Written by: Dr. Tonia Winchester, 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 know how people talk about leaving the world a better place than when you found it? And you know how sometimes that seems really optimistic but you don’t actually know how you could make that kind of difference? You and I both know that that type of change takes a lot of internal resolve, dedication, and discipline. Frankly not everyone has those things. Let me correct that. Not everyone has those things available to them right now. I say that because I believe that we have everything we need inside us to change, heal, and transform and sometimes we need a little neurological tweaking to bring those things to the surface so we can actually use them. Imagine a world where change was easy. A world where we put the most important things to us and our well-being at the top of our to-do lists instead of at the bottom or even worse not on the list at all. A world where we show up with presence and kindness to ourselves, our families, and our communities. You can see or sense how this world is the one where we get to leave it better than when we found it, can't you? The world is a big place to think about changing it as just one person. For my brain it's easier to think about leaving the room a better place then when I found it. And within that room, I need to chunk down even further. I want to leave the people I interact with better than when I met them - a little lighter, more inspired, and ideally transformed. I'm committed to this. When I minored in contemporary dance at university my professor, Judith Garay (if you know anything about modern dance - feel free to freak out right now) said, "Never be afraid to be better than you were yesterday." That stuck with me and in my own life I want to grow in some way every day, so by the end of the day I'm falling asleep better than I was when I found myself waking up. I'm committed to that too. What I'm getting at is that if we want to make a difference in the world (whether that is the world of our relationships and families, or the World at large) it has to start on the inside. And when it comes to change I've seen three types of people over the last 15 years in naturopathic practice. The Dreamer. This is the person who wants different results but isn't willing to change or do anything differently. They keep doing what they're doing and subsequently keep getting what they're getting. These people won't. No transformation is possible here and it's with a heavy heart I've learned that I can't help these people. The Dasher. These are the people that don't even want to think about change and might even actively run away from it. Maybe their life is already incredible and amazing (yay, hooray and awesome for them)! But maybe not. These people don't. These aren't my people either. The majority of people I've encountered make up the final category. The Doer. These are the people that want (maybe desperately) for things in their world (and the World) to be different. These people might know exactly what they need to be doing to leave their own life better than when they came into it but they just can't seem to make the time, stick to the new habit, or change what needs to be changed. In other words they can't. Or...they believe they can't at the moment. And to be fair sometimes they don't know exactly what they need to be doing, but they know they're missing something and they're willing to ask for help to find it. That's what they can do. Seek, and ask. Listen and learn. Invest and practice. Reassess and practice again in a slightly (or overtly) different way until they have changed their health and life. They are better than they were before. The Doer is the person that I get really excited to work with. If we get a chance to meet in person you’ll see how passionate and animated I get when people are making positive changes in their lives. Haha 😆, who's kidding who, even when they're willing to make those changes. Truthfully, that's all I need from them is the willingness. The desire. Even the slightest spark of inspiration and possibility. I'm so curious, when it comes to change, what type of person are you? If the "Doer" feels like you, then you're in luck. Because with new brain-based coaching tools backed by contemporary neuroscience, we can turn that, "Maybe if," or "Perhaps when," or "I don't know if I can," into that internal resolve, dedication, and discipline that creates incredible, powerful, and measurable change. You become excited and able to take care of yourself, jazzed to put yourself at the top of your to-do list, and present and kind to your partner, kids, and coworkers. You develop emotional intelligence, releasing everything that doesn't match your new, positive, personal narrative. You (re)discover your playful, curious, and joyful you. You say good night to yourself each night being better than when you were when you woke up. You begin contributing to the greater good (leaving the world or World a better then when you came into it). Do any of those things look, sound, or feel exciting to you? Don't you feel like there should be some powerful music swelling behind these words? 😉🎵 I'm committed to sharing more and more about the transformation that is possible for you with brain-based coaching and guidance in place. I’m committed to pioneering a new model of health and well-being. One that starts with the internal circuitry of the mind and expands systematically out into one's physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being I am committed to transforming how the minds of everyday people experience their environments so that they can create exceptional lives for themselves, their families and their communities and ultimately leave the world a better place than when we came into it. You know what I've noticed? When the people that I work with start with the brain-based breakthrough process their ability to change the habits in their lifestyle become easy and effortless. It's easy and fun for people to get the benefit they want. Their families benefit, their communities benefit, and the World becomes a better place than when they came into it. Sooo... I’m asking for your commitment. I'm asking for you to be curious about the transformation that is possible for you and your family. I'm asking for you to be open to exploring another way which is easy, effective and swift. Can I get your commitment about that? So I’ll leave you with this. How do you want to leave the world better than when you came into it? What is it that you’re wanting to leave your family with? And are you doing it? If you’re not doing it, what's in your way? To your better life and a better world, ​Dr. Tonia Winchester, ND Brain-Based Transformational Guide, Vitality Coach Certified NLP and Time Line Therapy ® Practitioner ​​LEARN More about the breakthrough process. ​ ​BOOK Your free 25 mins Breakthrough Discovery call to find out if this reprogramming process is the right fit for where you're at and what you're wanting. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Tonia! Dr. Tonia Winchester, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Tonia has been practicing as a Naturopathic Doctor since 2007. With contemporary neurological reprogramming techniques, she helps women overcome burnout, stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Essentially she helps them calm their minds, sleep deeply, and find joy and energy in their lives again. Guiding clients through a "Breakthrough" process, they recode their unconscious minds for change, self-care, and success, priming them to create new, healthy, sustainable habits. Dr. Tonia has been featured on CTV, the Costco Connection, The Elephant Journal, Conscious Nutrition, The Autoimmune Simplified Podcast, and the New Generation Entrepreneur Podcast. Ultimately she helps everyday people create exceptional lives for themselves and their communities. To learn more about her brain-based coaching breakthroughs, head on over to https://www.toniawinchester.com/breakthrough/

Written by: Nafisah Nuhu-koko, 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. Once upon a time, if you asked me what healthy boundaries are, I would guess that maybe they were borders between countries. That’s right, I had no idea what healthy boundaries were. On that note, now may be the appropriate time to introduce myself; I am Nafisah (pronounced na-fi-sa), a retired people-pleaser, who is also a recovering perfectionist. Despite the educational experiences and accolades I have garnered, there was something missing; I did not know myself. For example, if you asked my favourite colour, I could not spit it out. Therefore, I started on this journey of self-discovery without even knowing it. Then came a few devastating life experiences that made me hit rock bottom. These life events, including the passing of my mother and breakdown of my marriage, led me to an entirely different, albeit higher stage of self-discovery and purpose alignment. It goes to say that at rock-bottom, I found my breakthrough. It revealed to me the many emotions that I had bottled up that had affected me physically, emotionally, behaviourally, and mentally all along. One thing I remember telling my counsellor then was that I was tired of being too perfect. The only problem my friends had with me was that I was too perfect. During this period, I embarked on research around healthy boundaries. Because I just did not want my circumstances to make me over-protective or too soft to the world. I then started to observe that a good number of adults are traumatized, and their lives revolved around abnormal coping mechanisms due to their traumatic pasts. Some have become too aggressive and shut off from the world, most have/had lost touch with their emotions. Trauma reactions are laden with fears- of abandonment, rejection, and failure. In the process, we may start to build walls around our hearts to prevent it from ever being broken. As a result, one has this lens they view the world with and wants to isolate themselves from it. With a deeper insight on healthy boundaries, however, it boils down to self-love and how we treat ourselves with love and kindness. And by so doing, emanate this loving energy to the world. With healthy boundaries, you get to work on yourself through healing the emotional wounds from childhood and growing up. Just leave those wounds open and allow them to air. It requires sitting through the pain and allowing yourself to just BE. By learning to be human and embracing yourself fully, you start to understand that you are not for everyone, and not everyone is for you. Therefore, you build healthy boundaries for yourself and communicate your needs easily. With healthy boundaries, you… make informed decisions understand your core values define your identity experience an overall emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing build healthy relationships discover and align with your life’s purpose Unlike walls, boundaries are flexible and not set in stone. You are allowed to change your mind and modify them over time when you understand yourself better and define your values. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Nafisah Nuhu-koko, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nafisah (na-FI-sa) is a Freedom and Purpose coach. She specializes in coaching women who have found themselves in the carer and giver positions, to step into their power through self-care, healthy boundaries, and seeing themselves as worthy of asking and receiving their needs. The result is a life and career of freedom, purpose, and fulfillment. Nafisah is also a medical doctor and has a Master's in Public Health; and she applies these, alongside her life experiences in her practice.

Written by: Dr. Justine Chinoperekweyi, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Organizations need support to cope with the rapid and disruptive influencing factors and patterns from the operating environment. The process of leading change during unsettled times requires approaches that elevate people’s enduring natural capabilities rather than a reliance on traditional linear, leader-centered models. The approaches should help a system to self-renew and to actualize its full potential; hence the need for Organization Development Consulting. Consultants play a significant role in the process of leading sustainable strategic change, facilitating continuous improvement, and improving people’s lives. What makes consulting pivotal in driving sustainable results within client systems and communities? This article summarizes the following four key elements from my Organization Development consulting and interactions: The cognitive and emotional sets of the consultant, the client, and the client system Preparatory engagements and activities Humanizing approaches to consulting The consulting environment and ensuing relationship Cognitive and emotional frameworks of the consultant, client, and client system It is important to appreciate that the mental and emotional frameworks we bring to the consulting engagement influence our effectiveness in supporting client systems. If the consultant engages with the client and client system with the wrong mindset or emotional set, there is bound to be tension and value conflict. In most cases, the wrong mental and emotional frameworks of the consultant emanate from allowing personal desires, priorities, and preferences to override the consulting scope. Consultants need to guard against overconfidence, rigidities that stem from in-depth specialized knowledge, and methodological overkill (for example, paralysis by analysis) mainly as a result of past successes or reliance on the consultant’s favorite diagnosis. Equally important, clients and client systems should enter into a consulting engagement with a clear and learning mindset rather than imposing their values and expectations to guide the consulting engagement. Possibility-seeking rather than problem-orientation is critical in effective consulting. To reframe cognitive and emotional sets, consultants, clients, and the client system need to appreciate that there are high stakes in Humble Inquiry, meaningful exploratory dialogue, effective engagement, co-creation mindset, listening and transforming talks, and building collaborative networks & tapping into the collective wisdom. Commitment testing is essential in understanding the client’s position. Preparatory consulting engagements and activities Consulting is not an activity that people can bolt on at lightning speed – there are a lot of surprises in today’s dynamic environment. No matter the previous success stories and years of experience, consultants need to be humble learners who effectively listen and engage in transforming talks with the process owners. Unfortunately, most people, including corporate executives, view consultants as experts and solution providers. It’s even more unfortunate when consultants view themselves as experts working for executives and as such undermine the collective wisdom in the client system. To clarify this ‘expert consulting’ context, it is important to highlight that all clients face technical and adaptive challenges. Technical challenges can be addressed through an expert, medical doctor, top-down approach because there is one known solution to the issue. On the contrary, adaptive challenges need broad inquiry, listening, transforming talks, and effective engagement because there are many questions to be asked and the answers to one question are many. Consultants need to appreciate the need for effective Use of Self, exploratory interviews with the whole client system, asking open-ended questions, and meaningful dialogue. Appreciative, preparatory conversations should be extended beyond CEOs and C-suite leaders, to include members of the entire organization. Effective consulting takes advantage of the wisdom in the client systems – every member is invaluable if the system wants to co-create sustainable interventions and not quick fixes. Humanizing approaches to consulting Traditional consulting thrived on fitting organizations or client systems into prescribed models – it was simple rote memorization of models and facilitating activities to fit the organization in that model. Most of these linear models to consulting were designed with a problem-solving mindset and as such are highly deficient in helping clients see beyond the horizon. The ability to help the client scan beyond the horizon and leapfrog existing strategies requires experience and craft in dealing with people in the client system. Consulting approaches should be integrative, leveraging on wisdom from the process owners, and capitalizing on new insights and trends. The consulting approaches should awaken process owners’ creative abilities and empower them for implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Through the emergent cascading approach, consultants should be tactful in helping clients translate strategy into implementation and operational plans. Traditional consulting approaches exacerbated learned helplessness among most organizational members as information was only made available to senior managers. Effective consultants appreciate the high stakes in opening information systems, flowing with intuitive leaps, creating a sense of ownership among all organizational members, giving and receiving feedback, and integrating humanistic and bottom-line values. The Consulting Environment and Ensuing Relationship Most consulting works are treated as mere projects that temporarily help client systems to move from one point A to another point B. Such consulting work is devoid of sustainable results and the transformative power of consulting. Consultants need to create space for candid conversations and for the new to emerge. The relationship between the consultant and the client system should facilitate generativity. The consulting relationship should not be once-off relationship but a long, emerging relationship of value-creation. Consulting work is a walk in the path if fundamentals are respected and upheld and the client system is empowered to ask itself questions and find its answers. Senior leaders need to rethink reasons for hiring consultants, based on the need at the time. Consultants need a values-based approach, understand the complexity of change, and leverage synchronicities to make connections to future possibilities. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Dr. Justine Chinoperekweyi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Justine Chinoperekweyi, is an internationally recognized Organization Development & Change, Corporate Governance and Leadership Scholar-Practitioner, Facilitator, Thought leader, & Author. He supports individuals, work groups, and organizations turn breakdowns into breakthroughs through the application of OD practices and values; and with a focus on measurable outcomes and results. He has been organizing generative dialogues and numerous webinars, international forums and conferences around OD. He is CEO of Centre for Organization Leadership and Development (COLD) and President of Organization Leadership and Development Network (OLDN). He is also Academic Director in Abu Dhabi and Visiting Faculty and post-graduate supervisor for MBA and doctoral programs in different countries. He is Board of Director for International Society for Organization Development & Change (ISODC), USA and The WorkBooth Magazine, Nigeria. His OD-informed mission: 'Leading Sustainable Strategic Change, Facilitating Continuous Improvement, and Improving the Human Condition'.

Written by: Rasheda Hatchett, 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 the topic of financial wellness is raised, what comes to mind are stocks and investments. The questions that are often asked are, “what are you investing in?” “How diverse is your portfolio?” “Who's your broker?” What's thought of less often is, how we stay financially well in a system that doesn't yet value equal pay for equal work. In The U.S. on average women are paid about 83 cents for every dollar their male counterparts are paid. Many factors play into this; however, there's one single reason that this occurs, men are often paid more than women for the same job. This is a phenomenon that can only be explained by the residual effects of living in a culture that places a higher value on the contributions of men as opposed to those of women. What this means for female lead households and households that rely on two incomes to thrive, is that regardless of skill, talent, or knowledge, they may still be unable to create wealth at the same rate as their male counterparts. It also becomes clear that building financial wealth is as much about investing well as it is about being financially compensated in a way that reflects your work and organizational value. Female lead homes bear the same burden of responsibility as homes led by males; housing costs are the same, medical costs are the same, food, utilities, transportation, entertainment, and college tuition, are all the same. The cost of living has no regard for gender. It doesn't matter if you're male or female those costs are fixed and the difference in female wages causes undue hardship for female-led households that can feel punitive for being born female. As concerning as this is, the salary gap is even wider when we discuss the wage gap of women of color versus that of males and white women. On average Black women make 64 cents to the dollar compared to white males. Latina women are even more disadvantaged and make about 57 cents to the dollar compared to white men. Though we’ve made some strides to close the gap, in many arenas black and brown women are paid far less than their white counterparts and even less than men. Closing the wage gap has as much to do with paying women equally as it does pain equally. Organizations bear a responsibility to assure that their hiring, and salary practices aren't discriminatory. As leaders, we must look at hours through the lens of equality and not simply meeting the bottom line. When you take the time to examine how you're paying your team and whether your compensation practices fall in line with a mission of equity and inclusion, you set your team up to Achieve financial Wellness. As the landscape changes and our Wellness programs include financial literacy and the promotion of financial Wellness to be prepared for retirement. It becomes more prevalent the nation's practices around fiscal responsibility are examined to assure they meet the mission vision and values of the organization. Here are four steps to creating a culture of financial wellness within your organization: 1. Provide education to your team on the importance of salary and benefits negotiation. Women are less likely to negotiate their salary and more likely to accept an offer without negotiating any of the terms. Providing education that assists your team members in understanding how to negotiate, when to negotiate, and the need to negotiate equips them with the tools to create financial wellness for themselves and their families. This doesn’t have to be scary; it is simply an added benefit to let your team know that you value them as a whole person and their financial wellness is a priority. 2. Examine your hiring and salary practices. The numbers don't lie, if your organization has a pattern of paying men more for the same job, you must work to correct that behavior. If you find discrepancies, work with the leadership team to begin closing the gap. Remember, you’re moving toward the goal of equity, but, also, you’re saving your organization thousands of dollars. The cost of losing an employee who finds they have been unfairly paid is far more expensive than increasing their salary to reflect what their male counterparts are making. 3. Practice transparency. It is quite likely that your team members already know there is a wage gap, hiding that information or denying that it exists will only further ostracize your team members who are already considering leaving the organization. Being transparent and letting them know what you found and the plan to correct the problem builds trust and sends a message of integrity. Everyone wants to work for an organization that can admit flaws and works collaboratively to fix those problem areas. On the other hand, lies, and rug sweeping 4. Listen to your team. Taking the time to talk with your team and gather information on what their experience has been with negotiating their salaries, getting promoted, or asking for a raise can give you valuable insight into where potential problems lie, and how you can fix them. Your team is your greatest resource and identifying what it will take to retain the talent you have and attract new talent. people desire 2 recruit qualified colleagues, but if as an organization you're not practicing equality you run the risk of losing out on extraordinary referrals. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Rasheda Hatchett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rasheda is a leader in resilience-based leadership and burnout prevention. After finding herself loving her nursing career, but suffering from panic attacks and burnt-out, she began to work to create strategies to not only recover from burnout but to thrive in the face of adversity. She is now dedicated to helping other women on the rise move audaciously into their next level to create the life, career, and businesses they’ve dreamt of. She is the CEO of Rasheda Hatchett Media, a coaching and consulting firm steeped in her passion for leadership and wellness. Her clients include Kaiser Permanente- Washington, University of Washington, National Black Nurses Association, Black Doctor.org, and RNterprise Academy. Rasheda is an award-winning nurse leader and was the recipient of the 2019 Federal Way Public Schools Hero award for her community work and the 2019 Black Nurses Rock Leadership Academy- Fellowship Challenge Winner, for her outstanding leadership. She is a best-selling author, and the author of Sis, It’s Time to Thrive: A Unicorns Guide to Loving Yourself Audaciously, Living Large: A Nurses Journey Toward Resilience, and The Power of Organizational Resilience: How to Retain Talent and Increase Your Bottom Line. Rasheda helps organizations build resilient workforces through workshops focusing on building personal, team, and organizational resilience. She is dedicated to educating and guiding people from burnout to resilience and thriving.

Written by: Richa Chandra, 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. This law is about being authentic and in sync with the companies values that the customers can relate to. once a month is creating a new brand or a product they go through this process of finding their core values and what the company would stand for. At that moment when this process is happening, there might not be easy to see how this will benefit the sales or how this will help create the strong brand. But add is the blankets known add more popular in order to attract the right kind of customers we have to be very clear and loud about our values so that our customer can relay too not just the product or the service is but the brand in itself. The law of Contraction The Law of publicity The law of Advertising The law of Decision making The Law of Credentials Law of Consistency and Singularity Law of Meaning and Mortality In the last article, I covered the 4th law. Let’s look closer at the 5th law of branding: 5. The Law of Credentials Generally, the credentials are established when a brand is producing something that is either number one or the very first in the market. If the product is the original or one of a kind, that in itself gives it's the credentials but there are so many other products that are unique, that also claim that they are authentic. Credentials it's about the facts and the perception of the customer of the product if the perception of the product and the fact matches the experience that the customer has that is that it's authentic. When a brand stands up to the expectations and delivers at the standard that they are claiming, and the price matches. The customers make up their minds based on their experience. When that is a good experience or satisfactory experience, people automatically give the brand and the company the credentials in their mind and trust the brand. Some experts will say that this is one of the most important laws of branding because this is mostly about the relationship they are creating with their customers, and it has become a trend to do marketing and branding around the values around what is being delivered and around the facts for the product or the services. The reason why the values are being fronted more often these days in marketing and sales is to appeal to the customers' emotions. Ideally, a brand gets credential by being the leader or the trendsetter in its field, in its category. for brands that have existed for a very long time, they used their time and experience to get the credentials that is why it is said that takes time to build a brand. With experience, they can claim features and benefits and back it up with proof. For new brands to get the credentials they should either be associated with old brands or backed up with people who have a good personal brand. When it comes to credentials for personal brands, we have certificates, diplomas, degrees, titles that shows that we are the specialist in a field or area. But just getting a degree or an education, Titan is not always enough but it's a start. even personal ground takes time and experience to build. In conclusion: This law is all about the values of the brand and how that builds the relationship with the customers. It can take years to build credentials and trust so that customers see the brand as authentic. I would say it is important to be consistent of proving and backing up the claims the brand is making and when enough people have the trust and they relate to values the credentials are there. Want to learn more from Richa? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Richa! Richa Chandra, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine 'Fears don’t define us, but how we face them, does that!' This is the mantra of Award winner (Most aspirational businesswomen, Norway 2019) Richa Chandra lives by. She is actually the driving force and face behind the success and visibility of many coaches, entrepreneurs, and workshops. In 2015, Richa faced a hostile takeover of her company and lost everything, but in just a few months, without any hesitation, she started 3 new businesses. She has written 3 books that have become the main Norwegian textbooks in teaching Indian Dance and Proven benefits of Meditation (2019).

Written by: Cynthia Omekam, 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 term self-sabotage refers to thoughts & behaviors that tend to hold us back & prevent us from achieving our desires. And the crazy thing about it is, you may not even notice that you're doing it. But whether you are aware of these negative habits or not, they slowly begin to destroy your life internally as well as externally. Because with every “failed” attempt you “prove” to yourself that you aren’t capable, that you aren’t enough or that you simply shouldn't do it. Which leads to high levels of discouragement, low levels of self-esteem & self-confidence, ultimately negatively affecting your experiences & interactions with the world around you. So self-sabotage is not only dangerous to our success journeys but also to our overall well being. It reinforces negative behaviors that diminish our view & perception of our true potential. And as we “fall short” in our daily responsibilities & obligations our behaviors can even lead to damage to our reputation. Because others begin to see us as unreliable, uncommitted, lazy, or unmotivated. Not to mention, with all of this comes a struggle with our own ability to manage our emotions. Causing more strain on relationships & creating more feelings of failure, shame, frustration & even guilt. Which continues to draw us deeper & deeper into a dark space. Self-sabotaging behavior presents itself differently from person to person. However, there are some common signs that may help you begin to recognize & identify these habits within your own journey. So I decided to highlight 8 common trends that I’ve picked up on from working with my clients: Avoidance Lack of boundaries Ruled by inner critic Victim of comparison Paralyzing fear of success Fear of change, discomfort, or trying new things Waiting for the “perfect” timing, conditions, or person Incompletion of projects, despite passionate or purposeful connection Now, of course, we’ve all had some form of experience with one or more of these factors but self-sabotage comes into play when these factors are consistent & begin to hinder our progress. Because again it’s the consistency that reinforces our skewed perception of our worthiness & potential. So now that we have a good understanding of what self-sabotage can look like & how it hinders our transformation, let’s explore 4 simple ways you can start breaking free from its chains today: 1. Practice Self-Awareness Take time to reflect, identify & examine goals that you’ve had for a long time but have never accomplished. Now, this can be done through reflective journaling or you can actively process through this as things occur during your day-to-day. But the key is to gain an in-depth understanding of possible trends/patterns in order to nurture the clarity needed to cultivate change. i. Why have you been putting it off? ii. Are these reasons acceptable/realistic? iii. Is this still aligned with where you are now on your journey? iv. If so, what could be the source behind your lack of motivation? v. Is there a need to learn a new skill or acquire a new credential? 2. Understand Your Triggers & Emotions Emotional intelligence is essential to avoiding self-sabotage. I mean just to be honest emotional reactivity is one of the main reasons I see my clients sabotage opportunities & experiences. Which is why managing our emotional response is crucial, so aim to be more aware of the cause & effect aspects during times when you feel emotionally triggered. In order to make sure that you aren't operating from a reactive mental/emotional space & possibly misinterpreting or misconstruing the situation. i. What transpired that triggered these emotions? ii. Was your response beneficial or detrimental to your experience? iii. If it caused a negative reaction, how can you respond better next time? 3. Challenge Your Inner Critic Nine times out of ten the emotions that fueled your behavior began as an irrational thought. So it’s very beneficial to take note of your negative dialogue. Make sure to write down your thoughts without any judgment to create a clear view of what is being said. Allowing you the opportunity to examine them effectively. Explore them & go deeper: What’s really fueling these beliefs? Are there clear facts to support these thoughts? Next, begin challenging your inner critic with logical, positive affirmations. Dismantling your assumptions through a fact based perspective. While shifting your focus to your positive experiences & accomplishments. And as you continue to practice this, you will slowly begin to transform your negative thoughts & emotions into ones anchored in hope & positivity. Ultimately, nurturing the mental/emotional capacity & resilience needed to effectively maneuver through challenges, allowing you to begin achieving whatever you set your mind to. 4. Shower Yourself In Love & Compassion Adopting a more mindful approach anchored in self-love & self-compassion can really help you stay grounded & encouraged. A really good practice to pick up is gratitude journaling or self-praise journaling. This allows you to reflect on all the good in your life & celebrate your accomplishments. Which not only boosts your confidence & vibrations but serves as excellent counter thoughts when that inner critic tries to pop up in your way. But as always choose tools & activities that speak to you, the goal is to reinforce your self-worth & amplify the voice of your inner coach. I know it can be hard to accept that the very thing that is holding you back is you. But the good news is that you can overcome & defeat self-sabotage through accountability, dedication & a lot of inner work. Of course, it won’t be easy but it is very possible & beyond worth it. So start slow & simple. And most of all maintain self-compassion as you become more intentional with monitoring & challenging your behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs about yourself. Knowing that as you begin to understand what is behind the self-sabotaging behavior, you literally begin to regain your power. Cultivating the mental & emotional capacity to begin developing positive, self-supporting behaviors to keep you on the right track & keep you propelling forward. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cynthia! Cynthia Omekam, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cynthia Omekam, the owner of Holistic Liberation LLC, is a Certified Holistic Life Coach & an Accredited Spiritual Healer with a BS & MA in Psychology. She is dedicated to supporting others as they break free from stress & anxiety and begin living more peaceful, balanced, and fulfilling lifestyles. She specializes in stress management, establishing inner peace, mindful living & spirituality. When she is not working Cynthia loves adrenaline-pumping adventures & anything that leads her closer to her higher self.

As a certified professional coach trained with Erickson International Coaching, Barrett Values Centre and Career Joy, as well as an accredited PCC-level coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF), Tara Sutorius specializes in helping individuals better understand their personal core values so they may live a more purpose-driven life in alignment with what is most important to them in their personal and professional lives. Tara is also the Director of Communications at Export Development Canada (EDC) and the founder of “Tara Sutorius Coaching and Wellness” – a coaching company offering compassionate, transformational and values-based personal leadership, career and wellness coaching. Working alongside senior leaders in both the private and public sector for over 20 years, Tara has a keen sense of what is required to be able to connect with one’s personal and professional leadership mission in order to effect meaningful change over the long-term and build greater resiliency both at home and at work. What Tara loves most about coaching is helping guide individuals through powerful questioning and transformational conversations. Her coaching style is compassionate, action-oriented, motivational, connected and intuitive. She can help guide you to better align your values with your dream job, clarify your passions, set clear goals and take greater ownership of your career and overall wellness. Life and Leadership Coach, Tara Sutorius Who is Tara? Tara Sutorius is a values-driven leader with nearly 25 years of professional experience in corporate communications, leadership, coaching, and executive services. When not coaching part-time or wrangling her two teenage boys and a puppy named Rosie, Tara enjoys a challenging career with a talented team at Export Development Canada as the Director of Communications. Tara’s passion for integrated and authentic communications, employee wellness, and values-driven leadership is foundational to both her leadership and coaching style. As the founder of “Tara Sutorius Coaching and Wellness” she has built a coaching company over the last seven years that offers compassionate, transformational, and values-based leadership coaching and wellness programs that shift her clients’ lives from the inside out. What is it that Tara does for her clients? Tara guides individuals by asking powerful questions and opening the door for a co-created and transformational conversation. Her coaching style is empathetic, action-oriented, motivational, connected, and intuitive. She loves helping clients unpack deeply held beliefs or consider a different perspective. By using a combination of powerful coaching questions and self-awareness tools, Tara’s aim is to guide you to better align your personal core values and your genius zone, so you can have greater impact in both your personal and professional life. Having built her own personal resilience practice over the years (through a lot of trial and error and failing forward), she is particularly moved to help her clients bounce back following periods of tough life transitions. In particular, she is passionate about delivering individualized programs that empower each client to set clear achievable goals – one tiny step at time - and take ownership of their life and overall wellness. Who should hire/work with Tara? Those looking to make a transition in their life or career: Tara is the real deal - a passionate coach who expertly leverages solutions-focused coaching methods and tools to guide individuals to find the answers within themselves in order to transform their life through consistent action and healthy habits. Those looking to up-level their career: Working alongside senior leaders in both the Canadian private and public sector for over two decades, Tara has a keen sense of what is required to be able to connect with one’s personal and professional leadership mission in order to effect meaningful change over the long-term and build greater resiliency both at home and at work. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? In ten years, I see myself living by the water, retired from a rewarding leadership career with the Canadian federal government, and running my coaching practice full-time. I am working with individuals and organizations who are committed to a growth mindset and a purpose-driven life. I am doing this by asking powerful questions and holding up a mirror so clients can excavate and uncover what matters most to them and why. The result: human beings, families, teams, and companies better equipped to elevate their purpose and drive results to epic proportions – all in alignment with matters most to them: their personal core values. Take action today: Do you need help transforming your life and career? Do you want to better understand your personal core values so you can make for aligned decisions? Contact me for a complimentary coaching call and let’s get started: tara@coachsutorius.com Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tara!

Written by: Michelle Schafer, 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 ongoing pandemic continues to create a thick layer of stress for a lot of people. Job-seekers are feeling the brunt, too, as looking for work in a pandemic poses unique challenges. Are you embarking on a career transition, and feeling stuck in your job search? If so, there are several activities you can engage in to move your search forward. One of those activities is networking remotely. Often when I speak to clients about networking and reaching out to talk to organizations (cue the eye rolls and blank gazes), the main complaints I receive are: I recently moved to a new city/community and don’t have anyone to ask People are too busy and will have no time for me I don’t know anyone in ABC sector or who works at XYZ company Looking “through” the network versus “at” the network When I was restructured from my HR job in financial services 16 years ago and wanted to get into the non-profit sector, I started looking “at” my network and found there was only one person I knew who had worked in a non-profit. Talking to just one person was obviously not going to help me find work. I didn’t realize then that I was missing many opportunities to grow my network – instead of looking “at” my network (to see who worked in non-profits), I needed to look “through” my network to find new potential connections working in my area of interest. Each person in our network is likely connected to hundreds of people – and any one of those individuals can be of assistance. I needed to think about who my friends and colleagues were connected to that did work in this sector, and who could help me explore possibilities. Being intentional about the search Looking for work is an intentional process – you will be far more successful in proactively targeting the organizations you are interested in instead of waiting passively for a posting to appear. This is especially true now, as people are being hired through network referrals with no job posting. So how can you uncover those “hidden” opportunities? Here are some ways to do this: List all the companies you would be interested in exploring opportunities with – ones that align with your own values and “non-negotiables” (or dealbreakers). During COVID-19, companies have demonstrated those values in real time through how they support their clients and employees. Pay attention to how these values “show up.” Brainstorm a list of all the people in your network who can help – this may start off as a very short list. Consider all the sources – family, friends, friends of friends, former colleagues, parents at your child’s school/sports team, stylist, people you volunteer with, alumni, accountant, people at the gym – and the list goes on Identify individuals who could get you in the door to the organizations you want to explore – and what new possibilities are revealed when you look “through” the network. Each person in your network likely knows anywhere from 50-200 people – tap into these sources. Ask for an online meeting or phone call – for some, asking for the meeting with someone they have never met is more fear-inducing than actually conducting the meeting. An email containing information about who recommended you, how they can help (eg, provide information about an industry, what their organization is like as a place to work or the career path they chose to enter the company) and a brief capture of skills/experience can support you with making the ask. Remind yourself of the three principles of networking: ) It is just a big word that means “having conversations” (and we do this every day – talking to someone behind us in line at the grocery store, or meeting a new neighbour); 2.) People love to help (this is so true especially today!), and 3.) People love talking about themselves. Put on your “curiosity hat” and make it all about the other person by asking some thought-provoking questions to gather information which will inform your job search. Have your “pitch” ready to talk about yourself when the time comes. Ask for a new connection at the end of the meeting – ask and you shall receive. Not asking is a missed opportunity to grow the network and get connected to someone you would not have otherwise met. Send a thank you at the end of the meeting that includes something relevant or interesting they learned in the meeting. People love to help – and they also love to know specific ways they helped. An ongoing process Watching your network grow is rewarding – and takes a lot of work. Networking is not a linear process; stewarding the relationships and keeping them fresh takes time and effort. Thankfully, social media such as LinkedIn can help with this. Stay in touch with your network – let them know when you “land” and share articles that may be of interest. You will likely need to tap into that network again one day. Follow me on Facebook, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michelle! Michelle Schafer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle Schafer is an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach and Facilitator, specializing in career transition and leadership. She is the owner and founder of Michelle Schafer Coaching, empowering people to achieve career fulfillment. Michelle has personally experienced two significant career transitions through restructuring and has reinvented herself for new careers both times. She deeply understands the physical, emotional and mental impact associated with a job search. Michelle is passionate about people and inspired by their progress, working with clients at all levels of an organization and across sectors including federal and municipal government, high tech, not-for-profit and financial services. Michelle offers coaching 1:1, in groups and recently was certified in the foundations of team coaching with the Global Team Coaching Institute.

Imani Missouri is the Principal Owner of Faith Forward LLC, where she leverages the essence of faith to coach leaders toward their purpose. She has a number of faith-centered sub-brands that motivate women of color to reach their full potential in the professional sphere and beyond. Some of which include the Forward 40 (4tea) podcast, which highlights the experiences of 40 women of color on the rise in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors. She is also the founder of The Forward Academy, a faith-centered professional development platform for women of color seeking to define themselves beyond their titles. Her career spans experience in the nonprofit, community development, and education sector. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for DIFFvelopment, a nonprofit that creates historically and globally conscious Black visionary leaders who believe in Black business, take responsibility for developing solutions to the issues Black people face, and have unshakeable pride and confidence in themselves. She is also a member of the Medal and Nominating Committees for Smith College. Imani Missouri, Principal Owner of Faith Forward LLC Who is Imani? I am a faithful(filled) daughter, friend, entrepreneur, global and civic servant. In business, I am the Principal Owner of Faith Forward LLC where I leverage the essence of faith to coach and consult faith-increasing social impact leaders in the areas of personal and professional development, community engagement and diversity, equity, and inclusion. I currently live in the Bronx, NY, the borough of my upbringing. In addition to the business side of my work, I serve on the Board of Directors for DIFFvelopment, the global Black community through historically centered re-education that empowers aspiring Black visionaries to develop their world differently through community-minded business ownership and wealth building. In addition to my leadership on the Board, I am also a member of the Medal and Nominating Committees for Smith College, my undergraduate alma mater. What is it that you do for your clients? On the coaching side of my work, I support clients in the areas of personal and professional development. This takes shape in the form of career transition coaching, leadership development and executive coaching. On the consulting side, I support social impact organizations frame, refine and implement their racial equity and inclusion initiatives as well as support with community engagement. Who should hire/work with you? My coaching clients are altruistic social impact professionals and organizations. They believe in greater than themselves and are committed to embracing the actualization of faith and work. They are driven by more than the bottom line in business and work. Client Types/Experience Levels include: SVP-VP-Director High Potential Leaders Equity & Social Impact Minded Organizations Faith-centered Leadership/Companies What do you do to keep yourself inspired in the work? In addition to witnessing and being a part of client breakthroughs, I am continually inspired by community and servant leadership. Some examples of that include The Coaching Fellowship, where I provide pro-bono coaching to women in the social impact space. I am also in community with other entrepreneurs, like Faith-Driven Entrepreneurs, and am continually encouraged by the community of fellow Black visionary leaders through DIFFvelopment. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? I am on the path to achieving it. Personally and professionally, I am working to build generational wealth for my family and thus community as an entrepreneur. Through my work I aim to work with clients to move beyond their blindspots (perceived mountains) and journey forward in their visions for personal development, leadership development, equity & impact knowing that the work is far greater than themselves. Faith, equity and work can and does exist as one. 10 years from now, there will be a shift from solopreneurship with Faith Forward LLC. We will have scaled to a global multi 6-figure with a social enterprise arm and thriving team of mission-aligned professionals. We will have collectively grown a pipeline of committed clients and partners. Additionally, as the founder and CEO, I will have authored at least two books, fiction (Young Adult) and nonfiction (Christian Self-Help). Tell that mountain to move! I know I am. For more info, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website! Read more from Imani!

Written by: Jeff Altman, 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 Delacorte Theater in New York's Central Park reminded me of how a teacher described Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare released many of his plays. It is open-air with a castle behind it. The theatergoers would stand in line before being admitted then climb to their seats to see Shakespeare in the Park. It was there in my early 20s and married for the second time when we went to see Shakespeare's "As You Like It." The first time I saw it, I was 15 and was thunderstruck by Act II, Scene 7 "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their entrances and exits, and one man in his time plays many parts." As it did the first time, it struck me deeply. By now, I had rushed through the stages of being an infant and schoolboy, skipped over being a soldier, and, now, was at the stage of the lover trying to find my place in the world by myself with little useful help. I noticed many people were like me, grinding in our jobs, some more successful than others. Some were married; some weren't. We tried to help one another, but it was the blind leading the blind. We spoke convincingly about what someone else should do while unable to help ourselves lead happier lives and have more successful careers. "Own your life. Own your career," we heard but did not know how to do it. If you're like most people, you were programmed at an early stage to do the right thing— take direction, get good grades, do what you were told to do-- so that by the time you got to the workforce, you were doing the adult version of that. Except the rungs on the ladder had changed. There was no career ladder. Instead, the ladder became a jungle gym where you no longer could striate up sequentially. You now have to climb higher and higher, pulling yourself up and no one told you. Like some of you, by the time I reached my 40's, I was married and divorced twice, started and lost more than one business, filed for personal bankruptcy. But, unfortunately, I was doing "the right thing" in the wrong way. One day, I woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw something I'd never seen before. There were things on my face that were in slightly different places. There was a little bit of grey in my beard and a closet full of clothing that had seen better days. I had crossed over to another stage of life — The Justice. "In fair round belly with good capon lin'd, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; Time was running out. There were only two more stages in my performance, and neither was particularly pleasant sounding. I started to do something different – ask for advice from people older than me. I came to realize that a lifetime is not a long time. I thought of myself as being immortal, as you probably do. But life was starting to show me that my time was finite, and I was foolish to conduct myself as though it was infinite. The Graduate School of Business at Stanford published a study that concluded those more likely to oppose racism and sexism are more likely to maintain ageism as acceptable because they believe that older people block their way to advancement. The study concluded, "equality for all may only mean equality for some." "Okay, Boomer," is shorthand for shut up, go away, and die. A recent LinkedIn poll asked Boomers whether ageism was common, infrequent, or non-existent in their Iives. 97% of Boomers were experiencing age-based discrimination. Among those, 76% were finding it a commonplace occurrence. A 2020 study published by The American Psychological Association points to demands for labor that may emphasize "youthful agility over mature experience and wisdom." In another study, a clear preference was shown for job applicants whose profiles demonstrated positive stereotypes of a younger age. These included being creative, good at learning new skills, and being a quick decision-maker. Conversely, deemed less desirable were job applicants with profiles that included positive older-age stereotypes, such as being good at settling arguments (conflict resolution), understanding others' viewpoints, and being polite or respectful. By the way, before you think that age discrimination only occurs in one direction, older to younger, in the same American Psychological Association study, they found age-based discrimination is even greater toward younger workers than older ones. Managers, leaders who view questions about why a decision was made in a particular way as a threat to their authority, who keep information on a need-to-know basis, or would instead do it themselves, rather than teach someone to do it, are making a mistake. This is a re-creation of parent-child relationships that helps to foster generational silos where older and younger people don't talk to one another, let alone ask for support. This doesn't simply happen in the workplace. It occurs in peoples' personal lives as well. I started to ask myself, "How do I want to live between now and the inevitable conclusion of my life?" The first new habit I developed was the ability to ask for advice. From there, I asked for it from people who were generationally different than me. You can build up to people from different genders, sexual orientations, races, and national origins than you. Just start with asking someone who is generationally different. There are different lenses each of you has been trained to use just because you grew up in different times. It's like the siblings born of the same parents but who describe their situation as having different families because their parents had different experiences of parenting by the time the second sibling was born. I started by asking someone I met nicknamed Snake. I was a New Yorker. He was from Minnesota. I was very urban, and he was connected to natural beauty. He thought introspectively, and I acted instinctively. I would call him to ask for advice because he thought and acted differently than I did. Hearing his thoughts helped me identify blind spots and how I thought and felt that slowly evolved me into the man I am today. I stopped putting myself in the situation where I was the smartest person in the room. Instead, I started to look for people from who I could ask questions and learn. From there, I made a giant leap and went to the best place of all for me -- asking those older than me for what their thoughts were and listening intently to what they said. Asking for advice doesn't mean you have to act on it. On the contrary, it is helpful to hear different opinions because it may (1) affirm your thinking or, more likely, (2) may open the door to a blind spot you have that you can investigate. A December 2018 article in Psychology Today reported, "There is clear evidence that it is good for young people to spend time with older adults. For example, one large analysis found that youth who participated in intergenerational programs showed more respect toward older adults, less anxiety, and higher self-esteem." So, it's good for you! When deciding whether to sell or close my second business, I consulted with several older individuals for advice. They wanted to know why someone would want to buy my business, whether they would want me to stay as an employee, under what conditions and for how long, and about 15 other questions. Their questions encouraged me to think a bit longer about what the right decision would be for me. From my experience, it is also extremely powerful for an older individual to ask for advice from people younger than they because it happens so rarely. Parents rarely ask their children for advice. Instead, parents talk among themselves about what to do. Truthfully, children like it that way. But neither of your children anymore. You are adults. Children also don't want to hear that their parents are having problems. They may listen to it through walls separating rooms as well as by listening and noticing. What can you do? 1. Identify people who you believe are wise. What is it about them the gives you that impression? Are they considered and caring? Are they brilliant and knowledgeable? Are they good listeners (because they will have to listen intently to provide better advice to you)? 2. Ideally, you want to bring people together in a group, whether online or in person. But, is that possible with this person or people? As with mastermind groups, there is something even more powerful about coming together as a group that provides a more significant benefit for someone seeking advice. 3. Do not ask for investment, tax, medical or legal advice. You will never provide these people with enough information, nor may they have specific expertise to offer quality advice to you. 4. Identify at least one person who seems different from you to participate in the group. Homogeneous advisors may have blind spots similar to yours and not provide you with disparate advice. 5. Spend time in advance of meeting with them to summarize the subject of the advice you want to receive. Then, distill the request to its core points and provide them in advance of the meeting. By doing this, you respect their time and offer them a chance to contemplate and perhaps formulate questions. 6. The meeting should last no more than 45 minutes. If you can complete it in 30, that is best. 7. You do not need to act on the advice you receive. However, you should be committed to investigating ideas after the meeting. As someone who advises people frequently, I ask them to message me with what actions they took based upon the meeting and the results. There are also many benefits for the older individual to being a trusted advisor for someone younger. 1. You are at the legacy phase of life. You may have already raised a family, sold a business, retired, lost a partner, or in general, had many more life experiences than others. Those experiences have helped to form a worldview even if you don't see it. Legacy is about passing down knowledge to those younger, so they don't have to make the same mistakes you did or struggle over the things you may know the answer to. 2. You stay connected with others in meaningful ways. It won't take a lot of your time, and the impact upon someone else can be enormous. Helping someone else is good karma, feels good, and is a reward for you. 3. It will help you feel alive! Being siloed with your generational peers often leaves older people feeling lethargic. It is as though people come together to collectively pass the time until it is time to be buried or cremated. Sharing ideas, helping problem solve, and being a friend with someone younger who you learn to care about often makes a difference to people. Scott Peck began "The Road Less Traveled" by writing, "Life is hard." We make it harder on ourselves than it needs to be. What rule says that we have to figure everything out ourselves? What book is that in? Connecting with people of different generations provides an avenue for connecting with others, the potential of seeing our blind spots before they adversely affect us, an opportunity to connect with others and create good karma for ourselves. I'm your future... if you're lucky! Between where you are and where I am on the stage, how do you want to live? How do you want to live between now and your inevitable exit from the stage? Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is a career and leadership coach working with people worldwide. If you are interested in him coaching you or your organization, you can schedule time for a free discovery call or for coaching at www.TheBigGameHunter.us Follow Jeff on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit his website for more info! Read more from Jeff! Jeff Altman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is a career and leadership coach who helps people with their career, including a job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading, resolving workplace-related issues while being the person they want to be in life. He has written 9 books and guides to job search and hiring, including "The Ultimate Job Interview Framework" and "The Right Answers to Tough Interview Questions." He is the host of No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the 1 podcast in Apple Podcasts for job search with more than 2100 episodes, as well as JobSearchTV.com on YouTube, Amazon, Roku, Apple TV, and 90+ smart sets. Jeff works with clients worldwide and is a popular speaker.

Written by: Debbie Gill, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Everyone has a Saboteur. The question is, "Have you weakened it?" Chances are, you haven't, don't know how, or you aren't aware you even have one. The Judge, a highly powerful Saboteur, is indoctrinated in us at an early age. We judge our performance in school, on the playground, and at home; we judge others for the same, and we judge our circumstances or situation in life. Have you ever said to yourself, "I should have done better on that project. I'm such a loser when it comes to details," or something similar? Maybe you've judged a co-worker; "What a slacker he is; he always takes extra time on breaks." Or you've judged your circumstances in life as getting the short of the stick; you weren't born to the right parents; there's always a wrench thrown your way to mess things up. "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow According to Shirzad Chamine, author of Positive Intelligence, the Judge is the universal Saboteur that beats you up repeatedly over mistakes or shortcomings, warns you obsessively about future risks, and gets you fixated on what is wrong with others or your life. Your Judge is your greatest internal enemy and causes you much of your stress and unhappiness and reduces your effectiveness. So, what can you do, and how can you weaken the Judge? First, ask yourself why you're judging. Is it because of your need to belong or feel part of a group? Is it because of your need to feel "better than" or superior to someone? Is it because you don't want to see those aspects in yourself? Is it because you want to know where you fit in, who and what you like? After becoming aware of why you're judging, pause and feel the emotions and the bodily sensations that occur as a result. Are they pleasant, or are they distressing? Negative emotions are only helpful for one second as your alert signal, just like the signal you get from putting your hand on a hot stove. You don't keep your hand on it; you remove it quickly. You can become aware when judging by being curious and listening to what your body is telling you. When these alert signals are heeded, change can occur; judging can be transmuted into discernment. When using discernment, you are curious and search for understanding and insight from a situation enabling you to make an intelligent decision. You can see clearly and respond with empathy, compassion, creativity, and laser-focused action. To weaken your Judge Saboteur, strengthen your discernment; it's your key to success. Strengthening your discernment isn't easy, but you can increase your abilities by focusing on your business. Where do you struggle? Do you talk all the time, or are you quiet as a churchmouse? If you're perceived as a know-it-all, people will shut you out and may cause your working relationships to suffer. On the other hand, if you never speak up, no one will recognize you as having anything to offer, which could be detrimental when working on a project. Learning when to speak up and when to stay quiet strengthens your discernment. Are you are perfectionist and late with your tasks? When you need to have everything perfect, you're judging your work. Find colleagues with similar projects and watch how they complete them. Use this knowledge with your wisdom to discern what is necessary to hand in. Do you hold onto constructive feedback as criticism from your boss? Taking time to consider and assess what value you can find in the feedback rather than getting annoyed or angry is a step in improving your discernment resulting in greater success. If you find your Judge Saboteur is showing up frequently and blocking your success and potential, begin practicing the virtue of discernment. Schedule your free 15-Minute Assessment today and learn how you can begin to weaken your Judge, leading to a more prosperous and happier life! Enroll in Say Hello To Your Shadow Fears, an online course featuring the Saboteur, the People Pleaser, and the Perfectionist. COUPON CODE: 50OFF4POD for the first 100 to enroll. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Debbie! Debbie Gill, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Debbie Gill is the founder of Go Within Spiritual Coaching and Go Within Yoga. She integrates her knowledge and experience as a spiritual coach and yoga teacher with the wisdom of Caroline Myss, a Medical Intuitive and five-time New York Times bestselling author, Anodea Judith, an expert on the Chakra System, somatic therapy, and yoga, and Lion Goodman, creator of the Clear Beliefs® Process. As a Certified Clear Beliefs® Coach, Debbie can assist you with clearing core beliefs that hold you back from becoming your true self and living your true purpose through the Clear Beliefs Process® (CBP). The CBP is a set of tools and techniques that frees you from past limitations so you can freely choose your beliefs and live an empowered and more fulfilling life. Debbie is the author of, Struck by Lightning: My Journey from the Shadow to the Light, where she chronicles her life’s struggles with her shadow aspects and addictions. The spiritual memoir reflects her emergence from the shadow caused by traumatic wounds to the light where truth brings awareness and healing. A grateful recovering alcoholic since June 6, 2000, she lives the 12-Steps of AA and practices its principles in her daily life, and continues her study at CMED with Myss and Judith and Goodman.

Written by: Jackie Woodside, 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 internet is overflowing with blogs, vlogs, websites, masterclasses, digital downloads, and online communities committed to getting you to change! But what if you don’t want to change? What if you’re really, super, over-the-top committed to staying precisely the way you are for as long as you possibly can? Well, worry no more. I’ve been a therapist and coach for the past 30 years. I’ve done my time “in the chair,” listening to hundreds of thousands of hours of human beings lamenting about changes they want to make in their lives. And still… many (most?) of them (uh, and me too, if truth be told!) go through all kinds of shenanigans resisting the exact change they declare they so passionately seek. What’s up with that? So, I thought I would save you the time and money of working with a therapist or coach, and I would take some time to fully articulate for you Seven Sure-Fire Ways to Stay the Same! Here you are: 1. Resist anything new. If you’re committed to staying the same, it is imperative that you stay in your lane. Do not travel. Don’t change jobs. Do not engage in a new sport or hobby. Heck, you might even want to stave off dating or meeting new people altogether (Tinder optional since there’s no plan for relationships anyway). 2. Be sure that you already know. This air of self-assurance and disinterest in other people’s perceptions and thoughts is essential to your plan to stay the same. Be sure you know. Know what? Oh, that doesn’t matter. No matter the topic, especially if it is one in which someone is trying to engage you in something new. Nope. Have nothing of it! Why? Because you know that it won’t help, won’t be interesting, won’t be worth your time anyway. 3. And equally as certain that others do not. You can be confident that since you know [fill in the blank regarding your topic of choice here], you can also ooze confidence that others simply do not. They may have interesting opinions, backed up by their own life experience and maybe even scientific data. Does. Not. Matter. Don’t cave. They don’t know what they’re talking about. Well-intended, yes. Knowledgeable, not a chance. 4. Let FEAR be your driver. All these gurus trying to tell you to overcome your fears, to “feel the fear and do it anyway.” What total and complete B.S. Keep your fear intact. Hold it close to the chest. Stave off all these courage-seekers and self-help hooligans. Fear. Keeps. You. Safe. Don’t mess with it. 5. And CYNICISM be your guide. A proven tactic to keep others at bay when they suggest you should “do something to better yourself” is to wrap yourself in the most lurid cynicism you can find. Douse yourself in a gallon of skepticism. Accuse them of satisfying their own needs and manipulating you toward their goals. I mean, seriously, how long will even the most committed evangelist-of-growth-and-change hang around in the face of dyed-in-the-wool cynicism? 6. Be steadfastly unwilling to invest time or money in yourself and your growth. You work hard for your money, and goodness knows you don’t have nearly enough free time. Don’t go throwing your hard-earned cash away so some other schmuck can earn a living? What are they thinking anyway? No, thank you very much. Keep your money in your pocket and spend your time watching reruns of FBI: Most Wanted until your heart’s content. 7. Do as little as possible. Go to work, earn a living, pay the bills, and leave it at that. Who needs gym memberships or exotic trips to strange new lands? Why bother eating healthier or learning to meditate when it all takes time, money, and most of all, concerted effort! Yeah, no. I’m good. Thanks. I’m going to stay exactly as I am. 8. But keep REALLY BUSY. At the same time, if you really want those self-help hipsters to leave you alone, make sure you look busy, so they stay off your back. You don’t have to actually DO STUFF. You can make it look like you’re doing stuff. Talk about doing stuff. Hell, you can even post images on social media that shows you’re doing stuff. Just be sure you don’t actually do anything. Just. Look. Busy. 9. And when all else fails, BLAME SOMEONE ELSE for the way life is! When all is said and done, if you have resisted the cultural tidal wave of self-improvement and growth, but you’re still not happy and living your dream life, just blame someone else for the way your life is. Take no responsibility whatsoever. It’s “their” fault (whoever “they” may be!). It’s not on you. You’re fine just the way you are, because… Well, go back to number one on this list and repeat. There you have it! Nine sure-fire ways to stay the same and avoid the hard work of creating yourself and your life into the image of what you imagine it could be! If you’re inspired by this list, feel free to share it with the other curmudgeons in your life who are equally committed to staying the same. And if maybe, by some slight chance, you see a little too much of yourself in this parody, and you’re inspired to think differently about your life, I’m just a quick email away. Because, you know, I’m really committed to people living the life of their dreams, even when it’s hard to change. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Jackie! Jackie Woodside, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jackie Woodside, CPC, MSW, is a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, radio and television personality, and trainer passionate about expanding the edge of human potential. Jackie has written three best-selling books and over 30 different training programs. She was featured along with Jack Canfield and Don Miguel Ruiz on the Wake-Up! TV series. She is the Founder of the Curriculum for Conscious Living and the Conscious Living and Money Vibe Summits. Jackie provides custom training programs or keynote speeches for organizations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bayer Corporation, the Air Force National Guard, The National Association of Social Workers, Gallaudet University, and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Jackie is committed to raising consciousness on the planet, creating a world that works for everyone.