Written by: Evangelia Vensel, 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 role our subconscious mind plays in our lives. The hidden power of the subconscious mind. By definition: “The subconscious part of our mind is concerning the part of the mind of which one is not fully aware but which influences one's actions and feelings.” ‒ Google It is the part of our mind that notices and remembers all the information we know when we are not actively trying to do so. The part of the brain that has been pre-uploaded and programmed into our subconscious mind from our upbringing and childhood influencesthat create and influence our behavior even though we do not realize it: It is where our memories are stored. The Cell is a COMPUTER! “The human body and the humancell are fractal reflections of each other… and they are programmable by our subconscious mind, our consciousness and our environment” ‒ Dr Bruce Lipton, Cell Biologist Let me explain to you the difference between being raised with a supportive subconscious mind, the proper brain development and emotional nourishment versus the opposite, a false, self-sabotaging subconscious mind from abusive brain development and neglect of emotional development and support. Positive subconscious mind A nourishing and supportive environment creates a positive and strong mindset and subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is being uploaded and programmed with love, acceptance, intimacy, connection, compassion, self-worth and self-awareness. Subconscious core beliefs that they are good enough. Subconscious beliefs that they are Worthy of achieving their dreams, along with being smart enough to accomplish their goals. Programs that are built in the subconscious mind for success, self-love and self-motivation. When the brain and senses are being properly nurtured, that person's cellular system, immune system and nervous system are strong and fully intact. There are no negative vibrations in their environment to compromise their cellular function and Heath. There are no negative self-limiting beliefs or thoughts disrupting their existence. There are no self-sabotaging beliefs or thought patterns. Only patterns of thoughts that lead them to their full potential. These are all positive vibrations, positive frequencies that feed their cell’s vibration, gene expressions and their entire biology makeup. Exactly how our creator, God, intended our brains and beings to function and thrive. Everything in this universe has a frequency and vibration. That includes our thoughts, beliefs and emotional state of being. Side effects of a strong subconscious mind: Following through. Making good choices, having genuine friendships. Making wise decisions. Believing in themselves. Landing good jobs. Become successful with their life goals. Achieve anything they put their mind to. Negative subconscious mind Now, let’s educate you on what happens to a person that has been raised with the opposite. An environment that wasn’t supportive or very nourishing. An environment that was negative and fearful. An upbringing full of negative vibrations with no emotional outlets. An upbringing that included daily physical abuse, verbal abuse, mental abuse, neglect and rejection… There are many directions a child can go in their development from lacking proper nourishment and emotional support. There are so many ways a child or an adult can get lost in it all while dealing and trying to cope with the negative effects of the negative vibrations from their own environment. The lack of feeling safe in their own habitat destroys the natural function of the nervous system and limbic brain. It’s like running from a bear twenty-four seven but there is no bear. It’s as if there is a brick strapped to a driver's foot and it’s stuck on the gas pedal. The system gets put into overdrive. The subconscious mind has been pre-uploaded and programmed with a negative, self-destructive mindset and they don’t even know it because it is on a deep, core subconscious, cellular level. Their cells have been exposed to chronic stress, fear and all kinds of negative vibrations. These negative vibrations and frequencies are deeply rooted and weaved into every cell, every tissue, every thought, every behavior, every response and every belief that it leads to a series of destructive behaviors, a compromised immune system, a nervous system that can’t regulate itself and a poor, negative, victimhood mindset. Negative side effects If it goes unnoticed and unresolved for too long it results in PTSD, mental illness, addiction and chronic illness, even cancer. An unlimited amount of negative side effects that affects each individual person differently. The human cell, the brain and the nervous system do its best to co-regulate, suppress, manage, and can even hide the really bad stuff that happens to us. It usually ends up coming back with a vengeance later on in life, if left unresolved. Growing up and living with a false subconscious mind leads to addiction, attracting the wrong people, unhealthy relationships and lovers and making poor choices. It’s like a prison but in our heads. We give all of ourselves away for the sake of receiving any form of love. We settle for less than we deserve and don’t believe we are worthy of success or being more than what we’ve been told we would ever become. When the subconscious mind is running off a false and negative narrative, these individuals have a harder time becoming anything in life or fully achieving their full potential. The self-chatter they battle with daily is like constantly and chronically fighting off demons and haters that don’t believe in you. The adverse effects of living with this mindset creates inflammation in the cells, affects our adrenals, the way our nervous system handles fear and toxicity along with catching every bug, cold and flu from having a compromised immune system. All from having a false subconscious mind. The fight is real and it’s an internal battle many survivors of negative programming never seem to escape. Most die from suicide, illness or stay suffering their entire lives. Solutions The good thing is, as I discovered on my own healing journey from my own childhood trauma and abuse, that we have modalities now that can help us rewire, rewrite and reprogram the false part of our subconscious mind. A way to permanently delete the victim and replace it with a warrior! We have the power to change the perceptions of all the negative events that’s happened to us so that we don’t stay a victim to our past and our pain. The body and our cellular system only obey and respond to our subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind is the part of the mind that sends out powerful Vibrations out into the quantum field that allows us to attract and manifest our dreams, goals and desires. Our cells only respond and become activated by vibrations, sounds, lights, water, color and frequencies. Our own thoughts and beliefs on a subconscious level all have their own frequency and vibration. It all works together like a beautiful symphony. Had I not discovered and become a certified master in the method PSYCH-K, an epigenetics type modality that can renew our minds, change our gene expression, transform false subconscious reprogramming, along with the ability to release traumas on a cellular level, that I discovered by reading the book “ Biology Of Belief “ by Dr. Bruce Lipton, cell Biologist, I wouldn’t be writing this article today. The renewal of the mind is the way to everlasting transformation. Your beliefs are everything What you believe on a subconscious level is what you will experience in life. If you believe there is no magic in life, then you'll never experience it. If you believe God, our creator, the miraculous is not real, then you'll never accept it, even if you encounter it. If you believe you are limited in what you can do, accomplish, overcome and become, then you'll always live within the confines of your imagination. If you believe you’ll never heal, then you will never heal. If you believe your condition is incurable, then you’ll never find the cure. However, the opposite is also true. If you truly believe in something, you'll experience it around every corner. If you believe on a subconscious level in the miraculous, then you'll train yourself to see and be thankful for the small miracles that unfold each day. If you believe you are limitless on a subconscious level, then you'll see that anything you imagine is possible. If you believe you can heal, you will heal. Your subconscious beliefs hold so much influence in your life significantly, ultimately determining how your story unfolds. We become and attract what we believe on a subconscious level. What’s your story? What’s your subconscious mind playing out for you? What is your subconscious mind attracting into your life? Does your story need a new ending with the best outcome possible for your future? Just know, I am here as a survivor to tell you that YOU hold the key! YOU have the power with your own mind to change your mindset on a subconscious level…you just need a little guidance and the right modality to facilitate it! I’m here to teach you how! Having the opportunity and ability to discover which beliefs, thoughts, perceptions and traumas that are sabotaging us, gives us the power back into our own hands to replace them all and re-upload our subconscious mind with self-empowering, self-loving and self-motivating beliefs. I myself deleted all the negative, self-limiting and self-sabotaging beliefs and perceptions that were placed upon me from my childhood traumas, by loved ones, Doctors and friends and replaced them all with what I wanted and desired instead! And that alone led me to my own transformational healing from a debilitating chronic illness that I believed I could overcome because I believed it on a cellular and subconscious level! Change and transformation Change is real. Change can happen. It starts with our subconscious mind and changing it to serve us versus work against us. We have the power to change, achieve and become anything we desire! If I can change my life from being a victim to my past and from being bedridden for 5 years, I truly believe anyone can with the right subconscious belief system! If you need help and guidance or want to learn how you can book a session with me here. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Evangelia! Evangelia Vensel, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Evangelia Vensel, is an influencer for transformational change through the renewal of the subconscious mind, the importance of detoxing the body and coping with the side affects of unresolved early childhood trauma and abuse. This led Evangelia down many paths to find and discover real solutions to heal and change the mindset of a victim of abuse. After Evangelia's own personal battle with debilitating illness and how trauma healing and subconscious reprogramming transformed her life, it is her mission as a trauma and illness survivor to share awareness, knowledge, wisdom, teach the methods that helped her take her power back and offer solutions to those still suffering. She is dedicated to help change lives.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” This sage observation comes courtesy of William Shakespeare in Henry IV, Part 2. Wise executives know that being in charge means making decisions that have significant consequences for others – and that it’s a rough road when taken alone. It is up to leaders to discern for themselves that it’s time to seek out a coach on this ever-changing path. Here are four signs that an executive is ready for a coach who can help them maximize their potential while providing them with the tools to make better, more-informed decisions – both big and small – in their workplace. 1. You have a dysfunctional team. Conflict will happen; it can be addressed productively or not. A dysfunctional team is often plagued by difficulty navigating through conflict. Signs of counterproductive conflict are passive-aggressive reactions; pushing away from and avoiding the conflict or the subject of the conflict; or encounters that are tainted with feelings of being personally offended or holding grudges. All of these responses are common and are human nature. Conflict is scary to humans and until we work on ourselves as individuals, getting to know our conflict triggers and those of our teammates, we will be unable to have healthy conflict and ultimately, a high-performing team. In fact, an article in Mediate states, “Some estimate that American companies lose $359 billion a year due to the effects of conflicts because of diminished work performance, low employee morale, and loss of revenue” (Picincu, A, 2019). When you think of conflict, it probably brings to mind arguments and disagreements. This is not always indicative of conflict. Conflict relates to how day-to-day conversations and interactions that elicit differing opinions are managed, especially the ones that are avoided because leaders sense they may result in an unpleasant clash. Instead of facing the potential conflict, they often pull back and “stuff down” their opinion, while playing a familiar tune in their heads that their way is better or finding things that are wrong with the decision that’s been made. These deadly silences can distance the team and lead to dysfunction. As a leader, you are contributing to the dysfunction through your own conflict pattern. 2. A new level of company growth and financial targets are on the horizon. New challenges require new behaviors and thinking. What got you here won’t necessarily get you to the next level. If you are challenging your team to achieve higher results or to do something that’s never been done in your company’s history, the need for novel approaches is amplified. How are you going to employ new thinking and bring it about in your team? When you rely on what you’ve done in the past, you will produce the same results, because your thought patterns are the same – like grooves in a vinyl record. New thinking starts with YOU. You’ll need to get out of those vinyl-record grooves and carve new ones to refine your leadership skills and change your thought patterns. This happens when you hire a leadership development coach to challenge thinking, examine thought patterns, and work with you to expand and enlarge them. Our brains cannot fully comprehend the massive growth that’s readily available, as they constantly seek recurring patterns and find comfort in repeating them. It is NOT human nature to continually challenge and expand your thinking and performance. The good news is that science can help. Using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (the science of the words you use and choose not to use), coaches can open neural pathways to expand your thinking — quickly. The secret lies in the method coaches use to ask questions that get the brain to open up and grab hold of new ideas and concepts. Clients both large and small who work with companies that use this technique (like mine) are constantly amazed at how well this process works. They begin to realize how limited and stale their thinking is. Truly effective coaching gives founders of such industry giants as Amazon, Netflix, Google, and SpaceX their edge. 3. There’s no plan for promotion and succession. Only 20% of companies are actively naming and developing successors and have a plan in place that’s being followed. There’s a tremendous gap when it comes to developing individual team members who can be promoted into roles that might lead to succession. The rule of thumb is to target five successors for each leader, promote them into roles where they can get the experience needed to try their hand, and see how they perform. This is the most effective way of ensuring effective succession ‒ much better than targeting and naming a single successor, believing they have the right “stuff,” then praying they work out when they assume the new role. In order to move up, move onto something else, or retire – and reach your goals – the company should be structured so that everyone can move into the next position. For this to happen, the entire team needs coaching, both individually to develop the leadership ability and performance of each person, and as a whole to develop cohesive cooperation. Coaching can also facilitate mining for healthy debate and thought diversity, which leads to better decision-making. These changes certainly don’t happen by themselves, and they cannot be achieved by you alone. 4. Everyone is saying “yes.” If everyone on your team is saying “yes,” there is a problem. This indicates you are in or have created a zero-feedback environment. This often happens with CEOs or members of senior leadership teams – those who have the greatest impact on everyone in the organization. They and their work can benefit greatly from feedback, but it is rarely received. Do you get feedback about your performance from others, apart from board members? Typically, the higher you ascend, the less feedback you receive. An experienced leadership development coach will provide feedback that is of genuine value —feedback that is based on scientific methods of uncovering and rewiring behavioral patterns that impede effective interaction and optimal performance. Where else might you get this type of feedback? Not in a peer or professional group, not from colleagues, and not from friends. Your leadership coach should also provide a safe space for you to bounce ideas around without judgement or ramification. Seek leadership development based on science. Do any of these four conditions exist within your company? Seeking out a leadership development coach who can help you address some or all of these conditions while allowing you to reach your maximum potential is key. But remember: look for a coach whose approach is grounded in neuroscience (i.e., how the brain works). Unfortunately, most leadership development coaches use a simple behavior-based approach that targets only the conscious mind; the effectiveness of this approach is sporadic at best. The reason is that negative behavior patterns are created in the subconscious and unconscious mind. To change these patterns and help leaders maximize their potential requires an approach that gets into the subconscious and unconscious mind and creates new and lasting neural pathways, not just temporary behavioral changes. Coaches who use an approach grounded in neuroscience can help executives open unconscious blocks in their mind, creating the opportunity to make lasting change by erasing old patterns and habits and replacing them with newer, more effective ones. About the author: Karen Brown is CEO of Exponential Results. She draws on 30 years of success as a corporate executive with over 20,000 hours of senior executive coaching experience. She is also a focused athlete, having completed, as an amateur, in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii as well as competing in ultra-marathon and triathlon events around the world. It was during her Ironman training that Karen discovered the key to greater performance and effectiveness: identifying and addressing blind spots – the repeated thinking patterns that impede success. Her discovery led to the creation of Exponential Results’ proprietary Power Pathways™ methodology, stemming from neuroscience. Karen is the author of Unlimiting Your Beliefs: 7 Keys to Greater Success in Your Personal and Professional Life. Contact her at karen.brown@yourexponentialresults.com.

LaVonda McCullough, D.Div, CPQC, CCDF (Certified Christian DISC Facilitator), is a Christian Life and Certified Positive Intelligence Coach and founder of Joyful Journey. LaVonda is a woman who loves to empower other women with a Christian-based approach to overcoming anxiety and depression. As the founder of Joyful Journey and RefresHER Retreats, she utilizes her spiritual practice focused on the discipline of Daily Quiet Time and prayer to find joy and freedom. She works closely with those she coaches to develop a lifestyle balance centered around core values that align with God-given purpose. Always using a spirit-led approach, she focuses on the whole person ‒ mind, body, and soul. LaVonda has traveled and spoken throughout Europe and Africa about the power of prayer and teaching the importance of forgiveness to experience deliverance and spiritual breakthrough. She is the author of "21 Days of Fasting and Praying, The Beginner's Guide to a Disciplined Life." LaVonda McCullough, Christian Life Coach Tell us more about yourself. Who is LaVonda beyond her career and success? I'm originally from North Carolina and the wife of 32 years to my college sweetheart. We have three adult children. As a military spouse, I have lived and traveled internationally, but not without me living under the labels of shame, blame, trauma, anxiety, and depression with a broken identity. I lived a life of captivity to unforgiveness and bitterness for many years. It was a long journey to discover my identity in Christ. It became easier to avoid the trauma from my past with each new duty station, which allowed me to mask the emptiness and put up walls to protect my heart. After experiencing an encounter with God while hospitalized for three days that led to my complete surrender and accepting my calling from God, I learned how to love myself, forgive myself, and, most importantly, embrace God's love for me and whom He created me to be. I knew that my past didn't define my future. Tell us more about Joyful Journey! What kind of services do you offer? I'm a lifelong student of God's Word and have acquired many tools that will assist in the restoration, reconciliation, and renewal of the love of Christ. I provide Christian DISC Assessments that will categorize personality types and integrates insight from scripture and emotional intelligence. This model enhances one's ability to become more equipped to walk in her God-given purpose. I want to see women free from past wounds and experience inner healing and deliverance from trauma. I offer one-on-one Transformation Coaching, Sozo and Immanuel Approach sessions, and host Women's Retreats to help women release emotional baggage and confidently step into destiny. I offer an online community called IMPACT(Intentional Motivation Practicing Active Christian Truth), which provides quarterly Bible Study, mentoring, prayer walks, and other resources for spiritual growth. Membership is open twice a year. In what ways do you offer a unique service to your customers? As a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach (PQ), I use the importance of mental fitness to help others develop and grow. PQ synthesizes recent neuroscience, cognitive and positive psychology, and performance science. My Christian PQ program offers group coaching accompanied by the PQ App (found in APP Store), making it one of the most sought-after mental fitness programs available. This impactful training helps develop mental muscles to deal with challenges with much less stress and greater clarity, creativity, and resilience. This tool aligned with your faith addresses self-worth/self-esteem, grief/loss, relationships, personal power, and overall well-being producing outstanding results. This model of mental fitness has effectiveness in the management of both personal and professional life. What is the most common question you get from your clients, and how do you answer it? I love spending time with God in His Word and prayer. Through this personal time with Him, I've learned to hear His voice and discern His guidance for my life. Answering the question, "How do I develop an intimate relationship with God and hear His voice?" is what I'm passionate about helping others experience. My mission is to teach others how to establish a Daily Quiet Time with God as their foundation. Knowing God's character is essential to building faith and trust, which are crucial components of any intimate relationship. You begin by setting an appointed time to pause, pray, ponder over scripture, and then listen to the Holy Spirit. By doing this consistently, you start to hear the voice of God and discover clarity, purpose, and direction to finding your purpose. Tell us more about your RefresHER Retreats and how I can attend. The RefresHER Women's Retreat is a much-anticipated event that is highly sought after by women who need a refreshing and renewal time. If you are weary from everyday life's demands, this retreat is just for you! At the RefresHER Retreat, held annually, women can escape the world's stress and focus on God. A prayer-soaked atmosphere at the base of the Appalachian mountains, where we will encounter God's presence, is exhilarating and filled with joy. It is the best place to obtain clarity, focus, rest, and leave refreshed, revived, renewed, and restored. For a weekend, you can experience the quiet solitude on a prayer mountain at Apple Hill Lodge and learn how to reach the Divine Power within, operating with boldness and authority under the power of the Holy Spirit. I am excited to host our 8th Annual RefresHER Retreat in the United States for the first time. How does forgiveness prevent a life of freedom? An unforgiving heart affects your physical health and causes anxiety, depression, and many other health ailments. Forgiveness is an essential ingredient to leading a joyful life. Forgiving others and ourselves helps us break free from negative emotions like resentment, guilt, and anger. Not only does forgiveness bestow freedom from such feelings, but it allows us to practice love unconditionally in our relationships. With forgiveness, we can bring restoration and reconciliation, giving more meaningful relationships and a life of freedom. Forgiveness does not say that what was done was right. It releases the chains that bind us and allows healing to occur internally. What is the most significant career achievement you have achieved so far? I never think of ministry as a career choice but more of a lifestyle of obedience to God. If we are obedient to Him, He will use us in ways we never imagined. One of my most significant experiences was my first ministry trip to Uganda, Africa, as International Director for Women, Men & Youth of Purpose, Int'l. During this visit, I faced many obstacles to attend because I was a Department of Defense Employee with the United States Army. But I was obedient to the voice of God, and during this visit, the Lord gave me a prophetic message that humbled a Pastor's heart, and he gifted 5 acres of land to build a Trade school to teach women home economic skills, spiritual growth, and mentoring. As women, we are often our own worst enemies. I had allowed my scarcity mindset to prevent me from achieving my full potential and living out my purpose. But through this experience, the Lord showed me that "He is able or willing and ready to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think according to His power at work within us ."(Ephesians 3:20). How do we find joy & renew our minds? Our circumstances are beyond our control, and we spend time alone basing our happiness on concepts. But the truth is, joy comes from the inside. Aligning your will to God's will brings joy and peace to a life of chaos. Renewing your mind and finding joy in your life is possible but a process that takes time and effort. Acknowledge that you can change and develop a prayer life Read God's word daily Remain focused on the good things even when situations are challenging Keep a positive attitude Maintained an attitude of gratitude or gratitude journal What keeps you motivated? Helping women align their core values and utilize their Spiritual gifts keeps me motivated. I am passionate about serving and supporting women to expand their sphere of influence, walk confidently in Christ, and find freedom and joy in their journey by cultivating Christian disciplines. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from LaVonda!

Relationship specialist, psychologist, and award-winning author Maryanne Comaroto helps individuals discover essential tools for creating healthy, fulfilling, and sustainable relationships. Maryanne is a clinical hypnotherapist, certified Vedanta meditation teacher, popular speaker, and host of a weekly radio show that reaches a global audience across 130 countries. With a gift for making complex theories practical and telling the truth with compassion, Maryanne offers one-on-one counseling sessions and leads life-changing workshops. She is also the founder of the nonprofit the Queen of the Jungle Foundation. Maryanne earned her Ph.D. in Depth Psychology with a specialty in Somatics. With years of researching the cultural impact on modern relationships, Maryanne developed the CORR© relationship curriculum and innovated the SHOMI® Method, a transformational system of self-inquiry. She created the audio series “Thrive: Seven Essential Truths for Revealing Your Secret, Sacred Self” and authored the award-winning Skinny, Tan and Rich: Unveiling the Myth and Hindsight: What You Need to Know Before You Drop Your Drawers! Maryanne enjoys meeting people, traveling, and exploring new cultures. She and her husband own Gassho House, a boutique retreat venue for people to gather, learn and refresh. In her free time, Maryanne loves being with her family and her fur babies, and the beach is her happy place. What are some signs that a relationship has run its course? Some of the obvious signs are: You start fantasizing and daydreaming about having a different life or with someone else. You notice you start thinking about exes; you start thinking about your colleagues going, "Hmmm, they are pretty cute today." You start drifting away from the relationship bubble. Noticing growing discontent in general and irritability; a way that you're critical of that person. These are some of the signs where you're like, "God, I'm so mean lately; I don't know what my problem is. Why am I being so cranky?" You're getting moody in the relationship: "They just can't do it right." You're dissatisfied with them. The imbalance starts to become more perceptible. What advice do you give someone who thinks they are ready to end a relationship but are worried about feeling alone? My first suggestion is to get some therapy. I love this. This is a wonderful entree for people to get support. Therapy coaching, or reading books, because it's a really big decision [to end a relationship]. It's one thing to imagine yourself alone. It's an entirely different thing to be alone. I would also say lean into your practice and start spending some time alone. Go for walks with yourself, and really listen to yourself. Listen to the fear: What are you so afraid of? It's important because if we don't listen, sometimes what we'll do is we'll just barter with ourselves and say, "Well, I hear this all the time. I've looked around out there, and it doesn't look good. So I'm just going to stay where I am. This is better than that." So you make up the story (it's not even necessarily true) based on the fear that you're not really sitting with. You're making up a narrative that you're not even giving yourself a chance to see if it's true or not. And you can't even look around at relationships around you and make that decision. That's not fair, either. Because we don't really know what it's like to be inside another person's universe. Maybe they fight a lot, but we don't know. We only know our own experience. So I'd say keep turning your attention inwards. What are some ways to end a relationship respectfully? Remember that this is a "we" thing. This is not a "me" thing. I think that's the most important, and people climb over this all the time. You want to make sure that these people that you have loved are left intact, that they have their pacing, are respected, and that they know you care. With my ex and I, one morning, I looked at him, and I said, "Oh my God, I don't like you. But I love you. And I'm terrified." And he laughed. He said the same thing. We just didn't like each other, and we weren't compatible at all. We were really attached to each other. So we agreed to go really slowly. It started with sleeping in separate bedrooms. We set a time for how long it would take. Who was going to move? We really did it together. Because we knew how attached we were, we didn't shame each other. We tried not to make each other wrong. And it was scary and painful. But we were really kind and respectful. So lots of "we." Lots of "we" in this, and how can we do this together? How can someone prepare to transition out of a relationship? Having support is important. The other thing that I do suggest to people is that they go away physically and go away somewhere so they can hear themselves. I had one couple; she rented a flat for three months. They did a trial separation, but they planned this all out, and they had questions that we worked on. They were going to be with the questions when they were away, and then we met for sessions in between. And it was really beautiful. It was a soft, gentle way for them to get used to being apart together.

Written by: Nancy McCormack MSN, RN NC-BC, Executive Contributor and in collaboration with Theresa Drass Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As we watched the tragedy of 24-year-old Damar Hamlin’s collapse last night and this morning, many things resonated with me as a human, as a mom and as a healthcare provider. It has been especially impactful because he is a young man who so far in his brief life, has triumphed over adversity, is demonstratively charitable, and on this night was realizing his hard-earned dream as he took the field to play what to this point, was to be the biggest game of his life. I join the rest of you in grieving this devastation and sincerely wishing him a full recovery followed by a long and happy life. Because this was such an unexpected shock occurring during an NFL game of significant consequence, the news traveled quickly and the reaction was widespread and intense. We watched and listened as too much focus was wrongly diverted from Damar while collective fear far too often and disappointingly was expressed as destructive anger. Outrage unnecessarily grew as miscommunication spread. Commentators erroneously complained about the league greedily expecting the game to resume within five minutes with disregard to what was happening with Damar as well as how his family and teammates were responding to it. It was reported this morning that Troy Vincent, Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL, stated that this was never the case. All too familiar dissent increased as some people used the situation to incomprehensibly suggest that this injury was related to vaccines. Then there was cruel and ugly backlash about a contentious Fox Sports’ reporters misinterpreted tweet. When I read the tweet- and the tweets that preceded and followed it- it seemed obvious that there was no malice intended. I was disheartened that so much time and energy had been wasted on this grandstanding while Damar’s life hung in the balance and his family and community needed all the support and positive vibes they could get from us. It reinforced what we already know about positively dealing with difficult times-gather the facts, know the truth, and focus on what and who really matters. I was comforted and relieved that this ugliness was overshadowed by an even bigger unified outpouring of care about and for this young man and all those who love him. It was repeatedly pointed out that Damar’s mom, Nina, was in the stands watching her son last night and was thankfully able to accompany him in the ambulance and at the hospital. It’s been repeated so often because family support matters so much. The NFL community on the field and throughout the country led us in showing dedicated compassion for and about Damar. We sympathetically watched the players of both teams join together in prayer. Over and over again, there appeared the representative picture of a Bengals fan holding a sign reading, “Pray for Buffalo 3 Hamlin.” The Bengals lit up their stadium in the Bills’ colors. Cohesiveness of community is part of coping. Nationally, we showed our goodness and generosity not only by expressing our shared experience in kind words and helpful suggestions on social media, but also by donating more than $3 million to Damar’s charity, The Chasing M Foundation. When starting it, Damar wrote, "As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from, and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me." This is how the community works; he gave to those who need and we now we’re giving back! As a nurse, other logistical aspects of this situation that I hope to continue to be considered include the healthcare system response. We learned, and as a nation who continues to revise and develop its healthcare system can learn from, the details of the best practice structures in place that ensured a prompt and competent response for Damar. NFL standards of note include the use of data, the availability of an adequate number of consistent and credentialed personnel, research and science, data collection and analysis, technology, appropriate equipment, substantive mental health resources, diversity, etc. Some excerpts from the NFL Player Health and Safety Fact Sheet: The National Football League is committed to advancing progress in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of sports-related injuries, enhancing medical protocols, improving how the game is taught and played, and protecting players' overall health, safety and wellbeing. Player Health and Wellness The NFL continues to make changes on and off the field to protect the health and safety of every player. CARING FOR PLAYERS ON GAME DAY-On average, there are 30 healthcare providers at a stadium on game day to provide immediate care to players. NFL Medical Committees The NFL is advised by many of the world's preeminent experts in medicine and science. NFL medical committees frequently review player health and injury data and recommend policies, programs and protocols for the League. An overarching Health and Safety Committee—including chairs of the General Medical Committee, the Head, Neck and Spine Committee and the Musculoskeletal Committee—oversees committee efforts and facilitates collaboration among subject-matter experts, team physicians and athletic trainers. The NFL also works closely with the NFLPA and its medical advisors on player health and safety issues. More information on NFL Medical Committees and their membership can be found here. Medical Research The NFL supports preeminent experts and institutions in their research on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sports-related injuries and other issues affecting NFL players' health, safety and wellbeing. Additional Research The NFL has also allotted more than $30 million to support brain injury research conducted by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Mental Health and Wellness In collaboration with the NFLPA, the NFL fosters a positive culture around mental health by providing players and the NFL family with resources and tools to succeed, on and off the field, over the course of their lives. Joint Behavioral Health Agreement The Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness Committee, which develops mental health and wellness programs and resources for players and the wider NFL family, requires each club to retain a Behavioral Health Team Clinician to support players' emotional and mental health and wellbeing. Mental Health Resources The league provides mental wellness benefits and resources to current and former players. Pain Management The NFL-NFLPA Pain Management Committee educates players and personnel on best clinical practices in pain management, awards grant funding for research to advance understanding of alternative treatments, and sets standards for club policies regarding pain management and the use of prescription medications by NFL players. Preventing the spread of infectious disease Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the NFL was working with epidemiologists and infectious disease experts to prevent the spread of infection in the NFL team environment and to prepare for potential viral outbreaks. For the past two NFL seasons, the NFL, together with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), have worked with medical experts and clinicians to develop COVID-related player safety protocols and were able to complete the 2020 and 2021 seasons on schedule. In addition, the NFL has worked closely with the NFLPA and club medical staffs to educate and encourage players to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, resulting in a nearly 95% vaccination rate for NFL players and nearly 100% for personnel. More information on the NFL's COVID-19 protocols can be found here. Diversifying Sports Medicine As part of the NFL's overall commitment to ensuring that staff and leaders in the league office and at NFL clubs reflect the racial and gender makeup of America, leaders in NFL Player Health and Safety are working to diversify the pipeline of people interested in pursuing careers in sports medicine and, over time, to help diversify NFL club medical staff. These efforts include, but are not limited to, a new NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative that will provide medical students at the four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) medical schools with the opportunity to complete a clinical rotation with NFL club medical staff. More information on diversity efforts in NFL Player Health and Safety can be found here. Equipment, Data and Innovation The NFL is championing new developments in engineering, biomechanics and material science to better protect against injuries. The league collaborates with the NFLPA and the world's foremost engineers and scientists as advisors. Leveraging Data Data is at the heart of the NFL's decisions about player health and safety. Electronic Medical Records: Every club's medical staff has access to its players' complete medical records via the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Players can access their records at any time using a secure online portal, which remains active after the player retires. The EMR system helps the league make data-driven decisions on rules changes and permissible techniques used in play. Mouthguard Sensors to Measure On-Field Head Impacts: In 2019, the NFL introduced a novel program in which NFL players wore mouthguards retrofitted with high-tech sensors designed to collect kinematic data, including impact speed, direction, force, location and severity. As of 2022, this program includes four universities at the collegiate level : The University of Alabama, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of Washington, and the University of Wisconsin. Insights gleaned from the data collected help inform the NFL's approach to injury reduction and decrease head impacts overall. Taking Data to the Next Level: In 2019, the NFL partnered with Amazon Web Services to transform player health and safety using cloud computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence. The NFL and AWS are developing tools to generate better insights into injuries, specifically the impact of game rules, equipment, and rehabilitation and recovery strategies. One of the partnership's primary goals is building the capacity to predict injuries before they occur. Using data to drive rules changes The NFL improves player safety by taking a data-driven approach to eliminating potentially dangerous tactics and reducing the risk of injuries. Over the past decade, these include changes that protect "defenseless" players and penalize dangerous techniques and other plays, such as using the helmet as part of a bull rush. The Engineering Roadmap Since 2016, the NFL has allocated over $60 million to the creation and funding of the Engineering Roadmap. It's a comprehensive effort—funded by the NFL and managed by Football Research, Inc. (FRI)—to improve the understanding of the biomechanics of head injuries in professional football and to create incentives for helmet manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, universities and others to develop and commercialize new and improved protective equipment, including helmets. HeadHealthTECH Challenges: For five years, HeadHealthTECH Challenges have attracted innovative grant proposals from institutions, individuals and corporations interested in designing the next generation of protective equipment. The Challenges are operated and managed by Duke University's Clinical and Translational Science Institute, which provides constructive feedback for all applicants. Thus far, the NFL and FRI have awarded grants totaling nearly $3 million to help advance the development of 17 new technologies. 1st and Future: From 2016 to 2021, the NFL hosted a start-up competition at the Super Bowl to drive innovation in athlete safety and performance. Innovators and entrepreneurs share technologies to improve player health and safety, including protective equipment, medical devices, sensors and training devices. 1st and Future includes an Analytics Competition that enables data scientists to analyze NFL game data and propose new ideas for reducing injuries Equipment Testing and Evaluation The NFL and NFLPA work together to evaluate the performance of protective equipment and to ensure players are informed about the latest advances in equipment technology when making decisions about their helmets, cleats and other equipment. Sharing Progress The NFL is committed to sharing its progress in health and safety across all levels of football, with other sports around the world and for the benefit of society at large. This includes publishing peer-reviewed research, convening leaders in sports medicine for important conversations, sharing data and crowdsourcing new ideas. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Nancy! Nancy McCormack MSN, RN NC-BC, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nancy McCormack is a board certified Nurse Coach focusing on mental health and wellness. Her training throughout almost two decades of Nursing has been exclusive to the mental health population, including substance abuse and eating disorders. She is currently the owner of EverPresent Health and Wellness, dedicating her practice to empowering those struggling with mental health disorders. Nancy focuses on integrative nutrition, mindfulness, and person-centered care to promote wellness and sustainability. She also is a university professor sharing her knowledge and experience with new nurses in order to break down barriers and eliminate the stigma surrounding this population.

Written by: Oren M. Levin-Waldman, Political Consultant, Labor Economist and Data Analyst In this polarized political world that we live in, especially with wokeness, it has been commonplace to claim that systemic racism is everywhere. According to the narrative it is obvious because whites have privilege that blacks don’t have and if their incomes are higher than blacks, that must be because of systemic racism. If one wanted to believe the narrative because one believes the orthodoxy, then clearly it must be true. Orthodoxies can be challenged, especially when confronted with data. This article argues that a deep dive into demographic data can greatly undermine a reigning narrative, and in so doing provide candidates for office a basis upon which to discuss issues that may well resonate with voters. Instead of simply claiming that the labor market is not racist, candidates would do better to demonstrate how it is not. Data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) shows that between 2012 and 2020 earnings for white workers declined while earnings for blacks and Latinos increased. Although it is true that white workers overall are earning more than black workers, it is also the case that when controlling for educational attainment, skills, and the specific occupations one works in that picture gets muddied. If a disproportionate percentage of minorities go into social welfare provision and social work, then their earnings will be lower than those going into STEM occupations which pay more. STEM requires considerably more skills and also that one will be training in math and sciences. If one group is disproportionately going into lower paying occupations, one cannot easily make the claim that it is because of systemic racism. If the same group is going into these occupations because educational requirements are less rigorous than those required for say law, engineering, computer science, and medicine, then clearly other factors are at work. A key factor might just be general education and the quality of schools one hails from. If one grows up in a wealthy neighborhood, the odds are that person will have a higher quality of education than the person who grows up in a poorer neighborhood. But that becomes an issue mainly of economic and social class. When we look at specific occupations we will see that the gap between whites, blacks, and Latinos narrows considerably, thereby undermining the reigning narrative of systemic racism. To the extent that this is true, the implications may be enormous. Instead of joining into the narrative that each party is peddling, candidates would do better to discuss the issues that are important. Discussing the issues based on data should enable those candidates that argue that systemic racism does not exist to avoid being labeled racist themselves. Moreover, candidates that can discuss issues on the basis of data are in a better position to offer, once elected, serious policy proposals that can serve the interests and needs of their constituents. The Wage Story The theory of competitive markets holds that workers are paid their worth according to laws of supply and demand. If we assume all workers to be the same in terms of skills, endowments, attributes, etc., and that employers are also the same in terms of their demands, then wage determination is rather simple: more workers will be hired the lower the wages are for each worker. If one worker earns more than another among the same group, it is perhaps because his/her marginal utility, or marginal revenue product from his/her labor is greater, thereby leading to greater productivity. Indeed, the basis for giving workers raises is predicated on the assumption that for each additional unit of labor there will be an increase in marginal revenue product. The wage story, however, is more complicated because not all workers are the same and not all employers’ skills requirements are the same. Some employers require more skills than others, and if those skills are in short supply, they will then be forced to offer higher wages. There are in fact multiple supply and demand curves in the marketplace. With data, we can counteract a reigning narrative that there is systemic racism in the labor market. The data is drawn from the Integrated Public Use Micro-Series (IPUMS) Current Population Survey (CPS). The wages shown in Table 1 are for those workers specifically between the ages of 18-72 working full-time. They are shown for all workers and by race and ethnicity. Table 1 Median Wages According to Race and Ethnicity in 2020 Dollars Over the past several decades, wages in the U.S. and much of the global economy have stagnated. Still, between 2012 and 2020, individual median wages of all workers increased by 21.9. The increase in median wages was slightly higher between 2016 and 2020 than between 2012 and 2016. When looking at wages by race and ethnicity, we can see these gains have not been shared equally. Whites still earn more than blacks and Latinos, but the median wages of Latino workers increased more than they did for White workers. Although Latinos earn less than blacks and considerably less than whites, their median wages increased by 23.1 percent between 2012 and 2020 compared to 21 percent for whites and 18.5 percent for blacks. Those who argue that there is systemic racism in the labor market will focus on what percentage of white wages blacks and Latinos are earning. In 2012, the median wages of black workers was 83.3 percent of the median wages of white workers, and the median wages of Latinos was 69.4 percent of the median wages of white workers. In 2020, the median wages of black workers decreased to 81.6 percent of white workers, but the median wages of Latino workers increased to 71.4 percent of white workers. And yet, none of this really says anything about the occupations and industries that one group of workers is employed in relative to others, or that educational attainment of one group compared to another. Table 2 Median and Wages by Educational Attainment in 2020 Dollars It certainly becomes clear that median wages increase with education, which can also be used as a proxy for skills levels. Although the biggest increases in wages between 2012 and 2020 were among those with less than a twelfth grade education, those with at least a BA degree are still earning more, and those with an advanced degree that much more. Consider that in 2012 the median wages of a College graduate were 32.1 percent greater than a High School graduate and the median wages of those with advanced degrees were 48.6 percent higher than the median wages of those with only a BA degree. The median wages of those with an advanced degree were 96.4 percent higher than those with a high school degree. By 2020, the median wages of a college graduate were only 28.6 percent higher than the median wages of High School graduates, but the median wages of those with advanced degrees were now 51.1 percent greater than the median wages of those with BA degrees. Those with advanced degrees were only earning 94.3 percent more than those with High School degrees, principally because the percentage increase in the median wages of High School graduates were greater than for those with higher levels of educational attainment. Goldin and Katz (2008) have noted that as the economy has changed towards one that places a greater emphasis on technical skills, the high school premium has declined. But it would also appear that the BA premium has also been declining as well. A BA alone appears not to have as much value as it once did. We can see some of that alone just between 2012 and 2020. The point is, as it has been for some time now, that there are returns to education, and as much as that is still the case the greater return is from advanced degrees, which include MAs, Ph.D.s, and professional degrees in fields of medicine, dentistry, and law. At the same time, if we look at each group according to educational attainment, we may be seeing some interesting things. Table 3 Median Wages by Education In 2012, those with less than a 12th grade education were earning $20,254 and in 2020, they were earning $25,000. The median wages of white workers with less than a 12th grade education was $20,524, which was 1.3 percent above the median wages for all workers with less than a 12th-grade education. The median wages for black workers and Latino workers with less than a 12th grade education was $15,498 and $20,479 respectively in 2012, which was 76.5 percent and 101.1 percent respectively of all workers’ median wages with less than a 12th grade education. In 2020, the median wages of white workers with less than a 12th grade education was $25,725, compared to $24, 440 and $25,000 for black and Latino workers respectively with less than a 12th grade education. Now white workers were earning 102.9 percent of all workers with less than a 12th grade education, while black workers with less than a 12th grade education were earning 97.8 percent of all workers with less than a 12th grade education. Latino workers with less than a 12th grade education were earning 100 percent of all workers with less than a 12th grade education. There are a couple of different ways to look at this. The first and obvious way is to say that white workers with no skills, are still earning more than black and Latino workers with no skills. That is clearly the most objective way to view it, but it doesn’t say why some of those differences may exist. Higher wages among say low-wage workers may be due to age differences, in that some have more seniority. Educational attainment may be one attribute, but there may be others that are perhaps equally as important. In 2012, black workers with no skills are earning 75.5 percent of white workers with no skills and Latino workers are earning 99.8 percent of white workers with no skills. In 2020, black workers were earning 95 percent of white workers, and Latino workers were earning 97.2 percent of white workers. And yet, another view of this tells us that black workers with less than a 12th grade education saw considerable improvement with regards to their ratio of the median wage of white workers, while Latino workers saw a slight drop. Median wages for black workers in this educational group increased by 25. 9 percent from 2012 to 2020 compared to an increase of 10.9 percent for all workers, 11.0 percent for white workers, and 14.3 percent for Latino workers. In other words, there were significant wage gains for black workers with less than a 12th grade education, even if they were earning less than whites and Latinos. As we move up the educational latter, serious differences in educational attainment begin to emerge. In 2012, the median wage of all workers with a high school diploma was $31,506 and the mean was $36,506. In 2020 their median wage was $35,000, an increase of 10.7. In 2012, the median wages for whites, blacks and Latinos with a high school diploma were $38,355, $25,880, and $27,005 respectively. With regards to median wages, whites were earning 121.7 percent of all workers with a high school diploma, while blacks and Latinos were earning 82.1 and 85.7 percent respectively. Blacks with high school diplomas were only earning 67.5 percent of whites with a high school diploma while Latinos were earning 70.4 percent of whites with a high school diploma. Latino workers in this educational cohort were actually earning more than black workers in this cohort. By 2020, the median wages for those with a high school diploma were $36,200 for whites, $30,000 for blacks, and $31,200 for Latinos. Now, blacks with a high school diploma were earning 83.3 percent of whites and Latinos were earning 86.7 percent of whites. Whereas the percentage increase in median wages was 11.1 percent for all workers with a high school diploma, the percentage increase for both black and Latino workers with a high school degree was 15.9 and 15.5 percent respectively. The median wages of whites with a high school diploma actually decreased by 5.6 percent. Both black and Latino workers with high school diplomas actually made gains relative to whites, in that their percentage share of white workers with high school diplomas was much greater than it was in 2012. For those workers with a four-year college degree, we can see that gains in median wages were greater between 2012 and 2020 for blacks and Latinos than for whites. In 2012, the median wages for workers with a BA degree were $41,633, and in 2020, they were $45,000, which was an increase of 8.1 percent. In 2012, the median wages for whites with a BA degree were $43,208 compared to $37,025 for blacks and $37, 650 for Latinos with a BA degree. White workers’ median wages were 103.8 percent of all workers with a BA degree while black and Latino workers’ median wages were 88.9 and 90.4 percent respectively of all workers’ median wages. Blacks with a BA degree, then, had median wages that were 85.7 percent of the median wages of white workers with a BA degree while Latino workers with a BA degree had median wages that were 87.1 percent of white workers in the same educational cohort. In 2020, the median wages of whites with a BA degree were $46,000 compared to $40,000 for both blacks and Latinos. Whites with a BA degree had median wages of 102.2 percent of the median wages of all workers, while blacks and Latinos had median wages of 88.9 percent of all workers and 87.0 percent of white workers with a BA degree. Whereas median wages of whites with a BA degree increased by 6.5 percent, they increased by 8.0 percent for blacks and 6.2 percent for Latinos. Although the median wages of white workers with a BA degree continued to be higher than those of blacks and Latinos, the median wage gains of blacks with a BA degree were greater. And yet, these comparisons tell us little about the career choices made by those in each respective educational cohort. Social workers and teachers aren’t going to be earning as much as accountants and engineers. Therefore, more needs to be probed on this question. In 2012, the median wages of all workers with an advanced degree were $61,886, and in 2020, they were $68,000, an increase of 9.0 percent. The median wages of white workers with an advanced degree were $61,887, compared to $55,135 for blacks and $50,635 for Latinos. The median wages of whites with advanced degree were the same as that of all workers with an advanced degree. The median wages of blacks with an advanced degree were 89.1 percent of the median wages of whites with advanced degrees and the median wages of Latinos with advanced degrees were 81.8 percent. In 2020, the median wages of whites was $69,000 which were now 101.5 percent of the median wage of all such workers. The median wages of blacks with an advanced degree were $56,940 compared to $55,000 for Latinos. In 2020, then, the median wages of blacks with advanced degrees were 82.5 percent of the median wage for whites with advanced degrees and the median wages of Latinos with advanced degrees were 79.7 percent of the median wages of whites in the same cohort. Therefore, it would appear that while white workers saw median wage gains, black and Latino workers did not. Median wages in this group increased by 11.5 percent for whites, but they only increased by 3.3 percent for blacks and 8.6 percent for Latinos. Again, the operative question here is just what professions are whites in that their median wages increased while median wages of blacks and Latinos, perhaps in different professions, did not. We could hypothesize that whites perhaps earn more than blacks because larger percentages may have higher levels of educational attainment and be in higher paying occupations and industries. The real issue is skills levels and there is no way to measure that from this type of census data. Rather levels of educational attainment are serving as a proxy for skills, but it is by no means a perfect one. One with an advanced degree is social work is not likely to be earning as much as one with an advanced degree in engineering and/or finance. With advanced degrees we are lumping together highly paid attorneys and physicians with not as well paid teachers and/or social welfare professionals. And yet, when looking at those who apparently don’t have skills, as measured by those with less than a 12th grade education, the wage differences between whites, blacks, and Latinos don’t appear as large as they were among the other educational cohorts. Narrowing the Gap When we look at some selected occupations, which may require varying degrees of skills and levels of education, the gap between whites, blacks, and Latinos narrows. In some cases, the median wages of blacks and Latinos is even higher than whites. And in those instances where whites are earning more than blacks and Latinos, the share of white wages earned by blacks and Latinos increased between 2012 and 2020. Table 4 Comparative Earnings of Selected Occupations in 2020 Dollars In 2012, the median wages of black Accountants are higher than the median wages of whites. Black pharmacists and nurses also appear to have higher wages than white pharmacists and nurses. The median wages of black lawyers and judges are higher than white lawyers and judges, although the wages of white lawyers and judges are higher at the 90th percentile. The median wages of black dentists also appears to be higher. The next table presents the share of white workers’ wages earned by black and Latino workers Table 5 Share of White Workers’ Wages in Selected Occupations Although the share of black and Latino wages of white workers’ wages decreased in some of these occupations from 2012 to 2020, there were some significant increases as well. The black workers’ share of white workers median wages in engineering decreased by 7.7 percent. We see similar increases among black physicians and pharmacists. Given the gains in black and Latino wages, it is very difficult to make the claim of systemic racism, or at least to make it stick. To a certain extent, these selected occupations can be divided into two categories: higher paying and lower paying. Even if we assume that the lower paying occupations require a minimum of a four year college degree, those at the higher end require advanced degrees, many of which are in STEM. That is, a masters of social work, which may be the requirement for social and welfare workers, is not the same as a masters in mathematics, physics, or even finance. Not all degree institutions are equal in terms of their rigor. Although white workers still earn more than do black and Latino workers, the gap between them appears to narrow as they move up the educational latter. In some cases, when controlling for occupation and educational attainment, black and Latino workers in some cases do earn more than their counterparts. Moreover, it becomes clear that both black and Latino workers have made tremendous strides. Given that, it might appear somewhat spacious to continue trotting out the claim that there is systemic racism in the labor market. Actually, the claim is that there is systemic racism in society at large, which includes the labor market, but that doesn’t appear to be entirely supported from the data. If it turns out that blacks for the most part gravitate towards certain occupations which happen to pay less, is that proof that they are being discriminated against? Why wouldn’t they be discriminated against in say social work, nursing and teaching? Nevertheless, there are implications for where black and Latino workers stand in relation to whites when it comes to wealth creation. A path to wealth accumulation is employment in high paying occupations. Many are found in the fields of engineering, mathematics, science, and medicine. All require a high degree of proficiency in mathematics, and/or English language skills. Blacks account for approximately 14.6% of the U.S. population but are substantially underrepresented as accountants (7.8%), chemists (6.8%), dentists (1.7%), engineers (4.2%), biological scientists (3.1%), mathematics (7.6%), physicist (1.4%), optometrist (3.3%), pharmacist (7.0%) and physicians (6.0%) - all high paying occupations. The occupations in which blacks represent at least 10% of workers - such as dancers and dance teachers (21.1%), and social and welfare workers (20.3%) musicians and music teachers (14.1%), recreation and group workers (11.7%) and personnel and labor administrators (10.8), nurses (10,3%) are all relatively low paying. It is true that there may be occupational segregation in the labor market, but is that necessarily the same as systemic racism? The data also makes clear that many blacks with advanced degrees tend to be more concentrated in lower paying occupations like nurses, social welfare workers, and teachers. Higher paying occupations can generate more wealth in terms of property purchased and retirement savings. When we ask the question of who is more likely to be earning at the 90th percentile, race becomes less of a factor, rather educational attainment and the specific types of occupations are. Through a logistical regression analysis we can establish correlations between variables and the probabilities that individuals who are earning wages at the 90th percentile will have certain attributes over others. We can see this in the next table with a logistical regression analysis. The dependent variable is earning a wage at or higher than the 90th percentile. Table 6 Logistical Regressions: Dependent Variable of Having earned equal to or greater than the 90th Percentile The coefficients from the above table make it clear that those with the strongest probabilities for earning wages at the 90th percentile or above are those with graduate and/or professional degrees, thereby reinforcing the returns to education data that has long been out there. Although the coefficient is weaker in 2016 than in either 2012 or 2020, they still effectively say that those who have graduate and/or professional degrees are more likely to be earning at that percentile or above. Also, those who are professional/managers are more likely to be earning at the 90th percentile or above. Consistent with what we were saying earlier, higher paying industries like manufacturing have a strong positive coefficient which is statistically significant in 2020 while lower paying professions like social and welfare workers and teachers have strong negative coefficients which are statistically significant (except for 2016) for earning at that percentile. On the question of whether whites are more likely than blacks to earn wages at that percentile, the only positive coefficient which is statistically significant is for whites in 2012. It weakens over time, however, and it is not statistically significant in 2020. Blacks have negative coefficients for earning at that percentile, but they aren’t statistically significant until 2020, whereby the coefficient is more strongly negative. And yet, there are positive coefficients for black professional/managers, although it isn’t statistically significant in 2016. Blacks with graduate and/or professional degrees has a strong positive coefficient for earning wages at this percentile in 2016, but it is not statistically significant. It is negative and statistically significant in 2012. As the strongest coefficients are connected to educational attainment, industry and occupational categories, it actually becomes more difficult to make the claim that the labor market is racist. Racial type is not on the face of it a good predictor of who is likely to be earning wages at the 90th percentile or above. Conclusion Even though whites still earn more than blacks and Latinos, they don’t in all occupations. As the data shows, wage gains of blacks and Latinos have in fact been greater. And yet, as the data demonstrate that when controlling for educational attainment and occupation, the gap between different racial and/or ethnic groups does narrow considerably. The larger point of this analysis was to demonstrate why data is essential for challenging a narrative and why it could assist certain candidates attempting to run a campaign on the issues and specifically against woke orthodoxy. The data here does not fit the prevailing narrative that has come to dominate woke culture, and which has served to maintain elite control. On the contrary, it challenges the reigning narrative, and serves as an example of the power of data that should be a staple of any campaign for public office. Candidates armed with a demographic analyses based on sound data can find themselves in a better position to counter orthodoxies that merely divert attention from real issues. As such, they are in a better positions to offer serious policy solutions to pressing problems. Written by: Oren M. Levin-Waldman, Political Consultant, Labor Economist and Data Analyst Oren M. Levin-Waldman is a VIP Specialist at PoliticalVIP. As a Labor Economist and Former Professor, Levin-Waldman has served at prestigious universities like Rutgers University, Newark and New School University in New York. Levin-Waldman’s expertise includes demographic and economic data analytics, labor economics, voting behavior statistics and researching. Just a few publications authored by Levin-Waldman are listed here: Restoring the Middle Class Through Wage Policy: Arguments for a Minimum Wage (London & New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018) “Is Wage Inequality Designed or Preordained?” Journal of Workplace Rights/Sage Open (April-June 2017):1-16. “How Inequality Undermines Democracy,” E-International Relations (December 10, 2016) References Goldin, Claudia and Lawrence F. Katz. 2008. The Race Between Education and Technology. Cambridge, MA/London: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

A slight frustration started a big revolution in the cleaning Industry. The creative founder of GIGO Clean Technology, Bita Safari, has lived in California for the past 25 years. Bita is a chemical engineer, but her career has been much more widespread as she built herself a professional path in the corporate world. Bita is also a mother of an active teenager and a German Shepard. She loves to socialize and entertain guests at home. All that means keeping a clean household is a challenge. When hiring cleaning companies to assist in keeping up her cleanliness standards at home, Bita saw that the amount of time it took her to find the right cleaners at her desired time was about the same as cleaning her house. This should have been different and easier. It was there that the concept of GIGO Clean Technology was born. GIGO Clean Technology is an application that connects consumers to cleaners directly. It works like Uber for the cleaning industry. The application is free to download and easy to use. The consumer can easily tap on their smartphone and place a cleaning order. The closest qualified cleaning professional in the zip code will arrive at the service address. They can also schedule a cleaning in advance to suit their lifestyle. Features of the GIGO Clean app: 1. Safety and security: All cleaners appearing on the app have completed background checks and paperwork to adhere to the quality standards. GIGO Clean interviews and checks the credentials of all cleaners before they are allowed to be listed on the app. 2. Privacy: All user details are kept private and secure. Cleaners adhere to GIGO Clean’s terms of service, privacy policy, and non-disclosures agreements; they are not authorized to share customers’ information outside the application. 3. Transparency: Customers will know about the cleaning professional assigned to their task by checking the cleaner’s previous reviews and photos of their work. They also can see the cleaner’s profile, which lists years of experience and the most recent training attended. 4. Flexible cancellation policy: Users can reschedule or cancel an existing cleaning appointment up to two hours before the scheduled cleaning time with no cancellation fee. GIGO Clean plans to start the service in Southern California and expand to Northern California and other states accordingly.

Written by: Nina Urman, 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 to separate your authentic essence from your Ego and why it’s essential to do so as soon as possible. Meet your Ego Have you ever wondered "Why is something so easy for them but not for me? Why can't I do the same? I’m better, smarter, prettier etc…” Have you ever followed the path someone already gone through, instead of finding your own? Have you evaluated your successes and failures through the prism of others, instead of comparing yourself to yourself only? Have you ever found yourself running away from failures, hiding behind masks, forbidding yourself to feel pain? Trying to appear rather than to be? Meet your Ego. It’s the part of your consciousness that provokes you for such reflections as "Why am I the way I am?" and "How can I become better?” instead of finding the answer to the question “What am I when I’m real?” The ego often speaks to you in different constructions, phrases, comparisons and metaphors. And it could seem that it is your inner voice, the pure essence that we all aspire to. But it’s not. It is the thing that prevents you from understanding who you are for real, opening up to others, pursuing the life you truly deserve… Quite complicated, huh? Let's take it one step at a time. The Ego as an obstacle In psychoanalysis, Ego stands for the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious, it’s responsible for a sense of personal identity and reality testing. It is a protection mechanism that separates us and builds our “identity”. According to Freud, it is oriented towards the perceptions in the real world. Here is a list of some ways how the Ego can manifest itself: Seeking for approval; Seeing yourself above other people; Trying to boost your self-confidence via undermining or neglecting others; Asking for more without being grateful for what you have now; Treating everything with suspicion; Lacking trust; Feeling the need to be in control all the time; Comparing yourself to others; etc. A question arises: why is the Ego so “dangerous” if it seems just a simple protection mechanism? There is an explanation. All choices we make in our lives are dictated by the set of attitudes and patterns we have in our heads. Our thoughts and belief systems literally create our lives. We get different results and achievements as we act differently, in accordance with our thoughts and feelings that drive our actions. But nobody has taught us how to control our minds. We didn’t even know we are in charge. Most of us think the thoughts we think about us are WHO WE ARE. Being honest with yourself and about yourself is the most important starting point. Without it, it is impossible to correct the vector, and it is impossible to get different results in life. There is nothing wrong realizing that Ego directs certain choices in our lives. But it is worth learning how to control it and take it out of play when building the life of your dreams. If you are wondering how, then the following practices are definitely for you. Embracing the Ego with Awareness The first step to fully reconnect with the inner power without Ego being involved is AWARENESS. If we are the creators of our own reality, then becoming conscious and aware of the reality we choose to create is essential. We need to embrace the ego rather than push it away. When it comes to our life, aligning our thoughts, feelings and actions is the absolute KEY to reinventing ourselves and to manifesting abundance. Once you start shining the light of consciousness onto your life, you will notice how much you are actually in charge of your experience. Life is not happening TO you. It is happening FOR you. All of it. This is empowering and terrifying at once as you are the only one accountable for ALL OF IT: The good, the bad and the ugly. I invite you today to just take a moment, to slow down, to take a DEEP breath and to LISTEN closely within. Just becoming aware of WHO YOU ARE and your power within. This is it. 2 minutes of awareness. Time yourself if needed. Journal for 5 minutes reflecting on the following statements, whatever comes up. Do not question. Just do it. I’m a person who... I’ve always been good at... I’ve always struggled with... I am... I am not… What are the ROLES I am playing in my life? How do you feel now? What is arising inside after this self-reflection? Don’t worry if you are confused or overwhelmed. The ego is fighting back. Let it. Observe it with compassion. Notice what it “tells” you. This is not who you are. It is who you THINK you are. There is a big difference. Your Essence is your deepest, original self Here is what you need to know: You perceive this human life through your unique lens, your special filter, your view, your choice of story around what happens on the outside. You are always responsible for what you experience. Nothing outside of you has power over you. And you can create whatever reality you choose to. It is truly: A World according to YOU. Don’t let the Ego dictate your choices and behaviors. Manifest your desires to serve the needs of your Highest Self, not just feed the Ego. Be honest with yourself and stay brave. And I’m always here to support you during this self-discovery journey. This January I am opening the doors for a narrow circle of wonderful women to join my Reinvention Mastermind. We start on January 17th. Together we will break the distorted perception of ourselves in order to finally build the life of their DREAMS. Are you joining us? Schedule a call with me to save your spot: click here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Nina! Nina Urman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine A Certified Professional Life Coach with a master’s degree in Finance & International Relations from Sciences Po (Paris) & MGIMO (Moscow), Nina has spent more than a decade honing her craft as a coach & facilitator, working with top-tier executives, CEOs, leadership teams and board members. Nina is a Russian-German former professional tennis player and is based in Paris where she lives with her husband and their 7 children. She has worked across over 30 countries and with more than 2000 individuals, with one clear aim: to raise the level of awareness and holistically elevate their life experience. Nina’s work includes facilitating Executive Retreats, Forums, Supercharges and Deep Dives that help to enhance personal development in community settings.

Written by: Kathryn Sauser, 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 you considering a journey to sobriety but feeling hesitant due to fear? You're not alone. Many people struggle with the same worries when considering sober curiosity. Kathryn Sauser, a sober curious fitness coach, founder of the Sober Curious Fitness Method understands these fears personally and has identified people's four biggest concerns when they become sober curious. These include: Will my friends stop talking to me and not invite me out? Will I ever enjoy my life again? Will I ever be able to be around booze, and will I ever be able to date again without drinking? 1. Will my friends stop talking to me and never invite me out? It's natural to worry that your social life will suffer if you become sober curious. After all, the majority of social activities involve alcohol. But it doesn't have to be this way. The truth is, many of your friends may be feeling the same way as you are. They just haven't voiced it yet. By being brave enough to bring up the subject, you might find that you're opening up a healthy dialogue about sober activities and alternative forms of having fun! If you find yourself without social invitations, try to find activities that don't center around alcohol that you personally enjoy. Sobriety is a journey of self-exploration. Have fun with it! Use this time to get to know yourself, without booze! There are plenty of fun and exciting events that don't involve drinking. It's also important to be open with your friends. Let them know that while you are still interested in participating in activities with them, you'd prefer to do something different than bar hopping or happy hour drinks. Also, taking the initiative to create the event and invite them, you may be surprised! You might find that they'll be open to trying something new with you or understand and respect your decision to go a different route. Being sober curious does not mean your social life has to suffer. It just means you'll have to get creative in spending time with friends and family. With some patience and openness, you can still make great memories without alcohol. Personally, after almost 3 years of sobriety, my favorite memories with friends and family have now been booze free! 2. "Will I ever enjoy my life again" can be a scary thought. I often associated my social life and good times with drinking, but the funny thing is, alcohol always made my life worse! It was all an illusion! The truth is, becoming sober curious does not mean you will not enjoy your life. Far from it! In fact, if done with an open mind, sober curiosity can open up a new realm of experiences you may have missed out on due to your drinking habits. For example, a new business venture, a fun sport you have always wanted to try and a new friend! The opportunities are endless! Remember, the party will always be there. When you become sober curious, you allow yourself to explore different activities that do not involve drinking. From going to the gym and trying out a new workout class to learning a new skill or language, many options do not include alcohol. So, if you are worried about not enjoying your life as much, don't be. There is an entire world of possibilities waiting for you. Keep in mind that being sober and curious will increase your productivity in other areas of your life. You will no longer be dealing with hangovers or feeling sluggish all day, meaning you can dedicate more time to your hobbies and passions. Trying new activities can be daunting at first, but remember that it doesn't have to mean the end of your social life or fun activities. Instead, it can open up an entirely new world of possibilities – allowing you to enjoy your life in ways you may have never thought possible. 3. Will I ever be able to be around booze? Many people worry about whether they will ever be able to be around booze when they become sober curious. The truth is that while it may be more challenging to be in a situation where alcohol is present, it is not impossible. This takes time, just like anything else! The first step in being around booze is to ensure you are mentally and emotionally prepared to handle the situation. This includes understanding why you have become sober curious, remembering why you started, and ensuring you have the tools to stay strong in the face of temptation. It also includes surrounding yourself with support, such as close friends and family, who can help you stay strong if you are in a difficult situation. When it comes to being around booze, some practical tips can help. First, having a plan ahead of time can help. This could include having a non-alcoholic drink or alternative beverage on hand or deciding ahead that you will leave the situation if it becomes too much for you. Second, it can help to have an exit strategy. If the social situation does become overwhelming, having an escape plan can help keep you from succumbing to temptation. Being around booze does not have to be a source of fear or anxiety. With the proper preparation and support, it can be possible to navigate situations with alcohol without compromising your sobriety. By being honest with yourself about why you are becoming sober curious and by having the right resources and support in place, it is possible to be around booze without breaking your sobriety. Remember, if you feel triggered, you always have the choice to leave. 4. I'll never be able to date sober! Dating while sober can be intimidating, especially if you're used to socializing with alcohol. After all, many of our ideas of romance are connected to the classic "wine and dine" date. Fortunately, sober dating can be just as fun and fulfilling. It may feel daunting at first, but you don't have to worry about feeling awkward or out of place when meeting someone new. Here are a few tips to help make sober dating a positive and enjoyable experience: 1. Talk Openly About Sobriety: Sobriety is a personal journey, so don't be afraid to talk about your experience with someone you're interested in. Being open and honest about your sobriety from the start will help set the tone for a healthy relationship built on trust and respect. This doesn’t mean spill all the beans. You can simply say, “Right now, I am choosing not to drink.” From my experience, if someone doesn’t like that response, it is a great tool to help filter out prospects who are simply not a great “fit” for my lifestyle. 2. Find Creative Date Ideas: Instead of relying on traditional date spots like bars or clubs, why not try something new? Think outside the box for creative date ideas that don't involve alcohol. Museums, outdoor activities, workout class, coffee, going for a walk, and game nights are all great options. 3. Get Comfortable with Saying "No": No matter how tempting it may be, don't let your date pressure you into drinking. Be comfortable saying "no" and stand your ground if they insist. They're not worth your time if they can't respect your boundaries. Drinking on a first date, never turned out well for me. 4. Embrace Your Sobriety: Don't forget that sobriety is a source of strength, not a weakness. Own your sobriety with pride, and don't be afraid to show it off on your date. You'll attract people who appreciate your commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Dating without alcohol can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. With some preparation and creativity, you can still have meaningful connections with others without relying on alcohol as a crutch. So don't let your sobriety stop you from living life to the fullest—embrace it and use it to find meaningful connections. Ready to take the leap of sober curiosity? Don’t know where to start? Join my Sober Curious Fitness Community here. Kathryn Sauser, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kathryn Sauser Sober Curious Lifestyle Coach. Certified NLP, Fitness & Nutritionist. WBFF Pro Athlete. Founder of the Progress over Perfection Guided Journal. Shares Her Powerful Fitness & Sober Conscious Fitness Method guided women on end the guilty cycle of dieting, restricting, and weekend binging with a FUN & Sustainable Lifestyle Routine! Many programs only focus on physical goals without addressing the subconscious thoughts that rule our eating and drinking habits. As someone who started from nothing and has gone on to have massive success and impact thousands, she is obsessed with sharing the powerful tools she used to carry her out of depression and addiction into a life of freedom and joy.

Written by: Joel Buckner, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As humans, it is natural for us to cling to what we know and what has worked for us in the past. This tendency towards habit can be beneficial in many ways, as it helps us to be efficient and effective in our daily lives. However, it can also hold us back from making positive changes and exploring new ideas. In order to grow and evolve as individuals, it is essential that we open ourselves up to new ways of thinking. 1. Seek out new experiences and information Reading a book on a topic outside of your comfort zone or traveling to a new place and immersing yourself in a different culture can expose you to new ideas and perspectives. 2. Surround yourself with diverse people and ideas Having a social circle with different backgrounds and viewpoints can help broaden your understanding of the world and stimulate new ways of thinking. 3. Adopt a positive attitude towards learning and growth Being open-minded and willing to try new things, even if they seem intimidating or unfamiliar at first, can help you embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with learning something new. 4. Set aside time for reflection and contemplation Taking time to think more deeply about your beliefs and values can help you process new information and ideas, and identify any areas where you may be holding onto outdated or limiting beliefs. 5. Be open to new experiences and perspectives By exposing yourself to new ideas and being willing to listen to others, even if you don't necessarily agree with them, you can learn from others and challenge your own beliefs in a healthy way. Overall, making space for a new way of thinking requires a willingness to embrace change and be open to new ideas. In conclusion, creating space for a new way of thinking requires a willingness to be open to new experiences and perspectives, to surround ourselves with diverse people and ideas, and to have a positive attitude towards learning and growth. As Joe Dispenza said, "The day that you make a change within, is the day that you will see the change without." By following this advice, we can continue to evolve and grow as individuals, and make positive changes in our personal and professional lives. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Joel! Joel Buckner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Joel Buckner is a passionate Life and Performance Coach. Being one that daily understands the challenges of imposter syndrome and being paralyzed by fear he is dedicated to partnering with people to move from scarcity to an abundance mindset.

Written by: Steven N. Adjei, 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. All of us have dreams. No matter where we’re from. This article is not an advert for the famous pain-killing gel we see on tv and in media. No. It’s a different kind of movement – The joy of bold movement toward our dreams. As a healthcare consultant, entrepreneur, and pharmacist, I’ve had scores of people from all over the world – all races, genders, and ages talk to me about their dreams, especially after I became an author. These are people that have been inspired by my story: one to begin writing a children’s book, one trying to start a business in real estate, another commencing the process of writing their memoir, and even another going on holiday abroad alone for the very first time. But sadly, very few people turn their dreams into reality. Why? There is always a gap between an idea, a dream, a vision, and actual execution. And to get to the place where the dream can be executed, there must be movement ‒ and as this article shows, whether we like it or not, we are always moving. Until we inject intentionality into our movements, we will never reach our goals. The Joy of Movement – making a bold move. In each of these people I have met, I have asked them to do just a few things. Begin by writing the goals down – this starts the process of putting their stake firmly in the ground. Then break it down into bite-size achievable pieces. Then begin to research and work out the stages and time frames to get there. Then move. What’s the best way to write your goals down? Journaling. Consistent research, according to best-selling author Alison Jones in her new book, Exploratory Writing, shows that the best way to explore our feelings, thoughts, and dreams are with a pen and paper in silence at a regular spot consistently and regularly. Simon Alexander Ong, in his book, Energize, says the same thing. I emphasize this too, in my book, Pay The Price. It is important to dedicate half an hour to an hour every day (mornings work best for me) of silence, meditation, and/or prayer with a notebook and pen in your hand. Alison recommends 6 minutes of deep focused writing. No distractions whatsoever. Every article, every blog, and every book, I have ever written, even the foundations for my healthcare business, BlueCloud Health, began literally as a squiggle in my journal. This habit, which I have followed for decades, has worked wonders for me. It has produced poetry, dreams, and thoughts that have filled over 20 full-sized journals. It’s how I became a best-selling author. It’s also the same way I am writing my next book now, In Search of Permanence. It’s also one of my best forms of self-therapy. Once you begin by writing things down, they become a separate entity from yourself and take up a life of their own. Then, you can begin the hard work. This is where movement comes in. Regarding our dreams, aspirations, or goals, there are FOUR ways we can move: 1. The Reverse Gear This is the kind of movement to avoid at all costs. It is moving in the opposite direction to your goal. I have been guilty of this so many times, especially when trying to lose weight. A huge slab of chocolate or a doughnut with a sugar-laced latte for breakfast is a movement in the opposite direction to my intended goal. Pressing the snooze button when it’s time to get up for my meditation and morning run is another of my reverse gears. I call this the pain of self-sabotage in Pay the Price. The more we do this, the further away it takes us, and the tougher it would be to reach our dreams. What’s yours? 2. The Sideways Gear Nobody moves sideways on purpose unless we are trying to make room for another occupant in a bus, lift, meeting, or performance or in some sort of crowded space. But it is possible to move sideways concerning your goals. Sideways movement is the movements we make that do not take us away from our goal but do not take us closer either. This is another of my pain spots. This may come as a surprise, but one of the hardest things for me to do is to actually sit down to write. Immediately I sit down, I have the strange and almost uncontrollable desire to suddenly check my emails, and my socials read about the latest news, research some topic, or read a book. Anything but putting pen to paper. Useful? Yes. Effective? No. 3. The Tangential gear We’ve all heard of the explorer Christopher Columbus. In 1492, he set sail and thought he’d found a new route to Asia but instead stumbled on the Americas. His logic to sail westward from Europe to get to Asia was sound, but his maths was faulty. In business, a similar phenomenon is termed ‘scope creep’. It happens when the goal or dream is not properly defined, and so we are continuously moving towards a constantly moving or ill-defined target. When Columbus arrived, he spent months and months sailing from island to island (most likely the Caribbean) and he never found the gold and merchandise he was looking for. Is your goal or dream properly defined? Is how to get there achievable? Will you know when you’ve gotten there? 4. The Forward gear In my first book, I elaborate on what I call the ‘honeymoon phase’ which consists of the trinity: a. The Person: you want to get your principles, and your desires right b. The Purpose: well-researched, recorded, and validated purpose, so you know you are headed towards a good and worthy destination c. The Passion: You have the fuel and resources to get you to where you want to be. Once you have these nailed down, then you can take steps each day- some steps may equate to a crawl, a jump, or a leap to get you there. But you must always put the car in forward gear. Remember, there can be joy in movement. So, remember, we all have dreams, aspirations, and goals. But it takes intentionality to get there. So, in 2023, what small steps can you begin to take to put your car in permanent forward gear? If you need more encouragement, please sign up for my FREE wildly popular 5-minute newsletter which will give you a little jolt every fortnight to pursue those goals. And to reward you further, you can have my FREE second book of thought-provoking poetry and award-winning art, From Gory to Glory right here when you sign up right here. So, remember: Following your dream is possible if you take the steps to listen and move toward the dreams in your heart. Not the voice of the naysayers. Go. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Steven! Steven N. Adjei, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Steven N. Adjei is a British-Ghanaian author, poet, healthcare consultant, entrepreneur, and pharmacist. He is the founding partner of BlueCloud Health (part of the Emerald Group), an advisory and consulting firm with offices in London, Dubai, and Delhi with clients all over the world. He has an MBA from Warwick Business School, and his first book, Pay The Price, is set for release on 30 August 2022.

Written by: Mel Greenberg, 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. It’s here! The new year. That time when we start to think about what we want to achieve over the next twelve months. But what if, instead of just setting goals, resolutions, we also set our intention for how we want to show up in the world? What if we took time to reflect on who we want to be in the coming year? How will we show up in our relationships, our work, our communities? What if as we set our intentions for the year, we open our hearts to the possibility of transformative change? We plant the seed for who we want to become, and trust that the universe will help us evolve into that person. Setting an intention is a powerful way to focus our energies and create the life we want to live. What do you want from 2023? Make 2023 the year of setting intentions. It’s important to remember that setting intentions is not the same as making resolutions. Resolutions are often about trying to change something about yourself that you think needs improvement. Maybe your friends or partner have interests you want to be a part of. But down deep – it’s just not you. So, you say “I’m going to…” but you don’t believe it, you don’t really want it. And that’s why your resolutions don’t work – you set yourself up to fail! Intention setting is about deciding what you want to achieve and putting your focus and energy into making it happen. When you set an intention, you set the stage for what you want to manifest in your life. What are your intentions for the year? Get in shape Quit smoking Save money Find a new job Move to a new city Get out of debt Start my own business Go back to school Travel more Spend more time with my family and friends Give back to my community Learn something new Whatever it may be say it out loud, write it down, and then ask yourself these three questions: Why is this important? Why do I want to change or accomplish this? Why now? 1. Why is it important? We welcome the new year as a time for new beginnings, for change, for growth. We consider what we want to achieve in the coming months and set our sights on making those things happen. It's been said that the two most important days in a person's life are the day we are born and the day we figure out why we are alive. Getting clear on what you want to achieve and putting a plan in place to make it happen is the first step. In detail, ask yourself why you want the change you’re considering. And, most importantly, are you willing to do the work to make it happen. It may not come fast or easily, but if you commit to the plan and the work it will come. 2. Why do I want this? Consider what you’re asking of yourself? Why this change or goal? If you struggle to answer the question, looking at the bigger picture can be helpful. Is where you are now where you want to be in 365 days? If the answer is no, there’s your start! Is the step you’re considering one that will get you where you want to be next year? Are you willing to do the work to get there? Now step back and think about the small steps you can take. A place to begin. Maybe your physical health is a part of your life you’d like to see improve. Don’t picture the finish line of the marathon when you’ve never run a day in your life. Start walking 20 minutes a day, then 30, then 40… you get it. One step at a time. Remember to be gentle with yourself, and to celebrate your successes, no matter how small. 3. Why now? This is a big one! Ask yourself, why do I want this now? Why is this year different? The answer to these two questions will help you clarify what your goals and priorities are and create a plan, take action. Remember, manifestation is not just about thinking positive thoughts. It's about taking positive action towards your goals. If you want to manifest your dream life, you need to put in the work. But, if you take action with clarity and focus, you can achieve anything you desire. Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for many years, and you’ve just had enough. You’re ready to take the steps to achieve the goal you’ve only dreamt of. Once you can clearly identify your why now, you can begin your how to. Sometimes the end of our ropes is exactly what we need to swing into action – to become exactly who we are meant to be in this life. Answering these three questions will help you define your goals and no matter what they are, setting intentions for the year ahead will help you achieve them. Now you can focus your attention and energy on making your dreams a reality in 2023! “Whether we want them or not, The New Year will bring new challenges. Whether we seize them or not, The New Year will bring new opportunities.” ‒ Michael Josephson Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Mel! Mel Greenberg, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mel Greenberg is a best-selling author, speaker, cancer survivor, prominent Peak Stage Living advocate. She is the cohost of Uncorked Live! The podcast is a spirited conversation about making the most of midlife and beyond. A proud alumna of the University of Maryland, Mel worked as a copywriter and producer in radio and television. Mel’s debut novel, Running with Our Eyes Closed, explores marriage, life and love after the nest empties. And she’ll be the first to tell you that moving forward ‒ from then to now has been a wildly unexpected and beautiful journey. It is that journey she shares with gratitude. Mel reminds us we are not alone. When we remain open to change, the passage of life we are in right now offers limitless potential.