Written by: Robin M. Wilson, 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. Until now, I’ve never spoken publicly about being diagnosed with dyslexia. However, those closest to me have known for quite some time. Recently, Tameka Citchen-Spruce, a disability advocate and friend of mine, invited me to be a part of Being Black and Disabled, a five-part series that chronicles the stories of Black individuals who have a disability. The Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (MDRC) is hosting the series to advance public understanding of disabilities. Furthermore, MDRC seeks to explore how individuals from under-represented communities can be affected by physical or learning differences. As a teacher and literacy advocate, I agreed to participate in the series to help raise awareness about dyslexia. Eleven years ago, I received my dyslexia diagnosis, after scheduling an appointment at a licensed psychology clinic. A series of interviews and tests were conducted over three days to complete the assessment. At age 26, despite time and effort, I struggled to pass college math exams. It was challenging for me to remember number facts. Therefore, I used a calculator to solve many math problems. This had long been my experience. As early as elementary school, I struggled with numeracy, spelling, and decoding words. In grade school, my mother hired a math tutor to work with me. However, rote memorization strategies never enhanced my understanding of mathematics. I did, however, receive academic interventions in reading that supported my growth as a reader and writer. Over time, reading and writing became my strengths. I became a literacy nonprofit founder and a community leader. At age 25, I became a published children’s author, and I wrote feature articles for local newspapers. Yet, I continued to lag in numeracy fluency skills. On tests, there never seemed to be enough time to complete math tasks. I had to draw pictures and use various symbols on my paper to make sense of problems. There was a striking difference between my performance on math tasks and my success in other areas of my academic and professional life, and I wanted to know why. In college, I excelled in the sciences, English language arts, and the arts. Within my community, I was known as the "book lady" and a champion for family literacy. However, I was battling for my education. I was at a crossroads. If I could not pass the required math courses, my vision of earning a degree in education would not come to fruition. The day that the psychology clinic called to deliver the news of my dyslexia diagnosis, I breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, the puzzle pieces came together. Finally, I had an answer for my years of struggle in mathematics. The diagnostic report revealed that I have dyscalculia, a math-based form of dyslexia. Dyslexia is defined as an unexpected difficulty in reading in an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader (Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, 2nd edition, pp.143- 24). There are varying degrees of dyslexia. It is a spectrum learning disorder. An individual can be mildly, moderately, or severely dyslexic. Additionally, they can experience challenges in reading, numeracy, or both. When an individual is dyslexic in mathematics, it is known as dyscalculia. This does not mean that they visualize letters or numbers backward. Rather, it simply means that they process text and numeral information differently. According to Dyscalculia.org, dyscalculia is a math learning disorder that makes mathematical reasoning and computation difficult, despite adequate education, average or greater intelligence, and proper motivation. Furthermore, there is no correlation between intelligence and dyscalculia or dyslexia. The news of my dyscalculia diagnosis was a gift because I was able to gain access to the proper resources and support needed to advance in my formal education. I became a United States Fulbright ETA Alternate Candidate to teach in Senegal, West Africa. I learned French and taught briefly in the South of France through the InterExchange Program. Today, I am a graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. I teach French to kindergarteners. Additionally, I am pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Teaching and Curriculum at Michigan State University. As a teacher, I have become an advocate for children in my classroom. My educational journey has made me patient, empathic, and compassionate towards young scholars. I recognize the importance of multimodal instruction, which is the use of text, gestures, tactile and audio-visual methods to facilitate learning. Additionally, I believe in giving young scholars more than one way to demonstrate their understanding in daily learning tasks. Even if a child does not have a learning disorder like dyslexia or dyscalculia, every child has a different learning style and preference. Therefore, children and adults can benefit from differentiated instruction and learning strategies. It is estimated that 20 percent of the population is dyslexic, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. While early intervention can improve learning outcomes for dyslexic children, many individuals go undiagnosed due to gaps in teacher training and the lack of early diagnostic testing. To properly address dyslexic learning needs, here are the key signs and symptoms of dyslexia and dyscalculia: The Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia In children, dyslexia signs and symptoms can include, but are not limited to: particular difficulty learning to read, write and spell. difficulty remembering sequences such as the alphabet and months of the year. difficulty telling left from right. difficulty copying accurately from the board or textbook. difficulty remembering and following oral instructions. persistent and continued reversing of letters and figures, e.g. ’15’ for 51, ‘b’ for d. Source: The Dyslexia Association In adults, dyslexia signs and symptoms can include, but are not limited to: difficulty with map reading. difficulty filling in forms and writing reports. tendency to miss and confuse appointment times. concerns about training or promotion. difficulty structuring work schedules. low opinion of capabilities. constantly losing and forgetting items and information. Source: The Dyslexia Association In children, dyscalculia signs and symptoms can include, but are not limited to: difficulty learning and recalling basic number facts such as number bonds, e.g. 6 + 4 = 10 still using fingers to count instead of using more advanced strategies (like mental math) poor understanding of the signs +, -, and x, or confusing these mathematical symbols struggling to recognize that 3 + 5 is the same as 5 + 3 or being unable to solve 3 + 26 ‒ 26 without calculating trouble with place value, often putting numbers in the wrong column. not understanding math language or being unable to devise a plan to solve a math problem difficulty understanding math phrases like “greater than” and “less than” trouble keeping score in sports or games Source: The Dyslexia Association In adults, dyscalculia signs and symptoms can include, but are not limited to: difficulty counting backward difficulty remembering ‘basic’ facts slowness performing calculations weak mental arithmetic skills a poor sense of numbers & estimation difficulty in understanding place value addition often being the default operation high levels of mathematics anxiety Source: The Dyslexia Association It is critical to schedule an appointment with a qualified professional to undergo proper diagnostic testing if you suspect that you may have dyslexia or dyscalculia. Consider creating a list of challenges that you have faced or continue to face related to learning and share these points during the formal evaluation process. Listen to the results of the assessment and ask questions to increase your understanding of your diagnosis. If, after further research, you question the diagnosis, seek a second opinion. If your diagnosis is in alignment with your personal experience, consider your options, seek proper support, and access resources in your school or workplace. Learn about your legal rights as a person diagnosed with dyslexia or dyscalculia. Many strengths can come with dyslexia. Dyslexia Strengths A dyslexic person's strengths can be described using the acronym M.I.N.D: Material: Related more to math and science, 3-D, and spatial. Career professions could be an engineer, mathematician, airline pilot, or architect. Interconnected: Ability to detect relationships between phenomena, like objects, ideas, and events. Career professions could be a zoologist, museum director, historian, physicist, computer software designer, or chef. Narrative: Ability to connect a series of mental scenes to tell a story. Career professions could be an author, songwriter, psychologist, coach, or attorney. Dynamic: Ability to explain historical facts with present-day knowledge, to develop a narrative to a “scene” that could have probably happened. Career professions could be an entrepreneur, farmer, business consultant, economist, or medicine: (immunology, oncology). Source: Dyslexia Reading Connection In my view, dyslexia is an advantage rather than a deficit. Still, more teachers and business leaders must learn about dyslexia. When teachers and business leaders adopt an asset viewpoint, there can be a greater understanding of the value and strengths that dyslexic individuals bring to classrooms, workplaces, and communities. My strengths as a learner and leader far outweigh my weaknesses. The same is true for other dyslexics like Dr. Keith L. Magee, Pastor and community leader; Carol Moseley Braun, Former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to New Zealand; Meggie Aderin-Pocock, Space Scientist and Science Communicator; Craig McCaw, Business leader; Steven Spielberg, Screenwriter/Director; and Princess Beatrice of York. They are incredible dyslexic thinkers and leaders. I am a resilient dyslexic leader. My ability to take a global perspective of problems and solutions contributes to my ingenuity as a teacher and entrepreneur. My commitment to learning and creativity has made me an effective problem-solver in education and business. In many ways, my educational experiences have given me special insights that I use in my literacy advocacy work. Learning disorders like dyslexia and dyscalculia do not go away. However, there is more than one way to overcome dyslexia. Like a wall, you may not be able to remove the barrier, but you can strategize to climb the wall or find a path to get around it. Conventional methods of teaching do not best serve dyslexics because we are unconventional thinkers. We process information differently. My purpose in writing candidly about my educational journey is to shift perspectives around dyslexia and dyscalculia and to raise awareness about the strengths that dyslexics can bring to the table in business, education, and beyond. I am not ashamed of being dyslexic. Learning of my dyslexia was a gift. It allowed me to access the proper resources and support that I needed to actualize my academic goals and to soar. The truth is that I have always been capable and gifted; I simply needed a different path and approach to learning. If you think that you or a loved one may have symptoms of dyslexia or dyscalculia, visit https://safespot.org.uk/safespotopedia/dyslexia-dyscalculia/. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Robin! Robin M. Wilson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Robin M. Wilson is the founder and CEO of Robin Wilson Educational Consulting LLC, where she combines her research knowledge and professional experience to guide nonprofit organizations in developing effective strategies for serving youth, especially young girls and women. References: Shaywitz, S. (2020). Overcoming Dyslexia, 2nd edition, pp.143- 24. What is Dyscalculia? Dyscalculia, https://www.dyscalculia.org/dyscalculia/what-s-dyscalculia. What is Dyslexia? Yale Center on Dyslexia and Creativity, http://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/. What Are the Signs of Dyslexia? The Dyslexia Association, https://www.dyslexia.uk.net/what-is-dyslexia/signs-of-dyslexia/. What Are the Signs of Dyscalculia? The Dyslexia Association, https://www.dyslexia.uk.net/specific-learning-difficulties/dyscalculia/the-signs-of-dyscalculia/. The Dyslexic Advantage: Challenge Your Perspective. Dyslexia Reading Connection Inc., https://dyslexiareadingconnection.com/the-dyslexic-advantage/. Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Tools and Resources: Dyslexic Advantage https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/dyslexia-dyslexic-advantage-library/ National Center for Learning Disabilities https://www.readandspell.com/us/dyscalculia-in-adults Dyslexic Advantage (for personal use only) https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/dyslexia-test/ ADDitude Dyscalculia Test (for personal use only) https://www.additudemag.com/self-test-for-dyscalculia-in-adults/ Made by Dyslexia (Teacher Training): https://education.microsoft.com/en-us/learningPath/939a69c9

Written by: Denise Ledi, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When I was first approached about becoming an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, my immediate reaction was: “What? Who me? NO WAY! I don’t have anything to say that could possibly fill the pages of a magazine. Get out of here!” Anyone seeing my reaction would have wondered ‘what on earth was said. I had my full throttle “Ledi stare” going on, a stare that can cut through stone! Given my response, you’d think this was a completely outrageous idea. It wasn’t. I’ve written blogs; co- authored scholarly journal articles, and book chapters. I am a leader and coach who has helped countless others struggling with the trials and tribulations within their own leadership journeys. So what did I mean: no way? “Well, this is different! It’s not the same thing! Well… maybe it is, but I don’t know what I would write about month after month. Maybe in a few years… once my business is more established… I’ll have more to say. Yeah, that’s right, I’ll do it then. Someday...” This response ladies and gentlemen is classic Denise. Living in my head vs my heart; playing it safe vs taking expansive steps forward. Limiting my desires, natural gifts, and talents from their full expression, hidden from myself and the world. Why? Self-doubt, fear of failure, and fear of judgment, my trifecta of limiting beliefs both conscious and unconscious that have unwittingly held me back from fully stepping into my potential and embracing life itself. Instead, I held myself back. I lived with missed opportunities and regret. I STILL recall the flash of disbelief and surprise on the face of the person who asked me to consider doing this, but that’s not what stuck with me. I expected a verbal sparring match; debating how wrong I was. But I was ready! Armoured up and ready to go at it, bobbing and just like my boxing aficionado father taught me as a kid. But no such thing occurred. Instead, we shared a moment of silence. Then I received a slow, knowing nod and a look reflecting compassion and understanding. Oh… THAT connected with me more ways than words ever could. Because the thing is, I wanted to do it. Badly! Being a published writer has always been a dream of mine since the time I could read. In ways beyond what I had already done, beyond academia. About what specifically I didn’t know, but that spark, that desire was there. When asked about contributing to the magazine, I felt that familiar pull… You know the one; that twinge of excitement, curiosity, and potential of something more... the one that makes you want to reach out, grab on, and go for it! I was humbled, and had a decision to make. What do I want to do? Maintain the illusion covering up fears? Or drop the fear and excuses, listen to my inner yearning and inspiration within me and go for it? Aka show up as my authentic self-unleashed and unconstrained? THIS is a choice all of us constantly face; not tomorrow, not years later, in each moment regardless of what the situation is, or where you’re at in life. Choices that best serve your highest aspirations are made in the present, in the now, all the time. And I knew it. Right then and there I made the choice to accept the offer. Not years later, now. I surrendered. I stepped forward with aligned action, fully embodying the highest version of me. Whew! And here we are. I’m not only a Contributing Editor for Brainz Magazine; I’m a contributing author in other works, books included. Right on Denise! No, not quite! This isn’t the entire story… I’m here to unabashedly tell you that my dreams? Would have remained unfulfilled had I not engaged in the inner work needed to uncover my fears and address the root causes behind them. No doubt about it. My inner work journey began years ago with my coach. I didn’t fully understand what “inner work” was, much less what it meant, or why it was necessary. I didn’t get what the heck “inner work” had to do with learning how to be a better leader or why, but I trusted my coach and the process. I was hungry for change. I was hungry to be and do more. But on some level, I knew there was something here… so I leaned in. Thank God. did the work needed to work recognize and move through fear and self-sabotaging behaviors. These behaviors try to maintain the familiar and status quo, and seemingly try to protect and keep me safe. Noble! But I see them for what it they are. Saboteurs….. I now choose to embrace these fears instead of run from them. I move through and past them day by day. I choose to step into who I want to be and truly am. And I’m better off for it. All because I’ve gone beyond awareness and understanding. I’ve addressed the root of the cause for the habitual responses and behavior patterns that have kept me stuck are released. And I’m healing........ Obviously, all of this is a work in progress and continues to evolve. I still have fears I succumb to in the moment. I need a wake-up call and or kick in the rear now and again to snap me back to awareness. But that’s ok! That makes me human; knowing and living this: Leadership starts with self-leadership; it starts from within. Beyond the surface, beyond awareness; though acknowledgment, acceptance, compassion and forgiveness through to creating new meanings. It’s what clears the path towards your dreams, helps you reach your potential, and allows you to create great impact in the world. That’s leading. That’s self-mastery. That’s living. That’s what life is all about. What are some of the fears you need to journey through and resolve? To your success! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Denise! Denise Ledi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Denise Ledi is an Empowerment & Executive Leadership Coach based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada serving clients across North America. She has spent more than 20 years as a leader in addiction & mental health, forensics, and correctional healthcare and knows firsthand how complex and challenging it can be to lead in ever-changing environments. Denise integrates real-world leadership experience, experiences as a coaching client with expertise as a certified executive trained coach and Master’s trained Criminologist to provide a unique, innovative, integrative perspective to her clients to help them gain clarity and achieve the measurable results they're looking for. Denise has been a mentor to 100+ professionals and family, including her younger brother & sister after their mother died and as their father built his Engineering firm into a successful business as a new immigrate to Canada. Chapter Chair- Powerful Women Today Edmonton, budding podcast host, speaker, and presenter Denise believes that our highest potential is reached by helping others reach theirs. Her primary mission is to empower others to become their best selves, access their whole potential, and make an extraordinary impact on the world!

Renate Prandl is Asia's Premier Sustainable Life Mastery Strategist, Certified Feldenkrais® Expert, sports coach, mentor, and Certified High Performance(™) coach. With over 40 years of combined experience as a Professor in a business school and entrepreneur, Renate uses a variety of proven techniques and applications to help you reach your highest potential, get to the Next Level, and potentially live your Life by Design - in a holistic, doable and sustainable way. Her "Power of 3" systems help you turn obstacles into stepping stones and build Physical, Emotional, Financial Resilience. Renate is the CEO of Body & Brain, Founder of Body And Brain Mastery, International Bestselling Author of 3 books, and has lived on 3 continents. Her mission: Anything is possible. Renate Prandl, Sustainable Life Mastery, Elite Performance Coach Who is Renate Prandl? Tell us a little about yourself. I am a Coach, International Keynote Speaker, 3 Times International Bestselling and Award-Winning Author, Mentor, CEO of Body And Brain, and Founder of BodyAndBrainMastery and Pain2Power. I had a career as a Professor at a renowned business school before starting my own coaching business, Body And Brain, in Singapore about 25 years ago. What started as holistic Personal Training was followed by more specialized education as a Certified Feldenkrais®Practitioner. I felt the “traditional” approach to health, fitness and performance in general was lacking depth and left many people injured, physically and mentally. What began as a quest to help myself has led me to where I am today helping more people step from pain into their power, take responsibility for their life’s circumstances, find ways to turn obstacles into steppingstones, and really live the life they dream of. A life by design, not a life in default. What is it that you do for your clients? When I coach or mentor my clients - CEOs, musicians, other mentors, speakers, high performers and achievers, C-Suite executives - I look at the whole person and not just at one particular area. Most of the time the challenge, the problem, the real issue is not where the pain is. Let me give you two examples: When a person doesn’t perform at his/her best in business the reason may actually be somewhere else like relationship worries. A person’s backpain may be the result of poor posture and poor movement habits (root cause can be depression, relationship issues). That’s why it is so important to go deeper using a HOLISTIC approach if we want lasting shifts and improvement. Whether I work as a Feldenkrais® Practitioner or as a Certified High-Performance Coach™ I always look at the whole person – it’s the same approach. Change and improvement happen from within when dealing with the root cause discovering the “elusive obvious”. I offer my clients a safe place, I hold space for them. I am all about integrity and confidentiality, hence my clients trust me, they open up and step out of their comfort zone. Who should hire/work with you? Well, people need to APPLY as I want to make sure that we are good fit. I don’t work with people who hurt others, who have no honest intention, who lie. Why? Because it’s a partnership and I am very selective who I join on their journey to an extraordinary life. I want my students to succeed, whether it’s in business, as leaders, in their health and wellness arena, and in their personal or professional relationships. They need to be willing to do the work, “empty their cups” as the late Bruce LEE would say, have an open mind and open heart. I am not accepting anyone who doesn’t meet these pre-requisites and who only looks for a quick fix. Then I am NOT their mentor. I do, however, if they get accepted and make all the moves, save them a 15, 20 or even 25-year learning curve teaching only what works leaving out the fluff. What is your biggest goal? My biggest goal really is to EMPOWER more people to take back control over their life, their time, their well-being. Currently there are so many “inspirational and motivational” experts out there – which is great. Nothing wrong with it. Having said that, motivation without ACTION doesn’t change anything, at least not for a prolonged period of time. I want to help more people apply the “Power of 3” Principle to become more independent, not co-dependent. I want them to know more about nutrition, movement, the mind and not fall for every “quick fix miracle solution”. The only MIRACLES are the ones you work for and make them happen. How does this work? Shift their MINDSET Clarify and define their MISSION Design the MOVES 3 simple moves. Mindset – Mission – Moves Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? That’s a very tricky questions, because under the current circumstances I think it’s really challenging to plan 10 years ahead. I hope I will still be alive and kicking being able to serve my tribe, support them to get unstuck and reach sustainable levels of good physical, financial, emotional and mental well-being. What brought you to work as a coach and mentor in the first place? I wanted to become a teacher as I was inspired by some of my own. The ones who asked for some disciple and work ethics, the ones who also made us laugh, the ones who listened to us kids. I LOVED teaching, yet I felt I needed to break free from the limitations of the official “school system” to serve more people, different age groups, different backgrounds, different race and color. I became a professional coach and mentor, because many people graduate from school/university without having a plan what to do next, even without any guaranteed job. Others have no plan how to take care of themselves, their well-being and end up with injuries, burnout and even stroke. What is it that you do for your clients? My system works and helps them reach their dreams, faster, safer, potentially. I want my students to have a more fulfilled life, not a life in pain, but a life where they show up in their power, their strength, their potential. I don’t want them to find themselves on their death bed feeling unfulfilled pondering “how life would have been IF…. “ I coach/mentor online and offline, individually, in groups, I speak on stage (keynote speaker), hold workshops tailored to the client’s needs while following my system and structure. I write books, articles for magazines, I provide lots of FREE training on social media to give those who are really struggling a chance to get back on their feet (all part of my Pro-Bono work). Languages: English, German. Could you probably share a success story? Yes, Mr.W, in his 70ies, suffered a severe stroke. His wife was told by the doctors that her husband who had been a very successful entrepreneur would be in the wheelchair for the rest of his life. When he came to work with me he was off balance, could barely walk, and had some other severe signs of a stroke survivor. As mentioned earlier, I always look at and address the whole person. He wanted me to do some “Feldenkrais magic” (the MOVES) - we covered that – but more importantly we added 2 of the most important elements of High Performance Coaching - MINDSET and MISSION. Now he is fully functioning, he walks, plays tennis and golf living his Life by Design. Can you give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote“? Why do you think that resonates with you? “If you stumble and fall, get up on your feet, brush off the dust and keep moving forward”. I stumbled many times due to lack to knowledge, lack of guidance, too much enthusiasm, lots of reasons, you get it, right? Maybe this sounds familiar. I learnt to look at the situation with curiosity and ask myself, “Why exactly did I stumble?” “What can and will I do differently next time?” There’s always a lesson to be learnt. It is only regarded a failure or a mistake if you do the same over and over and over again. This is called insanity, right? Trust you heard this before. Learn from the situation. Emerge stronger. Have a clearer vision of the journey ahead. Are you working on any exciting new projects now and how do you think this will help people? Currently I am building some workshops, trainings, and a few shorter kickstart programs to get people from pain into their power, fast. I guess this is what people need right now. They don’t need more motivation. People need more doable steps, things they can implement right away to see and feel change, to create momentum, create shifts. I have also started to work on a new book based on my proprietary system to master Body, Brain and Mind. This will probably be done and published around March/April next year. It will help people to stay on track as there will be action steps, exercises, a little bit of a “workbook”. Self help versus Shelf help book. Cannot disclose more at this point. None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped you to get where you are? For starters, my PARENTS who told me all the things I couldn’t not do, things that were meant for others, but not like people “like us”. This ignited a fire in me to prove them wrong and instilled a “never give up” attitude. I am also grateful that they eventually made it possible to attend university (yes, I didn’t give up on this, I was very persistent), me being the first person in our whole extended family to do so. Some of my teacher who created the desire to travel and even move to different countries and continents. Professionally I had a few other mentors/teachers along my way before I met Joel Bauer. I admit, I didn’t like him in the beginning, but now I do J Having worked with him intensely just over a year I understand where he is coming from. He not only teaches Business, Closing, he also teaches Coaching/Mentoring while doing so, and Personal Development. He helped me – and still is – stepping into my full power, offline and online. Best part I like about Joel as he emerged as one of my role models is that he gives and gives and gives while serving with an open HEART. What is the best way our readers can further follow your work online, Renate? Instagram, LinkedIn, FB are the platforms where I can be reached easily to start or deepen a conversation on how to lead a healthier, wealthier, potentially more fulfilled life. A Life by Design. For more info, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website. Read more from Renate!

Before setting up her coaching and mentoring business in 2008, Marisa was involved in running businesses for nearly 20 years. A serial entrepreneur, Marisa has set up several businesses and social enterprises, including a cross-party think tank and a business networking organization for women. She was also CEO for a health charity and a business policy advisor for the local and national government. Marisa's work closely supports entrepreneurs in bringing their authentic selves to their work and helps them feel comfortable in their professional identity and business brand. Her mission is for small business owners to do business differently. Marisa Guthrie, Business Coach Who is Marisa? Hello Brainz Magazine! In my professional life, I am a business coach to small and micro businesses who want to make money and change the world. I’m a wife and mum to my daughter and stepdaughter and we have recently moved to rural Devon in the UK which is the most beautiful place on earth, so I count myself very, very lucky! Everything about who I am, my identity, and what is important to me, is tightly bound up with my business. There is no separation between how I think and feel about the world and how I express myself through my work. A client recently said to me that they want to be ‘on the right side of history’ meaning that they want to be remembered for doing the right thing when it counted. We are facing untold challenges in the world right now, especially since Covid. Climate change, polarised communities, mental ill health on the rise, a broken political system, a threatened free press, huge challenges that it feels like we can’t do anything about. But I believe that when business is used for good it can change society for the better and create communities dedicated to action. Everything I do in my work, and everything I stand for and am committed to in my life, focuses on how I can support businesses that are trying to make the world a better place. Who are using their platforms, however small, to solving problems for people and planet? What is it that you do for your clients? Coaching, and particularly business coaching can often be seen as a way of fixing something that is wrong. That if you use a particular technique, or tool, that it will provide the answers to all your questions. You just have to do it ‘this’ way. My take is a little bit different. I will often say to clients that I believe that they already have the answers to the questions they have. My role is to walk alongside them as they uncover the answers themselves. Working in this way has several benefits for the client. It saves them time and money as they get to what they need so much quicker than if they were trying to find the answers on their own. It means they are working from an empowered place because we are working as a team. It’s not a, “I tell, you do” kind of deal. I respect the personal and professional journey they have been on up to this point, taking into consideration who they are at their core, and what has led them to this point. Coaching in this way means that they are developing and transforming on a personal level, not just professionally. They are changing with their business in ways that they can use in their personal life. I often say that along with the right strategy, what we need to succeed is the right mindset. You can throw all the business tools you like at a problem, but if the business owner struggles with mindset around a particular issue, things are not going to change. Working with who the person is, warts and all means that we can throw light on all the things that are holding them back, in life, as well as business, and uncovering that brings all kinds of benefits. Who should hire/work with you? Anyone who is invested in using their business for good, in whatever capacity. I have a membership programme called Doing Business Differently because that is what we are trying to do. We want to do it differently from the way it has always been done. Business isn’t just about shareholders and profit. It’s an opportunity to improve society and the lives of other people. I also talk a lot about being yourself in your business, being authentic, and not trying to emulate others or how you think it ‘should’ be done. Working in this way is not only more relaxing, it’s actually better for the bottom line as we attract more clients and prospects who are drawn to our values and what we stand for. We want to use our businesses to solve the problems we see in the world, making a difference and leaving behind something better for future generations. Also, being an entrepreneur is hard! We are much more susceptible to burnout that our employed counterparts and it can be a really lonely place. Entrepreneurs are often rebels, highly capable, driven, and ambitious, and find it hard to ask for help. But it doesn’t have to be like that. We all need support and business coaching and mentoring provide that vital lifeline when you feel you might be floundering. I practice what I preach and I have had a wonderful mentor for over 15 years who has seen me through everything! I know that she has my back, and without her I wouldn’t be where I am today. All business owners deserve that kind of support. Plus, it’s more fun when you can share the journey! What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? I want to change the world! I’m kidding – but only partly….! Especially since Covid it feels like we are moving in to a new era of Capitalism. I’m no economist, but it feels like the system is broken, but it’s the only one we have, so I want to use my skills, albeit in a very humble way, to try and work with what we have and create something new and different. My children are often my greatest teachers and I feel that this next generation is unencumbered by the systems, models, and institutions we have lived with for so long. Their worldview, driven by technology is completely different to me, and my generation. Supporting them to help them create something new is one of my main drivers. I also want to work with more people across the world through my membership programme. Business coaching is very expensive and can be too onerous an investment for many business owners. Working with more people through online group coaching and through creating a community of like-minded business owners means I can work with many more people and have a greater reach and impact with my work. I want to move away from business coaching being elitist or inaccessible. In 10 years from now, I will be working with 1000’s of people across the globe, of all ages and backgrounds, coming together around one central idea – to do business differently. Will you be one of them?

Written by: Peter Paul Parker, 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. We have all hummed at some point in our lives. We also have used the word ‘hummer’ to describe a small error or mistake. We usually hum when we are happy. I am sure you have heard many times, the annoying humming of someone with their headphones on, travelling on a bus, completely oblivious to the annoyance they are causing to the people around them. But did you realise that humming is actually an ancient spiritual practice? Bhramari Pranayama The practice is called bhramari pranayama. This is an advanced yogic practice from the Veda’s, which are the ancient scripts passed down to us from the East. Even more surprisingly, there have been scientific studies that have revealed why this practice was revered by our ancestors. How could something so simple and natural, and that anyone can do, be so beneficial to human beings who practice humming? It really does come down to frequency, vibration and intention, which is pretty much the key to everything in today’s world. We can almost detach from the effects of humming if our intention isn’t there, and we don’t take it seriously. We can block the,e effects with our mind if we choose to. The Science is fascinating. There was a study called ‘Immediate effect of a slow pace breathing exercise bhramari pranayama on blood pressure and heart rate’. The study is linked below where you can see for yourself what happened. The result of the study indicated that slow pace Bhramari pranayama for 5 minutes, induced parasympathetic dominance on the cardiovascular system. This means that you are going into your rest digest and heal state, rather than your fight or flight mode of the nervous system. We can lower our blood pressure and reduce our heart rate through humming. But the humming has to be intentional. Frequency + Intent = Healing If you have ever looked into Jonathan Goldman and his work with sound, he came up with a formula that goes like this. Frequency + Intent = Healing. Using a frequency and the power of our intent can actually cause healing in the body. I have always been amazed at the power of the body to be self-regulating and self-healing, but to be able to enhance that process with the power of our actions and intent, with something so simple as humming, is truly a game-changer for me. I have worked with sound and in particular, sound toning for many years now. This is toning your voice using a certain vowel on a certain frequency, for a particular purpose. I have always found this to be very powerful. Some people tend to shy away from this as it can be intimidating if you are of the belief system that you can’t sing. That all disappears when we use humming as most people feel confident enough to hum. And since discovering this I have been using humming everyday to charge up the start of my day. I also have people I know doing the same thing now. And the early results are fabulous. How does sound work when it comes to healing? When we look at the science of cymatics, and how sound and frequency actually create physical form, we can see that everything has a blueprint, or some say, primal resonance. Other frequencies that gather round that frequency creates more of a complex object or being. Cymatics tells us the lower the frequency is, the lower the waveform is. The higher the frequency is, the more waveform there is. When you research this subject and see University studies where you see objects being created using sound on sand, and the sand even defying gravity, you are now beginning to see deeper into the nature of our reality. When it comes to healing, everything has a certain core frequency. There are many reasons why our confidence may be low, and our creativity is lacking. From my work as a sound healer, I see it as blockages that can be easily overcome. Sound is an amazing way of clearing those blockages. Sound is not the only modality we can use, by a long way, but is it a fast and effective way once you put your intention into it. These blockages usually occur in the energy system of our bodies. These are called chakras, which are spinning balls of energy in our bodies. I was skeptical about Chakras. I must admit I used to turn off when I heard people talking about chakra systems and how they worked. I did not see the relevance to me and my life. I also did not really understand energy then, and I was coming from a place of ignorance. I decided I wanted to change that. I wanted to either prove they existed or prove that they didn’t exist. I surprised myself. I purchased some tuning forks on the 7-chakra system and started using them on people who were visiting me for sound healing. I used to run the particular tuning fork over the chakra and when the chakra was underperforming, the tone became dull over the chakra. When the fork went up in frequency, the chakra seemed to be overperforming. What established my belief in the chakra system was when I diagnosed the client at the end of the session, the chakra system was telling me what the client had been through, before they even started to speak. This was so accurate and paradigm-changing for me, I learnt more about sound healing and even looked at different ways of healing the chakras. I have become a Ki Gong instructor and love working with the chakra system through movement now, as well as sound. Are your creativity and confidence lacking? Your creativity is mainly to do with your second or sacral chakra. When this is blocked, you will be lacking in creative ideas. This can be easily remedied in various different ways. I find a very quick way to bring this back into balance is taping two inches below your belly button with gentle fists for five minutes. Deep humming will do this also. The lacking in confidence is to do mainly with your throat chakra being blocked. Humming will really help with this blocked chakra. Using your voice to heal your body is so powerful, that is why our ancestors have used the voice for thousands of years. Going back to our natural ways our ancestors discovered doesn’t mean going and living in a mud hut and singing at the sun necessarily. Not saying I think there is anything wrong with that. But we can use what we have in any surrounding to bring us back into a more natural state. That is where humming can help with both your creativity and confidence. What can humming do for you? I will refer to Jonathan Goldman again who put this list together from all the scientific research he has done on humming. Here are a few of the many benefits. Increased oxygen in the cells—enhancing health and wellness. Lowered blood pressure and heart rate Increased lymphatic circulation—clearing toxins from the body Increased levels of melatonin—a hormone that enhances sleep Reduced levels of stress-related hormones—enhancing health and wellness Release of endorphins—self-created opiates that work as “natural pain relievers” and make us feel good Increased levels of nitric oxide, (NO), a molecule associated with vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels, and the promotion of healing Release of oxytocin–the “love” hormone, creating trust between us. Increased Nitric Oxide is an incredible discovery. It was announced as molecule of the year in Science back in 1992. Among its many attributes, it enhances our immune system, our respiratory system, and our cardiovascular system. Sound and vibration have been shown to release Nitric Oxide in the body. When you practice your humming, and really feel the vibrations deep down inside of your body, you can actually feel parts of your body that are blocked, starting to open. Once you get really good at sensing and feeling the vibration inside of your body, you can actually direct the vibration to where you want it to go. The lower tones are to do with the lower parts of the body and the higher tones to the upper parts of the body. You can actually feel the vibration moving up your spine when you start off with a low hum and move it up in tone gradually. Feel the vibration moving up the spine and now you know what that is actually doing for your body when your intention is there. I have a free YouTube video on humming for you to try the technique for five minutes. It is sometimes easier to have something practical to follow at first when you first start on the road of sound healing using humming. Here is the link to the video. Have fun. Here is the study on humming meditation, also known as bhramari pranayama. If you would like some help going deeper into sound healing, meditation and mindfulness, I do run an online coaching programme to help you find what you are looking for in your life. Click the link below. I would be honoured to hear your story so far, and see where we can get you in the future. Just click this link. Want to learn more from Peter? Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit his website. Read more from Peter! Peter Paul Parker, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Peter Paul Parker is an expert in the mind-body connection, a sound healer, and working with both the energy body and the physical body. Peter is a Ki Gong champion, having entered a competition with the British Team in Korea in 2016, winning the International competition. Peter has run a successful coaching business for many years and has particularly done some amazing work with the elderly. He has set up a charity called Brighter Living to help the elderly with their health and well-being using Ki Gong and meditation. Peter has also worked with schools in his local area, helping people connect with themselves, from grandchild to grandparents. Peter has launched the Bright Beings Academy, which is his online business, which incorporates everything that he does to empower people to reach their full potential as human beings. Peter's motto is 'If you don't own your future self, somebody else will!'

Written by: Ruby Rose Walker, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Are you asking for support when you need it? Asking for support is not only OK, it’s powerful! If you aren’t reaching out for support when you need it, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there. But the sooner you push past your internal barriers and ask for support when you need it, the stronger you are going to feel, the easier your life is going to become, and the more you will be setting yourself up for success. As human beings in this society, we are so reluctant to reach out to others for support. Whether it be within our personal or professional lives, we often choose to be overwhelmed, stressed, and to struggle rather than admitting we can’t do it alone. We fear that we will be judged by other people, and by ourselves. We fear that people will think we’re incompetent, we should know better, we’re an annoyance, the list goes on. The thing is, we can’t be great at everything, we can’t do everything alone, we can’t get to the top without first starting at the bottom, NO ONE can. And the irony is, the more we ask for help from others, the faster and more successfully we will get to where we want to be in our lives. A common trait in successful people is that they know when to ask for help, and they do it often. They’re not afraid to ask for support, and they don’t care if people judge them for doing so. One important thing we often don’t consider is that people LOVE to help. We love to give advice, to share our hard-earned knowledge, to play a part in improving the lives of others or reduce their suffering (the majority of suffering these days is caused by stress and feeling overwhelmed or lonely). Human beings are hardwired for connection, and helping one another is one of the most integral parts of human connection. Next time you feel stressed and overwhelmed or you’re struggling, ask yourself: “Is this something that the support of another could help with?” This support could be within your personal or professional environment. You may need support with knowledge, skills, physical help, emotional support, guidance, or coaching. Remember, the barrier is internal. Push past that barrier and show yourself that you value yourself enough to ask for what you need. It just takes doing it once, to make it easier next time. And it just takes doing it a few times for it to feel normal and for you to feel the benefits. For you to realise that asking for support is a sign of strength, and one of the kindest things you can do for yourself. Follow me on Faceboo k , Instagram , L inkedIn and visit my we bsite ! Read more from Ru by ! Ruby Rose Walker, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ruby Rose is an international coach whose clients achieve life-changing transformation from the inside out. She is passionate about empowering individuals to step into their full potential to live with intention and lead with impact. Her unique life growing up across continents and cultures and her non-linear career path strongly influences her approach in unlocking the right path for each client. Knowing intimately how no two lives are the same, her work with clients is personal and tailored to each unique situation. She strongly believes there’s no right approach for all and coaches individuals to tap into their own unique potential to achieve a fulfilling life of their own. Having overcome her own experiences with a burnout in the past through mindful rewiring, Ruby Rose aims to be a partner on your journey to create a life of alignment, empowerment, and purpose you deserve.

Written by: Ivonne Zucco, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Bal·​ance (noun) A state in which different things occur in equal or proper amounts or have an equal or proper amount of importance. About two years ago, a speaker at a training introduced me to the idea that attempting to separate work from life, as in "work-life balance," was unreasonable. I agree; work is part of life. At a minimum, we spend about a third of our lives working and, if we have healthy habits, a third sleeping. This idea of work-life balance then leaves us with the notion that labor takes away from "life" and makes us judge ourselves when more of our life "time" is consumed by paid work. Conversely, the saying "if you do what you love, you will not work a day in your life" also sets false expectations. Most jobs are profit and results-driven endeavors. Because of its transactional nature, it is unavoidable to feel apprehension, even when we are passionate about what we do. If you were to, for example, volunteer the same work you do, most of the stress would probably go away because the financial and formal evaluation of your performance would be gone. Additionally, maintaining good time management habits is even more challenging with the pandemic and remote work becoming the norm. Tending to your children, picking up dry cleaning, and filling your car's tank is no longer limited to after work hours or weekends. In the same manner, work time spills into your evenings, making it feel like it never stops. Unfortunately, since we humans are wired to be social creatures, our jobs' perceived internal and external pressures feel stressful. This is because the neurons that feed our need for approval and belonging are linked to our pain systems. Setting boundaries is easy — maintaining them is difficult. To beat this instinct, self-regulation and pursuing internal clarity are essential. Here are a few guidelines you can follow to try to build a routine that allows you for enough play, relax and recharge time without the thought of work following you everywhere you go: 1. Try to wake up every day around the same time and set a morning routine that allows your brain to awaken gently. For example, you can take time in the morning to center by exercising, drinking your tea or coffee in a quiet space, or doing a chore that takes you away from thinking about the long to-do list waiting for you at work. If your preference is reading the news, try to do it the old-fashioned way (paper) and stay away from screens. Checking the information on the internet can easily extend to checking your email and make you miss a precious centering time necessary to start the day right. 2. Set a time to start your workday and try to stay away from doing work before then. Also, create a ritual to begin your business day. By following the same steps every day, you will create predictability, which will help you ease into your tasks. 3. Separate time for activities that require focus in your calendar and stick to it. One trick that has worked for me is setting a twenty-five-minute timer while I do thoughtful work. Twenty-five minutes is enough time for me to concentrate but not too long to feel bored. During that time, I do not allow myself to check any forms of communication and then concede to a bit of distraction time. I often find that I rarely need a break once I am deep in the work. 4. Separate two or three blocks of time during the day to respond to emails and resist the urge to look in between those times. Also, practice answering only those messages that require your input and avoid "replying to all" as much as possible. Use the like button or other features to acknowledge the receipt of emails. Unsubscribe from the list and emails that do no longer make sense for you to receive. Use codes like FYI, Action Required, High Priority, etc., on emails subjects to assign importance. 5. To manage external expectations, be sure that you are clear and consistent about your available times for work-related requests. Use all the tools that technology provides: Automatic replies, email signature, voicemail greetings (office and cell phones), and be consistent with it. Most people will be ok with the fact that you are out, but they need to know what to expect from you. Try to eliminate the sound alerts and applications on your phone that are distracting when you are relaxing. 6. Decide a way you will communicate with your team and with those you are serving. For example, you can set up guidelines like: for feedback required within two business days, use email, for feedback needed during the workday use our teams chat, for answers within two hours use text, and for matters that require a response right away call me. 7. Divide your never-ending to-do list into micro and macro lists. Macro is the project you need to complete; micro are the steps that will take you to get there. By subdividing your macro list into the micro list, projects won't seem so overwhelming, and you will get a sense of completion once you check off items out of your micro list. It is essential to decide what are the three top things you can do today. 8. Allow a 15-30 min buffer between meetings to write your notes and get your follow-up started. 9. Decide in advance what time you will end working, and have an end of the workday routine. Reviewing your to-do list is an excellent way to end your day. You will feel prepared for the next day and disconnect knowing that things are more or less under control. 10. If you are a manager, show by example. Do not contact your team after work hours or on weekends. Most email systems now have a feature to schedule emails to be sent at a later time. As I mentioned in my previous article on burnout , the pandemic has caused many to reconsider the value of work as we knew it. Industries are suffering the consequences of people understanding that they cannot blindly comply with the demands imposed by our old way of working. I think that eventually, things will settle down, but will we be better off when this happens? I believe that we could be as long as we learn to balance the emotional toll our job has on us, so it does not interfere with rest and recovery time. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ivonne! Ivonne Zucco, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As the Founder and CEO of A Better Story Coaching, Ivonne's mission is to work with individuals searching for fulfillment and balance in their careers and with companies working towards intentional culture change. We are currently experiencing a significant shift in humanity. Because of the worldwide health crisis, individuals have learned that there is much more to life than working 12 hours a day. For so long, we believed that the only way to be happy was to follow the old script of working hard to obtain financial security and sacrifice our health and relationships to buy things to make us happy. Today people are learning that: Life balance is more important than wealth. Creating memories is more important than obtaining accolades Financial security does not mean more money; we can live with less Finding meaning in what we do is the only real fuel to living a successful life Ivonne works with those looking for clarity and purpose using a pragmatic approach to help them advance from where they are to where they want to be. Bilingual-bicultural (Spanish-Latino).

Written by: Marina Jankovic, 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. Not too long ago, coaching was mainly performance-focused – a conversation about the past performance gap, actions to reduce that gap and build capabilities in client's current role. Coaching was sometimes even used as a way for companies to outsource difficult conversations. When I started my coaching work in a corporate environment, my first coaching assignments focused on employee performance management. I worked with clients to identify their issues, look at the ideal outcome, set a goal, look at the gap, break it down into a step-by-step action plan, and wrap up a session with a client's commitment to action. Over the first two years of my coaching work, I've noticed that clients would report some progress but soon fall into their old patterns of behaviour, or they would start actioning their plan with enthusiasm but then give up halfway. I started questioning this traditional way of goal setting, focused on a client's problem at a ‘transactional level’ - surfacing the issue, then exploring options by asking questions that I hoped would lead to a client's breakthrough. But sustainable change can't happen when we pick one area of life, focus on a problem to be solved, with ignoring the fact that all life aspects are interconnected. Yes, we may get a temporary sense of progression, but not a lasting positive outcome. Coaching is most effective when we clarify who we want to become and look at all interconnected life aspects before setting meaningful goals. With a holistic approach to coaching that acknowledges all interconnected life aspects, clients gain a new perspective and different solutions that lead to long-term behavioural change. By coaching a whole person, instead of focusing on their problem in a vacuum, I can see my clients achieving extraordinary results and turning new insights into personal transformation. A new level of motivation is activated when they can recognise their dysfunctional patterns and what they need to do to change them. How to create sustainable change and set goals that you will actually achieve? 1. Look deeper into your WHY. WHY you want to make the most out of this area of your life will determine whether you achieve your goals. When your reason is strong, you'll do whatever it takes to overcome any obstacle in the process toward achieving the desired outcome. Start with answering these questions: • What empowers you to take action? • What motivates you to achieve your ideal state? • What you'll gain when you achieve it? What you'll lose if you don't? 2. Acknowledge that every area of your life is interconnected. By taking a more holistic approach to goal setting, you have more power to achieve lasting fulfilment and unlock your potential. For example, you can't be fulfilled by a promotion while your health is falling apart; or having great relationships when being broke. We all set goals, but when we develop a goal in isolation, we fail to understand interconnectivity and human motivation principles. When you know your WHY, and also get a deeper awareness of how improving one life aspect can lift other areas of your life, you will: Orientate your decision-making to create a broader impact Stay motivated to stick to the things that show up as your highest priority while exercising self-control and self-reliance Focus your time and energy towards the tasks and projects that bring your vision to reality and rarely get trapped in other people's agenda Measure your progress over time and see the benefits of consistency Finally, set goals that you will achieve and create a lasting change. 3. Act out of your desired identity. If you don't clarify your desired identity first, making you act with your WHY in mind, you will most likely fall into a goal-setting trap. You will set a new goal, but if you haven't changed who you are, you will not change your behaviour in the long run - therefore, you will fail to achieve your goal (which then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy). For example, anyone can convince themselves to go to a networking event, write a blog, go to the gym once or twice, but if you don't shift your belief about who you are, it is hard to achieve a sustainable change. When your positive actions confirm your new identity, your brain will not resist change – your purposeful habits will increase your confidence to handle ambiguity and obstacles. 4. Focus on incremental gains. Start with small steps that don't seem too challenging, and with conscious and consistent actions, you will see positive results and become more self-motivated to overcome any obstacle. Find the simplest way of implementing what works for you, as you will most likely work on improving more than one life area simultaneously. This approach will help you build identity habits that give you a sense of success every day – you will enjoy the process instead of seeing success as an end goal. Most importantly, it will help you achieve sustainable change, even when friction is high. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Marina Jankovic, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marina Jankovic is a Master Coach and DE&I Leader with 17 years of international experience in Business Management, Learning & Development and Executive Education. She has managed a Global Talent and Diversity & Inclusion for a company operating in 180 markets and directly contributed to building a more diverse talent pipeline and inclusive culture. Marina brings psychological depth and a multi-system perspective to her clients and has partnered with numerous private and public sector organisations, both in-house and as a consultant, helping them design and implement experiential learning programs and coaching culture. Drawing from her own business and talent development experience, along with 3000+ executive coaching hours and hundreds of clients' stories, Marina identifies stepping stones towards creating a more significant impact in business and life. She is the author of a best-selling book Your Time To Shine, a pearl of practical wisdom for women - and men - to create the lives they want, by choosing courage, leading authentically, and contributing to a better world for the generations to come.

Written by: Deirdre Morrison, 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. Have you ever ridden a tandem? You know, one of those funny-looking bicycles for two cyclists? I did recently. On a number of levels, it was an amazing experience, and one that I’d strongly recommend as an exercise in self-awareness. As I rode down a muddy trail on the back of the bicycle made for two, I realised that riding a tandem is a great metaphor for life, love, business, and in many ways, the inner workings of our brains. Riding a tandem, as I was told before setting off, is all about communication. The owner told me she wouldn’t be at all surprised if I ended up in tears, or fell off within the first few minutes. But off we set, regardless. Technically speaking, I was the stoker. That’s the person who sits at the back. The person at the front is the pilot. It’s widely agreed that the rear is where all the work gets done. But to be absolutely fair, the front takes the bulk of the responsibility. Give me the grunt work anytime over the idea that we might both crash and injure ourselves if I forgot to communicate something to my partner, or misjudged a turn. So each has a role, and they are not the same. They both carry weight, and they really need to understand each other. Communication, as I mentioned, is the key. But that’s not a one way street either. The stoker needs to help the pilot refine the information they communicate - let them know what information would be useful to have. But as I sat on the back, giving it all my little legs could give it, something dawned on me. I realised that I was trying to take control of a journey I couldn’t see. I was trying to steer the bike without knowing where it was headed. I was, infact, working against my pilot. The urge to be autonomous, to determine where I was going, even when I couldn’t see what was ahead of me, was so strongly wired into me, that I actually ran the risk of scuppering the whole adventure. I noticed that I was grasping the (pretty pointless) handle bars too firmly, as I tried to ‘steer’ the bike. I realised that that I was probably making it harder work for my partner than it needed to be. I needed to trust that the pilot had things in hand, and let go. Let go. It was a bit of a light bulb moment. I consciously loosened my grip. I trusted that this person sitting in front could see where we were going, and knew how to get us there. I took my hands off the bars altogether, and gave up that need to control something that was, essentially, beyond my control. And you know what? All of a sudden, it became a more pleasant experience. I could focus on what I was supposed to do - pedal! I could look around and enjoy the scenery. I could enjoy the smiles on the faces of everyone we passed. And those smiles were so warm and genuine. Seeing a tandem go by just seems to make people happy. And I’m still not sure if it’s about the novelty, the silliness or some underlying recognition that this is an activity that requires the sort of integrated approach and mutually supporting roles that we could all benefit from having, and being, with others AND within ourselves. We need to communicate effectively to ensure we’re moving in the right direction, as efficiently as possible. We need to do our bit, but also trust that others are doing theirs. Without trust, we’re just making it harder for ourselves. We are all stokers AND pilots. We are all the power AND the direction. It’s never one or other - we need both to get to where we’re going. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Deirdre Morrison, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Deirdre Morrison is the founder of The Ambition Incubator platform and podcast. Her mission is to deliver practical tools from the field of neuroscience to help entrepreneurs and leaders be happier, healthier, more effective and successful in all the areas of their lives that matter to them. Deirdre is a proponent of life-long learning, an interest that ultimately led her to study applied neuroscience. She works with individual clients and runs group programmes, including The Ambition Incubator Collective, which specifically helps women who have taken a child-care career break to pull off the post-parenting pivot often necessary to reboot their careers. Her other interests include the Japanese sword art of Kendo, road cycling, and reading. She runs free weekly development groups based on dynamic co-readings of business classics.

Written by: Shimrit Nativ, 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. Well-being is a natural state of being. Nature provides us with all our needs, so we can grow from a seed to a human. We are born feeling worthy of care, nurture, and love. Yet the majority of adults are stressed and not fully, or even at all happy. According to the American Institute of Stress, 77% of people experience stress that affects their physical health. 33% of people report feeling extreme stress and 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress. Why, and what does that really mean? We are born into this world open to receive and have our needs met, as well as to learn countless new ideas, information, and functions like speaking our mother's tongue, chewing, walking, and tying shoelaces. In the first years of life, our conscious mind is not dominant and it is still developing, while our subconscious mind is wide open to receive information from the environment and learn it as a skill or a habit. Paradigms When we were very young, up until about seven years old, our brain operated on Delta, and then Theta brainwaves. This is what enabled us to learn an endless amount of information, which turned into everything that we now know how to do subconsciously. Over and over again we did those things until they were ingrained in us, and over and over again we also heard things and received information about ourselves and about life that was not necessarily true, and which eventually became our paradigm. Since we are born into an environment where 77% of people are stressed, and that 70-80% of most people's thoughts are negative (according to a research conducted by the National Science Foundation) then as young children it profoundly impacted the paradigm and concepts of life on any level. These concepts and perceptions were transferred to us by our environment, namely our parents and caregivers, and so did they learn it subconsciously as children, and so on... And so do our children (or so will our future generations). If you want only the best for your child (or anyone else), you can only provide that by being happy and well yourself. When you are calm, present, at ease, and relaxed with your children, you're providing that environment for them to learn this state as a skill and a habit. Doesn't that just make sense? Ask yourself: Are you in the 77%? On a scale, how much of your time are you unhappy, worried, tensed or tired? Well-being is a skill. It is learned as such in the first years of our life, and it can be learned at any age, like any skill, by repetition and practice. Just like any other skill, there are ways and techniques, tools and practices that by repetition develop and sustain the level of mastery, and enable generational well-being. The paradigms that you've unconsciously and subconsciously learned in childhood are composed of frames of thoughts and beliefs. A belief is a thought that you keep thinking, it's a habit of thought. You want to be able to choose your level of thinking. This freedom of choice is a skill. Paradigms show patterns. You think, feel and act in patterns. A pattern is a kind of an addiction. We're addicted to our patterns of thinking, feeling and reacting, as well as to the conditions in our life. We are addicted to it because it is what we know, what we are used to. The Process Every thought has a circuit in the brain, and every feeling has a chemical reaction. We are biologically addicted to the chemicals that our thoughts and feelings are producing in our body. But you are greater than your body. You have conscious awareness.You are truly free to choose your thoughts and focus. No one else could choose it for you. This freedom of choice is a skill. You can change your habit of thought and the paradigm you've learned to think and live in. You can break through the addiction and create new circuits in your brain by repetition and practice, and you can be in the small percentage of people who feel consistent calm, confidence, and happiness. And by doing this you impact everyone around you, starting with your loved ones, and so their level of well-being grows too. You can create the environment you really want to provide for your children and loved ones, and be an advocate for them, and for others. How do we change what is in our subconscious mind? The same way it was imprinted there in the first place, which is a combination of two things: repetition and dwelling in the level of the subconscious, meaning those brainwaves we were mostly operating in during our first years of life. Meditation changes our brainwaves. When we meditate and relax biologically and naturally the brainwaves change. And so this means, in other words, that we get “closer” to the subconscious. By creating a habit of meditation and combining it with repetition of wanted thoughts, that over time and with this practice, replace the old thought frames and paradigms, you can break through cycles of pain and suffering, not only for yourself, but for generations to come. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Shimrit Nativ, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Shimrit Nativ is a leader and expert in human potential and transformation. She is the CEO of Master Your Path - a leading edge academy for emotional & mental well-being. Shimrit has helped hundreds of driven and creative individuals across the globe create and sustain a consistent baseline of calm, confidence and fulfilment. She helps high-performers tap into their limitless powers and make the emotional and conscious shifts necessary to create a life they love.

Written by: Dr. Tonia Winchester, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. GLINDA You've always had the power to go back to Kansas. DOROTHY I have? SCARECROW Then why didn't you tell her before? GLINDA Because she wouldn't have believed me. She had to learn it for herself. This scene is from the 1939 classic movie the Wizard of Oz. After a long, treacherous journey, struggling to overcome blocks to their goals, the group of misfit travellers finally meet the wizard. They hope that he will remedy all of their (perceived) deficits but they discover that actually everything they needed to be who they wanted to be was inside them the entire time. And the same is true for you. Everything you need to succeed and live a life that lights you up is already inside you. Now, if you’ve ever failed at something, or not reached a goal, or struggled to find joy and peace in any given moment then you know this might seem like a myth. If everything you need is inside you, why are you still stuck? Perhaps you’ve done years of counselling but you still find yourself in the same uncomfortable patterns, overwhelming situations, and underwhelming relationships. Or maybe you’ve tried meditation or guided visualizations with the purpose of listening to that little voice inside you but you end up more confused than when you began. How can that be helpful? What are you supposed to do with that? This article will show what’s blocking you from actually tapping into your own master and wizard inside you. By “inside” I mean within your unconscious mind. The trouble with this deep part of you is that you’re not aware of it. Your cleverly named unconscious mind is the most powerful driver you have access to. But it’s very nature of being under the surface is how it can keep you stuck. For a lot of us it’s running on autopilot, keeping us going through the motions of the same old ruts, triggers, and behaviors. Your unconscious mind is also your tool to breaking through whatever you’re trying to overcome. You just need to learn to work with it. Stop for a minute and consider this. Who is reading these words? Who is breathing for you? Who is growing your hair? Of course in all three examples it's you but it's that part of you so deep down inside your mind that it’s beyond your critical faculty aka your thinking or conscious mind. We can even call this the ego. Even if you knew everything there was to know about growing hair, from the nutrients needed, to the enzymatic processes involved, to the structure of each hair follicle, you still wouldn’t be able to grow your hair or stop it from growing at will, would you? No, of course not. It’s all happening below the surface in the unconscious mind - the place where all change, learning, habits, and healing happens. I’ll say that again. Your unconscious mind is the place where all change, learning, habits and healing happens. It’s like the powerful tools that you need to unlock your exceptional life are buried in a treasure box inside your mind. All you need to do is find it, dig it up, and unlock it. Easy right? To find buried treasure, first you’ll need a map, next a digging tool, and lastly a key. Inside the box is a pile of glowing, sparkling jewels in the form of values, perspectives, beliefs, and skills that you need to get everything that you want out of life. But the problem is the treasure box is protected by a terrifying and aggressive guard dog and a barbed wire fence (which by the way, is a metaphor for your critical faculty). As fun as this analogy is, let's bring it back to why this is important to you. What does this have to do with you and your goals? The truth is there is a lot happening in your unconscious mind that is being kept from you for a reason, a higher purpose or intention. It could be safety, protection, or even peace. When you go digging for this stuff on your own, you’re blocked by the guard dog and the fence. You’re shut out to keep yourself safe and it doesn’t matter if you have the shovel or the key! And this is why it can be really hard to make necessary changes on your own. You need a guide to get you past these barriers. If you've been walking around in circles - like a lot of my clients - trying to figure out why you can't ever overcome your burnout and get on with your joyful, successful life (that must exist for you, right?) then maybe you need a helpful guiding companion who can give you a different set of tools. Maybe you need a new up-to-date map, an excavator instead of a shovel, or a fob instead of a rusty old key. Neuro-linguistic programming practitioners and coaches can override all of these obstacles by using subtle verbal and non-verbal language patterns to speak directly to the unconscious mind (the treasure box) and bypass the critical faculty (the fence and the guard dog), unlocking the power (the treasure) that already exists with in you. When I guide clients through a personal “breakthrough” process, we change the map by clearing negative emotions and traumas from the past. For the women who I help overcome burnout and anxiety, this changes how they filter and experience the world. We swap out the digging tool by re-coding limiting beliefs to positive, self-affirming ones - ones that really get the job done. Lastly we find the exact key that helps them connect to joy, peace, and pleasure in the present moment - all of that treasure inside the box. No longer are they looking outside themselves for success but are reunited with their own internal gold mine. Safely. Easily. Effortlessly. It all emerges from within, the discovery of and connection to everything they need. And this is their new, regular way of being in the world. To learn more about or apply for your own personal breakthrough head over to https://www.toniawinchester.com/breakthrough/ Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Dr. Tonia Winchester, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Tonia has been practicing as a Naturopathic Doctor since 2007. With contemporary neurological reprogramming techniques, she helps women overcome burnout, stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Essentially she helps them calm their minds, sleep deeply, and find joy and energy in their lives again. Guiding clients through a "Breakthrough" process, they recode their unconscious minds for change, self-care, and success, priming them to create new, healthy, sustainable habits. Dr. Tonia has been featured on CTV, the Costco Connection, The Elephant Journal, Conscious Nutrition, The Autoimmune Simplified Podcast, and the New Generation Entrepreneur Podcast. Ultimately she helps everyday people create exceptional lives for themselves and their communities. To learn more about her brain-based coaching breakthroughs, head on over to https://www.toniawinchester.com/breakthrough/

Written by: Bob Choat, 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. Each time I allowed my mindset to be filled with negative self-talk, it threw my momentum off. In many cases, it also stopped me from progressing. That mental chatter is what keeps us from reaching our goals and true success. Yes, we have a plan to what we want to accomplish, and we begin that journey towards the outcome we want. Then… BOOM! We find ourselves facing our biggest enemy. That enemy is us. Our performance drops. FLOW states reside from within, not from the outside of us. In Ancient Greece, the aspect of eudaimonia shows where the true value of happiness resides versus that of hedonistic values (which is primarily externally driven happiness). Those that get caught up in hedonistic lifestyle tends to compare themselves to others and this becomes a vicious cycle (aka: the hedonic treadmill). Our mental chatter is linked, in part, to this external value of hedonism as well as the comparison trap. Both are related traps that can lead us down a destructive path. My generation (Baby Boomers) fell deep into hedonistic trap and even the comparison trap. I recall the obsession of buying a BMW back in the early 1980’s. It seemed that everyone wanted a “Bimmer” and those young executives were referred to as “Yuppies.” Whenever we get this mental chatter and even our “monkey mind”, our performance will drop. In many cases it drops so far that it can “sink to the bottom of the well.” Luckily there is a solution. That’s where accessing the State of FLOW comes in. FLOW is literally the state of optimal experience as defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book, FLOW. “Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz.” - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi When I am engaged in an activity that brings me joy, I easily get into a FLOW state. This is most obvious when I challenge myself just a bit more than what I am used to. FLOW happens when skill and challenge are at its highest level. That’s the reason beginners have a harder time to get into FLOW. They are usually at the conscious incompetent stage of learning. At the unconscious competent does a person find it easier to get into FLOW because of their high skill level. Again, so long as they challenge themselves a bit beyond that skill level. World class athletes and world class extreme sports athletes rely of this to raise their skills and what they can do. It’s the same with artists, writers, actors, creators, entrepreneurs, scientists, musicians, etc.… Interestingly, being a state of FLOW also affects time. It feels like time speeds up and yet, when we are completely focused, we’re able to perceive the activity we’re engaged in deeper. Any time we’re focused on one thing, time speeds up (when the experience is filled with joy) and slows down (when the experience brings in pain). Time in both instances is relative and so is FLOW. “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.” -Albert Einstein Here’s the key to stop your negative mental chatter, find that activity brings you joy, have a good or high level of skill and are willing to up the challenge. Do this on a regular basis. When you’re focused on this, it will be impossible for your mind to have any mental chatter. You see, being in those focused moments, you can’t be distracted by thoughts. It’s those negative thoughts that stop writers from moving forward (like I have). Yet, when I simply write (with a smile), the words seem to flow. Yes, I am smiling right now. This kind of happiness only comes within and engaged in what brings life to your soul. FLOW does just that: creating a “Smiling Soul.” Now is the time to add more FLOW into your life. A suggested read would be Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal’s book, Stealing Fire as well as the previous mentioned book, FLOW. Finally, here are 7 tips to help get you into a FLOW State... 1. Focus on your physical body. While doing this, keep aware of your skill level. The goal is to progressively challenge yourself. 2. Focus on your mind. It’s easy to deviate towards the negative. Through focused concentration, you can steer back to the positive. 3. Leverage your memory. Doing this, you will be able to access a memory where you successfully accomplished a goal and assessed your skill level at that time as well as the challenges you needed to do. 4. Focus on your thoughts. When we are “lost in our thoughts” we get to have an autotelic experience versus the external rewards that many get caught up in. 5. Journal or communicate in some other way. When I engage in activities while building my skill level, I will take notice of where I am at. This includes the feedback. From there, I will journal it as this gives me an understanding of where I am at during the time of the writing. 6. Be a life-long learner. The kind of learning that I am talking about is that which goes beyond one’s formal education and into one that is intrinsic. This is something that I continue to do and always will. 7. Focus on the work at hand. This includes your job or some other tasks. Make sure they have a goal in which to aim for and offers you the ability to challenge yourself. Also, the goals should enable you to incorporate an intrinsic value to it for yourself. (Tips adapted from https://positivepsychology.com/flow-activities/) “Time slows down. Self vanishes. Action and Awareness merge. Welcome to Flow.” - Steven Kotler Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Bob Choat, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Bob is the host of The School of Transformation Podcast, the author of Mind Your Own Fitness, and the forthcoming book, Develop the Champion Within. He is a U.S. Marine Veteran (1st Force Recon) and former LAPD Police Officer. He is also an accomplished martial artist with a 5th-degree black belt in Kenpo, a Sr. Instructor in Jeet Kune Do, and a Master Instructor in Close Quarter Combat + numerous other black belts as well as president of an international martial arts organization. He is a lifelong learner as he has his Ph.D. in psychology, master's in leadership, and has studied under top professionals/experts in the fields of psychology, neuro-linguistic programming (becoming a Master Trainer), flow, and more...