospect is, what social and professional group (tribe) they belong to, and what are the things that move them. That is what hyper-personalization means for identity marketing. How Does Identity Marketing Work? Identity is a topic of pride, and people love it when brands recognize who they are. These positive emotions are what drive the success of identity marketing because businesses that pay attention to and cater to individuals rather than simple demographics manage to tap into consumers’ emotions and move them to action. Serving individuals might sound like an insurmountable task, because after all, how do you learn who the people making up your target audience are? Thankfully, some instruments can help you gather sufficient information to help you group and target your prospects more effectively, starting from more general categories and pinning down a specific group of individuals as you go. People love to belong to a group they find they share values and interests with, so tribe-specific offers have a better chance of influencing purchase decisions and brand loyalty. Segmenting audiences based on their occupation, life stage, and affiliation will give you a competitive advantage as you’ll be targeting people in the specific category where people are much more likely to share the same goals, pains, and traits. These groups, or tribes, will help you customize your offers and provide exclusivity, which will make your audience feel seen and understood. Triggering these emotions help build not only brand recognition but long-term loyalty. For identity marketing to work, you have to ensure that your exclusive or gated offers can be redeemed by the specific audience tribe and them only. You can do that by setting up a digital verification system that verifies your prospects' identity before they can redeem your offer. Furthermore, these offers help you get a better understanding of the individuals in those communities and build a lasting relationship based on offering solutions specific to the tribe's needs. The process goes something like this: You create a gated offer for a specific customer tribe (e.g. students, nurses, bus drivers, and more) Consumers opt-in and get digitally verified before claiming the offer You analyze collected data to nurture customer relationships and personalize future campaigns What Problems Does Identity Marketing Solve? Personalized marketing campaigns are not a new thing. But the data we’ve been using to segment audiences don’t get to the bottom of who the people we’re selling to are. There is only so much a geographical location or the age of your potential customers can tell you. Important questions like what drives your specific audience or what makes them interested in certain brands and products remain a mystery. And most marketers are left A/B testing what would work best for their target audience. Needless to say, this approach can end up costing a lot with very little return on investment to justify it. Authentic personalized experiences rely on ensuring we talk the language of the people we’re approaching. Unfortunately, the data most marketers are investing in is usually anonymous, general, and not representative, thus unreliable when it comes to personalization. Looking at demographic data, for example knowing where your customers are based doesn’t give you any insight into the emotional triggers potential customers will be moved by. That’s not to say that demographics are not useful, but rather that this data needs to be evaluated together with more detailed knowledge of your customers. From General to Hyper-Personalized Third-party platforms like social media and search engines can give you information about the interests and search intents of users, but data from these sources need to be continuously updated. What a person was interested in today, isn’t necessarily what they’ll be interested in in a week. For marketers to be able to gain long-term leverage in their personalized campaigns, they have to focus on gaining zero-party data. Zero-party data refers to the information consumers willingly provide brands with. This can be anything from personal characteristics like styles, preferences, occupation, and hobbies. It’s the opt-in information that customers are ready to provide to help brands recognize who they are and further personalize their experience. This is one of the most valuable types of data you should be aiming to gather. It helps you hyper-personalize your customers' experience and thus adds value. When working with zero-party data you have to keep in mind that you’ll have to place the appropriate security measures to protect your customers' data. An investment that will pay off in the audience's trust and loyalty. What Advantages Does Identity Marketing Give Your Brand? We’ve covered how identity marketing helps you personalize your value proposition and target the right kind of audience. Let’s see how it benefits your brand in the long run. 1. Identity Marketing Helps You Stand Out First of all, by applying the principles of identity marketing, you’ll stand out. Cutting through the noise of online advertising can be a dreadful task, especially if you’re doing what everyone else is. Approaching consumers' tribes with shared values instead of general demographics will help you stick out of the crowd. 2. Identity Marketing Helps You Build Stronger Relationships Reaching prospects with individualized marketing campaigns that speak to the people they have a greater potential of convincing them to act. Knowing that you understand and respect their individualities help build better and longer-lasting relationships. 3. Identity Marketing Helps You Spread the Word If people like your brand they will talk about it. Word of mouth is still the most effective way to build trust with new audiences fast. And for people to like your brand, they need to feel like you know and care about who they are, and identity marketing helps you do that. 4. Identity Marketing Helps You Collect Valuable Data Opting in gives audiences the choice of helping brands learn who they are, rather than unwillingly being part of the general statistics that do not always deliver the right insight into what they are looking for. With identity marketing, your brand doesn’t have to be tied with any negative connotations of personal information being misused. 5. Identity Marketing Helps You Build Loyalty Once you manage to reach your audience through authenticity, understanding of users' individuality, and adding value to their specific needs, you will gain a loyal following. The personalized, emotionally-rich approach of identity marketing, is the shortest route you can take to gaining trust and long-term brand loyalty. To Wrap Up If you’ve been wondering how you can improve your marketing strategies, better segment your target audiences, and emphasize your value proposition, then it’s time to invest in identity marketing. A strategy that relies on a deeper understanding of human emotion, motivations, values, fears, need of belonging, and delivering solutions that cater to those, has no competition, and brands that put resources into fully understanding their audiences, and how they change through life have a competitive advantage. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Terry! Terry Tateossian, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Terry Tateossian, Founding Partner of Socialfix Media is a fourth-generation entrepreneur who is recognized as an Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, Forbes’ Top Women in Business, Fastest Growing Women Presidents by WPO, and 40 Under 40 Business Leaders by NJBIZ. Terry has been featured for outstanding leadership and career accomplishments in numerous industry publications as an engineer, a thought-leader in technology, and an innovator in the field of marketing. But her favorite and toughest earned title is being “Mom” to her 2 children.

Written by: Eszter Zsiray, 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. Corporate mothers don't need a healthy work-life balance, at least not when 'life' is mainly about household chores and responding to the demanding needs of their smaller and bigger family members. What moms really need is a healthy ratio of all kinds of work versus their own time, allowing them to have a space for themselves to keep their sanity or even have fun. But how to get that? There are certain elements of the formula of a content working mother, let’s have a look at them! 1. Motherhood penalty While first-world countries encourage families in so many different ways to have more kids, they won’t give equal support to working mothers when it comes to fighting against the motherhood penalty, including the pay gap, glass ceiling, normative discrimination and many other disadvantages in the job market for working mothers. But what if motherhood is not seen as discomfort by employers? What if they could find different alternatives to actually try to attract mothers as valuable and amazing workforces, who are organized, focused and who clearly know how to multi-task and deal with rotating and fluctuating priorities? The difficulty today is not that mothers can’t find a way to balance family duties and work-related tasks, the problem is that most employers don’t even offer the flexibility to enable the navigation between the two worlds. Equal payment, flexible work time, and home office options could make working mother’s life so much easier, nevertheless, these are still not always available after COVID, even though the pandemic brought clear evidence that mothers could work from home and adapt work hours around family needs without any negative consequences on productivity and effectiveness. Coaching tip: while motherhood penalty is an external factor influencing working mothers’ careers and salary, there might be internal factors which are rather our own limiting beliefs, things that we feel as an absolute truth and therefore we don’t even consider question them. It is important to see clearly what are the legal requirements or company policies on flexible work time or home working and what might be simply our assumptions about the employee’s expectations. Talking to HR and doing your own research on options don’t usually cost a job, management often appreciates initiatives and proactive problem-solving. 2. Invisible labour There is another penalty around motherhood, and that is the invisible work that mothers accomplish without anyone noticing or acknowledging it. To keep a household happy and healthy is a combination of a full-time maid, a nanny and a project manager, and while there are exceptions, mainly these workloads fall on mothers. It’s a long story about how our society got here, but there are plenty of things we can do about it today to make some improvements. The first step is being aware of the invisible labour and conscious of all the tasks working mothers take on. The next step is making changes in our own household to get a fairer and more equal division of household chores, starting an open communication with our partners about our expectations and needs. The long-term impact is guaranteed, by being role models for the next generations we can already initiate a change so our daughters won’t need to fight against invisible labour anymore. Coaching tip: have an open conversation with your partner and try to actively listen to each other. Don’t expect him to read your mind, you must explain the impact of the status quo on your mood and energy level, how overwhelmed, tired and maybe even lonely you feel due to the endless tasks and the responsibilities waiting mainly for you. Try to have an agreement instead of expectations, and involve actively your partner in the design of the future, what are the things he could take over easily, and what are the things you could even hand over to the kids or someone else? When hubby is happy to be responsible for a task, the best way for mothers to support them is by letting them accomplish the task on their way and letting go of their own perfectionism. Accepting support means that we should give up control, which is a price that we need to be ready to pay. 3. Alone time First of all, let’s start with the definition of me-time. Me-time is the time that a mother spends alone, which means, that there are no kids or husbands around them. Why this is important, and why mothers can’t rest while they enjoy quality time with their families? Well, because spending time with their kids or hubby can be lovely and rewarding, but still, moms need to operate in a ‘service provider’ mode as they respond to all different needs of the kids, they feed them, entertain them, keep them safe, especially when they are young and less independent. According to a research, parents have an average of 32 minutes a day for themselves, mainly when the kids are already sleeping and the parents are death-tired and that is hardly optimal to accomplish any inspiring activities. As a consequence, mothers feel that while they do want to devote their time to raising well, loving and supporting their kids, they miss some space to feel passionate and energetic about non-kids related stuff, something that represents their essence and identity instead of the mother or wife role they took on. If there are no opportunities for working mothers to breathe and be themselves, automatically they will start to be resentful and angry of their family, mainly their husband which is leading to severe marital problems. Coaching tips: if we are sincere with ourselves, very often married working mothers could have more time for themselves, but they struggle to fight for it as they don’t allow themselves to take a yoga class or to stay in bed, while hubbies easily close the door of their study or go and meet up buddies without asking for permission or feeling guilty. Yes, there are tons of work to do to have a more balanced workload and to not consider ‘daddy helping out mummy’ but simply taking his share of the chores, but in some cases, we, working mothers also need to be more honest with ourselves and identify where could we do better and allow ourselves to create our own space to re-charge the batteries. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Eszter! Eszter Zsiray, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Eszter Zsiray is a Certified Life Coach, author, blogger, and creator of the program VELL©, supporting her clients on three continents to successfully transform their lives. With 17+ years of leadership experience, she is passionate about human potential and growth. Her research areas are ownership & responsibility, self-sabotaging behaviors, the positive impact of confidence and empowerment, a growth mindset, and healthy habits for mental and physical well-being. As a mother herself, she is committed to serving women and mums, and she created a special program for new mothers to adjust to new life challenges and a program for women entrepreneurs to shift into the proper mindset and to thrive in their professional and personal lives.

Written by: Leah Tomlin, 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. We have a global economic and wellbeing crisis on our hands. Our world is proving to be an increasingly stressful place in which to live. As we recover from the shock of a pandemic, and with the ongoing war in Ukraine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global increase in mental health disorders. Mental ill-health is now the leading cause of sickness absence, with WHO estimating an annual cost to the global economy of $1 trillion. Furthermore, the workplace is frequently reported to be the leading cause of depression and anxiety for employees. “Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything”, Paul Krugman, American Economist. The requirement for global productivity has rarely been so great. The latest OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) report for 2022, paints a picture that is clear: productivity is key to future global economic recovery and growth. Countries with higher productivity have greater scope for economic growth. It is also the case that organisations with greater employee productivity see better return on investment and greater organisational success. Raising workplace productivity and wellbeing are clearly priorities for leaders, business and society. Where are we going wrong? Wellbeing and productivity are so closely correlated and inseparably connected that productivity and work-life balance predict each other (Hafner et al., 2015). Low mental or physical health leads to low productivity. Conversely, improving health and wellbeing leads to increased productivity. Crucially, in practice, workplace productivity programs actually decrease wellbeing (Isham et al., 2020). Therefore, we drastically need to rethink organisational productivity programs that are detrimental to wellbeing and in turn, ironically, detrimental to productivity. Organisations need a more holistic approach to their productivity programs that place health and wellbeing of all employees and leaders at the heart of initiatives. Transforming Wellbeing & Productivity Many factors lead to low organisational wellbeing and productivity. It is the role of all leaders to ensure that they strive to create environments and cultures that are conducive to workplace wellbeing and productivity. It takes strategic action, open and honest discussion and continuous reflection to create an environment where people can thrive and enjoy autonomy in their roles. Whether, as leaders, we are considering strategies to improve our own productivity or that of our wider team, it makes business sense to appreciate each individual. Empowering people to prioritise their wellbeing and take responsibility for their own productivity is important for transformational and sustainable improvement in organisational productivity. It’s vital for all individuals to first raise self-awareness and assess the here and now across the 7 Core Areas of Productivity: 1. Wellbeing Remaining on the relentless busy treadmill leads to lower workplace productivity, poor efficiency and burnout (Dubale et al, 2019). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) reveals that 10-15% of workers are officially burnt out. 50% of people are exhausted, ineffective and/ or disengaged with their work. The latter group is also running the risk of complete burnout. Wellbeing is frequently the thing we let slip when life and work become busy. It's important to analyse all elements of our wellbeing and ask which is being neglected: Physical (exercise, nutrition, quality sleep, regular breaks, relaxation) Emotional (stress management, emotion regulation) Social (connections, relationships, requesting help) Creative (make, do, indulge and be present) Intellectual (curiosity, learning) Workplace (find purpose, meaning and inspiration) Domestic (get help, enjoy home and be present with those in it) Spiritual (nature, wonder) Societal (being part of a cause greater than you) To stop burnout in its tracks, we must recognise early exhaustion/ overwhelm states such as tiredness, distraction, lack of energy/ direction/ focus, negativity, cynicism, poor sleep, anxiety, over-reliance on food/ alcohol or loss of interest in activities. Leaders must place their own wellbeing as their top priority and model this openly. Only then are they able to encourage health and wellbeing in their teams. 2. Mindset A positive mindset is our productivity super-power. It enables us to be adaptable, resilient, calm and controlled in the way we navigate life and work. It equips us with the ability to control unpleasant thoughts and feelings, and assists us in taking leaps outside our comfort zones. A positive mindset is a one-way road to success. Equipped with such a mindset, setbacks are not allowed to take an enormous toll. A growth mindset is one which can recognise a crisis, put it into perspective and understand that there are better times ahead. A learning mindset allows a person to happily accept that they can learn anything and adapt to all eventualities. People with a growth mindset are therefore more resilient and can bounce back brightly from the brink of adversity. Our mindset will determine how, as individuals, we will approach, process and resolve issues and problems. Developing a growth mindset requires people to be forgiving and patient of themselves and others. Focussing on the effort and enjoying the journey is more beneficial than being overwhelmed by the required outcome. Leaders can encourage individuals to develop a stronger mindset through coaching and discussion. People need strategies for dealing with overwhelm and resetting expectations. Instead of looking up to the heavens and focussing on the top rung of the ladder, they should be encouraged to focus on the first step. This is where their action and success begins. Granting workers permission to fully focus on the first step can relieve stress and vastly improve their productivity. 3. Energy Energising ourselves is a necessary enabler for productivity. With depleted energy, we are unable to work at any reasonable capacity. In the modern world, our brains are bombarded daily with distractions. These chaotic patterns of information can cause a prolonged stress response, leading to exhaustion, overwhelm, lack of concentration and, in extreme cases, to chronic anxiety and depression. Erratic and uncontrolled mental thoughts are fatal for productivity, and likely indicate a person needs a break. Breaks are crucial to every working day. Neuroscience studies show us that we learn more profoundly when we take a break directly following a significant learning period. Neurons create new connections more readily during the sleep that follows intense learning than during the learning activity itself. The brain never actually rests, being increasingly active during sleeping hours; consolidating memories and new learning, keeping us breathing, maintaining our heart rates and more. However, studies show that a micro-break of as little as 60 seconds can benefit our working memory, mood and concentration capabilities (Heiland, 2021). Breaks and consistent 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep are fundamental to productivity, brain-functioning, learning and longevity. Leaders can do so much to ensure that their workers understand the importance of breaks and that regular breaks are factored into every working day. 4. Boundaries Defining boundaries is necessary within our work and across work/ life transitions. To maximise productivity, we all need non-negotiable times set aside for deep, focussed work. We need to learn to say no to excessive expectations from others and to clearly define boundaries between our work and the rest of our lives. Leaders should encourage employees to be boundaried with their working day. When people write their actions at the end of their work day, for the next day, it allows them to more easily switch off, knowing that their actions for tomorrow are already determined. Time boxing during the working week, and the working day, helps focus energy and time in the right place to enhance productivity. Employees should all be encouraged to block out time in every working day for significant projects that really propel them towards their goals. This might include writing a report, creating a funding proposal, a business plan or a presentation. Keeping firm boundaries around these non-negotiable times is something that every worker needs. This will require leaders to reserve parts of every week as meeting-free time. 5. Habits Our habits and routines can determine our success or failure in life and work. Many people become so entrenched in negative habits that even a strong desire to change cannot shift them out of these repetitive behaviours. Our brains are wired to keep us in our comfort zones, where we feel safe and at ease. However, stepping out of our comfort zones and honing new habits is where our true success lies. Helping people to set up the optimal situations for habit success is crucial within organisations. Asking workers what they need in order to optimise their success can be hugely beneficial. It’s tough to change habits, and it’s so true that we are creatures of habit, but coaching support can help individuals across organisations to develop the very best habits for productivity and will provide the all-important accountability. The coaching process should help people to make commitments and declare them openly to gain accountability and certainty. Employees should be encouraged to consider the benefits to maintaining the positive habit and tangibly feel the pending success. Developing habits takes time, patience and determination. The secret is to develop them incrementally and slowly over a period of time. With patience and support, thoughts can be transformed into actions, which can be developed into successful productivity habits for life. 6. Priorities Success with productivity is less about how much we get done, but more about what we choose to get done. Using the mathematical Pareto Principle, find the 20% of activities that have the 80% impact, and focus on these as priorities. Creating the optimal strategy should be prioritised, with smarter (not harder) working. Use this free 90-Day Planner to simplify life and work and get clearer on goals and targeted daily actions. It’s important that leaders see themselves as enablers for employee’s priorities. Granting autonomy to workers and avoiding micromanagement will enable people to feel greater ownership. Conversations about priorities should be helpful and allow people to master the arts of goal setting, decision making, elimination, delegation, outsourcing, planning, project-management and reflection. Leaders should ask what people require to manage their workload and ensure their time is valuably utilised. 7. Systems The systems we have in our organisations enable people to function and for processes to run smoothly and transparently. This is vital for our own and others' productivity. Our own individual systems, and those we use for collaboration and accessing help, should also be enablers for productivity and success. Effective business planning is key to the success of any organisation. Leaders need goals and a strategic approach to ensure that the organisation's mission is achieved. Systems and strategic plans should be in place to enable everyone to understand their roles and responsibilities. Financial and administration systems must run smoothly and can be automated where possible, leaving leaders to focus on more strategic elements of leadership. As everyone knows, things don’t always go to plan, so it’s necessary to have people and systems in place to help you deal with disasters. Knowing who to go to for support, or who to delegate to when a problem is beyond your scope, should be automatic to prevent stressful mishaps from escalating. Make sure people have a rich network for advice, support and creative inspiration. In our technological era, digital systems help immensely with automating and saving time. Research the best tech tools by looking online and asking your support networks what they find useful. Whether you require tools for email automation, business finance, project management, graphic design or a task board, there has never been a better time to find suitable aids that will propel productivity, make life easier and free up time. Productivity Breeds Positivity When we are productive in life and work, we achieve more which gives us a sense of accomplishment and increased motivation. This, in turn, fuels further productivity. Ultimately, being productive makes us more positive and empowers us to achieve more ambitious goals, for work that is focussed, purposeful and rewarding. Leaders should value the wellbeing and productivity of all people in their team. Empowering workers with an evidence-based free self-assessment of the 7 core productivity areas will help individuals to raise their self-awareness; furthermore, they will receive personalised reports to help them target their productivity journey. Once clear goals have been established, accountability and support will help develop the best productivity habits and systems for life. It’s time for leaders to put a pause on procrastination and propel productivity, the people-centred way, across organisations. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Report 2022. For more info, connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn or visit my website! Read more from Leah! Leah Tomlin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Leah coaches professional women for transformation in leadership and life. She holds an exceptional range of qualifications and skills as a certified Executive Coach, business owner, published Neuroscientist and qualified Head Teacher. Her understanding of the brain and how people learn ensures she inspires transformational, life-long positive impact for leaders and their organisations. Her scientific background allows her to employ evidence-based brain and coaching methodologies that achieve success. Leah is passionate about gender equality, helping propel more women to the top and seeing them succeed as incredible leaders. She empowers women to understand how their brains can help and hinder them, enabling them to develop greater self-awareness, confidence, and a dare-to-dream vision. Her clients love the way she coaches with emotional intelligence and warmth, focused on improving their leadership competency and helping them develop new and effective professional behaviours and habits. Working with Leah, leaders achieve greater success for themselves and their teams, as well as create supportive cultures of excellence in their workplaces. Leah lives in Bristol, England, as a single mum to her three young children. She is passionate about well-being and takes time to enjoy her hobbies, including music, film, reading, art and design, yoga and dog-walking. References: Dubale, B.W., Friedman, L.E., Chemali, Z., Denninger, J.W., Mehta, D.H., Alem, A., Fricchione, G.L., Dossett, M.L. and Gelaye, B., (2019). Systematic review of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa. BMC public health, 19(1), pp.1-20. Hafner, M., van Stolk, C., Saunders, C., Krapels, J. and Baruch, B., 2015. Health, wellbeing and productivity in the workplace. A Britain's Healthiest Company summary report" RAND Corporation Report. Heiland, E.G., Tarassova, O., Fernström, M., English, C., Ekblom, Ö. and Ekblom, M.M., (2021). Frequent, Short Physical Activity Breaks Reduce Prefrontal Cortex Activation but Preserve Working Memory in Middle-Aged Adults: ABBaH Study. Frontiers in human neuroscience, p.533. Isham A, Mair S and Jackson T (2020) Wellbeing and productivity: a review of the literature. Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity. CUSP Working Paper Series. No 22. Guildford: University of Surrey.

Written by: Helen Kagan, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In my new Series “Choices & Us” of 12 Episodes published once a month which I’m creating especially for Brainz, I am going to bring to the surface and address various deep seeded issues, beliefs, patterns, questions – all those bottoms of the “tip of the iceberg” stuff that we’re usually dealing with on a daily basis often having no idea where they come from, how they affect us, or what to do with them. You can read the 1st article from this Series published on Oct. 4th, 2022. 1. Life happens To us or Life happens For us. Can you see/feel the difference? I personally believe that life is not happening to us, it is happening for us. I believe that our experiences (both ‒ good and bad, positive and negative) are given to us to learn, improve, enhance, and ultimately evolve. I believe that these “lessons” are intentionally provided for us to help us shift from our “old stories” and to create new ones. What do you think is the ultimate Lesson in Life? Is it different for everyone, or is it pretty much the same for all of us, Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey? (this is just my understanding of who we are). What is the grandest Lesson a person can discover on their Journey called Life? I believe that it is when we realize – i.e. become conscious, become aware, discover, un-cover, have a life-changing experience, have an epiphany (any and all of these are valid!) ‒ that we are Souls in a Body with the Mind, and not the other way around. That we ARE Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey, and not the other way around. "Be the light at the end of the tunnel for someone who only sees darkness." ‒ (Author unknown) I believe that it is critically important to do everything we do ‒ with love vs. hate. As an Empath I feel and experience that unfortunately, there’s too much hate on our planet Earth. I think that it’s very important to believe that we all are Love, that “love is all we need”, that we were created from Love and to be Love, and just because Love & Gratitude have the highest vibrational frequency, when we begin to live from the place of Love, we become it. We embody it. And then ‒ we can bring it to the World to share. My HealingArts™ does just that. This is exactly what I communicate in my art while using embedded spiritual messages, energetically balanced composition, sacred geometry, high frequencies of constellations of colors, and some other secret ingredients… :) And yes, I constantly remind myself too… ‒ remember to do everything with Love and Gratitude. What I am constantly learning in my “lessons” is that for many of us, creatives, art – is a spiritual path, a transformational process, a way of being. I also believe that art is a catalyst for healing individuals, society and the environment. I do believe and practice the inter-connectedness of mind, body and spirit. And I believe that now, more than ever, our World needs the positive energy and spiritually-based intentions, beliefs and values. My “HealingArts” can be an answer to many. You can just look at my art, take a deep breathe, inhale the bright healing colors and positively charged high-dimensional frequencies of Love & Light. Then relax, let go, become grateful for this moment of “here and now”, and just enjoy the feeling… Then repeat. You are also welcome to browse www.HelenKagan.com. 2. Gratitude. We can’t achieve success without help along the way. Who are you grateful for who helped you get where you are? I totally believe there’s always help available to us. It can come in very different ways, shapes, and forms, but it is definitely there for us. However, I also believe it is our own responsibility to reach out, ask for help, even if we feel quite self-sufficient and independent and don’t think we need that helping hand, or feel deserving… Remember ‒ “ask and it’s given”? It took me many years to realize that! But now, after multiple “lessons” (which are not “mistakes”!) I am grateful to God, Universe, Higher Power, Angels, Archangels, all spiritual beings, my family, my friends, and everyone else who’s been helping me (both, intentionally and unintentionally, directly, indirectly or adversely) to stay strong, to keep going, to never give up, to continue creating and bring my soulful services, my heart, and my art to those in need, regardless any difficulties, challenges, upheavals, illnesses, and all other complexities of my own Life. I am grateful to all my big Teachers, to my colleagues, my Team members, my business partners, coaches, speakers, and all other professionals who keep providing great services in our challenging unprecedent times, bloody protests, wars, political, economic & ideological upheavals, broken dreams, lost jobs, closed businesses, and just many crushed lives… I am grateful to all publishers, Magazines, Catalogs publishing articles about my HealingArts™, Galleries for exhibiting my art, collectors for buying my art, all my wonderful friends in all realities (physical, virtual, and others) who support me in many different ways in many difficult times, for loving my unique art, and appreciating my Vision, Mission and Purpose. I am grateful to all people I meet on my complex multidimensional Journey. And… my biggest gratitude goes, of course, to my father – a very strong resilient powerful man, a big scientist, a huge mind, a world-known inventor, a role model, a man of honor, an extremely talented person who has always pushed me (indirectly and quite directly) to be better and smarter, whom I always had to rebel against, to prove my own gifts and talents to, to look for and find that proverbial “approval” from (after getting several graduate degrees, earning my “uneasy” PhD in science, working in a few completely different fields, developing and running clinics, and finally doing what I love most – creating my art), to whom I always compared every man I’ve been with, who’s always ready to give a hand particularly when I don’t ask for it, who still (at the age of 86) continues to work and invent some new-age revolutionary scientific and engineering concepts and devices in different fields despite his own very challenging health condition… and who is, was, and always will be a very powerful figure in my Universe. 3. Are these Mistakes or Lessons? Let’s think about some situations in your life when you felt you made one of the biggest mistakes ever. Or, perhaps, when you thought it was the biggest mistake when you first started your business. Or your relationship. Or your job. Or… Were you just crashed or were there any important lesson(s) you have hopefully learned? Well… I have to confess ‒ I personally don’t believe in “mistakes” :) I believe there are always “lessons” given to us to learn from. Sometimes they can be really hard, even harsh, but… I want to believe that they all appeared in our reality for one and only reason – to make us better. I can say I made a lot of mistakes, and not only when I first started my business, my relationship, my family... I can say I always trusted people and thought that everyone I met on my Journey had the exact same set of values, dignity and integrity like I do. They did not. I can say I had a lot of people who took advantage of me, used, abused and betrayed me. And all of the above will be true – but only from one perspective. Because I can choose to say (remember “Choices & Us”!) that I had a lot of “lessons” given to me to learn about people, to learn about who is right and who is wrong for me to have anything to do with, how to be/live/work with them, how to communicate to them what I need, what to expect from them in response, and even ‒ what to do when you live your life on Purpose while they are not. The last one is the toughest one for me. What about you? I trust that my own many sad, tragic, and traumatizing “stories” ‒ are still not mistakes, but they are my “old stories” that need to be shifted because these “old stories” that constitute my “old reality” need to be changed for the new ones which will create my “new reality”. You know why? Because it will help me tremendously to start anew, to deeper connect with my True Self, to live from a place of Love & Gratitude, to embody the Light that I AM. And because I do believe that in accordance with many of our new age spiritual leaders ‒ “we create our own Reality”. I can cite hundreds and hundreds of resources and references ‒ from scientists, neurobiologists, quantum physicists, renowned authors, and many other authorities such as Bruce Lipton, Gary Null, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Miguel Ruiz, Dan Millman, Gary Zukav, Neale Donald Walsch, and I can go on and on… And one of the quintessential learnings from all these amazing teachings is that “we are Creators of our own reality”. We are here, on this planet Earth, to live our Purpose, our Truth, and we all, individually and as a society, create our reality. Just think about it… It’s huge, right? 4. Pandemic and its consequences, inflation and other financial challenges, mental health, environmental changes, and many other big topics. What’s your expertise? Mine of course, is in the fields of Mental Health, Spirituality, Art, and Energy Healing (also called Energy Psychology). My Purpose, Vision and Mission is to understand HOW I can integrate them all in and deliver through my unique HealingArts™. Why? Because I strongly believe that if we don’t heal ourselves first, we simply won’t have a healthy society, healthy environment, nor a healthy Planet. “The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it”. ‒ Eckhart Tolle Since I am being invited to Brainz as an Executive Contributor and an expert in the above fields to present my unique brand HealingArts™, as an artist, healer, and first of all – a woman, I would like to remind all the readers (both men and women) that we, women, are beautiful, loving, caring, insightful, intuitive, and just simply amazing creatures :). All of us. Whether we are aware of this or not, whether we’re living our Truth or not, whether we are still living in a “survival mode” or have already made our conscious choice to journey “from surviving to “thriving”… Regardless, I want us to remember that we, women, are Beautiful. We are Lovable. And we are Enough. I am not sure that we all are necessarily from Venus, but we definitely are lovers, keepers, and caregivers ‒ by default. The vast majority of us are trying to live our lives by taking care of others, most often BEFORE we take care of our own needs. This. Is. Wrong. I’ve been learning my “tough lessons” about needing to change the way I live my life simply because there won’t be anyone to live it if I continue doing what I do expecting different results… (remember this popular “definition of insanity”?) As a holistic healer and a Mental Health practitioner I can say that this definition is quite correct. If we, wonderful loving and caring women, won’t learn how to take care of ourselves first (i.e. to put a proverbial oxygen mask on ourselves first), and continue to give yourselves away, and literally waste your energy trying to “fix, rescue or save” others, then we still continue living in our co-dependent and so habitually comfortable reality or pattern (even if it’s abusive, disrespectful or terrifying – we often continue doing it…). I do know this by fact as I’ve experienced these “lessons” many times because I didn’t learn anything the first time around… Yes, I have always been living my Life with dignity, integrity and intensity, just in my hypervigilant “superhero” mode of saving the World, often just one person at a time, always working or studying or working plus studying, doing it 25/8, and literally killing myself while helping others. I got my lessons then and there. At least I hoped that I did. But then… yes, guilty as charged ‒ I repeated the same “mistakes/lessons”, only in slightly different ways and in different areas… Then, there were new ones. And more other ones. Yep, I have had many lessons. And I do believe they are not mistakes! They are all lessons to learn from. And I still keep learning. It’s a life – long process, can’t happen overnight. But I’d never call them mistakes. Because they were lessons teaching me something critically important about me as a Human, as a Woman, as a Caregiver, Lover, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Healer, Scientist, Creative, Artist, and most importantly ‒ about what I need to change, and how I can do that. These “lessons” were and are transformational. Some were almost unbearable. The ones with “life & death scenarios”. Many of which showed me that I really had to change my Life ‒ which of course is not an easy task! And, as a result of my many “lessons”, I did completely change my life, many times, and am still doing it. Again and again. This is how I understand “evolving”. I am wondering if NOW we are living in the right time to change our Reality by changing our limiting beliefs, our habitual patterns that no longer serve us. Why? Because we lived through a very challenging extremely difficult exhausting stressful and really scary for many, 2020. Then – through a very politically economically societally and psychologically charged, 2021. Because we were shown, literally in our face, that if we won’t change our own reality, this so-called “new normal” reality will change us, and not always in a way or direction we want. Because if we won’t shift our own reality – Life will bring to us new “lessons” to learn, and those new “lessons” could be even more challenging and/or devastating. And, because living from a place of Light, Love & Gratitude is incredibly nice, soulful, and rewarding. We are now at the end of 2022. We all experienced 2020 as a very transformational year – good and positive for some, bad and negative for most … That was a year of many Losses. A year of many Lessons. A year to embrace and share Gratitude despite all possible challenges and difficult circumstances. 2021 was no less difficult yet even more transformational considering the losses & lessons we receive in 2020. 2021 – made us learn more about our individual and collective Journey to our Truth, Love, Gratitude, and Enlightenment. What is our “new normal” and our new “Lessons” of 2022? Helen Kagan “Healing Arts”. One of my own very strong (positive!) beliefs is that art heals. And this is exactly why I continue creating in many different genres, ways, and shapes! I believe that art is a catalyst for healing individuals, society, and the environment. I believe that for many of us, creatives, art is a spiritual path, a transformational process, and a way of being. I believe in the inter-connectedness of mind, body, and spirit. I believe that now, more than ever, our World needs positive energy and spiritually-based intentions, beliefs, and values. As a statement of all my beliefs, my “HealingArts” is my unique way to synergistically bring together fine art, expressive arts, and the art of healing to enhance well-being, make the right choices, bring Love & Light, and embrace humanity. My laser focused attention and intention now is dedicated to developing my newest unique venue integrating fashion, design, art, and healing ‒ WearableHealingArts™ ‒ to make healing through art more accessible to everyone. The new website www.WearableHealingArts.com will be functional very soon. Stay tuned! 😊 The next article of this Series “Choices & Us” on the creative Journey of my HealingArts™ will be published next month. It will be about Success, Failure, and Habits of highly successful people. In the meantime, please visit www.HelenKagan.com to enjoy my healing colors, and perhaps even to meditate on the above concepts… Thanks for reading! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit my website. Read more from Helen! Helen Kagan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Helen Kagan Ph.D., a scientist, psychologist, artist, a pioneer of creating art with the intention to heal, is a creator of unique HealingArts™ for 30 years. Helen believes art is a catalyst for healing individuals & society and engaging Healthcare & Hospitality to encourage healing through art. As a severe PTSD survivor who dedicated her life to helping others, she synergistically integrates Fine Art, Expressive Arts & Art of Healing. “HealingArts” shown in multiple International Galleries, States, Countries, and Catalogs, won awards, named "Collectible Artist". Her Mission now is to develop a new unique venue integrating fashion, design, art & healing ‒ WearableHealingArts™ ‒ to make healing through art accessible to everyone.