Written by: Liz Jones, 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. I remember the first yoga class I did. My mind was buzzing, and I was constantly looking around the room for some guidance on each move. There was definitely a level of excitement. But, sadly, I was doing it more out of obligation. How often do you do something because you know you should? Or because you know that it is good for you? Well, by doing something that was good for me, I opened the door to a stronger mind and body connection. One that actually helped me with my physical training as well as within my professional career. A connection that you can have too, simply through connecting breath and body. Ever since I started training, I knew that breathing was essential to your performance. I’m sure you have experienced it too, how quick fast breaths only cause you to become short of breath and not able to push so hard. Just like timing your breath with the push or exertion can enable greater strength. But how do you connect your mind with your body without the need for physical activity or exercise? What if I told you there is a simple exercise you can do, anywhere and any time, that does not require huge amounts of space and time? I know what you are thinking. “It is hard” “I don’t enjoy it” “I don’t see the results now” “Really?!” But really! Your breath is the link to connect your body and your mind for peak performance – in all situations. From workouts, training sessions, and yoga practice, I found a way to focus my thoughts and clear away stress or anxiety so I can always teach a lesson and sound confident. An exercise that anyone can take advantage of. Yes, there are simple things you can do with any presentation or meeting, such as having a comfortable opening routine or introduction. But that calmness and clarity comes from what you do before you walk into the room. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to relax any physical tension, or ease those nervous shakes, prior to a big meeting? Well, let me share it with you in a few simple steps: Find a space (seated, standing, or lying – you choose) and close your eyes if it feels comfortable; Picture in your mind a balloon. Pick a colour if you wish; Take a deep inhale and imagine you are inflating that balloon; Once the balloon is as big as you can make it, slowly deflate it – all the way out, so much that you flatten the balloon; Then repeat at least 5 times. So, why does this actually work? Well, the calming breaths are filling you with oxygen, which your body needs, especially for brain functioning. Have you ever noticed that when you get out of breath it becomes harder to think? It also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to promote a state of calm within you. The PNS will conserve energy to be used later, and therefore help you maintain an even energy level throughout. More importantly to note, it helps avoid those energy crashes. Through visualising the balloon, you are giving yourself something to focus on, and this helps channel your thoughts. Or rather, calm the chatter that might be going on in your mind. Next time you feel yourself getting a little overwhelmed, find your quiet space to take 5 minutes to give this a try. Follow Liz on Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter and visit her website for more info. Read more from Liz! Liz Jones, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Liz Jones is a Wellness Coach, Yoga Teacher, and Fitness Professional with over 10 years of experience, with numerous qualifications and recognized accreditations. Having worked in a wide range of environments, Liz has helped professionals, celebrities, and business leaders from around the world to transform their lives and become addicted to living that healthy lifestyle. Liz is the Founder of Mind Body House, where the aim is to help others to 'Live the healthy lifestyle they love.' She is the host of the "Ladies Go Live" talk show and podcast, aiming to connect the value of great wellbeing and your professional success.

Written by: Michelle L. Raymond, 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. I can almost hear the coaches and business success gurus chorus “YES! Of course, you can - whatever you want, you can achieve!” Here is where I go against the grain. You can have it all, but then you will also be doing it all. The question of how can you have a successful career and still raise a happy family became somewhat of a treasure hunt for me in my early years. I had not seen many good examples from the people around me and was curious to find out if it could be achieved and how to do it. What I Discovered Most people were very reluctant to share their thoughts on this topic. And the reason - I very quickly discovered - was that their stories were riddled with guilt and doubt. Guilt because they had to sacrifice time away from their family to get ahead in their careers, and doubt, because to this day, they still are not sure what they are doing with their lives. A majority of my research included well-respected leaders in business, influential executives, successful entrepreneurs and (more surprisingly) coaches. The Shadow Side of Wanting It All There are very few people who have their priorities in place, where they can manage all the responsibilities that come along with wanting it all - a career and a happy family. Those that are aware enough to make changes to their lives have done so by recognising their failures, hearing the wake-up calls and even ultimatums. The complexities, growth spurts and unexpected events from having children make it nearly impossible to plan effectively. How does one manage, balance and coordinate the sheer volume of work and responsibility required to care for yourself, your career and your family? Take the example of a child waking up every 2-hours with a fever at night and then having to present to your team that morning. Or working towards a promotion that requires you to travel the world, but at the cost of missing birthdays and special events. Or working long hours to prove yourself to get to a point where you can provide financially for your family. A Reality Check My clients and other successful individuals reaching retirement age all say they have had an amazing career with incredible opportunities; but they regret missing out on so much of their loved one's lives and milestones. The reality is: In sacrifice and compromise, someone always loses. Where to from here? Take some time to reflect on your own life and decisions and consider the following: ŸShould you have it all, and what will having it all get you? Ÿ Take a future-back approach. What can you prioritise now that will reap the most benefit later on, not only for you but for your legacy? Ÿ What are you teaching your children through your actions? See yourself through their eyes. Remember, the well-intended actions of parents are not understood by children. Ÿ Hypothetically speaking, if your grandchild sat in an important meeting with you, how would you conduct yourself? You do not have to limit yourself by choosing either family or career. However, you do have a responsibility to ensure that: ŸYour work does not jeopardise your well-being. ŸYou are emotionally available for your children when they need you. ŸYou can still find time to use your gifts and enjoy your lives. Final points As leaders, coaches, business people and human beings, you have the extraordinary privilege of influencing those around you. Whether you are aware of it or not, your presence, or lack thereof, speaks volumes to those who depend on you, love you and need you. Are you living a life that serves a purpose greater than your wants? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Michelle L. Raymond, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michelle is a multi-potentialite. She has worked in numerous industries throughout her career, gaining extraordinary experience and perspective. This has given her a unique ability to creatively problem-solve, strategise and connect with people on a deep and authentic level. Her experience includes Executive and Leadership Coaching, Psychoneuroimmunology Diagnostics, Trauma Coaching, Relationship and Family Coaching, Young Adult Coaching, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consulting, Integrative Well-being and Spiritual Coaching. Michelle looks at things holistically and has a practical and "down-to-earth" approach. She is trained and certified in numerous methodologies and frameworks and thus can pull from her knowledge and intuition to find the best fit for her clients' journey and outcome. As well as being an avid writer, Michelle also records podcasts and vlogs to promote conscious living, personal mastery, spiritual growth, healthy relationships and parenting and mental health.

Written by: Mackennon Klink, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. As a business owner, you know to build anything worthwhile requires patience, focused effort, hard work, and another healthy dose of patience. At the heart of any successful endeavor, our success is driven by the power of our habits, the guiding light of our actions and behaviors. We know if we do the work, and continuously do the work (i.e our habits), our results will come. Unfortunately, a lot of people prioritize the wrong aspects and their results suffer. There is nothing more disheartening than knowing you’ve been focusing on the wrong things, realizing all your hard work was for nothing, thus wasting your precise time. The following habits are immutable truths to achieve your nutritional goals. Don’t just take my word for it as you can see how my client & friend Ben completely transformed his life by following these highly effective habits. Habit No.1 Knowing Your Budget Dieting is similar to managing your budget. As a business owner, you need to be aware of the revenue coming in and out so your business can succeed. That same principle applies to your nutrition. Think of your calories as a “dietary budget” aka how many calories you can spend in a day. Let’s say you have a goal to save $10,000. To achieve this goal, you’ll need to look at bank statements, expenses, savings, and the treads of your cash flow month to month. That doesn’t seem neurotic right? Not really, because it makes sense in how you’ll achieve your goal (saving money). That same principle applies to your nutrition and it’s looking at the data that allows you to achieve outstanding results. This is why it’s crucial to your success to build some awareness and control with your daily allowance of calories. Once you’re aware of your budget, you can better manage your calories throughout the day. Habit No.2 Protein with each meal Protein should be a staple within any diet and the reason is simple: it’s an essential macronutrient, meaning your body literally cannot survive without it. In addition, protein is what helps us improve our body composition (the ratio of lean body mass to fat mass) as it provides the literal building blocks for our muscles. When compared to carbs and fats, protein is also the most satiating and filling food choice. In addition, protein is extremely difficult for the body to store as body fat. This isn’t just my opinion as it’s backed by science! With all my clients, we focus on building each meal around your protein. I’ve always found that once clients are able to do this, then this makes the whole dieting process sooo much easier as their food choices improve. This is why identifying your ideal protein sources is critical to your overall success. Habit No.3 Eat a Big Ass Salad A great coach in the online coaching space (Jordan Syatt) has popularized the idea of having one big-ass salad a day. This is a great way to easily get plenty of veggies and fruit and keeping you full while fighting off hunger and eating a ton of food. The reason why veggies, fruits, and salads are a staple of any successful weight loss journey as they are relatively low in calories so you can eat a ton of it which fills your stomach up! Plus, they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to maximize your fullness while providing your body with all the nutrients it needs. As your coach, I want you to eat as much as possible while being in a calorie deficit, not eating as little as humanly possible. That’s right, I want you to eat as much as possible while still making consistent, measurable progress. Habit No.4 Get more Sleep Did you know that as many as 30% of adults sleep fewer than six hours per night, which is the minimum amount of necessary sleep? While you may be thinking you can get by with a minimal amount of sleep, get ready for some knowledge bombs. The scientific research is clear: Sleeping less than 7 hours of sleep has been linked to: Higher stress Decreased cognitive function Increased appetite, cravings, and hunger Decreased muscle growth Lower willpower With these forces combined, it makes it difficult to actually adhere to your diet and training. Plus, you’ll be more prone to snacking and cravings due to having lower willpower. The solution is to make sure you prioritize 7-9 hours of sleep to maximize your daily performance. This is something we keep an eye on and manage as much as possible with sleep routines and lifestyle modifications. Habit No.5 Prioritizing Enjoyment with your Workouts You should be looking forward to going to the gym and executing your training program because you ENJOY doing it! Your training program should be something you look forward to! As a coach, I cannot tell you how many times clients told me they dread going into the gym to do their workouts. Your training program should get you excited and motivated to go into the gym while making consistent progress. A training program that gets you excited to hit the gym is one you’ll stick to and go hard at. More than anything, this is how we create a lifelong habit - by turning this into something you want to do, rather than something you need to do. Habit No.6 Consistency > Perfection This might be the most important one, which is why I saved it for last. You might think you’ll need to be 110% perfect (trust me, those impulses are hard to fight off), follow everything to the T, or else you’ll ruin your progress. As business owners, we know that consistency will always trump perfection. One day off your diet or over your budget doesn’t mean you ruined all your progress and one “perfect” day doesn’t produce insane results. This same principle applies to your progress. Building a business, like your body, requires time, effort, and patience, which is why you need to track your consistency. The gold standard is 80-90% consistent, which equates to 25-27 days out of 31 days. If you do that, I promise you, you are going to see incredible results. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Mackennon Klink, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mackennon Klink is a certified strength coach and nutritional coach with a simple message: lose weight and add muscle to become your leanest and strongest version of yourself. After a devastating snowboarding injury that forced him to undergo duel knee surgeries, Mackennon found his passion by helping others unlock their potential. Mackennon has a decade of coaching experience from helping elite professional athletes to busy professionals to weekend warriors achieve their fitness goals. My mission is to give you the necessary knowledge and confidence to sustainably incorporate the best program into your lifestyle so that you can lose that unwanted body fat while building real strength.

Written by: Dr. Adriana Popescu, 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. If you’re like so many of my clients these days, you are under a bit of stress. Perhaps that is a massive understatement. I get it. Stress, anxiety, and depression are everywhere these days. We are subjected to stressful and fear-provoking images, ideas, and information at every turn. Our world has changed so much so quickly and it has impacted our bodies, homes, businesses, and relationships in challenging ways. Many people are turning to unhealthy and often counterproductive ways to cope with this increase in stress such as drinking, distractions, and addictive behaviors. These behaviors and habits can often create detrimental effects for the body and mind and even more stress and overwhelm. When we get really stressed out, a whole cascade of biochemical reactions occurs in our body, and the fight-flight-freeze response gets activated. Our brain tells us something threatening is happening, and it signals our body to prepare to fight, run, or play dead, as if we were encountering a predator in the woods. Adrenaline and cortisol get released, our heart rate increases, breathing becomes more rapid, and the blood flow moves to our extremities. In fact, 70% of the blood flow leaves the prefrontal cortex, or human part of our brain, which makes it difficult to access logic and reason and we end up feeling anxious and panicked, not able to think clearly. We’re all biologically wired this way for survival. The problem is that nowadays this survival mechanism gets activated in situations that are not actually life-or-death, and many of us live in a chronic state of stress activation. What are some empowering ways to handle these stressful and negative energies in a different and greater way? As a licensed clinical psychologist and empowerment coach who is an expert in the field of addiction and trauma, I use some simple yet powerful techniques to help people calm their nervous systems. These techniques invite more peace, relaxation, and a greater sense of hope and positivity. My clients find that with regular use of these tools, they have a greater sense of themselves and more ease in handling the stresses of everyday life. 1. Grounding Techniques When we get stressed out, we tend to disconnect from our bodies. Grounding techniques help us to reconnect to our bodies and get grounded to the earth. For example, you can use the power of visualization. I like to imagine that I’m like a huge redwood tree, strong and solid, with my roots extending deep down into the earth. I find that this calms me down and reminds me that I too am strong and can get through whatever challenges I may be experiencing in the moment. You can also tune into your five senses. There’s an exercise called 5-4-3-2-1 that has you identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This helps you get back in your body and pulls you out of the anxious thoughts and feelings that have been activated. A variation on this is to count or name the things you see around you. For example, count how many green things you see in your vicinity, or name all the square objects in the room, etc. Splashing cold water on your face or holding ice cubes in your hand also helps to calm the nervous system down by activating the vagus nerve to get you out of sympathetic nervous system arousal and into parasympathetic nervous system relaxation. In fact, many of the techniques listed here are working with the vagus nerve, which can be further explored by checking out Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory. 2. The Power of the Breath Another way to activate the vagus nerve to create a calming response is to practice specific breathing techniques. Most of these involve allowing the exhalation to be as long or even longer than the inhalation since when we’re stressed we tend to breathe shallowly or hyperventilate. I like Four Square Breathing. Breathe in for the count of 4, hold the breath for 4, exhale for 4 and hold again for 4. This slows the whole breathing process down, gets your mind distracted from the stressors, and allows your nervous system to reset itself to a calmer state. When I use this with my clients, I notice an immediate reduction in the symptoms of panic and overwhelm and a greater sense of safety and presence. 3. Tapping Meridian tapping, which encompasses many variations such as TFT (Thought Field Therapy), EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and TTT (Trauma Tapping Technique), involves stimulating acupuncture points on the body with your fingers to balance the energy flow. It also sends a deactivating signal to the amygdala, the emotional part of your brain responsible for initiating the fight-flight-freeze response. There have been over 250 studies published on these and similar techniques that fall under the umbrella of Energy Psychology. The research has shown that when the acupoints are stimulated, cortisol and adrenaline levels come down, and the feel-good chemicals (such as dopamine, serotonin, GABA, endorphins, etc.) get released; again getting us into a calmer, less emotionally distressed state. Tapping can be used in a variety of ways: to release negative thoughts, emotions and physical sensations; to increase positive emotions such as happiness and confidence; and to improve performance for athletes, public speakers, actors, etc. It has become increasingly popularized in the last few years, and there is a free online annual Tapping World Summit that offers hours of expert talks on how to apply the tool to various issues and conditions. 4. Challenging Your Thoughts and Beliefs Once you get out of a more activated, panicked state and your logical brain comes back online, you can start to challenge the thoughts and beliefs that create stress and overwhelm. This is known as CBT, or Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. The CBT approach involves asking questions to clarify and challenge what you are thinking that is creating the upsetting feeling and problematic behaviors; e.g., “What is the thought that I am having that is creating this overwhelm? Is it actually real or true? What evidence do I have to support this thought?” and “What evidence do I have that doesn’t support this thought? Is there another, more realistic way to see this?” You might find in this process that you have patterns of negative thinking, or cognitive distortions, that are creating the stress you are having. An example of this is catastrophic thinking, when you are always imagining the worst case scenario, even when it’s highly unlikely to occur. You may also discover that at the root of the upset are automatic thoughts, which can be below our conscious awareness and show up as core limiting beliefs, such as, “I’m not enough. I can’t handle things, I’m a failure.” Realistically challenging and reframing these kinds of beliefs can help you to calm down in the moment as well as permanently change the way you think and feel, bringing your overall level of stress down significantly. 5. Prioritization and Organization Something easy and straightforward that we often don’t recognize is that we can create more of sense of space and ease for ourselves by simply addressing the tasks we have at hand in a different way. What would you have to handle or work on today to make your life easier? What have you been resisting or procrastinating on? What 3 items are the most important for you to handle today? Often a sense of stress and overwhelm is created when we don’t do the things we know we have to do. These incomplete tasks fester in the background of our minds and manifest a sense of dis-ease and anxiety. This only grows the longer these projects go unaccomplished. That’s why I recommend making a list of all of your to-dos, prioritize that list in order of importance or deadline, and commit to handling three things a day. What would bring you the greatest relief if you just looked at it, dealt with it, or started addressing it? If this still seems overwhelming, you can break the tasks down into smaller-sized chunks such as working on them for just 20 minutes at a time, or making an outline of each step involved in the process and tackling them one by one. Sometimes even just taking a small step toward finishing the project can be a tremendous relief. These techniques are all very simple yet powerful and a great way to invite more clarity and peace into your life. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world have changed their lives for the greater with these tools. What would it be like if you would experiment with some of these approaches? What can they contribute to you, your body, and your wellbeing? What have you got to lose except your stress and anxiety? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Dr. Adriana Popescu, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Adriana Popescu is a licensed clinical psychologist and empowerment coach with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. She specializes in treating addiction, co-occurring disorders, and trauma, and has directed a number of treatment programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Adriana has a private practice in San Francisco and travels around the world coaching and facilitating transformational and empowering workshops. She coauthored the Conscious Being, Conscious Recovery, and Conscious Creation Workbooks, and she hosts a fascinating podcast called Kaleidoscope of Possibilities – Alternative Perspectives on Mental Health. She loves to empower people to overcome their imagined limitations, release their self-judgments, and discover the brilliance within – creating a life of infinite possibilities.

Written by: Andrea Lewis, 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. I want to share some statistics from www.caregiving.com. When you worry and help and care for a family member, you become a member of the largest group of health care providers. Consider this: 5,564: total number of hospitals (2017 Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals) 897,961: total number of hospital beds (2017 Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals) 809,845: total number of physicians (Statistics and Facts on U.S. doctors) 2.9 million: total number of home health aides and personal care aides (2016, bureau of labor statistics) 2.9 million: total number of registered nurses (2016, bureau of labor statistics) 65.7 million (at least) and growing: Total number of individuals who care for a family member or friend (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2009) Think about that! Caregivers outnumber all other health care provider groups! My journey as a caregiver started back in 2011/2012 with my Mema (grandmother). Even though she was in a nursing home, I became the point of contact person for all things concerning her as my mom was overwhelmed with it all. Then in 2015, my dad became ill with cancer, and I helped him by driving to and from his doctor appointments and doing the few things he’d allow me to do around the house for him. Men are very proud creatures and even though he was ill he still insisted on doing things himself. When he passed 5 months after his diagnosis, I became my mom’s caregiver. So, at that point, I’m caregiving for 2 people, my mom and my Mema (my mom’s mother). Now you may think being a caregiver for my Mema was easier because she was in a nursing home, it was in one sense, in that there were others to do the day-to-day care. Where it became challenging are the trips to the nursing home for care coordination meetings, meetings with nurses or doctor phone calls to discuss care and treatments, etc. All while doing a full-time job and having to care for my mom. When having a full-time job, a lot of times, even after explaining the situation, it gets to be challenging to have to consistently ask for time off or come in late or leave early because of meetings at the nursing home. Then again, that could have been the pressure I put on myself to try to be the reliable and responsible employee. And that doesn’t include visits to your loved one. I tried to visit at least twice a week when I first took over, but I soon realized that was a lot and I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. Even though I felt bad my Mema was there, and there was no way to have her live with us when my dad passed because she would still require in home care, I just couldn’t keep up that pace. I’m single with no children and most would think, what’s the big deal you should be able to handle it! Well, the big deal is, when you have a full-time job, you have a responsibility to that job, and some are understanding of your situation. Up to a certain point. When work needs to be done, they want you there and don’t want to hear you have to leave early or be out, yet again. And on one of my help desk analyst jobs, at a law firm, I had a supervisor say that to me in more or less those words when I was out due to my own health issue. And if you have a family. Oh wow! I can’t imagine trying to juggle all that is involved with a family, your job, and your caregiving duties. Even if the caregiver lives with you, it’s still challenging, and something must give. And guess what, it’s usually the caregiver! We’ve all heard that you must put yourself first, especially caregivers. Which is hard to do as women, and most caregivers are women, because we are raised to put everyone else first. Think of it this way. On the airplane the flight attendant always tells you to put on your oxygen mask first before you put on your loved one’s mask. Yes? It’s the same thing with caregiving. Care for yourself first. Easier said than done. I realized, recently, venting with a friend, that when I listed what I had to do, I listed myself last. And she even realized I did that. She being a caregiver for her mom before she passed and now her son, she understood where I was coming from and was able to give me sound advice from that vantage point. She gets it. And caregivers, I want you to get it too. You are going to have your moments when it’s just too much and you need a break. Take that break. Find a way to do so. Whether it’s going to the park for an hour by yourself. Or going for coffee at your local coffee or tea café. Or taking a weekend away, if possible. This last one may be a challenge because you will need to arrange for care of your loved one if they live with you. I’ve done 2 out of three of these. I used to sit in my car for 5 minutes before going into my home. Other options are to find a caregiving group you can relate to and there are some online now, such as caregiving.com and eldersourcecargiver.com/virtual caregiver support groups. Find that good friend who knows what you are going through and can listen and give advice as a warrior whose gone through it. I say warrior because guess what? That’s what you are. A warrior for your loved one who cannot always advocate for themselves. Know that you will ruffle some feathers as a warrior because some may not like you questioning things to get the best for you loved one. But it needs to be done because it can be a life or death decision or situation. You will grow so much in this role and there are blessings and some not so good stuff that will come up or happen. You get to see where you get some of your quirks and why you do and say the things you sometimes do. And it can be funny as well as growth. Also, you get to resolve the past and discuss things that you may have held onto because you realize you’re getting triggered by things that take you by surprise and you have to deal with it to grow beyond it and form a deeper relationship with your loved one before they pass. That’s where the power of EFT Tapping and essential oils come to the rescue! The gold in caregiving is the healing that takes place for you and your loved one if you are courageous and strong enough to push through the muck and grime and do the work. Again, that’s where the power EFT Tapping can come in handy to handle those triggering events. I have a much better relationship with my higher power than I did 10 or even 5 years ago. And one thing that came through from one of my chats with God is to laugh and find the funny in things for my loved one and myself. For me this has been easier said than done. I don’t consider myself a funny person and am on the serious and intense side. I hold things in, at times, and have my moments. Love on and hug your loved one as much as possible because love heals all wounds and as a family member shared with me, you don’t know what the caregiver is going through that they are not talking about. Now at first, if your loved one is old school, like my mom, they may not understand the change, but keep at it, they’ll appreciate it, even if they don’t say it. I started praying with my mom at night before we go to bed a few months ago and she now enjoys it when I pray. Although, the love on and hug on your caregiver is a hard one sometimes and she doesn’t get it and wants to know what I want. I tell her, I’m just hugging you, just because or because someone I just spoke with said to give her a hug for them. That’s why having a good relationship with your higher power helps because you get intuitive nudges that tell you what to do next or how to handle a situation. For those who say their loved one has passed before having the chance to forgive. It’s not too late. Sit in nature or go to the cemetery or in your home, think of your loved one with your hands over your heart and just start talking. I recently did this for my dad and my Mema and there was release and forgiveness. The spirit realm is all around us. Being a caregiver is an emotional rollercoaster. Every day brings a new beginning of happy, sad, anger, frustration, overwhelm, and funny situations. When I first stepped into the role around 2011, I had no clue what I was in for and still don’t know. Every day is an adventure and another chance to try again to connect better. I wish the same for you. A note about anger. Anger is considered a secondary emotion and is usually masking another emotion, such as sadness, grief, guilt, or worry, etc. so, as you tap, the anger you begin with may shift to another emotion. Please see my first article, titled, What is EFT Tapping and why does it work, May 2021, for an explanation of EFT Tapping. Let’s begin to tap! Side of the hand. Even though I feel this overwhelm at having to take additional measures to keep myself and my family healthy and safe on top of my other priorities, I approve and accept myself Side of the eye. Even though I feel this overwhelm and I still feel it in my head, I approve and accept myself Side of the eye. Even though I feel this overwhelm, I approve and accept myself Top of head. This overwhelm Eyebrow. This overwhelm that I feel in my head Side of eye. This overwhelm Under the eye. This overwhelm that is at an intensity level of 5 (insert your level number) Under the nose. This overwhelm Under the lip. This overwhelm in my head Collar bone. How can I do all that needs to be done? Tap inner wrists together. This overwhelm Tap back of wrists together. This overwhelm Take a deep breath Let’s do another round of EFT Tapping. Side of the hand. Even though I feel overwhelmed because I’m not setting clear boundaries, I approve and accept myself Side of the hand. Even though I feel overwhelmed because I’m not scheduling enough me time, I deeply approve and accept myself Side of the hand. Even though I feel overwhelmed because I’m not having enough fun and laughing more, I approve and accept myself Top of head. This overwhelm Eyebrow. This overwhelm Side of eye. This overwhelm Under the eye. Maybe I could schedule some fun me-time Under the nose. This overwhelm Under the lip. Maybe I could reach out and ask for help Collar bone. This overwhelm Under the arm. Maybe I could lighten up and not be so serious Tap the inner wrists together. This overwhelm Tap the back of the wrists together. Overwhelm in my head I acknowledge you Take a deep cleansing breath. I want to share 3 discreet EFT Tapping tips to use when in public and you start to feel overwhelmed. Tap or press your heart or collar bone point while breathing deeply and slowly. Squeeze the sides of your fingernails of one hand with the index and thumb fingers of the other hand for a few seconds. Start with the thumb, then the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and then finally the pinky. Then do the same for each finger on the opposite hand. You don’t have to say anything. Just think about what is bothering you as you squeeze and deeply and slowly breathe. The final tip is the gamut point, which is the space on the back of your hand between the ring and pinky fingers. The space between the bones. Press the fingers of the opposite hand in that space, rub, or tap the space. The gamut point is on the triple warmer meridian and helps calm angry feelings, pain, or emotional trauma. This can be done anywhere, anytime. It’s also great to calm an upset toddler. Feeling great now? I hope you do!! Are you beginning to see how EFT Tapping can help you and be a valuable addition to your self-care toolbox? Each month this magazine will feature a new EFT Tapping round or two from Andrea for you to follow along. Find out more about how Andrea can guide you to embrace change and boldly and joyfully live beyond the expectations of family, society, and culture to live life on your terms at her website, EFT Tapping | Online EFT Classes | Solace4me. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and on her 30-minute online radio program, The Power of EFT Tapping, on Sundays, 12PM EDT, on Live365 Radio Stream - WNJR-Radio.Com | WNJR-Radio.Com (wnjradio.com). Read more from Andrea! Andrea Lewis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andrea D. Lewis is an Accredited Certified Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner (EFT Tapping) and often states that, "EFT Tapping is an answer to a prayer." She started using EFT Tapping in 2014 when she searched for a way to relieve her fears and worries that often left her feeling reluctant to leave her home to go to work or do other outside activities. She was so encouraged by the results she received from 50 days of 10-15 minutes of daily tapping that she wanted to share this newfound knowledge with others and became certified. EFT Tapping does not do the healing. It just releases the stuck emotional charge of past events to help the body do what it was created to do, which is to heal itself and to enable the person to move forward confidently in life. You can listen to her weekly internet radio program, The Power of EFT Tapping, on Sundays at 12PM EST on wnjr-radio.com. Her mission: To help clients thrive by being emotionally healthy and happily engaged in their life.

Written by: Sam Evans, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The Cognitive Switch - Turn off self-sabotage and turn on self-empowerment like a flick of a switch Before I became a coach, an author and now to be a trainer specialising in the subconscious mind, I really had no idea how much the mind plays such a huge impact on how we can achieve our goals caused by the one and only self-sabotage in the depth of our being. I always knew from as young as seven years old, that I was destined for more, but I just didn’t know what I would do, or even who I would become because my entire life was not as picturesque as you may think it to be, especially as I love a good photo! I always felt like something was missing from my life and was always chasing the answer with the need to fit in and to be fixed, because I deeply believed that I was just a big fat problem. It wasn’t until I reached my thirties, that I realised that things had to change. At 30 I declared myself bankrupt after accruing a debt of over £40k and everything felt so hard as if I was going one step forward and ten steps back, repeating the same old experiences, day in and day out. All I ever knew was to work hard and push myself harder to keep striving. With no job, no income and no man in my life, it was at this point, I decided enough was enough and declared I AM DONE! I was done with the way my life was, and I was ready for change, unconsciously realising that I was letting go of any outcome and therefore taking off the pressure of fitting in and people pleasing. Within days, I met my husband, the love of my life, and we had two beautiful boys and I found my purpose as an online coach. By heavily investing in myself, I can now show others how to re-write their stories by turning off self-sabotage and turning on self-empowerment, using the power of NLP. Despite qualifying in the most powerful tools I have ever come across, my past was well and truly beginning to surface as I was stepping into new territory and the unknown as I worked towards achieving my desires. However, with my history of trauma and abuse deeply embedded in my subconscious mind, instead of living life with gratitude, I was reactive and lacked heavily in emotional intelligence as I had no idea that my past was well and truly consuming my present causing me to live in a constant state of anxiety. I was sexually abused as a child, beaten and locked in a cellar for misbehaving and grew up feeling lonely and wishing my life was over. I even prayed to God to take me back, until I received an intuitive message telling me that I was meant for more. Despite these painful events causing me a significant amount of pain and sadness, I decided to accept this message as I knew I was meant for more, so I continued to never give up on my dreams. I only ever wanted to be accepted by others, and I had no idea that the most important thing for me to do was to truly accept who I am. All I ever knew how to respond to any given situation was to react in explosive outbursts, until it finally took it’s toll on both myself and my husband and I knew that it was time for me to work deeply and heal the wounds of my past. Through deep coaching and healing and studying the unconscious mind, I was able to create my own four-part framework using four key elements to help women overcome previous trauma or experiences that are holding them back allowing female entrepreneurs turn off self-sabotage and turn on self-empowerment exactly how I did. By establishing the root cause of their problems at a subconscious level, the clients have gone on to heal and align, so they can have, be and do whatever they want simply by shining the light on the blind spots that they are unable to see for themselves, enabling them to piece everything back together and move forward with confidence and believe that anything is possible. Now as a Master NLP Coach running a hugely successful global business specialising in timeline therapy® and emotional intelligence, my journey from hitting rock bottom to inspiring others has been one that has really allowed the women I work with to know that their lives can be shifted into the direction towards their desires instead of away from their goals. The women have gone onto live their best lives which is why I am proud to share that my thoughts, experiences and lessons have now been collaborated into my very first book The Cognitive Switch® which has been written to help women give themselves permission to live an abundant, happy, and fulfilled life, where they believe in themselves that they can do anything. , This book is as emotional as it is motivational to help you raise into awareness anything that is holding you back and to allow you to take full responsibility and manifest the life you desire on your terms. The Cognitive Switch® - Turn off self-sabotage and turn on self-empowerment like a flick of a switch is now available for you to purchase and will be available on Amazon and in all major bookstores. You can now purchase this exclusive book using this link, as I am making it my mission to help one million women by 2030 turn on their internal switch of infinite intelligence so they can reach their full potential without limitations. “To achieve what you want and be who you want, you have to become the person ready to reach that next level. With openness, gratitude, and appreciation of where you came from and who you are, you are no longer controlled by your past conditioning and instead have a deep knowingness that everything will always work out. In short, you have to flick that switch from self-sabotage to self-empowerment by reprogramming your current conditioning.” — Sam Evans, Author, coach & trainer Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Sam! Sam Evans, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sam Evans, CEO of Sam Evans Global, is the UK's leading expert in the mind-body connection. She is known as an Intuitive business coach and mentor who has helped transform hundreds of female entrepreneurs in the online realm. Using her trademark system, The Cognitive Switch® & Unlock Your Money Block®, she has enabled women in business to confidently increase revenues up to £150k, attract followers, and defeat self-sabotage, by teaching them how to be decisive in action, clear in message, and overcome their worst enemy: themselves. As an accredited Master Coach in NLP, Timeline Therapy™, and Hypnotherapy, a UK approved TTi® Emotional Quotient Practitioner specialising in Emotional Intelligence, Human Design, and Silent Counseling. Sam has enabled her clients to be decisive, clear on their purpose, and profitable. She is also a number 1 best-selling Amazon author of Monetise Your Message and currently writing her own book soon to be published in 2021. Sam has been featured on Fox, NBC, Coach Magazine, Mental Magazine and Mum Boss UK, as well on podcasts such as Andrew Kaplan’s Shatter the Mold, Hannah Marie Olivia’s Adulting Advice, and guest expert at the MIBA International Event, guest trainer at the women helping women grow summit, hosted by Sabine Kvenberg and a profound speaker at the HerStory Global Summit in 2020. Sam’s purpose and mission is to transform the lives of one million women, by diminishing the inner critic to access their infinite intelligence and potentiality by 2030. She is based in the UK with her husband and 2 children.

Written by: Sunu Philip, 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 high-ticket offer is a great way to provide something premium and valuable to your ideal client, while also giving you the opportunity to work with fewer clients in a deeper manner and increase your income. Creating a high-ticket offer isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t a cake walk either. Over the past year, I’ve studied hundreds of high-ticket offers and discovered what makes them attractive to buyers. I’ve understood how these offers are positioned, so business owners are able to charge premium prices and get people interested in signing up. Now, I can give you a list of crucial components that you’ll want to include in your premium high-ticket offer. I’ve come up with this list based on: Research for the high-ticket offers I’ve created and sold What my clients have done and what’s worked for them A detailed survey of my audience regarding the high-ticket offers they’d signed up for Without further ado, here are the 5 components that make a premium high-ticket offer. 1. Experience Why do people visit luxury resorts? It’s because they love the ambience and experience they find there. They’re willing to pay a premium price because they know their experience will be worth it. When you're thinking of creating a premium high-ticket offer, you’ll have to map out what your ideal client will experience when they sign up for it. Clearly define how this will be different from all your other offers, and from those your competitors are offering. Explain what luxury components you will be offering them, because ultimately, you want them to see this as a luxury package. You want potential buyers to feel wowed by the experience in store for them - and that needs to be reflected in your offer. 2. Transformation Most coaches provide some kind of transformation in their offers, and that’s the main reason people want to buy a particular package. You need to let your ideal client know how their life is going to change when they sign up for your high-ticket offer. You’ll have to provide them with a list of tangible and intangible outcomes they’ll get as a result of going through the process with you. People are ready to invest big money when this transformation is clearly detailed. When they see the transformation you’re providing and how much it means to them, they’ll be ready to jump in and invest with you. 3. Deliverables Let’s go back to our earlier example of a luxury resort. When these resorts promote their packages, they list out everything that’s included in it - food and beverages, the type of room, recreational activities, complementary services, etc. In the same way, when you’re mapping out your high-ticket offer, you’ll want to make a comprehensive list of everything your ideal client will get when they sign up for it. It should provide details like: What’s included in the offer How these features will be delivered What they’ll find inside once they sign up What the entire process will look like What aspects will be done for them This will give potential clients a picture of the tangible features they’ll receive when they purchase your high-ticket offer. When this part is clear, they’ll see the immensity of what they’ll be getting from you and be more likely to purchase your offer. 4. Support Nobody wants to go through something alone. They need to know someone is in their corner. And this is especially true of your high-ticket clients. You need to let them know how you will be with them through their entire transformation process. Give them an idea of how you’re going to step into the role of an expert mentor or guide and direct them through to the end result. You could do this through coaching calls, mindset sessions, 24/7 support via email or Messenger, etc. What you’re providing your ideal client is a premium service, so they need to know they’ll get a little hand-holding from you. When you make them feel seen and understood, you give them the secure feeling that you’ve got their back and they’ll appreciate you for it. 5. Pricing Let me preface this section by saying, you can charge a premium price. You don't have to limit yourself. You are creating a sacred space for your ideal client and it's ok to charge for that. If you’ve noticed, there is an overlap between each of the previous components - they build up on each other. So, once you’ve combined all the other components, it’s essential to price it right so that it’s placed as a premium offer. It’s human instinct to consider expensive things a luxury. I'm not advocating that you package something substandard and sell it as premium. What I am saying is that you can create a super VIP experience for your clients and charge big money for it. When you’re pricing your high-ticket offer, it has to match the value projection from the other 4 components I’ve mentioned above. Consider the value you’re providing and also the person you're targeting before you fix the price. I know it might feel scary to create a high-priced package. You might have an internal conversation going on… “Why am I creating this package?” “Who is going to buy from me?” Sometimes, you know the big things you can do but you might sabotage yourself with these doubts and questions. When that happens, I recommend that you journal it out - find your fear and tackle it head on. Your fear isn’t bigger than what you’re capable of. There are 7 billion people in this world and you probably need only 2 or 3 high-ticket clients at a time - you can't serve any more with your full attention. You have an unlimited pool of people who can be your clients. So, shift your mindset, go forth, and get it done! Need someone in your corner while you map out your high-ticket offer? I’ll be happy to help! To know more about me and my work, please visit my website. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! Read more from Sunu! Sunu Philip, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sunu is an international lead magnet expert specializing in creating a lead magnet and launch funnels that help coaches and consultants consistently sell their high-ticket offers with ease. She has been in the digital marketing industry for the last 12+ years, working with varied industries, and has helped her clients generate £3 Million+ yearly income through SEO and inbound marketing strategies. A high-school teacher turned online marketing consultant, Sunu is passionate about supporting people who love to transform the lives and businesses of their clients. Over the past 2 years alone (since she embraced the title ’The Lead Magnet Lady’), Sunu has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners share their story, build their tribe, increase their impact, and get more leads and sales by designing and setting up an efficient lead magnet and launch funnels for their businesses.

Written by: Catherine Elizabeth Wood, 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. Trust in the workplace drives motivation which leads to increased employee performance. When there is trust, the brain-friendly neurochemical oxytocin is released. This builds social cognition, learning and cooperation, and increases empathy and psychological safety. Where there are high levels of oxytocin, there are high levels of trust. Research tells us oxytocin seems to reduce the fear of trusting a stranger. It is also useful to know a high level of stress is an oxytocin inhibitor that prevents us from interacting effectively with others. As a leader, you can learn how to foster trust in the workplace. Brain science tells us about 8 behaviours that foster trust in the workplace. Therefore, if you understand and incorporate these behaviours into your leadership approach, you will increase the level of trust in your organisation. 1. Reward and recognition When employees are in a trusting environment where they can communicate and collaborate, and they are socially appreciated and recognised for their work, they will see value in what they do. When employees are rewarded and recognised for the value they bring, their esteem is satisfied. Employees who are recognised by leaders for their work which has enabled the organisation to meet larger goals, feel aligned. These employees also have a sense of self-actualisation for being able to contribute to the success of an organisation, which motivates them further. Consider how you reward and recognise employees for the value they bring to the team and organisation. 2. Challenging and achievable When employees are assigned a challenging but achievable goal, the moderate level of stress from carrying out the task, releases neurochemicals that intensify focus and strengthen social connections. The activity in the brain coordinates behaviours efficiently when team members need to work together to achieve a goal. However, this brain activity only happens when goals are attainable as well as having a concrete endpoint. If the direction on completing challenges is vague or the challenge is impossible to achieve, employees will give up before they start. The progress towards goals needs to be regularly assessed by the leader and adjusted if the goal is either too easy or too difficult to achieve. If a goal is too easy to achieve, the employees will experience boredom, they will be distracted and they will not achieve the goal. If a goal is too difficult, the employees will give up because the goal is too challenging and will not achieve the goal. Consider how to determine if the goals you assign to your team are challenging yet achievable with a concrete endpoint. 3. Autonomy and control A big motivator for employees is when they are trusted to figure things out by themselves, that is, employees, having greater control over how they work. When employees try different ways of doing things, this promotes innovation. Sharing ideas of what worked and what didn’t work during the experimental phase, is key to building on the team’s success. Consider how you will encourage creativity and experimentation in employees over how they work. 4. Interesting and rewarding Allowing employees to work on tasks and projects which align with what is most important to them, their values, will result in highly productive employees who stay working with an organisation for many years. There needs to be accountability for interesting and rewarding projects, as well as setting and clarifying expectations for each. At the end of a project, there needs to be an evaluation to measure the contribution of each employee. Consider how you will encourage employees to join projects which seem interesting and rewarding to them, yet still hold them accountable. 5. Clear and consistent Keeping employees informed about the organisation’s goals, strategies, and tactics is important to ensure there is openness which results in certainty. This will help to avoid chronic stress due to the uncertainty of the direction in an organisation. Chronic stress inhibits the release of oxytocin and undermines teamwork. You will increase employee engagement by communicating where an organisation is headed and why. Consider how you can share information across the team/organisation efficiently to drive certainty. 6. Build connections Research tells us that employee performance increases when employees intentionally build social connections at work. Leaders need to express their interest in their team and concern for their success and personal wellbeing, for teams to thrive. When connections are built and the team cares about each team member, performance increases because the employees do not want to let each other down. Consider how you will encourage the building of connections in the workplace. 7. Holistic approach Personal development and professional development are incorporated into high-trust organisations. Investing in the whole person has a powerful impact on engagement and retention. Therefore, exploring the employees’ goals across their health, family, career and so on, will help employees to assess their personal growth alongside their professional development with a sense of autonomy to reach their goals. Consider how you will invest in employees with a whole-person approach. 8. Ask for help To increase trust and cooperation in employees, leaders can ask for help and show their vulnerability. When leaders show their vulnerability and ask for help, this stimulates oxytocin levels in employees. A sign of a secure leader is asking for someone else’s help. Leaders need to engage with everyone to achieve the goal. Consider how you will show vulnerability as a leader. To learn how you can incorporate the behaviours that foster trust in your organisation, view the details about my Leadership Coaching Membership, ALIGN ADAPT ADVANCE at www.LifeRenewal.com.au Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Catherine! Catherine Elizabeth Wood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Catherine Wood, is a leader in mental resilience, science-based coaching through neuroscience, and creating new habits for behavior change. After an acute brain injury as an adult left her having irrational thoughts and self-doubt, Catherine developed an interest in neuroplasticity to understand how she could challenge her self-beliefs, promote helpful thoughts and create new habits for behavior change. Catherine has since dedicated her life to helping people to establish their self-belief in who they are as their best self to drive helpful thoughts and create new habits for behavior change in the workplace and in their personal life. Catherine is the Founder of Life Renewal, the online coaching business combining leadership coaching and team coaching with evidence-based techniques in neuroscience. Catherine helps leaders drive employee engagement by modeling leadership behavior across 7 key leadership skills. Catherine has helped clients through her own coaching programs, workshops, and digital courses including "Mastering Emotional Competence in Leadership." Catherine has been a guest writer for Thrive Global which included an article on "Seeking Opportunities While Navigating Uncertainty", and she hosted a resilience series including "The Neuroscience of Resilience". Catherine's mission: Science-based coaching for collaborative leadership behavior.

Written by: Ilham N Musayev, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It is very natural that during early stages the development (both in life and at work) we depend on many people, their guidance and direction. Sometimes, during life, most people are getting so much addicted to this “autopilot” mode that neglect to see that specifically, this environment ruins the future, development, and growth. By shedding a light upon this subject, I wanted to cover many aspects of why it is important to switch into “manual” mode, what are the tools available to grow muscles in this space, and what types of people are ready to move into manual mode. Let’s now explore this conversation further… Together. Have you ever heard the question, “Who is your superhero?” or, “Whom do you want to look like when grew up or at a certain age?” I personally think that these questions are setting people for failure. I agree that we can get inspired by certain heroes or have a passion to have their qualities. However, becoming those heroes is not a good idea because we would then become someone else without being ourselves. Each of us is unique and hence we are all originals. There is no logic in wanting to be someone and become a copy! The following saying nails it down well, “Don’t be afraid of being different, be afraid of being the same as everyone else”. How do we know that it is just the right timing to become ourselves and start getting rid of old and becoming gold? This is a timing when we become mature! And guess what… we do not notice it; nobody tells us about it. Our actions do! Let’s now put a spotlight to the next question: What are the common symptoms of the maturity? And here is the next quote to continue the conversation, “Maturity begins when we are content to feel we are right about something, without feeling the necessity to prove someone else is wrong” Everyone who realized that we are all unique and different, by being mature follows the logic “Just because my path is different doesn’t mean I’m lost” How beautiful and deep is that! Here are some known/typical signs of maturity: You stop trying to change people and instead focus on changing yourself. You accept people for who they are. You stop proving to the world how intelligent you are. You stop comparing yourself to others. You do not seek approval from others. I now would like to talk about the tools which could help to uncover and promote hidden maturity if people have not yet realized that. These are 2 tools: coaching (1x1) and Personal Agility System. It may sound strange; however, they are! Professional coaching interactions help to unlock unexplored potential for individuals and thus answer their own questions they puzzled to get answers. At the same time let’s not forget that people are experts of their life and know what is better fits them. And if they know, then they start moving in the right direction towards bigger personal goals. By having coaching conversations so many values could be created, and lives changed. It is just a matter of being ready for this journey and taking control of your life. When we start taking control of personal matters and being responsible for it that is when we become mature. For those who read this article and haven’t before considered coaching as a way of self-discovery and growth, I recommend starting that journey. The more you discover yourself and answer your own questions the more you grow and thus become mature. Personal Agility System is another angle on how you can grow and eventually become mature. In our complex world nowadays, there are always clashing priorities and ideas we want to pursue. However, have you asked yourself a question on “What is really matter” for you and how do you maintain the balance in life. Being mature we said above is about changing yourself and stop trying to change people. If you will take under control what makes most matter to you then eventually become on top of other things which are linked and related. That is how we stop thinking that other people are having clues to our problems. It is about deciding what is important to us not only on work level but on all life-related subjects and consistently refreshing what takes priority. We can learn a lot about ourselves, our common patterns and what makes a matter to us most by using Personal Agility System. It helps to make it obvious if work/life balance is maintained and see where most of our focus goes. And finally, Personal Agility System teaches us to celebrate our daily successes! And let’s not forget that every little, small win one day turns up into a big firework, the one everyone sees on the skies. If interested, please reach out and as a part of PAS community we will be happy to help you to take life under control and onto next level up! There is also another quality which defines our maturity. It is about “Never give up” principle. In all what we do sometimes there are a lot of challenges and difficulties which take us out of the comfort zone. We can decide to stop and quit. That’s not the quality of a mature person. Ask yourself a question now “how many times you decided to go this route?” And what makes a person mature? if you know that the path is not clear and full of challenges, you still select to continue and “Never give up”. I have been in front of this reality in life and despite of my effort and time had some failures. However, pressure makes diamonds, and it did again in my case. I learned a lot from this experience and how to become patient and wait my time. Today we covered a little bit about maturity, growth and development. And there are some important moments to watch out. It is true that there is no complete “independence,” because we all need the world around us in order to survive and thrive. At the same time, at maturity, we have a certain level of independence, with which we can (1) serve our own needs and (2) participate in society and the world. Thus, a mature person is (within reason) competent, generous, empathetic, and restrained. And at the end I would like to close the conversation out with wonderful statement, “Maturity is not when we start speaking big things. It is when we start understanding small things…” Think about it and reflect… For more info, follow Ilham on LinkedIn & Instagram! Read more from Ilham! Ilham N Musayev, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ilham N Musayev is a mentor and coach (outside of the company he works for) who helps people unlock their potential in career and personal development. He also helps in the area of personal effectiveness, setting realistic goals, and becoming organized and structured. Ilham also helps to re-gain the [lost] confidence and look to issues and problems from a different perspective. Another area of his support is helping to cultivate servant leadership via coaching and mentoring technics. Overall, he is an energy sector professional with 23 years of the practical experience obtained by working in one of the leader companies in this sector. Ilham’s experience is very multilayered. He worked and gained his experience from the following functions: Wells, PSCM, Operations, Global Projects, by mainly providing project controls support. For the last three years, he worked in Modernization and Transformation and Agile Design Teams and helped his company transform into new working ways. He currently is a part of the Agility team and, as an agile coach, supports the company by implementing agile ways of working. Ilham holds the following professional certifications and accreditations: EMBA, PMP®, ICP-ATF; ICP-ACC; PSPO I; PAL I. He also is a Professional Life Coach and ICF Professional (Member). Ilham’s position is that staying open for support, serving people as a leader, and helping people to grow is what wins hearts and minds and is the only answer to all questions. His mission: “Aspire to inspire before we expire.”

Written by: Samantha Leske, 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 over lunch my girls and I were discussing narcissism. What it looks like, and how it’s created. You see, we have one in our family. When we take the time to have real conversations with our children, it means they don’t need to have these experiences to a brutal extent to learn and understand. It gifts them with the knowledge of what to look for, and then allows them to decide the role they wish to play. ( their power should be theirs from day 1, not something they have to take back) We may have been born into certain lines of energy, and certain ancestral vibrations but we do get to choose. However, we don’t get to choose, if we can’t see it coming. First point of action is making sure our kids love themselves, and have a high level of self esteem. Second is being able to spot it. What does unhealthy behaviour look like? ( it’s not about judgment, it’s about being real 1+1=2) Third is feeling safe to express their voice, and any no that may need to be said ( even to you) It’s also about educating them as to how these things are created, so they understand what choices they really have. In a world where gaslighting is standard practice, they need to understand what this means too. Narcissists are created from childhood trauma/ wounds. Their needs were not met, and so now they twist whatever they need to, to make sure it is. It’s a party for one, and as long as their needs are met, it’s all hunky-dory. Regardless of what that means for anyone else involved. Gaslighting and narcissism go hand in hand. Empaths are their preferred choice. They love to feed off of an empath in despair. Knowing this, allows you to have choice in how you handle the narcissist in your life and let’s be real, they’re everywhere. We need to educate our children on true life skills, rather than leaving it to the education system and then wondering how things have collapsed for our kids.. When we force a child to be in a class with 25 other kids and just expect them to get along, you are asking them to ignore their bodies reactions and natural guidance system ( their intuition) and do the right thing ( for who, is the question) Those funny feelings, those warning signs cannot be acknowledged or acted upon in this type of setting. Our children are being trained to ignore those gut feelings, to never offend or speak out of turn. How can we expect our children to spot danger, if they aren’t allowed to feel their feelings? Not all danger is immediately evident, otherwise the rates of DV would be much lower. It’s a process where they hand over their power, 1 decision at a time until it’s out of control. We have record numbers of women dying because they didn’t know how to fight for their power, they didn’t know their own worth and became trapped in one way or another. Maybe children end up being a part of the situation, maybe they don’t- but what I know for sure is that even when they’re finally free, it takes years to really recover. DV isn’t a socio-economic issue either, there are plenty of educated women living In this situation. Feeling safe in expressing ourselves and being allowed to trust our feelings- no matter how inconvenient it is for those around us is a start. How can we expect our children to have a voice when there are more lessons on shutting up and conforming and only saying or doing nice things? How can we expect our kids to feel, and be real when what we really need is for them to conform easily, so we can have an easy morning and get to work on time,.without drama? If we are creating a new earth, this means the people within need to behave to a higher standard. It means being real, and holding space for others to do the same even when it’s not pretty. It means educating our kids on things that they will experience - narcissism being just one issue. It means giving them the tools to make an educated choice, a voice to speak their truth, a knowing that they are divine and a true blessing, a parent that they can call on no matter what, and protection wherever it’s needed - even at 40 if it’s required. This world is changing, and all the shitty stuff is being exposed. But while the dark is being shown for what it is, I’m watching some pretty damn amazing souls step into their mission. We’re going to be okay, but we need to give our kids the life skills they actually need. How to say no without apology How to cope/ interact with a narcissist How to be emotionally resilient and aware How to truly look after and love yourself How to feel comfortable being in your own company How to manage your money ( how to make it too!) Ethics Morals Responsibility And how to read energy, manage it and maintain it. Oh and how to tell someone to fuck off when they have truly earnt it. If they have the freedom and support to stand up to the bully - the cutting, the eating disorder, the alcohol and drugs may not have been a necessary coping mechanism. Our children are our responsibility. The life skills they step into this world with are our responsibility. Their job is easier if we have prepared them, and they know we have their backs. It’s time to connect with our kids. To meet their needs, where they are ( you meet the need, the unwanted behaviour disappears) and actually prepare them with the skill set they require, to navigate this wonderful, but sometimes pretty crazy and unhealthy world we are living in. Conscious conversations is where this begins… It’s time to prepare the empaths, so narcissism is no longer required as a teaching tool. It’s a hard way to learn and often takes years to recover from. Evolution is here, and it begins with a salad and a chat. Sending love Sam x For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Samantha! Samantha Leske, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Samantha Leske is a Spiritual Healer, and the CEO of Nurture you, Heal you. She specializes in trauma/ shadow work and teaching women how to love themselves unconditionally. After working in the industry for over 12 years, she has a varied skill set that allows the healings she offers, to incorporate all levels of a souls journey from this life to past and birthing timelines. Samantha has recently become a best selling author on Amazon from her contribution to the multi-author book "Intuitive, knowing her truth" Her goals in life are to live a quiet rural life with her children and animals, while engaging in her soul led mission - to help as many people awaken and heal. Loving them while they come home to themselves and their own unconditional love and acceptance for themselves. To actively be apart of the solution

Written by: Kristen Bilodeau, 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. Meditation and mindfulness practices, listening to our intuition, and getting in touch with our inner self are all noble and extremely beneficial practices. From therapist offices to major corporations, the movement towards getting “in touch” with the health of oneself in a spiritual sense seems more commonplace than ever before. Are these movements telling us that we are too busy to just BE? I remember one very late night, writing a white paper for a thesis for my graduate program on digital literacy and the human brain and referencing the cognitive neuroscientist, developmental psycholinguist, and bestselling author Maryanne Wolfe on her term “ cognitive patience”, or the capacity to process information and think deeply. In a world of skimming and TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) it dawned on me that this was, in itself, its own epidemic in our culture. Two weeks later, life as we knew it came to a hault. It was March 13, 2020 and COVID had arrived. Our world went to screens in epic proportions globally. I pondered, “Now what will come of our lack of cognitive patience?” Over the past two years I have sat deeply with this; and put into practice in my own life moments to enjoy what I like to call “the spaces between”; those moments to stop and be aware and think deeply. Life truly is busy, there is no denying that. We juggle managing families, friendships, marriages, partnerships, full time jobs, and side-hustles, commitments and even fitting in down time. We feel obligated in so many directions that at times it is dizzying. Many feel that the only way to disconnect or relax is to take a vacation. We have a myriad of distractions to pull us away from those moments of thinking, feeling, and being that it is no wonder we have apps that try to “teach” us how to be present and mindful. I decided that, in addition to my meditative practice, I would commit to taking several moments out of every day (one an hour to be precise) to just stop and appreciate an aspect of myself or my life that I know, in my busy days, I don’t truly don’t dedicate time to thinking about. I began feeling the gratitude of being alive, healthy; or truly seeing those I love around me healthy and present. I would imagine a place or person that matters to me and what it feels like to be in that place or with that person. The simplicity of these moments at first seemed almost too simple. Then, I started not only seeing, but feeling how the practice of slowing down and taking the time to process and experience life was showing me that although life may seem to be always fast-paced we have an even greater capacity as humans to think and feel in our space if we choose. I sometimes laugh at the irony of how my notifications on my phone and watch signal me to take a step away from technology to enjoy these “spaces in between” the busy moments of my day. I honor these moments for the gratitude of inner wealth they give. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kristen! Kristen Bilodeau, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As a Personal Development and Marriage Coach, Kristen Bilodeau leads women through their own personal journey of finding their voice, healing their marriage, and releasing their inner wild woman. As a woman who struggled in her own journey to self-awareness and truth in her life and marriage, Kristen uses the power of a woman’s story as the tool and catalyst for change, healing, and growth. She helps women uncover their truth through questioning and reflection so that they can be the creator of their experiences and thrive as the woman they were meant to be.

Written by: Kate Bixler, 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 may have found yourself wondering, If you’ve never hired a coach, Just what is all the hype about? With this new self-care approach? I’d like to clear up confusion And help you understand Just what a life coach does for you, Until you know firsthand How much does a life coach earn? You’ve heard the rumor of millions Truthfully, the range is extremely wide We are just normal civilians Another big myth: All clients are rich Since programs are expensive But for every client, and every budget The options are extensive Coaches are not therapists, Treating trauma to help daily function Therapy is past-focused, coaching is forward So, we sometimes work in conjunction When you are mentally healthy And want to create and live your best life A coach can help you understand How your brain can give you strife It’s wired for comfort and pleasure Keeps you safe and avoids any pain Conserves energy, in case of attack That’s the outdated job of the brain You may think the reason to hire a coach: Advice and guidance in what you should do The truth is, we’ll help you decide for yourself For your life is in fact up to you The job of a coach is to listen And always lead the sessions Show you thoughts you didn’t know that you had By asking the really good questions We all have ingrained beliefs And we’d swear they all are so true We learned them when we were little And kept them deep down as we grew Once we help you to realize You can choose what you want to believe It opens up a whole new world Of great, big goals to achieve Finally get to that weight goal Organize your home Stop trying to control other people Less scrolling on your phone Stop feeling so afraid Make connections that are real Move forward after a loss Reconsider the guilt that you feel Earn more money in business Learn how to manage your time Be the parent you want to be Stop drinking so much wine Find a program that fits your style The one that will get the job done A workshop, a group, or a membership Or hire a coach one-on-one Any coach that you work with Will always believe in you There will be a shift, a transition As you see potential too So, when you’re ready to bloom and grow And experience something brand new A life coach will introduce you to The new and improved Future-You Want more from Kate? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, or visit her website now. Read more from Kate! Kate Bixler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kate Bixler is the certified weight-loss and life coach that women turn to when they are tired of struggling to lose weight on their own. She has a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and has 30+ years of experience teaching, presenting at conferences, and training teachers to be the best version of themselves. She combines her personal experience of losing 40+ lbs. and coaching expertise to help women transform their current identity into the future self that they dream of, leaving their struggle with weight loss behind.