Written by: Brigitte Münch, 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. Silence and stillness are magical and paradox. You can find yourself in a very quiet environment and start feeling uncomfortable. You hear your breath, your blood circulation, your heartbeat – and thoughts of all kinds rush through your brain. You become nervous and restless. The next day, you may sit in a crowded rush hour train with lots of noise around you and feel very calm and peaceful. Your mind is centred and focused, and you are able to lock out your surroundings. We are conditioned to rush and be multitasking. To hurry and be busy. Be entertained. Do more. Do it faster. Be available. No break. Noise everywhere, around us and inside of us. And at one point in time, we realize that we cannot go on like this. That we do not want to. We feel empty and tired. Unhappy. Lose our energy and then our smile. Become sick. Burn out. Feel that we are miles away and disconnected from ourselves. Our soul. Our balance. Our values. Running after something we do not even know what it is. Time for silence to find stillness. Our mind, brain and body need to rest. They need quiet to repair and recharge. To find and keep balance. To stay healthy. To be creative. To be at ease. To build up physical and mental muscles. To strengthen resilience and navigate through tough times. To rediscover joy and laughter. In a silent environment, inner peace and stillness have a chance to find their way. Not a highway, but a hidden path, overgrown with an underbrush of beliefs, experiences, emotions, injuries or even traumata, paradigms, self-protecting strategies and the perception we have developed about ourselves and the world, year after year after year. It is a path which may not feel good in the beginning, it may cause uncertainty or even anxiety about the things we may hear in that silence – yet, it is a path worth finding and going. We have learned so hard to ignore our needs and desires, to thrust them aside and to tell them to shut up. However, they are very tenacious, and deep inside of us, they are still scratching at the door of our awareness. In silence, we are able to open that door a crack wide. And once we open up, we detect that the state of stillness is not static. Instead, we can find new ways, unknown options and undetected possibilities. If we stop talking to our mind, it will start talking to us. It is worth listening. In stillness, communication begins. It may take some time until our inner voice dares to speak up again. And then it reminds us of the things, which are important to us, of our values, desires, purpose and needs. It unfolds the mechanisms to change our perspective and see our situation in a different light. It gives us back our ability to read our inner compass and start walking into the direction we need. To integrate the parts within us, which we have ignored so masterfully, and accept them as part of our being. If we find stillness and inner peace, we automatically send positive vibes into our world. In that sense, our peaceful state of mind is contagious as it changes our charisma. We become not only more compassionate with ourselves, but also more alert and attentive in our relationships to others and to nature. With our sharpened senses, we are able to be much more present and alive and to see things we have not noticed before. Find a quiet space where you can be on your own from time to time. Just you, with everything you are. If you have not been in silence for a long time, this may be scary at first – try to accept it as a totally normal reaction. By feeling uncomfortable and restless, your body and mind reveal what they have missed and show you that you are on the right track. You may just start by sitting still and listening for a minute. Or a half. You do not have to be an immediate Zen-master. Free yourself from expectations. Sit down, close your eyes and just listen. Don´t do anything else. Listen to whatever you may hear in this silence – and listen with all your senses. Dependent on where you are, you may hear and feel the wind, sense hot air on your skin or the snowflakes falling from the sky. Maybe you see the bright sunlight or the dark through your closed eyes. Maybe you smell the scent of the forest or the bloom of flowers, the salty air or your own perfume. Maybe you hear your heart beat and your breath going in and out. Just try and keep quiet and alert as long as you can. And if you cannot stand it or your mind is wandering around, observe it and accept it without judgement. Open your eyes, notice your surroundings, take a deep breath and try again. I bet you will notice a change after a very short while. And you will become addicted to these little islands of stillness, peace and inner calm – they will be your reliable guide and connect you with yourself and others in a new way. Give yourself permission and room to be quiet and become still. You will find that everything you desire is within you. And even more than that. Magic. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Brigitte Münch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Brigitte Münch is an expert in ethical digital transformation and coaches leaders, teams and companies through their requirements and challenges in our digital times. After more than 20 years in the IT industry, where she worked as legal consultant, negotiator, motivator, advisor, project lead, hamster wheel runner, trainer and mentor in various countries, she decided to combine her digital expertise with her passion for people. She now helps leaders and companies in our digitalized, technologized world to (re)discover their goals and values, talents and potentials and define their mission and vision to create a more inspiring working culture and change results to the better. "Start leading yourself and discover the immense power and potential inside of you, your employees and your company."

Stacey Henry-Carr is an ex-corporate leader who now helps people identify, interrupt, and replace blockers to live more meaningful and intentional lives. She is a Jay Shetty Certified Life Coach, Marisa Peer Certified Hypnotherapist, and an author of "Live Your Truth and Break the Cycle." She practices authentic leadership and servitude in everything she does. She has always had a passion for helping others to become their best selves. She has a passion for reading, writing, traveling, dancing, singing off-key, and the beach. She spends her days coaching clients, writing, and creating meditation recordings. Stacey has overcome her life challenges which have strengthened her will to serve others. She believes that her true legacy to her children will be the lives she has touched by motivating and inspiring others to change. She writes inspiring quotes such as "Visualize what you desire and laugh out loud as if it is already accomplished." Stacey Henry-Carr, Certified Life Coach, Marisa Peer Certified Hypnotherapist Who is Stacey Henry-Carr? I serve women to show them that they are not alone in their situation. They have the power within them to change the trajectory of their lives. I am passionate about being to someone else what I needed at one point in my life. Serving others fulfills my passion and purpose. It is what wakes me up to take inspired action each day. The foundation of my work includes open and honest communication, aligned values, integrity, and heart. I do what I say I am going to do, and I believe in timely follow-through. What services and products, if any, does your business offer? Stacey Henry-Carr works with women ready to release all blocks that are keeping them from a happy and successful life. We accomplish this together using Life Coaching and Rapid Transformational Therapy. If you find yourself in a negative loop, lacking confidence, feeling overwhelmed and ready for your best life my Mind Spa services is for you. Mind Spa is a combination of Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching. What is the passion behind what you do? My passion ignited when I worked through my moments of defeat. I have experienced some life challenges, and I relate with my clients’ concerns. Life is a journey, and we can choose how we move through this journey. My choice is to journey with joy. We are all a work in progress. Looking back, I have had some difficult moments that I am grateful I overcame. I now see the lessons in those moments that I can share with others. I get so passionate and excited when my clients have breakthroughs, lightbulb moments, or come to a resolution. My biggest passion is the legacy of service that I want to leave for my children. That thought alone gives me great joy. What can a client expect to gain from working with you? After a session, my client will be aware of what’s blocking them, know the steps and tools they need to move forward. They will have a clear vision of what they need to succeed. My clients also get a 20-minute hypnotic recording to help them reprogram their old thoughts and beliefs. I love when my clients have their breakthrough. I love when they figure out that they knew the answers all along but just needed someone to help them pull it out. Here is what one of her clients had to say: “I have had two hypnotherapy sessions with Stacey. They have helped me to change my mind for the better. I now think more positively in a way I wasn’t sure was possible. I am more confident and self-assured about who I am. During the sessions, I became clear on past traumas and experiences. This awareness has helped me to acknowledge my past and recognize who I am in the present moment. I am so thankful to Stacey for the incredible work she does. It is clear she is so passionate about it”. -Cassidy Moses What are the criteria for a client to work with you? My ideal client needs to be willing to deep dive and do the work required to pull out the best version of themselves. They must ask themselves the hard questions and commit to wanting freedom from old beliefs. They must be willing to dig deep and find the root. What does success look like to you? I am successful when my work aligns with my top five values. They are family, peace, calm, partnership, and serving others with integrity and honesty. When it comes to your business, what is your best success story? My best success story is not giving up because I thought I was not ready. I recognized that it was just fear of the unknown and imposter syndrome. I immediately acted by identifying what caused the fear. At that moment, I learned that taking action helped eliminate these fears. It was during this time that I earned my certifications as a Life Coach and a Rapid Transformational Therapy Practitioner. Often we are afraid of the unknown, or we feel that we are not good enough. Those thoughts come from old beliefs that we must replace. My lesson learned was to take action and get started! What is your message for today’s women in business? Regardless of the type of business that a woman is in they must remain true to their values. When they compromise what they believe in and move too far away from their core values, they will find that business will become more challenging. Women in the business should still tap into their intuition. It is their inner compass that guides them through all aspects of their lives. They should find a centering routine such as meditating or reflective journaling. They should not allow the limiting and negative thoughts that were created so many years in their past to hinder their success. Everything that they do starts with their thinking. If they cure their mind, they will cure the rest of their lives including being successful in business. Follow Stacey on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit her website for more info! Read more from Stacey!

Written by: Marlena Davis, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I was in my early 20’s when I quit corporate America for the first time. After I developed a medical condition, my boss, whom I’d previously had a great relationship with, suddenly developed a huge problem with me. I didn’t understand it. Conditions became so unbearable that I had to go out on FMLA. The entire situation was terrible for months. When I finally returned to work, I was terminated at the end of the week. I was devastated. A part of me was angry. Another part of me felt completely hopeless because despite how I was treated and the things that were said to me I still had no recourse. The law did not protect me. I couldn’t return to corporate America. Not at that time. So, I decided to start my own business. I had no idea what I was doing, and I got involved with some bad people on some real estate deals. And then the bubble burst. It was a double whammy and the business failed. Miserably. I tried to start a couple of home-based businesses, but I possessed no business acumen whatsoever, and all I did was fail. Eventually, I was forced to return to corporate America at the age of 30. However, I kept a couple of LLCs in my back pocket to basically use as learning boards. And I also returned to college. Going back to corporate America was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do. Only the Lord knows how loudly I screamed in my head and the flood of tears that I had to fight back during that first week. And I had to start from the bottom. Like I was fresh out of high school all over again. I wasn’t just embarrassed. I was downright humiliated. No one understood how I felt. To actually have a degree and prior experience, but they’re dismissed because of a gap on my resume. That gap didn’t mean that I had amnesia. It didn’t make me any less valuable. However, I didn’t make a big deal out of it, I simply tried proving myself through my work. It was during these years that I experienced some unbelievable situations in the workplace. Situations that I probably would have never believed occurred had I not experienced them myself. They were truly unbelievable. Looking back on everything that I’ve been through, I’m convinced that the workplace wasn’t designed for me to succeed. I was a top performer consistently. But I wasn’t considered as valuable as some other employees. I worked very hard for every employer that I worked for. I sacrificed a lot for them...mentally and physically. In turn I was treated like I was worthless. In addition to feeling as if nothing that I did was good enough, I had to deal with toxic work cultures, micro aggressive behavior, bullying, humiliation, unjust terminations, etc. In 2019, I started a business called Virtuous Business Services after being terminated from two positions that same year. After the second termination I was just numb. I was tired. And I was angry. I was angry because both experiences seemed very purposeful. They felt oppressive, and that weighed heavily on me. After I started Virtuous Business Services, I knew that it would take some time to get the business up and running so I attempted to do the smart thing and I signed up with a couple of agencies for contract work. After going on a few interviews, I was reminded of how much I despised the interview process. To me, it seems like employers these days could care less if a candidate has the skills needed to perform the job or complete the work. They just want to see if the candidate is a “cultural fit” for the workplace. In other words, they just want to size up their personality and test their will to live. Prior to starting my business by life was a complete mess. I couldn’t even explain my financial situation because it was so ridiculous. Until very recently I didn't understand how much of what I went through in the workplace impacted my personal life. It does something to you knowing that you're not valued, and that you’re expendable. There are so many incompetent employees in the workplace who get away with murder, but every time I let it be known that I had some sort of boundary I was shown the door. That last time that I was terminated was it. I was done. I told myself that I wasn't going to allow anyone else to have that kind of control over my life. The power to control my financial situation and my quality of life was mine. At this point I REFUSE to go back to corporate America. I'll sleep on a park bench before I ever be anyone's employee ever again. I started Virtuous Business Services as a virtual assistant agency. I was simply using my skill set to provide services to small businesses who were overwhelmed and needed assistance. But the pandemic shut me down. During the lockdown I began to see an increase in new entrepreneurs who were hitting roadblocks in their businesses. They simply didn't know what to do or how to move forward. I've been in their position where I was stuck and not knowing what to do and making mistake after mistake and failing with two previous business ventures. So, I pivoted and rebranded as a micro business consultancy. I changed my business name to InPower Consulting and Professional Services. And my mission changed to coaching new entrepreneurs, helping them find their way, and reaching their goals. I want to be for them the person that I needed when I first ventured into entrepreneurship many years ago. I figured that I may not know everything there is to know about business (yet), but I'm an expert at failing. I can tell others exactly what NOT to do and guide them in the right direction. Right after I started my business, I also started documenting everything that I knew. A combination of years of gathering and combing through all of the free information on the internet and the lessons that I learned from my mistakes and failures. I ended up creating a robust program for those who want to transition out of the workplace and start their own business. It's called the 6-Month Career Professional to Entrepreneur Transition Program. It's specifically designed for those with little to no knowledge about business, but who wants to be their own boss. The program coaches them step by step through the process of starting a home-based business so that they will have a legitimate revenue generating business upon completion of the program. They will have the power to finally take back control of their lives. They will not have to feel bound to a toxic workplace anymore. They will have a door to freedom. I noticed that my consultations were turning into therapy sessions as I shared war stories about the workplace with my clients. I realized that there are so many people who have, and many still are, suffering in the workplace. It breaks my heart because I've been there. I know exactly what they're going through. Yet no one is talking about it. People are suffering in silence just like I did for so many years. People are being torn down, having their spirits broken, their voices stripped away, and their mental messed with at work. That is not ok with me, and I'm done being quiet about what happened to me. People need to hear it. They need to know that they are not alone and that there are others who understand. No one signs on with a company or organization to be stripped of their dignity...to be made to feel invaluable...or to suffer. Yet that is what is going on in the workplace. The workplace has become nothing more than modern-day slavery. Well, I'm going to show them that they have a choice. They have options. They do not have to tolerate any kind of abuse from anyone...especially not in the workplace. Employees are more valuable than they realize. They're necessary. Whether they know it or not they have the power to take back control of their lives and live it on their own terms. They are the ones with the skills. And they are literally operating someone else's business. Well, now I'm here to tell them that they are capable of operating their own business. So, I've begun speaking out on workplace trauma. It's a conversation that's long overdue. I'm going to tell my stories to anyone who will listen because it must stop. People deserve better. And that is where I am right now. Gearing up to launch my program soon and am searching for ways to be an advocate for those who are struggling in the workplace Follow me on Fa cebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Marlena Davis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marlena Davis is a Micro Business Consultant and Transition Coach. In addition to working with new entrepreneurs on starting virtual businesses with a solid foundation, she coaches and mentors career professionals who are transitioning into entrepreneurship. She works with them on healing from traumatic workplace experiences, utilizing their skill sets to their advantage, and shifting their mindsets from worry and defeat to purpose and power. MarIena also partners with established small business owners and assist with the incorporation of proven corporate strategies to create organizational efficiency and optimization within their businesses.

Written by: Jennifer Wert, 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. Working with so many different kinds of families over the past twenty-five years, I’m consistently inspired by all the ways family is defined. Some parents are of the same gender. Some live separately. Some adopted their children and others have less formally ‘taken theirs in’. There are of course step-moms and step-dads, widowers, blended families, and polyamourous parents. The list goes on... And then there are the single parents. The ones for whom there is no other adult to bounce off the day's trials and hilarity. To share the load. To high five. The ones who are both mom and dad. Who are on all the time. If you’re a full-time single parent and want to bring consciousness into your challenging role, here are some suggestions that I’ve seen work: Laugh a lot and apologize often Lean on others you trust Be authentic with your child Draw clear boundaries, because nobody else will Manage your time better Laugh a lot and apologize often As a single parent, you set the mood. There’s nobody else to balance you out. In this way, as you’re able, inject more laughter into your days and nights. Children are inherently somatic; they’re sensory-based. If you watch, their bodies alone tell you if your approach is too strong. With a bit of lightness, even some self-deprecation, they’re able to take your guidance more openly. And when you make mistakes (or are unnecessarily serious), apologize. Hearing you admit imperfection and owning it will allow them to see you as not just a parent, but as a human. One who’s doing your best to raise them right. Lean on others you trust Single parents must arrange times to interact with other adults for their own sanity (especially if they work from home) and for their children. There’s not a default adult under the same roof to add in their perspective, mood, and opinion so opening up your home to others is crucial. At the same time, be thoughtful about who you bring in close. Pick those who balance you out, those with whom you share a mutual respect. Those whom you’re most y-o-u around. Choose friends who add to your home, who you believe to be great examples for your children. Communities don’t need to be big, just more deliberately put together when you’re a single parent. Be authentic with your child When you’re the captain of the ship, it may seem counterintuitive to be too real, but I promise, it's not. There’s a way to do it that doesn’t underestimate your leadership but rather fortifies it. Admit what you’re working on, and let your children know that at times it’s hard to be the only adult. You appreciate their help that much more because it is just you. Be explicit with your truth. Showing your vulnerability teaches them that not everything in life is easy - even the things you love the most, like being their parent. Show them that you’re refining what you do every day. In other words, how to be human. Draw clear boundaries Boundaries create the shape of childhood. They’re a container within which your child can feel, explore, and be free. Sometimes it can feel downright heartbreaking to hold them on their own, to have your child blame only you, single-handedly, for their discontent. And yet, you know why. I hear more about the difficulty of establishing boundaries than most anything else. Kids push. And when you’re being pushed against, it can be easier to give in. But, we know all too well how this can snowball into more insidious problems in the future. Manage your time better Single parents have so much to manage. The kiddos’ calendars, their school, extracurriculars, sports, music, playdates, family time, and even downtime. And then everything on their own calendars as well. Not to mention, planning trips, dentist and doctors appointments, insurance, getting the mortgage paid along with the other bills, preparing food etc. It’s a heckuva lot for one person. Being organized can be a real game-changer. Layout daily lists, weekly goals, and practice prioritizing them. Create a large shared calendar so everyone can see what’s on the agenda. Get to bed earlier and wake up with a plan. Single parents have the potential to inspire in ways other parents cannot. They can single-handedly bring the laughter and hold the boundaries. They can create community and be especially raw and honest. They’re in charge of it all - managing time and making memories. It’s an epic feat. Each day. Hear Hear- to all the single parents out there, bringing consciousness to what matters most. Bringing their little ones up in their own unique way. You can also get connected to her social media accounts; Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! Read more from Jennifer! Jennifer Wert, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Professional Parent Coach, Jenn Wert, serves parents of young children around the globe who are looking for support in their conscious parenting. With a Master’s in Education, educator, and doula experience along with post-graduate social-emotional training, Jenn knows how to counsel parents who want to authentically communicate with their children. After decades of her own therapy, while concurrently working with many different family types, she brings honesty to her conversations and discernment to her listening that allows clients to grow. Jenn inspires parenting that is nurturing, true and transformative.

Written by: Kim Conway, 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 is Self-care? Why is this important? Self-care is anything you do intentionally to benefit your physical, emotional, or mental well being. This differs from routine care such as bathing or brushing your teeth, etc. Self-care can look different for each of us. Our self-care is typically the first thing we abandon when we are busy and stressed! Self-care is important because it allows you to be nurtured, so you can feel refreshed, and keep going. It helps to bring out the best version of you, your overall well-being, and then the well-being of others as you interact with them. It is important to learn what type of care helps you the most to feel happy, refreshed, and ready for whatever is placed in your path. Self care, To abandon it Is so unfair. For when your life Is filled with stress and strife You need to feel loved And be reminded You are so much more Than you could ever hope for…. Physical Self-care: What type of exercise & healthy foods do you fit into your days? This is anything that benefits your body and physical well-being. Eating nutritious food, exercising, and breathing fresh air all help our bodies reach their optimum health. It is important to listen to what your body needs and then honor it. Taking care of your body will help your overall emotional and mental health too! It can even boost one’s confidence! Exercise releases endorphins which are hormones that make us feel uplifted. It can also help you feel motivated, have energy, and to improve how you view yourself. Self-care for your Mental Health: Do you have an overactive mind distracting you and causing your emotions to be stirred up? Mental health is our psychological and emotional well-being. When you feel good in this way, your life feels more fulfilling, and your mood is upbeat and calm and to remain so even when facing stressors. How we think and feel controls our actions. How do you know you need some self-care for your mental well being? You must first recognize that you need self-care in order to begin to implement it. Are you feeling frazzled, overworked, stressed, emotionally drained, tired, or having trouble focusing? These are all indicators that you need some time to take care of yourself! Acknowledging you need some self-care is the first step toward valuing yourself. Some great practices for our minds and moods are journaling, meditation, walking, talking to others and reaching out to a professional for support. Self-care for your emotions: Do you ever feel your emotions are all over the place or that you are feeling extra sensitive? If so, these are great indicators that you can benefit from some self care for your emotions. It will help stabilize your emotions and help you feel more able to manage whatever your day throws at you. Doing something relaxing is helpful for your emotions. Reading, watching an uplifting movie, taking a bath or walking can all help you feel better. Sometimes being alone can help if you are feeling sensitive, while at other times, being with people who uplift you and make you laugh is what you need. ...When you give yourself The kindness you need, Your soul rises within To whisper in your ear: “Ask for what you need I AM always here.” Tips: Too busy to care for yourself? Enjoy 3 easy 1 minute self care rituals: Step outside and take 3 deep breaths. As you breathe in, imagine you are breathing in the universal life force and that it is moving throughout your body. As you breathe out, release anything not serving you well. Enjoy the relaxation of your body and how your mood uplifts during that moment. Take that with you as you return to your day! Prepare yourself a cup of hot water with fresh lemon. As you sip the water, mindfully pay attention as it travels down to your stomach. Imagine the lemon cleansing you as it travels and moves throughout your body. Feel it washing away any stressors or frustrations from your day. Return to your day feeling refreshed and ready for what is to come! This is a great ritual to do outside! Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Focus on only what you are hearing. Mindfully experience that sense for the minute. If you are outside, listen to the sounds of the wind, birds, cars, etc. Return to your day feeling refreshed! If you would like to try guided meditation, try my meditation album, Soul Journeys, on Spotify, iTunes and YouTubeMusic. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Kim! Kim Conway, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kim Conway, LICSW, Coach, Medium, Reiki Master. Kim believes we all have the capacity to overcome our struggles and that our souls are the most powerful healers and our greatest guide. Her approach is spiritual, helping clients develop a relationship with their souls, which supports us in every aspect of our lives and helps us heal, evolve, and grow. She incorporates intuitive work, energy healing, and education in her soul coaching program to help you discover and know your soul for personal development, guidance, and healing. Kim is a LICSW, developed spiritual medium, and Reiki Master Teacher who offers soul coaching, mediumship, intuitive and Oracle card readings, meditations, energy healing, and spiritual and intuitive development classes. You can listen to her Podcast, Soul Inspirations, meditation album, Soul Journeys for inspiration and healing. Kim is the Entrepreneuress of Kim Conway, LLC.

Written by: Leah Marmulla, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How often have you reflected on your life and thought, “What am I doing here?” It seems you have hit the magical wake-up call, or what Erikson would call the Critical Challenge. Things have been moving along ok, not great, but bearable. Then, there is such gradual unrest starting somewhere in your psyche. A bit apathy, slight with another, motivation for tasks or people start to wane. Your eyes, and mind might even start to wander to different ideas, interests, being curious about how green the grass could be somewhere else. In a different job, friendship, a country even. What do you do when you suddenly realise you are living a life not in your best interest now?Your interests have changed, you have learnt more about life and yourself. You’ve witnessed and experienced different ideas as you lived more. With each new experience, discussion, and reflection, you now see so many other ways of thinking, feeling, and being and still stay alive. You might even feel more alive now that you are experimenting with different ideas, situations and a range of beliefs. The challenge is real, and stepping out of our familiar-safe space into potentially foreign territory, the unknown has a huge potential risk. The fear and apprehension are understandable. What if you are rejected, kicked out of your current circle of connections, ridiculed or blamed for becoming different? Be triggered to feel guilty for changing your mind, owning your life, adventures, career or heart. You are blamed for hurting others or abandoning them along your journey of truth? . What if the new choice you make is still not right? Are you allowed to correct judgement errors, experiment and test what is more suitable for you, your life, your values and above all, who you choose to become? These fears are legitimate and are embedded in the DNA. Fortunately, living in a family and tribe doesn’t equate to survival against attacks and starvation in our current time in history. In many cases with such family dysfunction, staying causes more harm and is life-threatening. This knowledge alone could give hope, and alleviate apprehension towards change. Yes, you might be kicked out of the familiar networks and judged for choosing differently. You may need to meet new groups or networks, but it is potentially another life-expanding adventure with more inner knowing and strength. Something else to consider, “Are you responsible for other’s reactions and feelings?” This may sound like a flippant question, but I will challenge you back. You are responsible for your own being, your life, emotions, choices, etc. It is in your body your emotions are felt. We cannot be accountable for triggering another’s physiological change. Yes, we are accountable for decisions, actions and how they are delivered. Ultimately though, is our life to be lived according to other’s dictates or are we to live by our own? Support others as possible and appropriate to develop their self-awareness and healing journey. When we feel guilt, shame, or are beholden to others, we cannot be authentic to ourselves. There is an internal war between what we believe to be correct, true or should be and meeting other’s expectations. The battle is real. But, unless you purposefully cause another’s demise or hurt another who cannot protect, defend, or proactively engage in self-protection, the full responsibility is on the perpetrator. So let go fo the guilt, shame and binds that are keeping you stuck in the past and not flying high on your journey of inner truth. The concept of our life is our choice; our responsibility holds true for us all. We are responsible for our life choices. How we interpret others’ choices how they live their authentic life. We are all born with the innate ability to tap into and live from our highest powers. Yet, our earliest experiences dictate our adult biases, fears, limitations, perceptions and choices, whether they are healthy or not. This is the past, and now as adults, we are responsible for our life choices. Therefore a requirement of adulthood is to question the dogma we live from, healing and consciously choosing how we live our life from this point on. Learn again how to tap into our innate life force of guiding truth. Unfortunately, in our current cultural society, psychological-emotional self-development is either not encouraged or is frowned upon. Could this fear stem from the need to take responsibility but being blamed by our family, partners, bosses, or called ‘the crazy’ over there? For, if we become more accountable, we are also responsible for the level of enjoyment, achievements, and impact on ourselves and others? Live from the truth, be authentic, self-responsibility doesn’t seem a common character trait but is becoming popular? To be responsible is to live a life of purpose that aligns with chosen values, to live from Universal Laws, pure love, acceptance. Supporting others to be their best and not be gap fillers of their perceived inadequacies and insecurities. Cheering another towards achieving their best and happiest states. Unfortunately, many invest their efforts to thwart, undermine and condemn the one who chooses their unique path. Those who choose to become the best version of themselves possible and invest in a life worth living by using their God-given gifts and talents for collective elevation towards our highest possible engagement? Who are we to judge others if we do not want to be judged? The challenge is real. Making conscious choices around being real, and honest to ourselves is vital. Declaring “I am becoming my best possible self” and do so even when it goes against your entire familiar-safe history. To run the risk of exile from the perceived familiar-safe. To be ridiculed and crucified on the stake for the sake of being the new version of you. The cost of not embarking on this journey is equally defining and threatening. The cost of staying small, in fear, living by other’s rules, expectations, and limitations. Compromising yourself to keep the peace, sacrificing you, undermining your truth to protect another’s ego or fears goes against the ultimate goal of living a life of integrity and truth. Yet, we still need to choose. Our life is ours, to decide how to live it. What to say yes and no to. Place our emotional and physical safety before or above others. For, if we deflect self-responsibility to another, our life is at the mercy of their personal intentions. The key to creating your path towards a life of purpose is to learn about yourself, what is essential for you. Developing clarity about yourself, who you choose to be, building your self-belief, courage to stand tall and weather the challenges that come your way through your evolution. Are you ready, though? Is your desire strong enough to surrender your fears, learn, heal, forgive and transform the parts of your past so you can Create Your Life on Your Terms? Want to learn more from Leah? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Leah! Leah Marmulla, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Leah has been to the dark side and back at least three times. It was during her last life attempt that triggered a deep realization. She recalls thinking, "If I'm not allowed to leave, then I need to work out how to live." With this realization, Leah deep-dived into her own shadow sides and now shares with others her passion — 'creating life on one's own terms.' We all have a choice, but often we are so buried under other's expectations and rules we feel hopeless and disconnected. Growing out of the painful past, resulted in Leah authoring What the Mind Sees, the Body Feels, Creates and Attracts, and an Awareness and Accountability Journal of self-awareness, discovery, and manifestation towards the person the reader chooses to be and live from.

Written by: Kylie Mort, 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. “Internal motivation is the difference between those who dream and those who do.” Back Yourself, Chapter 1, Kylie Mort. We all have dreams. We all strive to live a life of happiness and fulfilment, whatever that may be from our individual perspective. For many of us, this includes the freedom to build a career out of passion. Turning our God-given gift into a commercial construct that will pay dividends of esteem, time, and financial rewards. For some of us, this is encapsulated in entrepreneurial enterprise. So what does it mean to be an entrepreneur? To dwell in the cross-cultural deconstruction of the word is fascinating. To take part, to take a part, to build, to make connections between, to be the interchange, and even some limited translational connections with undertakers and burials (is it such a coincidence then that I have become part of the Mort lineage of business developers? When Mort refers to both death and the hunting call of the kill? And Kylie refers to an aboriginal hunting weapon? Yet I digress…) Also significant is the origins of this French word as a masculine term. Within my last featured magazine article I explored the gender biases of this linguistic twist. And just as the once contemptible term of “businesswoman” enjoyed a cyclical popularity, this terminology too becomes an example of another historical aberration that inevitably becomes a mainstream buzzword lauded and despised in equal measure. But what of its loaded nature? When openly discussed the connotations rain down thick and fast. Followed by the inevitable classism and colloquial muck-throwing. Entrepreneur, business owner, business operator, incredibly wealthy individual…are they synonymous? And if an entrepreneur is to become the want-trepreneur who fails and loses everything, are they any less the original risk-taker? Still further, what of the moral obligations of the said creative merchant? What if the risk one takes is actually the risk of being caught in the act of replicating the successful enterprise of a friend, colleague, or acquaintance? What if your business acumen is actually branded by your ability to successfully and surreptitiously steal the idea of someone else? Are you any less the business owner taking a risk? 1. It can be logically argued that all entrepreneurs are business owners yet not all business owners are entrepreneurs. What is it then that the average merchant lacks? What divides the two? Inescapably, the entrepreneur has a flair for business itself regardless of the product or service. The true business mind has the ability to actively commercialise and market an idea. The “serial entrepreneur”, dubbed thusly due to their habit of creating successive start-ups, may just be the purest form of our current understanding. This particular business person is the visionary. They identify the opportunity, the market and the support that will be required to develop, manufacture, and deliver the product or service. This business owner can scale an idea into a niche and a niche into a mainstream commercialised investment. Yet to do this you need both vision and knowledge. The entrepreneur can source the support they need to equip the vision with the necessary contemporary knowledge. Therefore, just as the birds of a feather flock together, the success of the entrepreneur relies on the collective noun. 2. Entrepreneurs do not stay in their comfort zone. If I have learnt anything at all from my own decades of running a variety of businesses and the business networks that I collaborate with, it is the important caveat that there are both successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs. There are those who have the initial idea, create the niche, invest in the expansion yet, ultimately fail. Does that mean the vision was not valuable? No! It means they didn’t have the business acumen to pull it off. Therein lies the difference between a business start-up and an entrepreneur. A start-up can be founded on the generic blueprint of a one-size-fits all program, an entrepreneur covers new ground. Perhaps this is where the pretentious connotations originate, as an unsuccessful entrepreneur can still be a very successful business owner. The generic blueprint can result in stable cashflow and profound profit. A perpetual cycle with loyal customers and reliable results is all many business owners crave. However, longevity in the business world requires forecasting and budgets, it requires mission and vision, and it requires growth. Business is a cycle and that which is not growing is inevitably dying. This growth can emerge as scale or diversity, where neither precludes the existence of the other. In this way, many a business person will be both entrepreneur and business owner simultaneously through diverse operational objectives. The business owner will keep the finances turning over, focused on the original model, whilst the entrepreneur will reach for the next level of creativity. A business owner is a successful merchant, but a business owner has the ability to become a successful entrepreneur with a novel idea they have the leverage and inspiration to grow. 3. Entrepreneurs evolve through adapting and pivoting. The pandemic of 20/21 has seen the rise of the entrepreneur for many reasons. There are those of us, particularly in Victoria, Australia, who had no choice but to evolve. The government closed the doors of our businesses, barricaded the road to recovery and sealed shut the service lines to our revenue. What were we to do? To run a contemporary business one needs entrepreneurial skills and many business owners became entrepreneurs, not through choice but through necessity. The world around us evolved and we have adapted. Technology has provided a lifeline as the community changed the way it consumed goods and services. Has it made entrepreneurs of us all? No. Far from it. In a new era of online-overload and home-delivery haggling many are still falling foul of the status quo. Why? Because there is a marked difference between a simple change of approach and a business pivot. Those who have repackaged their delivery are successful business owners. Those who have repurposed the product and rejuvenated their marketing to match the climate are successful business owners. Then there are those who have done it differently. Entrepreneur labels include visionary, rarity and innovative. These minds are creative, and they take risks, high risks, gambling on their strengths. Yes, the risks are higher but so are the rewards. The entrepreneurial mind will take a concept and look at it from another angle to see a wholly different aspect, noticing something that is not yet common place. Where business owners are busy repackaging, repurposing, and rejuvenating, the entrepreneur has moved on to a new project altogether. To successfully own a business during a pandemic you need to evolve and adapt. The entrepreneurial business owner will also be pivoting to follow a vision. To identify problems before they are problems and needs before they are needed; that takes vision. 4. Entrepreneurs are Changemakers. To mention you identify with the label of entrepreneur is a double-edged sword. The stereotypes and connotations surrender the basic term an insurmountable ambiguity. It encompasses wildly different definitions including the staggering success of billionaires, the rarity of product designers, the predictable messaging of the multilevel marketing company and the simplicity of the YouTube celebrity. To say you are an entrepreneur is as vague as claiming you are human. Yet at its core the definition of the individual entrepreneurial mind must be the changemaker, insofar as they are creating change. Because ultimately, if what you are offering is not: New Unique Providing a solution You are simply a successful merchant operator. Are all who identify with the label compassionate, empathetic individuals who wish to solve social problems? No, but they are all taking creative action. An entrepreneur is an individual who, brave or not, confident, or not, the bearer of moral integrity or not, gives themselves permission to invest in a unique idea. It is the individual who will focus energy into unpacking the positives, drilling down on the possibilities, and celebrating the opportunities that abound. 5. Entrepreneurs are a character profile Just as all characters are complex, so too is the definition of the entrepreneur, as it speaks to a character profile. Is it pretentious to label yourself as an entrepreneur? That depends on what you perceive the label to encompass. What do irony and entrepreneurs have in common? As a performance coach who specifically teaches how to explore, explain, and extrapolate, these terms are both noticeably, an example of how we can know what something refers to without actually knowing it well enough to articulate. One of the key skills I teach to my essay writing clients is the need to learn, internalise and then articulate an idea. Without this cycle the information presented can be grossly misrepresented without intention. If one is to identify as an entrepreneur, one must certainly be able to articulate what their intended definition is, as it is certainly ironic how easily the literary meaning can be contextually vandalised by the lack of rigorous discernment. 6. Entrepreneurs are fallible Entrepreneurs are the doers. They are the thinkers, the creators, the risk-takers. Entrepreneurs make mistakes, they lose money, they explore new pathways, and they reach dead-ends. They are fallible. They are human. Ultimately, to label yourself as an entrepreneur you are making a statement about your mindset. You may also be setting yourself up to be ridiculed and scorned should you fall short of your goals. In today’s contemporary society it is a term that is misunderstood, misappropriated, re-appropriated and both extolled and loathed alike. It has vastly different connotations due to the individual perceptions of those who have interacted with it and yet there are those who continue to strive for it. Be the last attempt successful or not, an entrepreneurial mindset is infinitely abundant and resourceful. As humans, we believe what we want to believe. Confirmation bias is the inclination to interpret information in a way that confirms what we already believe to be true. If one is to believe the entrepreneur is a label saved for the wealthy, the successful, the celebrity or the snake-oil salesman, one will find the evidence to prove it so. I believe it is a mindset, and anyone can aspire to fulfil their dreams, no? The label entrepreneur does not necessarily come with the prefix of successful. Failed dreams are no less visionary. It’s not about exclusion, exclusivity, or stereotypes, but an individual striving for a better world and the perfect vision. What is your goal? What supports do you have? What knowledge do you need? Will you take the risk? Are YOU a business owner or an entrepreneur? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more information! Read more from Kylie! Kylie Mort, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Kylie Mort works with individuals of all ages to embrace and support the Academic Mind, Self-Awareness & the Mind-Body Connection. Assisting individuals by tailoring bespoke mentoring packages supporting academic, physical, and personal advancement and success. Kylie is an 1 Amazon Best-Selling International Author and Writer for Global Magazines, writing both academically and creatively to connect with those who seek guidance and inspiration to be their best selves. A former Secondary School Teacher & VCE Leader with 20 years of teaching experience, Kylie is a qualified & registered: School Teacher, Yoga Teacher & Performance Coach. She is also an entrepreneur, leading multiple-award-winning companies. She is currently studying Psychological Science at Deakin University to better provide holistic mentoring to her clients, having spent decades honing her skills in face-to-face teaching, mentoring, and business & company development. Now, she is focused on the human mind and its power to empower through reimaging, redesigning, and recreating. Discover more at www.kyliemort.com.au

Written by: Dr. Denise L. 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. I REMEMBER THAT FEELING WELL. Most women who feel stuck in their lives have trouble imagining a better day. I’ve created a unique and intuitive coaching process that frees you from the past for good! It’s time for you to embrace a beautiful and inspiring future. You are here because you: Have been successful on your journey up until this point because of your tenacity, hard work, and resilience Climbed the hill of success and have been an extraordinary performer all your life. Are passionate about all you do! Have a tremendous capacity to balance your career with your family, friends, and loved ones. Are over-committed and over-involved in the well-being of others. Ready to expand your vision for life? You are here because you are ready to expand your vision for your life and impact the world with your work. You want to embrace your journey and inspire others to do the same. You want to live a fulfilling life filled with love, laughter, health, and adventures. You want to experience all that is beautiful in this world. But, unfortunately, all of these things seem so far-fetched from where you are today. I know this because I know you, and I have been on this journey myself. I do what I believe, and I believe that we all deserve to live an extraordinary and fulfilling life. I am passionate about helping powerful women like you because I know how hard it is for you to extend your arms and ask for help. I want to hear your story and share mine. We all carry the heavy baggage of our childhood, cultural nuances, and societal conditioning. As time goes by, we become experts at telling ourselves stories that aren’t even true. I want to revisit your stories with you and learn about your beliefs to debunk them together. They have served you well up until now; but, it’s time to up-level your game and accelerate you in a direction and destiny that’s meant for you. Here is my full disclaimer: I am not here to tell you what to do; you know what to do. You didn’t just coast through life. You have done the work, seen the success, and overcome challenges. I am here to work with you to propel your journey and 10x your impact. I am here to help you lessen the burden of stories that you are carrying so you can connect the dots and recognize the patterns that might be holding you back. We bring it all to the table; we go deep. This process is not for the faint of heart. So if, and only if, you are ready to shed everything that is holding you back, we should talk. Click the link for a 30-Min. Discovery Session with me. ​​Looking forward to serving you, Denise xo Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Denise! Dr. Denise L. Morrison, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Denise Morrison is the CEO of Intuitively Unique Coaching, her Holistic Brand of Health/Life Coaching. She struggled for decades to overcome traumatic experiences from her own past. She compensated for her lack of confidence with degrees and professional success. She numbed her pain with addictive eating and self-abusive behaviors. And when she finally turned to the right teachers and coaches, she learned that change does not need to take decades. Change can actually be instantaneous. And change can be lasting. After working for many years in healthcare, Denise felt a pull and a passion for working with people on a deeper and more transformational level. Her academic mind was drawn to the evidence-based nutrition and exercise practices, but she was also compelled by the more mystical therapies emerging from neuroscience and quantum healing. Denise sought out the best training in health and wellness, life coaching, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to have access to the most powerful tools to help others change their lives for the better.

Written by: Ruby Russell, 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 fitted sheet not only provides comfort but also cleanliness. Since people continually shed skin cells, sweat, and may have dust or dirt on their bodies, the bed will over time become dirty and accumulate germs and bed mites, or worse. Sheets can be washed regularly; they protect the mattress from accumulating this dirt. They also protect people from any dirt or germs on the mattress. Before the invention of the fitted sheet, flat sheets were folded around the mattress using techniques such as the hospital corner to keep the sheet snug. These sheets would rarely stay put. In 1957 Bertha Berman applied for a patent for a fitted sheet. Her idea was that the mattress needed a cover to keep it clean. Ms. Berman’s sheets needed elastic garters to keep the sheet on the bed. With these attachments on the corners only, the fitted sheet still managed to pop off exposing the mattress. Since Bertha Berman’s invention there have been many other patents for the fitted sheet. The real game changer came when Canadian Gisele Jubinville created a fitted sheet with deep corner pockets that grab a mattress and stays put. In 1993 she sold her patent for $1 million. Today in the 21st century bedding is the new hot thing taking the place of expensive purses and shoes. It has become so popular there are many new startups including the likes of Larry King, Lionel Richie, Ellen DeGeneres and even Home Depot. It’s a $70 Billion industry with projected growth of 9% annually for the next decade. Thanks to these innovative women, we’ve come a long way from the early sheets, which were just large amounts of cloth draped and tucked under the bed. The fitted sheet of today has elastic all the way around which keeps it from popping off. However, it is difficult to orient on the bed, and folding it is a nightmare. With that being the case, let me introduce you to the bedding of the future. In 2012 Ruby’s domestic and business partner fell and injured his back. Due to his injury, he would toss and turn messing the bed up. When Ruby's partner injured his back and could no longer make his bed, she felt she could no longer leave it for him to make, but she also hated making the bed and wasn’t very good at it either. Feeling guilty she began to think of ideas to make it easier for him to make the bed. Immediately after he left for home Ruby began to think of how she could solve this bed-making problem. She cut up one sheet and added it to another making a tail leaving the sheet with no corners. The invention worked well. In 2016 Ruby had cataract surgery that went wrong and left her legally blind in her left eye. With a sense of sadness and trying to understand what it would be like to be legally blind, Ruby started doing research on how to simplify bedding. In her research, she found the blind would put objects in the center of the top sheet to mark the center, the same would be for the bedspread, comforter, duvet cover, etc. Ruby and her partner applied for a patent and on March 31, 2016, Ruby Stayput Beddings was officially ‘born’. Stayput is a one-tuck, self-centering top sheet that is guaranteed to stay put. After the top sheet, she began to study the fitted sheet to see what improvements could be made. She remembers how she hated always getting the corners wrong between the long and the short ends. Realizing that most companies put the care label in the corners which was never any help. Ruby thought the solution was to put the care label in the center/bottom of the fitted sheet. The fitted sheet of today stays put better than ever. With one minor adjustment it can now be easy to make. When it comes to folding it, it is much beyond Ruby’s expertise on bedding designs. She began to design a coverlet that was also self-centering. The result is a coverlet that fits like a glove. Bedding has been a passion of Ruby’s since 1979 when she was pregnant and went seeking comfort. She purchased 4 sets of Oleg Cassini, 250 thread count, percale sheets while pregnant with her daughter, and fell in love with fine linen. That was 42 years ago, she still has pieces of the sets, top sheets and two pillowcases. While touring the Edinburgh Castle in Scotland she asked the tour guide how old the linen on the beds was, she said 350 years. She knew from those two experiences she wanted a luxury line that’s washable, reversible, solid colors, and luxurious. She got to work and learned about the different kinds of cotton and what made one better than the other. She settled for the best, Egyptian long-staple cotton, soft, durable, and luxurious. Ruby wants to encourage women to make their bedrooms exciting. She has seen some bedding with bright bold colors that should give anyone a nightmare. Ruby chooses to do solid colors leaving it to women to choose items like new lampshades, curtains, throws, and throw pillows to add color. She discovered that you could change the looks of a complete bedroom for less than $100 US dollars. It’s about time there was a change in bedding. Ruby has made bedding so simple and effortless it has been named “accessible beddings” by The American Council of the Blind. Unfortunately, COVID has changed all of our lives. Many of us are not making that trip to the office. Unintentionally, we are spending more time at home. It’s time to give more thought to your home surroundings, especially your bedroom. Your bedroom really is the most important room in your home. It’s the one room you spend the most time in, so what if you’re the only one to see it. The point is, if you give your bedroom some attention, you will smile each time you walk by. Find me on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or visit our website. Read more from Ruby! Ruby Russell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ruby is a 70-year-old senior entrepreneur and a chip off the old block. Her parents were entrepreneurs, and she wanted to follow in their footsteps. When her domestic partner suffered an injury, he would toss and turn in the bed, tearing the bed up. Ruby used fabric from another bed sheet to extend the top sheet. To make the extension fit correctly, she left out the corners, leaving a long tail. What she created was a top sheet is now a one-step process that centers itself. After using Ruby’s invention, her partner could no longer tear the bed up. One patent and a little ingenuity later, and RR Distinctive Beddings was born. Like all entrepreneurs, there is always a hit and miss. One thing all entrepreneurs have in common is perseverance, a head full of ideas, and a dream. However, Ruby was holding on until there was a life-changing moment.

Written by: Reem Borrows, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. You can give up on your dreams should you choose. Or you could hold the vision with passion and take one inspired step at a time. We all have beautiful dreams. We all have secret yearnings. We all want to be financially free, happy, in love, laugh, and surround ourselves with uplifting people. We all want to have things in life that will enhance our experiences and we all want great health. We all also have an innate need to contribute and grow. It’s in built in every one of us. Yet many of us don’t follow our passion, don’t believe in our own abilities, and settle for the things we don’t want and claim that we need to be “realistic”. Personally, for me I have removed the word “realistic” from my vocabulary completely. I am a dreamer from way back with pragmatism. I’ve seen far too many people being “realistic” giving up on their own dreams and passions. Right now, in this current climate globally with all the division, anger, fear and uncertainty it would be so easy to be “realistic” and just give up. And yes, if you want, you could do that. It is a choice people make every day. Many have before you, and many still could after you. But there is another choice you can consciously make. You could choose to hold on to your dreams and use this time to take one small, inspired action at a time to help create what you want. That’s where pragmatism steps in. See while faith and fear are polar opposites, and you can’t see either of them, you only need to ask yourself one question - “If I can see neither faith nor fear, why would I not choose faith over fear?” Both require you to believe in something, so the choice really is yours all the time. What do you choose to believe in? The answer seems very simple but will need follow through. Take this time to visualise and write down exactly what you want. It costs nothing to dream, so why not permit yourself to build that vision. It all starts with you and your imagination. Nothing has ever been created without out first being a thought and an image first on the screen of our mind. Take an hour out, turn all technology off and make sure you are alone. Close your eyes, visualise for a little bit, then write down what you want out in detail. Pretend you are 6 years old again and that everything is possible. Pretend that everyone always agrees with you, you have all the resources in the world, and you have no responsibilities whatsoever. What would you write? What does your future story look like? Are you the centre character of that story? Or are you playing the part of an extra in your own life story? Make sure you put yourself first. This is your dream. After you write it out, how does it make you feel? Read your story every day, twice a day and allow yourself to dream. Keep refining the dream as well. Are you inspired by it? Does it make you feel energised? If your answer is YES, then you are on the right track. From there, all you have to do is write down one or two things each day that you can do to get you that little bit closer to your dream. Take inspired action from a place of calmness and knowing. The trick to turning your dream into reality is to do the little things in big ways. Don’t do big things in small ways. That’s what leads to frustration for most people. Break everything down to its lowest common denominator, take one baby step at a time, and allow the inspired thoughts to come to you to take your next small step. Your only responsibility is to dream big and then take one action at a time. With each small step, momentum will take over. You don’t have to do anything to allow momentum to take its natural course. You don’t’ have to force anything to happen. You just need to dare to dream, take small action each day and allow natural forces look after the rest!! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Reem! Reem Borrows, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Reem Borrows, the founder of Dreem Coaching and Consulting, facilitates change for meaningful growth. For over 20 years, Reem worked in Senior Leadership Roles, leading and developing effective teams and individuals across the areas of Sales, Marketing, and Training. Today, she uses her knowledge and expertise to help people realize their full potential in both business and personal goals. Reem’s authenticity as a leader, her business acumen, mindset development strategies, and her dedication to achieving results are the foundation of her work. She cultivates the principles, strategies, execution plans, and fundamentals of a winning mindset. She has a passion for helping people find their true calling so they can unleash their inner power. Reem focuses on helping her clients grow exponentially with Balance, Focus, and Flow. Her services are the helpful current that pushes clients in the right direction and provides them with the structure they need to make vital progress with results that stick.

Written by: Janet Philbin, 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. Within each of us is our inner child. Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist, first popularized the term inner child. He viewed the inner child as the part of you who is sensitive, innocent, and full of wonder. Our inner child, at its essence, is intact and whole. If the inner child is “supposed” to be emotionally healthy and whole, then why do people have within them an inner child who is hurting and in emotional pain? How did your inner child become wounded? Essentially, we are asking that wounded one, what happened to you? What caused you to become wounded, hurt, and hiding? Inner child healing work offers you an opportunity to find emotional healing and wellness. As you work with your inner child you help the little one inside of you feel better and release the pain of the past. When you do, you release the impact in your life now. Once healed, the inner child feels free, innocent, safe and carefree once again. The inner child is real. Not in the literal or physical sense but figuratively and metaphorically real. The inner child lives in the unconscious mind. We were all children once and we will still have that child within us. Most adults are not even aware that they have an inner child. There is a lack of conscious awareness related to the unmet needs of your inner child. Many of your behavioral, emotional, and relationship difficulties stem from the unmet needs and emotional wounds. Because the inner child is not seen, heard, or recognized in your life today it is the wounded inner child that is reactive in your adult life. The hurt one inside of you is metaphorically crying out for attention by acting out in your day-to-day life now. How does the wounded inner child develop? One way the wounded inner child develops is when, as a child, you experienced trauma or stress. It may have been a singular event or recurring similar events. To survive these stressful times, you develop certain coping skills. You develop coping skills based on your chronological age, emotional and developmental abilities at the time of the experience. You develop coping skills in service of survival because you did not experience the world you were living in as safe either emotionally or physically. If you have experienced trauma in your life, you may feel disconnected from your body. This is common as during trauma we dissociate to survive, and you may have dissociated from your body. Everything we have experienced is held in the cellular memory of the body. When you have an emotional reaction to something happening in your life in the present moment chances are you feel it in your body. You may get a headache, stomachache, back pain, throat issues, or some other physical reaction. What’s happening is a stored memory is becoming activated and you have a physical response. As humans we are programed to survive. To survive you make instinctual choices of fight, flight, or freeze. For example, as a young child if you repeatedly witnessed your parents arguing while you were in the room you may have thought it was your fault that they were fighting. As a result of this thought you began to believe negative beliefs about yourself like, “It is always my fault when something goes wrong,” “People do not like me,” or “I am a bad person.” This is when emotional wounds began. Based on those thoughts you develop coping skills. A few examples of these coping skills may be that you; deny your own feelings, isolate, act out, self-harm, develop addictions, lie, withdraw, need to be in control, develop perfectionism or become a people pleaser. These thoughts and coping skills are anchored in the past. You believe all the faulty thoughts and belief systems as if they were truly who you are, but they are not. These are just the voices you hear in your head. The problem is you have been hearing these voices for so long you do not know it is not the true self. You do not know it is your inner child who is in pain and just calling out to you for help When speaking of the inner child it is important to understand the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind has no sense of time. Because it has no sense of time when you have an experience in your life that feels like one from the past you revert to the old belief patterns and behaviors. This happens automatically, without conscious thought. This is the inner child in action. Your reality in the present is constructed on the beliefs from the past. You cope in the present moment with the coping skills you developed when you were younger. You react and reenact old patterns instead of responding to what is happening in the present moment with present moment awareness and maturity. Essentially, the adult self gets hijacked. To begin to heal the inner child you are called to recognize that he or she lives inside of you. You must recognize that your inner child is in pain, and it is up to the adult self to rescue him or her and help them heal. Here are some techniques that are effective for inner child healing work. Meditation. Meditation is an effective strategy to help you get in touch and work with your inner child. Meditation is a very powerful practice that calms the nervous system, helps you connect with your body, and brings you into present moment awareness. There are many ways to meditate. If your goal is to help your inner child, guided meditations are very effective. You can do guided meditations to bring you to the inner child who is hurting. Therefore, in meditation, when you find the inner child and offer her/him compassion, understanding, and love it can produce change and healing in your life now. When you find your inner child then you can begin to help them heal. Hypnotherapy. Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness and a process of communicating with the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind holds all the memories of our lives, as if it were a computer, to access the memories you just need to open the correct file. In hypnotherapy you can access memories to help you heal in the present. It is the stories, thoughts, coping skills, limiting beliefs about the self that were developed a long time ago which create the patterns, pain, reactions we experience now. Through hypnotherapy you can access and heal the pain of the inner child. When your inner child receives healing then your adult self can function and cope better each day. Healing is an inside-out process. When you heal from the inside out you heal at the origin of the emotional injury and make changes in your life. Journaling. Journaling is an amazing tool to use to begin to work with your inner child. When you pause long enough and begin to pay attention to the feelings and emotions that are under your big reactions, you are letting the inner child know that she/he is heard, important, cared about, seen, and understood. I encourage my clients to write the question they wish to explore with their dominant hand and answer with the non-dominant hand. It is a very effective tool to help you access the feelings, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs of your inner child. I also ask my clients to write with a pen and paper as opposed to typing, as writing allows you to connect your mind and body and accesses the memories through the physical action of writing. Somatic therapy. Somatic therapies help you get in touch with your physical body. One of the goals of somatic therapy is to treat the effects of trauma and other mental/emotional health issues. This is done with a body-centric approach to help release stress, tension, and trauma. Some examples are breathing exercises, dance, other types of body movement and energy healing, like Reiki. Physical symptoms are correlated to your body's energy centers(chakras). You can use this information to “look inside” of yourself and find the memories that are stored there. It is an aspect of the inner child that became stuck because of a life event. Once you can find the event, you can begin the healing process. In conclusion, connecting with your inner child allows you to heal. You will continue to heal each time you meditate, journal, work with a therapist who specializes in inner child healing and trauma and tune in to the part of your body which is calling out to you. As a result of your healing, you become more deeply connected to yourself, your essence, and your truth. When you are connected to yourself you can feel more connected to your inner child. This healing allows you to break free from the painful stories and patterns of the past and allows you to become emotionally whole once again. For more info, follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my websi te ! Read more from Janet! Janet Philbin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Janet is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Hypnotherapist, and Certified Conscious Parenting Coach. Janet helps adults heal from the emotional pain and trauma of their past. She is the owner of Janet Philbin, ACSW, private psychotherapy, and hypnotherapy practice. For 21 years, Janet has been successfully helping people recover from their emotional wounds and change their lives with the power of transformational healing and hypnotherapy. She’s the author of, Show Up For Yourself: A Guide to Inner Awareness and Growth. Her book offers readers a framework to heal their emotional wounds and become emotionally whole once again. Show Up For Yourself hit Amazon’s bestseller status and won as a finalist in the 2020 Readers Favorite book contest. She works closely with Dr. Shefali Tsabary, NY Times best-selling author and Oprah’s favorite parenting expert, as an ambassador in her Conscious Parenting Coaching Method Institute.

Written by: Tunji Olujimi, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Once you have written your book idea, you need to find of ways to get it published and in the hands of readers. When it comes to writing, publishing, and launching a book, many people only think of a paperback book because that is all we see out there. Your book can be turned into at least 5 formats which gives you more options to make more money. 5 Formats You Need For Your Book: 1. Ebook - You can turn your book idea into an ebook which you can sell either on your own website as a downloadable pdf copy or you can turn it into a epub file to upload and publish online. It can be published via lulu.com, ingramspark, bookbaby.com, smashwords or blurb.com and can be purchased on apple books, google play, kobo, nook and so on. You can charge anything from $0.99 - $9.99 for an ebook. 2. Kindle - Your book idea can be converted to a kindle version which is a mobi file format, making it easy for people to purchase on amazon and the kindle store. This is one of the best ways of getting a book out there because it’s easy to do and can be published within 24 hours. The platform needed to get a kindle book out there is called Kindle Direct Published owned by Amazon. Kindle books are sold around the same price as an ebook from $0.99 - $9.99. 3. Paperback - This is the most common ways of publishing a book because people love to hold a physical copy in their hands. You can make more money with a paperback book then you can with ebooks and kindle because you charge more for printing cost. You can get your book formatted as a pdf file and upload it to kindle direct publishing, lulu.com, ingramspark, bookbaby and blurb for publishing to distribute to your readers. You can sell your book from $6.99 - $19.99 each as a paperback version. 4. Hardback - its more expensive to produce but can be sold at a higher price to your paperback version. I think a hardback copy gives you more credibility because of the feel of the book, when you see most traditional published authors, they have this type of book. Most self-published authors use ingramspark or lulu.com to publish their hardback copies but now kindle direct publishing is rolling out their hardback cover version which is a game changer for the industry. A hardback book is seen as higher value and can be sold from $14.99 - $29.99. 5. Audiobook - This is an option that most people don’t go for because it can be every expensive to produce due to hiring a professional narrator to record it for you or you must pay for studio time to get it done yourself. Why most self-published authors have found a way to get it done professionally without breaking the bank. You can use audacity or find a way voices to record your book but you need to make sure you have quality audio equipment to get the best results. Turn the other formats into an audiobook and give people even more ways to purchase your knowledge. The best platform to publish your audiobook on is ACX which is an Amazon company. You can sell your audiobook from $4.99 - $49.99. Be creative and start making money from your book in all of these formats. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my more website for more info! Read more from Tunji! Tunji Olujimi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tunji is a speaker, pastor, author, and CEO of Accelerated Authors Academy. He has worked with over 100 people to write and publish their books and has coached over 1000 people through workshops and speaking. He helps faith-based coaches, consultants, business owners, speakers, trainers, and entrepreneurs to create authority, profitability, credibility, and visibility using the power of writing and publishing their first book in 90 days or less to build their business, profile and brand. He is also the CEO of Accelerated Properties Ltd, where he finds and secures below-market value deals for property investors to build their portfolios. Tunji was born premature and weighed 1 pound with no hope of living along with his twin sister, but he also had a hole in his heart and needed an operation. In addition, growing up with Dyslexia made it difficult for him to excel in education. Still, it also gave him the determination to make something of himself, and he has now written and published five books, started two businesses, and running a ministry. He is married to Elizabeth Olujimi, and they have a beautiful daughter called Janaya Olujimi.