Written by: Jennifer McClendon , 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. New Year’s resolution, anyone? How many times have you set an intention for the new year, and it did not go as planned? After doing this a few times and wondering what happened, why didn’t this work out? Age and wisdom led me to start identifying what was needed to achieve my goals. I learned preparing for success requires the same level of effort it takes to be successful. Discovering things that kept me from being effective day to day was a game changer. As 2022 ends, it’s important to consider ways to ease into the new year ready to receive the outcomes of your efforts. During your downtime consider these five tips I use to help you begin the new year with wellness in mind: Declutter-clean out work and personal spaces, including contact lists, emails, and calendar. Clutter can affect mood, concentration, and motivation. Spend 30 minutes a day decluttering for a clear mind. Organize-give easy access to items you need for everyday living and work. Remember to put everything back in its place after each use. Consider the benefits of being organized to help cancel out any background noise telling you to do it later. Review-what actions are you taking in the new year to help you achieve your goals? Are they realistic and specific to your needs? Use mindful problem-solving and revise your actions as needed, especially when things are not going well. Eliminate-review spending habits to identify subscription services and other monthly fees you have been paying for things you do not use or no longer fit your current lifestyle. Cancel them and consider saving this money instead. Plan-create a plan for your basic needs, luxuries, and leisure activities. Getting a jump start on this frees up your time and financial resources. Learning more about our habits and how they help or hinder our progress is necessary for growth. Practice the tips until they become a natural response. Remember, wellness is the outcome of our self-care practices. Investing in areas often overlooked can positively affect results. Check out my blog for more info and tips. Subscribe to my YouTube channel coming in 2023. Follow me on Instagram for more info! Read more from Jennifer! Jennifer McClendon, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jennifer McClendon is a licensed professional counselor and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor with over twenty years of experience in the mental health field. Early childhood and young adult experiences led her to counseling for personal growth and created an opportunity for her to become a counselor helping others recover from similar challenges. She specializes in care for substance use, trauma, anxiety, stress, depression, and co-occurring conditions.

Written by: Bernice Fabi, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. You drag your feet out of bed every morning after hitting the snooze button on your phone alarm for the third time. Then you’re racing to get to work on time. You watch the clock all day every day and count the minutes until your “escape” time. You’re exhausted, frustrated, angry in the stop-and-go drive home rush hour traffic. When you get home you open the front door, throw your keys on the counter and mindlessly scroll social media all evening long with the tv playing in the background. You’re too exhausted to do anything socially yet you see all those perfect lives on social media and feel depressed. Supper is ordered in or consists of cold beans out of a can. You finally go to bed and can’t even sleep through the night only to start the same process all over the next day. Then you lie and complain that you don’t have time and you’re exhausted every day. This scenario is likely an extreme and unrealistic case, but be honest, does any of this sound familiar? I know at least it was for me and I do remember eating beans out of a can, cold, not even scooped into a bowl. One less dish to wash I convinced myself. Life felt meaningless and empty. I had no direction in life. I felt alone. It can be so easy to fall into a trap of negativity and criticism especially after a life change such as a breakup, divorce, layoff, or the Covid pandemic which affected us all in one way or another. So, how do you create more of an upside to life? Well, that last sentence is the first step toward positive change. It’s the concept that we are initiating a desire for change. It’s also absolutely necessary that the desire for change comes from within ourselves. I could honestly provide you with an entire list of things to consider and do. I won’t because I believe in simplicity. And face it, you’re very likely overwhelmed already so let’s not add to the stress. Here’s five simple-to-do and easy-to-remember ideas to help get you out of the “stuck syndrome” mindset trap: Think of one small habit or change you can make in your life. It might be our first inclination to think of grandiose changes and unrealistic timelines that require uncompromising commitment. When things don’t work out, we get easily discouraged and give up altogether only to fall into a deeper slump because we put in an effort, and feel we failed miserably. Choose one small change you can swap out for another that won’t disrupt your routine in any big way but that you would feel positive about. It could start as simple as warming up the beans and putting them on a plate. Maybe it’s listening to a podcast on your drive home rather than the intermittent traffic report. Enjoy the standstill moments listening to something inspiring. One little change will lead to another, and more and bigger changes over time. Reach out for positive support. Humans are social beings. We need each other. Seek out a friend, colleague, professional, or coach that can provide empathy, and support and challenge you in a positive way to move forward. Be wary of naysayers and critics that will bring you down. Also, be wary of any pity party network. Let me just take a sentence here to reinforce the words “positive support.” Practice self-empathy, not self-pity. I stumbled upon this definition of self-empathy in a recent Google search. “Self-empathy means that an aspect of yourself observes, in an empathic manner, the aspect of yourself that experiences. This is done with an attitude of suspended judgment and openness towards yourself (Jordan, 1994)”. In other words, self-empathy is simply being aware of our feelings as a result of what we experience. We give no judgment to those feelings. The world is full of critics. We don’t need to be one to ourselves as well. Self-empathy enables inner confidence and strength, which also opens us up to connect with others and a common purpose. Take time to explore life in a fun way. Sorry, this does not include scrolling on social media. Take yourself outdoors, into a bookstore, or into a new interest or old hobby you once thought of revisiting. Volunteering, exercising, shopping or dancing are only a few examples that can take you to a new environment that energizes you and allows you to get lost in the moment of time in a productive and positive way. Take up a practice of gratitude. This can be as simple as acknowledging the grocery store clerk where you buy your cans of beans or a simple wave to the driver that let you into the condensed lane of traffic. It can be a note, a card, a text or a simple smile. You never know what kind of day someone else is having. Always, the giver and receiver will be touched by a “feel good feeling.” Now, if you’re saying this is all still too overwhelming, let’s make it easier yet. Choose one item from the list above you can practice intentionally. Change it up daily for variety and to maintain interest. Every step in a positive direction is a step that will make a difference toward getting you unstuck. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Bernice! Bernice Fabi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Bernice Fabi is a certified Life and Empowerment Coach for women. She also applies mental fitness into her programs for a truly life changing experience. Always an eager life student, Bernice brings an array of experience to her coaching practice including a lengthy financial career and as an entrepreneur in real estate investment and management. Bernice helps women overcome limiting beliefs and realize their potential. In doing so, they make choices to live an extraordinary and purposeful life.

Laura J. Wellington is the Founder of Celebrity-Lifestyle blog THREAD MB. A Media-Tech Entrepreneur, Wellington is also an Award-Winning Children's Entertainment creator and Author. Critics have called her most recent book "Be Careful What You Wish For" a 'magnum opus. A TEDx Speaker, Wellington's newest venture is called ZNEEX, an app that combines fitness and socializing for users and their dogs in a fun, new way that has partners saying "it's the best idea that they've heard in a very long time" (coming to you December 2022). A mother of five, Wellington was widowed at thirty-five years old. She has won The Forbes Enterprise Award, Multiple Telly Awards, The Buzz Award, and many more. Laura J. Wellington, THREAD MB Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. (Feel free to share your hobbies, your passions, your family life, your pets and anything that makes you unique.) My name is Laura J. Wellington. I’ve been a serial entrepreneur in the technology, entertainment and media spaces for over thirty years. Included in this is the creation of an award-winning children’s television series, the authoring of several books, and the founding of a popular celebrity-lifestyle blog called THREAD MB. I have spoken at TEDx, was one of the first women to receive The Forbes Enterprise Award, and have been graced with the likes of four Telly Awards as well as the BUZZ Award and countless others. In addition, I am the single mom of five children, who lost her husband to Cancer when I was thirty-five years-old. My favorite things to do are run, travel, spend time with my family and close friends, study my faith and learn. My daughter-in-law recently said to me that I definitely gave my “avid love for learning” to all of my children. I believe she is right. What is your business name and how do you help your clients? My newest venture is an app called ZNEEX (www.zneexfriendship.com). ZNEEX is a friendship and dating app that brings together new friends and lovers based upon individually preferred vaccination statuses. What this means is that unvaccinated users who only want to meet other unvaccinated users for the purposes of friendship and especially dating can do so through the ZNEEX app. Same holds true for vaccinated folks. And for those users who don’t care either way, they will only be introduced to users who feel the same. Three groups, each making “vaccine status” the priority when it comes to new friendships and love, sans judgment. And all of this takes place over healthy strolls through invitations sent from one user to another compliments of smart technology and my development partners at DACWAY. Together, we truly have made something very positive and unifying out of a very difficult and divisive situation – a solution that supports users socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically while helping to mitigate the loneliness epidemic and obesity epidemic too. The ZNEEX app can be downloaded at the Google Play Store. Users can elect to sign-up for the free basic membership or the monthly premium membership ($9.99 per month). What kind of audience do you target your business towards? The first group includes anyone and everyone living in the United States who are eager to meet new friends and/or lovers aligned with their particular vaccine preferences. The second group includes those individuals who are lonely and/or who enjoy walking but don’t know where to go or what to do to meet new people who are looking to do the same. There are plenty of people like this with no good solution to be had. ZNEEX is that solution. What are your current goals for your business? Our goal is to grow the ZNEEX user base as aggressively as possible. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? I’d like to drive ZNEEX to become a million dollar business that demonstrates that “every difficult situation holds unique opportunities for good if you maintain a positive attitude, a genuine desire, and look hard enough.” Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? God and my children. What is your work inspired by? The discord running wild across our nation and the strong understanding that “we are better than this.” The knowledge that every great empire comes to an end but we don’t need today to be that end. We still have a choice. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far. Having a career that is meaningful while raising four plus one incredibly gifted, happy and successful children on my own. Ultimately, ending up a very close family despite the passing of my husband so young in our lives”. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? I’d love to see “the good of humanity” take precedence over “the almighty dollar.” Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. How about I let you read about that moment instead as my recent book called “Be Careful What You Wish For” is based heavily upon my real-life story. Called a “magnum opus” by critics, you can pick it up on Amazon today... Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Laura!

Written by: Fiona Smith, 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. Everyone wants to become financially successful. But now, it’s arguably more difficult than ever before. High inflation, thousands of layoffs, and stagnating wages make it more difficult than ever to boost financial confidence. If you want to discover how to boost your financial confidence, then keep reading because I’m going to show you exactly how. Let’s dive right in. What is Financial Confidence? Financial confidence is the empowering feeling you get when you know you have full control over your own financial picture. Financial confidence is when you know you can successfully manage your money. Why is Financial Confidence Important? Building financial confidence is critical if you want to accomplish your long-term goals and become financially independent. However, to become financially confident, you need to become financially literate and gain access to the right financial products, services, and human capital (like financial advisors) that can guide you in the right direction. How to Improve Your Financial Confidence Here’s how to immediately improve your financial confidence. 1. Know Your Money Mindset One of the best ways to boost your financial confidence is to understand yourself and specifically, your money mindset. In general, there are 2 common money mindsets: Scarcity mindset Abundance mindset The scarcity mindset connects well with the saying that “money doesn’t grow on trees.” The abundance mindset is one where you never stop looking for money making opportunities because you know these opportunities will be everywhere. If you feel like you’re following the scarcity mindset, don’t worry: You are not alone – and it’s no wonder you’re not financially confident! To change your money mindset, it’s essential to start altering your views on money – perhaps by meditating, reading more books, or even talking to licensed financial professionals. 2. Take Baby Steps When you set out on your financial journey, it’s important to remember that you can’t build Rome in a single day. It’s just not possible. Instead, you should focus on the small and daily improvements that you’re doing. In the end, it’s the consistent action and the baby steps that will get you to your destination – whether that’s financial independence, paying off a debt, etc. 3. Build a Solid Financial Plan If you’re struggling with financial confidence, then start building a solid financial plan that can guide you through the curveballs that life can and likely will throw your way. Having a written and solid financial plan can literally help you feel more stable and more confident about where you are currently and where you are headed. Just keep in mind that a financial plan can and often will change as your life changes. That’s why it should be a priority to review your financial plan with a financial professional at least once a year. 4. Become Financially Literate One of the absolute best finance tips to boost your financial confidence is to educate yourself about money management. In fact, the more financially literate you are, the more confident you’ll become about money. The good news is that educating yourself about money management really doesn’t take too much money. In fact, you can access free resources all over the web, on YouTube, or even via podcasts. And remember that investing in yourself is one of the best appreciating assets. Nowadays, you don’t have to get a costly degree to pay for your financial education; the information is all online. 5. Build Passive Income Streams If you really want to become financially independent and boost your financial confidence, then you need to look into building income through passive income apps. In fact, the average millionaire is known to have 7 income streams – many of which are completely passive. The term passive income essentially means that you can make money while you sleep. Some examples of income streams include: Interest Royalties Dividends Rental income Affiliate income Recurring income Capital gains income There are literally thousands of ways for you to build passive income streams, so you just have to do your research and figure out which way is best suited for you. For example, many online entrepreneurs build up their own blogs or even YouTube channels, which they utilize to earn passive income. Their websites can earn income for literally years down the road, without them ever having to type another word. The downside, however, is that these blogging endeavors typically take a lot of time upfront to build. 6. Don’t Be Afraid to Talk Money Money, many times, is considered a taboo subject. As a taboo topic, people often don’t feel comfortable talking about money matters – but that shouldn’t be the case! In fact, the more comfortable you feel talking about money, the more knowledgeable you’ll become about money… and likely, the more financially literate you’ll also become! In fact, talking about money with trusted friends, for example, could even help you pick up some new ideas on how others might be budgeting or saving money. 7. Get an Expert’s Opinion When looking to boost your financial confidence, don’t always rely on yourself, either. It’s also important to accept and know your limitations. That’s why it’s also a good idea to consider an expert’s opinion on your current financial picture and on what you should do to achieve your future financial goals. For example, you may want to connect with a wealth advisor who is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP(r)), or a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Either way, it’s very important that you ask your wealth advisor if they are fiduciaries. Fiduciaries are people who are required, by law, to do what is in your best interest (so they can’t sell you sleazy products where they would get massive commissions, for example). 8. Have a Solid Emergency Savings Fund One of the best money hacks to boost your financial confidence is building an emergency savings fund. An emergency savings fund is a liquid account that is easily accessible for you in case of emergencies. Typically, you’ll want to fund your emergency savings account with about 3 to 6 months’ worth of living expenses, depending on your job and industry type, your health profile, and whether you have other people depending on you for income. Having an emergency savings fund on stand-by is one of the most helpful things you can do because it also alleviates mental stress when it comes to financial matters. 9. Build & Stick to a Budget One of the most empowering ways to build financial confidence is developing and sticking to a budget. While many might groan at the prospect of the “b-word,” a budget is actually a really cool tool that you can use to improve your financial life. The very first thing you should do when budgeting is to carefully track every penny earned and every penny spent for at least 3 months. The 3-month marker gives you some sense of the “average” income and the “average” expenses. Once you have those averages nailed down, it’s time to figure out where you can cut the excess spending. Typically, you’ll do this by categorizing your expenses as needs, wants, and wishes. Anything that’s not categorized as a “need,” should be eliminated ASAP. Once you cut out those excess categories, you can save and invest that money. 10. Invest Automatically When people hear the word “invest,” many times they think that they’ll need to monitor the markets daily, make quick decisions about buying or selling stocks, and become the world’s best day trader. However, that’s not the case. If you want to boost your financial confidence, then all you have to do is simply invest automatically. Even if you “just” invest $100, that’s better than not investing at all. In fact, when you start investing in stocks automatically, it’s like your investments are “out of sight, out of mind,” so you can focus on other things like making more money, spending time with your family, and making lasting memories. 11. Build a Side Hustle If you want to get rich and boost your financial confidence, then you should consider building a side hustle as well. In fact, side hustles can often turn into your main hustle, making you more money than your full-time job, for instance. The great thing about side hustles is that you can make money virtually any single way: You can write online You can resell products You can write your own ebook The opportunities are literally unlimited. Even if you make just $100 extra per month from your side hustle, that’s an extra $1,200 per year, which should definitely boost your financial confidence in the long run. 12. Live Frugally If you’re looking to build your financial confidence and live without financial worry, then another strategy could simply be to live frugally. Frugal living means that you really try to spare every last cent – but without becoming miserly. There is, in fact, a difference between the terms frugal and stingy. Frugal is simply a way of life where you’re still enjoying your lifestyle just without some of the luxuries (like expensive vacations, new cars, new clothing, etc.). Stingy, on the other hand, is a negative term that is used to describe someone who is a penny-pinching person (in a bad way!). Frugal living typically means living with a purpose – such as financial freedom. You can live frugally by coming up with creative ways to cut costs (like instead of buying new hand soap for $10, consider mixing dish soap and water together, and voila! You have your own hand soap!). How do You Build Your Financial Confidence? Building your financial confidence comes down to your financial literacy. That’s why you should try to learn something new about money management for at least 10 minutes a day by reading a book, listening to a podcast, or talking to a financial advisor. Closing Thoughts In the end, boosting financial confidence really does start with a plan in place. Now that you’ve read some of the best ways to build your financial confidence, it’s time to implement these steps. One way to do so is to simply pick a step and start pursuing it (like starting a budget or finding a financial advisor who is a fiduciary). And remember, in the end, becoming financially successful is all about the small, daily habits that you’ve put in place. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Fiona! Fiona Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Fiona Smith is the founder of The Millennial Money Woman. She holds her Master of Science Degree in Personal Financial Planning and has co-founded a local non-profit community teaching financial literacy. She is the author of the personal finance book How to Get Rich from Nothing and her work is featured on Forbes, Oberlo, and FinCon.

Written by: Barbara Powell Love , 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. According to Psychology Today, burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress . Although it's most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting , caretaking , or romantic relationships . (Staff, 2022) When you are faced with a certain level of success in your job, working long hours without taking time to recharge will likely lead to burnout. When I worked in corporate, there was a time when I was exhausted, felt unappreciated, and underpaid. I began to feel as if my job consumed my life. While on vacation, I dared to call into work to see how things were going. I was more present for work and had less to give when I was home. In addition to that, I also accepted calls from work on my days off. Burnout left me feeling tired and resentful. Recognizing burnout symptoms early to pace yourself and be effective at your job is essential. I left corporate and started my own business. To be successful, I had to learn to implement self-care, so I formed habits that helped me stay ahead of the game. A significant advantage of owning a business is that it allows you to have flexible hours and set rules. Budgeting my time to do the things I love helps keeps me fresh. People feel the effects of mental burnout in different ways. Perhaps you're feeling weary and exhausted without the energy necessary to perform. Or you may feel sad or stressed out most of the time. Some people experience blurred vision or difficulty finding words or focusing on anything in front of them (called "tunnel vision"). Or they might constantly worry about work, even when they aren't working. It is essential to be on the lookout for warning signs. Once you've found the root of your burnout, it's easier to handle it. Here, I share ten tips that I use to avoid burnout. Take regular breaks. When you feel burnout creeping up, take a break for your health and well-being. Anywhere from 10-20 minutes can make all the difference between staying in your zone and falling asleep at your desk. Even if you're only winding down for five minutes, sit somewhere quiet to think things over. Follow a good sleep pattern. Studies show that people who sleep less than seven hours each night are more likely to burn out. Power naps are golden! If you fall asleep at your desk or on the subway, try catching up on some zzzs during weekends. Make regular exercise an essential part of your life. Regular exercise reduces stress and increases energy. You might be surprised that exercise isn't an inconvenient chore if you aren't naturally athletic. Find the time for a brisk 30-minute walk. Set some goals and make to-do lists. When you know you have something to work toward, it's easier to get out of bed in the morning. With goals, you give yourself a reason to go on, a direction for your energy. Try outsourcing. Switch up your workload every once in a while to take some pressure off yourself. Delegate to coworkers or hire an intern if possible. If you pay someone else to do part of your job, you'll free up time for yourself—and it will help you think more clearly and creatively. I recently decided to update my website, so I hired someone from Fiverr, and I am pleased with her work. Take a vacation, and don't call the office. Plan a trip somewhere fun that you can go for a few days. Go for some fresh air, take some time out of your schedule, and return feeling refreshed. Remember: Fun can be cheap. Plan smart breaks to stay on top of things and be more effective at work. You'll be glad you did! Have fun while making your work life better. If you can't get out of the office, try low-impact exercises like stretches at your desk. I take a 15-20 brisk walk around our building, especially on a nice day. Even a 20-minute break can make all the difference when you're stressed and overworked. Put things in writing. Are there things that you're doing that are causing this feeling? Take some strides about doing something different and let your team know what's happening. Establish firm boundaries. Keep your clients and colleagues from pushing you to work late without speaking up first. There's a thin line between being hard-working and being a slave driver. Take a Spiritual break. Instead of a coffee break, take a spiritual break. It encourages a healthy mind and body, and it brings harmony and balance to your work life. You can only expect to get in touch with your feelings and refresh yourself if you take enough time for yourself. Successful people don't just show up for work and do their best. Being successful is not just about getting a job done and making money. It's about ensuring you take time to do important things, creating a healthy, balanced life outside work. Follow me on Facebook , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Barbara! Barbara Powell Love, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Barbara Powell Love is currently the Office Manager for a small medical practice. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree concentrating in Business Development. Barbara is also the owner of Beebe Love's Beauty @www.beebelove.com, a blogging website to promote beauty, motivate, inform, provide mental stimulation, educate, inspire and encourage other women over 50 to embrace their inner beauty and pursue their dreams. Her blog focuses on personal development, leadership, and lifestyle. She encourages women to become Seasoned Beauties instead of becoming Senior Citizens,

Written by: Maya Zack, 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. Successful business owner will tell you that it takes more than just hard work to achieve your goals. It’s tough. Not only do you have to wear a lot of hats (and the sales & marketing hat is one that most would rather avoid), but you also have to deal with lots of ups and downs and might feel like you’re constantly hustling to stay ahead of the competition. It takes confidence, resilience, dedication, and consistent focus. But one of the best ways and key ingredient to achieving more success is to have an accountability partner. Having someone on your side to support you, help you stay strong and on track can make all the difference in achieving your goals. Here are 3 reasons why you should consider getting an accountability partner 1. It provides you with someone to bounce ideas off of. An accountability partner can often provide feedback and perspectives that are invaluable when making decisions that you might not otherwise have access to. It’s a huge advantage to get a different, fresh perspective. This can give you insight around things or details that would’ve otherwise bypassed your mind as you’re so familiar with your own stuff and patterns, whether to do with your offer, content or strategy. 2. It gives you someone to help you stay focused and on track as you move through those ups and downs. An accountability partner will celebrate your successes, no matter how big or small, and can provide support and encouragement, that little extra motivation when you're feeling down. All business owners have these moments, and it’s those who push through these that achieve their goals. 3. Having an accountability partner forces you to take the action. When you know that someone is counting on you to show up and do your part, you're much more likely to follow through. Having someone to answer to and who’s checking on you can be the difference between working hard and working smart. With an accountability partner, you'll be more likely to set clear goals, stay organized, stick to your schedule and take that bold action you may have been avoiding. If you wanted to get a professional coach as your accountability partner, you’d also benefit from their expertise. And if you were thinking of hiring a coach, make sure they also offer accountability. A business coach can help you with strategy while a mindset coach will help you take charge of your thinking & feeling. This means that you’ll be able to implement your strategy without psychological blocks pulling you back. You’ll have the tools to change challenging moments and get back into goal-focused confidence (check out my ongoing coaching here). But this doesn’t have to cost you money. You can also ask a trusted friend or someone you know whose opinions you value and who’d be willing to be your accountability partner. Ask to speak for at least 30 minutes once a week and for them to check in on you at other times to make sure you’re doing what you need to do. It’s a good idea to have someone who gets your vision and supports it but who thinks differently to you so that they can offer new ideas and view-points. Last tip? Do not ask your romantic partner for accountability… Checking in on you or giving you constructive criticism often doesn’t work well in that dynamic! Keep that relationship and your business separate. Having an accountability partner can do magic for your business. So if you're looking for a way to reset and refresh your business and make more progress in 2023, consider getting one. You might be surprised by how much of a difference it makes in very little time! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Maya! Maya Zack, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maya Zack is an award-winning personal development, peak-performance and mindset coach. She holds a master’s degree in clinical hypnosis and is one of the only Sedona Method™ facilitators in the UK. Maya works with women business owners all over the world, and has been featured in a number of international publications. She helps entrepreneurs free themselves from past baggage and mental & emotional habits that prevent them from experiencing more success or that slow it down. She removes psychological blocks to taking bold action and getting the clarity, confidence and focus they need to follow their strategy with resilience, courage and powerful self-belief while improving their wellbeing. She has developed her unique, signature step-by-step mindset makeover programs that change thinking & feeling patterns on the deepest, subconscious level, reprogramming their minds for success so that new habits & behaviours quickly become automatic and effortless.

Written by: Erica Addis, 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. While you are relaxing over the Christmas/New Year break, why don't you think about starting off 2023 with a fresh new determination? One where you put happiness to the forefront of your life! Here are 3 basic things you can start today to kick off this journey and enable happiness to thrive! Believe it or not. the choice to be happy is yours, and yours alone. Some people believe they have no choice, no option or way to change their circumstances. However, following a session or two with me, they soon realize that the reality of the situation has been there all along – the choice to live the life they want, full of content and happiness, is theirs... and you know what? It can be yours too! You may feel stuck in a relationship – I have seen this time and time again. You may hate your job – Yep, I've been there too. Maybe your go-to vibe is 'Blah', and your life feels mundane…. monotonous…. like every day is the same as the last. If this sounds like you, I want you to listen up... The only person who can decide your Life Story is YOU! I am not saying that by merely choosing to be rich, we will be rich. It is more like, once we make a decision, we need to put on our big kid pants, and take meaningful steps in that direction to make it happen. It may very well lead us to where we want to be. Limiting belief is often one of the things that holds people back. Such as the belief that someone else controls the choice for them, but when we look at the bigger picture and listen to our soul, we will see that is just a delusion. It is good to be aware that every decision may have a consequence or a trade-off. Such as, if I can just borrow the question from the movie The Matrix, "will I take the blue pill or the red pill?" Unless we possess some psychic abilities, we cannot see what the future consequences of our actions are going to be. However, we can assume that positive contributions and actions towards our growth/future story, will probably have more positive than negative consequences. Although, it is wise to consider how our choices and actions may affects others too. So how do we make the choices now, that will best nourish future outcomes? 1. The Choice is Yours... Make a Decision! Make a decision on what needs to change in your life, for happiness to take place. Why is being decisive important? It is a sign of strength and confidence, whereas indecisiveness is a sign of fear and self-doubt. Being indecisive or passing the control onto others happens more often when we are not in balance/alignment (with our soul). It also shows up when we are not being clear enough on what we want in life. I mean, yeah, sometimes we don’t know what we want to order off the menu, or we can’t figure out the right thing to wear, but I’m talking about soul choices, that lead us on the path we were born to live... Life can feel messy and overwhelming, but one thing we can do is evaluate as we go about our day, what choices have we made to get us to where we are now? and what choices/decisions can we make to get us to where we want to be in the future? To where our Happiness is waiting patiently for us. Is it as simple as that? No one else can decide for you... What are you waiting for? 2. The Choice Truly is Yours… STOP Destructive Thoughts and Take Your Record Off Repeat! We all have our own story, and I understand that some parts may have been traumatic or less than perfect for you. But we don’t have to continue re-living this trauma, holding onto the pain, and hold ourselves hostage in a victim mindset any longer... I know it is not always going to be easy, but self-love and respect with strong goals and choices can help us to get closer to wholeness and happiness. Are you self-sabotaging your happiness by holding onto your past, running it on replay in your head over and over again, like a record player on repeat? Self-imposed limitations that make us give up or settle for less is another form of self-sabotage. They are limitations we have specifically created or accepted for ourselves – consciously or sub-consciously, such as thinking 'this was the hand I was dealt and there is nothing I can do about it'. Remember we are always going to be our own worst critic... So don't let your thoughts/self-doubt rule you, instead learn to become the master of your mind. *I teach, how to become the master of your mind in my 8-week program 'Transform Your YOUniverse'! Touch out if you want to register your interest (no strings attached) for the next intake starting in February 2023. 3. The Choice IS Yours! … It’s Time to Take ACTION! Be present in your story. Make decisions and be the Master of your Mind, instead of letting your mind master you. You are the storyteller. It’s time to take action and do something about it! Here's an idea... Have a blueprint for your life. What you want to do, who you want to become and how you are going to get there. Small steps are often just as significant as big steps. So, whether you are wanting to make a little progress or transform your entire life, think about what small incremental steps you can take, and the larger, bigger steps will follow... Instead of saying to yourself "ALL or Nothing" replace it with "ALL or SOMETHING!" Because you have to agree, SOME progress (something) is much better than NO progress (nothing)... *Note: If you have experienced some trauma/traumatic event in your life or are suffering with depression, remember there are people that you can reach out to. You may want to consider seeking help from a therapist, counsellor or psychologist to help you work through it. Life Coaches such as myself, are here to listen unjudgementally to what you have gone/are going through and can help you work out the right path from here – though there are some matters that we would refer you on to another professional for (with your consent, of course). Please join me and the Soaring Eagles Tribe in our Facebook group! My coaching packages can truly help transform and guide you to love your journey... Take hold of your life and live with purpose. Book here! Erica Addis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Erica Addis is a Transformational Life Coach & founder of The Soaring Eagles Tribe. Her work focuses around mindset, banishing limiting beliefs, identity shifting & creating peace & balance in life. Having to overcome life’s many struggles, along with studying & applying Buddhism into her life, Erica has developed a solid life philosophy, understanding fundamental principles to breakthrough life’s challenges & shift into alignment with your soul’s purpose. Erica sees the inherent potential within each person, no matter what their life currently looks like. She thrives on nurturing others to believe in themselves, leading her clients on a journey of self-discovery & empowerment, to really soar in their life!

Written by: Antony Bream, 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. Decisions about core systems affect the entire business, especially at a time of rapid change and flux across global markets. Wealth management leaders need to engage, says Antony Bream, Chief Revenue Officer at SaaScada. The wealth management industry has seen seismic changes happen over the past few years, and the next few also look very challenging. From the COVID-19 crisis to the war in Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis, the great resignation, quiet quitting, the fight for the right talent, and battling everchanging customer habits and wealth demographics, technology has never been so important in enabling wealth managers to respond to these dynamics. Banks need to reshape their way of working around core customer experiences with customer-centric operating models and agile ways of working. We can add to these changes the pressures from local and international regulators on wealth management firms to comply with strict legal restrictions. From MiFID II to GDPR, the FCA Consumer Duty in the UK and BASEL II, many firms have had to rapidly increase the cost bases of risk, and compliance teams to meet, maintain, and prove compliance. The number of products and services also now offered by wealth managers and the slow merging of service overlap from private banks, family offices, asset managers, and even traditional retail banks requires fast innovation, quicker returns on investments and increased personalisation of advice to clients. No surprise then that in this year’s Capgemini World Wealth report, the overwhelming feedback from the global field of wealth is for the need to deliver on a customer-first strategy; to put the client at the heart of wealth management. This trend is being driven by a number of key areas: Market dynamics: advisers and customers need to co-exist in a digital world to embrace and react to market changes more quickly and seamlessly. Emerging customer segment: personalisation will be vital in addressing specific needs and enhancing customer experience by going beyond simple segmentation based on AUM. Chief customer officer: a new role needs to be defined to focus solely on the customer’s life stages and needs. At a more macro level, there has been an increase in ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), but they also saw growth levels in their wealth pots decline. Meanwhile, sustainable investing grew as a result of ESG driven by customer demand. Family offices also became more popular due to the more complex and holistic services being demanded. Another trend is that the next wave of lucrative investors is forecast to be women, tech wealth HNWIs and millennials. Sustainable investing grew as a result of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) driven by customer demand. So all of this sounds very logical and, one might say, part and parcel of all businesses going through significant change driven by digital transformation. But why have wealth managers struggled so much to react, adapt and change? Are cultural, process, technical or managerial issues stopping the wealth management industry from providing the digital tools the customers are asking for as quickly as retail banking has? Technological enablement On balance, probably a bit of everything. But one area that has been focused on and invested in more heavily over these past few years is the enablement of technology to digitise a business model built on personal relationship building and face-to-face meetings. The industry has embraced a whole range of digital technologies to help them service their existing customers, cope with the forced digitisation during COVID-19, of onboarding plus KYC and AML. They can now digitally market to and engage prospects in ways never imagined before. But, and this is a BIG but, there are still compromises along the digitiSation of the customer and adviser processes. The building of the hybrid processes needed to mix digital with human contact, which has mostly been driven by the elephant in the room: the core banking platform. The implementation and operation of a platform require banks to adjust their mindsets in several ways. They need to reshape their organisation and ways of working around core customer experiences with customer-centric operating models and agile ways of working, which are crucial to getting the rewards of Cloud-based core banking platforms. They will also want to innovate on the platform in a targeted manner, making the customisations required to provide entirely new experiences. The challenges stem from the evolution of core banking systems. Indeed, as banks and other financial institutions evolved through the 1970s. 80s, and 90s, core banking systems became increasingly modular and all-encompassing. Unlike modern microservice architectures found in modern technology stacks, core banking suppliers successfully bolted new features and modules around mainframe technology. This resulted in tightly-coupled, highlydependent systems that typically focused on a particular product vertical. Silos naturally occurred as institutions favoured new business entities and separate leadership to launch products across multiple segments with different regulatory requirements. On the supply side, core banking vendors also focused on delivering deep functionality in a particular product vertical such as credit or lending, compounding the need for multiple platforms. Despite a period of consolidation through M&A activity, the nature of legacy systems dictates that they typically co-exist independently, and customers rarely benefit from a truly horizontal core banking experience from large established suppliers. The rise of digital as the primary customer engagement channel over the last 20 years has seen two different approaches to incorporating web and mobile solutions into the existing technology stack. Institutions with a focus on agility and customer focus have developed digital teams and solutions that sit outside the traditional physical and logical core banking boundaries. Others have adopted digital solutions offered by existing suppliers as part of their deepening portfolio, often using systems integrators to provide customisation. This has meant that many traditional banks have been able to offer some of the frontline product development, but they are not fully integrated into the core banking platform. As such, they are data-poor, which means that their ability to understand customer needs is limited and, at best, resource-hungry. There seems to be a common set of trends in the marketplace over the last three years, partially driven by the rise of FinTechs and a fresh outlook/approach but also dictated by original core banking platforms reaching the end of their serviceable life. Whether working with well-established banks or FinTech start-ups, the following desired state/ guiding principles are common. Digital, CRM and servicing must span all product lines: Often developed in-house to reduce licence costs and drive differentiation. Product design still requires market-specific features/ transactional capabilities. Institutions are looking for flexibility, extensibility and open APIs. Payment rails should be accessible to all product lines. There is no question that wealth management leaders realise they must adopt new ways of doing business to capture growth opportunities and address client needs. They accept the idea that core systems are the heart of their businesses. They need to upgrade and want the agility to continuously integrate the latest technologies. They also understand that decisions about the core systems can no longer be relegated to the IT department – and that these should involve management and the board. The challenge is how this can be achieved within their existing framework and at a time of rapid change and flux across global markets. SaaScada provides such a platform and is already working with our customers to allow them to have the flexibility of a core banking engine. This will provide them with the data to build invaluable customer insights, and the flexibility to quickly launch products and services at a more granular level to better serve different customer segments as they mature. There is no question that wealth management leaders realise they must adopt new ways of doing business to capture growth opportunities and address client needs. To find out more about how we can help meet these new digital challenges, release the trapped hidden value across your organisation and allow you to technically future-proof your business, please visit www.saascada.com Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Antony! Antony Bream, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Antony Bream, is a business advisor and executive coach working closely alongside founders, boards and their teams to help them and their businesses take the leap to their next level. With a passion for understanding the processes and psychology behind how companies sell their products and customers buy them, he formed Ribbit Consulting to bring that experience and knowledge to his customers to empower them to reach their full potential.

Written by: William Liu, 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. My understanding of strategy has evolved over the last two decades. Early in my career, I remember going over military operational plans and getting utterly lost in an endless number of objectives to accomplish. In business school, I recall learning a slew of nifty strategic frameworks and the associating theories behind them, but not exactly sure how to apply them. I also have come up with strategic plans where it was so over-stuffed with wanting to do everything that there was no way to execute all of it well on the timeline associated. However, in recent years, as I have had to teach my teams what strategy is, I have had to better learn it myself too. So, to become a better teacher, in a way I had to become a student first. This is where my relationship with strategy began to change. The common struggles that I have seen and experienced when it comes to strategy formation can be boiled down to either overcomplicating the process or being intimidated with the process. To change that affinity, it is important to level-set and peel back the layers behind words like strategic planning, strategic management, and other comparable terms. I truly believe that when strategy is utilized appropriately it can have a massive impact on your future as well as the future of your teams and organizations. Defining What Is Strategy Kenneth Andrews, one of the founding fathers of strategy, quoted that strategy “is the pattern of decisions that determine and reveal objectives, purposes, goals, produces the principal policies and plans to achieve these goals, and defines the range of businesses the company is to pursue, the kind of economic and human organization it is or intends to be, and the nature of the economic and non-economic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities.” Now that is a very verbose articulation of strategy. However, distilling it down a bit more, I like what Henry Mintzberg communicated in his book Strategy Safari: Strategy is a plan Strategy is a pattern Strategy is a position Strategy is a perspective Strategy is a ploy The reason why I believe strategy is so difficult to fully understand is that there are multiple definitions of what it is and how it can be used. So as one of my colleagues would say, the definition is a bit “squishy.” Different Schools of Strategy Formation The common stereotypes around strategy are usually that it is a bunch of suits in a boardroom making decisions or it a super long document with intricate data tables and a mapped-out roadmap for the next 5-10 years. It may even feel like an afterthought because you simply don’t have time to think about it. Based on what was communicated in Strategy Safari, there are 10 schools of strategy with 3 groupings (prescriptive, descriptive, and configuration): The Design School: strategy formation as a process of conception. The Planning School: strategy formation as a formal process The Positioning School: strategy formation as an analytical process. The Entrepreneurial School: strategy formation as a visionary process. The Cognitive School: strategy formation as a mental process. The Learning School: strategy formation as an emergent process. The Power School: strategy formation as a process of negotiation. The Cultural School: strategy formation as a collective process. The Environment School: strategy formation as a reactive process. The Configuration School: strategy formation as a process of transformation. Now I won’t dive into each respective school of strategy, but from what you can guess in the name, each has a specific approach. This is why when you look at different frameworks out there like SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces, BCG Growth Share Matrix, Organization Health, Three Horizons Model, 7S Framework, and more, each of them identify with one of these respective schools of strategy. The Purpose Behind Strategy Now that we understand that strategy exists in multiple flavors, then the other major component to improve your understanding is the purpose of strategy: Strategy sets direction: It charts the course forward. Strategy focuses effort: It promotes coordination of activity. Strategy defines the organization: It provides people with a simple way to understand the organization. Strategy provides consistency: It reduces ambiguity and provides order. In clarifying the definition of strategy and the purpose it espouses, I would like to simplify all of that and state that strategy is simply creating a future that does not exist yet. It is just getting from Point A to Point B. Four Core Principles of Strategy Formation Now, I would like to transition to what I call my four core principles of strategy formation. These principles candidly describe on a more human level the personal connection between the strategist who forms the strategy, which is us, and the concept of strategy. Creative Endeavor: First off, strategy formation is a creative endeavor. If strategy is about creating a future that does not quite exist yet, then strategy formation is about how you, as the leader, paint on the blank canvas. For me, this took years to figure out. To achieve that flow state where I could come up with ideas that I can then nurture further and hone to become great strategies, I needed to find my creative outlet; to find what allows me access to the right side of my brain. This could be my environment, the activity I am engaged in, the music I am listening to, and more. Unique to the Person: Secondly, strategy formation is unique to the person. You will need to find the right combination of what works for you. This is like algebra class where you need to find the X and Y variables. The key is experimentation. You can use various strategic frameworks to help provide a shortcut. Also, you may find that certain hours in a day allow you to think better or that you need to listen to podcasts for inspiration. For me, the latter has worked extremely well, and usually, after listening to a podcast during a run, I will come back home and start jotting down ideas through a slew of sticky notes. Uncomfortable: Thirdly, strategy formation is uncomfortable. It will take work to get better at it. Just think of the first time you learned something new like riding a bike. It feels awkward and unfamiliar at first, but it becomes easier as you engage in it more. Strategy formation is the same thing. It may take years to hone that, and you will need to continue to leverage it, or it can atrophy. In addition, because strategy is helping to solve problems or overcome obstacles and barriers, it is not easy. It is difficult to think through what can solve something because it requires the ability to step back and think. And that “pause” between thought and action is difficult because there is tension there. Choice: Lastly, strategy formation is about a choice. It is about saying this path is going to yield the best result of my time, talent, and dollars. To do that requires a choice each day to focus on the right priorities; to focus your resources; to focus your time; to focus your people, and to focus your dollars in one coordinated direction. Also, if circumstances and priorities change or even obstacles present themselves, it is a choice to continue down the determined path or to choose to pivot. As my old boss said, there are multiple ways to get to where you want to go. Lastly, when I think of strategy, especially in the context of a business, this is where I feel strong leadership and healthy organizational culture are major components to ensure success. Strong leadership, healthy organizational culture, and effective strategy formation are like legs on a stool. They differentiate organizations and I believe having all three truly separates a good organization from a great organization. Follow me on LinkedIn, for more info! Read more from William! William Liu, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine William Liu is currently a higher education marketing executive at the American College of Education. He enjoys the challenge of identifying and solving mission-critical problems for organizations and has a wealth of experience tackling challenges around the world from his time in the Army as a psychological operations specialist to now. In his 20 years working in marketing, he has a strong history of transforming teams through his emphasis on organizational health and culture. His mission in life is to leverage his leadership to help solve problems in his community, at work, and in the world at large. He believes that every life he can impact professionally or personally can lead to a better world.

Written by: Dr. Erika Montgomery, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The fundamental law of nature is energy. Everything in the physical world is made of Atoms. Atoms are made out of energy. Therefore, everything is energy. According to Albert Einstein, “energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.” Everything has its own vibrational frequency. Einstein states, “Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not Philosophy. This is Physics.” As a Psychologist, my job and passion are to teach you how to tap into the power within you. As a child, you experience the world from your subconscious mind. You are more aware of the connection to your energy body. Children sense emotions more quickly and are naturally intuitive. As you grow, your conscious mind becomes programmed by the messages of caregivers, families, communities, and society. You take on habitual patterns of thought, feelings, and behaviors that become your personality and your identity. You often lose connection with the power within. Humans are spiritual beings in a temporary physical form. As a human being, you experience this physical world through your five senses; sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. As a spiritual being, you are an energy receiver, container and transmitter. The energy contained in your physical body is the same energy that keeps your heart beating, that pumps oxygen through your blood, and keeps you alive. This energy flows through you as your Life Source. You become a master of your energy when you learn to control where you place your attention. Because where your attention goes, your energy flows. Learn to become aware of what emotions and thoughts you focus your attention on. Higher frequency emotions include peace, joy, love, acceptance, and compassion. Lower frequency emotions include anger, fear, guilt, shame, and grief. Higher frequency thoughts are encouraging, faith-filled, non-judgmental and good feeling thoughts. Lower frequency thoughts are self-defeating, demeaning, thoughts of lack, and thoughts of victimization. You have free will to choose where to place your attention, where to direct your energy, and on what you want to create. Tapping into the power within means becoming aware that your beliefs, words, emotions, and actions are creative. You are the master of your energy. Be intentional about focusing your attention only on what you desire and what you want to create. Replace low frequency emotions with high frequency emotions. The most important questions to ask yourself are: What do you want and desire? Why do you want or desire it? How do you want to feel? My call to action for you is to write down everything that pleases you, everything you want regardless of if you think you can have it or not. The secret of change is to focus all your energy on creating a new experience of yourself. Do what increases your energy vibration! 10 Strategies to Raise Your Vibration and Improve Your Emotional Wellbeing Move your body Listen to Music (high energy, high frequency music) Meditate on Love and Gratitude Dream about what you desire Diffuse Essential Oils that are pleasing to your olfactory sense Eat raw foods Use CBD daily Surround yourself with visually pleasing objects Focus on your happy place or feel good memories/images. Surround yourself with what pleases your 5 senses – hear, taste, touch, smell, see. youtube.com/watch Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Erika! Dr. Erika Montgomery, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Erika Montgomery is a Clinical Psychologist and Life Coach with 25 years of experience providing mental health treatment. Dr. Montgomery owns an online CBD dispensary with Wakanna, a Female Black-Owned CBD Company, and advocates for the daily use of CBD for mental and physical health. Dr. Montgomery is a Mental Health consultant with the Social Security Administration for the past 11 years. Dr. Montgomery hosts a weekly podcast called, "Master Your Mind with Dr. Erika," on the Law of Attraction Radio Network. Dr. Montgomery believes every human is worthy of unconditional love and has the power within to change. My motto: "Mental Health Is Human Health."

Written by: Dani Green, 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. Mindset can be defined as our thoughts and feelings. We can imagine feelings as being the energetic vapor of our emotions. We understand that some emotions have a higher energetic frequency than others. We all know the difference between negative and positive thoughts. We are encouraged to be grateful. We are instructed to imagine what we want out of life. We are told that if we are positive and grateful and let the Universe know what we want, our specific desires will come true. What happens to the fulfillment of our desires when we are having a down day, week, or month? Downtimes can feel like a missing cog that makes the wheel of life stop turning for us which adds a sense of anxiety that is further draining. Religion and the Law of Attraction I was a staff pastor for 14 years. I remember times when religion asked me to be more than I was able to be. Showing up ‘just as I am’ was not enough for me and sometimes not enough for others. I prayed, read my Bible, sang, and asked God to do something for me. The problem was that I viewed God as outside of myself and I was left waiting and wanting. The Law of Attraction is similar to religion in that we are asked to maintain an energetic frequency that attracts our desires to us. On days we cannot maintain that energetic level, we are left waiting and wanting. Mindset matters but not if it makes you feel less than or not enough. Abundance Is Everywhere! It seems to me that society is peddling the idea of making a million dollars as though it is possible for all of us. (By the way, no judgment if you value making a million dollars. You be you!) I see abundance everywhere. See abundance in nature, my home, my body, etc. – the list is endless! Money is one source of abundance. Making money starts with a creative idea. Any one of us could have a super-duper great lucrative creative idea. Maybe making a million dollars is possible and even probable but there is a more important question. What if we just asked the Universe for our highest good and the highest good of others? If making a million dollars is for my highest good, then for sure a million dollars is coming my way. If living a life of love, joy, and peace is for my highest good, then no amount of money will improve my reality. Unseen Is Eternal If we see the unseen as eternal, our values can start to shift. Everything we see is temporary, including our bodies, cars, and homes. Everything unseen and life-giving is for our highest good and the highest good of others. Arguing With Reality Byron Katie suggests if we argue with reality, we will always lose. She has a gift for staying in the present moment and accepting what is. Byron Katie is known throughout the world. She probably has a very nice house, and maybe even more than one car. I don't know if she is a millionaire, but I can imagine that doesn't matter as much to her. What Do You Value? Write down 24 words that represent what you want out of life and how you want to be. Next, choose twelve of those words that matter to you more. Now, narrow down your list to six words. Next, choose three of those words. These three words are what you value most in life. Health and nutrition are my personal hobbies. I eat carefully and exercise as much as I am able. Upon completing this journaling technique, my three words were loving, calm, and healthy. I was able to put my healthy lifestyle into perspective. Now I know being loving and calm is most important to how I want to show up for myself and others. Staying In The Present Moment I stay in the present moment and do my best to be loving, calm, and healthy. My mindset is what it is from day to day. The Universe is for me. Love fills my body and surrounds me. Every intention, word, and action toward what I want out of life is coming toward me. At just the right time for my highest good, poof, my dreams will come true! Until then, I am just happy to be me! You Are More Than Enough You are more than enough. Stay in the high vibration of Love, Joy, and Peace. Eat high-vibe healthy foods. Move your body. Be grateful. Believe in yourself. Plant dreams. Your dreams are coming true. Namaste - the Divine in Me Celebrates the Divine in You! I Love You! ~Dani Let Dani Be Your Guide to Find Your Highest Good! Dani offers a free 20-minute The Emotion Code session, which helps to remove an inherited or current emotion. Activate Your Soul Power! Live Your Infinite Greatness! Be Your Own Hero! Book a FREE Breakthrough phone call and find out about The Soul Power Experience! Go to www.danigreen.today! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dani! Dani Green, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dani Green is a certified hypnotherapist, speaker, author and spiritual activist. Dani’s core focus and passion is to guide clients to rewrite the past, present, and future Story they tell themselves at the subconscious level and to discover their own Inner Mantras. Dani has a 12-session course called The Soul Power Experience. The courses, Be Smoke Free and One & D.O.N.E. Weight Release are each six sessions. Dani also offers Intuitive sessions. Dani opened her hypnotherapy practice in 2015 and uses client-centered hypnotherapy, as well as The Emotion Code, PSYCH-K, and RIM.

Written by: Christy Roberts, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When someone you love dies, special occasions like Christmas, New Year, birthdays, and many other days that were once joyful and celebrated are now a huge trigger for our grief. A constant reminder that our loved one is no longer with us. Of how different our life now is, and that life continues to go on without them. As a bereaved mother, Grief Educator, Coach, and the Global Self Directed Healing Practitioner Trainer, I know all too well what a huge problem this is because these once joyful days become events we withdraw from and often fear and dread. We can begin to worry about them weeks in advance. The grief builds in your body, because you know it’s going to trigger your pain, your grief, your loss, and you already know how much that hurts. … and how much we miss them. Doing ‘the work’ The ‘grief work’ is about learning and using healthy strategies for integrating and coping with your loss today and in the future. Processing and understanding your grief Feeling your emotional pain, rather than disconnecting, avoiding, or suppressing it Connect with yourself and others Find ways to honor your loved one Redefine the relationship you have with your loved one And rebuilding your life after the loss We often judge our grief, feeling like we’re not doing it right. If you feel like you should be coping better, or be further along in your grief, then you are judging yourself. Please understand, that time does not heal our grief, it’s what we do with that time that matters the most. Grief takes time, so be kind to yourself. It’s not a race, but if you do feel stuck and like it’s time you did something, or that you need some support to help you, then reach out to a professional who understands grief. Make sure they are grief informed. You wouldn’t go to a podiatrist to fix a sore tooth, would you? Tips for Christmas, Birthdays, and Special Occasions Remember we are all unique in our grief, therefore different tips will work better for some than others. Choose from these what feels right for you. 1. You have free will First of all, culturally, there’s usually an expectation that we show up on special occasions, contribute and be happy. Because that’s the way we’ve always done it. Please understand, you have free will, you might decide it’s too hard and you don’t want to participate, and that needs to be OK. Some will find comfort in what is familiar. Others will find this incredibly difficult. If it’s too hard, you can cancel Christmas. It will still be there next year. 2. Remove expectations of how you will show up It’s really helpful to try to remove any expectations of how you ‘think’ you should show up or how you will be on the day. You may fear the day in advance, believing you will not cope. Worried about how triggered you’ll be, when in fact on the day, you may feel fine. You may feel like you’ll be OK and then on the day, become suddenly overwhelmed by your grief. The truth is you may spend the day, swinging between happy, angry, guilty, relieved, and sad. Just know, it’s all normal because there is no normal. There’s no right or wrong way because in grief our emotions swing and can be very unpredictable. I often refer to emotions like waves, they peak, they trough, then they release into the sand. 3. Have an exit strategy Grief is very heavy and tiring, it’s draining. Being around others can sometimes deplete your already low supply of energy. It’s useful before you arrive at an event, to plan how you can leave quickly if you need to. For example, when you arrive you can state to the host – I can only stay a short while and if you stay longer, it’s a bonus. Let them be pleasantly surprised. If you are struggling with energy, I would not recommend hosting events. Unless, of course, you can get some suitable support. You do have to ask for what you need. People often genuinely want to help, but cannot read your mind, or know what you need. If you are receiving help make sure it’s helping you, not hindering you. 4. NO is a complete sentence. When people invite you over, if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to explain yourself. Simply say no thank you. If they don’t like the idea of you being alone that’s their business, not yours. Say - I understand, no thank you. They may say - it’s what your loved one would want. They’d want us to be together. Say – no thank you, not this time. 5. Give your grief some time and attention In the weeks preceding my son’s birthday, I feel the energy in my body change. It gets heavier and I typically find I feel more emotional. I have learned to really listen to my body, it’s a skill that develops with practice. When it begins to build up, I notice and start to spend time more actively working on my grief. You can do this in many ways: Writing letters that express how you feel Crying Self Directed Healing sessions Coaching Therapy Basically, I find ways to feel what needs to be processed and felt. Processing and working on your grief helps you to show up more balanced, calm and empowered. Please note: gratitude and meditation – whilst beneficial in the moment, is not healing. It’s like putting a band-aid on your wound. The pain is not processing, therefore it remains buried and will typically keep resurfacing. 6. Have a plan – set yourself up for success It’s beneficial to plan something to do on a special day in advance. For example: if your spouse has died, on Valentine's Day, you could reach out to a friend to do something, so you’re not alone. On Mother’s Day, I start talking with my mum and daughter weeks in advance. To plan something. Something that we are all happy and comfortable with. The first year we met up for lunch at a historical homestead, in a different environment. It kept me occupied during the day and it ended up being surprisingly quite pleasant. I focus on surrounding myself with love. People I love and who love me. People whose company I enjoy. I also focus on doing things that I enjoy. There have been a couple of occasions where I have not planned ahead, thinking I’ll be OK. I have arrived at the day and felt at loose ends and find it exacerbates my grief. 7. Find ways to accept and include your grief There’s no way we’re ever forgetting them, so one of the keys here is to include your grief on special occasions. With no apologies. If we show up and we’re emotional, or meltdown – let that be OK If we want to leave – let that be OK If we want to talk and honor them – be open to this If we don’t want to talk, then don’t push it Just be open to whatever feels right in the moment, however, you are showing up, and go with that. We are not broken, we don’t need to be fixed, we are grieving. It is a normal and natural response to loss. 8. Find ways to honor them Visit the gravesite or accident site Look at and share photos, and put some out in frames Donate to a cause in their honor Say a prayer Set an extra place on the table Light a candle Share stories and reminisce Create new rituals that include them Have an extra gift for them 9. Plan the meal Grief is often heavy and tiring. You might decide that the traditional meal is too much, so have something frozen. It actually doesn’t matter, be kind and go easy on yourself. You can cook some of their favorite things to honor them. I have spaghetti bolognaise nights, and sausage sizzles in my son's honor because he really enjoyed these. Plus it’s an easy way to bring those who were close to him together. 10. Communicate with all members of the family Grief in families can be complex because everyone grieves differently. You might find some family members want to come together while others adamantly don’t. Often you’ll hear yourself or someone else complaining about other family members. Please remember, everyone grieves differently and these differences can often trigger judgment, which just creates more friction. Everyone is entitled to grieve in their own unique way. No one will grieve the same way you do, so it is not realistic to expect that. Some want the Christmas tree up and for others, it’s a massive trigger. Communication here is essential. It’s so important to explore ways to honor each person in their grief. Expressing what you need is empowering. We need to listen We need to discuss We need to be open to finding a pathway that works for everyone. Also remember to include the children – they are often the forgotten grievers. 11. You create the rules If you need to create new rituals and traditions this is a good opportunity. Just because you’ve always done something a certain way doesn’t mean it can’t change. Create new traditions. That can be a wonderful way to honor your loved one and honor your grief. 12. Look after yourself Go for walks, exercise, drink lots of water, eat healthy foods, write, massage, whatever works for you. 13. Reach out for external support It can be so much easier to work with someone who is grief informed and can guide you through effective ways to heal and integrate your loss. It’s also beneficial to talk to people who have experienced loss. Talking and having your pain witnessed is incredibly powerful. At the end of the day, the reality is, we’re entitled to feel whatever we feel and do whatever we want to do. It’s our grief and ours alone. It’s our right to be, and to feel whatever we want, whenever we need. And remember – love yourself enough not to judge your grief. Be your own best friend, and be kind to yourself. I know beyond a doubt that our loved ones, without exclusion, would want this for us. I trust you’ve gained value from this article. I have more articles and resources on my website christyrobertscoaching.com. Keep an eye out for our free Living with Grief MasterClasses. They are jam-packed with valuable education and designed for both grievers and those in support and leadership/therapy/healer roles. Check out our events here. I have a number of videos about grief on our YouTube Channel – remember to subscribe & like. I trust you’ve gained value from these tips and hope that this shines a bit of light onto your pathway, demonstrating that it is possible to have happiness in your life again and thrive after deep loss. Much love to you all. In remembrance Christy Roberts – Creating Change Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Christy! Christy Roberts, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Christy is the Global Self Directed Healing Practitioner Trainer, an award-winning Coach, and Grief Educator with over 20+ years of Human Resources and Organisational Development experience. She helps people journey through the toughest of life’s challenges, like grief, trauma, anger, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, fear, overwhelm, stress, and burnout. Christy is passionate about unlocking our human potential, transforming mindsets, and supporting people to get out of their own way and live their ultimate lives by achieving the success and results they desire. She provides Coaching, Self Directed Healing, Workshops, and Educational Resources that positively impact people, leaders, and workplaces. As Founder of Creating Change, she is driven to make a change in our society and culture, so that we are more authentically connected to ourselves and living with passion and purpose.