Written by: Anya Alyzabeth, 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 times have you heard: Can’t you just be happy?! Just change your thinking and everything will be fine. Why do you have to worry so much? Getting tired of it yet? Yes, me too. Frankly, if it was this easy, then everybody would be living a grand happy life. But it isn’t this easy, until you learn and practice to make it this easy. The power of manifestation and visualization is a bit more complex than just changing thoughts. Recent neurobiological research has shown that thought patterns are biologically wired in the brain and they are not easy to “undo”. This is where Resilience building comes in which is way more than positive thinking. Positive thinking implies that everybody is able to think positively, if they only wanted to. This approach ignores the extent of the hard-wired patterns affecting each of our personalities and can lead to a lot of frustration and/or worse. Resilience building involves learning the mental skills that focus on identifying existing thought patterns and attitudes that do not serve us, releasing these patterns and replacing them with new thought patterns that are advantageous to us. The research also provides insight into why people react completely differently to the exact same trigger. It is our personal evaluation of an external event that determines how we react, rather than the objective characteristics of the event. Our personal evaluation is partially based on our wiring and experience which lead to an automatic response. Every situation is handled by our brain in a specific manner depending on our biographical experiences, our values, our attitudes, thought patterns, and habits. Stress originates in the brain and initiates the stress response with a myriad of physical manifestations. The brain is also affected by our responses to stress. The different hormones that participate in the stress response have an impact on our brain function, and in particular, on the neural pathways. it is the individual stress amplifiers that largely influence our stress responses. “It is not the things themselves that serve to unsettle the people, but rather their judgements and opinions of things.” (Epictetus, 50-120 a.D.) So what can you do and how do you get started? In the following is a list of entry-level questions to ask yourself when you encounter a difficult situation that is causing you a lot of distress. They will help you gain a different perspective which will lead to you managing the situation for a more favourable outcome. Reality check and clearer definition: Take a realistic account of the situation or event. What happened exactly, how do others who are involved view the event, different ways to explain the event, what individual things were said and done. Try to be as precise, uninvolved, neutral and realistic as possible, to gain a true assessment of the situation or event. Distancing yourself and putting everything into perspective: How will you view this in a month or year from now? How important is this really? How do neutral people view the situation? How would the situation look like from a different perspective? What advice would a friend give you in this situation? This form of questioning leads to an emotional distancing necessary to gain a neutral perspective. Focus on opportunities and the positive side of the situation: Does this situation have any positive aspects? Could I learn from this experience and apply it successfully at a later time? Are there any opportunities that are opening up? What can you learn from the situation? What are your actual responsibilities in this situation? Could the situation be interpreted in a different way? These questions are meant to provide a different, more positive perspective of the situation, possibly leading to you viewing it as a challenge that you can learn from and come out more resilient. Focus on your strengths and successes: When have you successfully resolved a similar situation? How did you do it? What tools, strengths and knowledge did you use? What are you proud of? What gives you courage and strength? What can you rely on? What encouraging words would a trusted person say to you in this situation? The more strengths and skills you can list here the better. Focus on positive outcomes and de-mystifying: What will it be like when you successfully resolve this situation? How will you feel? How might others react to your resolving this? Will it have a positive impact on your life? What is the worst-case scenario? How bad would that really be? How realistic and likely is it? Focus on possible positive outcomes and also think about the worst possible outcome and how you would cope with that. Hopefully, this list provides a starting point to open up your mind to the endless possibilities that are available to re-train your mind. Please bear in mind that those questions are only the tip of the iceberg of a very complex process and are as such meant to serve as an inspiration to take back control of your life, your emotions and ultimately your happiness and wellbeing. All the best, Anya Alyzabeth Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Anya Alyzabeth, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anya Alyzabeth has a strong passion for building resilience for a better life experience. After suffering from several health conditions that were all based on prolonged chronic stress, Anya became a master of managing stressors and building the resilience that is required to thrive in life despite external circumstances. She is now helping others to build those same skills so they can become autonomous and in control of their own happiness and well-being. Anya offers private 1:1 coaching packages in different formats.

Written by: Agnes Gomori, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. There is a certain word starting with an ‘s’ that men seldom talk about amongst themselves: sensitivity. When you think of an empathetic leader, do you picture a man or a woman? When someone describes Sam as a good listener, or Charlie as a sensitive and caring partner, would you assume that Sam and Charlie are females? Being a woman, it’s no-surprise that I’m a big advocate for empowering fellow women. But I’m also conscious of giving voice to another group. The empathetic men. For the untrained eye, it’s hard to spot them. They have a lifetime experience of blending in and not showing their emotions in order to feel accepted by society. Often both in their private lives and at work. We know how certain conditioning we have in our childhood can prevent us - if it remains unchallenged — from reaching our best. Phrases like ‘boys don’t cry’, ‘toughen up’ or ‘don’t be a girl’ might come from a good intention to motivate the child but result in shame. Toxic masculinity is forcing these men to behave in a way that is very unnatural to their core being. They feel pressured to live up to the expectation of what society calls a 'real man'. But these sensitive men don’t want to play tough, they can’t ignore their traumas and ‘just get on with it’. Step into their shoes for a moment: If you’d repeatedly hear as a child that your sensitive nature is something to be ashamed of, then you’d probably would do anything to be like the other children in order to fit it. By the time you reach adulthood, you might believe that it’s only safe to show your true-self to the people closest to you. And those who don’t have social support numb themselves as they desperately try to escape their reality; leading them to addictive behaviours, physical and mental illness and it some cases, sadly, suicide. Women tend to have a trusted circle of friends with whom they can openly share their feelings. Men, on the other hand, tend to hide their sensitive side, because they don’t want to feel side-lined, they want to belong to the pack. Women are also more inclined to use tools like meditation or mindfulness to deal with anxiety. But the sensitive men just try to ‘man it up’, keeping it all in, not sharing their feelings, trying to fit in while silently feeling isolated. It is not uncommon for clients to have the tears of relief as they work on self-love. Self-acceptance doesn’t come easy after years of not feeling enough, but self-love is another, deeper level that many feel hard to cultivate. This is why being able to talk about our feelings openly is just as important to a healthy, balanced life as our diet and exercise. I’m not suggesting that empathetic men are flawless human beings. But I do think that when we give them space to flourish, these are the men who will listen to you, and will communicate their thoughts and feelings openly and calmly. Isn’t it what we need in a partner, a friend or in fact, in an outstanding leader? Gender stereotypes are slowly but firmly being banished and the importance of emotional intelligence is finally being recognised. Creating a safe, non-judgemental space in our life where we can talk openly about our emotions is an absolutely necessary part of our health in mind, body, and soul. I am passionate about helping people to banish the barriers around their sensitivity and turn it into a finely tuned superpower. Are empathic men the ultimate peacemakers we need right now? One thing is for sure, empathetic people, women and men, can pave the way to the ultimate inclusivity where our differences are being celebrated, rather than dividing us. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Agnes! Agnes Gomori, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Agnes Gomori is an Intuitive Life Coach and Healer. As a multi-passionate, creative Empath, Agnes is committed to helping fellow Empaths to find their true calling by applying the healing power of arts and nature, which she combines with energy healing in her therapeutic coaching sessions. Agnes has helped clients from across the globe to unlock their true potential. Her mission is to help extroverted Empaths become the empowered creators they were born to be.

Written by: Jody Kennett, 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. Every working woman is leading her career, business, financial future, and professional growth. In addition, with every spoken word, every action, and all interactions with others, she is also developing her leadership skills and brand as a leader. Women’s leadership takes into account the unique experiences women face in the working world and addresses these specific challenges while also bringing forward the key skills all leaders need to develop. As a certified Women’s Leadership Coach, I have coached many women leaders advancing their careers and growing their business which has given me great insights to the key growth areas and obstacles many of us face. Here, are a few of the top women’s leadership skills that will support you in growing your leadership, business, and career. Own Your Power As A Women Leader Owning your power is the single most important leadership skill every woman must develop not only to be a leader in the space you occupy, but also to stand in your worth never compromising or being limited by anyone else’s opinion, position, or power. What does owning your power mean? Let me share with you some examples so you can see how easily, quickly, and often this happens in our daily work environment. I was coaching a young, fast-rising women leader in a competitive field and her superior had asked her to help with a volunteer project; it was massive in time and energy commitment while also being a project that was completely not in this leader’s area of expertise. She was standing in the ‘say yes to everything asked of you space’ when she agreed to take it on as she is seeking a promotion down the road. Then, in one of our coaching sessions, she discloses how this specific project is not aligned for her at all and that it is creating overwhelm at the mere anticipation of it. The conclusion is made to drop it and a commitment is set to email the superior to let him know. I casually mention, "and you will not be apologizing in that email, right?" With a surprised look on her face and also a very quick ‘aha’ moment soon followed by a smile, she says, 'absolutely, your right…' and added something to the affect that she would not have thought twice about it. We say yes because of our belief others have power over our career advancement or business growth, but that right there is giving our power away to another person. We alone hold the power in our words, actions, presence, and belief in ourselves; no one else has power over us, and the sooner we ‘hold’ our own power and stop giving it away, the sooner we will feel the freedom of empowerment. I often have shared with my clients a bold, harsh visual with them when I hear them share something they believe or have experienced or done that surrounds this topic of own your power. The visual is of me holding something in my hands which is our power in knowing our worth, our beliefs, our capabilities, and value, and then reaching my hands out and releasing it saying, “here you go, it’s yours now, take it”. A bit harsh I know, but also a powerful visual that demonstrates a point. Do not give your power away ladies, ever, for any reason, never. Hold it sacred and own it. Speak Confidence Into Others About Yourself And Your Work Having, feeling, and thinking confidently is great and yet you can still improve upon that as a leader by speaking and presenting confidence. Of course, we cannot speak confidently about ourselves or our work until we have confidence in ourselves so every woman leader needs to begin with a strong, solid foundation of her own self-confidence. If you have low self-confidence or struggle with confidence, begin by building it with a counselor or confidence coach. As a certified American Confidence Institute coach, I have learned we can all build our confidence and it absolutely develops by what we think and believe. Let me get back to the main point here about how important it is for every woman to speak confidence into others about themselves and their work. This is such a crucial skill because it can land you a new job in an interview, it can close a sales deal in your business, and it builds trust in others when you lead and present. To showcase this, I want to share an experience when I witnessed a women leader speaking confidence into others for a new contract. I was flown to L.A. where I was meeting the owner of a coaching company that had hired me to do work with her at a large global Wall Street type company. It was my first time meeting her in person and I met her in a boardroom at the company we would be doing work for minutes before meetings with the senior director team. None of these directors had met her and she was responsible for building trust and confidence with them in short meetings. As the first director walked in, she had built rapport and an executive leadership presence with them within seconds. Yet, that is not what was most impressive. As I listened to her lead the conversation, she humbly, yet confidently shared the results, success, and goals of the work she had been doing. She knew her audience, knew what they needed to hear and was not shy at speaking to the value that she and her team were delivering to the company. It was masterfully done, and I believe it had become second nature for this woman leader. It can be for you too so we all must be practicing it right away. The problem is we often are trying so hard to be humble, we forget that the customer, client, or audience needs to hear, feel, and see confidence in us to proceed. Sharing your value, your results, the success of what you offer is speaking confidence into others about your capabilities and what you will deliver so they can benefit. There is a time and place for humility. Practice speaking confidence about what you do and offer with your next client, sales opportunity, or in your next presentation. Giving Too Much, Ask For Too Little Whether you are an entrepreneur or career woman, every one of us has experienced giving too much and asking for too little at some point in our working life. Whether it is feeling as if we are new and building our career or not wanting to look greedy or some other limiting belief such as needing to prove ourselves, us ladies need to stop overdelivering and begin asking for more of everything! We do not need to prove ourselves; we merely need to show up, share our brilliance, deliver our work ethic, and have people witness it. Just the other day, I was working with an entrepreneur who was giving a lot away for free that now needs to transition into asking for the next step, a sale and investment to continue receiving more value from her. It is important to be aware of how much you are giving, but I want to focus here a bit more on asking for too little, or shall we turn that into a positive and make this about ‘Ask for More’. We need to raise our expectations and some of us need to have expectations, to begin with, whether this has to do with salary, how we are treated, and what we are and are not willing to put up with at work or otherwise. Recently I secured a new contract through my business, but before I said yes to it, I knew it would not be worth my while unless I was paid a specific amount; otherwise, it would be a loss to what was possible. So, I shared the fair price point I expected and they agreed. However, three other individuals also climbed onboard to do similar work as a team and I have now learned what they agreed to which is a lower amount. It saddens me that we lower our standards sometimes because we love what we do or jump at an opportunity or because we do not ask for more. Your worth, our worth, does not change. So why then not ask for what you are worth and try asking for more. I will confess, I am and have been a giver my whole life and if there is one thing I want working women to know now and not wait until you learn it later like me, it is to ask for more, receive more, and raise your expectations so you never again accept or ask for too little. It is time to expect, ask, and receive more. For all of you ladies out there building your career, business, or leadership, the refinement of these women’s leadership skills will not only increase your confidence and executive presence, but it will also positively impact your bank account and time freedom. Now it is over to you to put these leadership skills into practice daily where you are owning your power, speaking confidence, and asking for more. Jody Kennett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jody Kennett elevates leaders with leadership, communication, and peak energy performance as an ICF-certified coach. She is impacting women in business globally and empowering them to own their power as a leader by combining women's leadership, confidence, and communication coaching. Her specialized training as a certified C-IQ (Conversational Intelligence) coach is transforming conversations, communication, and culture to foster positive relationships and a thriving workplace. As a co-author of The Winning Mindset book, she is inspiring and training people to master their inner-leader and mindset so they can have peak performance. She created Peak Energy 4 Performance to highlight the importance of energy input into not only our bodies, but also our mind, emotions, and environment. Jody is uniquely certified as leadership, life, and health coach bringing 20 years of health and wellbeing expertise to energize leaders and entrepreneurs. She is the coach who will help you 'Lead Your Life', career, and business so you will, 'Lead it, Live it, and Love it!'

Written by: Silvana Avram, 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. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.” — Rumi If you have been watching the news recently, you know, like me, that our world is not in a good place. Conflict and division are rife in our communities. We have become accustomed to living in fear. We are weary and suspicious. We feel helpless and disheartened and we expect the worst. There is a lot of anxiety in our society. We have allowed negativity to have the upper hand. “It’s always been like that!”, some of us say, shrugging our shoulders. Others get angry and accuse authorities or politicians. Most of us feel despondent. Yet, it doesn’t have to be this way. And you know what? It’s time we accepted responsibility. The outer world is simply a reflection of our inner world. Our world is our creation. We create our reality. It may be difficult to hear — but the truth is that we are responsible for the world we live in. We are the ones writing our personal, and our common story. And any change we want to make will not be helped by getting angry or blaming others. Change starts with us; it starts from within. To better our world, we must change our perspective, change our strategy. Take back control. Stop pretending. Stop fighting with others and ourselves. Acknowledge our responsibility and commit to taking action. Bring back some balance, some harmony. Each one of us has the power to change our story. Together, we can change the story of humanity. I suggest we call this process of empowerment “Alchemy”. Transmuting base metal into gold, lower, heavier energy into higher, lighter energy. Transmuting negativity into positivity. It is an arduous task. It may well be the very purpose of our lives. The ultimate journey, for each one of us and for humanity. Why should we do it? To write an inspiring, uplifting story. To fulfill our highest potential and be the best we can be. Where should we start? By acknowledging reality and taking responsibility. Let us define our challenge and our goal. Then, we will look at the first 3 steps of our transformational journey. Our current reality — by delegating responsibility and giving in to fear and division we have created a world dominated by negativity. I visualise negativity (and you can do the same, with me) as a thick layer of fog enveloping the Earth, the sum total of all our thoughts of fear, resentment, hatred, guilt, blame, judgment, anger, frustration, envy, jealousy, helplessness, sadness, despair... Much like factories polluting the atmosphere, our thoughts pollute our common sky, our common energy, constantly. And none of us is innocent. Take the example of Ecology. It is a good thing, no doubt, that more and more people are becoming aware of the damage we are doing to our Earth through our reckless behaviour. Yet, even a noble cause like this can create conflict, when we do not approach it wisely and compassionately. Terms such as “the fight for climate” reveal our attachment to conflict and reinforce negativity. The “us against them” mentality continues to dominate our reasoning. Good intentions are overshadowed by judgemental attitudes. Feelings of guilt are exacerbated, and helplessness is deepening. It is a perfect example of how, despite our best intentions, and without even knowing, we contribute daily to a much more insidious, and, I would argue, dangerous, form of pollution. Unbeknown to us, we are choked and blinded by an invisible, lethal killer: our world’s omnipresent negativity. We have become so accustomed to our negative mental environment that we don’t even notice its pollution. We swim in the ocean of negativity as naturally as fish swim in water. But unlike the fish, who, by all accounts, are not responsible for the pollution, we are. We contribute to it. With every low vibration, negative thought, with every judgment. The good news? Because we are responsible for our world, we are also the only ones who can change it. We have that power. So, before you start feeling guilty or overwhelmed — thus, sadly, adding more negativity to our common story, let me reassure you: It is in our power to transform our reality. To succeed, we must, of course, commit to the task. Work towards our goal relentlessly. Our goal — replacing the old narrative of helplessness, fear and division with an empowering, positive, new outlook — by taking responsibility. Rather than blaming others and finding ourselves in an endless conflict, let us start by paying attention to our own thoughts and emotions, individually. As sages rightly say, it is absurd to believe that one can bring peace on Earth if one is not at peace oneself. We will not change our reality for the better if we try to do so angrily. We can only offer nurturing love to those around us, and to the Earth if we do our best to always behave lovingly. The next step? Focus on what is in our power. Focus on what we can do to affect change instantly. Start by paying attention to our thoughts, our words, and reactions. Start by clearing our own thoughts and emotions of negativity. Instead of wasting our energy judging or attempting to change others and the world, let us employ a better strategy. Let us be humble and smart. Let us focus on bettering ourselves. With courage and honesty. Let us become Alchemists. Learn to transform base metal into gold... transmute our fear into trust, our anger into compassion, and every form of negativity into nurturing, empowering positivity. Let us transform our lives, one choice at a time. Write a more beautiful story. Create a worthy legacy for humanity. Of course, this will not be easy. It will not happen overnight. It will be an ongoing, arduous journey. A journey of a lifetime, as all those who have committed to it, can attest. A journey that takes awareness, infinite patience, courage, and resilience. Success will not come from eradicating negativity — a virtually impossible task - but, rather, from becoming masters of our own destiny: from building the strength to take full responsibility, in all circumstances, for our thoughts, words, and actions — so we can truly be the best we can be. All great stories showcase the meeting between two opposite forces. What we identify as negativity, in its various forms, is a constant challenge on our journey. To become a hero, one must show courage and mastery. Heroes use adversity to better themselves. Their confrontation with opposing forces helps them become wiser and stronger. The wiser and stronger they become, the more subtle the challenges. The journey of transformation involves perpetual confrontation to our limitations. True heroes show resolve and bravery again and again. Like them, we must act patiently, responsibly, smartly, determinedly. If we don’t rise to the challenge, our horizon will become darker and darker; our garden will be overwhelmed by weeds. Our world, like the Earth right now, will be suffocating. The story that we have created so far does not make us feel proud or happy. Whilst opposing forces are part of life, we have allowed our world to become imbalanced – to be overwhelmed by negativity. We need to re-establish harmony. We need to nurture positivity if we want to create a better story for humanity. I like to believe that we are all called to be heroes - constantly confronting our shadow, turning our weaknesses into opportunities to learn and evolve, so we can fulfill our potential, and be the best we can be. To succeed, we need a smarter strategy. There is a better way to deal with our fears, our doubts, our selfishness. If we approach lower emotions in ourselves and others with shame, anger, or contempt, it is a clear victory for negativity. Instead, let us be aware, stay alert, and take responsibility for who we are, in all our complexity. With every choice, we can create a better version of ourselves. After all, that is how we become Alchemists. By constantly distilling negativity into positivity. So, with a sense of gratitude and empowerment, let us commit to this journey. We have nothing to lose - everything to gain: Being proud of who we are. Being heroes of our own story, and of the epic, wondrous story of humanity. Becoming a modern Alchemist is a lifetime commitment. A journey of profound transformation and emancipation. A journey that you can start today by taking the first three steps we will describe in this article. These steps have been tried and tested. They are part of our common legacy. They have been mentioned in various ways, throughout the ages, by spiritual leaders, sages, and philosophers. I know they are transformative, because I have been implementing them myself, and I have shared them with my coaching clients and students. In fact, one may say, Coaching is a form of Alchemy. An ongoing commitment to do everything in our power to be the best we can be. The secret, of course, is to make and keep that commitment. To embrace this new perspective. To make that crucial change of strategy. To implement the techniques we learn, permanently. To stick to our decision - and to allow our life to transform - gradually, irreversibly. And this, for most of us, is quite scary! No more conflict? No more blaming others? No more victimhood? No more pretence? No more excuses? Only responsibility? Peace and calm? Positivity? This sounds alarming to many. Because we can’t believe that it is possible. Because, as mentioned earlier, we have become accustomed to negativity. What about you? How do you feel right now, as you are reading this? Listen to your inner voice — what is it saying? Are you ready to commit to living a life of responsibility and positivity? Do you think it is possible? Do not judge, just observe. When we start to have an honest dialogue with ourselves, we realise just how attached we have become to conflict and pain, to the blame game, to victimhood... to all forms of negativity. Considering another as a “stranger”, “a foreigner”, an enemy or a competitor is not just normal in our world. It is, in an odd way, reassuring. It reinforces the narrative that the world is a dangerous, scary, unjust place and that being selfish and defensive... is justified. It allows us, ironically, to stay in our “comfort zone” of fear and mistrust... and to delegate responsibility. We all want to identify with the good and the just. We want to believe that we are honest and nice, that truth is on our side. Yet, to survive, we had to learn how to lie very early on; misleading others for our gain is perfectly accepted — as smart marketing — in our society. And every “cool” add out there is constantly selling false hopes, cheerfully. There is no point denying responsibility. Lower energies, dishonesty… conflict, are part of our inner and outer world. Refusing to accept this reality and blaming others for our individual and common shortfalls will only keep us trapped in a spiral of negativity. Thinking in terms of “me against the world”, “us against them” will only add to the conflict. And so will blaming ourselves, or trying to “fight” negativity. The only way out of this vicious cercle is to let go of our attachment to duality. Responsibility does not lie either with others or with us. It is shared. A situation is never just good or just bad. As they say, things are never what they seem to be. As human beings, we can be both kind and unkind, wise and unwise, strong and weak, bold and shy. Learning to become Alchemists means learning to go beyond opposites. To understand that what we see as negativity is, like everything else, a form of energy. Energy waiting to be transformed. Opportunity. As Alchemists, we learn to respect it and to use its force — by transmuting it. We learn to distil base metal into gold, dark matter into light. We bypass the conflict in duality, by recognizing that both sides are needed. Where we used to see opposition, we now see harmony. Where we used to see impasse, we now see potential. We see opportunity in negativity. We transmute energy. We know we have succeeded when we develop a feeling of inner power and deep gratitude. A feeling of acceptance of what is. A feeling that could take the shape of an inner smile. Serenity. Let us start the journey towards becoming Alchemists. Let us take the 3 first steps towards “distilling” negativity, towards becoming masters of our life, proud writers of our own story. 3 steps to become a modern Alchemist and transform your life by transmuting negativity 1. Acknowledge negativity. Without judging, without reacting. Notice what is happening... neutrally. Every time you notice negativity - in your thoughts, words, actions– stop and acknowledge it. Look at it with curiosity. Observe your reactions. Resist the temptation to fight it or to explain it. No blame, no justification, no excuses. Just acceptance of what is. Like noticing a cloud in the sky. Like acknowledging a headache. Soon you will be able to do the same with any form of negativity you see around you. To become better at identifying negativity without reacting to it…negatively, create your own ritual. I choose to smile whenever I spot a negative thought or reaction. It is easy, it helps dissolve tension, it instantly brings positivity, and it allows me to remain calm and serene. It also benefits everyone else around me. There is a subtle sense of satisfaction too - like a small victory. If smiling does not do it for you, you could just simply give yourself a thumbs up for noticing negativity or even turn this into an inner game of “I spy”, to make the process lighter and more fun... Find what works for you. The most important thing is to commit to doing it, regularly, relentlessly. To get into a habit. Until spotting, negativity becomes second nature to you, and you do it all the time, naturally. A word of warning: It may start to feel overwhelming to see just how much negativity there is in our own thoughts and all around us. Don’t allow this to discourage you. Your awareness is like a candle lit in the dark. If you make sure to keep the light going it will become stronger, and spread, eventually. Identifying and acknowledging negativity, constantly, in a neutral, non-judgmental manner, is the first, and the most important step, on our transformative journey. It brings a sense of peace and power. You are alert, calm and brave. You have the courage to confront reality. 2. Re-establish harmony by finding a positive perspective to balance negativity. “All under heaven see beauty as beauty only because they also see ugliness. All announce that good is good only because they also denounce what is bad. Therefore, something and nothing give birth to one another. Difficult and easy complete one another. Long and short fashion one another. High and low arise from one another.” This beautiful passage from The Tao Te Ching (Translation by Tolbert McCarroll) reminds us that life, as we experience it, is duality. Yin and yang, light and dark, soft and hard, active and passive, in and out, giver and receiver. There is a blue sky behind the clouds. There are stars shining through the darkest of nights. There is positivity in negativity. We must always remember the balance- the give-and-take of energy. In our endeavour to become alchemists, it is essential to maintain equilibrium. In practice, this principle, known as the technique of “replacement” in Buddhist texts, is simple. In fact, we do this often, instinctively. If we catch ourselves disliking or judging someone else, we can appeal to our kindness and, instead, start thinking of the positive characteristics of that person. To balance a negative reaction to something we have seen or heard in the news, we put things into perspective and look towards the good things that are happening. When we realise that we are consuming something that is not good for our health, we remind ourselves of the benefits of being healthy. The secret is to do it consciously and constantly. This technique takes us one step further from mere acknowledgement. We observe what is happening- we notice the imbalance in negativity – and we rebalance the scales. Without judgment, but with determination, we commit to expanding our awareness so we can find a positive, constructive perspective for every situation we encounter. At first, this may appear awkward and artificial. It is just like remembering to choose to see the glass half full. For some people this comes naturally. But anyone can train to do it. And the more we do it, the more natural and empowering it becomes. We build an inner, indefectible, equilibrium. We know the reality. The glass is neither full nor empty. But the very fact that we can see this is a win for positivity! People often ask if it is truly possible to be serene and positive when confronted with difficult, painful, or even tragic situations. It is not easy, but it is possible, with practice, awareness, and commitment. In fact, one of the extraordinary advantages of Coaching is exactly this: learning to open the perspective, to trust life and one’s own ability to find solutions, to see opportunity in adversity. The benefits are immeasurable. Serenity, trust. A sense of empowerment and security. When we learn to look for opportunity in every situation, when we learn to balance the negativity we encounter constantly with positivity — we build resilience, we ignite creativity, and we profoundly transform the way we relate to life and to our own destiny. We develop acceptance and forgiveness for ourselves and for others. We understand the struggle that everyone is facing. We develop patience and compassion. We develop a deep sense of solidarity. We are one step closer to becoming Alchemists — masters of our life. We realise that we can take back control. That our thoughts, words, and reactions matter. That they create our reality. 3. Take full responsibility. Choose to see the gift, the lesson in every form of negativity. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this, what can I do about it?” Seize the opportunity. Use negativity as fuel for transformation. Transmute it into empowering, positive, energy. Remember you are training to become an Alchemist. Be patient. There is a lot of work to do, for all of us. Commit to looking for the lessons, for the gift of learning and improving in all circumstances. Stop the blame game - change the focus - decide to take responsibility. When you feel like judging someone else, observe that tendency with compassion and then ask yourself: What is this telling me? What can I do to balance this situation? Rather than adding more judgement and negativity, how can I change the way I think and feel, so I can help myself and others? Go inward and focus on yourself: your beliefs, your choices, your reactions, your actions. Whenever you feel like reacting, breathe deeply and remind yourself that there is a better way – the way of compassion. Ask yourself, "Is what I am going to say or do positive and helpful?" Make a promise to keep quiet if you are not sure. By choosing to be aware, patient and kind, you help yourself and you help others. We are all contributing to creating our common reality. Lead the way by being an example of kindness and serenity. Live by the highest standards you can set for yourself. Radiate positivity. Three steps: Awareness, Balance, Transmutation You become aware of, and alert to the various forms of negativity prevalent in our world. You neutralise negativity by constantly bringing in a positive, balancing perspective. And you transmute negative energy by taking responsibility, by looking for the lesson, for the gift it carries. You distil negativity - you create positivity. Commit to this transformative journey of Alchemy and your life will never be the same. You will be happier, more confident, more in control and… always serenely busy… We will not be able to transform the negativity we have created and accumulated in our world in one day — or even in a lifetime — but by taking responsibility for our thoughts, words, and actions we can change our life, have a positive impact, and create a valuable legacy. One step in the right direction can make all the difference. Let that be our hero’s journey. Each one of us doing our bit, each one of us being the best we can be. All of us rediscovering compassion and solidarity, relying on each other to create a more positive, loving, healthy and welcoming world... for ourselves, and for humanity. Let this be the new, uplifting, narrative to our common story. As more of us commit to this vision and decide to choose positivity... there will, undoubtedly, come a day when we realise that we have transformed our reality. Join the revolution of positivity. Become the hero of your story. Be an Alchemist. Transform reality. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram,LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Silvana! Silvana Avram, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Silvana Avram is a successful, Inspirational Life Coach, philosopher, author, teacher, and founder of Life Coaching with Silvana - whose mission is to empower us to embrace our uniqueness, fall in love with life, fulfill our potential and create a beautiful legacy. Fascinated from a young age by the mystery of life and our place in the universe, Silvana has been on a quest to find her own answers to the big existential questions facing humanity. Now an acclaimed Coach and Author, she draws on her extensive study of Philosophy, Psychology, Meditation, Holistic Healing, and Spirituality to create a uniquely inspirational and empowering style of Coaching - also reflected in her Book “Being You and Loving You” in which she guides us through an unforgettable, transformative journey of self-discovery and self-love. Convinced that we can overcome the prevalent paradigms of fear and division, Silvana has recently focussed her attention on developing a radically innovative approach, outlined in her upcoming book, “Living in Eternity” – and which has earned her an unexpected nickname: “Miss Eternity”! She argues passionately that, rather than chasing goal after goal and living for tomorrow, we should, instead, live every day, every moment, with the joy, awe, and serenity we experience when we see our lives from the perspective of Eternity. When we choose to live in Eternity, everything falls into place, everything we do takes on a different meaning, and we become aware that, as humanity, we are, in fact, constantly creating our common legacy. Silvana’s ambition: to inspire us to write a better story for ourselves – and for humanity – in Eternity!

Written by: Wendy J Olson, 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 month two things are happening. One most people know about. The second, most people don’t. October is breast cancer awareness month. AND it is also Domestic Violence Awareness month. Domestic violence is an issue that doesn't garner enough attention, in my opinion. As the founder of a nonprofit that provides services for women survivors of domestic violence, I take this issue personally. As a two-time domestic abuse survivor myself, I take this issue very personally. When I was in college, I found myself in a highly abusive and toxic relationship with a dormmate. While he never publicly put his hands on me in front of other people, the warning signs were still there. From the way he talked to me, about me to his friends, anyone paying attention should have seen that something was wrong. Some people did. And they paid the price for it. Later in life, I found myself in a familiar situation. How had I gotten myself into this again? There’s a simple explanation for this: Unfortunately, we marry what we know. When you’re raised in an abusive household, you gravitate towards those that are abusive. Not on purpose of course, but because it’s all you’ve ever known, and it feels familiar. Familiar here translates to safe, even though you’re anything but safe. In October, we wear purple. We wear purple to let others know that we see them. To let the ones still living in their chaos and toxic relationships know we’re still here. And we care. So many people will ask why we don’t leave our abusers, and that’s a longer story for another day. For now, just know, that while we want to leave, we know we’re in danger, and we want to be able to get out of our circumstances, most of the time we can’t. Whether that be physical or emotional and mental, the constraints are there, and we know them well. We’ve plotted our getaway. We’ve planned and saved, and even made a play for it once. But we stayed instead. And for some, they weren’t so lucky to get away with their lives. The gathered statistics tell us that almost one-third of women (27%) will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, with men matching close to that percentage at 19%. It is also believed that if that violence turns fatal in an attempt to take the victims' life, the abuser is 700 times more likely to do it again. [2] According to Safe Haven in Tarrant County, Texas, (a United Way organization) “Domestic violence is not caused by unemployment, substance abuse, or mental illness. It is caused by power and control—one person having power over another person in a relationship and using that power to exert control over the victim.” [2] The World Health Organization believes that “Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence – is a major public health problem and a violation of women's human rights.” [3] As a survivor of intimate partner violence myself, or IPV, I can tell you the battle for your life back is hard-fought. Years of therapy, dealing with the aftermath of having to live with severe and complex trauma, usually resulting in PTSD. You can find yourself on a road that seems to have no end in sight. But I can say most certainly that two things changed my life: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Story Work, (An Allender Center Methodology.) While EMDR deals with the symptoms of PTSD, making daily life more manageable, story work helps you dig into the parts of your story that you didn’t even know were there. I call it, ‘digging up old roots.’ Story helps you see the reason you got to where you were in that relationship is by no fault of your own but shows you how you were set up for it in your family of origin. I often say that the work of healing isn’t forgiving the person who harmed you. It’s forgiving yourself for the blame you put on yourself in the first place. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Wendy J Olson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Wendy J Olson is a healing coach, founder, and president of Grit Plus Gumption Farmstead. Wendy believes in the power of story to change and shape people's lives. She walks with women through their stories of past hurts and traumas, and guides them to find their own freedom and healing. Through Grit plus Gumption she serves survivors of sexual exploitation and domestic violence. Having applied all she teaches to her own life as a survivor herself, she is able to guide women with kindness and grace, showing them there is always more freedom to be had in one’s life. She believes everyone has a story, and even if that story is really hard, it doesn't mean the rest of the story has to be. References: [1] https://domesticviolenceresearch.org/domestic-violence-facts-and-statistics-at-a-glance/ [2] https://www.safehaventc.org/learn [3] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women

Written by: LaTrenda George, 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. Let’s take a ride down a familiar route. You travel this same route weekly. You know every light, stop sign, and yield sign on your route. You can give detailed directions with landmarks to a lost visitor. You are the travel advisor of this route. But what happens when the fog is heavy on your route and you can barely see the car in front of you, or when the familiar landmarks are hidden? What if the familiar route has become blurred with a delusional view. What do you do? Do you turn around and go back home? Do you call for help? No, if you are like me, you keep going on the route trusting your instinct and familiarity of the road to arrive safely to your intended destination. What if the fog only appeared for you to use what you already knew? What if the fog came to teach you to follow your own knowledge and wisdom to get you to your desired destination? Occasionally, life will present times when a familiar route has a delusional view. You may feel blocked, delayed, or hindered, but if you trust your inner compass, you can arrive at your destination in perfect timing. Therefore, do not let the fog hinder your forward movement because every challenge and delay has an expiration date, and the fog will clear, and your destination will be in clear view. Here are 3 tips on how to navigate the fog on your path. F. O. G. (Follow, Optimistic, Guidance) 1. Follow – Trust your inner knowing. You are well equipped and designed specifically for your path. 2. Optimistic – Believe and only speak what you want to happen. Surround yourself with positivity. 3. Guidance – Pray, meditate, and stay present. Never stop learning and growing. Click the Link to Purchase Her Book Want to learn more from LaTrenda? Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn! You can also click here to purchase her book! Read more from LaTrenda! LaTrenda George, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine LaTrenda George is an author, podcaster, and transformational coach specializing in spiritual coaching and mentoring. She is also a certified mind, body, and soul practitioner and facilitator. LaTrenda brings eleven years of experience to the table, un-programming her clients from past challenges and teaching them how to live from within. She inspires and empowers others to act on their deepest desires.

Written by: Karin Brauner , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When we go to work, we expect to be in that job for a long time, maybe even for life, right? But what happens when our job is looking after people’s mental health? Is it our job to keep a client in counselling forever or to work ourselves out of the job? I believe it’s the latter. I’ve sometimes said to clients things like, “I think you’ve been doing better for the past few weeks, and am thinking whether it might be a good time to end. If anything else comes up you can always come back.” Of course, that means that I have a free time slot and lose some income. But let me worry about that, I might say to clients. If we start working for only the financial benefits, we might want to keep a client that is ready to go on without us, forever. That wouldn’t be ethical. As therapists, we must consider a variety of issues and topics when we take on clients: is this going to be long term work, can this be worked through in a few sessions, what benefit are the clients getting from their sessions? I tell my clients often that I don’t know how long it will take for us to work through their presenting issue. This is for various reasons: I don’t know how easy it will be for them to get used to talking about their issue, or how long it will take for them to reveal the details necessary to piece together the context of what’s bothering them and why it’s here right now. The unconscious is an interesting thing, and sometimes we have to dig very deep to find out the origins of a client issue. It will take time, and only time itself will tell when we find it. There might be breaks, holidays, and other situations that make our time together longer. I’m sure I could add more things to that list, but in the end, we know, as counsellors, we are working towards an ending with our clients. The end goal is to help them understand what ails them, and how to manage it better through discovering and using strengths already in them, as well as learning how to set boundaries and meet their needs. I believe that clients have strengths that they might have hidden away due to life circumstances, but they are there. It’s like Freud said, psychoanalysis is like an archaeological dig where we are piecing together different things we find on location, and as we find more and more things, we are making sense of what’s there. We can eventually get the whole picture. Getting the whole picture then allows us to understand ourselves better, find a more compassionate way of viewing ourselves, our loved ones and our circumstances. In turn, this allows us to be able to deal with the situation life throws at us, past, present and future, in a way that keeps our mental health in check. This is why we work ourselves out of the job: because we get people to a point where they’re back in control of their lives. That is why we do what we do. I feel privileged to have counselling as my calling, my profession. I feel honoured to hear people’s stories and make sense of it all with them. To see them flourish and be able to deal with what life throws at them. What other professionals might “work themselves out of a job?” Follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Karin! Karin Brauner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Karin Brauner is passionate about helping people get on track – or back on track – in their personal and professional lives through practical tools and inspirational conversations in a variety of settings. Karin teaches tools that she’s learned and developed throughout her own life and career. She knows how hard things can get, but also how great things can be once you move through to the other side. She now shares the knowledge she’s gained, through various mediums, to show people a path to better self-care, support when processing their past, and working out their present so they can lead an improved life and thrive in their personal and professional relationships.

Written by: Dawn Kennedy, 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 is one of those topics that nobody really wants to talk about. For some reason, when we close a business, people feel bad for us, or it seems like we are supposed to have feelings of shame or failure. However, losing a business can be a power move where you cash out of something you’ve built but that is no longer serving you. I’ve been here. I am an admitted serial entrepreneur and have voluntarily closed businesses for reasons that were beneficial for myself and my family. Businesses close for a variety of reasons, and the smart entrepreneur knows when a business idea has run its course and it is time to get out of the venture before financial difficulties begin. Too often I see owners who are holding onto a business for emotional reasons when it is no longer thriving. Or are staying open because they just feel obligated. Both of those are a recipe for financial distress, burnout, unhappiness, and eventual mismanagement because they stop caring. Here are a few examples of when closing a business is a power move. 1. The Market Changed, But You Don’t Want To At the Ready Publications, LLC existed from January of 2013 through September of 2018 when we decided to no longer publish “The Online Magazine for First Responders.” The magazine still exists, and the site is active. You can go read an issue if you would like. But the LLC is dissolved, and we no longer publish anything or do any consulting. Fun fact. I was a paramedic and firefighter in Arizona when I first got out of the Navy in the early 1990s, so I really understood the field. When we started ATR, most first responder specific magazines were still published in hard copy and the subscriptions weren’t cheap. We were only available online, free, targeted to support more rural areas, and not supported by subscription fees. Over the five years, we held events, published issues, and consulted with a variety of agencies and businesses. It grew to a respectable six figures, and it was fun, making an impact, and read each month around the world. But the market changed. Our competitors were showing up online with more and more free content and much larger subscriber lists. And heavy hitter sponsors. Then two of our competitors announced that they were only going to publish digital versions of their very well-known industry leading magazines starting in 2019, and we made the decision that we didn’t want to try and compete for readers in that space. We completed our issues and our agreements, deposited our checks, dissolved the company, and disbursed ourselves the cash. We decided to cash out. And we did. 2. Your Client’s Needs Changed and Your Business Has Run Its Course Businesses that do well solve a problem in the marketplace. Another of my ventures, Dragon Slayer Tutors, supported law students through school to the bar exam. The niche was law students like I was: mid-career working adults with families. I was a peer tutor starting in 2013 and started Dragon Slayer Tutors around 2017. I went to law school in a part-time program in a school where students were required by the State Bar of California to take the First Year Law Students Exam, or Baby Bar. If you’ve heard that Kim Kardashian was in law school and has been studying for a state test after her first year, this is the same exam. This exam was required to continue studying in the program. Failing the exam meant dismissal from law school. I developed my own approaches and supported students through this exam and through regular law school classes. I then opened a monthly membership for students who wanted weekly group review sessions and did very well. I was helping students prepare and pass the rigorous First Year Law Students Exam and move through their studies… until my law school’s status was changed by the state and students were no longer required to sit for the statutory exam to continue through school to the bar. This changed happened in late 2020, so the incoming class of students didn’t actually need my exam prep anymore. A few still wanted law school class support, but there wasn’t the same number of students who needed the extra group sessions and practice for the statutory exam that was no longer required. So, I’ve kept a few students here and there, but the core of my business really ran its course by October of 2020 when my last remaining students passed that final admission of the exam by the state. Recognizing that my services are no longer needed is a strength, not anything to feel bad about, and to be honest, I am thrilled that my alma mater’s accreditation has changed. 3. The Business No Longer Serves You You are master and commander of your business. You get to decide what your business gets to look like, what it offers, who it serves, and how you want to run it. Sometimes the business no longer works for your life. Your passions can change. You can decide that you no longer want to be in that business anymore. I know a specialty boutique owner and a restauranteur who both said, “I’m not having fun anymore, I want out.” And they got out. The finances can change. The wholesale cost of something may raise to the point that you’re no longer profitable right now. Perhaps you need to go back to a J-O-B for a little bit because something in your life changes and you need the stability, or the insurance. The business model can change. Maybe the brick and mortar needed to close, and you only run a wholesale line of your amazing bath products. Or because you want the flexibility to attend the out-of-town soccer games when your kid makes the regional team. I think this is the area where people feel bad about closing, but this is a power move: balancing your business with your life. Keep in mind that you can always open again in the future. Again, you are master and commander. 4. The Business Evolved Into Something Else You aren’t meant to stay the same. You are meant to grow and to change and to evolve. And your business can too. Sometimes we close one business because it became something else. I see this all the time in my consulting business. In my own business, my branding is changing because I am evolving from more coaching to more consulting-type services. My old brand, “Entre Money Coach” will, in fact, close, and I will just use my name. So, I will be closing another business by the beginning of the year, but it is just another power move. We need to start normalizing the evolving and dynamic nature of business, particularly solopreneurs who gain skills and evolve offers regularly. I know few of my law school classmates who are still practicing in the areas they started in after graduation and some have left practice to pursue other ventures. Rather than seeing these moves as failings or closings as something negative, let’s begin to celebrate these moves and teach others to look at these evolutions for what they are: power moves. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dawn! Dawn Kennedy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dawn Kennedy is an attorney, business consultant and mentor, author, and CEO of Convoy Road Coffee Roasters. She has an extensive background in program management and strategic planning, working for the U.S. Army and for companies in both government and private sectors. Dawn began business consulting in 2011 and, since 2017, has focused on small business growth and profitability. She works in a variety of industries, including attorneys, coaches, spas, restaurants, retail boutiques, and e-commerce businesses. She is the CEO of Convoy Road Coffee Roasters, a company she started with her husband in January of 2021 and has grown over 3500% by the end of July. Dawn is the author of "The Profit Accelerator for Small Business" and hosts the Profit Accelerator podcast. She believes above all else that all entrepreneurs have a unique gift to bring to the world, and they should be profitable doing it.

Written by: Roderick Mason , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise . In the business world, where everybody is running after getting the most profits from their consumers, winners place their ethics above all. These business ethics can drive a lot of consumer attention towards you and prove you to be a better seller than your competitor! Business ethics are the rules that always let you be higher than your rivals, not only in the numbers but also in values. You are always above those that don't value humanity or human ethics and hence start losing their consumers. Gaining consumer confidence must be your ultimate goal if you wish to stay in the minds of those who buy a product or a service from you. We will talk about all the business ethics that you need to practice so that you can gather consumer confidence. A very few directives in business can override the main mission of boosting their shareholder wealth, and at present, this means increasing the time profits. Such intense focus on a single variable in a short time leads to having a limited view of what makes up business success. Measuring actual profitability takes up a long-term view and perspective. We may not accurately measure success in a quarter of a year, and more time is needed for this. In fact, a product or a service is required to find a suitable market. Then to have a grip against its competitors or for a new business policy to be felt. Satisfying the consumer's demands, being socially responsible, and acting over and beyond the basic needs, all take money and time. But the extra cost and effort will then result in profits over the long run. Place your long term thinking into profitability and success factors. In this era, many commentators say that ethical business leadership is rooted in doing right by all stakeholders directly affected by operations in a firm. This means that business leaders do right when they give thought to what is ideal for all who have their stake in the company. Not only this, firms get tremendous material success when they take such an approach, mainly over the long run. A company enters the social contract having society as a whole, the implicit agreement in all members to cooperate for their social benefits. Even when a company pursues the maximization of stockholder profit, it should also acknowledge that society will be affected a bit by its operations. Being an ethical business holder, which corporate culture do you value? All of the positive goodwill that is generated by ethical business practices, in turn, creates longterm business success. as a result, studies have shown that many ethical and enlightened firms in the US constantly outgo their business competitors. Hence, from a long-term view, leading your business ethically is the wiser option that generates goodwill for the whole company in stakeholders, gives a positive corporate culture and supports profitability. You may test the validity of this claim by yourself. When you choose a company with which you will be doing business, what factors influence your choices? Let us also say that you are looking for a financial advisor for the investments you make and retirement planning. You have found many candidates that have the right credentials, experience, and fees are the same. But if one of these firms is above others as it has a reputation that you find is well earned, for telling its clients the truth and suggesting investments that seem based on clients benefits. Wouldn't this be the right option for you to trust with your investments? What is corporate social responsibility? Though profitability is what everyone wants to acquire in the business world, keeping ethics and business together is what winners seek. If you appreciate the positions of many various stakeholders, you will be on the right way to understand the idea of corporate social responsibility. It is the practice by which many businesses see themselves in a broader context, as a member of society in certain implicit social obligations. There is a vast difference in legal compliance and ethical responsibility, and the law also doesn't fully address ethical dilemmas businesses face. This responsibility also ensures that the company is engaging in all ethical practices and policies that follow the company's cultures and missions. Stockholders, stakeholders, and goodwill: Managers focus on stockholders, mainly those holding the most significant number of shares, as these powerful people and groups may influence the managers to keep their jobs and get dismissed. Many people believe that the main reason for a business is to boost stockholders short term gains. But considering only the stockholders and the business's short-term impacts is one of the many common errors business managers often make. It is mainly in the long-term interest of a business not to accommodate only the stock owners but also to take into account a broader array of stakeholders and their long-term and short-term effects for a course of action. Conclusion: A long-time view of business success is essential for measuring profitability. All stakeholders profit from managers' ethical conduct that also boosts the business goodwill and supports profitability. Customers always trust a business, which shows its commitment to a positive long-term impact. By practicing corporate social responsibility, a company sees itself in a broader context as being a member of society in specific implicit social rules. Its overall effects the environmental and social well-being. You can always bring your business onto the ethics that drive consumers into buying from you. Though it is hard to regain your consumers' lost trust, it is worth a try. The ideal solution to build up your ethical culture in your company is to learn from your rivals or hire professionals that would steer you in the right direction. Want to learn more from Roderick? Follow him on Facebook , Instagram , Linkedin or visit his website . Read more from Roderick! Roderick Mason, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Roderick M. Mason is a Certified John Maxwell Speaker Trainer Coach and the founder of Holistic Coaching Solutions. A platform focused on delivering high-end corporate training services. He is a Certified Bucket List Coach, a Certified CBMC Leadership Coach, a Certified Primal Health Coach, and a Licensed Diversity & Inclusion Trainer. He is an avid seeker of knowledge who highly appreciates the notion of continuous improvement and growth.

Written by: Cathy Dimarchos, 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. Who would have thought that the Letter between “D” and “F” would determine your success in life and in business and yet that very letter does all of that depending on what you make of it! The Letter “E” holds the key as long as you know the words to create. Letters, like ‘words” hold a great deal of substance and yet we often use them with little consideration. So now that this has got your attention, what will you do differently to change your trajectory forward? Be bold, be brave and be conscious with the choices that you make. So, what does the “E” stand for? “E” is what you choose to make it but before you embark on this journey of discovery, ensure that you are present and be deliberate. The value that you place on this letter will depict the action that you take. For me, “E” stands for Ethics, Evolve, Elevate, Educate, Enrich and to have “Edge”. As you pause and reflect to identify your “E”, let me share what “D” and “F” stand for so that you begin to build your story. “D” is for Drive and “F” is for Fear and Failure. Key Lesson Failure is necessary in life and in business - it is far from being a dirty word. For those of you who look at failure with a negative outlook it's because you have been taught to take risks without a catastrophic point of failure and therefore you have been shown a path where taking risks is either about a successful outcome or one of catastrophe but this is a misguided action. When you take risks and apply second and third-order thinking you create a roadmap with the intent of learning and evolving so as you have small failings you begin to learn and elevate your skill and knowledge and work towards an outcome that inspires creativity and innovation. Without failure, you cannot innovate, and you cannot reach your place of genius. The process of failing is to allow you to learn and strengthen from what you have actioned and experienced. It is an opportunity to strive to do something that has not been done before. Every time someone drives forward with intent and takes the time to look at what has happened in the past so that they can learn and become better or to strengthen from it, they develop a skill called antifragility. Developing antifragility enables you to strengthen from the past not just live through it. This point of focus is the difference between elevating your consciousness to deliver a different outcome so that you don't walk the path of failure. Reflection and focal points So often we reflect on what we have done wrong and make that our focal point, but if we break things down to identify each step, each word, each action and then allow ourselves to learn, to evolve and to change so that we apply the parts that have worked again as we step forward and then evaluate the parts that we need to rebuild. Reflection allows moments of clarity to form and an opportunity to seek out support from those who have lived experiences in the thing you want to achieve. This is an opportunity to Elevate your knowledge by investing in you so that you can navigate forward to achieve your Edge. In business, we need to remove the emotion of fear that is attached to failure as this impedes your vision and ability to take action that will lead you to your place of genius. Having a different lens will often allow you to reshape the small steps that are needed to form the change that you need to bring you to your point of Elevation. Sometimes, we may have the “Drive and on the other side is the “Failure” but how we navigate the “E” will determine the success of “F” and the trajectory we make to move forward. I ask you to pause for another moment and ask yourself if you know what you don't know? Who can help you crystalise your E so that your D does not repeat F”? Want to learn more from Cathy? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Cathy! Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cathy Dimarchos is an award-winning business advisor, mentoring and coaching leaders internationally, and is an indefatigable philanthropist who believes we can all contribute to lifting the baseline of people across the world one person at a time. She founded Solutions2you with the purpose of impacting so that she can serve others and leave a lasting imprint. As a professional advisor and motivational voice, Cathy dedicates her time to perfecting a combination of people, business, and situational skills. Her values take center stage, and business becomes honest and expressive. She believes that knowledge exchange leads to self-reliance with effective and sustainable outcomes. Her Advisory services extend to New and Established Entrepreneurs, teams, and large corporates and support people to become antifragile in a world that is forever changing, stretching their boundaries. “When we rise, it is important to also lift those around us” — Cathy Dimarchos.

Written by: Mayra Cardozo, 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. Increasingly, we have to talk about a culture of cancellation where we exclude narratives from people who don't think like us. It is essential to talk about this because it severely affects those who suffer from this wave of hatred, intolerance, and social exclusion. I was recently a victim of internet attacks and felt the effects of gratuitous hatred, intolerance, and disrespect severely. I received more than a thousand messages where people I've never seen in my life called me "dumb," "scoundrel," "ridiculous." I also received messages disqualifying my work and stalking actions on my profile and my boyfriend's. These attacks came from a conservative group in Brazil, which defends President Bolsonaro, who believes that human rights is the defense of criminals and is against any dissipation of social justice and feminism ideas. An economist with more than 500,000 followers directed these offenses after posting a photo of a bar on my Instagram profile with a simple message that this would be a great meeting place to share progressive ideas and ideas against the government plan. Soon after I posted the photo, the economist started attacking me, offending my honor and professional activity, through filmed and written messages she shared on social networks. She attacked the fact that I am a feminist and human rights defender. Moreover, she disqualified all feminists and everyone who fights racism, homophobia, and fascism. In the end, she suggested that I should "bake a cake" that this would be far more productive than any feminist idea. Along with all these insults and defamations of the economist came numerous profiles of her followers perpetuating hate messages and offenses on my social networks. I believe that it is unacceptable for us to continue normalizing a culture that makes narratives invisible, does not know how to live with the diversity of thought, and does not respect the freedom of political positioning. Even more, we women should fight against the culture of cancellation as much as possible because we know how bad it is to be invisible, socially excluded, not having the right to take a stand. Therefore, we have to be the first to fight this type of practice that fosters the culture of shame, which excludes narratives and makes human beings invisible. We have to have social and emotional responsibility and fight against this culture! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Mayra! Mayra Cardozo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mayra is one of the pioneers in Brazil in feminist coaching and is something she is passionate about. Despite being a lawyer and partner in a famous office in Brazil and a university professor of Human Rights, these were not enough for her. She always wants to make a difference in people's lives. It was then that she discovered her passion and became a life coach; she has a brilliant curriculum involving the best national and international courses. The objective of your work is to empower human beings to be their best version and help them emancipate themselves from socially constructed beliefs to be their essence. Her approach is different. It aims to unite the coaching process with the development of an inclusive and emancipatory awareness.

Written by: Doron Willis, 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. A few years ago during a very challenging time in my life, my soul yearned for a getaway and led me to partaking in a 10-day silent meditation retreat. I’m certain some of you are probably asking the question, “Why would anyone want to go off somewhere and not talk for 10 days? They must be insane.” Well…maybe. There are many reasons why someone would go on a 10-day silent meditation retreat, but for the sake of time I’ll just give you one, clarity. My decision to jump headfirst into the deep end of self-improvement was based on my decision to embark on a new journey, which involved enrolling in grad school to become a psychotherapist. I needed to gain peace and clarity on whether or not this was the right path to take. The 10-day meditation retreat that I participated in is called Vipassana meditation, which focuses on simply observing your thoughts and emotions without judging or becoming attached to them. However, for me to get this clarity, I had to make it through the restrictions and the following rigorous schedule: 4:00 a.m. – Morning wake-up bell 4:30 – 6:30 a.m. – Meditate 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. – Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. – Group meditation 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Meditate 11:00 – 12:00 p.m. – Lunch (Last full meal of the day!) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. – Rest or meet with your teacher 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. – Meditate 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Group meditation 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. – Meditate 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Tea break 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Group meditation 7:00 – 8:15 p.m – Nightly discourse in the hall 8:15 – 9:00 p.m. – Group meditation 9:00 p.m. – Lights out Other than no talking allowed, there were other restrictions that added to the intensity of this experience. Also not allowed were the following: no reading of any kind of literature except for the itinerary, non-verbal communication (hugs, handshakes, waving, or head nodding), exercising, writing, listening to music, and no self-loving (wink wink) despite this retreat being designed to help you get more intimate with yourself. I forgot to mention that upon arrival you are required to hand over your car keys and cellphone to lessen your temptation to keep running from yourself. The first three days of my experience came and went with no problem. However, on that fourth day is when I begin to realize the different ways I was making life difficult for myself. Today, I am going to share with you the ways that you too, might be making life a lot harder than what it needs to be. 1. Refusing To Let Go And Detach The thought of not being able to work out or have my phone for 10-days was initially terrifying. Also, the week that I arrived at the retreat just so happened to be the first week of the NFL football season, and boy do I love football! I played the game since I was 8 years old up into college. Plus, how was I going to keep my sanity of not being able to keep track of my fantasy football team? The only question that ran through my head was, “What have I gotten myself into?” I quickly learned just how attached and dependent I was on these things for my happiness. However, it was not until after the third day that I realized just how much I did not need the majority of the things that I believed I had to have to maintain my life. It was once said that excessive attachment to anything in life will lead you to become mentally enslaved. And I believe this to be true, especially when things, people, or situations are not feeding our souls or leading us toward a life of purpose. As the days passed by, my attachment to my phone, football, and working out begin to weaken and I found peace with what was. If you find yourself being overly attached to things, people, or situations that are preventing you from establishing inner peace, I encourage you to detach because according to the Indian mystic Osho, misery is nothing but the shadow of attachment. To learn more about how to let go, check out the book by David Hawkins titled, “Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender.” 2. Avoiding Pain (Emotional Pain That Is) I remember on the fourth day of the retreat during one of our meditation sessions, we had to sit for two hours straight. A big jump from the one-hour meditation sessions that we did for the first three days. We were instructed to simply observe the sensations on our body and not identify, judge, or develop an aversion to them, even if the feeling was a little painful. About fifteen minutes in, I begin to shift my body to a more comfortable position because of the discomfort I was experiencing. I must have shifted my body position about three hundred times before realizing that my aversion to the discomfort was only making matters worse. Unfortunately, there are some of you now trying everything possible to avoid having to face or sit with your pain. To be more specific, I am speaking about emotional pain. During that two-hour meditation session, I learned that what we resist will continue to persist until we learn the lesson in the experience. And that the only way out of our emotional pain is to go through it. As a licensed psychotherapist, I assist my clients with understanding the importance of detaching from identifying with their emotional wounds along with the benefits of releasing any aversions to their pain. The more you keep prolonging and avoiding the healing of your emotional wounds, the more life will continue to put you in situations that trigger your emotional pain until you work through it. Neil Strauss once stated that so many people are willing to go through so much pain just to avoid pain. And as I learned on that challenging day, if you stop resisting and allow your pain to move through you and teach you, the sooner you will understand and experience true freedom. 3. Trying To Force Life To Be On Your Terms We live in a world where we are constantly told that in order to live your wildest dreams you cannot afford to take days off. Typically, when this happens, you become exhausted, frustrated, anxious, depressed, and angry when things do not manifest how and when you want them to. Being at that retreat taught me to be open and accept the organic unfolding of life because every experience of our life’s journey comes to teach us something no matter how unpleasant it may be. Once I bought into the whole experience of not talking for 10-days, not having certain belongings, and not being able to engage in certain activities, my mind became a lot clearer and calmer. As I previously mentioned, the reason I decided to do this retreat was to gain clarity on the next steps of my journey. Although I was learning to let go and face my emotional pain, I was still frustrated over not knowing whether or not I was about to take the right course of action for my future. Around day number eight, I was finally able to learn how to just be. In rediscovering my existence as a human being and not as a human doer, the answer that I was seeking finally came…effortlessly. I learned that my impatience and the need to force life to give me the answers was the root cause of all my distress. Remember, life operates in Kairos, not Chronos. Meaning, no matter how much you grind, life will reward you at the right time. Life rarely operates in chronological order. When the time is right then life will give you what you have been waiting for. Just be prepared to receive it. In conclusion, despite not being able to speak for 10-days and having to sit daily on a mat with my eyes closed in order to connect to my innermost thoughts and feelings, I was able to see just how much I was making life more difficult than it needed to be. S.N. Goenka the teacher of Vipassana meditation emphasized that if you want to experience true happiness, then you must let go of antiquated conditioning of the mind, be willing to embrace every experience of life, and allow life to unfold in its own unique way and timing. With that being said, just flow with the river of life and not against it. The river of life knows the way to get you to your desires. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride, and trust the process. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Doron! Doron Willis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Doron Willis, LMFT, MA. Doron is a Mental and Sports Psychotherapist helping individuals with a competitive spirit uncover and breakthrough their mental blocks in order to foster resiliency and perform at an optimal level in life consistently. Doron is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California, a former Division I collegiate athlete, and a certified fitness and sports performance trainer, so he knows all about the importance of cultivating a strong and sound mind. Doron specializes in life transitions, resiliency, sports performance, men's issues, and helping individuals find meaning and purpose for their life. Doron earned his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in marriage & family therapy from Phillips Graduate University, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences from Arizona State University. Additionally, he is trained in EMDR therapy from the EMDR Institute and holds a certificate in Sports & Exercise Psychology from California State University Dominguez Hills, and a certification as a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Doron is also the author of "The IT Factors For Athletic Dominance: Identifying the traits of elite athletes.