Written by: Joanna Haines, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. There is something I want you to hear, to let it flow through you and integrate on such a deep level that you never forget it. You are wired to thrive. It’s in your DNA. It’s written in the stars. You are wired to thrive. Not just survive, but thrive. Now, “thriving” looks different for everyone, and thank goodness for that. And tuning into what success is for you is an important step (and for another discussion!) But today, I am here to tell you - you are here to live out a life which excites and inspires you. One where you see your desires come to life, and where you feel so deeply rooted in your own power and pure alignment. Now, also, know this. Learning how to thrive is an art that is cultivated from within, by using your inner guidance system; your own personal built in GPS system. Thriving in your life is not achieved by looking outside for the way. It’s not achieved by comparing to others and then trying to replicate. It’s achieved by getting deeply connected with your personal Strategy and Authority, by recognizing how your energy flows and is best utilized. By leaning into your unique gifts as well as acknowledging areas of challenge. This is the beauty of Human Design; it’s a road map to your magic lane in life. A tool that has transformed my life, as well as my clients. It connects you with your inner authority. A tool, that when you learn to activate it and trust it, will always guide you in the right direction. We are so conditioned to be making our decision from the mind, when in fact, the mind is there to form opinions, question, inspire, but it is not there to make our decisions. And when we put this pressure on our beautiful minds, it creates anxiety, stress and mental burnout. We need to stop asking the mind to perform a task it wasn’t designed to do. Human Design supports you in accessing and connecting to your inner authority and using that to help you move forward. We have also been so conditioned to believe there is a very linear path to success, to happiness, to joy, and if we deviate from it, we will lose our way. That we will fail. And so, we end up looking around to see what others are doing, how they achieved success, and then we try to replicate it in our world. This, my friend, creates struggle, misalignment and burnout. It pulls us out of integrity with ourselves. You get to thrive in your own special way when you do it YOUR way. We are all unique, we are all different. We have our very own codes activated within us that allow us to thrive in our own magic lane in life. And when we learn to leverage these codes, everything becomes easier. Relationships, business, life. Everything. Human Design is a powerful entry point into discovering and uncovering all pieces of YOU. It supports you in activating your personal power and alignment. And then from this place, you can move with confidence, ease and most importantly – self trust. It empowers us to step into our highest potential. To thrive in all the ways we are here to shine. To align with our own personal magic lane in life. You can follow Joanna on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and can book a session through her website! Joanna Haines, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Joanna is an Alignment Coach + Human Design Specialist. She supports women in reconnecting with their power and purpose; aligning with their highest potential in all areas in life. She helps her clients shift into empowered action, deep rooted confidence and self trust. She believes that true magic begins when we let go of the stories of who we think we should be and start showing up as we truly are.

Written by: Melanie Josephine , 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 I was single and at the point of wanting a relationship, it still took me five years to end up with the man I now want to marry. Why did it take me so long? And does that mean it has to be that long for you? To reassure you, it certainly doesn’t have to be this long for you. The reason it took that amount of time for me, is because I had a lot to learn. The phrase “Everything will happen at the right time” was true for me, but this is definitely easier to say in hindsight. My journey began with a hefty breakup that I did not see coming. The fact that this completely took me off guard sparked the motivation within me, to do a deep dive into understanding relationships at the core. I ordered various relationship self-help books; signed up for a life event with a world-known coach and did online training on top of all that. Still, as mentioned previously, it took me five years from that moment in time and that was because: 1. I needed to gain awareness about my blockages, and 2. I did not work with a coach one-on-one until much later into my journey. Working one-on-one is much more powerful because the sessions are tailored to you. As soon as you find out what blockages are holding you back, you can begin to tackle those. But for now, let's take a deep dive into the five blockages that hold most people back from attracting the love of their life: 1. Seeing yourself separate from love and strongly identifying with being single. For the longest time, I looked at other couples and envied them. I thought to myself: “They have something that I don’t”. Whenever I did that, I subconsciously reinforced my identity as a single woman. I was stuck in this identity because I wasn’t aware this was one of the reasons that were holding me back from attracting love. Only when I began to see other couples as my mirror and was happy for them, things began to shift within me. When I felt joy in my heart for the love that other couples had, what I began to say to myself was: “This is what I’m going to have. I am so happy for them”. And I still notice to this day that when I see couples I am delighted for them. In the past, when I heard of a couple break up, I felt comforted, because I wasn’t alone in my misery. I don‘t like to admit it, but it’s the truth. “Misery seeks company” is a very true quote. I completely understand that it is difficult to go from one extreme to the other. And I am not asking you to do that, but if this is something you catch yourself thinking, try to change it little by little. For example, there were couples I could easily be happy for and others I simply couldn’t. That is ok, we are all human. As long as you strive to change, you will do so little by little. Simply don’t give up. 2. Unprocessed emotions from previous relationships. If you haven’t properly grieved a past relationship, you can easily take this baggage with you on future dates or even into a new relationship. Friends used to say to me “Don’t cry about this guy, he didn’t deserve you”- which was very well meant, however it didn’t do me any favours, because I needed to cry. When someone says something like this to me now, I simply give myself permission to cry and grieve because I understand that negative emotions are just as much a part of life as positive emotions. Give yourself permission to feel what you need to feel as well as permission to seek help because we often think we need to do it on our own when we really don’t. 3. Our parent's relationship. Whether we like it or not, unfortunately, it is a fact that our parents or our closest caregivers, do build the first foundation of what we believe about the world as well as about relationships. In the first seven years of life, we download our “software” and we operate from the beliefs we’ve picked up. For example, if your dad was disrespectful to your mother, it is likely that you attract men who are disrespectful to you, simply because of the beliefs you have taken up as a child. This has nothing to do with what you consciously want, because our conscious mind holds 5% of the power, whereas our subconscious mind has 95%. You can see how the beliefs that are stored in your subconscious mind from childhood are so compelling. However, this information should not discourage you. Hypnotherapy is incredibly influential when it comes to changing your core beliefs that are not serving you well, alongside meditation and affirmations. 4. Worthiness. Believe it or not, most of us have to work on our worthiness beliefs, because one of the core fears that lie in almost all of us, regardless of what our childhood was like is “I am not worthy” or “I am not enough”. Most people have struggled with that sentence in their minds one time or another. The good news though is that regardless of whether you think you are worthy or not, as of today you can make a decision that you are worthy. Ultimately we are all worthy regardless of where we are born, in what circumstances we grew up or what our parents told us. Yes, all these things have had an influence upon us and possibly made us believe that we aren’t worthy, however, we can take that power back and decide that we are. 5. Confidence. After you’ve done the inner work, it still takes confidence to put yourself out there. After all, you might not feel like you want to go on dates with men you have never met before or be set up by someone you know. These new situations can seem daunting, but you simply cannot rely on someone knocking on your door. We as women often tend to expect the man to make the first move, but we shouldn’t. There are many good men out there that you could have an amazing future with, but they are too shy to make the first move. When I say you can step out of your comfort zone to go for the first step, I am not saying that you then make all the steps, hence you don’t need to organise all the follow-up dates. But that very first move can be crucial to get the ball rolling. If you find yourself in one or more of these scenarios and you want to work through these challenges, don’t hesitate to contact me. I also have a podcast which is called “Change Your Love Life Forever”, which is a great source of information and a fantastic way to get to know me as a coach if you are on the fence about who to pick. Regardless of whether we work together or not, I do wish you the very best on your journey to love and that you will find your soulmate sooner rather than later! Much love, Melanie Follow me on Faceb ook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Melanie! Melanie Josephine, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Melanie Josephine is a leading expert in the field of dating and relationships. In her coaching practice, she actively helps women to bring clarity and light into a topic that may have been dark for years. After going through challenges in her own love life, she decided to research and figure out where she was going wrong. Her self help book “Love Life Simplified” won a New Apple Award in the category “Young Adult Inspirational” and she continues to write for Brainz Magazine as well as on medium.com. In her podcast “Change Your Love Life Forever” she regularly shares experiences and learnings on a vulnerable level. Before she settled down in the UK, she travelled the world as an international nanny and shared her learnings in her popular book “Rock Your Au Pair Year”. Melanie is a highly organised Nanny/ Carer PA with many years of experience in private households alongside her coaching and author activities. Her mission: to bring hope into peoples love life because there is someone for everyone!

Written by: Ágnes Vad , 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 I stepped into my first leadership role in my late twenties, I had clear thoughts about what it means to be a good leader. Some more years and some more painful realizations later, I needed to admit that those' clear thoughts' were only preconceptions. Below I reveal the four most influencing misbeliefs that I could spotlight and debunk during my leadership journey. 1. Leaders know everything I mistakenly believed that everyone would rely on me to answer any issue just because I was managing a team. However and in reality, it is on the contrary! During my journey, I learned that the best leaders clearly understand their limitations and almost consciously decide NOT to know everything! They instead search for passionate people in various areas of expertise and bring them together, listen more than they speak, and they listen intending to understand, not the goal to answer! Leaders can admit their mistakes and empower others to execute vision through their knowledge and initiative versus a dictate from above. Genuinely exceptional leaders enable others to become leaders. Their higher goal is to work themselves out of the job so that if they are not around, the organization functions just as successfully as when they are. So nobody has all of the answers, and this is something that a leader knows the best! 😊 2. Women or Men are the better leaders? Back in time, it was no question in my head that I (as a woman) should work harder to' catch up' in leadership to get closer to the true leader, who is apparently a 'He' in my head… Since then, I have read much research about leadership and gender and whether a male versus female leader will perform better in leadership. And yes, men and women may indeed take slightly different approaches and value other traits as leaders. Still, there is absolutely no evidence to prove that one gender is more effective at leading than another! Research has also found that the so-called 'Transformative' leaders come primarily from women because they also carry more of the characteristics that make it possible (such as motivational ability, collaboration, creativity, charisma, problem-solving, etc.). Female leadership marks work better in industries that deal with people and services while emphasizing the effectiveness of male leaders in hierarchical, high-performance organizations (military, police, government, banking, etc.). And when they asked Fortune 500 companies, they found that organizations with more women leaders were more productive than companies with fewer women leaders in management. From all of this, you may already have the idea that the effort to proclaim a 'winner' between female and male leaders is largely unnecessary, as it will be a dead end. At the same time, the above is a good indication that a company and the people need both male and female leaders because they inherently work with different skills that can be well adapted to the situation and complement each other. The highest-performing companies often find that the proportion of female executives working in management is significantly higher than in other companies operating in similar fields. In conclusion, here are some of the qualities that several studies, research, and articles have unanimously identified as a 'good leadership trait'. And now I leave it up to you to decide whether these qualities are more characteristic of male or female leaders: 12 Points of a Good Leader: Communicates well Trustworthy and honest Listen to others, humane, caring Experienced and highly skilled Positive attitude, flexible Responsible Can motivate It strives for integrity with itself and its environment Brave (innovative, takes your thoughts, opinions, risks…) Strives for order and system (quorum, clairvoyance) It earns respect, is authentic and authentic Positively affirming, passionate 3. Leaders shouldn't be emotional and express vulnerability My massive misconception was that leaders couldn't show weaknesses, alias vulnerability. Somehow I thought that taking responsibility for a shortcoming, changing direction, going for and using advice from others, admitting a mistake is a sign of weakness. Today I know that it is a truly unhealthy belief to have. When I held myself to such unrealistic standards, it created pressure, which turned into stress and what felt like a failure when I couldn't meet my own expectations. Effective leadership means owning up to mistakes so that we can learn from them! Good leaders want to hear positive and constructive feedback from team members to continue learning and evolving as leaders! I finally recognized that we're all human, and it is more important than having all of the answers. We, as leaders, should listen and support our employees as best as possible. 4. Leaders are just born Believe it or not, I did believe for a while that there was a genetic factor that enables someone to become a leader! I thought that leaders are born with specific characteristics that biologically allow them to move into leadership roles. I know, it sounds a bit childish 😊 During the years, I recognized that leadership is a skill set that can be learned and developed over time. So it's not a genetic disposition. Like any other behavior, leadership can be learned if you're willing to focus your time and energy on that leadership development. By today I instead argue the complete opposite: Leaders are made, not (only) born! What do YOU say? If you'd also like to share how you think about your leadership development, don't hesitate to fill in this survey. Your answers will create the base of a future Leadership Program at an international level, so make sure you add your thoughts! By filling in the survey, you'll be shortlisted once the registration opens. Follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ágnes! Ágnes Vad, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ágnes Vad is a certified human potential and business coach with 18 years in marketing and 10+ years in cross-cultural leadership roles. Ágnes started her professional career in the multinational world in the marketing domain and built her thorough business acumen in parallel via the international leadership roles she was promoted to. She has been showing passion for working and leading people starting from the beginning of her career. She is a proud winner of the Leadership and Marketing Awards at her company. After 18 years she decided to follow her passion and became a coach entrepreneur in 2019. In the last 2.5 years, she became experienced and recognized professional in the coaching domain and has cc. 500 hours of coaching experience. She works with individuals and also with teams as a coach. She focuses on activating and maximizing human and leadership potential, emotional intelligence (EQ), mindfulness, and resilience.

Written by: Dr. Justine Chinoperekweyi, 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. Many people feel severe discomfort when asked to evaluate another person or project, or be evaluated. The discomfort and frustrations are a result of the negative labels attached to the word ‘evaluation’. However, in any country, impact evaluation is key to the growing consulting market. Statistics show that in year 2020 Africa consulting market was estimated at slightly above US$2.7 billion, US market US$64.4 billion, and China’s market US$5.4 billion. Impact evaluation is a useful intervention and a catalyst for positive change. To be effective, consultants must effectively use feedback, reflection, and data to continuously improve consulting activities and enhance the client-consultant relationship. However, impact evaluation is often times avoided, overlooked, or included as an afterthought in consulting. In reviewing impact evaluation within an Organization Development (OD) process, this article is guided by the question: ‘How do we know we are making a difference or have really made a difference?’ “Historically, the evaluation component of the classic consulting model has largely been downplayed or ignored. Today, with increasing pressure from organizations to demonstrate the value of our efforts, having both a well-designed and articulated evaluation strategy is key, as is a detailed multi-measure and level measurement process.” – Allan H. Church in 2017 Impact evaluation enables consultants to demonstrate impact and value in consulting initiatives. The evaluation process should be grounded on the fundamentals of consulting and should be co-created with the client. Additionally, through thoughtful impact evaluation, consultants will be able to reframe their cognitive frameworks towards real transformational change and development – as demonstrated through measurable outcomes and results. Through impact evaluation, consultants create space for open dialogue as they inquire and engage with the client system. Hence, the focus of the evaluation is not to prove but to improve, that is, to facilitate continuous improvement and effective engagement. The process of evaluation enhances relationships, energizes people, and inspires both participants and practitioners. In co-creating an evaluation model with the client, consultants need to pay attention to some fundamental characteristics of an effective evaluation process. Some of these characteristics are contextual, valuable, credible, multifaceted, dynamic, attractive, and participative. The impact evaluation process facilitates emergent learning and enhances client-consultant relationships; thereby driving positive change. This calls for multi-disciplinary perspectives based on quantitative and qualitative data. The process of designing consulting work should include an evaluation plan and evaluation methodology. First, the evaluation plan should clarify the users of evaluation results, user expectations, key decisions, type of data, and how data will be presented. Using the evaluation plan, consultants define evaluation objectives, key result areas, and intended outcomes. Through multiple feedback loops, the evaluation plan is embedded in a continuous cycle of reflection and action. Second, the evaluation methodology considers the complexity of work and client systems. Evaluation methodology clarifies the entire structure and process of evaluation. There are three strands of impact evaluation that are important to consultants. First, evaluation before the consulting activity. This is an ex-ante evaluation or appraisal that informs exploratory conversations, commitment testing, and context setting. Second, formative evaluation is conducted during the consulting process. This evaluation reviews the effectiveness and alignment of the process and generates developmental feedback. Third, consultants conduct impact evaluations after the consulting activity. The ex-post or summative evaluation assesses the results and outcomes. Through meaningful and exploratory dialogue, multiple feedback loops should be encouraged at each stage of the impact evaluation process. Approaches to make evaluation effective Start generative conversations early Identify and engage with key stakeholders Choose and flex evaluation tools and frameworks wisely Don’t try to boil the ocean Create space for open dialogue Enhance your skills in measurement design and analytics capabilities Common Traps in Evaluation During an evaluation, consultants need to manage such traps as secrecy, blame, and hope. These traps are counter-productive in any change initiative. First, under secrecy, people tend to see evaluation through a negative lens. Many people avoid giving or receiving feedback from colleagues or peers. The key factors in any change initiative are therefore kept secret, because people are afraid. But the costs of hiding information or avoiding evaluation can be huge. Second trap is blame, most evaluations end up being blame games. It is important that evaluation is an intervention for continuous improvement and not to prove someone or any process wrong. When an evaluation is viewed as a catalyst for change, people learn to regress and throw temper tantrums when the world seemed to turn against expectations. Third, without embracing evaluation, people simply wait, hoping that the breakdown will somehow disappear. Guess what, it likely won’t. Deal with hope by engaging in continuous evaluative conversations and cut through the apathy. The success or failure of any initiative depends on decision making and willingness to evaluate the decisions, learn, and explore possibilities. Next time you hear about impact evaluation, embrace it as an intervention for continuous improvement. Dr. Justine Chinoperekweyi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Justine Chinoperekweyi, is an internationally recognized Organization Development & Change, Corporate Governance and Leadership Scholar-Practitioner, Facilitator, Thought leader, & Author. He supports individuals, work groups, and organizations turn breakdowns into breakthroughs through the application of OD practices and values; and with a focus on measurable outcomes and results. He has been organizing generative dialogues and numerous webinars, international forums and conferences around OD. He is CEO of Centre for Organization Leadership and Development (COLD) and President of Organization Leadership and Development Network (OLDN). He is also Academic Director in Abu Dhabi and Visiting Faculty and post-graduate supervisor for MBA and doctoral programs in different countries. He is Board of Director for International Society for Organization Development & Change (ISODC), USA and The WorkBooth Magazine, Nigeria. His OD-informed mission: 'Leading Sustainable Strategic Change, Facilitating Continuous Improvement, and Improving the Human Condition'.

Written by: Caroline Holke, 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 a 2018 study, Americans drink 100% more during the holiday season. The main reason for this is that we socialize more during the holidays. The period between Thanksgiving and New Year is packed with year-end office parties and social events that just aren’t the same any other time of the year. More parties, meals and celebrations mean more occasions to drink. We also tend to drink more in social situations. Either because we are swept away with the fun of it, or because alcohol helps us tolerate it (family dinner perhaps?). Even though these factors make sense, this statistic really gave me pause. ONE HUNDRED % is significant. And 2020 changed everything. According to a RAND Corporation study, during the pandemic women increased their heavy drinking days by 41% compared to before the pandemic. This means that the baseline comparison is going to be higher. Will it be 100% on top of 41%? There is a lot of pent-up demand after lockdowns. We didn’t have a normal holiday season last year. Will we decide to pare back the celebrations this year, or double down to make up for what we missed? While we wait for the researchers and statisticians to figure out the numbers for 2021, there are several things that you can do to set yourself up for success this holiday season. Have a plan and decide ahead of time how much you are going to drink. If you are going to have 3 drinks – great. The crucial step is that right before you go out, take 1 minute to re-commit to this plan. Then go to your event and enjoy your 3 drinks. Treat your drink plan like you would your meal at a wedding when you turned in your food order with your RSVP. You enjoy the salmon you ordered and consider it one less decision that you have to make today. You can shut down any mental chatter that comes up with "it has already been decided." This will make your life easier ... if you let it. Rehearse what non-alcoholic drink you are going to order when you are at the end of your drink plan. This sounds silly but try it. You will notice that if you haven't practiced what you are going to order, then your regular drink order just comes out of your mouth unbidden. This is a well-worn neural pathway in your brain, so rehearsing will make you feel more confident, and it will be much easier on you when the time is right. Elevate your glassware. Request your NA drink in a nice glass- wine glass, highball, whatever. I like my club soda in a wine glass with lime and no ice so that it still feels sophisticated and special- it is a party after all! There is no reason to feel like you are at the kiddie table- unless it is purposeful because sometimes those kids are having the most fun! Practice Compassion for yourself and others. We all feel like everyone is watching what we are doing, “what are they going to say if I don’t order my regular drink?” But the truth is that we are all standing in our own spotlight worried about ourselves, not other people. This is called the spotlight effect and it is a good reminder that we are all in the same boat, so we might as well relax and enjoy ourselves! Visualize how you want the event to go. Think about who will be there, what you will talk about, what will be served, etc. Remember that people are very predictable, yourself included, so let your imagination go there and decide ahead of time how you want the event to play out for yourself. And most importantly, have fun – the point of all of it is the people, not what is in your glass. Use the suggestions above to help you figure out how to celebrate in a way that feels good to you. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Caroline! Caroline Holke, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Caroline Holke coaches women who want to continue to drink alcohol without the downsides. Caroline’s unique approach is successful because it respects how the human brain works, is augmented with science and is tailored to each individual’s situation. By identifying and addressing what is holding each client back, Caroline is able to help her clients make sustainable change. At the end of her 12-week coaching program, her clients are happier and 100% in control of their relationship with alcohol.

Written by: Aliyah Hammad, 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. Emotions, in and of themselves, are neither good nor bad. Did you know that an emotion lasts only 90 seconds? What lasts even longer are the stories that we tell ourselves to justify the emotions. Positive emotions add to well-being and negative emotions threaten well-being. Both positive and negative emotions are necessary. Acting purely based on emotion without logic can drive certain behaviors like emotional eating. Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better. It fills your emotions rather than your stomach. Emotional eating does not fix the original problem; instead, it can make you feel guilty for overeating. When people emotionally eat, they turn to high sugar, highly processed foods, which does not serve any of us. This can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies because when people emotionally eat, they eat junk food, which is void of nutrition. Below, I will share tips on how to combat emotional eating by addressing Transformational Nutrition (physical, mental, and spiritual nutrition). 1. Nutrition: Add protein and good quality fats to every meal. Protein does not always have to come from animals. It can come from plant-based sources, like legumes. Good fats include avocado, olive oil, grass fed butter, ghee, and coconut oil. Cut down (or better yet eliminate) processed foods, sugar, and inflammatory Omega 6 oils, like Vegetable Oil, Canola oil, Soybean oil, etc. 2. Add supplements: Before I go on, if you are on medication, please see your healthcare provider to make sure that your medication and supplements could counteract with each other. Supplements include Vitamin C to combat stress, chromium, which is a blood sugar stabilizer and can act as an anti-depressant, and magnesium, which can be incredibly calming. Magnesium has been found to help with some psychiatric issues, such as depression and anxiety, Omega 3 fish oils, which studies indicate can be good for brain health. 5-HTP, which is the precursor to serotonin. Serotonin is involved in the regulation of appetite to reduce caloric intake and boost metabolism. Glutamine is an amino acid that the brain can use as an emergency substitute when you haven’t eaten recently-it actually works in ten minutes. As clients move away from emotional eating, their bodies will begin to detoxify. Helpful herbs to aid in detoxification is dandelion, which helps detox the liver and kidneys. Ginseng helps increase energy while boosting mental and physical performance. 3. Adding essential oils like Rose and Rosemary. Rosemary oil is used for stress relief. A study in 2007 showed that Rosemary Oil decreased cortisol in saliva. Rose also has similar calming benefits. A study in 2009 showed that participants who received Rose Oil rather than the placebo through their skin felt greater calm and relaxation. 4. Exercise: I recommend that my clients start walking if they have never exercised or have not exercised in a while. Walking outside in nature has a calming effect. This can include a walk in the park or in your neighborhood. Start off walking twice a week for 20 minutes. It does not have to be a power walk. Walk briskly at your own pace, then gradually increase the time to 30 minutes three times a week, 40 minutes four times a week, 50 minutes five times a week. Later, you can add other activities, such as yoga, tai chi, strength training, etc. 5. Sleep: Did you know that over 20% of Americans suffer from sleep loss or a sleep condition? Poor sleep can contribute to weight gain, headaches, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, impaired immune system, etc. Sleep is vital. Sleep deprivation can be used as a form of torture. Not sleeping for 24 hours is the equivalent of having a blood alcohol level of .10, which is the legal limit in most states. You can drink calming teas like Valerian, Chamomile, Hops, Lavender, and Kava Kava. You have to be careful with the quality of tea as most teas have pesticides. I recommend Pique Tea Mountain Rose Herbs. Our deepest sleep occurs between 10 pm and 2 am, so try to get to bed around 9 or 9:30 pm. Turn off electronics one hour before sleep or if you have to be on your device, use Blue Light Blocking glasses. 6. Add play to your life: As adults, we lose this art. Life is meant to not always work and grind. We all need to have some fun. Get outside, jump on the trampoline, roller-skate, play with your kids, dance, etc. Be a kid every so often. Play can improve your quality of life. It can improve your relationships and connections with others. 7. Reduce Stress as much as possible. Our fast-paced lives are filled with stress and the human body is designed to deal with small bouts of stress, not the chronic stress that we are all dealing with. Some stress reduction practices include listening to music, dancing (no one is watching if you can’t dance), exercising, practising gratitude, meditation, getting a massage, etc. 8. Did you know that around 30% of emotional eating sufferers have been victims of some kind of past trauma? Hire a therapist and/or coach to help you resolve this, establish healthy relationships, and utilize mind/body techniques like Chiropractic care, acupuncture, aromatherapy, etc. Also, saying positive affirmations daily can help, as well as journaling. 9. Spirituality can help facilitate the recovery process. Spiritual practices can vary among individuals and cultures. The University of Missouri-Columbia found that spirituality enhances health, particularly mental health, despite religious or spiritual beliefs. For some people, spirituality is beyond religion. There are three types of spirituality: personal, communal, and environmental spirituality. Personal spirituality is a connection with the self. It includes practices, such as gratitude and not being a victim of your circumstances. Communal spirituality is the practice of looking outside yourself to see the sacred and divine in other people. We don’t see others as competition but see each person as part of a larger whole. Establishing genuine, meaningful relationships can help foster this, as well as visiting your place of worship. Environmental spirituality includes connecting with the environment in a positive way. It includes a belief in a higher power, regardless or spiritual or religious beliefs. It also includes spending time and contemplating in nature. Recovering from any kind of eating disorder can be grueling, especially with our instant gratification culture. When the addictive substance is removed, it forces the individual to find healthy ways to cope with their behavior. With most addictions, abstinence is the answer, however, we all need to eat. With the tips that I have provided, you will be on your way to recovery and living a life of purpose and passion. Aliyah Hammad, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aliyah Hammad is a Transformational Life and Mental Health Coach, specifically for the Plus-Size Woman. As a Plus-Size Woman herself, she has seen the narrative of nutrition and exercise being the solution pushed on Plus-Size people. She realized that the needs of Plus-Sized people were being ignored due to weight bias, which she has experienced herself going to Doctor's Offices. Plus-Sized people need to be seen, heard, and feel like they matter, so she pivoted her niche to the Plus-Size population. She coaches Plus-Size Women on releasing their past traumas, improving their life and finding their life purpose, eliminating toxic relationships, generational curses, self-esteem/confidence, and Mental Health Wellness addressing the mind, body, and soul. Her Coaching Practice is called Curvaceous, Fit, and Fabulous Health and Wellness LLC. Her mission is to Empower Plus-Size Women to be Curvaceous, Fit, and Fabulous.

Written by: Calvin Niles, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In December 2020, while the world was still held in the stifling grip of lockdowns, a plot was brewing to stop the feminisation of men in China. First, it was quietly making waves in the education system followed by the banning of "effeminate" men in entertainment a year later. But what does it mean to be a man in today’s world? And more pertinently, what stories do we tell ourselves about our own masculinity? We have heard of such terms as toxic masculinity and patriarchal societies where male-dominated systems and behaviours are harmful not only to men but also to wider society. Yet the true harm, the true self-harm comes not from our external world, but from our internal worlds. Our individual experiences and the stories we tell ourselves are driven by our desires, yes, and by those things we most want to avoid. It is of those things I speak, those things lurking in the shadow, behind the narratives that we create and internalise. So, what can we, as men, do to demolish those poison-pillars that hold up the destructive stories we keep? What can we do to change our perspectives and write bolder, better narratives for our lives? Here’s how: 1. Relinquish your pride “Pride cometh before the fall” goes the old biblical saying. Or in other words, pride isn’t exactly as helpful as we think. We are conditioned to hold very particular ideas about our identity: who we are, our societal roles as professionals, partners, parents and so on. Then, when life predictably throws at us the flaming arrows of pain, our pride deafens us to the message that the pain holds, and it blinds us to the obvious; pride serves us as well as a chocolate teapot. In the story of The Sun Rises in Eastmoor, the main character Leo Vincent faces such a crisis of pride. He epitomes the many of us who are caught in its grip, still unable and - in many ways - unwilling to see, hear, feel and name what is truly alive in him. We cannot see and hear anything when pride is in the way. 2. Face your pain Have you ever tried to approach an injured animal? An injured animal is often in survival mode. It is in terrible pain, and it is scared. The combination of pain and fear poses the greatest risk to others approaching it. Similarly, people who are hurting will hurt others around them. In simpler terms, hurt people hurt people. Mindfulness teaches us that while the first arrow causes pain, the suffering that follows, often called the second arrow, is self-inflicted. Rather than facing the pain, we inflict further pain on ourselves and then the ones we love (and then everyone else). If we can allow ourselves to feel what is already there, rather than psychologically try to push it away, then we can courageously face the reality of the present moment, before moving into more constructive ways of being. 3. Let go Is what you are holding on to stopping you from being free? Renown Mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn once told a story of how Indian farmers would catch monkeys with coconuts. The farmers would tie a coconut to a tree, cut a hole in the coconut that was just big enough for a monkey’s hand to fit through and then place a banana inside the coconut. When a monkey comes to get the banana, it would stick its hand through the coconut to grab it. But when holding the banana, its clenched fist would not return through the hole for the monkey to get away with its prize; the monkey gets stuck. Because it refuses to let go of the banana, the farmers could capture it easily. If the monkey had just let go, it would be free. You may find that we aren’t all that different from monkeys, holding on to things that keep us trapped. We hold on to the past reminding ourselves of what we could have done, should have done or how badly we have been wronged. We even hold on to the future, telling ourselves what should happen, must happen and needs to happen. Yet it pays to let go, for only then can we truly be free. So, let us recognise the three poison-pillars: 1. pride, 2. avoidance and 3. holding on, and consider that they may be supporting destructive stories in our lives. Let us also recognise that it takes courage to attend to these pillars consistently and with compassion. Oh, and one more thing, while I address “men” in this article, these poison-pillars are universal limitations and do not affect men alone. If you: Are very quickly hurt or offended Easily irked by what you would have once considered petty Absolutely hate being directed or told what to do Cannot accept being corrected in any way When you suffer acute embarrassment when being rebuked or criticised When you are always very defensive for things that you would have once laughed off When you are constantly finding flaws in yourself and others Then maybe it’s time to make a change. For more on the story of Leo Vincent, a thirty-something man at an emotional dead-end who is desperate for a way out, buy the author’s new book, The Sun Rises in Eastmoor here. Follow Calvin for more on stories, mindfulness, and poetry on his YouTube channel, connect with him on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or visit his website for more. Read more from Calvin! Calvin Niles, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Calvin Niles is a communication coach known as The Mindful Storyteller, making a positive impact on the lives of leaders, entrepreneurs, coaches, and wider society through his services and products. Through his experience in mindfulness, storytelling, coaching, and business, he empowers others to be authentic and impactful in their communication. Calvin has worked with hundreds of people from leaders in large corporates to SMEs, and from solopreneurs to some of the top 10 charities in the UK.

Elisia has 21 years of experience and a passion for coaching leaders, which makes her uniquely qualified to be the perfect coach for you. She's managed multiple geographically dispersed retail locations and led teams of employees numbering in the hundreds. She knows the importance of delegation, clear communication, and the power of direct feedback for development. She can help you organize yourself, your time, and your team to focus on the right priorities to drive results. She's led Talent Acquisition teams and has global recruiting experience. She learned quickly how hiring and retaining the right talent in a business truly impacts results. She can help you decipher if you have the right team in place to support you and what to do if you don't. She's supported multiple leaders of large teams (some managing up to 30,000+ employees) with all aspects of Human Resources. She's coached leaders to manage the performance of their teams, including having the most difficult and emotional conversations. She's helped leaders navigate through internal politics and helped them learn how to have a productive working relationship with their boss. She can support you with all of this and more. Elisia Keown, Executive Coach To Leaders Tell us about yourself. I'm an Executive Coach with 21 years of experience with coaching and leading teams. I have deep experience with Management, Talent Acquisition and Human Resources. Now I've combined my corporate experience with a unique style of coaching and started an Executive Coaching business of my own. On a personal note, I live in Columbus, Ohio with my husband and we are parents to five kids. What inspired you to do this work with leaders and start your own business? Leaders are key to culture within an organization. An employee-supervisor relationship can make or break the experience for an employee at a company. The leader has so much power to positively influence large teams of people. We need more great leaders in the world. My mission is to help good leaders become great, quicker than they would by going at it alone. What is it that you do for your clients? My clients are leaders in their organizations. They are smart, driven, accomplished. They've been able to figure out so much of their role and leadership on their own up until now, but they've reached the point where they don't have time to work on leadership on their own by reading a book or listening to podcasts. Because of their level in the organization, there's not a lot of peers to turn to, and the company is not providing them with the leadership development they need. I help them with issues that come up with managing their team or managing up to their boss. What are some of the issues that you help leaders face? One that comes up frequently is handling difficult conversations. Typically, they are struggling with having tough, critical conversations to move their employees and business goals forward. They know that the conversations must happen, but the stakes are so high that they aren't quite sure how to go about it. They are super uncomfortable with having the conversations and don't want to feel that way anymore. Sometimes they don't even know where to start. They avoid the conversation, and it only makes the situation worse. So that's where I come in to help. I get them unstuck. We work on tackling the issues and get to the point where they can have any conversation, with anyone, on any topic. What advice do you have for leaders in organizations? Just because you've hit this level of success (title, education, etc.), doesn't mean you have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have all the answers. It's ok to ask for help to get to the next level. You're not alone, and your problem is probably not unique. Someone else has probably struggled with this too, so there's no reason to suffer through it alone. Who should hire/work with you? If you're in a situation where you're leading a team, working for a boss, and struggling with how to handle it all, I can help. If you feel frozen when you face having a tough conversation and would rather feel like you can handle it with ease, I'm the coach for you. If you're struggling with time management as a boss/employee and feel like you'll never get it all done at work and have a personal life too, I can help you. Where can we connect with you? You can connect with me through my website, www.elisiakeowncoaching.com, or CLICK HERE to follow me on Linkedin. If you want to set up a chat directly with me, CLICK HERE to schedule a free 30 minute call. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Elisia!

Written by: Leah Tomlin, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Life and leadership go hand in hand. We must never excel in one, to the detriment or demise of the other. Both should nurture and nourish the other. Transforming your life and leadership can happen from any professional or personal perspective. In fact, the greatest of transformations often happen from the lowest of points. Transformational learning is about creating a profound shift in thinking and behaviour. It is taking the learning beyond simply knowing something. Neuroscience has long informed us of the brain’s remarkable capacity to reorganise its neuronal connections in response to stimuli. The level to which this neuroplasticity occurs is variable from one individual to another, and within any one individual's lifetime. Transformational change is about dreaming the future that once seemed impossible to achieve, setting goals, shifting mindsets and strategically making change happen. Start your life and leadership transformation today: 1. Get clarity on your values Don’t pay lip service to your values. They are the powerhouse for your life and leadership. The ‘ Values In Action- Institute on Character ’ provides a free template for assessing your values and determining strengths and areas for development. Once you are clear on your values, make sure they: Resonate with your professional and life passions Align with your organisation's values Dictate your vision and mission Drive everything you do Determine who you engage with 2. Get clarity on your goals Write down your life and leadership goals, make them visible and make sure they dictate your daily actions. Assess what’s missing from your life and leadership and plug the gaps. This may require learning new skills or gaining new experiences. People who have goals are more likely to succeed. I keep a planner notebook with my goals clearly displayed on the inside cover. Here they are accessible and can inform my daily action diary- all as one ongoing log of planning, action and reflection. The goals are the end-results you want to achieve. Your mission and actions are how you’Il get there; one step at a time. 3. Visualise your future successful self and rehearse the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of that new life Once you know where and who you want to be, you should start to rehearse life and leadership from that position. Even thinking about the thoughts, behaviours and feelings involved from that perspective, will initiate re-wiring of your neural networks in preparation for the real deal. This is where the transformation begins to take hold in our brains. Observe your thought patterns and interrupt any beliefs that might limit your progress. Replace them with those that align with the person you are becoming, and the leadership traits that the new you will one-day effortlessly exhibit. Think, feel, breathe, stand and behave like the most successful version of you that is evolving. 4. Step outside your comfort zone and learn to enjoy it there Our brains are hard-wired to avoid stressful or anxiety-inducing activities. This once served us well, when deadly predators roamed amongst us, and we had to be perpetually on-guard to save our lives. Thankfully, today life is somewhat different, but the neurological make-up of our mid-brains, and our stress response, remains much the same. We can feel immense fear at the simple possibility of stepping outside our comfort zones. Recognise that fear, absorb the anxiety and put it into perspective (as a function of your brain trying to protect you where it’s no longer required to). Feel the calm that follows and jump head first (without over-thinking) into that public speaking event or that team-talk you’ve been avoiding. Imagine the feeling once you’ve achieved it. 5. Raise your productivity Block out time in your week. Look at your calendar and set time aside for your leadership and your life goals. Which part of the week will you reserve for meeting-free time? When will your business strategy or marketing time be? When does it serve you and your mission best to take a break? Neuroscience studies show us that we learn more profoundly when we take a break directly following a significant learning period. The neurons create new connections more readily during the sleep that follows intense learning than during the learning activity itself. Breaks and quality sleep are fundamental to great leadership, transformational learning and longevity. Block out time in your day and make sure you factor-in time for significant projects that really propel you towards those goals. This might include writing a report, creating a funding proposal, a business plan or a presentation. Keep firm boundaries around these non-negotiable times. You might do this by using an old-fashioned timer (avoiding the timer on your phone, as a device with all its notifications may simply serve as a distraction). Blocking an hour or two out every day where you focus on un-interrupted big actions, and breaks, is key to creating transformational change. Do 5 things every day to achieve your goals. Write down these 5 actions in the notebook that becomes your daily planner. Discard those long lists that merely serve to pre-empt our failure. Nobody has time to get through 30 significant actions in a day, and if they do they must question who or what it is that’s missing in their lives. 6. Get out in nature, or get creative However you recharge your batteries, allow the calm and balance to settle back into your mind, with something creative or spiritual. This doesn’t happen on its own, and I know this only too well, as it used to be the first thing I’d allow to slip before I reassessed my priorities. We need to take time for our mental, emotional, physical and social wellbeing. A creative hobby or a few moments to appreciate the beauty of the world can be immensely productive in terms of our goal achievement. 7. Take time for gratitude Taking time for gratitude in the world, and for what we have within it, has a neurological benefit. The neuromodulator Dopamine is powerful in determining our energy and mindset. The amount of baseline Dopamine that we have acting on our brains, determines precisely how focused, energised and motivated we are, and how much pleasure we gain from our activities. When we are excited, energised and motivated about our lives it’s because we have higher baseline Dopamine. It is precisely this increase in the powerful neuromodulator that determines our ability to pursue and achieve our goals. Conversely, if dopamine is low, this leads to depression and lethargy. We can increase our dopamine in many ways, but a great way to do this is gratitude journaling, taking time to appreciate activities deeply, finding pleasure in the world around us and thinking positively about the activities we engage in, on a professional and personal level. 8. Get a coach Coaching is increasingly recognised to offer a powerful model for transformational development for executives, their leadership competency, for organisational change, as well as monetary benefits such as increased return on investment. However, coaching is an unregulated industry, so do your homework before employing a coach. Make sure they have a recognised Executive or Leadership Coaching qualification, with significant business or senior leadership experience, and that they are aligned with your values and your mission. Relationships are pivotal to the success of coaching, so make sure you trust them to help you get results and that you feel a rapport. This fit for working together must be tried and tested before you commit to the ongoing support of a coach. 9. Get Networking Don’t underestimate the power of your network in escalating your transformation. Make sure your working network contains a rich supply of: Supporters- People who are on your side, lift you up and boost you. Role models- People you admire and respect and wish to emulate. They may be a mentor or an expert leader. Consultants- People who have the information, skills or influence to help you achieve your goals. If any of these people are missing from your network, seek them out, befriend them and offer them something of value. Nurture these relationships and they will later serve you well. Positive close relationships increase our levels of the hormone, Oxytocin. This in turn leads to increased dopamine, with the benefit of increasing motivation, pleasure and focus. 10. Reflect At the end of every day/ week, reflect on what went well and decide what you will do tomorrow/ next week. Keep this reflection in your daily planner and allow the next stage to be informed by it. This step is the one that I see clients most reluctant to carry out, but it is an often under-estimated and crucial step in deep transformational learning. Remember, the road to success is convoluted, with dips, highs and unexpected turns. The transformational journey will involve planning, success, failure and adaptability, along with a range of changing emotions. These emotions should remind you that you’re alive and harness great potential. With application of the right actions, consistency and resilience to setbacks, you will absolutely transform your life and leadership. For more info, connect with me on Facebook , LinkedIn or visit my website ! Leah Tomlin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Leah coaches professional women for transformation in leadership and life. She holds an exceptional range of qualifications and skills as a certified Executive Coach, business owner, published Neuroscientist and qualified Head Teacher. Her understanding of the brain, and how people learn, ensures she inspires transformational, life-long positive impact for leaders and their organisations. Her scientific background allows her to employ evidence-based brain and coaching methodologies that achieve success. Leah is passionate about gender equality, helping propel more women to the top and seeing them succeed as incredible leaders. She empowers women to understand how their brains can help and hinder them, enabling them to develop greater self-awareness, confidence and a dare-to-dream vision. Her clients love the way she coaches with emotional intelligence and warmth, focused on improving their leadership competency and helping them develop new and effective professional behaviours and habits. Working with Leah, leaders achieve greater success for themselves and their teams, as well as creating supportive cultures of excellence in their workplaces. Leah lives in Bristol, England, as a single mum to her three young children. She is passionate about wellbeing and takes time to enjoy her hobbies, including music, film, reading, art and design, yoga and dog-walking.

Written by: Nick Palladino-King, 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. Choice. It is a powerful word, one that places its commander at the helm of the ship. We often hear people say: “I do not have a choice.” “I have to do this.” “I have to do that.” These statements are dangerous. They plant the seeds for so much stress in our world. I already can hear how you are responding: “But I have to do certain things. I have to work, and there is no way around it.” Is that true? Read carefully: You do not have to do anything that you do not want to do. Now, I am not saying that there will be no repercussions from your choices. I am not saying that no challenges will arise from quitting your job. I am saying that you have a choice. Always. Maybe it is mainstream media’s flawless images of happy millennials meditating on cliffs or commercialism’s bastardization of yoga, but there are false notions out there about the path to less stress. These notions include: You must be at peace with everything going on in the world – at all times. You will never get stressed out – ever. You can abandon all effort and autonomy and “just let the universe decide” – in all situations. Triple wrong. The path of living with less stress requires three actions that are more authentic, realistic, and empowering: Create awareness of how you feel in every moment. Based on what you observe, choose the right action for you in that moment. Do not judge others’ right actions in their moments. Awareness Becoming aware of your present does not mean that you like, enjoy, or appreciate what is happening in front of you. It means that you are seeing the moment for what it is and are noticing what is happening in and around you at the same time. When we root ourselves in the present moment, we root ourselves in reality. We see the situation for what it is, now. Not for what it was last time and not for how we think it will be this time. One of my teachers always says, “Drop your expectations to the floor.” She is demanding that we walk into each moment with a fresh view. How can you be present if you are carrying pain from the past or assumptions about the future? Are you upset? Feel it in the moment. Figure out what is wrong. Are you unhappy with your job? Are current world affairs triggering fear in you? Feel it. Become aware of your emotions. Practice Awareness: Sit on a cushion or chair or lie down. Find the position that is right for you. Close your eyes and sense your physical body. Without controlling your breath, simply find the breath that is right for you. No need to do anything yogic or even to try to meditate here. Just find the breath that is right for you in this moment. You cannot mess this up because, well, it is the breath that is right for you. You will know that you have found the breath that is right for you when you begin to experience more ease in your mind and body. Stay here for as long or as short as you would like. Find the duration that is right for you. Take this practice with you throughout your day. With every new moment and every new feeling, find the breath and the relationship with the present that are right for you. Choice Once you are aware of the reality of the moment and how you feel toward it, then choose how you want to respond to it. If you do not like what is happening, then take action to shift your experience. Choose to be the master of your own reality. A major cause of stress is resistance to what is. So, a solution to less stress is to accept what is. Simply put, move your reality from one of resistance to one of acceptance. This implies choice. Deciding what is right for each of us, in each moment, is how the path of less stress challenges us to continuously choose. What is right for you and what is right for me will always be different. Even though we are from the same source, we all have a different experience and understanding of our realities. We all have a different path and a different purpose to fulfill. Part of choice is struggling to find out what our unique path is. For some of us, the right path is the corporate life. For others, it is the nonprofit world. For myself, it is wellness. Whatever your calling is and whatever you are called to do in every moment to realize it, choice requires that you – not anyone else – decide for yourself. Here are four choices that you can make in any situation to determine your relationship to it and, as a result, its ability to cause you stress. Practice Choice: 1. Accept: Wholeheartedly embrace what is happening around you. If leaving your job or making another major change in your life is not an option in this moment, then acceptance is your savior. This does not mean that you have to like it! But it does mean that you accept it and stop fighting yourself and your choices. Even 1 percent of resistance is too much. 2. Accept and change: Wholeheartedly embrace what is happening around you and then take steps to change your experience. Maybe you cannot leave your job, so accept that. But maybe you can change departments, can move closer to work to reduce your commute, or can take steps toward your exit. 3. Leave: Flee! Quit! Run! Choose to remove yourself from the situation. Again, I am not saying that there will not be consequences and that you will be able to pay your rent if you choose not to work. But I am saying that you have a choice. You always have a choice. 4. Resist: This final option is the one that I least recommend. It is your path to creating more stress, to worsening your experience, and probably to making others around you less happy too. But, hey, if you choose to resist, do it with all of your heart. Make sure even to complain and to gossip for good measure. Just be aware that you are choosing it. The trick here is that increased resistance can create frustration and anger which are powerful catalysts for growth and change. Choosing what is right for you in every novel moment carves your path to freedom. Nonjudgment: Choosing what is right for you also is the basis for nonjudgment of others’ choices. Choice invites us to accept rather than to resist others’ choices of what is right for them in their present moments. This can get even more challenging as one begins to wake up and to see the world from a more aware and intentional place. It can be hard to watch others struggle and strive for things when they have not yet discovered what it means to be aware of the present and to choose what is right for them from this awareness. Do not steal others’ right moments, do not steal their opportunity to grow and change through experience. The more presence and intention that you develop, the more humility and compassion you must develop. Just because you can see where someone is stuck and what they could do differently does not mean that you are supposed to tell them. Awareness is not a weapon. Accepting others’ choices clears your path to less stress because it reduces the quantity of people you have to worry about to just one: you. Practice Nonjudgment: Be humble with your developing depth of awareness and choice. Accept that – like you – everyone else is in their present moments, using the depth of awareness and choice currently available to them. Choose compassion in your interactions with your fellow students of life. Finally, be patient with yourself and others, a piece that will continue to apply – forever. Becoming aware of reality, choosing what is right for you in each moment, and not judging others in the process take time. Most of us do not just wake up one day and say: “Yup, I have got it! I am aware in every moment, I am choosing my every response with intention, and I am not judging anyone else ever.” If it were so easy, there would be a lot more enlightened people running around and probably a lot less stress in the world. You will experience these states when you are ready – not a minute sooner. Find the path that is right for you in every moment. Choose it every time. And do not judge others as they discover their paths. Keep on figuring out the path that is right for you until there is nothing left to figure out. Strive until you thrive. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Nick Palladino-King, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nick Palladino-King (IG: @nickpalladinoking) is the Co-founder and CEO of Tribe, a San Francisco based wellness company founded on the holistic health philosophy he calls “Complete Health and Wellness.” Tribe is a leading wellness company in the Bay Area focused on inspiring leadership and health in individuals and companies. Nick is a conscious coach and mentor, with deep knowledge and understanding of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. His breath of knowledge in these fields comes from over 15 years of studying and training with master teachers in movement, mindfulness, meditation and yogic philosophy and practices. Nick is known as a “coaches’ coach” and sought after for his honesty, ability to hold nonjudgmental space, and transformational and healing presence. He coaches world-class athletes, CEOs, wellness entrepreneurs and consciousness leaders worldwide.

Written by: Dr. Hanan El Basha, 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. Hi there, I am Dr. Hanan El Basha – The Business Doctor (also known as Dr. FeelGood :D), an Empowering Business Strategist. Over the past few years, I went on a transformative journey that took me from an “unfulfilled, disempowered perceived success” to a woman who switched her own mindset around to take control of her life putting in daily efforts into becoming the best version of me that I can manifest. So, I wanted to share one of my favorite Mindset Analogies with you today, and it’s all about Abundance vs. Scarcity. What does it mean to approach life from a place of abundance versus one of scarcity? The basic meaning of abundance is a lot of, or overflowing supply. Scarcity is attributed to shortage. And by the way, in case you are still wondering, mindset simply means the way you think/look at matters; your perspective and consequent actions towards matters/situations. Now, let’s look at abundance and scarcity from a life mindset. I first came to this illustration of the matter as I was coaching a dear friend of mine. I am a puzzle lover. Since I was a child, I always put together puzzles – biggest one I did to date was 5,000 pieces. When I got married, I started framing and hanging them in my home. Naturally, puzzle pieces are small, and could easily get lost/misplaced. So, there were times when after putting together a 1,000-piece puzzle, I would realize that a SINGLE piece is missing. A very frustrating part in the life of a puzzle lover. I can’t frame and hang a missing puzzle! What happened next? I would still glue the puzzle to the cardboard but I’d just store it somewhere in the hopes of finding the missing piece... until it disintegrates, more pieces fall out, and it ends up in the trash. It had been deemed unworthy of display in my collection. One day though, I had an idea. For the next “missing-piece puzzle”, how about I utilize that empty spot to sign my initials? A way of announcing that it was I who put together this puzzle. I loved the idea; it personalized my achievement. Now, I want you to incorporate the mindset framework in relation to my story. Imagine your life like a 1,000-piece puzzle. You are working hard at putting it together in a way that you believe fulfils and satisfies you. Yet, you have a piece (or more) that are missing. So, you carry on your life yearning for the missing pieces (be it wealth, love, kids, a job, “the perfect body,” etc.). What you are actually doing here is failing to recognize that you are in possession of 999 pieces of the puzzle! Yet, you are fixated on the SINGLE missing piece. That’s what a SCARCITY mindset is all about. One that is only concerned with the shortcomings of your life without recognizing, appreciating, and celebrating all your other accomplishments, blessings, and resources that you have. A scarcity mindset is one that you are also most probably conditioned to believe in by the societal standards where you are judged for lacking: the wealth, the career, the education/professional certificates, the body, the husband/wife, the house, the kids, the car, the possessions, etc. Coming from a place of ABUNDANCE would then mean that you not only see everything that you DO have in your life, everything that you have created for yourself, having sincere gratitude for all that you are, yet also believing that by sharing all that you have, the overflow will more than fill up & compensate for the perceived missing piece(s). What you are made to believe (by society, culture, close ones, etc.) completes you might not actually fulfil you. Meaning: you don’t have to have the million-dollar business because you might already be immensely proud of yourself for simply starting your own venture. Having a so-called “perfect marriage” could indeed be the source of your dissatisfaction. So, analyse your life. What you have. What you believe you need. And ultimately, what makes you happy and fulfilled. You will most probably realize that you already have your own version of your completed puzzle. And now you can move on to building this 1,000-piece puzzle into 2,000 or even 10,000 pieces. As long as that is what YOU aspire for, rather than what you are made to believe you need to have a complete life. I worked hard on shifting my mindset from scarcity to one of abundance! And my hope is that you can actively work on: Identifying yours, and, Turning those fixed, negative and scarce beliefs into growing, positive, abundant beliefs. I wish you love, abundance, and prosperity! Dr. Hanan El Basha Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Dr. Hanan El Basha, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Hanan El Basha, Founder of The Business Doctor, is an Empowering Business Strategist supporting high-achieving women reduce the overwhelm and explore their entrepreneurial spirit through practical actions and strategies to build a service-based business. She has 23+ years of professional experience, most of which spent within small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and approximately 10 co-founding and running startups herself. Over the past four years, she has integrated her startups’ advising and business strategy services, with mindset coaching primarily serving women to live their life to the fullest potential. Inspired from her own healing journey, she is also passionate and dedicated to the topic of health and wellness built on learnings from her certification as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and a Metabolic Balance Coach. She is also the founder and host of 'Empowered to Grow' podcast.

Written by: Deirdre Morrison, 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. Creativity is one of those things that can mystify people. To witness it, or be part of it, feels like magic. But this magic has solid benefits. According to research by creative software giant Adobe, 70% of people recognise creativity’s value to society, and 64% say it benefits the economy. Unfortunately, not everyone believes that they are creative. In fact, Adobe’s State of Create report (2016), reveals that approximately 60% of us don’t feel creative. Interestingly, studies done on creativity in kids, have put as many as 98% of them in the creative genius bracket. This drops off sharply by the age of 10, and keeps sliding right into adulthood. We may well ponder what is happening to create this drop-off, but maybe more interestingly, whether or not we can turn the tide. The figures from the 2016 Adobe report showed significantly more people feeling creative than previously - up from approx 25% to 40% And another point of note is that younger people are more likely to feel creative. According to the 2016 data, 36% of baby boomers felt creative, compared to 55% of Gen Z. But whatever generation you are, it’s clear that there’s plenty of room to feel more creative. Information derived from neuroscience research can help us reconnect with our creative side. We all have one, by the way, but sometimes, we lose touch with it. Here are three things to keep in mind if you want to access your creativity. 1. Provide fuel for your creativity: Cast your net wide for inspiration, and then follow the threads. In his 2010 TED talk, the ultra-creative Taika Waititi gives the audience a snapshot of his creative journey. It’s a very broad range of interests and activities. He’s probably best known for his movies, but his talents expand well beyond this. And he shows us the work of his eleven-year-old self, saying “I’m not even embarrassed by it.” So get out there, try new things. Go to see exhibitions, take taster classes in a new skill. Read a book that’s completely unrelated to what you do. Go hear a lecture. Join one of my TED Circles! 2. Bear in mind how much of creativity is actually persistence and technical skill. Another way of phrasing this is ‘focus and attention’. An artist/artisan/craftsman I’ve been following for about 20 years is the calligrapher, Seb Lester. Lester’s mesmerising and beautiful work looks incredibly natural and free-flowing on the page, but when you watch videos of his work being created, you realise that each of the letters that he pens is actually the cumulative result of years of study, and his hand movements are executed with no less precision than a great concert pianist. To see how this might work for you, choose a skill you want to improve - one that you’re willing to set aside a little time for. It might be learning a language, or macrame, or cooking. Now, here’s the important bit - record your progress. Don’t worry about creating something original. Just watch your progress. Journal it. When you’ve been practising for a while, look back, and appreciate your progress, even if it is slow. This helps create reward loops for your brain by recognising that you’re improving. 3. Play. I cannot stress enough how much play is central to creativity. And let’s put it this way, if it was good enough for Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman, then it’s good enough for me! Being playful and curious is one of the keys to neuroplasticity - our brain’s ability to learn, change, and require itself. Being playful puts us in a good mood, and guess what… Being in a good mood makes us more creative! So, here’s a great, fun and playful game you can play with friends, colleagues, or family. Level 1: Start with a standard version of Pictionary, or a similar ‘draw it game’. Level 2: Crank it up by doing your drawings blindfolded… Level 3: Keep your blindfold on, and now draw with your non-dominant hand! I dare you not to have fun with this, and I’d love to see the results! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Deirdre! Deirdre Morrison, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Deirdre Morrison is the founder of The Ambition Incubator platform and podcast. Her mission is to deliver practical tools from the field of neuroscience to help entrepreneurs and leaders be happier, healthier, more effective and successful in all the areas of their lives that matter to them. Deirdre is a proponent of life-long learning, an interest that ultimately led her to study applied neuroscience. She works with individual clients and runs group programmes, including The Ambition Incubator Collective, which specifically helps women who have taken a child-care career break to pull off the post-parenting pivot often necessary to reboot their careers. Her other interests include the Japanese sword art of Kendo, road cycling, and reading. She runs free weekly development groups based on dynamic co-readings of business classics.