Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview Dipal Shah, Internationally Acclaimed Self-Care Expert and Medical Intuitive has one mission: to help women heal their past and strengthen the powerful intuition within themselves. She wants to see women take charge of their health and lead them to a better life. A recognized expert in the field of Energy Medicine, Dipal created the Quantum Body Awakening Technique: leading thousands of women in over 92 countries to escape painful, chronic health conditions where western medicine failed. Dipal's unique gifts created profound shifts for her clients; from finding boundless energy to experiencing life with increased purpose and inspiration. Through her company, Ananda 4 Life, Dipal has served celebrities, thought leaders, and health-care practitioners, leading them to find joy and decrease suffering through her blend of practices. Featured in Authority Magazine, Thrive Global Magazine, The List TV Show, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX, Dipal is frequently called upon to share her messages on mass media platforms along with Summits and Podcasts. Currently, she is a content creator for Best Holistic Life Magazine creating articles and education around reclaiming your health and life. She believes that everyone has the chance to connect with their inner power, if they slow down and listen. You can learn more about Dipal and her journey at:https://ananda4life.com/. With many impressive titles and a brilliant career, we wonder if you would like to start by telling us a little about yourself and what your journey has been like. The theme of my life was proving. Proving that I could live up to the cultural and parental expectations, yet living in America and being divided by two different worlds. Proving that I was smart enough in school. Proving that I was good enough. Pushing was the constant mode in my mind, because if I stopped, I might not live up to the expectations my world placed on me. Every day was consumed with trying to establish my place in a confusing, expectation-filled world. My journey has been the journey of healing myself: from the pain, the stress, and the struggle of my childhood. Holding onto our suffering is like wearing a backpack full of rocks. We constantly carry the weight of our struggle and wonder why our backs ache, and our minds are exhausted. I had to release the “rocks” I was carrying to find who I truly was. I quit my job in 2008 as a pharmaceutical rep and decided to stay home with my girls and low and behold the universe opened a huge door for me as I discovered energy healing through my own healing journey. I soon created Ananda 4 Life, LLC to help other women who feel stuck in a negative mindset and wanting to find happiness but mostly a reason for living. I learned multiple modalities and now have one of my own that I teach and help women over 40 who are ready to heal their body, mind and spirit and step into their purpose. You work a lot with something called Energy Medicine, can you elaborate on what it means and how you started with it? Energy Medicine is the idea of restoring the body and mind to its natural, neutral state. Although this sounds confusing, it truly means that because of our Facebook Feeds, fast-paced society, endless commutes, and to-do lists, we are frazzled and stressed. Throughout my background in the pharmaceutical industry, I was constantly confronted with situations where medicine didn’t always work for everyone, especially in my own case. As I looked at the overflowing medicine cabinets around me in my own home, I realized with startling clarity that conventional medicine is a mask for our ailments, but never a root fix. Energy Medicine has always been incorporated into Eastern Culture and Medicine, but Western Medicine did not pick it up until more recently. I recall my elders always suggesting I take a laxative anytime I complained of something in my body. Which made me laugh and think they were crazy. Now modern science has proven the Brain-Gut-Body Connection. Guess my elders weren’t that crazy… What I find interesting is that 2020 sparked a resurgence of people taking health into their own hands, with energy medicine being a keyword in popular magazines such as Oprah and Health. The trend continues, and working with energy is growing at a rapid rate in response to the constant anxiety, stress, and depression many of us feel from living in our politically charged and frustration-filled society. Energy Medicine seeks to shift our perception of ourselves and the world by identifying our patterns and replacing those with energy-healthy habits. How do you use Energy medicine in connection with your clients? Everything we experience, whether getting a poor grade on a test or watching a movie, is an interaction we attach an emotion to. Although we rarely stop to think about it, we are constantly feeling emotions throughout our lives. In the same way, you’d bake a layered cake, over time our emotions build up in layers. These subconscious emotional imprints affect and dictate the lens through which we experience the world. And as we grow and go through more things, these ruts and layers grow even stronger. Through energy medicine, we take a deep dive into your body and the invisible energy channels (ex. Chakras, aura, haraline) to uncover and heal the subconscious emotional imprints impacting your life presently, regardless of how long they’ve been buried. We can go far back as other lifetimes, in the womb and even childhood. Once we can identify these patterns we can now work on shifting the body’s frequency to create space for the body to start healing itself. You are certified in different energy modalities and even created your own Energy Modality that you currently use. How does someone know if they need this type of healing assistance? I was in pain. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. My neck hurt all the time, my stomach woke me up in the middle of the night, and I was struggling with every digestive ailment you could imagine. I knew I needed help because I couldn’t continue to function that way. They became so intensely unbearable that I couldn’t afford to not listen to my body anymore since I tried everything in the book with western medicine. My body was begging to be heard! But it doesn’t have to get to that point. Because of the taxing world we live in, we all need healing assistance in the same way a car needs an oil change. To be honest, anyone can benefit from utilizing these types of services especially since it can be performed remotely in the comfort of your own space. Some of my clients who come to me have been diagnosed with a physical disease most commonly thyroid, digestive, cardiovascular, obesity, diabetes, back pain, and even cancer. Trying to find answers rather than medication takes a toll on their mental well-being. They are looking to bring the mind, body, and spirit into alignment so that they can function better, have more energy, and find more time to enjoy life instead of focusing on their health problems. Energy Healing opens you up to a deeper sense of ease, well-being, and purpose, and brings you back to your true self. It is effective as an independent therapy and also extremely successful as an adjunct to traditional healthcare. Our subconscious mind deeply affects us: from our energy to our ability to create relationships, health, or wealth, how do you believe we can harness the power of the subconscious mind? The first step to harnessing the power of the subconscious mind is realizing that all of our experiences in life have shaped and molded our mindset to become the complex circuitry it is. To change our experience, we often have to time travel back to childhood and realize where we began picking up these harmful beliefs. It’s all about the root cause. Once we understand the root cause, we are able to slowly dismantle and reprogram that belief, instilling positive new beliefs in our brains. It’s a slow and tedious process, but one that is so fun and so worthwhile if you take the time to slow down and enjoy it. When I delved into my own mindset journey, not only did I learn so much about myself, but more so I learned greatly about others and how similar all human beings actually are. Defining your patterns is back-breaking, but rewarding because once we hold the power of our subconscious mind, we are able to accomplish nearly anything. Being a self-employed entrepreneur can be exhausting and at certain times very stressful. How do you practice self-care to avoid overworking yourself as well as not getting burnt out? Even though I know the steps, I sometimes suffer from burn out too. This comes from my nature of overworking and pushing myself constantly. Because I grew up with a deep pattern of trying to prove myself, I sometimes fall back into those patterns in my business as well. Entrepreneurs are naturally passionate and curious people, which is beautiful, but can be challenging because we get our hands in so many projects! It’s been a learning journey for me to come to the understanding that I need to take care of myself first. Stress is something I still experience, but it doesn’t wreak the same havoc and destruction on my body that it used to. How I manage my stress has dramatically changed so that it stays on the surface level rather than permeating my energy and causing issues in every area of my life! As an Energy Medicine Practitioner and Self- Care Expert I encourage people to find a self-care routine that they can do each day because self-care goes so much deeper than taking a bubble bath or eating some chocolate. Self-care is reflecting on how you feel by checking in on your emotions throughout the day and making changes to help yourself adjust to your environment. I also enjoy mind dumping to manage my anxiety, worry, and fear. My husband always says “talk it out.” I talk to my dog, talk to myself and talk to GOD. Choose practices that are aligned and authentic to you: whether that is meditation, journaling, taking a long walk, or being alone and silent. The little things you do in the morning or throughout your day all add up. It’s important that your self-care pours back into your depleted soul and helps you forget about the outside world so that you can be fully present. Do you have any current goals for your business? Finding myself was the journey of a lifetime. I want women to experience the peace, joy, and purpose of life that I have felt after stepping into my power. Working with women globally, over the last 10 years and guiding them on their spiritual and physical journey free of diseases, pain, and victim mindsets is a blessing and honor. At Ananda 4 Life, we are always exploring new and easy ways of offering courses, memberships, and sessions. We are expanding our company by educating and providing more women the opportunity to learn the tools and techniques to heal themselves and create a thriving healing practice. In the long run, this will help fulfill the demands of the clientele who are ready to explore new opportunities and find better health and well-being using Energy Medicine. To round off, how can someone get in touch with you if they are interested in your services? To connect with me you can visit my website dipalshah.com or email me at dipalshah@ananda4life.com regarding the Medical Intuitive Course, Sessions, or Speaking Engagements. You’re also welcome to grab my free gift where I share my monthly intuitive lessons https://ananda4life.com/dipalsintuitivelessons/ For more content, follow Dipal on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

Written by: Leslie Gaudet, 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. Why are you putting yourself last on the totem pole? If you are doing that, it can be one of the most selfish things that you can do for you and for the people in your life. When you take care of you first, you will take care of others better. Like the air mask in airplanes for example. When the mask drops due to the air pressure change in the airplane cabin, the first thing you are instructed to do is to secure the mask on you first and the reason for this is so that once you are secure, you are more calm and able to secure those that depend on you. Here are some self-care basics that we tend to take for granted: Nutrition You will find as you search the internet that article upon article supports eating healthy and most often you will see that some of the biggest reasons are that it will promote healthy skin, teeth, and eyes, boost your immunity, strengthen bones, and lower your risk of heart disease. All of this you can find on the internet and yet, according to tfah.org (Trust for America’s Health): “Nationally, 41.9 percent of adults have obesity. Black adults had the highest level of adult obesity at 49.9 percent. Hispanic adults had an obesity rate of 45.6 percent. White adults had an obesity rate of 41.4 percent.” In addition, according to the CDC: “About 1 in 5 American children has obesity. Compared to children with healthy weight, children who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk for asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.” I don’t know about you, but these statistics have gotten my attention and have made me recognize my own eating patterns and where I want to make changes for my overall well-being so that I go into my golden years with more confidence that I am giving my body and my brain a fighting chance. Hydration Why is drinking water important? According to WebMD : Water helps energize your muscles. Cells that don’t maintain a balance of fluids and electrolytes can shrivel up which can result in muscle fatigue and when your muscles don’t have adequate fluids to support them they don’t work as well and performance can suffer… when you drink enough water, your body stays regular as water helps your body break down what you consume so that you can pass what you don’t need out of your body with more ease.” This also makes sense and yet when you search the internet, you will find studies saying that most people are not taking in enough water for their optimal health. In fact, according to Wikipedia: “Most people can tolerate a 3-4% decrease in total body water without difficulty or adverse health effects. A 5-8% decrease can cause fatigue and dizziness. Loss of over ten percent of total body water can cause physical and mental deterioration, accompanied by severe thirst.” So, with these statistics out there and self-care really being so important, why are people not taking in enough water? What I’ve heard from some of the people that I know is that “I don’t like to drink water.” Or “ I don’t really think about it.” Or they don’t like the taste of water. I totally get it. Water doesn’t have any flavor but there are many ways that you can remedy that. In order for me to get my water in every day, I keep a glass by my desk and drink and refill it throughout the day. I understand how important it is for my brain health because according to womensbrainhealth.org : “Drinking water can improve one's brain health by simply increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain – which, in turn, improves concentration and cognition (supporting memory function) and helps balance moods and emotions, reducing stress and headaches.” Mind Health and Mental Breaks I’ve noticed that there is a lot of negativity on social media that gets bounced around and taken as fact and/or is very hurtful to others and I cannot imagine how that makes people (really) feel when they are open and honest about it or when they are afraid to be open and honest about how it makes them feel. That is one of the reasons why I made a conscious decision 6 years ago not to like, comment, or share negative posts (especially when they are hurtful to others). I also make a conscious effort every morning to follow my morning routine which includes meditation, time with God, journaling (both reflection and gratitude), reading or listening to a good book that fills my mind with ideas, and inspiration, and I get my body moving by getting up and dancing. I fully understand that my brain needs a break every once in a while. I’ve come to learn that even if you push through and stay at it, that your brain basically shuts down because it knows that it needs time to process. Taking mental breaks helps you improve performance which makes sense because you’re giving your brain a break. Besides, there are those who have studied this, and their studies have shown that “ taking mental breaks every 75 to 90 minutes is key in retaining information and the ability to focus” because you can concentrate and get more done in that period of time and the break helps you reset, recharge and re-energize. Spiritual Health For me, spiritual well-being is extremely important. It’s important that I spend time with God every single morning before I start my workday. It helps to focus and ground me and guide me in my life through the lessons I have learned from the past. There truly are gems of information from the past that can help one navigate the present with more confidence. In fact, according to Advent Health, “Spiritual wellness acknowledges our search for deeper meaning in life . When we're spiritually healthy, we feel more connected to not only a higher power, but to those around us. We have more clarity when it comes to making everyday choices, and our actions become more consistent with our beliefs and values.” Believing in something bigger than yourself allows you to dream bigger too. “sportsforthesoul.com says: When you believe that whatever you're doing is tied to a purpose much bigger than yourself, great things start to happen. You'll work harder, you'll be more resilient, and you'll be a lot prouder of what you're doing with your life.” Rest This one is so important and it’s a topic that I am hearing more and more people talk about because even this one daily routine that we all need is falling to the wayside in the amount of sleep that we get (or shall I say don’t get) and many of us are not setting ourselves up for a good night’s rest. For example, I have a no scroll rule after 7:00 pm so that I can unwind from the day, so that I don’t get caught up in the endless scroll (allowing my brain to unwind), and so that I can spend quality time with my husband. Here’s the thing. All of the above are common sense self-care habits that we should do because they will benefit us, but we often take them for granted (and most times ignore) because we tell ourselves that we’re too busy right now or we tell ourselves that we’ll get to it later. The problem is you will find that later comes at the end of your busy day and you’ve run out of time because your next course of action for the day is sleep and again even then that self-care habit, if not treated right for you, can have you ignoring taking care that you set yourself up for and have a good night’s rest so that you wake up the next day, fresh and energized and ready to tackle a brand new day. What I’m finding more and more as I speak with women I work with and through observations on social media, is that self-care is one of those things that seems hard to incorporate because it means “making the time” and for some (a lot really) it’s extremely hard for them to embrace setting up a self-care routine. I’m finding that we as a society are leading very busy lives and we are finding ways to put off even the simplest of self-care and then resenting even the thought of creating healthy habits that support our overall emotional and physical well-being because it will take up valuable time that we (believe)could be better served elsewhere. The problem with this way of thinking is that if you keep putting off taking care of you with even the basics (especially getting proper rest and taking mental breaks) is that eventually your mind and/or your body will push back, and you won’t be able to ignore it anymore. In fact, you may be forced to recognize signs like you’re getting burned out, or you are feeling overwhelmed, or you feel isolated, or that you are ghosting your friends or family, and maybe keeping yourself stuck in “stuckville” doing busywork and filling your days with endless tasks that don’t do anything except take up time real estate, and all the while your mind and body are struggling to keep up. And I haven’t even talked about some of the unspoken but beneficial emotional self-care habits like: practicing gratitude and intentionally looking for and finding ways to be grateful even during the difficult times taking you away from focusing on what’s not going right and instead focusing on all the goodness that is going right, or making the conscious choice to be happy and backing it up by finding ways to support your choice and living from that space; or embracing change as a positive result that can lead to new opportunities, new ideas, new connections, a new you, or trusting in yourself more and believing and having faith that it will all work out for you, even when there's no evidence(yet) to support it. I know that you are busy. We all are. But I truly believe and am living proof, because I have done this before, that when you ignore self-care in your day-to-day, it will catch up to you. Because at some point your mind and/or your body will react making it Literally Impossible for You to ignore the signs. And the reason that You can't ignore the signs anymore is because Your Mind and/or Your Body WON’T let you. Simply put, self-care should be at the top of your to-do list every single day. You should have self-care habits in place that support you emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Oh, and by the way, I didn’t even mention the importance of exercise (getting the body moving) as I was trying to keep this article short enough of a read to get your attention on the importance of Taking Care of Yourself. If I could suggest one way to get you started with setting self-care intentions, it would be this. Start your day with gratitude. Focus on all that is good in your life and be grateful for all that you have and all that you are given for when you do that you will see that you are truly blessed. Reflect daily on all that is going right in your life, document your accomplishments, and then anchor in celebration memories that you can pull on when you are doubting any part of your journey. Give thanks to God every morning for another gift of a day that you get to unwrap and explore. And when you are ready, add more that fits in alignment with your overall goals and ones that you feel good about (like journaling, meditation, going to the gym or long walks in nature). My hope for you is that you start incorporating self-care in your daily life and create healthy lifestyle habits to support you so that you can live your life with more joy, gratitude, and love. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , Linked In , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Leslie ! Leslie Gaudet, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Leslie Gaudet is a Mindset and Emotional Awareness Coach for women. She helps her clients achieve self-awareness around their emotional triggers by shifting their mindset to make better decisions when they respond, allowing them to bring more balance, peace, and harmony into their lives. Almost 4 decades working as a Legal Assistant and Paralegal in the corporate world left her feeling emotionally and physically drained. That’s when she decided that she had to make some changes for her to live the life she loves. Those changes involved learning to love herself (without judgment or criticism). That mindset is the key to everything because our mindset influences our thoughts, and in turn, our thoughts dictate our words and actions. Thru her journey to self-love and self-acceptance, Leslie became certified as a Life Coach and attained further certifications in Group Coaching and Emotional Intelligence. She works closely with her clients, starting with mindset because that is the foundational piece to self-love and self-acceptance. She teaches her clients about triggers and how they affect us emotionally by helping her clients tune into, spot, and understand their own so that they can become more self-aware of their trigger moments and emotional responses. With proven tools and techniques and with her guidance, her clients tap into and discover their true potential to living their life and loving the life they are living. Leslie believes that you will transform your life when you Change Your Brain (the way you think).

Written by: Tajana Velikinac, 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 very important how we treat ourselves, our thoughts, how we behave when we are alone, and whether we have healthy habits. Are you your best friend? At the end of the day if you stay alone with yourself, how do you feel? It is important to be satisfied with yourself, it is important to be gentle and caring with yourself. That means taking good care, choosing your thoughts, and doing something good for yourself. When we feel good about ourselves, we can easily stay motivated and that is how we can achieve more. Put realistic goals. Expecting others to act in a certain way just because you start from yourself is bringing mismanagement to your expectation. When we put realistic goals and work towards realisation, keeping the focus on service rather than expecting some big reward, it’s a state where we stay positive and motivated. When we are doing something and expecting something that eventually is not happening that’s leading to disappointments. Be grateful for little things. If we become so greedy or too occupied with things and situations that take our energy but are not grateful for all that we already have or live with, we could easily become miserable. If you accidentally drop a coin and you have been lazy to pick up that coin, or you think, it’s only a 10 p, why should you expect to have more money in your pocket? You will get more reasons to feel satisfied if you appreciate small things. To be grateful for what you already have, praise yourself for the things that you achieve so far, and for all the challenges that you successfully manage it’s a way to self-respect. Take it easy on yourself. It’s okay to analyse yourself to look at what you can do differently, what to improve, and what you are proud of. Self-awareness is the key to happiness. But what most people do is judge and criticise themselves. When you criticise yourself, you start to feel worthless and quilt if you haven’t met your expectation. Self-criticism also has a negative impact on people around you as well as on your personal development. Focusing more on your skills and qualities. Each day thinks about what you can do differently, and how you can be more kind to yourself. Accept your mistakes and follow your passion. Find something each day to express gratitude and build new habits that will improve your life. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tajana! Tajana Velikinac, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tajana is an international Empowerment Coach and motivational teacher. Teaches people about awareness and supports them in their life challenges. To be aware of yourself means to know yourself, not what others have taught you. It is a process of rewriting your unconscious mind. Love yourself means to accept yourself as you are.

Written by: Paul Arnold, 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 can you increase a customer’s buying decision to purchase your product or service? How can you get your customer to know, like and trust you? This article will answer those questions and outline the most important factors for building a strong brand to market your business. Helping Your Client’s Decision to Buy Here are three ways a strong brand increases your customer’s buying decision. Time: Customers and clients are often short on time and have to make a fast buying decision. If you have a strong brand, your prospects will be able to make that buying decision with confidence. Trust: By clearly demonstrating what your business stands for, your prospect will have more trust in your brand. Having credibility is imperative in the decision-making process of your prospective client. If you have multiple unrelated product or service offerings, that can weaken your brand and cause confusion. If you run multiple businesses, it is sometimes best to have separate brands. Choice: There are several related product and service purchase options for your prospective client. A strong brand will clearly demonstrate your value proposition. Once your client sees what makes your brand unique, they will choose to purchase from you over your competitor. The K-L-T Factor One of the most important factors of marketing your business is the K-L-T factor of your product or service. Is your product or service something that your customers can know, like, and trust? If you cannot achieve all of these three fundamental pillars, you will have difficulty marketing your product or service. Know: How Will People Know My Business? Does my customer know me and my business? Do they know my product or service? It comes down to how effective you are at promoting your product or service to your potential customers or prospects. How are you going to bring awareness to your product or service? If I try looking up your company, product, or service on the internet, am I going to find it, and what am I going to see? We all know the expression you only have one chance to make a first impression. When your customer meets you or scrolls through your product/service online, they will have made up their mind within seconds about whether they are interested in your product or service. How are you planning to let your prospects or potential customers know about you or your product/service? Are you going to buy social media ads or hand out flyers? Are you planning to go door to door or give a speech at a community event? Are you going to promote your product or service through your existing social media following? Are you going to run a social media contest or give out samples at a popular sporting event? You need to have a plan to make people know what you will sell. This is all part of your marketing strategy. Like: How Will I Make Them Like My Product or Service? This may sound like a no-brainer, but it is surprising to see how many entrepreneurs do not contemplate the likeability of the product or service they are selling. Do you, your product, or your service have a likeable or inspirational brand? Put yourself in the shoes of your customer. If you came across your product or service being sold by someone else, would you want to buy it? Entrepreneurs who market themselves on social media are establishing their brand with every post. I see some entrepreneurs sabotaging themselves by posting a rant, a religious or political opinion, or a sexual image that would either offend people or annoy someone. Remember what your father or mother told you: never discuss religion, politics, or sex at the dinner table. Well, the same goes for social media. If you post something in favor of a conservative or republican, you will irritate a supporter of the liberal or democratic party. If you post a Hindu event with a picture of Ganesh, the elephantheaded Hindu god of beginnings, your potential customers will be left scratching their heads at your exotic spiritual beliefs. Lastly, if you post a flyer of yourself or a scantily clad model, you may receive a lot of likes from men, but you are certainly not going to leave your female friends wanting to introduce your product or service to their husbands. If you are attractive, you can use your assets, but let’s keep it classy. The only exception would be if you are marketing a new business venture in the fitness or adult entertainment industry. It is best to avoid ranting on social media, unless you can laugh at your own foolishness at the same time using self-deprecation. With every passionate opinion, there will always be someone you annoy, whether they say something or not. If you are upset about something, take twenty-four hours until you have a clear head and give yourself some time to reflect before you take any actions you may regret. You don’t want to sabotage your own personal brand to your potential customers before you even start. If your social media followers are enjoying your posts and gaining value from your insight, they are more likely to support your business venture because they like you! Trust: Why Should They Believe What I Say? This is the credibility factor. If you need to ask about health, we automatically trust medical doctors and PhDs because they have spent six to ten years studying and researching that topic. Education or designations is one way to establish credibility. Experience above all goes a long way. It is a lot easier to work and trust someone working in a field for ten years versus a six-month newbie. Through experience, you can obtain client referrals and testimonials that demonstrate your capabilities to other new potential clients. One reason that we often ask our friends and family for referrals is that we trust their judgment. In my industry of the financial services, it is a lot easier to receive new customers from client referrals than it is to obtain a new client from knocking on their front door. The clients I have obtained by face-to-face door knocking can take three to six months of building trust before they become a client. It is a lot easier to obtain a new client through a warm referral and important to show gratitude when it happens. If you offer a service, trust is formed by building relationships with your prospective clients. You can achieve this through social media or emails by sharing educational content. You can also let people see a little of your personality. You could post about your personal interests or hobbies with a post of you with your family pet or doing your favorite activity. If people can relate to your content and obtain value from your educational material, they are more inclined to see the benefit of your services. If you sell a product, people either like it or not. If it is technology, it should be user-friendly and solve a problem or help users be more efficient. Creating a consistent brand that people can trust and benefit from will pay dividends. Companies like Apple, McDonald’s, and Toyota all have reliable brands; customers know the quality of the product and the level of service to expect by association with those brands. A network marketer approached me about buying his product after I had inquired about what he does. His value proposition was reasonable in that his product would save money and benefit a charity. However, he had no business card. Instead, he presented something printed on a flyer. He was new to this business and relied on his associate in prompting him to attend our business networking event. My impression was that he did not have sufficient credibility to warrant me buying his product. I did not have faith that his product was reliable or that he was competent. His message was not clear, and his communication was further impeded by a thick accent. In my mind, he had not sufficiently established credibility to sell me his product. I did not have confidence in him, even though he represented an international company that could potentially save me money. In my mind, he had not earned my trust to sell me his product. WII-FM: What’s In It For Me? It is critical that your product or service brand is tuned into the important frequency of WII FM: What’s In It For Me! I will not purchase your product or service unless there is a direct benefit to me. Are you making my life more convenient? Are you going to save me money? Are you going to help me become healthier? Are you going to bring more joy and happiness into my life? Are you going to improve my home or my technology? Are you going to help me grow my business? If nothing benefits me directly, I am not likely to spend my hard-earned money to purchase your product or service. Many of you have seen The Wolf of Wall Street when Leonardo DiCaprio’s character playing Jordan Belfort asks his colleagues to sell a pen. The first instinct would be to discuss the features of the pen, such as the color and style. It is not until the one guy asks Jordan to write his name down that the pen becomes an instrument required to solve a need. The ability to position your product or service as a benefit that solves a problem rather than to describe the features is the art of WII-FM. Working in the financial services, it is easy to get caught up in demonstrating the highest returns for clients or the lowest cost of the management fees. However, once you show that you can help pay for their children’s education or help them enjoy greater freedom in retirement or save $250,000 in estate taxes, then you are showing that your services can provide a direct benefit to your potential client. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and try to view your product, service, or the brand you have created through their eyes. It is valuable to get feedback from other people to make sure you are on the right track. Before you spend your money investing in websites, business cards, manufacturing your product, or developing your services, make sure you have a truly valuable product or service that can indeed benefit people. Make sure it is something that they will want to spend money on. Ask around and see if your friends will pay money for what you want to sell. Is there a chance you are on the wrong path or direction? Not that your next idea may hit the nail on the head and be the million-dollar bonanza. You just want to make sure you are on the right track before investing the time, money, and energy to create a product or service that can truly benefit others. Paul Arnold, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Paul Arnold published his first book Business Strategy Success Principles, to help business owners and entrepreneurs have an action plans to grow their businesses and enjoy and easier life. Paul has started six businesses over the past 14 years, with 30 years in sales and marketing. He is a business strategy coach and runs a book writing workshop, Adapt and Overcome Innovation and Change Strategy Summit.

Written by: Mireia Lopez , 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. Do you ever feel frustrated when your child misbehaves? Or when the child is not doing what we want them to do or what we think they are supposed to do? Is the child actually misbehaving? This is what is happening: the child is its own person, not an extension of us. Our job is to keep them safe and provide them with experiences so they can become independent and make their own decisions. But, in order for them to become independent, they need to practice making decisions. They have emotions just like everyone else, and their communication skills are not fully developed (some people never fully develop them anyway). When you mix unknown emotions, overwhelm, lack of communication, and poor decision-making experiences (due to their young age, nothing else), that’s when “misbehaving” takes place. Keeping this in mind, it is to be expected that every child will “misbehave” at some stage. Otherwise, they are not pushing their boundaries and exploring their limitations, possibilities, and personality and that is not good either. There is always a reason behind each action. The problem is that we are often (most of the time) not aware of those reasons because it’s just not possible to know everything all the time! In that case, we only see the actions and, if those actions are not what we think they should be (misbehaving), then we create a story in our head thinking that the child is challenging us, or doesn’t want to listen, or has no manners, or simply “they are naughty or bad”. And what do we do to change that? We punish them. What is punishment? And why is it not good AT ALL? Punishment focuses on the behaviour, not on the reason that causes that behaviour. We manipulate the child with emotional/physical pain, so they do what we want them to do. They don’t necessarily understand why they must act that way, and they just do it because of fear or to avoid the punishment. Because of this, they learn that their emotions are not important. Remember that there is a reason every time a child “misbehaves” so, by punishing them, we stop them from dealing with those emotions and, in consequence, they lose the opportunity to learn why they should not do that, and they also develop anger, frustration, hate… In the meantime, the connection between us and them slowly loses strength. Punishment really has ZERO benefits and a huge negative impact on the child’s mental health. Examples of punishment: Time out / being grounded Tell them they are bad and shame them Give them chores as a form of punishment (they will associate tasks that need to be done in the house with being punished, so they will never want to do those tasks voluntarily because they have a negative connection with them). Losing access to a toy/item that has nothing to do with their action(for example, if they don’t eat their dinner, you take their favourite toy away). Making them feel bad (if you don’t do that, mammy will be really sad). That’s a form of manipulation and emotional punishment. What is the positive alternative to punishment: Consequences Every action has a consequence, whether we like it or not, whether we see it or not. Consequences (unlike punishment) can also be positive in the form of natural rewards (for example, if you wake up early, you have time to get a nicer breakfast, that is a natural reward and a positive consequence.) Why are consequences better than punishment? Consequences help children understand the impact of their actions. They get to choose their behaviour based on the consequences they want. We don’t force them to act a certain way, we just guide them so they can make better decisions. They can work towards positive consequences as a personal challenge, rather than just trying to avoid punishment. We can reinforce positive consequences so they will want to act in a way that brings natural rewards more often than negative consequences. When this happens, their emotions will also shift so we are not just changing the behaviour, but we are also promoting positive well-being. Children learn to take responsibility for their own actions. They become more resilient, mature, confident, and independent. There are two different types of consequences: Natural Consequences: They happen automatically. The natural reaction of a child’s action. They can be positive or negative but every single action has a natural consequence. For example, if a child doesn’t put on their jacket, they will be cold. If a child doesn’t want to finish their dinner, they will be hungry. If a child makes a picture to mammy they will get a hug or a compliment (positive consequence/reward). Logical Consequences: You make them happen, but they are related and in proportion to their actions. For example, if the child is hungry because they didn’t eat their dinner(natural consequence), you won’t give them any treats or snacks (logical consequence) because you want to make sure they get big and strong and they must eat their dinner for that. The logical consequence is totally related to their action. Examples of Natural and Logical Consequences: Action 1: a child doesn’t want to put on their shoes. Natural consequence: Their socks get wet and it annoys them. Logical consequence: They can’t go to play outside until they change their socks so their shoes don’t get wet and smelly, so now they have less time to play outside. Action 2: a child doesn’t want to get ready for school he is late. Natural consequence: they are late and feel awkward walking in, plus they miss their first activity. Logical consequence: they have to get their clothes and school bags ready in the evening so they are not wasting time in the morning. That means less time to play in the evening because they have to get these things ready. Action 3: a child doesn’t want to turn off the TV. Natural consequence: there is no natural consequence here, you have to come up with a logical consequence. Logical consequence: you give them an option (do you turn off the tv or will I do it for you?). They won’t have their dinner until the tv is off because that is a rule in the house (no tv during dinner). If it takes them too long, dinner will be cold. If they don’t want dinner cold, they will be hungry. These are the natural consequences. Action 4: a child doesn’t want to brush their teeth Natural consequence: long-term consequence, cavities, pain. Logical consequence: they won’t be able to have any treats at all until they brush their teeth so the sugar doesn’t damage their teeth if they are not washing them. It is proportional and related to their actions and it teaches them to be responsible. How to create logical consequences to help them learn (And how to avoid actions that trigger negative consequences) Make sure the consequences are related and proportional to the action. Empathise with their feelings so they feel understood and don’t act out of rage I know you are very upset, but…”) Anticipate their behaviour by setting up limits and helping them create realistic expectations (if you know there is going to be ice cream and they can’t have any that day, let them know that there will be ice cream but they will have one at the weekend, not today because they already had a treat today). Never break a promise. If you tell them they will have ice cream at the weekend, make sure they have ice cream at the weekend. Give them choices to avoid actions that will trigger negative consequences. For example, if they have to set up the table for dinner and they don’t want to, ask them if they want to get the forks or the plates first. If they have to put their clothes away, ask them if they want to help you or if they want to do it on their own. If they have to go to the shop with you, ask them if they want to carry the bags for you or not. Make them feel like they have a choice always. It’s all about making them feel responsible for their actions. We never stop making mistakes and every mistake can be interpreted as misbehaving, but it’s just the way we do things and there is always a reason behind it. It is ok to make mistakes or to let our emotions guide our actions, as long as we take responsibility for it. Every action has a reaction, and we need to accept that and use it to learn from it and be better next time. That is what consequences teach our children. Consequences make our kids become better and more mature human beings. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Mireia! Mireia Lopez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mireia Lopez is qualified as a Primary school teacher with a Masters in Psychology. She is the founder and director of Discovery Playtime and mum to two children who inspired her to start her business. She is passionate about play and child development and promotes the power of play so parents and educators can understand the impact that play has in the development of skills during childhood. To create better generations and more independent and confident adults we need to start by improving the way children play and interact with the world.

Written by: Brooke Kekos, 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. Now, what if I told you that YOU hold all the magic capability, that YOU already hold the power to access each and everything that you desire? Nothing is unattainable. All of it already exists! You simply need to recognize it is already there waiting for you and allow yourself to see it. This power I speak of is the power of your own mind. Your very own magic superpower. You have had it all along, you just forgot you were the creator. You see your mind is so powerful that it has the capability to change your external reality, into that of which you desire. For most of my life, I never knew I held this magic superpower… I ran on limiting beliefs, old conditioning, and operated from a survival state of mind. I suffered from low self-worth, complex ‒ PTSD, disassociation, anxiety, and a lack of complete awareness. I was stuck in a never-ending cycle of shame, guilt, and relationship toxicity. I was never in touch with my superpower. Neuroscience has helped us to see that brain activity is 95 percent within the subconscious which includes habits and patterns, automatic body function, personality, beliefs and values, and our long-term memory. More than 40 percent of our behavior is habitual, taking anywhere from 15 to 250 days to form a new habit or program. With those facts alone, you may be able to see that it’s very important to understand the automated programming you are operating on, because this could be where everything could change for you. In fact , let's imagine for a moment that your mind is like a supercomputer. Think of the computer that you are accessing right now, it is a highly integrated device that receives input, output, contains a processor, stores data and information within its memory. The CPU is the brain of the computer, it contains all the circuitry needed to process input, store data, and output results. The CPU is constantly following instructions of a computer program that tells it which data to process and how to process it. Our subconscious mind acts similar to the CPU brain of the computer. It is the main hub of how our brain functions, constantly processing input of information and outputting results. The entire purpose is to store and retrieve data. Its job is to ensure that you respond exactly the way you are programmed. The conscious mind which makes up the remaining 5 percent of our brain involves all the things you are currently aware of and are thinking about. It is somewhat akin to short-term memory and is limited in capacity.It is also what we are uploading to daily, by using our thoughts, and what we daily create within our physical reality. If your subconscious mind's programming is more powerful and it is heavily weighed down by trauma, anxiety, ptsd, childhood wounding or other limiting beliefs it can cloud our ability to be more conscious. It can limit how we are creating, and it will only allow us to live from our subconscious habitual patterns and behaviors. You are the creator, but can only be the true creator of your life by shedding the things that are old programs, repetitive patterns, or emotions from the past that no longer serve you. But what if we are not aware of what programs may still be running in the background of your subconscious mind? Most likely, you are not. You may be in the passenger seat rather than the driver’s seat while creating your life. This is where taking control is key! By taking control of your subconscious mind, by becoming aware and in sync with it, you can be sure to take back control of your life and basically achieve anything you want to. This is because when your subconscious mind and your conscious mind are working together to achieve a common goal, you can believe that it will happen! Once you harness your magic superpower, and use your mind so it works for you instead of against you, I promise you that you will begin to truly thrive. You may ask, how do I do this? I will answer that in my next article. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Brooke! Brooke Kekos, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Brooke Kekos, is a Magnetic Mindset Coach, RTT Practitioner, and Clinical Hypnotherapist. A traumatic childhood raised in a controlling religious sect, and an abusive father led her to stay stuck in an abusive marriage for 17 years. Once she broke free she transformed her life and career to dedicate her life to helping others heal from their own trauma and suffering to raise their own states of higher consciousness. She is now CEO of Life Coaching Goddess, an international speaker, and soon to be an author of her own memoir.

Written by: Wendy Crabbe, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Most of us have been socialized to do things based on how we feel. For example, if you’re in a bad mood you might wear sweats with no make-up and that is how you go to the grocery store. Plus, you usually stay in a bad mood. It’s the same thing if you feel unworthy or less than about being overweight, how do you dress for work or to go about your day? I had limited options of what fit in my closet, and the pants that I could fit into were tight because I didn’t want to go the next size up (I vowed I would never do that). I felt uncomfortable and self-conscious because my pants were tight, and my muffin top was hanging over when I sat down. I felt gross and unhappy with myself and the world. Looking back, I wish I had handled my clothes and the rules I made up for myself differently. I wish I had known that you should dress for how you want to feel or see yourself (Tonya Leigh, School of Self-Image Podcast). So, instead of dressing for your bad mood, you dress to feel happier or better about yourself. I wish I had gone shopping and bought 2 outfits that fit me perfectly and felt good in (does not have to be designer, I’m talking discount stores). Then I would have felt good enough about myself to eat healthier instead of using food to make myself feel better or punish myself for being overweight. Maybe I would have started trusting myself to follow through or take the next step and join the self-coaching program sooner. What would it look like for you to wear clothes that fit and make you feel more confident? You don’t have to lose weight to do this! What if the best thing you can do for yourself is to give yourself a closet makeover or buy a few outfits that make you feel more self-confident? I know you will show up wherever you go as a different person. How much you weigh is not who you are. You are a strong, powerful woman, deserving of wearing clothes that fit, feel, and look good. Don’t wait until you are at your goal weight to buy clothes that fit. Dress for how you want to feel and see yourself now. I help women over 50 lose weight without feeling hungry or deprived all the time. If you want to build a healthy relationship with food and your weight without crazy diets, click the link to set up your Weight Loss Breakthrough Call here. Connect with Wendy on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit her website for more information on obesity, gut health, mindset and hormones. Read more from Wendy! Wendy Crabbe, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Wendy Crabbe, an oncology nurse practitioner and now expert in helping health professionals and women over 50 lose weight, struggled all her life with her weight. She wondered if she was so smart, why couldn’t she lose weight? The causes of obesity are about more than excess food intake and not enough movement. It’s also related to altered hormones and alterations in the gut microbiome. She was finally able to lose the weight with mindset coaching and adopting a science-based approach that she uses with her clients today. She is now on a mission to help hundreds and thousands of women over 50 get healthier; because when women get healthier, their families get healthier.

Written by: Sibora Halili, 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. Understand the 3 crucial stages users go through before becoming paying clients (incl.Menopause Treatment Case Study). Online marketing can be confusing, especially if you're a therapist or health coach who truly cares about helping human beings rather than how to lure them into buying. Still, you can't run a business without clients, can you? Is there a way to turn your compassion into an authentic client magnet? Yes, there is! And it all starts with the User Journey (previously known as the customer journey). To create a user journey that works, you must begin by understanding who your users are and why they visit your site. You can divide this process into these 3 stages: Awareness Research Ready-to-book So when and how do you reach your prospects? Read the following user journey case study to learn more (Menopause Treatment Example). Meet "Louise" Louise is 50, in Menopause, works as a part-time career counselor at a local college, is married, has 3 children, and lives in Leeds, UK. These are the two issues Louise is currently struggling with: Hannah, her youngest, just started University in London. They talk on WhatsApp daily for at least an hour as Hannah has difficulty settling in. Louise worries about her and keeps imagining the worst-case scenarios. Recently, Louise also gained weight rapidly and is overly concerned about her appearance. She wonders if her best years are already behind her or if there is still time to start something new and exciting. Louise User Journey Stage 1 – Awareness Louise enters the first stage of her user journey by finally acknowledging how she feels: lonely and constantly on edge. She's also annoyed because most of her clothes don't fit anymore. Being overweight is unusual for her as she's been in good shape all her life without watching her diet or working out regularly. Her husband, Tom, is very invested in running his business, and merely at home, he doesn't provide the leaning shoulder she was hoping for. Which leaves Louise questioning even her marriage. Key Learnings Louise is noticing the first physical symptom weight gain in emotional distress (nervous, worried, lonely) not sure about the real problem or how to name it unaware of possible solutions to start feeling better not ready to take action Conclusion You can't help anyone solve their problems if you don't know what they're struggling with. As your prospect becomes more aware of their situation, you become more aware of who that person is. Louise is getting worse Louise is developing intense mood swings and lashes out at her loved ones. She feels bloated and unwell, wondering if losing some belly fat will improve her overall well-being and mood. In Louise's case, the first obvious problem is physical ‒ weight gain. Does this mean she'll start working out more? Change her eating habits or start a new diet? Or perhaps start Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss? Read on to find out. Stage 2 – Research Louise suspects her weight gain has to do with hormonal changes and starts her investigation by googling "how to stop weight gain in Menopause?" She's not keen on going to the doctor, taking medication, or signing up for the gym. While doing her research, she comes across many suggestions, from leaving out Carbohydrates to High-Intensity Interval Training to Hormone Therapy. Nothing speaks to her until she comes across one specific article that is not only about weight loss but also highlights the struggles of Mums in Menopause. Who are you apart from being a Mother and wife? Is your mommy's brain finally unplugging? Are you still responsible for everyone's every need? +50 You look back and wonder: Was that it? Louise finds this incredibly interesting and subscribes to the author's Newsletter. Her name is Brooke, and she's a Clinical Hypnotherapist. Upon subscription, she'll receive an email every week. The first six emails cover the following topics: Now Drama – 3 simply ways to handle your anger outbreaks 5 Superfoods and how to naturally stop Weight gain in Menopause How do Mums best deal with an Empty Nest in Menopause? Are you meant to divorce in your 50s, or is there still hope? Can you survive Menopause without medication? Try this See how Clinical Hypnotherapy helps you manage Midlife Key Learnings Brooke facilitates the educational process on how Menopause can affect your life and what you can do about it. Her content is exclusively addressed at Mums in Menopause. Conclusion Your ideal client is someone in a place looking for change but not yet ready to book your services. It's beneficial to reach them at this point, as you can guide them from the very start of their user journey and be there when they need you the most. Louise reaches a critical point in her life Louise is starting to have more and more fights with her husband. She is focusing too much on what he is doing wrong. Her children are gone, and now Louise fears losing him too. She reopens Brooke's last Email and clicks on the booking link at the bottom, which forwards her to Brooke's web page. Stage 3 – Ready to book Louise learns more about Brooke's approach, what the Hypnotherapy sessions with her entail, and how to book the appointment. Before booking, she reeds all the testimonials provided, discovering incredible similarities to her own story. Although she hasn't met Brooke yet, or ever spoken to her, she trusts her expertise. Prior, Louise even had a few misconceptions about Hypnosis, but Brooke cleared those up in the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). She is also intrigued by trying something new and natural, as she is not keen on taking medication or dwelling on her issues for months in Psychotherapy or Couples Therapy. Louise is ready to take action. Key Learnings The Weight gain issue is simply an entrance point for Hypnotherapy in Menopause. It could have been anything from increased anxiety, anger management, hot flashes, insomnia, relationships and so on. Which one you choose to get started depends on your Expertise. The solution (to book a session with Brooke) is NOT immediately introduced but when most needed within the user journey. Let's sum it up Know your ideal client(Awareness Phase) Be extremely helpful (Research Phase) Let them come to you (Ready-to-Book Phase) Once a prospect turns into a client, they've gone through the entire user journey, from awareness to research to ready-to-book. When they're ready to take action, you will be their number one choice as you have already given them so much value. You have become a trusted source and established yourself as the go-to expert in their mind. Is there a shortcut? Yes, you can also create a landing page and bid in Google Ads for Hypnosis for Menopause (average $ 2.45 per click) Hypnotherapy for Menopause (average $ 1.83 per click) This works too but will be more expensive long term if you don't have a client magnet for Email subscriptions. Usually, only 1-2 % of users will book directly. The other 98% will most likely leave your web page and visit another. And this is when Email Marketing comes in. Instead of getting one-time visitors, you gain further access to your audience. Top Tip: You can still go for the shortcut if you live in a big enough town and advertise locally. It allows you to optimize for phone calls and get in-person sessions. Keep this in mind Menopause is a big topic to cover as it includes various issues. But how will you create a lead magnet for your Newsletter? How can you be compassionate and helpful if you don't have access to the people you can help the most? You can't address everyone or every possibility at once. Instead, you focus on the exact problem your website visitor is looking to solve. And before you know it, you're part of their unique journey. PS: Are you interested in in learning more about Niche Marketing? Then you might enjoy reading this free case study. PPS: If you're interested in a free and comprehensive Hypnotherapy Marketing Guide ‒ click here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sibora! Sibora Halili, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sibora Halili (short: Sibi) is a Hypnotherapy Marketing Expert. She first discovered Hypnotherapy from a client's perspective when she transitioned into motherhood. Experiencing the power of Hypnosis firsthand was a game-changer for Sibi. Now she helps Hypnotherapists find a profitable Hypnotherapy Niche. There is a lot of Myth and Misconception around Hypnosis. Sibi designs unique positioning strategies to overcome them. While everyone else jumps on Social Media, she focuses on Google Power Search. She helps Hypnotherapists reach untapped client pools and secure long-term business success. Sibi has a Master's in Digital Media Technologies and founded the Seabee Design Studio in 2015. Also, she's been teaching at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences. Her story began in Vlorë, Albania. When Sibi was a toddler, her artistic family moved to Austria. Later, she lived in Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Norway. Today she's settled in the Austrian Alps with her family. Being multicultural, she loves working with clients worldwide.

Written by: Traci Philips, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Last month, I wrote an article about receiving. Since then, a number of people have asked me how they can get to the place where they can truly receive. For me, there are a few key concepts to look at and understand: Resistance, Assumptions/Expectations, Releasing, Acceptance & Receiving. As things come up in your life, notice how you are feeling and what you are sensing. Recognize when there is resistance (blocks) coming up for you. Determine whether the block is good (boundary) or not (expectation/assumption). Work on releasing the expectations/assumptions by determining what is within your control (what internal shifts can be made in how you are addressing the issue?) and what is not in your control. Allow yourself to let go of what you cannot control. Having acceptance for what is ‒ what is in your power of control and what is not ‒ will allow you to only put your energy and efforts into what is right and best for you and will keep you in alignment. Being open to receive a situation/circumstance/experience that is better than you could imagine offers gifts and surprises that you are here to have and enjoy. So how can we get better at building awareness of our resistances, assumptions/expectations, and what needs to be released, accepted and received to improve our leadership and our lives? By now, there is plenty of research in the fields of neuroscience and behavioral science, as well as experiential findings in the field of leadership that shows us definitively that our performance, decision-making abilities, general effectiveness and capacity to connect with others are impacted by more than just what we think and can analyze and measure. The information we can access and process within our cognitive or cephalic brain plays only a slight role in all of these things. We have two other brains, one in our heart and one in the gut region that are powerful influencers, as well. In fact, there is information that can only be attained and processed through our cardiac brain, and this is also the case for the enteric or gut brain. So, as hard as we may think about or mentally evaluate something, we simply cannot attain what we need through the head alone. If we want access to more of the available information from the world around us and the world within us, we must be able to understand and utilize all of our brains through thinking, feeling and sensing to absorb what truly is in order to make the best decisions and intentions possible to navigate the times we are in. In fact, more than ever, the head brain cannot reach what we are needing most. Much of what we are living through and needing to maneuver is unknown and changing rapidly. The head brain contains what is past – through our own experiences and those of others. It’s what has already been studied, “known” and “proven,” therefore it cannot effectively inform us about that which is new, never been experienced or is generally unknown to us. There is much that doesn’t “make sense” to the cerebral brain, so if we are to get through our current challenges as successfully as possible, we will need to understand our other two brains much better. When it comes to challenge, if you over-analyze or mentally fixate, you will only perpetuate your confusion and miss out on learning what you need to know in order to take advantage of opportunities, growth and potential. So, what are some things you can do to open yourself up to take better advantage of the times and learn how to read your feelings and listen to your gut more? 1: Declutter. If you are filled up with stuff, there is no room for anything new to get in. You also could be spending all of your time and energy running patterns and belief systems that are creating more clutter and blocking your ability to get the essential information you need. If you are carrying emotional baggage, fear and pain within your heart because of experiences from the past, it is time to address it. Nothing new and better can get in until you make room for it. If you are too attached to old perspectives, attitudes and even ways of doing things, you cannot discover new and possibly better and more healthful ways of viewing your reality and approaching things. The question becomes, what do you need to purge and release? Do you need to let go of stories, people or physical clutter that isn’t serving a good and supportive purpose in your life? Do you need to say good-bye to narratives around your own capacity and value? Give yourself the time to consider what is causing energy leaks in your life, and decide what steps you can begin to take to make room for what you want, instead. 2: Choose Trust. Trust isn’t earned, it is chosen. We choose to trust or we choose not to. It’s less about the story than it is about the decision. It takes guts to embrace the unknown. Our best ally in doing this is trust. Without it, we cannot and will not step into uncharted waters. The head wants clarity and answers before it allows us to act. It is intuition and following our hearts that provide us the certainty we need when things are cognitively unclear. When we can trust in other aspects of our knowing to lead us in the right direction, we open ourselves up to so much more growth and expansion. Having a vision and intentions for how you want your life to be, as well as where you want to grow and improve, will require you to trust yourself and the world around you more in order for these things to come to fruition. If you learn to trust your heart and gut more, you will find that even in the face of constant and capricious change, you are able to experience more and cover more ground than you thought possible. 3: Be Flexible. The more we all try to control things these days, the more our efforts will blow up in our faces. Working with what is presented is the best way to move forward. It’s all about collaboration. We are not here to drive the river. We can, however, harness its forward momentum to lead us where we want to go. It not only takes the head’s creativity to do this. It takes the connection of the heart to know what’s most important and the courage of the gut to take risks to move beyond what is comfortable and known through previous experience. You might find a lot in your life is being rearranged beneath you. You may even experience things that seem as they may overcome you. If you think of the analogy of the tsunami, the question becomes, would you like to learn to surf it or be crushed by it? If you can work with its power, you can use it to clear away resistance and places within you where you are operating from past influences that don’t serve your future. 4: Don’t Be Lured By the Drama. What do they say about the news – if it bleeds, it leads? We have been deeply conditioned and have base biological responses to react to threat. If something is given the “drama” label, we tend to pay attention, whether we want to or not. But it is important to remember that there are imminent threats and perceived or imagined ones. Ninety percent of the time we are responding to what is perceived and imagined. It is more important than ever to understand how to access the truth in circumstances so that we can use our own inner guidance to determine what we respond and react to and what is not worth our energy, time and even health and well-being (it isn’t good for us to get stuck in stress response). With all that is going on in the world, there is plenty of drama that can be alluring, especially that which is focused on the tragic, dire and ruinous. Decide to accept the kind of drama that is exciting and opportunity-oriented. Allow your heart to race over the incredible things to come that change offers. Deal with your own challenges by using what has been mentioned and leave others to their own experience. Remain aware and in your own lane. Be intentional about how you want to feel and act, so you can know when you might be getting lured into drama that doesn’t serve you. You can be best for others when you are grounded and healthy. Facing what is real without losing yourself to the stress and pressure that constant change brings is a skill. We cannot learn it without working through it. Distractions, blaming, hiding, escaping or anything else that takes you away from healthfully dealing with what is truly yours to attend to and learn will only prolong the lesson and discomfort that comes with it. There is so much to gain from the times we are in. We can learn to work with all of it (or as much of it as we are ready for), or we can be dragged down by it. There is no more dodging it, as we are all responsible for making our own way in the world. The world, itself, is a mirror of the collective decisions that we all make. There is great potential to increase our sense of awareness, capacity and progress. It’s not meant to be easy, but it is simple. There is not juice without the squeeze, nor diamonds without extreme pressure. We are where we are for a reason, and we can feel victimized by it or empowered to use what is coming our way as a way to sharpen and hone what is within us to be better, stronger and faster. Are you ready and willing to level up and improve your inner gadgetry and situation? Focus on what supports are around you and allow yourself to communicate, receive and utilize them to drive things forward. There is honestly no better time than now. Want to learn more from Traci? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit her website. Read more from Traci! Traci Philips, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As an Executive Leadership & Performance Strategist, Traci Philips supports visionary business owners and corporate executives to learn and practice better communication, resolution strategies, decision-making, and leading during times of change and when the stakes are high. A three-year stint co-facilitating a men's transformational program for industry leaders incarcerated in Federal Prison taught Traci more than she could ever have learned elsewhere about high-stakes leadership and the cost of bad decision-making. This experience fueled a passion in her to help top leaders learn what they needed to know so they wouldn't end up losing what matters most. Her ultimate goal is to support her clients to live authentically and lead powerfully by creating more awareness about who they are, how they want to be seen, and what legacy they want to leave behind. Traci is the co-host of Eavesdrop in the Moment, a bi-weekly podcast that discusses current trends and leadership. Her book, Looking In: Discover, Define and Align the True Value of Your Life, Leadership and Legacy is helping leaders around the globe increase their confidence and self-identity to meet leadership demands and their personal performance potential.

Written by: Paul A Cicchini, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I’ve had a long and varied work life. I’ve been everything from a sports reporter to a vice president of sales to a psychologist. At one time, I was even a webmaster and a video producer. I’ve been my own boss and I’ve been a manager/supervisor to many others. I’ve tried to be a good boss because I know what it’s like on both sides of the fence. When I was on the ‘employee’ side of the fence, I had good bosses that were bad for me (ones I would party with after landing a big contract) and tough bosses that were good for me (forcing me to really sharpen my game). Sure, there are the incompetent bosses and there are the dumb ones ‒ you just have to shake your head and exercise patience in those situations. Those aren’t the worst bosses. When I say, “Bad Bosses,” what I’m really talking about here are the nightmare bosses. The Leona Helmsleys (millennials, just Google that one). The King Koopas. The Darth Vaders. The Spawns from Hades. The ones that are overly aggressive, condescending, demeaning to you in public. The ones that try to make you feel incompetent or are just downright vicious to you. Makes you shudder just to think about it, right? I’m here to tell you that if you are in a situation like that, I can sympathize and I know just how traumatic it can be. Hollywood may want to laugh it off it by making movies like, “Bad Bosses,” but there’s nothing funny about it when you are living through those circumstances. Working under a bad boss can ruin your self-esteem, your career, and even your long-term mental health. I’ve had some doozies in my time, and I’ve survived them. So, let me share my tips for living through a bad boss situation. If you’ve read any of my other articles, you know that I’m a big fan of conflict resolution. Not here. CR only works when two reasonable people negotiate. If there is an imbalance of power, it makes it almost impossible. So, we won’t be considering that strategy here. Despite what the Personnel Department espouses, mediation doesn’t work when you’re dealing with a sadist. Cardinal rule: document everything. Save every email from that boss and save every response you send to them. They will try to use your words against you (I’ve seen it done by bad bosses to impress their own bosses). So, have proof that you had a valid reason for your words/actions. Be professional. Don’t stop doing your job. Don’t give them a reason to humiliate, discipline, or fire you. I feel bad about this next statement, but also, don’t increase your work output or take on more projects just to prove the bad boss wrong. If you do, some bosses will use that as justification for pushing you so hard, or even harder. You know you do a good job so don’t give away your sweat, or it will never be appreciated. One of my mentors was the great science fiction writer, Harlan Ellison. He told me the best advice he could give me as an author was to never write anything for free, because it devalues your talent. Garner's advice or even support from co-workers. If they are suffering under the same boss, you can decide if you are going to band together and march into Human Resources to file a hostile work environment complaint with the strength of numbers. However, if your peers have a different boss, it’s still invaluable to talk to them. Once, by talking to co-workers at my same level, I found out that their supervisors did not have the same unreasonable expectations as mine did. Besides giving me ammunition when reporting to HR, it gave me something more valuable: the peace of mind that I was doing the same good job as my peers. It’s just that I had a jerk with irrational criteria evaluating my work. You can’t passively count on the power of prayer or karma to finally strike and save you, but don’t do anything sneaky or juvenile, either. Trying to get bad bosses fired with tricks, backstabbing, gossip, or going above their head on your own only works in bad movies. I hate to characterize something as troubling as this as a ‘game’, but it is mostly a game of active survival. Just like the reality TV game show, “Survivor,” your goal is to outplay, outwit, and outlast this blight upon your work life. Get allies, get resources, and get a strategy, which leads us to… Find an exit strategy. You may love your job despite this aggravation, but if it gets untenable, have an eye on the door. Believe me, it’s not worth risking your sleep, health, and mental stability for a job that can be replaced. Yes, you are that valuable and the job market is pretty damned good. If you’re in a big corporation, look for transfer opportunities. If you work in a small company, talk to the competition to see if they are recruiting new talent like yours. I’m not advising you to do this because I want you to run away from your problems. I’m telling you this because Tip No 7 only works if you do tip No. 6 first. Once you’ve done Tip No. 6 (got a nice “golden parachute” at the ready, a good escape plan thought out, or a means to support yourself if decide to leave), then and only then push back against the bad boss. In most of the Bad Boss scenarios I’m familiar with, it is a simple case of bullying. You are the victim. Don’t allow yourself to be bullied. Once you push back, they will most likely do one the classic bully moves: respect you, find someone else to bully, or get angrier. If they do the last, leave and move on with your life. I did, and I’ve never been happier. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Paul! Paul A Cicchini, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sir Paul Cicchini M.Ed., Ed.S., NCSP is a nationally certified school psychologist. He specializes in character education and is the only school psychologist on the East Coast to be certified in the new field of Social Emotional Learning (SEL)/Character Ed (Rutgers Univ. 2016). He is the owner of One Knight Publishing, LLC Sir Paul aspires to be a well-rounded Renaissance man. His list of personal accomplishments includes cable television host (Cars Weekly Video Magazine-Philadelphia), AP credentialed sports journalist, humorist, adjunct professor, martial artist, fencer, semi-pro football player, high school football coach, collegiate football scout. His title of "Sir" comes from his rank of Knights Commander with the Templar Knights SMOTJ. His second novel, YOUNG CYRANO, is the fictionalized account of the teenage life of Cyrano de Bergerac. It received a  rating from the respected Readers’ Favorite website (click a link to read their five-star review). Paul’s most recent novel, THE ESSENTIALZ is about a team of teenage superheroes that undergo the same challenges as modern teens.

Written by: Charlotte Elizabeth Scott-Terrell, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We go through life being led by what we hear. Messages others have told us about who we are, and what we have told ourselves. Our life circumstances are the sum total of what we believe. Would you trust yourself to be your caregiver? I won’t be gauche when I ask, what bs are you feeding yourself about you, I’m referring to “bad stuff”, not what you think! If you were receiving the negative messages you say about yourself, would it not be gaslighting if it were coming from someone else? Self-sabotage and the imposter syndrome are our enemies and they both must be put to rest once and for all! We have been through quite an ordeal! Life has happened to all of us. From the beginning we are thrust into the world through the birth canal naked, screaming, cold, and hungry, sometimes even in duress. We grow up to face love, rejection, happiness, unfulfillment, peace, and uncertainty. We have all experienced the whole gamut of life, survival, thriving, and everything in between. There have been wars, rumors of wars, fires, floods, earthquakes, mass shootings, societal unrest, and the list goes on. So, it is safe to say that we could all use a little grace. The last thing we need are negative thoughts and feelings related to ourselves. We must ensure we get the bs “bad stuff” out of our lives. We want to be successful, but too often it costs our health, sanity, family unit, and/or our happiness and this is not necessary. Here’s how you live the life of Power, Peace, and Happiness. Understand first that you are valuable, sit in that and embrace it, be aware of your value daily. Believe in hope no matter what things look like Use positive affirmations consistently. Whatever you dislike about you, work to change it You can choose to be joyful or powerless...choose joy Don’t pour into people who leave you empty Stop procrastinating Show up for you and others as your authentic self No is a huge word that is twofold. The word no sets boundaries. It is not being mean or not showing love, it is quite the opposite, “I am saying no because I love you and I love myself”. No is also an acronym that stands for New Opportunities. Weaknesses are not a life sentence. You have the ability to learn, grow and expand. You did not always know or master the skill set that you have today so be open to building on your weaknesses and accepting the things you cannot change about you. You have made it to this point in your life for a reason. You have a purpose to fulfill so get out of your head and into your life! You are worthy and the world is waiting for you! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, or visit my website. Read more from Charlotte! Charlotte Elizabeth Scott-Terrell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Charlotte Terrell is a Transformational Life Coach, Speaker, and Author. She has worked as a Clinical Therapist, Trainer and Educator. Charlotte has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a second Master’s degree in Education. Today, she personifies what it means to ascend above adversity while inspiring countless others to do the same. A highly driven woman who was born to break barriers, she proves that when powered by purpose, women are unstoppable. She inspires. She empowers. She unleashes. Extraordinary at walking others through a radical transformation, she is as relentless about her client's success as she is about her own.

Written by: Janylene Turcotte, Cl.hyp, ACC, RTT, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I love stories, especially true stories that reflect the emotional and psychological elements of a person's rich, interior life. This is a story about my mother and I during a difficult time that left a lasting impression on my life. But more than that, it is a life lesson about how we often choose the path of most resistance and reject valuable insights from our childhood, only to realize much later how lucky we were to have been exposed to wisdom at such an early age. When I was in Los Angeles, I was taking a course in Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT ) course with Marisa Peer, a well-respected and phenomenal force in the field. During this time, I couldn't stop thinking about my mother and even more, kept hearing her voice in my head. I recognized that much of what Marisa was teaching us— for example, that our brain believes the words and pictures we use in our head, or how to use the power of suggestion— was exactly what my mom had taught me when I was growing up. She always told us to ‘choose our words carefully.’ She herself would use kind and positive words of reinforcement when she was talking to us, to help build our confidence and inner strength. In retrospect, I recognize that she was really paying attention to everything we said. For example, If I declared: ‘I know I won’t be able to do this… she would say, ‘May I suggest instead that you say ‘I know I will find a way to do this?’ She was very aware of the power of words and wanted us to be equipped with the tools to face life’s adversities—to see the possibilities instead of the pitfalls. At the time, I did not appreciate the value of her words or her approach and, being a typical teen, (i.e. doing the opposite of what my parents told me) I criticized her harshly. Fast forward 30 years to when my mom broke the news that she was sick. The first thing she told us was how we were expected to talk about the BIG ‘C’, that 6-letter word, often uttered as a whisper, like a secret that, if said aloud, would no doubt make it so. Her first clear directive was that it was not HER cancer, but 'A' cancer. She went on to explain that she REFUSED to take possession of this 'visit' in her body—put simply, it was not 'hers. I can still hear my naive voice declaring emphatically , “But mom, it is a cancer, face it!!” I told her that she was ‘burying her head in the sand’ and that her philosophy did not make sense. She uttered this forbidden 6-letter word only a few times and even then, only in very necessary circumstances. Years later, after reading Bruce Lipton's masterful work, 'The Biology of Belief,' and seeing how it applied to the fundamentals of my own work as an RTT, I realized that my mother was really quite wise. I guess you could say that I come by my gifts honestly! My mother has used the power of suggestion and commanding words since my siblings and I were very young. I have many wonderful stories that prove the power of her methodology. She was ahead of her time and in retrospect, I consider it a shame she had to pretend she had heard this or that 'trick' on television or read it in a magazine, so that people around her not to accuse her of being delusional. But I digress... The radiation therapy began and she maintained her power of belief throughout. "I am going to Club Med," she told us about her 9-week stay at the hospital, adding, "I don’t want anyone to come and see me, I am going to have my treatment in the morning and then I will try everything on the menu!" Each day, armed with this gentle warrior attitude, she attended ALL the activities proposed by the center where she was staying. She wanted to be incognito and open about herself and her ways without being judged. Waiting for a visitor would mean missing the party! As part of her healing, she began therapeutic drawing, which she loved because, she said, it stimulated her creativity and concentration. She went to movies she would never have gone to in the past, had meaningful conversations and made connections with new people on a different level. During all this she used mindfulness to channel renewed energy to her body and with the strength it was creating, instructed and commanded her body to heal and regenerate. She gained great power from this mindfulness. It helped foster enthusiasm about the activities she did at the center and helped her to be open to the possibility of healing. She talked about everything with joy and in doing so, BECAME joyful. Of course, this did not negate the medical or physical facts of her illness. Yes, her skin was burnt, yes it hurt, and she had many difficult days. But she decided that she would make the best of it. Her attitude and the creative way she chose to live with her illness, helped her create a new reality that changed her experience of radiotherapy and ultimately helped her grow. Today, we are more in touch with these methods and much has been written about the power of suggestion. Unfortunately, during my mother's time, this type of approach was largely considered as a kind of mysticism and very little credence was given to its effectiveness. I am telling you this very personal story of my mother, with her blessing, to illustrate how the power of belief can impact your life. In fact, it is a cornerstone of my practice as an RTT and something I work with my clients to achieve. I have seen firsthand how beliefs, whether negative or positive, can alter the course of your path. Like many people facing illness, my mother had to deal with the anger she felt. She took a workshop on how to channel this anger and express it in a constructive and authentic way. In fact, it inspired her so much that she later gifted me with the course as a way to share the tricks and coping mechanisms she'd learnt. Today, her learning lives on in my own work. And there is a happy ending to this story that continues to unfold. Following her treatment, she returned home and continued to explore new ways to live and enrich her life; taking piano lessons again and learning to speak Spanish. Today, she is working toward a black belt in Kickboxing, declaring proudly, "They don’t know I am 74, on the mat, we are all the same." The 'moral' of this story? Don't let even the most challenging events in your life define who you are or how to live, and remember: Certain experiences may cause a knee-jerk reaction to how you act in the moment, but the meaning you attach to it and how you move forward with that information is up to you. It is ok to sit with pain for a while till it dissolves, as everything eventually does, and occupies a different place in your mind. But you are not required to listen to people who tell you to 'face reality' as I once did with my mother! Admittedly, this is easier said than done. And it is the main impetus for my chosen path of RTT methodology. It is a life skill with a set of tools that I use to help my clients create their own reality and embrace it with the power of suggestion, commanding words, joy and enthusiasm. In this way, I am not only helping people cope during pivotal events, but letting my mother know how much I love and honour her by sharing the gift of inner wisdom she handed down to me. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more on Janylene! Janylene Turcotte, Cl.hyp, ACC, RTT, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After more than 25 years as a top-level executive in the corporate world, Janylène Turcotte made a 360-degree career change and became a certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Coach, and HypnoCoach. While going through her own major life transformation, she developed a unique 3-STEP MODEL as a tool to help herself, and now, her clients, through the complex process of transformation and transition. She graduated from the Marisa Peer School as an RTT (Rapid Transformational Therapy) Therapist. She has been an ICF Certified Coach for more than eight years and hosts the podcast ‘’ It’s Just a Belief’’.