Written by: Nikki Langman, 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. High Emotional Intelligence. A couple of years ago, I was one of two speakers at a leadership summit for real estate professionals in the United States. I was speaking about Emotionally Intelligent Leadership and the other speaker was a Detective and Former FBI Hostage Negotiator. I sat in the back of the room listening intently as the Detective spoke about the process of negotiating in very high stakes situations. The Detective shared with us the five-step Behavioral Change Stairway Model that was developed by the FBI’s hostage negotiation unit. These are the five steps for effective hostage negotiation: Active Listening: Demonstrate that you’re listening. Empathy: Where are they coming from and how do they feel? Rapport: Empathy is what you feel. Rapport is when they feel it back . Trust begins. Influence: Discuss problem-solving and action steps with them. Behavioral Change: They act. As the Detective explained this five-step process for hostage negotiators, I silently compared it to the competencies and behaviors of emotionally intelligent leaders. I was struck by how remarkably similar our messages were. Trust and Rapport Hostage Negotiators: The most important thing a negotiator must do to be successful with a hostage-taker is build trust and rapport . That seems logical when we are discussing it on paper, but in a real high-emotion hostage situation, there might be strong urges to flex muscle or coerce an outcome – often leading to disastrous consequences. The negotiator understands that gaining the individual’s trust is critical and is carefully built by active listening and empathetically allowing the individual feel heard and understood. Emotionally Intelligent Leaders: The most important skill that an emotionally intelligent leader must demonstrate to be successful is to build trust and rapport . A leader high in emotional intelligence is able to create a trusting psychologically safe environment and be present and open to hearing what others feel, observe, and need, without judgement. Influence Hostage Negotiators: Sometimes there is a temptation to skip the first three steps of the Behavioral Change Stairway Model and move right into influence, especially if time is a concern. This is ineffective. You cannot force influence. Instead of pretending that emotions do not belong in negotiations, hostage negotiators have designed an approach that takes emotions fully into account and uses them to influence situations. Emotionally Intelligent Leaders: Many business leaders also fall into the trap of thinking that the harder they push from the top down, the more influence they are likely to have. Many leaders prefer to skip the first three steps and go right into wielding power to incite action. However, fear-based compliance creates mistrust. Emotionally intelligent leaders understand that it is their job to create an environment of psychological safety. A great leader will take the time to listen and learn about their people and understand their values, what drives them, what is meaningful to them, and how they can best feel supported. My Mentor, Michael Grinder, says it best. “We are inadvertently in love with the Influence of Power. We need to be in love with the Power of Influence .” Whether you are in a high-stakes rescue operation or leading a business or team, these five steps for effective negotiation will provide a roadmap for understanding the power of influence. Follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Nikki! Nikki Langman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nikki Langman is an International Speaker, Author, Thought Leader on Emotional Intelligence and Self-Mastery, and Business Consultant and Facilitator. She is passionate about personal transformation and self-leadership. She believes that our potential for impact and influence with others is dependent on how effectively we understand and lead ourselves first. As a Business Consultant and Facilitator, Nikki is committed to guiding organizations to achieve higher, sustainable levels of business excellence. She has led successful emotional intelligence and leadership programs for many global organizations with exceptional executive and team leadership results, personal empowerment, culture enhancement, and significantly improved workplace safety. Nikki is often called on to speak at industry events, schools, sporting groups, and conferences globally on the topics of self-mastery, resilience and overcoming adversity, emotional intelligence, nonverbal communication, and leadership. Nikki empowers and inspires audiences with her engaging core message that no matter what your starting point is or what you believe your obstacles are, you can become your most powerful self and a highly influential and effective leader with the right amount of daily “badassery.” Nikki is the author of the recently released book, "How to be a BADASS: Navigating Your Road to Self-Mastery."

Written by: Ivonne Zucco, 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. Time (noun) A nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future. To make sense of our existence, we perceive time as a series of moments happening in a forward-moving sequential mode. Doctor Albert Einstein argued that "the distinction between the past, the present, and the future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." Nevertheless, because most of us are not brilliant physicists, we conceptualize our lives in the context of memories, the moment we are living in, and thoughts of how we believe things are going to develop. Stories of the past and imaginary futures are good survival tools. They help us learn from experience and create plans for what we want to do. These ideas, for good or for ill, also influence our consciousness. Some of our most common civilization's mental ailments — like anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or obsessive compulsiveness — are partly associated with truths that only live in our heads. When the stories we tell ourselves about the past and the future block our capacity to feel joy in the present, they become something that we must pay attention to. The effects past experiences have on our psyche are too complex to address in a short article, and frankly, a theme better left to mental health professionals. On the flip side, the present is where we can hold onto our power by creating habits that will help us pursue the future as we want it. One essential tool is effective time optimization, which is different from what many might think. Hint: it is not about more; it is about less. The history of time measurement goes back to five thousand years. Different civilizations sought to calculate months and days to organize planting, harvesting, and community activities. The results were calendars based on constellations, lunar cycles, and seasons, which formalized a "planning for the future" way of doing things. Today, it is not unusual to rush through the present while over-focusing on the future. The busiest we are, the more productive we seem to be, which should logically put us closer to our goals. Without noticing, we fall into a cycle where we are constantly living today to build something for tomorrow. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to be part of modern society without feeling like we need to keep up. Schedules and calendar invitations seem to take control of our lives, and we give up, thinking that we can do nothing. More people are realizing each day that this is not the way they want to live. In coaching, we embrace ideas such as "follow your dreams" and "live in the moment." Although they might sound incompatible, they are both crucial beliefs to hold. If we are always living for tomorrow, we miss today's experiences and fail to connect with the world around us. If we are always living in the moment, we will likely have little say on how things will turn out. Finding harmony is the obvious choice; but is that easy to accomplish? Maybe it is, if you look for clarity and establish some habits to help you find the right balance for you. Here are a few things you can start doing today to practice living in the moment while following your dreams. 1. Schedule less, not more. Scheduling your days can give you good structure. Even if you don't follow your plans to the dot, it provides a roadmap for using your time effectively. A common error is to squeeze in another "extra thing" because we want to make the most of our time and accomplish more goals. Nevertheless, trying to put too much on your schedule is counterproductive. It will only create more stress and less likeability that you will accomplish anything at all. When trying to reach for the starts, aim to only a few so that you can actually make it there. 2. Decide the three most important things for you to accomplish today and stick to them. Have you ever heard the saying, "if you want something done, ask a busy person?" If you are thinking right now, "hey, I am that busy person!" then you are in trouble. New things to do will always come up. People will always reach out for your help. You cannot fault them; they do not know how much there is on your plate. You are the only one who can put a limit to the number of things to which you say yes. Be vigilant, and do not be distracted by the latest shiny opportunity. Focus on what you have set yourself to do. Imagine how much you could enjoy the present with that newfound "not busy time." 3. Schedule for down and unproductive time. When scheduling our activities, it is easy to forget to separate time for decompressing and rest or even notes, clean-up, and follow-up. Today, with the easy accessibility of virtual conferences, we tend to program back-to-back meetings without allowing enough time to wrap up or get organized. It is essential to separate uninterrupted time in your calendar to do these. This is especially important if you are overambitious and, perhaps, unrealistic about how much you can accomplish in a period of time. Remember to build time around each activity that will allow you to finish what you started. 4. Accept that life happens, and you cannot do everything. Sometimes you will face the sad reality that everything you planned goes down the drain, and you must improvise. It might be big plans, like family trips or a special celebration, or just the fact that you could not get to your to-do list in a day. Unfortunately, as the pandemic demonstrated, our magnificent plans can change overnight. If you are sick or not having your best day, your body will not find the energy to focus on all those things you set up yourself to do. It is ok. Life happens; give yourself a break. Accept the things you cannot control. 5. Set the right kind of goals for you. Many times, we set unrealistic goals. We put extra pressure, because well, "we can do anything we set our minds to." Certainly, determination and perseverance play a significant role in accomplishing what you want. Still, as I mentioned above, sometimes there are factors in life, such as unforeseen circumstances or even the resources to which we have access. If you set your goals in a flexible, surprise-proof manner, there are more chances you can accomplish them. As we get closer to the end of the year, you probably will be thinking more about New Year's resolutions. Look for some good tips on setting the right goals for you in my next article. Planning for the future allows us not only to reach our personal dreams but also to create together. This makes us unique in the animal kingdom. Certainly, many other living organisms are capable of organizing themselves. Still, as far as we know, no other reaches humans' abilities for planning. This same advantage has accelerated the way we function and created a system in which many of our actions today are simply a conduit to the idea of our future lives. To make the most of your experiences, work hard at balancing your plans for tomorrow with actually living today. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ivonne! Ivonne Zucco, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As the Founder and CEO of A Better Story Coaching, Ivonne's mission is to work with individuals searching for fulfillment and balance in their careers and with companies working towards intentional culture change. We are currently experiencing a significant shift in humanity. Because of the worldwide health crisis, individuals have learned that there is much more to life than working 12 hours a day. For so long, we believed that the only way to be happy was to follow the old script of working hard to obtain financial security and sacrifice our health and relationships to buy things to make us happy. Today people are learning that: Life balance is more important than wealth. Creating memories is more important than obtaining accolades Financial security does not mean more money; we can live with less Finding meaning in what we do is the only real fuel to living a successful life Ivonne works with those looking for clarity and purpose using a pragmatic approach to help them advance from where they are to where they want to be. Bilingual-bicultural (Spanish-Latino).

Written by: Mary Patricia Smiley, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Are you at that point in your business or life where things are stagnant? You’re doing the most! Sharing as much content as is visibly possible, appearing on all the platforms (even if it's not your favourite) but for the sake of the cause and all that… and cold messaging potential leads in the hope to bring in some last-minute interest in that programme you’ve so passionately been selling for months? Are you this person? If you said yes to any of this - continue reading friends… Despair... What you have to realise is that you are not alone in this. Most of us as teachers, mentors and coaches have been right there at one point or other and recognise that feeling of absolute dread. You know when it’s happening as the gut tightens, you can no longer talk freely, the passion starts to trickle out like poison (in the despair to get anyone interested) and the sweat beads start appearing along the brow in anticipation of the envisioned outcome. The element of despair rears its ugly head because we are heavily invested in this idea - we are all in and it matters if people like it or not! This idea or concept somehow validates our existence in a way that feels scary as all hell! It’s like this huge gamble that must pay off - all or nothing folks, last chance saloon. This happens because the investment is more than financial, it's also emotional and that my friend is where the tower starts to crumble! Suddenly we are moving from a space of open inspired creativity to a place of contracted, lacklustre blockages where flow can't exist. The key is to ask yourself honest questions where the answer can only be yes or no... Does your content always reflect what you genuinely believe? Do you actually feel connected to your message? Are you churning stuff out because we are told to be consistent? Is your content connected to a desired outcome? Do you find it difficult to create from love and abundance even when things are up in the air? If you said yes to any of this stay tuned... So how do we move from despair to desire in a short space of time in order to create abundance and freedom in our lives and businesses? Remember that despair is an emotion like any other that can spiral out of control pretty quickly. I’ve been there. Once the nervous system receives intel that something isn’t right, something is off and out of balance, it can become a downward spiral of hopelessness that can be challenging to stabilise. The engine may be revving nicely but the situation can quickly shift gears to inertia and from inertia into the state of frozen bones which is an innate fear of taking another step in the process because loss is implied or the complete opposite; over the action which consists of doing things for the sake of appearing seemingly productive… These are crucial moments in the shelf life of an emotion which has the ability and the leeway should we allow it, to create a chemical change in the matrix of our system to either reflect balance (rest and digest) or panic(flight or fight). It takes very little time to set in motion a series of actions to recalibrate the nervous system encouraging reconnection to that sense of equilibrium and spaciousness once again. Desire… When we lean into the state of desire we are going back to the basics of what we love. It reminds me of the 6 of Cups in the tarot deck when we marinade in the nostalgic feelings of why we do this thing we are passionate about and feel into what that felt like at the time of conception we can connect back into the true essence of the why. Remember your why? That guy is what you go back to - to start feeling again… It's a feeling rather than an activity. Apart from your why, how does your work make you feel? How does it make others feel? The former is where the sweetness resides because as long as you are creating from a space of excitement and joy, it will naturally yield results - even when you least expect it to happen! For some of us this feeling can almost be sensual - notice how you feel excitement… An example of this can be seen through our Human Design charts. For instance, I’m a Generator with sacral authority. I need to feel legit lit up inside for projects and creative pursuits to get started - there’s a lot more to it but this info alone is powerful enough to begin cultivating desire. This will encourage you to move from a different space when creating and attract the people who love your work making the effort feel effortless and with a reduced expectation of an outcome, you become a match in vibration for what you give and in turn what you receive. The Transaction becomes equal and you can thrive in the conative state of desire rather than the shadow frequency of despair. So when you start to notice your nervous system flaring up… Stop and acknowledge the feeling. Feel the feels… Go outside in nature and feel cool air hit the surface of your skin, journal angrily or brain dump everything onto that paper, scream do not try to control the emotion - this is where we go wrong. It needs to be released before we can move on Watch something that shifts the mindset from the state of despair to desire. I recently discovered some footage on YouTube documenting Christiano Ronaldo’s effect on Children. It’s fascinating to watch but also to feel my energy move from anxious to amazing. Their absolute adoration of their fav star is infectious and how he treats them in return is adorable. It instantly alters the trajectory of my day… so find that thing that works for you… Breathe slowly. Feel your belly expand with the breath going in - slowly count to 5 and feel your belly contract with softness as the air leaves with a count of 6. Feel the heartbeat start to slow as you calibrate once again When you’re in it you can’t see but remember this is once again a self-imposed prison in the tarot that would present as the 8 of swords - you are given permission to take the blindfold off and connect back in with what’s real which is your amazing talents and gifts. If you are interested in using your human design to cultivate desire click here for your free guide or get in touch for reading let's shift the trajectory of your creative projects and pursuits... Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Mary! Mary Patricia Smiley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mary is a Holistic Guide, mentor & teacher who empowers, ignites and inspires individuals to live to their fullest potential. She’s a natural activator with a humble background in Corporate HR & Marketing. After quitting her last HR job after ten days due to irreconcilable differences with management and a passion to support the people more than the management, she escaped to Morocco to consider her next step as she knew another corporate role would reap the same result - it was time to just not search for a job but to seek the purpose. After a few weeks of deep soul searching, journaling and contemplation, a new path was born. Upon returning home, she decided to train to be a yoga teacher. With no money to do so, she relied on her belief and faith that this was the new path. Three days later she received a tax rebate totalling the amount needed for the training she aimed to do. From that day forward she believed that your energy can change the trajectory of your life if you believe it can. Her journey took another life-changing turn when she discovered Human Design and Gene Keys. The contemplations and deep transmissions enabled her to feel into the aspects of her inner landscape where she felt restricted growth and expansion - she examined the changes over many years and realized that other gifts had sprouted out of this foundational work and that this would be the gift that she would share with others. After immersing herself deeply into the teachings, the other gifts amplified to the point where they couldn't be ignored. She recognized that there was a need for this work within the wellness sphere. It had such a dramatic impact on her life; she developed her own system to help others combat inner conflict in order to magnetize the life they desire. Most of the work is based on tweaking energy, managing fluctuating emotional states to cultivate desire; through the modalities of Human Design, Tarot and Gene Key contemplations, neuroscience tools, and embodied mindful practices. Mary Patricia is a strong believer that inner alchemy is the catalyst for embodied energetic synergy. She teaches her clients how to shift out of spiraling emotional mindset patterns to feeling the spaciousness that clarity can bring, which grows through desire and open energetic vibrations. The majority of her work has a deep focus on managing fluctuating emotions and shifting quickly to a space of ease, flow, and abundance.

Written by: Katarzyna Dorosz, 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 our lives are disrupted by a crisis, it's important that we find our inner resilience to stay healthy physically and mentally. Crisis can be a time of positive changes. This is the time when we unwittingly undergo rebirth - to discover new possibilities in ourselves and in the world. We live in the workplace. We are bombarded with news in social media, television, newspapers. Media if left unprocessed can lead one to believe that the only philosophy of life is "to feel good at all costs" and that this the most important, perhaps the only philosophy to consider. The current pandemic events of 2020/2021 have made us as human beings recognize our finite fragile life and made us humble before fate and nature. Nothing seems the same already. We all only talk about one thing “When will things go back to normal... " Maybe it's the perfect time to redefine what really is normal. Do you really want everything to go back to what it was before? Or maybe you want something even better? Now is the time to envision a better and even a different future. Adversity improves the way you think, the perspective you gain there is an honestly acquired wisdom, well-earned and something made from the depths of your soul. The philosophy of crisis: 1. Awaken the create reality in you. At some point in life, we ​​will have to answer the following questions: What is good for me? Who do I want to be? What is real? When we combine mental strength with our values, we create a life that has the right purpose and meaning. 2. Crisis is an opportunity to look for new possibilities and prospects. In my view, the crisis opens up new possibilities for us that would be, impossible when we stay in the same old world we protect. Use your full potential. Have faith in your ability to do what you never did before. Try to find your new entrepreneurial power and don't compromise, Act and believe in yourself. You will succeed! Did you know Chinese characters for crisis and point of change are the same. 3. Find your mentor to guide you. “What upsets people are not things themselves, but their judgments about things" – Ancient Greek slave Epictetus. Find a good mentor who will be there for you and will teach you how to develop your mental strength. A good mentor can prepare you for adversities and unforeseen situations to come. So well prepared in fact that crisis will not destroy you, it can strengthen you and allow you to cope with any threatening situation. Keep repeating that "this is not a crisis, just a situation." 4. Learn to think positively. And repeat the 7 positive things for which every morning you are thankful in your life. Then you will understand that what you already have is stable and this remains your foundation, and when an emergency eventually comes, you'll feel like it's just transitional and you will cope. Crisis situations will appear in our life because they are their integral parts. It is as natural as day coming after night or the four seasons. So, all we can do is prepare for every coming change and accept these and then work through these and evolve stronger better, and happier. Life is a wonderful gift. When we learn to appreciate what we have and who we are we will find true happiness. Let us respect our life, love the people around us, and work with passion – that is my motto, it can be yours also. Happiness and a quiet prosperous life. Balance in life is the most important thing. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Katarzyna! Katarzyna Dorosz, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Katarzyna Dorosz is a leader in the field of brain performance, mental performance, and improving memory and quality of work. She is a world-renowned expert for senior and mature individuals who also conducts research on longevity. She is also a lecturer and author of several books. Katarzyna works with many prestigious American universities about attaining meaningful longevity in life and how to maintain brain function. She also supports women around the world through motivational lectures. Her attitude and stubborn pursuit of purpose show how important changes and progress in life are. She is also the author of the TV Show "Te Power of Life". During lectures, she uses the "Educational kinesiology and Emotional intelligence" and developed her own methods of exercises that provide excellent memory, concentration exercises as well as relaxation, and a set of physical exercises to improve the condition (adjusted to the age and flexibility of the body). In business training, Katarzyna uses the popular Japanese Kaizen method, i.e. a philosophy based on changing lifestyle - an endless process of improving and improving the quality of the company.

Written by: Stacey Henry-Carr , 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. Years ago, if you asked me about my inner child, I would have looked at you with wide eyes and a lack of understanding. My cluelessness would have been equal to many other people whose day-to-day life did not require conversations about their inner child. However, as I evolved and grew into the practice of hypnotherapy and life coaching, understanding the inner child became my passion. When we were children we depended on the adults in our lives to nurture, and protect us. We all had different experiences with these requirements at various stages of our childhood. Some of us received what we needed to cultivate healthy growth. There are others whose environment did not foster the basic needs of love and safety. Regardless of the environment, we lived in then; we now have an opportunity to provide some additional love and support to our inner child. The idea of nurturing the inner child may sound woo-woo to some people. It is like talking to an apparition and dealing with distant memories. It is those memories that many of us choose to suppress deep within, forget about and keep moving. However, your inner child has a way of surfacing in our thoughts, feelings, actions, and habits. When we address them at the root we can change the meaning we gave to these memories as a child. We get to view them from a different perspective and sometimes release them from negatively impacting our lives. What is your inner child? We were once impressionable children trying to fit in and adapt to our surroundings. At a young age, we accepted the beliefs and imprints about how our life was supposed to be. These beliefs became our subconscious blueprint later in life. When we were children and things happened around us that we did not understand, we believed it to be our fault. Louise Hay stated that “Children develop the idea that if they could only do it right, then parents and caregivers would love them, and they wouldn’t punish them”. Over time children start to develop the idea that they are not good enough. When children are unable to process a defining event they say it must be their fault. If that idea is not nurtured and cared for it carries into adulthood. Why would your inner child need nurturing? If you have ever found yourself on a negative loop of thought, or habit. Or unsure what might be causing the behavior. Maybe you want to move on positively, spiritually, emotionally and make peace with the past. You feel like part of your mind is fighting against you. This is when becoming aware of the wounds that need addressing, and acknowledging the unmet needs of your inner child is helpful. In the book Reconciliation Healing the Inner Child , Thich Nhat Hanh stated, “The child is still there and maybe deeply wounded. We have neglected the child in us for a long time. We have to come back and comfort, love, and care for the child within us”. How do you nurture your inner child? There are many reasons why your inner child might need extra love and support. I would recommend that you see a professional who can guide you through an inner child practice that works for you. I can share a few things that worked for me and my clients. As a certified Rapid Transformational Therapy Practitioner, I take my clients through upgrading their inner child through their subconscious mind. They also listen to a transformation recording for 21 days to help them replace unproductive beliefs with liberating thoughts. You deserve to have balance and be at peace with your past. Have compassion and self-discipline. Acknowledge your inner child, listen and live harmoniously with your inner child. Practice being kind to yourself by positively affirming, and praising yourself. I am enough. I am perfect whole and complete. It was not my fault. I am safe. I can do anything I put my mind to. I am proud of myself. Or any other praises your inner child needed growing up. Write a loving letter to your younger self acknowledging how far you have come. Keep a picture of your younger self close by and allow yourself to acknowledge how far you have come Follow Stacey on Facebook , Instagram , Linkedin , and visit her website for more info! Read more from Stacey ! Stacey Henry-Carr, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Stacey Henry-Carr is an ex-corporate leader who now helps people identify, interrupt, and replace blockers to live more meaningful and intentional lives. She is a Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach, Marisa Peer Certified Hypnotherapist, and an author of "Live Your Truth and Break the Cycle." She practices authentic leadership and servitude in everything she does. She has always had a passion for helping others to become their best selves. She has a passion for reading, writing, traveling, dancing, singing off-key, and the beach. She spends her days coaching clients, writing, and creating meditation recordings. Stacey has overcome her life challenges which have strengthened her will to serve others. She believes that her true legacy to her children will be the lives she has touched by motivating and inspiring others to change. She writes inspiring quotes such as "Visualize what you desire and laugh out loud as if it is already accomplished."

Written by: Susanne Venaas, 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. 7-year cycles of growth and life. It is believed according to both astrology and philosophers that we move through cycles of life in 7-year cycles. Each phase of 7-years offers its own challenges and rewards. It is up to us to meet these lessons with courage, honesty, openness, and sincerity. Every year I approach my birthday with self-reflection. As I sit here two days before my 42nd birthday, I find myself in reflection of this last 7-year cycle which is dubbed the “Crisis and Questioning” phase of life-altering setbacks. I can’t help but think about my health crisis and surgeries. Needing to go on medical leave. Leaving my career and its stability, to begin navigating my purpose and path of helping others in their Spiritual and Energetic healing and growth. It’s been a wild ride. One that I am excited to navigate into the next 7-year phase of “Soul Searching and Wonder”. I feel I’ve dipped my toes here drawing on both my past life experiences, as well as realized Spiritual gifts and talents to truly recognize what a gift it is to be here on this earth at this present moment in time. With that, I share 42 lessons in 42 years. These are lessons that I have learned and integrated, as well as work to integrate fully into my own life. They are in NO particular order. Take. Enjoy. Apply what resonates! Laugh every day. It may not solve the world’s problems, but it helps you handle them. It’s the little things in life that you’ll reflect on and wish you could revisit. So slow down and fully immerse yourself and be present in them. You can’t change your past. Accept the hurts, pains and hardships so you can move forward with grace. Manifestation without action is just a wish. Take the first steps towards that wish. Celebrate your wins. Both big and small. You deserve it. Show up for the funeral. Always. They will need your support. Don’t ever say yes when you really mean a no. Magic appears when we believe in it before seeing it. Learn what your truth is and unapologetically live by it. Live in gratitude. Being grateful helps give us grace. Get outside. Being in nature grounds you into the present moment. Accept and then love your body FFS. You don’t get another one, and it’s carried you through your entire life, so start appreciating it. Feel your feelings. Emotions are just feelings in motion; they are meant to be felt and not suppressed. Wear sunblock. Always. Period. Make sure that those you care about know. Tell them, not just with your actions, but with your words too. Look up at the stars. They are a great reminder that we are part of something infinitely bigger than ourselves. Forgive. Forgive others, but most importantly forgive yourself. Everything is temporary. Illness, pain, joy. Even you. Be with it, and know it will shift to something else. Toss perfectionism and move to acception-ism. Goals are great. Don’t make them so unattainable that you feel in constant failure. Accept loss as a rerouting to your destination. Eat the cake, or have the coffee, or whatever the indulgence is. Life is meant to be savoured and enjoyed. If you’re not allergic, have a pet at some point. They give unconditional love and teach you how to attend to others’ needs in a non-verbal type of communication. Move your body. Daily. In different ways. We weren’t designed to be sedentary. Connect to and move your body. Learn to listen. Not to respond, but to actively listen so others are heard. Make room for pleasure in your life. Sex and intimacy yes, but also sensory experiences. Trust your gut. Learn to understand when your intuition is speaking to you and trust it! Ask for help. We weren’t designed to do things alone. Ask for the help you need along the way. Never stop learning. The more you know, the less you realize you know. Let your thirst for knowledge be insatiable. Be kind. Sprinkle it everywhere you go. The world needs more of this. Leave room for the unexpected. Plans are great, but so is being ok when things don’t go according to one. Make time for those individuals that mean the most. Time is something we have a limit of and when we can extend it to others, it shows them how invested in them we are. Play. We need play just as much as we need productivity. This doesn’t change just because we become an adult. Let go of people, places, beliefs, thoughts, and patterns that do not serve you. Repeat often! Being a parent is the most challenging and rewarding gift you will ever get. You’ll f//k it up repeatedly, but it’s all good if you’re doing your best. Make time for self-reflection. Question your beliefs, values, and actions. Adjust as needed. Comparison is truly the thief of joy. You are exactly where you are meant to be on your own path and your own timeline. The possibilities don’t end at a certain age. They are infinite. Not everyone will like you. It’s more important that you like yourself. Don’t assume. Ask for clarification. You are the only person that is responsible for your own happiness. Love. Love purely, unconditionally, expansively. Of yourself and of others. Blessings to you, Susanne Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Susanne! Susanne Venaas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Susanne Venaas is an International Spiritual Coach based out of St. Albert, Alberta Canada. Susanne works both in-person and virtually connecting with her clients in their transformation and growth. She also supports learning via her online school, and her Rebel Soul Podcast to help them connect to their most authentic selves. Wellness to her is an integrative approach to body mind and spirit. Susanne has been featured in Yahoo News + Finance as one of the top 10 Spiritual Coaches to watch in 2021, as well as featured in CEO Medium as an expert in her field, and her Rebel Soul Podcast made Top 10 Spiritual Podcasts in Canada after it's first 6 weeks of going live in May 2021. Her passion is working with others to cultivate a deeply meaningful and connected life.

Written by: Sima Azadegan, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How many years of our lives have we spent dealing with the stories and the scenarios that live and breathe in our own heads. We have suffered, experienced pain, have gone out of whack, and much much more. We have gone through a battlefield in our own minds, not knowing why we are fighting and not knowing what the outcome will turn out to be. We are living in the field of darkness and fighting with every breath to survive and understand the demons that are in our heads as well as our minds. This is the journey of life and we all have our own wars to conquer and win!!! As we are born, we go through our childhood as well as our adolescent years experiencing much trauma. Our innocence is taken away from us rapidly by our own parents or the people who are the closest to us. Not consciously knowing, our parents and our peers inflict pain on us. As a result, we quickly create a mask for our own protection, and further we start playing different roles and personalities. These masks, different roles, and personalities are carried with us for most of our lives. It is the war between our innocent child and the masks and role playing that create a battlefield of war in our heads as well as our minds all through the journey of our lives. It is very possible to win this war and create peace, harmony, and beauty in our lives. With perseverance, faith, and hope, we can overcome our own obstacles and follow our own childhood dreams and passion. We have to get the right ammunition and tactics on the battlefield and win our war to create our own Beauty out of Ashes! Follow my journey on Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin. You can also visit my website for more info. Read more from Sima! Sima Azadegan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After living a complete life, Sima Azadegan has decided to follow her passion and make her dream come true. As a young girl, Sima started her classical piano training, which led to the momentum of her life. She raised her family and, at the same time, was on the board of directors of four major charities. Her toughest challenge was going through the journey of her inner consciousness that led to her true purpose and creating her company Sima Collezione. Her brand's mission is to empower women by bringing out each woman's inner beauty and light. Her brand has incorporated all the positive forces of nature, and its ultimate goal is to spread positive consciousness for all the women around the globe. Her collection will be featured at the New York Fashion Week this coming September. Sima says," We all have a responsibility to follow our dreams, manifest our talents, and make the world a better place."

Written by: Heidi Tyler, 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. Even before we were born, our development and growth measurements were being tracked. How many weeks since the host body had changed its cycle, physical sensations, sickness, changes in appetite, to name just a few. All the while, as an unborn baby, we were learning. Quite what, we wouldn’t know until later. How well we were doing? We’d find that out later too. Government frameworks were created to help parents/guardians know and understand what to expect from their children at set stages of their growth. The key areas in the framework (UK) are: Physical development: How a child’s body is growing and changing, taking notice of their fine and gross motor skills at each age, and capturing developmental delays and difficulties. Emotional development: Discovering the type of emotional changes a child is experiencing at each stage and providing emotional development milestones for them to meet in each age group. Social development: How children interact, develop friendships, and connect with the world around them at each age or stage. Cognitive development: Understand the child’s critical thinking, intellectual skills, speech and language development, the way they play, and the key cognitive milestones they attain. As much as the framework is helpful, it also paves the way for parents/guardians to make comparisons of their children against others. Along with that a set of beliefs that their children were doing better or worse than others. Beliefs that get handed down and adopted by those very same children. The accepted norm for all these stages of development doesn’t take account of individuals unless they happen to fit into certain criteria. Even then the criteria can be too generalised to make it meaningful. The development chart strangely stops when we reach a certain age, replaced by a set of expectations created by our family, society, governments, and indeed ourselves. It’s up to us now to consciously track our own progress. Welcome to adulthood, which didn’t necessarily happen at an age you might expect. For some it will have come all too early, making it all more valuable to know what to keep focus on. What exactly should we track? Physical development might be tracked in terms of weight, exercise, diet or when health goes wrong. Emotional is often left unchecked until anxiety, depression, stress, or burnout creeps in. Social may be visible, by how many appointments are in the diary, or felt when we’ve lost people we know or love, moved home or need to start again. Cognitive is highly dependent on the learning journey each person has taken. Measured through exams, certificates, company expectations, or not measured at all when expectations aren’t defined or met. The transition from childhood into adulthood also created a greater comparator through areas such as health, education, work, home, financial status, and even religion. So just how do we keep a sense of balance in these, and other, vital areas of our life. Being conscious of them is certainly an amazing start, but going a step further requires thought. Deep thought about what this really means to us and what we want it to be now, and in the future. Stopping to ask yourself: What areas of my life are important to me now and in the future? How am I doing in these areas of my life? What would I like to change and make better? What are my beliefs and expectations for my own life, and those around me? What are my personal aspirations and goals? Simple ones to get started with might be: What do I want my physical development to be, how will I know I have achieved it and how will I ensure I maintain it going forward? What do I want to learn that keeps me inspired and lifts my spirits every day? Not just for my career but in all areas of my life. Am I the person I want and know I can be? What can I change that would make my life even better? Who are my role models and why? What advice would they give me? Do I know what all my emotions are, what triggers them, how I can manage them, so I am able to live a fulfilling life? Is my social life what I truly want it to be, with the right people in my life who care for me well, as I do for them in return? People who inspire me to be the person I want to be. Do I have a clear view of my financial status, what I want and need in the long term, with a clear plan to get me there? Am I following the career path that I truly want or am I following someone else’s guidance? Do I have a plan for the rest of my life? How will I stop myself from going completely off track? Now is the time to be learning, designing, and creating your own life, your own future, so you get to enjoy it. A life of health & wellbeing, that’s full of love, joy, and happiness every day, surrounded by kind, caring, and inspiring people. Craft your own development path, throughout adulthood, and keep tracking your progress. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Heidi! Heidi Tyler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Heidi formerly worked in a corporate environment covering project, program, quality, and people management. Heidi medically retired at age 54 which led to her transformational journey of personal development and growth. Heidi reversed ALL of her medial issues and went on to become a Certified Lifebook Leader, Emotional Intelligence & Certified Clear Beliefs Coach, and Author. Heidi's vision is to help 000's of people around the world live their best life.

Written by: Rose Green, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Facebook is the dominant force amongst the Social Media popular sites, others such as YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram all follow in toe, respectively. The launch of video-based platform - TikTok, was established more recently as the fastest growth by active users within the past five years. However, as much of the attention is paid to the demographic audience that drives the popular social media sites, there are a few popular Social Sites that should not be neglected, especially sites that highlight the creative works of the music business and entertainment community. Let’s take a look at my top five (5) recommendations: Tumblr Essentially a canvas where anyone can express themselves how they choose. It is a microblogging and social networking website where users can post links, videos, pictures, and audio. It also provides an entertainment social hub for artists and music promotion on Tumblr; it provides the opportunity for users to showcase their works, become popular among music lovers, and get in touch with a larger audience. It affords the user the ability to create blog posts and promote music or artist brands. When you are building the Tumblr dashboard, it's important to have clear “call to action” posts so people are more inclined to click and follow the page. Tumblr also has the option for a safe search, which is the default setting. Users can follow their favorite interests, other Tumblrs, and brand influencers. The site also allows users to “reblog” posts, photos or videos that users would wish to like and share with other followers. Tumblr also uses hashtags, similarly to Twitter and Instagram. Hashtag usage is of importance for any artist trying to promote their music works. This allows the Artists posts and music to be discovered on the platform, and also gets the page categorized and recommended for other users to follow. ReverbNation This is a music and social networking platform dedicated to helping artists gain traction in the music industry by providing a central site for musicians, producers, and venues to collaborate and to communicate. There’s the opportunity to post music to the website to be heard by its 2.5 million users. Here, they offer music distribution, fan reach, crowd reviews, press kits, gig finding, promotion opportunities, and more. This platform is free to use or you can subscribe to a Basic $12.95 or Premium $19.95 service plan to access more features. Reddit Can be described as a popular overlooked and underutilized platform and that has an active user base of over 430 million people. It’s very important to understand how the Reddit site works before diving in. Reddit has a community feel to it. My recommendation would be to familiarize oneself with familiar groups, before diving in. Another option for Reddit success is knowing which subreddits to post in. Reddit users can upvote or downvote your posts on these subreddits, and it’s helpful to become popular in these forums in order for the full user experience and for the music to be taken seriously. Some good general music promotion subreddits you should consider are: /r/mymusic, /r/musicpromotion, /r/promoteyourmusic Quora This site is a great tool for musicians, who are looking to converse, gain music knowledge or feedback, and to engage in industry-related conversations. Essentially a question and answer website that serves as an online community of people who are seeking to gain knowledge. The content that makes up the platform is generated by the users, and therefore all the information is purely organic. When signing up for Quora, the user will be asked about general topics that are of interest. Eventually, the user’s feeds will then focus on those particular topics and will consist of the majority of content shown on the feed. For the music business and entertainment field, the Quora pages will be primarily made up of music-related content. Users get to ask questions or answer them, making the platform a perfect mix between a search engine and a social media account. Artists can benefit from Quora by posting their music and getting feedback from users. With over 300 million visitors each month, it’s likely someone will enjoy the music and choose to follow the user on other platforms. The site revolves around engaging discussions and focuses on high-quality questions and answers, allowing users to vote on the most accurate responses. Pinterest What makes Pinterest so inviting to users is the visual appeal and easy to use interface. It is the 14th largest social network in the world and boasts over 450 million active monthly users. Pinterest has huge potential for brand growth and reaching a large audience. Navigating the website is effortless as the website's entire format is composed of images and videos. Pins can be used to link the user’s website or music page directly to the video or image post. There’s also an option for direct click-to-link buttons to make it simpler for users to find music and other social media platforms. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or visit my website for more info! Rose Green, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rose Green is a Serial Entrepreneur; innovator, creator and motivator. Her professional expertise are within Athletics, Podcast & Radio Presenter, Music & Film Producer, Motivational Speaker and Author. As a well-rounded Business Executive, she is also a deeply committed Humanitarian and multilingual internationalist whose passionate works emphasizes her dedication to community. She is the host of the Award-winning “SportsWorld 20:20” and the infectious “1-on-1 Music Review” podcast, a weekly interview show that highlights the musical works of various artists across the globe. She hones a career that exhumes an exemplary mission that emphasises, “all the world's a stage!”

Nancy is a leading Life Empowerment Coach who has combined her professional background, credentials, personal experience, knowledge and insight to inspire and motivate those who wish to create positive change. For over 15 years, she has empowered clients who desire positive change with career/life purpose, personal growth or wellness goals. Nancy will help you discover how true change can happen when we use our time and resources to develop our minds and spirits, examine our values and let go of issues that hold us back. She inspires and guides clients to live their optimal life through her books, blog posts, articles and coaching services. Nancy is the author of Uber Empowerment and Uber Empowerment Quotes: 500 Inspirational Quotes for Knowledge, Insight & Wisdom. Her credentials include Certified Life Coach, B.A. Interpersonal Communication, Stress Management Specialist, Behavior Change Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer. Nancy Hovde, Life Empowerment Coach 1. You are a Life Empowerment Coach who is passionate about helping business professionals live their optimal life. Can you share more about what you do for your clients? My work as a Life Empowerment Coach is extremely fulfilling and rewarding! I provide life coaching for those who are ready to make positive, long-lasting change and live their optimal life. I have over a decade of experience coaching private sessions with business professionals who want to focus on creating positive change in their career, life purpose, health and personal growth. I help clients develop clear, strategic thinking in their business or career and provide support and guidance with personal growth and development. Some clients come to me who are in-between careers or a life transition and want to explore their life purpose. Additionally, I coach and provide encouragement for motivational wellness goals. All of these areas require helping my clients to adapt an empowering mindset and let go of negative self-talk to achieve optimal wellbeing. In our coaching sessions, my clients come to realize that true change really can happen. Together we work with developing a positive mindset, examine core values & discover what obstacles may be holding them back from living their life to its fullest potential. Before we set goals, I coach them on how to use daily integrative mindset elements and create positive thought patterns and habits for optimal results. Then, we set new goals to create the positive changes they are seeking for their career, personal growth and wellness goals. My clients experience effective results that take their professional and personal growth to the next level and achieve increased productivity, resilience, mental and emotional wellbeing, improved wellness and enjoy living a meaningful, enriching life. I use this empowering mantra: “Feel your best, to think your best, so you can perform at your best. Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.” My clients like this mantra because it is truly empowering! We all have the freedom to choose which choices to make each day. We can choose the lifestyle choices that lead to feeling our best, thinking our best and being our best. Or we can choose those choices that lead to feeling unfulfilled and discouraged. I encourage my clients to ask themself each day, what small, positive change will help you feel your best, and think your best to enjoy living your optimal life? 2. That’s a great mantra! What inspired and led you to life coaching? I have always had a natural interest in the areas that I provide Life Coaching for, which include: living a healthy lifestyle, business performance, exploring personal growth and discovering life purpose. Part of my career history and experience includes working with corporations and companies, as a wellness coach and sales consultant in the healthcare industry. So, it is only natural that many of my clients are business professionals who value wellness, career success, personal growth and living an optimal lifestyle. As I mentioned, I have over a decade of experience as a Life Empowerment Coach. I love learning and continuing education is a top priority of mine. I have certifications for Professional and Personal Life Coaching, as well as various Wellness Certifications. 3. Tell me more about your various professional credentials and how you use them in your coaching practice. There are several areas where my professional credentials support my life coaching practice that help my clients achieve effective results. A few ways that I apply my credentials in my coaching practice: Certified Professional Life Coach - Coach and empower clients who are ready to create positive change in business, career, life purpose or self-discovery and take their professional and personal growth to the next level. Certified Behavior Change Specialist - Guidance, support and accountability to break old habits, let go of limited beliefs and create new unlimited thought patterns to achieve an empowering mindset. Certified Stress Management for Better Health and Resilience - Coaching clients stress management techniques that can help support resilience and optimal wellness and wellbeing. Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist - Encourage commitment and accountability to create positive long-term change for optimal nutrition and wellness goals. Certified Personal Trainer - Wellness motivation for positive change and consistent exercise habits. Written workout programs for the advanced gym goer as well as basic exercise programs for beginners. 4. You have combined all of your credentials to create your unique approach within your practice to develop Life Empowerment Coaching. Tell me more about your unique approach to life coaching. I use a holistic approach because, as I mentioned earlier, my mantra is that, I believe we must feel our best physically, as well as emotionally, to think our best thoughts for mental wellbeing; which leads to performing our best in our career, business and in life. Success and fulfillment happen by continual improvements we consciously choose in order to be our best self, the best version of ourselves, and live our optimal life. 5. What does living an optimal life include for leaders and business professionals? Living an Optimal Life is when you have the following: Your unique optimal wellness plan and you are consistent with it. Knowing your core values and strengths so you can apply these in various areas in your life that create fulfillment and success. Adapting a positive mindset, setting meaningful goals and accountability. As leaders and business professionals, we must prioritize our well-being, for our Body, Mind and Soul. Why? Because when we take the best care of ourselves, we feel our best, think our best and perform at our best. Therefore, my holistic approach is a three-tier process. 6. In your book, Uber Empowerment, you write about using your holistic three-tier process. Can you share more details about that holistic three-tier process? My holistic three-tier approach for successful positive change and living an optimal life: First, as mentioned above, is having your unique optimal wellness plan and being consistent with it. What this means is creating your individual, unique optimal wellness plan that supports you in feeling your best physically, which will then help support you in thinking your best and performing at your best. Which foods, type of exercise and stress management techniques will best support you to feel your optimal? What habits are not supporting you? What habits are currently working and showing positive results? As a Certified Life Coach, Behavior Change Specialist and Wellness Professional, I provide guidance, encouragement, support and accountability with clients and together we create their individual optimal wellness plan. Second, clients want to see more success in life, work or business. I like to ensure they are aware of their core values and live them as often as possible. It is extremely helpful that we discover if they are using their strengths as often as possible, which leads to living a more fulfilling and meaningful life. I encourage clients to keep focusing on what energizes and fulfills them. Many of my clients desire to jump into a new career or take their current profession and personal growth to the next level, but are not sure where to start. The Self-Discovery part in my coaching program helps clients discover, and/or rediscover, their core values and strengths and ensure they are integrating them into their life as often as possible. Lastly, is mindset, goals and accountability. Part of mindset is knowing when you are blocked and why. This can be a number of things: limited thinking or beliefs that are not truly yours. We work at uncovering these, knowing what to do when they creep in and overcoming negative self-talk. It is amazing how we all have negative self-talk or overthinking syndrome. I empower clients to adapt new, empowering beliefs by letting go of negative self-talk and limited thinking. Once clients learn and practice these aspects, we then set new goals with accountability methods to stay on track for successful results. 7. What would you say are the concerns or issues people will contact you and ask for help with? Clients enroll in my life empowerment coaching services when they are ready to make a positive change in their life and want clarity, guidance, support, encouragement and accountability in areas such as: Taking their professional or personal growth to the next level. Work performance. Guidance and encouragement to navigate through life transitions such as with career or life events. Clients who are starting a new venture or project and need some guidance, encouragement, action planning, goal setting and accountability. Shift from limited beliefs to unlimited thinking. Focus on self-awareness and how to best use their strengths. Become more resilient. Develop an empowering mindset that leads to positive habits and creates powerful long-lasting behavior change. Self-Discovery and Exploring Personal Growth. Stress Management because life can be challenging and it is important to take the best care of ourselves. I help clients stay on track with their wellness goals and live a healthy lifestyle that they love and decrease their risk for disease and career burnout. 8. How can people get in contact with you for life coaching? Clients should contact me directly at LifeEmpowermentCoachNancy@gmail.com or visit my website uberempowerment.com. They can also purchase my books on my website. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Nancy!

Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview #1 International Best-Selling Author, Business Consultant, and Self Love Coach Arliss Dudley-Cash is an inspirational speaker and self-love movement leader. With a background in business, neuroscience, and forensics her career expands over several industries including operations management, research scientist, and death investigation. Arliss unites this eclectic background with her personal journey to overcome the odds and survive a terminal diagnosis. Her awarding winning presentations include topics on extreme self-love and body positivity. Arliss is a big believer in the magic of our individual stories and the power of storytelling to affect positive change in this world. In 2021, she co-founded The Body Positivity Podcast which she hosts with her friend Diana Gremillion. Through her company Soullutions LLC, she is passionate about helping her clients to become powerful, joyful, authentic business owners experiencing freedom, having a lot more fun in their business, and experiencing the success of their dreams.Arliss’s dream is for each of us to become the loves of our lives! You’re a business coach and consultant who teach entrepreneurs, professionals, and “busy human beings” the art of self-love and how to build a business with soul. You have had a quite impressive and inspirational career where you also started off at a four-year-long Neuroscience Ph.D. program. Can You tell our readers more about your journey? Four years into a Neuroscience Ph.D. program, life threw me a giant curveball: I was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and told that I was not likely to live more than another year. I was 28 years old. This diagnosis turned my life upside down. It led me on a path of radical self-love and self-care. In order to live, I had to start asking myself: What if you were the love of your life? Through my experience, I have come to find that the secret to living is self-love. Self-love is incredibly powerful and transformative. Yet, it remains one of the most undertaught skills on the planet. I am on a mission to change this, by helping others cultivate a life-changing practice of self-love and self-care while experiencing business success. After science, my second academic love is business. As the result of working as the Director of Operations for a multifaceted company, I fell in love with business and decided to return to school and pursue my Master’s in Business Administration. With my master’s degree in Neuroscience and an MBA, I decided to found my company, Soullutions LLC, to coach other entrepreneurs, professionals, and busy human beings who are struggling, to learn how to build and balance their life and business. My personal journey to self-love and healing, combined with my extensive education and professional experience, uniquely qualify me to serve as a coach and consultant. For those of us that are not so familiar with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is, can you develop what it means to be diagnosed with the disease? Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a connective tissue disorder that affects all parts of the body that contain collagen. The first areas to come to mind are the joints and skin. Due to the EDS, I have had significant challenges with partial dislocations and full dislocations of my joints. Collagen is also a primary tissue of all hollow organs including the heart, intestines, bladder, and uterus. I have had challenges in all these areas, which led me to the devastating decision to have a full hysterectomy at the age of 29. For much of my life and especially when I was diagnosed, I have felt completely betrayed by my body and even hated my body. I had so many health challenges growing up that I overworked and pushed myself as hard as I could to overcome what I perceived as not being good enough because my health did not allow me to keep pace with others around me. Gentleness and compassion were a foreign language. Following the EDS diagnosis, I had no choice but to learn to love and care for my body if I was going to live. I had to learn to speak lovingly to my body, be aware of when negative thoughts were present, and allow myself to rest when needed. This is all still true for me today and is an important part of what I teach my clients. What I have learned is that our brains and cells respond to how we speak to ourselves and the thoughts that we think. The response to negativity is a lessening of our ability to live long and healthy lives and a decrease in motivation and ability to achieve our goals. The response when we are loving toward ourselves is that our brain and cells support us in living longer and healthier lives and achieving greater personal and professional success. Looking back, I realize how overworking myself, using negative motivation, and pushing myself added to the terminal diagnosis that I received. I felt that no matter what I did it was never going to be enough. Now that I am caring for myself with loving-kindness, I am the healthiest I have ever been and achieving more in my business than I could have ever imagined. That is what I want every business owner out there to know and live, without having to suffer and put their life on the line the way that I did. I invite all of YOU to start showing yourself loving-kindness TODAY, schedule self-care TODAY, and look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “I Love You” TODAY. Do this and experience the amazing things that happen in your life and business. Start Today! In 2019, you founded Soullutions LLC, what is the most fun thing about running your own business? The most fun thing about running my own business is seeing my clients have so much more fun in their lives and businesses. Play and fun are key components to a full life and a successful business. Our brain needs breaks to recover exactly like our muscles following strenuous activity. You wouldn’t run a marathon every day without some rest days. You cannot work every day without some fun and relaxation and expect your brain to be in tip-top shape. One thing that I do, and I coach my clients to do, is always have something fun to look forward to on the calendar. As entrepreneurs, we all live and breathe by our calendars so if you are not scheduling your fun that is probably a big reason why it is not happening. Take the time today to carve out some time, at least once a week, to do something that really brings you joy and lights you up. One of your main areas of focus is on the Body Positivity Podcast! It is so relevant and important, especially in today's society where many people have problems with their own self-image and feels the pressure of social media. Can you give us 3 tips on how to work on our self-love? My Body Positivity Podcast Co-Host Diana Gremillion and I just celebrated our 1st Annual International Body Positivity Conference. Our goal is to create a world where positive body image is the norm. At the conference, our speakers gave us so many golden nuggets of wisdom and expertise as to how to start or maintain a body positivity journey. I am excited to share three of them with you today. Affirmations. Reading positive affirmations to ourselves is a powerful way to shift our mindset around the way that we view our bodies. A great way to get started is to write down a couple of judgmental phrases you may hear yourself say about yourself on one side of a piece of paper. Then on the other side of the piece of paper write the positive version. I highly recommend using “I” statements and keeping them in the present tense. For example: if one of your negative phrases is “I am unattractive”, then a good positive affirmation is “I see the beauty in my body”. Then read your positive affirmations aloud so that your brain can hear them in your own voice. Notice Negative Thoughts. When negative thoughts arise, notice them with curiosity instead of judgment or pushing them away. Realize that at some point those negative thoughts were serving a purpose. Maybe they motivated you or they protected you. By making the choice to start noticing when negative thoughts are present, that is an important step toward positivity and self-love. Self-Care. Schedule time each day to give yourself self-care. Here are some examples: after you shower or bathe, rub lotion or oil on your body and tell the different parts of your body that you love them, look into your eyes in the mirror and say to yourself “I Love You”, or make yourself a healthy and delicious meal and set the table for yourself and maybe even light a candle. Choose a self-care practice that really makes you feel loved and cherished by you. As seen on your Instagram page, you have a lot of beautiful and inspiring quotes. Which one is your favorite and why? My favorite quote of all time is: “Every thought we think is creating our future” by Louise L. Hay. Our thoughts are far more powerful than most people think. They impact our biology, biochemistry, mindset, neurobiology, and much much more. This has been proven by a wealth of research in the scientific community. If there is anyone practice that I can recommend, over anything else, it is to become aware of your thoughts. Awareness is the first step in making a change. So, to the last question, what’s the next big goal or project for Arliss Dudley-Cash and how can someone get in contact with you? My next big project is launching my Building Business with Soul Summit and group coaching program in May of 2022. This Summit and Program is specifically designed for Soulpreneurs who are ready to step out of overworking, pushing, and negative motivation and instead step into mindfulness, self-compassion, and passionately achieving business success while experiencing a whole lot more fun. I am looking for other like-minded coaches and consultants to present at the Building Business with Soul Summit and would love them to reach out at arliss@soullutions.com. Diana and I will also be presenting the New Year Love You Body Positivity Summit and Celebration on January 13th, 14th, and 15th, 2022. We are looking for speakers and workshop leaders who are welcome to reach out to us at bodypositivitynow@gmail.com. If you are interested in working directly with me, I currently offer a 7-week course, You Are the Love of Your Life, and a 1 Year Program, I Am the Love of My Life, focusing on deepening Self Love and building a true partnership with self. I also offer one on one business coaching and consulting. Feel free to reach out to me using any of the following methods arliss@soullutions.com or @arliss.dudley.cash or @soul_lutions. You can also learn more details at www.soullutions.com. For more info, follow Arliss on Facebook and Instagram.

Written by: Isabelle Stephenson, 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. Dear reader, You are what you are listening to. This past Saturday I had the honor to be a guest speaker at a summit called "Burn your ship and take charge". I learned from many experts. I learned by listening. And that's how it started. I listened to summits 7 years ago and it brought me into a whole new world of learning. From summits, where experts are gathered and present their expertise on a certain topic, to podcasts, to youtube channels to audiobooks. Can you tell I am an auditory learner? It also provided for me a full-circle moment. From being the listener to being the speaker. So let me ask you: What are you listening to? Faith comes by hearing. And messages you hear over and over become a belief. Some of you know the old Sunday school song "Oh be careful little ears what you hear.” Even if you are not familiar with this little tune, think about it. When you listen to the news for hours at a time (as some TV channels allow you to do) how do you feel? When you listen to encouraging, uplifting messages for hours at a time, how do you feel? When you listen to an audiobook, how do you feel? When you leave a conversation with a friend/family member, how do you feel? I want you to be aware of what you are listening to. It does influence how you think, what you believe, and therefore how you feel. I choose to listen to a news app or a 100 second German news summary for my news. I choose to listen to audiobooks that are relevant and interesting and beneficial to me. I choose to follow positive influencers and people on my social media. I choose to be in uplifting social networking groups. Why? Because I need it to balance out the negative voices and news in my life. I don't need to do anything to have these. They are just there and show up, uninvited, mind you!! So today and this week, be aware of what you listen to. Be intentional about it. Imagine the possibilities that will open up for you. Follow me on Facebook, and visit my website for more info! Isabelle Stephenson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Isabelle is a life coach focusing on building healthier relationships. She lost her mom at the young age of 6 and because of that, has always reached out to older mentors. She fell in love with how one coach totally transformed Isabelle's relationship with her oldest son. The decision followed to pass on the magic. She has raised 6 children and is married over 30 years. Through these relationships she has plenty of opportunity to practice everything she preaches. Isabelle is a contributing author to three bestselling books. The Red Blazer Book, All Women Rock and the Powerball Team book. She learned after many years of being frustrated, that loving herself first and finding what fills her up, was the best thing for her and subsequently for all those around her.