Written by: Janette Ghedotte, 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. Have you ever been lied to? Of course, you have. Have you been able to catch every lie? Of course not. Sometimes, you missed the small lies. Other times, you were sacked and sidelined by the big ones. You may be shocked to realize that you have been deceived more often than you ever imagined. I bet you felt duped or even blindsided afterward. Perhaps you wondered, “How could I have fallen for it? How did I miss the warning signs?” The warnings signs were there. You may feel that you were ‘blindsided,’ but the hot-spot clues were there. Right in front of you. But, for whatever reason, you were not paying attention. You may not have realized how important the clues were at the time or the negative impact ignoring the lies would cause in your life. Most likely, you did not know what to look for. If you noticed that something was off, perhaps you overlooked or minimized it. You may have brushed it aside. Your intuition, wise mind, or gut tried to alert you, but you chose not to listen or trust your body’s warning system. Did you want to believe? Perhaps you wanted to believe the lies, especially if you trusted the other person because the individual was a family, friend, or someone you interacted within business. When you are deceived by someone you know and trust, then you are likely an easy target because of your direct or close relationship with the liar. It is a double whammy of deception and betrayal. You may be asking yourself, “How could this have happened to me? Why didn’t I catch it?” Believe or not BeLIEve Lies are often easy to believe because they are sandwiched in or wrapped around elements of the truth. Do you notice what is hidden in the word believe? Can you catch the clue in plain view? The word ‘believe’ literally contains and hides the word ‘lie.’ Notice how easy it is to spot the lie once it is highlighted in the word beLIEve. Once you see that the word LIE is embedded in the word beLIEve, then spotting the LIE is obvious. When you know what to look for and cluster the clues together, then you improve your ability to spot lies in the moment. Go ahead, toss a coin OK! From your pocket or your purse, take out a quarter. Not a penny, nickel, or a dime. Get out a quarter. Hold it up. Look at the quarter carefully. Notice the year of the quarter. Now, make an upward fist with your dominant hand. Place the quarter on top of your the thumb on your dominant hand. Get ready to call “heads” or “tails” and then FLIP the quarter in the air. That’s right. Ready? 1…, 2…, 3. FLIP it. CATCH it. SLAP it down. Slowly, ever so slowly … reveal your quarter. Take a good look. What do you see on the quarter? Heads or Tails? Whether heads or tails, it does not matter because you have about a 50-50 chance of catching deception. What, only approximately 50% chance of getting it right? Yes. The accuracy rate for correctly detecting deception is slightly better than 50 percent for most people (Bond & DePaulo, 2006). So, how do you improve the odds in your favor? The answer is by sharpening your body language and statement analysis savvy. Body Language training sharpens your ability to detect and decode nonverbal messages during interpersonal interactions. Statement analysis training and understanding human psychology and behaviors also empower you to spot the lies and get to the truth so that you can avoid costly mistakes. Reading and interpreting body language leverages your communication advantage because it allows for strategic adjustments when the window of opportunity is still open and before it is too late. For example, if the person is showing discomfort or unease, you can find out the reasons why and then adjust your strategies accordingly. Understanding body language is a secret weapon because it gives immediate visible signs and valuable insights about people as their bodies react to internal and external stimuli. These changes in body language expressions and behaviors allow you to see their actions, reactions, and emotional states as the interaction unfolds. What do you believe: the words or the body? When words say one thing and the body tells you something else, what do you believe? Words may lie. Before you were born and even in death, from head to toes, the body always shows the truth. Communication is relational. Liars do not exist in isolation; they need targets and enablers who believe and support them. You do not have to be an easy target for deception. Liars cannot get away with lying if they are not believed. Liars look for easy targets who will believe them without asking probing questions. Liars want to keep you and their secrets hidden. The good news is this, their bodies give them away and reveal the truth. Detecting and decoding body language unmasks deception to give you a fighting chance when you pay attention, detect, decode, and discover body language and relevant information, cluster the clues together to gain greater clarity of what is going on When you know to sharpen your ability to do these three steps, then when the body speaks, you’ll understand the truth that is conveying. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Janette! Janette Ghedotte, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Truth & Deception Detection Expert Janette Ghedotte is a MA LLP Clinical Psychologist, Founder, and CEO of Accurate Body Language. Accurate Body Language is the KEY to crack the code, unlock the vault of nonverbal communication, and reveal the secrets of human interaction. With over 20 years of corporate business, marketing research, advertising & strategic brand positioning, and clinical psychology experience, Janette specializes in understanding the complexities of human behavior, interpersonal relationships, verbal, and nonverbal body language communication. Reference: Bond, Charles & DePaulo, Bella. (2006). Accuracy of Deception Judgments. Personality and social psychology review: an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc. 10. 214-34. 10.1207/s15327957pspr1003_2.

Written by: Tracy Renee Stafford, 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’re on a date with someone new. Almost immediately there’s a sense of something feeling ‘right’. You feel a quickening in your stomach & a lightness in your heart. There’s a sense of ‘connection’ that you just can’t ignore. It must be your intuition telling you that you have just met ‘The One’. Or is it? The signals we receive from the body are not random. There is a sophisticated, complex transmission always at play between body & mind, conscious & unconscious. As a rule, however, we are not well-versed in this nonverbal, internal language, and so we often misinterpret the signs we receive. Intuition - our ability to know something beyond reason, to see or feel in our bodies the truth of something that might have ‘not yet happened’ - is a highly refined & formidable power. However, mixed in with intuition are also our instincts, phobias & biases, family & cultural history, and social conditioning. All of this, too, lives in the body and wants to make itself heard. So as for the sense that the person we just met is ‘The One’, when did we feel this before? With whom? What happened in the past when we followed this feeling? Who does this person remind us of? If we are going to plan our lives based on all the inner feelings we have, we’d do best to spend some time getting to know ourselves better, with more honesty, to understand how our own biases, blindspots & history influence how we perceive things. Then, and only then, can we enjoy the full benefits of living intuitively. Our intuition is our inner guide. It’s embodied knowing. It’s the wise teacher within, but we can't access this part of ourselves through thinking. Instead, we need to listen & feel into a more holistic intelligence that lies within the ‘bodymind'. Thinking requires effort, while intuition requires letting go of effort & relaxing so that we can observe the signals the body is giving us all the time. Intuition may come in the form of the proverbial ‘gut feeling’ or ‘flash of insight’, but it might also present itself as an image, or as a simple word or 2 that you ‘hear’ inside. While it can cause us to feel excitement, it more usually causes us to feel calm & relaxed, like after a deep exhale. Intuition does not always tell us what we want to hear, but it usually does tell us what we need to hear. While intuition is inherent to all of us, practice is required to distinguish which signals from the body are our intuition, our wise inner guide, and which are not. So where to start? Step 1: Listen to the body We can start in very practical ways. Intuitive eating, for example, is about listening to the body for when it is hungry & when it is full. While this may sound basic, it’s shockingly challenging for a culture which has been taught to separate the body & mind. More often, it is our mind (& our eyes!) that tells us when & how much we should eat, rather than listening to what the body has to say. Taking it a step further, we can also become attuned to what we’re actually hungry for. Our sugar craving may be due to insufficient protein, or to insufficient sweetness in our lives. Our ‘out of control’ carb cravings may be due to stress, or to a yearning for more comfort in our lives. Learning to observe ourselves & our behaviour with honesty & clarity is fundamental in developing our intuitive abilities, and it can start with these simple (but not so easy) skills. We can also get more tuned into when we need rest, exercise, time in nature, or when we need to remove unnecessary distractions. Our body tells us when we need these things, but we have gotten used to ignoring the signals. We decide that the brain ‘knows best’ about what the body ‘should’ do. Often the body needs to send very loud & clear signals - in the form of pain, anxiety, or illness - before we are able to listen. Intuition gives us the capacity to see the best paths to take in our lives before having to figure it out the hard way. If we’re ignoring the signals our body is already giving us on a day-to-day basis, it’s much less likely that the wise guide within will be open to higher decision-making. Feeling into when a boundary has been violated, when we need to spend more time in solutide, or when we have been pushing ourselves too hard & need to reconstruct our definition of success - these are all things that our intuition can reveal to us, but we need to start simple before these more complex & nuanced issues can be considered. Step 2: Recognize when forces other than intuition are at play. Instinct is an intelligence that also lives within the body. The difference is that instinct is focused on survival - or staying safe, while intuition is focused on thriving - or moving forward. Attacking, denying, fleeing, hoarding, & sticking with our own tribe are all examples of instinctive behaviour that we can automatically fall into before our intuition even has a chance to awaken. Fear is a major instinct often disguising itself as intuition. We may have been taught to view life as more threatening or competitive than it really is, so our body keeps giving us the signals that we need to protect or compare ourselves to others more than is really appropriate. When this happens, we can miss new & exciting opportunities that are right in front of us. Fear can cause us to move with excessive caution instead of allowing ourselves to open to the mystery of the unknown, where intuition likes to dwell. On the other hand, fear can also cause us to linger in the limbo of indecision, rather than trusting in what the body already knows to be true. Fear is tricky… Equally tricky is discerning between the voice of our inner wise one and the voices of the biases that we have inherited from our culture & history. We may get a ‘gut feeling’ when it comes to making decisions about what career path to take, which people we are attracted to, and even about what we value, yet it might not be based on what truly & deeply feels right for us. Our environment teaches us a lot about what we ‘should’ like & dislike. We may have been taught to look more favourably on people with more advanced education, and less favourably on people with less, which may lead us to choose a partner with good credentials, but who is not concerned at all about our emotional well-being. We may be attracted to someone whose abusive behaviour mimics that which we saw or received as a child. This family & cultural conditioning goes beyond the rational mind and sinks deep into our cellular story - but it is not our intuition talking as we make these kinds of choices. It’s impossible to eliminate all of these biases, but we can become more aware of them, and be on the lookout as to how they influence our decision-making on an unconscious level. Step 3: Radical honesty & trust With all of these possible forces disguising themselves as intuition, how can we trust the signals that we are getting from the body? By creating a body & mind that are trustworthy. By following the intuitive eating that I suggested in Step 1 & sticking with it, our body & mind learn to trust each other. The body says "I’m full”, we hear it, and we stop eating. The body says “I’m tired”, we hear it, and we rest. When we repeatedly respect what the body is telling us, when we listen, the body will become even more communicative. Our intuition also deepens as we are more honest with ourselves and as we express that truth outward. When we say ‘yes’ to someone, but inside we feel a ‘no’, we are ignoring our inner wisdom. When we do something that might make us look good, but doesn’t feel right inside, we are betraying ourselves. On the other hand, when we tell the truth, with kindness & respect, to ourselves & others, we become more trustworthy, allowing our intuition to feel more free to express itself. This is not always easy work, but if intuition is worth having, it’s worth this effort. In keeping with being honest with ourselves, we stop with negative self-talk. Negative self-talk is lying. Period. Telling ourselves that we are not loveable or capable, that we are not enough or too much, that we are too old or too young - none of this is true or wise. None of it helps us hear what is really right for us. We also stop putting too much weight on false positivity or ‘magical thinking’ - believing that just because we want something to happen, that it will happen. Intuition is about clear-seeing. Being stuck in delusion - either positive or negative - is neither skillful nor helpful . We need to learn to respect, appreciate, & work with our whole selves: the parts of ourselves that we like & the parts that we don’t like (aka our shadow) because in order to access the full power of our intuition, we need 100% of ourselves to be present. This is especially important for those times when our intuition may be telling us to go in the opposite direction that we have been going, or to go in the opposite direction of everyone else. Our intuition can call us to make big decisions, but if we have developed a strong trust within ourselves, these big decisions don’t have to be scary. Instead, they can be invigorating & enlightening. I remember the very calm, profound sense of knowing that I had about moving from the safety of Canada to the mysterious unknown of Buenos Aires. It did not come out of the blue, but rather it emerged after years of practice: listening within, staying true to myself, & respecting my inner world. Only then was I able to make the leap with a huge sigh of trust in myself. Step 4: Become Intuition-Prone When we’re stressed, it’s much more likely that the signals we receive from the body & mind are survival-based. In order to access our intuition clearly, it’s helpful to reduce whatever unnecessary tension in our lives that we can. While removing outer stresses can be tough, we can work on becoming more calm & centered within. Meditation is an extremely helpful practice in this regard. If you do not already have a regular practice, you might find this guided meditation centered around deepening connection to the body, & to our wise inner guide to be of benefit. Spending time in nature is also helpful, as is getting enough rest, exercise, & quality time with dear ones. All of this helps calm our nervous system down, so that instead of looking out for threats, we are able to notice the signs within & around us. I also recommend keeping a notebook & pen handy. Quite brilliant flashes of insight often come to us at the most unexpected of times, such as when we are relaxing, daydreaming, or mind wandering. As I mentioned earlier, intuition is not about effortful thinking, but rather about opening up & allowing wisdom to arise. By writing down these flashes of insight, we give them validity & confirm their significance, making it increasingly likely that more of the same will come. It’s important to remember that intuition does not get into the ‘how’. Instead, it simply points us in the direction that we need to set our sails. If we have truly developed trust in our inner guide, the clarity that we receive can fuel us enough to be able to work through the sometimes challenging details of the ‘how’. Finally, it’s important to remember that we are never ‘off the path’. If listening to the inner wise one is new for you, know that your body has always been giving you guidance, and it will continue to do so. View it all as a process of refining, of polishing the mirror & tuning the instrument, so that we can see & hear ever more clearly. If you are interested in more tools to cultivate connection to self, click here to receive the 5 Day Introduction to Fully Embodied Living. Each day includes guided stretching, breath practice, meditation, & support for intuitive eating & personal development. Follow Tracy on her Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and website for more info! Read more from Tracy! Tracy Renee Stafford, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tracy Renee Stafford is a coach in Fully Embodied Fitness — a weave of yoga, pilates, dance, & functional exercise - and in Fully Embodied Living based on 4 Pillars of Well-Being: Connection to Body, Nourishment, Presence & Growth. Her mission is to help people discover how they can make self-care a celebration, rather than an obligation, & enjoy the body for how it feels, rather than just for how it performs or looks. She ran her own studio in the Canadian Prairies heartland for 20 very rewarding years - where she taught various forms of fitness, with a specific interest in injury prevention & rehabilitation and empowering students with information on HOW the body works best. She is a Mindful Movement, Holistic Living & Nutrition Coach, weaving together all of her expertise into her Fully Embodied Living Programs. She currently lives in Buenos Aires and keeps her passion for dance alive by studying Argentine Tango.

Written by: Sadie Evans, 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 Truth About America Not Giving Ex-offenders A 2nd Chance Why must the odds be forever against me when I already served 5-10 or 10-20 years of my life behind bars? Completely cut off from a fast-moving society, is this really a setup to keep me coming through the revolving door of the prison system. Isn’t this the same country that stands on the back of God, the God of second chances? Now here I am finally released into a society that I am no longer familiar with and the only option I have is to get a job that I have no skills for only forcing me to accept wages that I cannot live on. Oftentimes, I question if this is a setup to see if I will eliminate myself once again. America, America, why must I still serve time when I served my time! Let me make it clear, I understand that I made a mistake as an adult, and I should have known better, and I take full responsibility for the charges on my name. But please understand that from the eyes of a child all I saw was pain and poverty and this issue was not something I asked for, but it was forced on me. But it's not just me, but also my family. Unfortunately, I was not given the option to go to schools where teachers genuinely cared about our education, I was not able to go to my father for guidance because he was trying to survive the best way he knew how. As I grew, I knew I wanted to escape the pain that came with living in poverty, but I had no idea how, so I leaned on the only piece of love and guidance I felt... Which was the streets and as we all knew the streets do not love you back, but even bad guidance is better than no guidance right? Your Honor, during the 5 years of my life that I spent alone in a prison cell, I sat in there and, I learned the error of my actions. Each day, I realized that pain and poverty was meant to teach me how to tap into the greatness within me, I learned that no guidance was better than bad guidance because it allows me the opportunity to seek good guidance, I learned that there is nothing in these streets but an early death sentence and or becoming stale by the prison system. Actually, I have a plan, I finally have a plan! Once I get out, I am going to get a job and work hard every day so that I can get home, go to school, and become a productive MAN in society. But here, I am being rejected by yet another job. The frustration is rising, and I better get some money soon or I’ll be homeless, and my family will starve. Now, I’m fighting myself because I know better now, I learned my lesson when I gave y’all 5 years of my life. But if I don’t go back to the only thing that I know which is to hustle for money I’ll end up sleeping on the streets and not being able to take care of the family I created. America y’all have left me no choice but to go back to what is familiar and what is familiar will eventually lead me to give the prison system 10-15 more years of my life. Why is this happening America? Why are people serving time behind bars and getting out without proper rehabilitation, why pay the price for crime ten years later? Is the average $33,274 to house inmates all the value that is placed on the lives of people. Again, I ask is this the same America that stands of “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” If so, can we truly give our ex-offenders a second chance, can we properly rehabilitate them, can we not make them continue to serve time after all, they served their time and worked for unlivable wages while doing it. I am the sister, the friend, the niece, the heart, and the mouth of PEOPLE (Ex-offenders) that are trying to move on but are being forced to go back to the only survival skills they know. America, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER! Want to learn more from Sadie? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit her website. Read more from Sadie! Sadie Evans, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sadie Evans is an author, speaker, and the podcast host of Soul Food with Sadie, She is a first-generation college grad with her degree in Human Services. She is a first-generation business owner and author, Sadie is the epiphany of self-development. She took the obstacles she was born into and utilized them as a staircase to her success. Sadie has survived childhood trauma, domestic violence, and the struggles that come with being a single parent. She knows how to turn pain into purpose and her goal is to help others transform their trauma into triumph.

Written by: Dr. Jennifer Jones Bryant, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As a senior government leader, I had one of the best and most inspiring mentors and leaders, Mr. Donald Drummer. He brought out the very best in me when I worked for him. I remember I was going through one of the most challenging times in my personal life and still had to show up at work leading a team of 38 federal employees and over 40 contractors while providing oversight of a $1Billion budget. I was pushing myself so hard, but I felt I was at my breaking point. I asked if I could talk to him one day. He always kept an open-door policy and responded positively to my request. We would often catch up in the evenings about our workday, the challenges, and the rewards of the day. When I shared with him what I was going through and how tough it was for me to push through the day. He told me he would be right back. He gave me a motivational coin( I think his last one) that I carried with me every day, and he asked me to listen later to an inspirational Gospel song by Brian Courtney Wilson, Worth Fighting For. At that moment when he shared an analogy with me that continues to stick with me often -- Glass Balls vs. Rubber Balls -- a lightbulb went off in my head. He said something like this, "in life when we determine our priorities we must look at our glass balls and do whatever we can to not break them. Your glass balls, your priorities, maybe your family, your finances, your health, and spirituality. It may be all of these. Your rubber balls, nonpriority items, will bounce back." And in the last few years, I added that the rubber balls may continue to roll, and that's okay. I began to think about my priorities in life. I had spent my younger years laser-focused on building my career. In that moment of personal trauma of suddenly losing my mother, a few years later my only sibling(my brother), and ending my 18-year marriage, I had to think about my daughters and be fully present for them. I had to be vulnerable with my leaders and share that I needed time to care for myself, my daughters, and my financial affairs. My leaders and one of my branch managers designated as the lead in my absence were so gracious and allowed me the time to do what was needed. During those times, I focused on my top priorities. I learned that I needed to get out of my way, put my ego and pride aside, and ask for help. I began to look at work-life balance differently and reframed my mindset to "work-life integration." An idea stemmed from Robert Owen, who originally coined the phrase, "8 hours labour, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours rest" in 1817. It was his idea to divide the day into three equal parts. Work-life integration is an extension of the work-life balance approach. Instead of there being a conflict between the two areas, work-life integration seeks to unify them in a way that supports both. It is an approach that creates more synergy between all areas that define life, work, home/family, community, personal well-being, and health. As a leader, it is vital to set an example and model the behavior we want to see. My leadership advice is not to break your glass balls and focus on your work-life integration priorities. Here's how: Embrace Your Power of Choice. Don't allow every situation to get your attention and get you distracted. You have the power of decision-making. Determine your top 2-3 priorities daily. Say no to non-priorities. To decide, ask yourself these questions. Does it need to happen now? Why am I focused here? Am I doing this for the right reason? Remove distractions from your priorities. Consider putting on your do not disturb on your technology devices. Consider checking out the Top 10 Best Free Time Management Tool, to optimize your calendar and free up blocks of uninterrupted time to maintain work-life integration. Hold yourself accountable, make flexibility at work and home a priority - intentionally schedule a time to take care of your glass balls, rest times, and some mental time away. Melanie Koulouris said, Life is so short. We spend so much time sweating the small stuff; worrying, complaining, gossiping, comparing, wishing, wanting, and waiting for something bigger and better instead of focusing on all the simple blessings that surround us every day. Life is so fragile. All it takes is a single moment to change everything you take for granted. Focus on what's important and be grateful! You are blessed! Believe it! Live your life and leave no regrets. I challenge you to determine what your glass balls are and where your focus needs to be. And remember, those rubber balls, non-priorities, will bounce back or keep rolling. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Jennifer! Dr. Jennifer Jones Bryant, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Jennifer Jones Bryant was fatherless during her childhood. She spent her teenage years caring for her mother, who was mentally ill when Dr. Bryant’s only sibling was incarcerated. After going through sexual assault and domestic abuse throughout her early twenties and later dealing with the loss of all her loved ones that left her deeply depressed, Dr. Bryant looked past her challenging beginnings and reached within herself, and relied on faith to find strength. She has since spent her life helping others find and grow their inner strength to accelerate to the next level in their careers. Her 33-year career and executive-level experience with the federal government and corporate spanned many functional areas, including budget and finance, human resources, procurement coordination, logistical support, strategic planning, strategic communication, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. She is Executive Founder of Reaching From Within, an Empowerment Journey LLC, the well sought out coaching and mentoring company with thousands of clients worldwide, including federal government agencies, academia, churches, and community organizations. She provides services through workshops, resume reviews and updates, and interview preparations, and goal setting. Dr. Bryant is also the host of the "Empowerment Journey" Podcast, which is consistently among the top podcasts within the Elite Conversation Community. She was featured in Speakers Magazine, Faith Heart, Glam CEO, Power 20, Women on the Verge, VoyATL, One Tribe, and UpWord global magazines, Making Headlines News, Radio One, Great Day Washington WUSA, NBC and ABC affiliates, and ThatAnitaLiveShow, and numerous Podcast interviews. Her mission: Ignite Your Fire® to Propel Your Professional Development.

Written by: Jennifer Jank, 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. Imagine a world where your back office is spinning out of control. Your business is successful enough that you’ve been able to hire some staff. Even though your workers are smart and you like them, they don’t seem to be able to get things done in a timely manner. They’re constantly rushed, and so are you. You have entered … the Chaos Zone. But how do you exit? Are you doomed to flail forever? Do you have to keep hiring and firing until you have the perfect team? Not necessarily, but you and your team may need to reorient how you do things. Clarity This comes from you as the business owner. You’re the only one who can ensure that your team is clear on the company’s mission, who you serve, and why. Each team member must be clear on their job description and the parameters of their job, and how it serves the overall mission. If you expect your staff to own their jobs and own their responsibilities, you need to give them latitude for failure. If they’re afraid of making mistakes (which everyone does and will including you) because you come down on them heavily when they do, then they will not take the job on as their own. They’ll wait for you to direct their every move. Templates and checklists will help them feel more comfortable when they begin. Especially if you give them the freedom over time to make changes as they become more knowledgeable and efficient. Focus Is anyone supposed to be able to multitask? If so, everyone’s in for disappointment. The human brain can’t do more than one cognitively demanding task at a time. It can only switch back and forth between them, which is draining. Help your staff focus by not demanding they answer emails or Slack (or other messaging apps) while they’re trying to focus on a task. Unless it’s an emergency or very important, don’t interrupt them. Let clients and vendors know that the team only reads and answers emails during certain times during the day. Autoresponder emails are a great way to accomplish this. Working smarter Give your employees the ability to arrange their work so they can batch tasks, where possible. This may take some strategic thinking, but allow them the time. You’ll reap the rewards of a more efficient workforce. The human brain can focus for a max of an hour to an hour and a half at a time, so don’t punish them for taking breaks between bouts of concentrated work. In fact, you’ll all benefit from posture breaks. Stretching and/or socializing during rest time prevents strains and pains that might otherwise keep them out of work . Not to mention, it allows for recharging. Productivity depends on being able to spend time outside of work with friends and family, doing enjoyable activities and hobbies. Keep overtime to a minimum and encourage your employees to go home at a reasonable time. The popular myth of high-achieving employees makes it seem like workers are constantly head down at their workspace. Yet the reality is you’ll get more and better results over the long run by allowing them to work efficiently and without interruption instead. When you have great people, help them be great. Give them the tools that allow them to work with their brains, not against them. Working smarter helps prevent burnout for both you and your staff. Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jennifer! Jennifer Jank, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jennifer “JJ” Jank works with women who are making the leap from employee to an entrepreneur through courses and a book to be published in February 2021. She also helps businesses build their online credibility through eBooks, testimonials, and articles. JJ holds a BA in Physics from Rutgers University and an MBA in Finance from New York University. She is a Certified Financial Planner ™ professional. Currently, she’s the President for Women Leaders Forum in Coachella Valley and the webmistress for the Palm Springs chapter of AAUW. She is also a speaker on various topics, including personal finance and entrepreneurship. JJ has been published in Journal for Divorce Financial Analysts and Coachella Valley Weekly, among others.

Samantha Redd is an expert in trauma recovery through using shadow work and her death doula training. She works with moms who are domestic violence survivors in high conflict divorce by using a mix of real-world experience and a unique view of spirituality to educate, heal, inspire, protect, and rebuild her clients and help them find their purpose. Samantha has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and uses her expertise in that field to help her clients understand the link between stress and sickness. In addition, she has dedicated her life to helping people recover from loss and find their way back to their true selves as a way of honoring the growth that comes with that loss. She is also the CEO of Decoding the System and has been helping people with grief for 20 years. Samantha is also a high conflict divorce survivor and wears a mask and pen name because she can only be present and a light for others by hiding in the darkness. Samantha Redd, CEO Of Decoding The System And Expert In Trauma Recovery Who are you, and who do you serve? Imagine that you just got married to what you think is the love of your life; he’s attentive, caring, and always there for you. In the back of your mind, something seems a little off, but when you bring it up, your new husband brushes it off. Fast forward to when you have children and the love of your life had been belittling you gradually at first, and now it’s almost all the time. You can’t seem to do anything right for him. You have been worn down from trying to please him, and you’re constantly exhausted from trying to figure out if it’s going to be a good day or a bad day with him and confused by the chronic gaslighting you are now a shell of your former self. Finally, friends and family get involved, if your ex hasn’t pushed them out of your life and you are at your breaking point, enough is enough, and you decide to leave your toxic and abusive ex. You take your kids and go either when he is not home or passed out drunk. When you speak to the police about all the claims you’ve made in the past about the harassment and violence, and you find out they never reported anything because it was a “domestic” case. So you go to a lawyer, and they tell you it probably will be 50/50 custody even though he beat you in front of them, and you are scared he will do the same to them, you are afraid and alone – this is where I come in. I am a High Conflict Divorce Coach. I help women; moms deal with a high conflict partner through strategy and spiritual methods. My focus is to shore up moms for the battle ahead, empower them with knowledge about the courts and custody and support them through the entire process by listening to them. I also support their ability to parent and co-parent with an abusive partner; these moms need to relearn boundaries and save their energy for those that matter most, like their children. Finally, I show them how to protect their children as best as possible. Why me? I had no idea what a narcissist was; I was so naïve I thought people would get married and work together. That’s what my parents did, and I knew no different. But then, in comes my narcissist, and alarms are going off, but there was always an excuse for his outbursts, “oh, it’s the military,” “oh, I got into a fight at work with someone,” etc. Finally, after one year of marriage, we started counseling together, but my husband stopped going when the therapist started agreeing with me. In one of those sessions where I was alone with the therapist, he said something to change my life forever. He said this marriage would never work because you are married to a malignant narcissist. My head was reeling; I had no idea what that was. The closest equivalent I can describe it to is if the devil walked the earth, this might seem harsh if you’ve never dealt with, let alone married one, but my clients would agree with me. Imagine you are in a relationship where your husband belittles you, turns the children against you, takes all the money, have you thinking you are the problem, and isolates you from friends and family. Narcissists are very insidious because it all happens over time, the insult, the apology, then the silent treatment back to the outburst, and it’s all your fault, or so he convinces you it is. I got into this line of work after divorcing my ex over ten years ago. I did not know that my ex and the courts would shape my life for years to come. I never want anyone to go through what I went through, and so I am called to help others in that situation. It is challenging work, but if I wasn’t there, who would be? Describe your clients? My clients come from all over the world and have several things in common. They have married, had children, and are either just starting the divorce process with their toxic ex or in their 20th court case. Dealing with the courts can be a terrifying experience. You have to convince a judge who knows you as case 5357 in a matter of hours that your ex is dangerous and the children need to be in your care to remain safe. What style/methods do you use to help your clients? There is so much to talk about here, but my core practice involves two methods. One is the practical no-nonsense this is what you wear to court, how to co-parent in a court-approved way, or what you need to document. Then there is the spiritual side where I teach my clients how to protect their energy, heal from trauma using shadow work which builds upon what I learned as a death doula, and use a mix of magic and spirit to move forward in life! And why the mask? I wear the mask for two reasons. The first one is that most of my clients fear and hide from their narcissist ex, so I do this to let them know I get it. Second, I love Egyptian Gods and wear Bastet, the Goddess of healing, protection, motherhood, and love, which I hope to honor with my clients. Follow me on Facebook, Youtube, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Samantha!

Written by: Claire Johnson, 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 common mistake many make when working towards something is that they give up when a challenge first arises. One small setback or hurdle leads to their mind being filled with doubt, negative self-talk and countless thoughts of not being good enough. If you stop before you have momentum, then of course you will fail; it is exactly the same as if you don’t even try for fear of failure. After all, the key to overcoming any fear, first of all is accepting that actually it is ok to be a little nervous or unsure of some things – it is when this develops into deeper anxiety that prevents you doing what you want to, that it has become a problem. Try not to let doubt stop you, if you think positive and believe in yourself this will give you the confidence to try anything at least once. If there is an activity you have been longing to do yet those around you are putting negative thoughts in your mind then try to seek out people you know who have already done it so they can provide support and valuable advice for you. This will assist to boost confidence as well as ignite the excitement within to try something new. You must make it essential to have impetus when working towards your goal; the more attention and intention you can put in at the start of the process, the quicker you start to see progress, and the more likely you are to continue moving forward with the work. Let’s think about a plane taking off, it generates an initial surge of power to move, then accelerates continuously down the runway until it reaches the point where it will lift off and continue to climb, gaining speed. This is exactly what you must replicate with your focus, especially if you are serious about getting what you want! Life can be hard. Not every journey you take is smooth, and turbulence does occur, yet this is no reason to quit. Mental toughness and resilience are built by riding the waves and facing challenges head-on. When I work with my clients, I will ask them what the alternative looks like should they choose to quit, we work to reframe the obstacles into learning opportunities, so that progress continues. It is important to realize that feeling like quitting is normal, yet the key to your success is what you do when this feeling arises. Managing your physical energy to ensure you get adequate rest, recovery, sleep and fuel into your body is not just essential for athletes, but also for anyone who wants to perform at the top of their game, whether it be in the corporate, sports or normal world. You simply cannot perform at your best, or think clearly, if you are tired and stressed. Your ability to absorb information and convert visual data into conscious thought is dulled down when tired. Similarly, when your energy levels are low your emotional brain may take over so you respond differently to a situation than you would from a more rational place. Quitting or at least the thoughts of quitting are common, for everyone at any level, your brain is wired to seek out the negatives and then remove you from what is perceived to be painful as a protection mechanism. Do understand though, that in these moments of discomfort, you are actually growing, developing and improving so you have to push through and there are processes you can follow to make the bumps smoother. Developing a no-quit attitude does take time, and just like with every muscle in your body, your brain needs to be trained to become tougher. Consistently challenge yourself to improve your mental toughness, get comfortable with pushing your boundaries and spend more time in an uncomfortable place. You also need to become unafraid of putting in the hard work. There will be times when it gets tough and you will have to work harder to get a new different result to where you currently are at. Accepting this and trusting the process is critical to strengthening your grit and determination so you can be confident in developing a no-quit attitude. Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram. You can also visit my website. Read more from Claire! Claire Johnson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Claire is an expert mindset, nutrition, and training coach for women, authors, TV presenters, expert speakers, and female empowerment mentors. Claire is the CEO of The Naked Warrior, which delivers 3 winning online coaching programs and Founder of The Naked Warrior Tribe online female empowerment community plus the author of two books — The Winning Formula: Discover the Secrets to Unleash Your Alpha Female and The Winning Physique: How to Get the Competitive Edge on Stage.

Written by: Heidi Dulebohn , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It's a universal aspiration; we want our children to become successful, happy people. But, did you know that by teaching kids to be kind and caring, we can help ensure our dreams for them come true? When you think about it, raising kind children is rooted in good manners. Etiquette, at its core, is about being kind, considerate, and treating others the way you want others to treat you—it's that simple. If you were taught as a child to be a kind and caring person, research says you probably made good grades, are enjoying a successful career, and are a happy person--three good reasons to teach children to be kind and caring, and there's research to back it up. Harvard's Graduate School of Education research reveals that empathetic people will be more successful, happier and will build solid, lasting relationships throughout their lives. Other studies show that kind kids do better in school. So, if raising kids to be kind people is a no-brainer--then why is everyone so rude and hostile lately? Recent news reports are chock full of stories about bad actors wildly misbehaving on planes, in record numbers. Disgruntled people are shouting obscenities at salespeople, Uber drivers, and at school board meetings. There are even reports of restaurants closing for a few days to let customers "cool off". We are emerging from the pandemic, not kind, but angry and rude. What's happened? Well, somewhere along the way, we've forgotten our early lessons, and it's become all about me. How can I worry about you when it's all about me? A Harvard survey of 10,000 middle and high school students in the US shows that 80% of youth ranked personal, high achievement, or happiness (feeling good) above caring for others—which was ranked top by only 20%. Some students wrote that self-interest is above everything else. Yes, of course, we need to be kind to ourselves, to put our masks on first, but we still are responsible for putting masks on those who need help. It seems that increasingly, we only care about our masks. Narcissism is on the rise at a concerning level among college students, according to Twenge and Campbell in their book, The Narcissistic Epidemic . We're taught early on that we can do anything, that we are "special"--indeed you are, but we still need to act respectfully and mind our manners. Narcissistic people care more about themselves and can exhibit aggressive behavior, even violence in some cases, to get what they want at any cost. Perhaps our inflated egos and "unrealistic overconfidence" have helped us lose our sense of civility and our empathy. In a 2010 University of Michigan study, researcher Sara Konrath revealed that college students were 40% less empathetic than in the 1970s and '80s. Students can see someone needs help, and some think they should get help, but they don't feel it's their responsibility to offer assistance. Over a decade has elapsed since the study. In a recent i nterview with the American Psychological Association, titled, "Episode 95 – The Decline of Empathy and the Rise of Narcissism" Konrath opines that while the jury is out as she works on her next book, it's likely that empathy remains on a decline while narcissism is undoubtedly on the rise. We need to channel our inner child and revisit our early lessons to be kind, caring, and patient. As is often the case, to make real change, start with the children. Don't just talk; model the behavior you want your children to adopt—they're watching and learning from you by example. Become your child's best role model. Right now, we are all stressed, but we need to engage our emotional intelligence and control our emotions--acknowledge triggers, and calm down, especially in front of the children. Create opportunities for children to practice what you preach. Take them with you to volunteer and give them the chance to help others. Encourage and commend good behavior like caring about others, in addition to the usual achievements like academics and athletics. Make mealtime quality time and ask, "What did you do today to help someone else?" Relinquish the misconception that kindness is a weakness. Successful people are also kind--being kind is being strong. So the case is made; we're out of control at the moment, but it’s possible to find our way back to our good manners through modeling and teaching kindness. Embrace the importance of teaching kindness to children, so they don't grow up to lose it in a Trader Joe's--live-streamed around the globe and instead, become intelligent, successful, happy adults. Three good reasons to teach children to be kind and caring: 1. Make better grades in school. Kind children do better in school than their bully counterpoints. Studies show that kids who are "prosocial," meaning they behave in a kind and courteous manner toward others, make better grades in school. There may be several reasons why kinder kids do better in school. Perhaps, they garner more attention from the teacher, and students helping other students reinforces the lessons. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers initiated a 12-week program for 4 and 5-year-olds in a local school called "Kindness Curriculum" based on adult mindfulness-based practices and modified for children to promote social, emotional, and academic skills. The study found that kids in the program performed better academically and "showed greater improvements in areas that predict future success" than nonparticipants. Teaching kids to be kind and generous can change the course of life. A study conducted in the UK and published in the flagship journal Child Development reveals kindness and generosity can help all children do well in school, even those from disadvantaged neighborhoods; "Prosocial behavior may mitigate academic risk across early childhood." This needs widespread exploration in the hopes that kindness can fill gaps. 2. Be more successful in their careers. Kind people are attractive, and people naturally gravitate to them. Employees will work hard and go beyond expectations when they feel valued, respected, and treated fairly. There is a war on talent right now, and leading with kindness can be what sets you apart and helps you retain and attract top talent. Ester Wojcicki, best-selling author of How to Raise Successful People , and mother of an exceptionally successful family, describes traits necessary to raise successful children in Forbes : trust, respect, independence, collaboration, and most important of all, kindness. Being kind to yourself and others will set you on your way to a successful life. 3. Be a Happier Person. The simple act of being kind is shown to make you happy, and happy people are healthier people. Save yourself a trip to the doctor, and try being kind. Kindness improves your mood and self-esteem and lowers your blood pressure and cortisol. Kindness is your new, natural stress reliever because it changes your brain chemistry . Kindness increases your neurotransmitters of serotonin and dopamine to give you a "helpers high." In pain? Being kind can release the body's natural pain killer, endorphins. We have the opportunity to change our current muddled climate. It starts with us becoming the people our children think we are and raising our children to be kind, considerate people. So, "Teach your children well," thank you, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Heidi! Heidi Dulebohn, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After traveling the world, breaking barriers and securing several "firsts" as an executive in the grain trading industry, Heidi turned her passion for etiquette into a series of helpful workshops, columns and crowd-pleasing speaking engagements. Fascinated by the cultural history behind traditional etiquette rules, Heidi has devoted her career to empowering leaders with a modern-day version of those same wonderful rules. A highly certified expert on modern etiquette for the digital age, she is dedicated to sharing all she knows to help others live their best personal and professional lives. Her mantra: Be kind. It's free.

Written by: Karin Brauner , 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 childhood was quite normal.” How often do we hear this? How many times is it actually true? I can’t answer that question, but I leave you to ponder on that, and now I challenge us to consider the following question: Is what’s normal always good for us? When people experience emotional neglect, it is not obvious to the child or the people around them. It seems almost imperceptible. As if it never happened. Sometimes I think it’s worse than things that people can see like psychological, physical, and even sexual abuse. That is not to diminish the harm these cause. They are all on the same level, but the invisibility of childhood emotional neglect makes it a different kind of insidious and dark. I work with people teaching them how to meet their emotional and physical needs. I find it very important in our lives to meet our needs, and to acknowledge that we also have needs like other people do. That we also deserve to voice what we need and get what we need in one way or another. As Dr Jonice Webb states emotional neglect is a parent’s failure to respond enough to a child’s emotional needs. Emotional neglect is, in some ways, the opposite of mistreatment and abuse. It’s a failure to act . What can we include in childhood emotional neglect: Difficulty in acknowledging, understanding and valuing their emotions Depression, anxiety might be a regular aspect of their lives Feeling a disconnection from life in one way or another They might think they have to do everything for themselves, as people are not reliable (just like growing up they couldn’t rely on their parents for emotional support) Self-blame As I mentioned above, childhood emotional neglect (CEN) seems invisible to the observer but is very real to the experiencer. Gaslighting might be a regular occurrence in people that experienced CEN growing up – “that didn’t happen like that”, “you’re making that up”, “your parents / we would never do that to you!”, “how dare you say that about your parents”, “but they are such lovely people”. This gaslighting and negating of lived experiences might make someone with CEN feel like they are the ones at fault. Like they are crazy. But it really happened. In spite of life looking “normal” (whatever that is), there were things that didn’t go according to plan: Your emotional needs weren’t met, even if your physical needs were (there was always food, shelter, holidays, stuff) Your parents were always more focused on work or other things, that led them to not pay attention to your emotional needs (it might not have been on purpose, but it impacted you) Maybe your difficulty in making an emotional connection with someone comes from your parents not being able to offer you that emotional connection when you were a child When you cried, got angry or challenged your parents, you were either ignored, told to shut up or that you were being silly by feeling this way – that stings and sticks around in our subconscious As I said before, parents don’t mean to do this on purpose. It happens because their own emotional awareness is slim to non-existent. When we talk about CEN, we talk about behaviours or the absence of them, not the people that perform these behaviours. This usually helps people open up about what happened to them. And it’s true, we don’t condemn parents, but we do acknowledge the behaviours that led the individual to feel disconnected from themselves, their emotions and their world, amongst other things. Does having these experiences mean we can’t live an emotionally connected life? Not at all. This is why I continue to work with people in my practice, helping them gain awareness of their own needs, both physical and emotional, and how they can ask for what they need. Here are a few practical things you can start doing to meet your needs and show yourself and others that they also matter: When you feel angry, sad, happy, sit with those feelings and allow yourself to experience them fully Start allowing yourself to express your emotions – first to yourself, then to others. Maybe start with the positive emotions, as it might be easier, then as you see that people are okay and welcome your emotions, you can start trying with some of the emotions that are more difficult to you. Write down a list of things you need, but are not sure of how to get them. Maybe a hug from your partner, or a raise from your boss. Maybe start with asking for a cup of tea, if you’re the one that makes them all the time; or try getting someone to do some small, inconsequential task for you. This will give you more and more evidence to show that people value what you need and are willing to meet your needs, even if they weren’t met when you were younger. I hope this article helps you explore the difficult things that you might have experienced. Those unnamed, invisible things that still affect you to this day. Remember, you can change how you are by dealing with these realities and putting some things into practice. For more, you can visit my website , order my book which relates to this topic , and also visit Jonice Webb’s website which has lots of content on this topic. Follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Karin! Karin Brauner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Karin Brauner is passionate about helping people get on track – or back on track – in their personal and professional lives through practical tools and inspirational conversations in a variety of settings. Karin teaches tools that she’s learned and developed throughout her own life and career. She knows how hard things can get, but also how great things can be once you move through to the other side. She now shares the knowledge she’s gained, through various mediums, to show people a path to better self-care, support when processing their past, and working out their present so they can lead an improved life and thrive in their personal and professional relationships.

Written by: Sandra Daniele, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Do you believe in the power of affirmations, or do you view them as wishful thinking of the unintelligent? Are you willing to explore your perception of the power of affirmations? It has been shown that affirmations fire up your neural pathways and make changes to those areas of the brain that create positive and happy feelings. I know I am willing to take a closer look at anything that brings more joy into my life. Maybe you have tried using affirmations but found yourself stuck in a loop of saying affirmations without any significant change. Welcome to the importance of mindset. If affirmations and mindset are not working in unison, then you have created an extra activity that is probably creating frustration. Affirmations are short powerful statements that declare a positive thought while assertively stating it as truth. The affirmations you choose to say create the building blocks for your life and the path to living the way you desire. They are the superhighway to control your thoughts or take back control of your thoughts. When you say, write or think of the affirmations they create new thoughts that start to shape your new reality. They can also be used to relax and calm your mind. A quick affirmation as a quick reminder that you are okay. Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you see and make sense of yourself and the world around you. Often your beliefs are the result of ideas presented by family, friends, teachers, news, and society. It is important to realize that your beliefs may not actually belong to you, but rather were influenced by important people or events in your life. These beliefs continue to influence how you think, feel, and behave in each situation. They impact how you make sense of the world, who you are, and what you do. Your mindset and beliefs affect your daily self-dialogue and your feelings about yourself. A strong and positive mindset is essential for a healthy self-esteem. When you feel good about yourself and have a positive mindset, your life tends to run smoothly. When you are feeling bad about yourself (negative mindset) and have a negative attitude, you tend to engage in self-defeating behaviors which may cause negative outcomes. This is the reason that mindset and affirmations must work in unison. If you find yourself simply stating affirmations, you found on the internet without the right mindset you will only feel frustrated. By focusing on the positive and speaking positively you are more likely to attract positive things into your life such as abundance, love and renewed health. Where your focus goes is where intention flows. To be truly effective you must work to reprogram your subconscious mind, to encourage new beliefs about yourself and your place in the world. Affirmations create the inspiration and the simple reminder to think and act differently throughout the day. Your mindset can create two effects on you either limiting your potential or liberating it. A fixed mindset limits your capacity for learning, whereas a growth mindset helps you reach your full potential. “Mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it, to see a better world” – Amit Ray Six ways to incorporate mindset and affirmations so they work for you Know your why for saying the affirmations Understand and recognize your personal values as these will help guide your why Let go of the old stories that aren’t serving you Choose to change your thinking to create new habits Act as if something is true (override negative thinking), to experience the feelings associated with the outcome you desire Be consistent and choose daily to think thoughts that make you feel good. By implementing awareness around mindset and your reason for saying affirmations you will be on your way to making positive changes in your life. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Sandra! Sandra Daniele, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sandra Daniele is a certified life coach who has helped numerous women break through limiting beliefs that held them back from relationships, jobs, and the life they desired to live. Sandra is passionate about joining women on their journey to self-love and acceptance while guiding them to confidently show up as who they are, not who they think they need to be. She has discovered the secrets to identifying what is most important in life and how to live authentically. She gladly shares these secrets with her clients. In her free time, Sandra enjoys beach yoga, reading, and time with family and friends.

Written by: Laurance Noroy, 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. Tips for understanding and supporting our brightest youth. In this article, we will try to briefly present what giftedness means and the common characteristics of a gifted child. What is giftedness? Several authoritative bodies have given their explanation for giftedness. For example, The National Association for Gifted Children, in the US defines Gifted Children with ability is significantly above the norm for their age. The IQ test is another tool to measure giftedness and it calculates how the brain acquires, consolidates, and stores all environmental information as well as how fast it acts on it. However, where the IQ test assesses a child’s linguistic, visual-spatial intelligence, memory, and information processing speed, it also has its limitations. This is because there are different types of intelligence, as put by Howard Gardner; for example, musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, linguistic intelligence, etc. Is my child gifted or smart? A child is generally considered smart if they are showing above-average performance than children of the same age. But how about if the child is very smart? How can we differentiate between a smart and a gifted child? We sometimes don’t know. Also, because we want to be humble and not dream too far that we put a gifted child into this world because it would mean we feel entitled, elitist and superior to society, correct? The truth is there is fear in even accepting our child’s giftedness. But once we bypass our fears and look at the facts in the eye...what do we see? Starting from the development stages, research shows that gifted preschoolers are generally 30% more advanced than same-age peers. For example, a child walking by 8 months or a child who is a self-taught reader by the age of 3. Smart children ask questions that may have answers. Gifted children ask questions that are so complex, deep, and/or metaphysical that we might be at a loss and simply not know! They also share somewhat the same emotional outlook, levels of interest in unique subjects, exceptional language ability, and worldly concerns with fairness. Common characteristics of a Gifted Are you wondering “Is my child gifted?” Well, a lead researcher on giftedness, James Webb, put together a list for you in his book: A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children, by James Webb and Others. It is important to understand that each child is unique, and may show one or many, or all of the characteristics we will discuss, and the purpose is to merely point out some similarities. After all, as Olivier Revol, a French psychiatrist says in his book that gifted children are not like any other children, but like them, they are children. Gifted children can be unusually alert, restless, and filled with high energy. They are rapid learners; they put thoughts together quickly and it only takes one exposure for a full understanding of a concept. They also enjoy solving problems, especially with numbers and puzzles. Even an infant can give off some characteristics of being a gifted child. Much giftedness-based research has focused on the concept of habituation. One such study found that certain babies became habituated to new stimuli faster than others, suggesting that they absorbed and retained sensory information differently. The babies also showed a greater preference for unfamiliar stimuli as opposed to those who were drawn to the familiar. Conclusion Remember, your intuition is key. If you have a strong feeling that your child or baby is behaving way ahead of recommended development stages, you can look up anywhere what is recommended for each age by your national pediatrics association. Observations, coupled with your intuition will give you the answer you already know. Welcome to this journey... Interested in finding out more? Keep in touch! Check out our Website. Download your Ebook- What is giftedness? Follow Laurance on Facebook for more info! Laurance Noroy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Laurance Anne is a thought leader in brain performance, mental fitness, and self-esteem development. She quickly came to terms with the specificities of her son’s gifted brain and created strategies to consistently enhance his emotional wellbeing and executive functioning. She has since dedicated her life to helping other moms unleash their child’s true genius and brainpower, fully live their giftedness and be happy. She is CEO of Champion Your Gifted Child, whose mission is to provide content and context to help gifted families thrive in today’s world. She offers parenting courses and 1-1 coaching packages to support the gifted community in the US and around the world. You may book a Discovery Call with her on her website to discuss specific strategies for your family.

Delighted to share our Interview with Hypnotist & Clinical Hypnotherapist Rebecca Jones M.A. (DipPCH GHR GHSC MAC). Rebecca Jones has a thriving Clinic in Harley Street London, and a private practice in Manchester seeing private clients from around the world. Find out about how she became a hypnotist, and why she became a Clinical Hypnotherapist helping a variety of VIP clients ranging from Government officials both in the UK and around the world, including clients from the White House in the United States of America, as well as celebrities, global popstars, Silicon Valley tech gurus, Embassies and diplomats, world-famous fashion designers, premier sports personalities and athletes, and more... Rebecca has been interviewed for media – radio interviews, and newspaper and journal articles worldwide. Rebecca is now an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine. Clinical Hypnotherapist, Rebecca Jones Her latest book, 'Source Your Inner Jetpack: Rapid Transformations for Life's Jetsetters' is to be published later this year. During the global pandemic, following her flagship and ground-breaking Research Study and Clinical Trials into Long COVID Rebecca devised the only clinical study into the therapeutic treatment of Long COVID using Clinical Hypnotherapy. It was, and is, the only and first of its kind worldwide, working with Long COVID sufferers. And it remains to this day the only therapeutic treatment designed for Long COVID sufferers using hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Rebecca progressed further to develop her very own unique clinical therapeutic method and treatment plan for Long COVID patients which is at the forefront of such clinical work and treatment for Long COVID. It is described as being revolutionary in therapy, treatment and innovation. This was the first such study into Long COVID and Clinical Hypnotherapy anywhere in the world. And it remains the flagship treatment centre. Rebecca has since set up the Long COVID Therapy Institute, also in Harley Street London. Again, this is the only such Clinic and Institute of its kind worldwide, studying and researching Long COVID and Clinical Hypnotherapy, creating brand new and outstanding therapeutic techniques, technologies, and methods, using neuroscience, neurological technologies, and hypnotherapy and providing excellent results and unique treatments for sufferers of Long COVID. Rebecca now trains medical professionals using her bespoke series of workshops, seminars, and training programs for therapists, medical practitioners, doctors, and hypnotherapists. Rebecca also trains, accredits, and certifies future therapists, coaches, and hypnotherapists, as well as training and mentoring current consultants, coaches and therapists continuing their professional development (CPD). In lockdown and during the global pandemic Rebecca also provided free treatments and sessions offering free Clinical Hypnotherapy sessions and treatment for doctors, nurses, medical professionals, ICU staff, and NHS staff. Rebecca has received the CREA Global Award for her work in mental health and therapy work alongside other notable winners such as Oprah Winfrey. Rebecca initially trained alongside hypnotist Paul McKenna and Dr. Richard Bandler. She was then asked to work alongside them and assist them in their seminars, trainings and events in London. Initially, Rebecca was living in Paris at the time and so she would commute between Paris and London to work with them in London. And now she is a very highly trusted and highly valued member of their staff trainer team, working with them in London and the USA. Rebecca is a dedicated and highly sought-after Consultant and Clinical Hypnotherapist. Whilst living in France Rebecca ran successful Transformational Hypnotherapy Beach Retreats in St. Malo, France. Living in Dinard – St. Malo by the sea was the perfect location where clients and guests could come and stay on a transformational retreat by the beach. These will resume in the near future after COVID restrictions are eased. Watch this space... Rebecca began her working career as a secondary school teacher. She then won the National Teacher of the Year Award for turning around the successes of a failing school in inner-city Manchester. Rebecca then worked overseas for the British Council and was then headhunted by the United Nations to work for them. At the same time, Rebecca was also running her Consultancy and Therapy business overseas working with many international clients. Rebecca was invited to visit Florida, USA where Dr. Richard Bandler awarded her with the utmost recognition and prize: His Seal of Approval. Rebecca is now able to train future therapists, coaches and hypnotherapists on Dr. Bandler's behalf, with his seal of approval, and Dr. Bandler's personally, hand-signed signature of trainees certificates. Let's ask Rebecca some questions: Where did you live and work overseas? And do you have many overseas clients now? I was fortunate enough to spend 5 years living and working overseas. I have lived in Paris and St. Malo, France, as well as Cairo in Egypt, Almaty, Kazakhstan, and also Poland. I spent a year working in each place learning the language and getting to know the local people, the local customs and cultures, and ways of life. It was an incredible experience and I have many fond and exciting memories of my time abroad. I have many overseas clients from all over the world including Asia, USA, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, as well as clients from all around the UK. I feel very lucky to work with amazing people from all over the world. Some clients will travel to me, or I travel to them, or we work together online. It is all possible. What is life like in Manchester and London? Yes, I now live back in England, and now I commute between London and Manchester. It is great being back in the UK and being close again to family and friends. And now people can come to see me in my Clinic in Harley Street London or my private practice in Manchester and Cheshire. Tell us about your new book? My new book is called 'Source Your Inner Jetpack: Rapid Transformations for Life's Jetsetters'. And it is a book of 3 parts. It is a part autobiography where I share some of my amazing experiences that I have been fortunate to have in my life. Secondly, it shares some (anonymous) client stories and case studies of some of the incredible people I have been able to work with. And it shows how they have been able to transform their lives. And finally, it shares some of my secret techniques and methods that readers can also use themselves to transform and change their lives too! Writing this book has been a labour of love for me. I am very proud of it and I can't wait to get it out there! People reading this book really will be able to get out there and transform their lives!! How can someone become your client? I do have a long waiting list. But I do try to help people as soon as possible, especially in urgent or emergency cases. People can have a look at my websites. I have different websites for the different areas of my business: On my websites people can also check out my 5 reviews and testimonials: www.paris-st-cloud.com www.harleystreettherapyclinic.com www.fifthavenuetherapyclinic.com You can also email me at: rebecca@harleystreettherapyclinic.com info@paris-st-cloud.com rebecca@fifthavenuetherapyclinic.com What do you like to do when you're not working? I love hill walking, walking the dog, as well as relaxing infront of the fire reading a good novel, and having dinner with family and friends. I also love my work and my job, and so it never feels like work. And so I also enjoy writing articles for journals and the press, editing my book, and devising and designing new techniques for therapy. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Read more from Rebecca!