Written by: Chuck Bean, 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 an Egyptian saying… “hunak aleadid min alturuq libad' tasaluq alharam , walakin hunak tariqat wahidat faqat lilaintiha' min dhalika.” Translated it means: “There are many ways to start climbing a pyramid, but only one way to finish.” (Read confession at the end). If you are running a business, this simple phrase is full of meaning and it goes like this…When you start off, read a few business books, study a few business models and pick one that you like and stick with it! There are a million successful business models and everyone is good, and picking one and sticking with it at the start is important. Modify it if you need to, but try and stick to the plan and keep moving forward. Studying too many business models is a time waster and only causes confusion. Imagine climbing the pyramid as revisiting your business model. If you get stuck on a particular layer of stones or trying to reimagine your model with more and more ideas, you will just keep circling the pyramid and will not move up. The reality is it won’t be your business model that causes you to stall, it will be your attitude and even more important your organizational attitude. Success is not about a model, it is about continuous positive thinking, and attitudinal roadblocks are buzz killers. So as you climb your personal pyramid, what will keep you going to the top is your desire to succeed and your ability to see obstacles as opportunities, and the closer you get to the top, the more important it will be to stay focused on the prize… the one way to crest the pyramid. Cresting the pyramid is just like cresting a mountain. It is a very solitary physical experience, after all, it is lonely at the top. My advice is this… read or listen to time-tested writings on staying positive. Study successful people and you will see the need for a positive mental attitude (PMA) repeated over and over and over again. There are as many books on PMA as there are business models, the difference is that you can never get enough PMA, while you can be drowned in business models that just cloud your progress. That’s it. Oh and my confession… There is no Egyptian saying about climbing pyramids, I made that up! Connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Chuck! Chuck Bean, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chuck (Charlie) Bean started his business career at age 6, collecting golf balls at the local driving range for pennies. “I would spend every Saturday and Sunday making enough money to buy a bottle of pop or a candy bar in the concession”, tells Chuck soon after he was selling golf balls to players on the local course, and even beer! Fast forward, and Chuck was an award-winning sales professional. Management followed. Moving into the paper industry, Chuck carried on with regional and then national turnarounds, eventually being named VP Sales and Service overseeing a team of 180 inside and outside salespeople, managers, and directors. Following his dream, he opened a consulting and training advisory. Chuck will tell you he has had a great ride. Besides having worked with over 400 companies and over 18,000 individuals, Chuck has consulted and guided some of Canada's biggest stars, including working as COO for what was one of the largest specialty energy service companies in the world. Today Chuck specializes in developing strategies and delivering training and coaching in leadership, sales, communication, business value building, and teamwork. He is no-nonsense and pragmatic and has helped people and corporations succeed for over 40 years. He will call a spade a spade and work quickly to understand, address, and help fix problems, identify opportunities and identify challenges. He has developed business strategies for almost every geo-market and has worked extensively in oil and gas, general industry, IT, electronics, dental, paper, chemical, wood products, and consumer packaged goods. He specializes in B2B and channel-type organizations. He has authored/contributed to books with Dr. Stephen Covey, Dr. Deepak Chopra, and Dr. Ken Blanchard. Chuck also owns 6 tech start-ups currently in different levels of commercialization.

Written by: Bill O'Brien, 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. What I am about to describe could happen anywhere to anyone. It could happen in a chance encounter with a stranger. It could happen at a workshop or while watching a movie. It could happen in myriad ways but this is how it happened to me. Many years ago I was a novice in the Jesuit Order. At the time I was a Catholic. The Jesuits are an international Roman Catholic religious order of priests and brothers. We were in the midst of an eight-day silent retreat. By the fifth day, I was getting antsy and annoyed. We were meditating in five one-hour sessions per day. My prayer times were going nowhere, or so it seemed. We had been given a passage from the Christian Gospel of Luke for our reflection. It seemed very old hat. It seemed to be saying simply this: be on your guard to behave well because you do not know when your life will end. Behind this was the thinly veiled threat of painful outcomes when you met your Maker. I’m sitting in my room thinking, “Okay, I get it, but I’m supposed to spend an hour on this? It’s obvious what it means.” As the minutes ticked by I noticed I was becoming increasingly angry. I realized that I was angry with God. I began to rant and rave, inwardly, silently. I told God, “Look, I’m sure you want me to be a good priest. I want to be a good priest. This means I want to be authentic and I cannot be authentic unless I have a meaningful prayer life. So how about it?” I knew many priests who did not seem authentic and I knew how ineffective, even alienating they could be. I did not want to be one of them. As I continued to present my case, (it escaped my notice at the time), I had begun to actually pray, i.e., I was communicating my actual feelings. Gradually my anger spent itself and a quiet came over me. Some inner movement led me to read the passage again. It describes servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast “ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks”. Later I would realize that a peacefulness was coming over me at this point. It goes on to say, “Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table, and wait on them.” (Luke Chapter 12. Verse 37). At this moment ordinary consciousness left me. It was as if I was suspended in a void. It’s very hard to put into words. It was as if a spell came over me. I was swept away. In a way I cannot describe, I experienced “the master” waiting on me. My whole system was caught up in this event. It was very real and very felt in my whole self. It went on for quite a while, maybe two hours. It had been 4 o’clock in the afternoon when it began that October afternoon. When I began to come down, it was dark out. For a long, long time I just sat in my room, in great peace, just wanting to stay with the experience. I missed dinner. At some point I arose and went to the chapel and just sat there. When I finally came back to my room, it was about midnight. I went to bed but I did not sleep. I just wanted to be in the afterglow. In the days that followed I discovered that I could see inside the meaning of most scripture passages. I could complete the Novice Directors sentences in my head as he was speaking during our conferences. From that day on my passion was about expanding my own consciousness and helping others to experience what I had. I could not make it happen for them but I could position them and help them to open themselves to it. The years went by. I guided hundreds, maybe thousands of people through silent retreats. After about twenty years it became apparent to me that all religious doctrine, at least as I had known it, was just the left brain operations of a group of mostly white males. Only one word really mattered and that was LOVE. I left the Jesuits and the priesthood and pursued consciousness unfettered by institutions and doctrinal formulas. I pursued the Love in the depths of my soul, a place I came to call, with Buddha, the True Self, the vast realm of the Unconscious. I attended Hindu retreats, I attended Buddhist retreats, I attended Stan Grof’s Holotropic Breathwork workshops. I began absorbing the science of the brain and its relationship to consciousness. I studied Jungian psychology. I established a non-denominational spiritual center in Washington DC. It flourished for a while but after some years I was condemned by a local Catholic auxiliary bishop. This had the effect of damaging my ability to advertise my activities and so I moved on. My passion for spreading consciousness led me into the inner cities of the United States and to the barrios of Mexico. It led me to the corridors of Congress and to the edges of the United Nations. It led me to the dark inner depths of prisons and to the inspiring heights of spiritual centers. It led me to learn how to be a shamanic practitioner so I could bring healing without a lot of talk. And it led me to walk my talk in peaceful protests against injustice Most of all it continued to lead me ever deeper into my depths where I have discovered that what we have called “God” all these millenia is actually a pulsing energy field of Unconditional Love, is actually Love itself, Love at the Source, Love as our home, Love as our destiny. This Love is alive inside us and all of Nature. It desires to gift us with ever more lavish expressions of our infinite potential. In short, Love is all. This is why consciousness continues to be my passion. You can get in contact with Bill here! Bill O'Brien, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Bill O'Brien has decades of experience helping individuals and groups expand their awareness of the capacities of their inner selves, their full, or divine, potential. He utilizes a range of methods to expand consciousness from meditation to self-knowledge techniques to guided imagery to shamanic healing methodologies such as Illumination and Soul Retrieval. With his Consciousness Coaching, experience is the touchstone. The goal is drawing up into conscious awareness the infinite contents of the individual unconscious. Bill spent twenty years in the Jesuit Order before launching out on the great adventure of the discovery of the Self. His Wisdomkeepers reach a worldwide audience. He is the author of "Wise Guyde: The First Forty-Five Columns" available on Amazon. His mission: feeding the spiritual hunger of the world by healing and elevating human consciousness.

Written by: Dr. Dunni Atalabi, 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. STOP letting fear hold you back! Fear has caused us so much because we have allowed it to. We should however not feel bad but decide to hold ourselves accountable and prepare to take the bull by the horn. I will share five steps by which you can stop letting fear hold you back. Fear has been defined by many, as an acronym representing 'Face Everything And Rise' or in some places, 'False Evidence Appearing Real.' However you choose to describe fear, something that many have realised is every one of us experiences fear at one time or another in our lives. We need to recognise that this is an inevitable aspect of being humans. We are faced by fear of the unknown, fear of others, fear of criticism, fear of failure, fear of loss, the fear of getting things wrong, and the list goes on. As a mother, I face fear every day. What is going to happen to my children? What if I am not here for them? What is going to happen if things go wrong? We never know what is going to happen. But when we fear those unknown things that we think are going to happen, we are pushing ourselves into that future space, which is not really a great space to be with fear attached to it. It not only causes stress but also causes anxiety and worry. If, however, you are afraid, because you have done something or experienced something in the past, and you are attaching fear to that experience or situation, you are setting yourselves up for sadness, guilt and even depression. I do not know what you are going through at the moment. I, however, would share with you certain things that you can do at every given moment when you are faced with the emotion of fear, which is an inevitable part of human life. 1. Recognise it and see it for what it is. Denying fear is the worst thing you can do. It is a form of suppressing the emotion which gives it more of a foothold and possibility for a comeback. This does not help. When you recognise fear and see it for what it is, your clarity is improved. When you see fear, as the definitions I described at the beginning, either as the false evidence appearing real or face everything and rise, you start to recognise what power you have got. It will remove you from a place where you start to feel stressed and overwhelmed into a place where you feel empowered. People fear the unknown. Many wars have been started because of the fear of the unknown. When you are able to reveal the substance of something such as fear, you disarm it from its potential to cripple you. You disarm it from the potential to keep you shackled. You disarm it from the potential to hold you back. So recognise fear and see it for what it is. 2. Feel it and experience it. You need to lean into the fear. Imagine yourself right in the middle of a storm If you try to run away, you could get caught at the edge of the whirling part of the water body or air or whatever that storm is. You then get wrapped into that powerful wave and could be turned around and thrown into a place you would rather not be. However, when you lean in and go into the eye of the storm, the calm is felt. At a time when you are stressed or overwhelmed, leaning into the fear that you feel, helps you to experience a calm because you can see all the things happening around you, as the power and the energy of the waves are turning things around and causing a lot of breakage and disruption. At that moment when you stop and experience the emotion, you can observe things more closely because you are right in the eye of the storm. 3. Reframe your mindset. The way we view situations, challenges or experiences is so important. Our mind is powerful in generating positive or negative thoughts and we are able to reframe it to generate the ones we desire. You might have heard of a cup of water described as half-filled or half-empty. Those who describe it as half-filled are said to be optimistic people because they are focused on the ability to be filled. However, those who say the cup is half empty, are probably more focused on the lack in that cup. And so they are termed as pessimistic. Imagine that you can reframe your mind to add a pitcher of water to the picture. This creates the possibility that you can fill that cup at will. It indicates a sense of abundance, a sense of being able to grow, to give, to connect, to be. These are some of the superpowers we have that are covered in more detail in my book. When we are focused on just surviving, we forget the use of our thinking brain, which helps us to not only survive, but thrive, grow, and become more than who we are at the moment. Once you have reframed your thinking process and your perspective of the situation. You are ready for the fourth step. 4. Align your words with your thoughts. When you are able to reframe the way you see fear and speak in alignment with a positive perspective, you send energy out towards your desired outcome. Rather than asking questions like ‘why is this happening to me?’ you can speak ‘what is thins teaching me?’ Take those negative words out, speak positivity to yourself. Speak positivity to your situation, and speak positivity to your loved ones. As a mum, when you are speaking positivity, even when things look as though they are crumbling, your children will see that. They will adopt such attributes, and they will see a positive change in their lives. 5. Take massive action. The massive action that you are taking is a massive action that is aligned with your thoughts and your words. What are those things you are going to do? They could include research. Asking yourself questions like, Has anyone done this before? If someone has done this before, can I learn from them? Did they write a book? Do they have a podcast? We need to learn from those ahead of us, those around us who have come through on the other side, with experience, tactics, tools and strategies. As we learn, we take action. It is said, knowledge is potential power. It becomes power when you take action. So with your hands shaking, palms, sweating, knees, knocking, limbs trembling, TAKE ACTION NOW! I did mention a book earlier. It is Every mum is a supermum: Breaking free from overwhelm and exhaustion. This book is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. Go ahead and get your copy. Share with someone. You do not know whose day you will be brightening up by what you have learned today. Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, and visit my website for more information! Read more from Dunni! Dr. Dunni Atalabi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. ‘Dunni is a life & wellbeing coach, family doctor, international speaker, teacher, author, entrepreneur, and mum who empowers mums to eliminate the feeling of overwhelm and exhaustion by tapping into the super powers within while enhancing overall wellbeing so that they can live the life of calm and abundance they desire and deserve. This became her mission following the death of her father, her journey through grief, and her desire to promote wellbeing even when grieving. She is passionate about mums not only because they deserve holistic wellbeing because of the myriad of roles they perform but because they are beacons showing their children and people around them how to enhance their overall wellbeing in mind, body, soul, and spirit. She is proficient in using natural, scientific, and medical wellbeing concepts to explain in simple terms practical ways and strategies to avoid ill health and promote overall wellbeing. This is made available by provision of online courses, written content, books, coaching, and regular events such as challenges where practical self-care and wellbeing strategies and tactics are shared to enhance holistic wellbeing on a daily basis.

Written by: Dr. Siya Mjwara, 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 novel Coronavirus pandemic has created unique clinical and scientific questions. Over the few months; we have seen some countries open bit by bit, which brings a sense of relief; like going to the hairdresser & spending quality time with family and close friends. It takes on some semblance before the word “COVID-19” and “Coronavirus” entered our vocab. As we start to do our normal daily activities, we actually realise that things are not like they used to be. We are always reminded about our choices and how they may affect the next person, as well as the people very close to us. We may feel on edge and anxious more than normal. In and among these new rules, we need to find our feet to feel a sense of support in this ever-changing new world. Sounds easier said than done, but there are many ways we can integrate some mindfulness into our daily doings. It may come in various forms, like walking & talking, to breathing, or even better, doing meditation. This will help the nervous system to reset itself, to calm yourself, and help to build resilience. Another way to help yourself navigate this new normal is to be kind to yourself. This entire pandemic and accompanying change are new to everyone and we all need to find our own way of living with it. Support may be around you, and having a dedicated person or space to talk about your feelings can help tremendously. To everyone juggling many priorities and trying to stay calm, here are a few tips to help you get through: Be realistic and honest with yourself about how the lockdown and covid-19 have affected you in all areas of your life. Some of us have lost loved ones, income, social life, relationships, opportunities for travel & growth. Reflect on what you will need to be able to recover or heal. You may need long-term counseling, coaching, or strengthening your spiritual life. Explore what your priorities are moving forward; like recovering emotionally, psychologically, or financially. Prioritize your wellbeing on all levels - All aspects of your health come first. That is your greatest wealth. Look at what strengths have helped you cope thus far; like remaining hopeful or communicating openly with your family and friends about your challenges. Build on those strengths. Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms - Alcohol, unhealthy food, and illegal substances. Find support systems like friends & family or your other available support systems in your community. Explore how you can live a full meaningful life within the new normal - What activities can you participate in and enjoy, whilst feeling safe and keeping to the covid-19 regulations. Learn to smile with your eyes - It’s hard to see people’s facial expressions behind a mask. Practice this whilst wearing a mask; it will help build connection when interacting or socializing with other people. Self-care & building resilience - Try to find a healthy routine for yourself. Learn to switch off, especially when you are working from home. Understand your emotions and accept them, exercise, have positive and healthy self-talk. There’s much speculation on what the future will look like, resulting in the “new normal” terminology. A key concern, as we continue to navigate this new normal, is how we treat our mental health. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter and visit my website for more info! Dr. Siya Mjwara, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Siya Mjwara is an experienced therapist & wellness coach, trainer, and EAP consultant who has worked with individuals, couples, families, and management teams across various industries for over 14 years. Her educational and continued professional development has transformed into a dedication to bring awareness to individuals. She assists businesses develop, implement employee wellness solutions to improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and overall workplace culture. From an individual perspective, she supports clients to identify and confront their challenges; and the things that are holding them back; to become their truest being by fulfilling their mission in life and walking in their purpose. Dr. Siya is the founder of Amambelu Bespoke Wellness and AskDrSiya. She is also a published poet, voice-over artist, and radio presenter.

Emanuela is a leading expert in restoring health and a Master Transformational, Health, and life coach. After 20yrs recruiting in the finance industry, she discovered her true calling for naturopathy and helping people and their pets throughout the US. The value she provides her clients has put them in a position to gain better health and live a more fulfilling life. Having restored her own health, Emanuela is excited to share her victory and help others do the same; from thyroid conditions, shrinking nodules, blood pressure, hormones, and much more. This inspired her to write her first book, “Healing Through Nature’s Medicine”, A Story of Hope. Having restored her St. Barnard’s health as well, Emanuela coaches many pet owners how to become your own best healer. She loves spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors and her deepest passion is helping others transform their health. Emanuela Visone, Master Transformational, Health, And Life Coach Who is Emanuela? I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and am Brooklyn girl at heart. I still reside in Brooklyn with her family and up until two years again my dog Sonnie was a huge part of my life but unfortunately, he passed away. I’ve been blessed with two amazing brothers, lots of cousins who are more like siblings, as well as my 4 beautiful nieces and a very handsome nephew whom I absolutely adore. I consider myself to be fortunate with wonderful friends and am very grateful for my parents. Sonnie meant the world to me and was my muse. He was the reason why I completely shifted my career from being a top recruiter in the finance industry for over 20 years to become a natural healer, health coach and currently studying to become a functional nutritionist and lifestyle practitioner. When he got sick with irritable bowel syndrome, our worlds changed and his care became much more heightened so, without even a question in my mind, I started to work from home more because I could never be at work with a clear mind wondering “Is he feeling sick…does he have diarrhea?” As I think of the question posed to me, who is Emanuela? I think of who I am now and that is a fierce, strong, kind and a compassionate woman who has within the last several years rebuilt her life, mind, body, and soul. I’m proud to say I’m a published author and in her book, she hopes to inspire others to become their own health advocate and healer as I did. My motivation and drive is to reach as many people as I can to shift the stigma that your body can not repair itself once you fall into a state of dis-ease. It’s crazy how it’s shamed upon to say that I healed myself. That the word “healed” I am not supposed to say to others but how else do you describe what I accomplished? I completely reversed my thyroid issue, shrunk the mass and nodules on it, restored my energy and actually have more energy than I had in my 20’s and lost 24 pounds in four months. A few years ago, this wasn't the case. I was lost, not making the right decisions in relationships and didn't feel as if I was worthy of something wonderful in my life plus my health was failing and I truly believed it had to do a lot with the stress I was going through at the time. I was tired all the time, gained a lot of weight I couldn’t lose, drained of energy, my joints and muscles were achy all the time especially at night. I was very irritable and just didn't like the woman staring back at me in the mirror. I was suffering with chronic adrenal fatigue, going through premature menopause along with a major thyroid issue. I had also developed a mass and nodule on it as well. I was a mess. Question: What is it that you do for your clients? The experience I want my clients to have, is to finally see the light at the end of darkness. To feel empowered that they can be their own health advocate and envision a new perspective that natural healing is possible. Medications are only a band-aid and do not get to the root cause of the disease. And, in fact with all the ads on TV captioning the warnings of medications, they do cause long-term negative effects on your health. I focus on the gut first and foremost. Once the gut is functioning properly, the liver and kidneys will start to eliminate chemicals and toxins better. Then I work on nourishing the body with antioxidants to rid the body of any free radicals and oxidative stress. Along with shifting my client’s beliefs that were instilled in them as a child and no longer serve them into transforming them into healthy habits that last a lifetime. We work on stress, sleep, water intake, exercise and so much more. I want my clients to walk away with the powerful knowledge and tools needed to know they can feel confident that they will restore their health. To trust in the process and have faith. Natural healing is a process and does not happen overnight. The ultimate result will be in witnessing with each passing day the beautiful transformation in themselves as they begin to see all other areas in their lives are filled with more light. With the surplus of energy and resilience, they can re-invent, re-structure, or re-imagine their career to match life purpose, create the lifestyle they truly desire, give back to their community in a more powerful way, feel as though they are now the person they were meant to be. They have the energy to be more present with her kids, create new fun family traditions, set up a regular girl’s night, and have more fun with his/her partner. Having increased intimacy with their partners and removing the roadblocks that have stood in their way for so long. It’s unlimited possibilities. To feel a new level of depth, harmony, and satisfaction in all relationships. Strengthen their connection to that which is greater. Investing in a personal trainer, personal chef, higher quality foods, on-going coaching, a new wardrobe, now feels a new level of beauty, strength, and confidence. Have the attention and clarity to pay attention to his/her finances, learn about investing, address any financial problems, make more money, manage income streams outside of his/her primary job. Question: Who should hire/work with you? My ideal clients are individuals who are open to the possibility that natural healing works. Those who want to have more energy, clarity, motivation, to feel more confident. They want to find the solution they've been searching for. They want to put an end to feeling helpless, hopeless and being in a state of needless suffering and discomfort. To truly desire to see themselves thrive again. Someone who is struggling with doubts that their doctors know best and are still feeling sick which creates an internal nagging feeling, an intuition telling them “Maybe western medicine is not really my best option?". What if there is a better way, a natural way to heal and reverse their health condition. I work with many clients that have come to me with different ailments from thyroid disorders, nodules in their body mainly on the thyroid, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol issue, hormone imbalances, psoriasis and much more. Not only do I work with humans, but I also work with many pet owners coaching them on how to restore their pets' health naturally. Specializing in irritable bowel syndrome, digestive issues, skin, and chronic ear infections. Question: What is it that many people don’t realize? Doctors only learn about nutrition for maybe a month or 2 in all the years of schooling. They want to feel better and are willing to do the work to get there. That it’s ok to trust your own intuition and follow your heart to move towards a wholefood approach. Their doctors will be amazed as to how they restored their health. How much stronger and confident they will feel once they start feeling more energy, happier and focused. Processed foods are one of the reasons why they got sick in the first place. Other “solutions” like medication are only band-aids that severely affect organs in the long term. The process is easier than they think once they get into a flow. Question: What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? To make a move South, possibly South Carolina and purchase my first home. To be of service on a global scale and to guide more people on their journey to achieving their goals in health and in their life. To be able to be so abundantly wealthy so I can help those less fortunate than me by assisting them to get back on their feet with the possibility to finance their dreams of leading a healthier lifestyle. I want to open a dog sanctuary and continue to coach more pet owners to become their dog's best healer. To be with my perfect partner in life, my best friend and travel the world. For us to build a beautiful and happy life together. This last sentence I clearly see happening within the next year. Follow Emanuela on her Facebook , Instagram , Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more from Emanuela!

Written by: Hanna Hanula, 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. Getting ready for a date, a night out or a special event and want to assure no gas is trapped in your belly making you feel uncomfortable? I've got you covered. I know how embarrassing it is to hold it all inside while your tummy makes funny noises and extends painfully. I used to be bloated all the time. Whatever I ate made my abdomen look like a balloon. I suffered from IBS, SIBO, fructose malabsorption, and more. So I was trying everything out there to get relief. And while I was studying nutrition, learning about different remedies, I decided to create my own protocol. I'd been trying numerous variations, tweaking it until I cracked the code. It'd become my staple process when I needed quick relief and I'm so excited to share it with you! *Important note: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. So here are the steps. Step 1. 24 h before take the activated charcoal. It binds the toxins and trapped gas in your intestines and gently removes it from your body. Take it between your meals and at least two hours after your medication (if you take one), as it can also bind the nutrients and medication and remove them. Step 2. Evening before take magnesium oxide. When magnesium oxide is mixed with water, it is called magnesium hydroxide—this mixture can help naturalize stomach acids and gently relieve constipation. Best taken just before going to bed to provide you with extra relaxation. Step 3. In the morning, drink a glass of lukewarm water with half lemon on an empty stomach. Lemon juice activates your liver and gently detoxifies your GI tract. Step 4. Also, in the morning go for a walk, do a brisk jog or try a few yoga poses to release the gas and keep things moving. Step 5. During the day of the event, eat smaller portions and avoid eating dairy, raw vegetables, legumes and drinking fizzy drinks. Also, eat mindfully! Step 6. Sip on a peppermint tea between your meals or try peppermint essential oil orally. Step 7. Try to relax. You can try deep belly breathing, a quick meditation, get a massage or drink a lemon balm tea to calm your nerves. Use these steps and you will debloat fast. Please note this is only a temporary fix. A more comprehensive approach is needed to identify your triggers, adjust your diet, release the trapped emotions, and change your behaviors for more long-term results. Need help with bloating? Contact me! For more info, follow Hanna on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website! Read more from Hanna! Hanna Hanula, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Hanna Hanula is a leading nutritionist, naturopath, and mindset coach specializing in the gut and mental health. She is a former sufferer of high functioning anxiety, ADHD, social anxiety, and several digestive issues (mainly IBS, Candida, Sibo, and food intolerances) who healed herself by working holistically on the gut-brain axis. She then developed her own unique method called GEM based on gut healing (G), energy medicine (E), and mindset (M). She became passionate about helping others understand the importance of the influence of food on our mood. She is a founder of Souliciously Hanna, a coaching practice through which she runs group programs called Holistic Anxiety Reset and coaches private clients. She is also the author of Stress & Anxiety - the ultimate remedies guide. Her motto is that if you really want to heal your anxiety and feel comfortable in your body, then you need to address your emotional center - your gut.

Written by: Mona AlHebsi, 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. Dharma is a key concept that originates from the Hindu culture and means “the right way of living”. This includes duties, rights, laws, conducts and virtues. Dharma also implies that one lives his/her real-life purpose and calling that he/she was originally ascended to this Earth for, by adopting the right virtues, customs, religion, vocation and all behaviors and thinking patterns considered appropriate, correct or morally upright in order to develop one’s personality, strengthen one’s character to eventually become the best possible version of oneself. If you research, you will conclude that dharma or an equivalent term has been a core principle of most human pursuits in many religions and philosophies across centuries till our current time, even though there may be some or little variations in how this has been expressed, but all roads lead to Rome as they say. In Islam for instance, dharma has been emphasized a great deal in many verses throughout the Holy Quran and can be attained through peace, piety, righteous deeds, and appropriate moral conduct. Even though there is no direct single-word translation for dharma in the Western culture; it’s commonly translated as righteousness, merit, or religious and moral duties governing individual conduct. You will also see dharma greatly expressed in Buddha’s teachings and there it means “the cosmic law and order”. So, put it simply, your dharma is your purpose in life. But the main question now is: are you fulfilling your dharma and why that’s important to live a meaningful and rewarding life? To answer this question, we first need to understand, what actually happens when someone doesn’t fulfill the intended dharma; the person simply will have to face his/her karma! Now, what’s karma? Karma is all what a person has done, is doing, and will do. In other words, it’s the results of your actions and the correlation between what you do and what you get. Karma means that you are the maker or breaker of your life and that as you sow, so shall you reap. A lot of times, life throws us in challenging scenarios and painful circumstances. We then immediately react to these events instead of pausing and asking ourselves: “how did we contribute to this”? We can only change our circumstances by changing our attitude towards what’s happening to us and being more informed about the Great Universal Laws. I will list down here, the 12 Laws of Karma, that if you learn and apply, you can be well on the way to fulfilling your dharma: 1. The Great Law Whatever we put in the universe will come back to us. 2. The Law of Creation Life does not happen by itself; we need to make it happen. 3. The Law of Humility One must first accept something in order to change it. 4. The Law of Growth When we change ourselves, our lives follow suit and change too. 5. The Law of Responsibility We must take responsibility for what is in our lives. 6. The Law of Connection The past, present, and future are all connected. 7. The Law of Focus We cannot think of two different things at the same time. 8. The Law of Giving and Hospitality Our thoughts and beliefs determine how life will treat us. 9. The Law of Here and Now We cannot be fully present if we are constantly thinking about the past or worrying about the future. 10. The Law of Change History repeats itself until we learn from it and change our path. 11. The Law of Patience and Reward The most valuable rewards require persistence. 12. The Law of Significance and Inspiration Rewards are a result of the energy and effort we put into it. Reading through these 12 laws, you may be thinking how simple and fair life is. Yes, it’s, but these are easier said than done, till one really gets into real focus and consistent practice. This definitely requires a shift of mindset, adoption of new habits and the commitment to constantly follow through and self-evaluate during your journey in life. One of the clearest indications that you are not fulfilling your dharma or living your true purpose in life is the deep feeling of emptiness, loss of meaning and dissatisfaction in the broader context of life. You might be having all the “good life” stuff but still, you feel something is missing big time. You might as well feel stuck in a certain aspect of your life regardless of your hard efforts, this will be a great starting point for you. Pain usually is a great messenger to help us discover our true purpose and we are meant to experience it for this very reason (if only people understand this)! Try to dive deeply to your soul level and understand what mission this soul has agreed to fulfill part of this earthly embodiment. This is because all souls are commissioned to fulfill a certain task, duty, or cause that no other soul can replicate ever, and that’s really why we are here as souls living a physical earthly experience. Our main task is to find that “very purpose” and express it in the various shapes and forms possible to feel complete and contended at the soul level. Here only, we can say that a soul has fulfilled its dharma or purpose. It’s totally up to you what kind of person you become during the pursuit of your dharma, which beliefs you adopt, which lifestyle you choose and which moral conducts or virtues you embrace. Just realize that there are certain things that will increase the likelihood of your success in this matter. Make sure to choose the simple and less complicated routes even if no one else is using them for whatever reason as life is meant to be an exciting adventure and not a complicated ramble! So, to sum up, all of us are here seeking something for some reason, however, the ultimate aim behind all our efforts is to find meaning out of our life here and fulfill a more sacred purpose. These are all the deeply rooted longing and thirst of our soul that invites us to be curious and explore this life by using all the tools available to us and exploiting all the talents and privileges that we have been gifted with as God’s successor on this planet. Further, it’s important to always stay connected to God during this earthly pursuit of purpose, ask him for help, support and guidance then understand his different shades of love for us. God’s no is not always a rejection, it’s a redirection. So, be wise, sense things in a deeper way and understand them, then take the “right” call of action aligned with your life dharma to start experiencing heaven on this earth. For more personal effectiveness and career success tips, visit my website. Connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook! You can also subscribe to my channel on YouTube. Read more from Mona! Mona AlHebsi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mona AlHebsi, is an Award-Winning Hotelier, HR Practitioner, Success Coach, Renowned Author, and Speaker. She has recently been named “Most Influential Woman in Hospitality Human Capital” and "Inspirational Female Leader" due to her eminent contributions to the hospitality industry and Human Resources profession. Through her book “Beat The Odds,” Mona aims to provide a roadmap to all hoteliers and working professionals on how to make their work a vehicle to delivering excellence and achieving astounding success. She instinctively knows how to ignite the courage in others to stay true to their values and capitalize on their strengths, which will ultimately steer them towards success and fulfillment. Mona's life mantra is "The more odds you beat, the greater will be your feat"! Credits: Wikipedia.com Instagram: @thegrowinginvestor

Written by: Claire 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. It’s one of the many ironies of COVID-19 that in a time when movement was so heavily restricted, Zoom saw many of us whizzing between meetings across the globe. We may have cursed Zoom and all other video conferencing software at times, but their teleporting abilities did come in handy. That said, we can still only attend one meeting at a time whether we’re the pixelated version of ourselves or there in the flesh. So who networks for you when you’re not in the room? The answer is your content. Content is the foundation of your personal brand. Jean Evans is the founder of Networking Jean. She works with founders, business owners and coaches to craft roadmaps that help them grow via smart networking strategies. It’s obvious that part of a robust networking strategy is joining a networking group (or several), but once you’ve signed up there’s way more to do in order to reap the benefits. “Networking is the most powerful lever you can pull in your business to grow your reach, influence and leads pipeline. One of the key tasks when networking is building your personal brand,” explains Jean. Expanding further, Jean explains that it is your brand that will speak for you before people even meet you. “There are a few definitions of personal branding, but essentially it’s what people believe you offer in terms of products and services. Additionally, a big part of your personal brand is what people believe your values to be,” says Jean. “Therefore,” Jean continues, “the personal brand piece happens outside of the hour or so you may spend in a dedicated networking meeting. And it’s this piece that will pay the long-term dividends.” To create this personal brand, you need content. Strategy + consistency = results For your content output to work in your favour, you need to think carefully about what you want to publish to accurately reflect your service offering. And then publish frequently. Let’s begin with the frequent part first. One post, one blog, one podcast does not equal “doing content”. Nor will it get you results. Consistency really is key. This doesn’t mean showing up day after day posting poor value content that shows no thought and shares no value. That’s a waste of your time and is disrespectful to the clients you’re hoping to attract. But without a frequent posting schedule, even the best content strategies in the world will not perform well for you. Credibility is built on the basis of you showing up repeatedly. Here’s where we get onto content repurposing. This is a whole topic on its own, and I’ll address it in a future column. For now, think of how these tactics might help you work smartly with content rather than having to turn yourself into a content sausage factory: If you appear on a podcast, have the engagement transcribed to share as written content on your website. Identify individual points in a blog and build social media snippets around them. When you present at an event (virtual or IRL), publish one relevant slide per day on your social media profiles. Link to a media article that mentions you in your email signature. Include your slides and blogs in your newsletter. Now let’s talk about strategy. A content strategy is the plan you create to manage what you will cover in your content, how you will create it and how you will distribute it. Here is a brief example of what this looks like in practice: What will you cover? Your key messages Content that speaks directly to your ideal clients Updates of developments in your business Case studies Introducing team members How will you create it? Written content Video Podcasts Photos How will you distribute your content? Content calendars for social media Incorporating your newsletter schedule Sharing internal links Implementing an employee advocacy program High-quality content counts in your favour Investing in content does require some frontloading. Whether you’re creating content yourself or working with a content strategist, creating robust content requires effort. However, this effort can pay off for years to come. An article I wrote in 2018 on SaaS PR still has people making contact with me three years later. It’s only natural to conclude then that content not only networks for us when we’re not in the room, but time travels on our behalf too. Connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You can also visit my website. Read more from Claire! Claire Mason, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Claire Mason is a Content Strategist who works with solo entrepreneurs and founders. She helps them earn the publicity they deserve to grow their sphere of influence and sales pipelines. Claire has earned bylines from numerous publishers, including The Guardian, Marie-Claire, and The Sunday Times. And she has placed her clients’ stories in publications like Forbes, CNBC, and WSJ among others. Her clients regularly see increases of 40% or more to their pipelines after implementing her content strategies. Her work has been showcased as an example of best practices by HubSpot. Claire is also a regular contributor to Business2Community, Brainz Magazine, Tealfeed, and Digital Doughnut, and she writes regularly on how content marketing can move the needle for B2B brands.

Written by: Rose Burnett, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. It’s interesting as humans that we struggle with this concept of loving ourselves more. And loving yourself has nothing to do with ego. When we love, cherish and value ourselves, we take the time to live a healthier, more positive life. Let's face it - you deserve to be happy! When you love yourself unconditionally, you take pride in what you have to offer. In relationships, in your work and friendships. When you start negotiating your self-worth and accept less in relationships or your job, you are saying to yourself and the people around you that you don’t deserve any better. If you don’t value yourself enough, you will always be attracted to people who don’t value you either. Signs of Low Self-Worth When we don't love ourselves enough, here are some of the ways we compromise ourselves and our self-worth: We don’t live in alignment with our core values – and suffer from feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety because we are not living by what's most important to us. We stay trapped in bad relationships and sabotage new relationships. We are afraid to tell people how we feel and what makes us happy. We question what’s wrong with us - rather than accept that the relationship and person weren't right for us. You sell yourself short in a relationship and put up with behaviour that you know is unacceptable to keep a partner happy and interested. You abandon parts of yourself to be in a relationship, including your friendships, hobbies, and things you like doing. Don’t trust your judgement and gut feelings - you worry about being wrong. Your needs take a backseat to everyone else’s – including diet, exercise, physical and emotional needs. Why do we have Feelings of Low Self-Worth? Our confidence and self-worth initially come from the relationship and caregiving we experienced with our parents during our formative years. If we experienced dysfunctional relationships growing up or failed to get our needs met, we learned to not ask for the things we wanted because it would engender deep feelings of guilt or shame. That in some way, we were unworthy of love, attention, and material things we wanted. Childhood Influences & Friendships Low self-esteem can also manifest from peer pressure and feeling like you don't fit in, particularly when forming early friendships at school and through adulthood. My earliest memory of not feeling good about myself was at the age of 12. I can remember the peer pressure to have the perfect body and not fitting in socially, particularly with the popular kids. I was shy, tall for my age and self-conscious. Impressionable, vulnerable, fragile. I felt the same in high school. Team Sports like basketball were my saving grace and helped me make some strong friendships. Being ‘smart’ but nerdy at school, I attracted similar like-minded friends to me. We all knew we were not in the ‘popular’ group. The feeling of not fitting in created insecurities around being rejected or not accepted for who I was as I went into adulthood. The same can be true of love relationships that don’t work out. Over time those negative life experiences and judgments of others influence our psyche and self-esteem. We can have a distorted view of feeling loveable and worry about our perceived shortcomings. You start living a smaller version of yourself rather than living to your highest potential. You settle for second best rather than your highest goals, dreams, and hopes in relationships. The Most Significant Relationship is the One You Have with Yourself Know intrinsically at a Soul level that you are enough. You are loveable and perfect just the way you are! The past doesn't define you, and you have the power in any given moment to change how you feel about yourself. Decide what is going to make you happy. Do not compromise your needs, values, or feelings. Don’t ‘sell’ yourself to prove how worthy you are of a partner’s attention or love. You are perfect just the way you are! If a relationship doesn’t work out, shrug it off and move on. Don’t waste time on people who will not commit to you or stay in dead-end relationships going nowhere. Find someone worthy of you and expect to be loved, valued, and appreciated. Don’t compare yourself to others or worry about whether people will accept you. Be confident and just be yourself. You have nothing to prove to anyone. The people who resonate with you and who truly get you are the only ones you need. And set healthy boundaries with the people in your life. Everyone is on a different path in life and responsible for themselves. You don’t have to follow the same path or fit into some idea of what someone else thinks you should be. Value and appreciate yourself always. Say kind things to yourself and tell yourself how beautiful you are! Remind yourself daily of all your best features and qualities. And don’t forget to celebrate your achievements! Forgive yourself quickly for the mistakes and any bad choices you make. Let it go and promise yourself to do better next time. Trust your judgment and listen to your intuition, don't ignore it. Make decisions based on what feels good for you. Do what makes you happy! And take the time to prioritize your emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, including diet and exercise. Because when you feel great, you show up in relationships and life so much better. Everything works better. And permit yourself to have fun - because you are so worth it! Much Love & Blessings, Rose Burnett For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and visit my website! Read more from Rose! Rose Burnett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rose Burnett is a Certified Transformational Coach, Leader, and NLP Practitioner. An Advanced Usui Reiki Practitioner and specializes in Mind Body Soul Balance. With a keen interest in fitness, diet, and nutrition, mind-body-soul connection, and spirituality. Rose works with clients all around the world in Transformational coaching, Empowerment, chakra healing and balance, revitalization of Chi Energy, Soul Light, and Inner Child Healing from Emotional and Karmic Trauma. Rose has a large Astrology & Inspirational YouTube Channel and is the Founder, Warrior Spirit Activewear for Women.

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. Award-Winning Business Coach, Cathy Dimarchos Cathy Dimarchos’ commitment to developing today’s leaders to shape a better tomorrow comes from a deep commitment to reshape the world and to raise the baseline of where people start their journey across the Globe. From Finance and Business to Published Author, Advisor, Coach and Philanthropist, Cathy does not hold back when to comes to sharing knowledge. She says knowledge is only of value when shared, but first we must stop telling people what to do and start SHOWING them. At a time when people across the globe are going out in search of who they are, and what they want from life, she shines a beam of light showing others how they can transform themselves and move forward. Having navigated through challenges both personally and professionally, she shows future leaders the roadmap forward, supporting them steer through values that are ethical and conscious. We all face challenges in everyday life both personally and professionally but when we understand where our boundaries are how we want to contribute to living our best life, we respond rather than react to the situations that present themselves to us. Added to this, we can also create a second order thinking mentality that will prevent us yet again in adopting reactive approaches that are seen in every day life. Crossing boundaries are an everyday event that are presented to Cathy in both her business advisory role and Coaching business. There is very little she has not faced and it is the reason why her insight and lived experiences can bring clarity to every situation. From CEO’s, Executives and Entrepreneurs, they all seek her out to bring about transformation that is sustainable but what is even more exciting, is the joy that people have for their path forward, as they too create a ripple effect around them, showing others how do to it too. Who is Cathy? Oh, I was asked this recent at my book launch and it took me by surprise, because I had to pause and think. Truth be told, I believe that I am yet to really identify who I am, as my journey through life is one of evolution. I yearn to understand more on a global basis and I want this passion for learning to continue to be the instigator of knowledge being shared across the globe. My life to date is not what defines me but what I will do and for whom will show you who I truly am. Having been raised in Sydney as a first-generation immigrant, the youngest of two children with my brother being 10 years old, I have sailed through life with the ability to see potential where others have not. My life has been somewhat of a privileged one as I have travelled the world from Bhutan to Borneo and Tanzania and many other countries in between. I have worked across borders and cultures having learnt as much from my staff and clients as I have shared with them. I am not saying that life has been easy, as I have faced many challenges but it hasn’t been hard either, especially if I compare my very short and enriching journey to that I when I have shared when living with the Maasai. I have recently realised that I go against the grain, I find roadmaps and pathways where others see roadblocks. I see potential where others see failure. I apply second and third order thinking to mitigate risk and ensure there is no key risk failure point where others create one high-risk strategy. Whilst I have spent 35 years in finance and business, it has also been with a depth of knowledge from others skills. Having also become a qualified counsellor whilst staying in the financial sector, my lived global experiences provide knowledge and skills that are seldom held by any one individual and these lived experiences are what form the development of high performance in the people that engage me. To share a short story of how what others see as challenges and I see a roadmap forward, I will share a short story of what happens to me in those moments and how I look to navigate forward. In March 2020 I had landed back in Sydney after a National speaking engagement, the pandemic hit Australia and we went into lockdown 5 days later. My father had a tragic accident 4days after I landed and sadly, we lost him within a week (I was fortunate to be able to be with him during that week – how lucky was I that the pandemic brought me home to be exactly where I needed to be) but sadly the day before my father passed, my mother suffered trauma and was in a separate hospital to my father. This time allowed me to pause and look inwards and ask “How can I do more, be more?” so I began to write, I wrote my book “SAME PEOPLE, DIFFERENT VISION” this book is for leaders who are prepared to step into the world to reshape the way we look at leadership and to elevate their way of thinking. I then considered how I wanted this book to add a further impact, so I have dedicated proceeds from the book to fund leadership programs that I have developed to support underdeveloped communities starting with students through to young entrepreneurs. Through challenges and adversity, we can dig deep and reflect on what our true purpose is. When you want to bring about change, first you must want it for yourself, then you must show others how and finally you must bring others on the journey with you. I hope this gives you a glimpse of who I am today. But watch this space as the best is still to come, especially if you join me. What is it that you do for your clients? As a business advisor, I provide a roadmap forward to scale your business and make it sustainable but mostly I help you achieve this by bringing those around you on the same journey. You have the vision, I have the structure, language and clarity that glues the puzzles together – from start-ups looking to scale to multinationals – steering your business forward with alignment and a culture that innovates is how I will support you. As a coach and mentor, you will not only develop personal and transformational skills for yourself, but you will elevate those around you so that they too perform at their peak. Removing roadblocks and creating pathways so that you drive your future the way you want – not how others tell you it should be is how you start to live the life that you deserve. If you have ever considered engaging a Coach, advisor or mentor but held back, ask what have you gained and then consider if you know what you don’t know but would like to! Who should hire/work with you? Millennials and GenZ, because I am your biggest advocate. I can hear you and have listened to how you want to do things your way and to bring about real change. If you want to step up to lead – I will support to strengthen your skills and build your tool kit through sharing my knowledge and showing you how you can adapt them and make them your own so you can succeed. I leave nothing behind because success to me is about your success. If you are an entrepreneur and have been told it can’t work or it's too hard – don’t give up. If you have a vision and more importantly a passion, then there is a way, we just need to create the roadmap to get you there. Anyone who has been told you have to stay in your lane, and you believe you know how to do things differently, then reach out, engage me because together the path forward to innovation, creativity and a new way to lead and shine is where you can be. Most importantly, I will show you, not tell you what has worked. My work will be complete as I make myself redundant as you stand up and show others how they too can do it. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Raising the baseline of where people begin their journey in life and this will be done through sharing knowledge across the globe. In the next 3 years, we will have placed 1000 students through our Leadership Programs starting with school students in Tanzania. You engaging me will help fund these students to shape a better tomorrow not just for themselves but for their families, their school, their community and their country. The ripple effect will be exponential as they too will show others how. You as 1 person can create an impact, will you choose to be the change you want to see in the world? I know for me this is my path. Share knowledge and show others how they too can do the same! For example, your top 3 tips within your expertise! The road less travelled does not need to be the most challenging one, but it does need to be the one that will serve you to achieve the best version of you The letter between D and F is the greatest value you can place in life and your career. What does “E” stand for when D is “DRIVE” and, F is “Failure”? by the way “Failure is a dirty word – we need to become antifragile. Make yourself the “Human Library” when you share knowledge you become the “subject matter expert and show others that you will continue to be what others strive to achieve. Want to learn more from Cathy? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Cathy!

Written by: Dolores Andrew, 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. Developing a mindset for business success Have you ever heard the saying “They are a born leader” and felt that leadership was something you either had or hadn’t? Your belief around your answer will give you a good indication of where you are in your own leadership style. There are many qualities a good leader possesses and, depending on the job you are in, certain qualities will serve you better. There is no one size fits all and a great leader knows this. Here are three ways to support you being a great leader. 1. Build a culture that supports. The culture of an organisation is the atmosphere that silently speaks its values. Your employees glean from this culture, what is acceptable and what is not. Even if the organisation’s values are not written down, the actions of everyone, from the top-down fuel the culture. Employees decode the culture for themselves and work inside its parameters. If an employee feels unacknowledged and unsupported no matter what they do, chances are they won’t have the same work ethos as something who feels supported. The invisible culture of lack permeates every department. Finance won’t support administration and sales may ignore marketing. However, when your organisation has a culture of inclusion and support which are demonstrated by the actions of everyone, including managers, this too will permeate your organisation. 2. A great leader builds a team around them that supports the strengths of each individual. We are not all good at everything and that’s a fact. Even if you are a master of a lot of things, chances are you prefer to concentrate on one particular area. A great leader will build a support team around them that enhances each person’s strengths. When you have a project that requires different areas of expertise having people who thrive in each area working together enhances the outcome. Having team meetings that allow everyone at the table speak to their strengths, builds a culture which demonstrates inclusion and diversity and builds leaders. This drives higher productivity and creates greater staff retention. Everyone is in alignment with the company values and in alignment with their own values. It’s win-win and creates a culture of belonging. If you are starting out in business and do everything yourself, find the loopholes you have in what you do and find the support you need. 3. A great leader is open-minded and willing to listen. A sales and a marketing department that listen to each other’s needs and concerns will benefit the overall organisation. If one department comes to you and expressing their concerns be open-minded. Failing to listen to genuine concerns can be costly. A closed-minded culture tells those around you that it’s your way or the highway. You miss evolutionary opportunities others bring to the table. If you work on your own and do everything yourself, understand where you are not being open-minded or listening to your clients. If your social media has great interaction but your sales fall short, then you need to look at the message your marketing has and rethink it. Your ideal clients will interact with you when you put out the right message. If more sales are your bottom line, then listening is essential. Be open-minded and change things that aren’t working. If you want to be a great leader, start by developing a healthy business mindset. Want to learn more from Dolores? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Dolores! Dolores Andrew, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dolores Andrew is an All-Star Accredited Lifestyle Leader in Holistic Life Coaching. Her personal coaching sessions and Corporate Training programmes are tailored to her client’s unique requirements. Dolores’ expertise supports people to break through their personal barriers and reach their full potential, whatever that means to them. She supports them to reassess their values, effectively navigate their emotions and live their lives aligned with their authentic selves.

Written by: Rosalyn Palmer, 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. Over the last six years in my career as a therapist and coach, I’ve learned about both the brain and our behaviours. Not only does such knowledge help me but also it provides great insight to my clients about their unwanted thoughts and behaviours. Knowing why we do many seemingly irrational things doesn’t give you a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card forever, but it certainly can help you break down the bars that may have held you prisoner. Last year I read a book, ‘The Power of Bad: How the Negatively Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It’, co-authored by social psychologist Roy Baumeister and New York Times writer John Tierney. The book not only covers the fascinating science behind this bias we have as humans to focus on the negative and disregard the positive but also gives readers practical tips to work around it. Say the authors: “We want people to recognize that things are almost never as bad as they’re thinking and hearing and fearing. We want people to understand that the mind naturally leans toward noticing and attending to and processing the negative stuff, but that will be an overreaction. So, it’s important to take some time and balance it out and recognize the immense amount of good that is all around us.” The book contains the widely documented research about why we focus on the negative. It is a result of evolution. We were primed to look for what was wrong or unfamiliar (i.e. dangerous) early in our development as a species as it was a matter of life and death. I like to compare what was going on in our primitive minds to how the Terminator works in the eponymous movie. He is primed to look for, and kill, humans. Sarah Connor in particular. In his interactions you see the Terminator summing up everyone with his robot brain and concluding quickly as to whether they will be terminated or not. So, paying attention to danger led to survival but it also led us to a tendency to now lookout for the negative rather than the positive. Putting aside the added issue of the brain not determining what is a perceived versus a real danger – and thus filling us with stress hormones repeatedly – it is really rather a downer isn’t it? Turning our attention back to ‘The Power of Bad’ book, the research also reveals that negative thoughts have about four times as much impact as good ones (as we are thinking/looking out for the bad more). So, to redress the balance you should purposefully create a five-to-one ratio of thinking good things to bad things. Easier said than done. But it is so important. The negativity bias is seen in both adults and children. Our naturally increased sensitivity to bad stuff vs good stuff means we are more likely to respond to something negative than to something positive. Paul Bloom, a behavioural psychologist at Yale University, Connecticut studied morality in babies. He concluded that they respond to negativity when tested. Negative belief is also powerful in shaping your biology. Just as the placebo effect (thinking that something will do you good or make you better) can have a positive effect on you, conversely when you are influenced by a negative belief the result is dis-ease. Negative beliefs about your health can cause not just poor health but even death. This is researched by Dr. Bruce Lipton in his biology of belief and it is why medical doctors have to be so careful when managing patient’s expectations of recovery from serious illness. Most people, for example, if told they have three months to live will believe it. In our everyday lives we have a tendency to react more strongly to negativity and also remember the bad stuff rather than the good. If a colleague criticises your work it can sting deeply and you may be mulling it over for hours. At home, when asked how your day went, you will probably say it was terrible despite the fact that only this one negative event happened. You will have discounted all the positive aspects of your day. We actually have to learn to be comfortable with the positive. For starters, learn to take a compliment and don’t brush it off as it is unfamiliar or slightly uncomfortable. Then, stop talking to yourself in your own head as if you were your own Public Enemy No. 1. I work extensively with clients on reframing their inner voice and my favourite name for it is from a Canadian client who calls her negative voice the: ‘Itty Bitty Shitty Committee’. Don’t listen to that committee. Don’t attend their meetings. What good will come of it? Find a better voice and kinder words and speak to yourself and about yourself the same way as you would to an innocent child that you want to protect and nurture. After studying mindfulness several years ago, I discovered Gratitude Journals. Through the expression of gratitude, we are able to not only be present at the moment but by finding the good in even the smallest of things, get flooded with an appreciation that cannot fail to change our mood and outlook for the better. This is a way of recording the good. When we stay focused on what problems to solve, we overwhelm ourselves and put ourselves in that stressed state of constant alert. Think about the word ‘overwhelmed’. Then it's the opposite: ‘underwhelmed’. We get overwhelmed by the challenges and difficulties of life. We get underwhelmed by ourselves, our responses to life, our visions of the future. Now is the time to change that. Be overwhelmed with your own power and positivity. Every day there will be something to be grateful for. Even if it was the nice chap on the bus who offered you his seat as he saw how weary you were. A smile from your grandchild. A moment spent watching a bird feed from a tree. Notice and rejoice. By noticing the positive, you start to rewire your brain’s neural pathways to think positively on a regular basis. This leads to happiness and happy people release more endorphins, so they are healthier and less stressed. Those who are happy with themselves make better partners in both business and personal lives. They don’t need to belittle or control others in order to feel good about themselves. They are able to be at one with themselves and then let others in, and love and support them too. There are beautiful, soft, leather-bound Gratitude Journals that you can buy, keep by your bed, and work through the exercises they contain every evening and morning. Failing that, you can grab a piece of paper and a pen or use the ‘notes’ on your computer or phone. Start now. Take a moment and think about, then note down, five things that you are grateful for regarding: you your life your home your friends/family Don’t be churlish here. You can always find five. Say out loud: “I am alive so I’ll find five!”. Another lovely action, especially if you have children, is to create a Gratitude Jar. Get as big an empty jar as you can and create your own label. Each time you, your children, your family, or those you live with, find a moment of joy and gratitude, scribble it down on post-it notes or scrap of paper, and drop it in the jar. On gloomy days or every so often just open it and read the notes. Instant uplifting self-therapy that will banish that old negativity bias. Follow Rosalyn on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website for more info. Read more from Rosalyn! Rosalyn Palmer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rosalyn Palmer is an award-winning transformational coach and therapist, combining advanced rapid transformational therapy/clinical hypnotherapy & NLP-based coaching to create deep desired changes. She works 1-2-1 with clients and via her group courses. As best-selling author of the award-winning self-help book: ‘Reset! A Blueprint for a Better Life’ and three other Amazon bestsellers, Rosalyn makes emotional wellbeing accessible to all. She enables high performers to live their best lives that feel as good inside as they look on the super-successful outside. Rosalyn draws on extensive business experiences - in top London PR & Marcomms (‘retiring’ as a self-made millionaire at age 40 after a stellar career helping clients including Tony Robbins and Edward de Bono) and the insight of being conflicted when the outward vision of your life doesn’t serve you. Added to this are her deeper values and life experiences born from many challenges including cancer; redundancy; bereavement; menopause; divorce; financial loss that broke her open to finding out what really matters in life and how to live a life of balance and joy. As a natural communicator, she is the well-being expert for radio show Girls Around Town, has a monthly newspaper column, and two podcast series: Monkey Business and Life Alchemy.