Written by: Oksana Irwin, 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 Why most people won't find true love and won’t be in their dream relationships is that... They are focused on the wrong things and are instead looking for instant gratification. They are chasing a high, a “result”, a thrill, an intensity of emotions that feel good at the moment. These actions overlook a potential lifetime of belonging, acceptance, and the depth of a lasting, meaningful connection. Most relationships these days are based on an intensity of physical and sexual attraction and overlook the depths of intimate and emotional connections. In today’s dating reality, most modern relationships run their course in a matter of a few months. Relationships with longevity, finding true love, and creating a lasting, meaningful relationship are few and far between. This is due to most people avoiding relationship challenges and “feeling bad,” and instead of getting caught up in the intense emotions of lust and infatuation, confusing it with love and meaning. Most people are looking for a passionate love story but don’t pay much attention to the life story they can co-create with a partner. They put more focus on the wedding day than the actual relationship and marriage itself. They are looking for an illusion-based Hollywood “perfection” of love” which is not reality but merely a short-lived fantasy. They are chasing a romcom movie-type superficial romance, an emotional utopia of the projected prototype of the “perfect connection.” A story neatly wrapped up in under 2 hours on the movie screen that does not resemble anything remotely realistic. Reality creates relationships where skillfully navigating challenges is the most critical part that determines the depth and the destiny of a relationship. In the movie world, basic relationship challenges are shown as obstacles that drive couples apart and are only solved with conflict, drama, and ultimatums. In the real world, knowing how to navigate critical points and effectively address basic relationship challenges in a positive way is what brings partners closer together. In the real world of lasting relationships, there is no screenwriter ensuring a happy ending no matter how immature or irrational people behave. In the real world, relationship intelligence actually needs to be developed and applied to create something lasting and meaningful. How To Develop Relationship Intelligence 1. Instead of writing long lists of your potential future matches’ “qualifications”, actively work on yourself to become an energetic match to what you intend to manifest. Upgrade your mindset, relationship skills, health and appearance, knowledge about gender intelligence, understanding of the “science of love,” and skills in creating and sustaining a deep emotional and physical attraction. 2. Have realistic expectations and an understanding that real relationships are a full experience of emotional highs, lows, and middle grounds that one must learn to navigate to advance the relationship to the next level of depth and connection. Finding true love doesn’t mean there won’t be any challenging moments in a relationship. Every moment of a loving relationship will not be rose petals, champagne, and 24/7 romance. Avoiding relationship lows and middles and only focusing on the highs is a spiritual bypassing of real-life experiences and is completely unrealistic and inauthentic. The duality of the full experience of falling in love and staying in love is what makes relationships incredible and fulfilling. 3. You must be willing to feel and experience all the emotions and master them instead of avoiding or reacting to them. One must be willing to go through discomfort and face challenges from a place of intention and wisdom instead of reacting to triggers and frustrations. This requires emotional mastery and relationship skills. Effectively dealing with discomfort and challenges translates into a much stronger connection and lasting bond between partners. 4. Avoiding relationship challenges and distracting yourself by numbing your feelings with alcohol, over-eating, scrolling, Netflix, or constantly complaining about your partner does not lead to a meaningful long-term bond. To succeed in the relationship game, you must instead learn to understand your partner and their needs. Not having a clear vision, high standards, strong boundaries, effective communication skills, and suppressing who you are to be ‘nice’ will never lead to anything more than short-lived, frustrating, and superficial physical relationships that wear out after a few months. ⁠ You can’t go into a relationship “protecting” yourself from being hurt, projecting past relationship wounds onto the new connection, or focusing on FOMO and wondering if there might be “someone better” out there in the sea of possibilities. If you want to experience the deep connection that you crave and desire, you must choose to be fully present and invested in your current relationship. ⁠ Building a long-term, meaningful, dream relationship is a sub-product of: WHO you are being, HOW you navigate challenging and critical relationship phases, WHAT you are feeling and how you process and manage these emotions and BEING fully present with your current connection. Creating a long-lasting, passionate relationship is a journey, not a destination. We never “arrive” ; we keep creating, evolving, and keep on “dating” our partners. Indefinitely. To learn more about Relationship Intelligence, how to develop modern relationship skills, creating and sustaining physical and emotional attraction, and developing a loving and lasting relationship, please visit my L inkedIn , Facebook Profile here and connect with me on Instagram or visit my website for more info! Read more from Oksana! Oksana Irwin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Oksana Irwin is a Certified Mars – Venus Life and Relationship Coach, trained by the legendary John Gray. She is on a continuing mission to change the world one love story at a time! Oksana is a leader in the dating and relationship coaching field. She equips her clients with powerful behaviors, winning mindsets, and gender intelligence knowledge that empowers them to unleash their mental and emotional constraints and achieve their very best in love, life, and career. Within 3 years of sadly losing both her long-term marriage and role in a thriving family business, Oksana has created a new loving, passionate relationship and built a successful coaching business. She turned her pain into passion, passion into purpose, and purpose into profit by helping many women along the way. She impacts her clients by unlocking access to feminine power, lowering stress, and skyrocketing confidence. Her clients learn effective and powerful gender dynamics, sufficient hormonal balance, and potent attraction and polarity techniques that produce outstanding results in creating loving and lasting passionate relationships and thriving, successful and fulfilling lives.

Written by: Mark D. Lakowske, 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 are you labeling yourself? Are you “figuratively” wearing a “Hello My Name Is (Insert problem here)” sticker that says “I’m fat”, “I’m lazy”, “I’m no good”, “I’m not enough”, “I’m depressed”, “I’m anxious”, “I’m forgetful”, etc. As humans, we have all said things like this. While we may not mean to entangle ourselves into confusion about who we are, what we want, what we deserve & what is possible, these repeated thoughts and words become affirmations to our minds. Convinced these statements must be true, our mind will often convey to the heart these ideas. This can lead to new beliefs about your personal identity & literally create a new physical reality. The power of thought/language and its effect on physical reality was the topic of a scientific study conducted by Dr. Masaru Emoto. His research team took bottles of tap water and labeled each bottle with words. In one group, the bottles all were labeled with negative words: stupid, lazy, hopeless, depressed, angry, ugly, etc. The other group was labeled with positive words: love, gratitude, calm, joy, happiness, hope, etc. One by one, the water bottles were concentrated on, and the word that was on the label was spoken with intention. Over some time, this continued, and then the bottles of water were frozen. High-resolution magnified photographs were then taken of the water crystals. What they discovered was astonishing! The bottles which were labeled as bad or negative revealed ice crystals that were brown, blobby, misshapen, and resembled oil spills more than ice. On the contrary, the most beautiful crystals you’ve ever wanted to see had formed in the water that was exposed to the positive affirmations. Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. If such a drastic effect is occurring in water bottles, then what are we doing to ourselves by how we think and speak? One night after a long but incredible day working with clients at my office, I stopped at the grocery store on my way home. There weren’t many people there, and I easily went through collecting what I needed. When I got to the checkout line, I noticed the clerk...He didn't look up, his posture was slumped, and his tone of voice was slow & low. Now it doesn’t take someone trained in body language analysis to notice something was upsetting him. The clerk started to ring up my items and said, “How are you? Did you find everything okay?” I replied, “Yes, thank you, I did. I am really well, how are you?” I watched as his posture sank deeper, and with a big sigh, he responded, “eh...I am depressed.” “I’m sorry you are feeling like that,” I replied. He continued to talk about how depressed he is, and I recognized from his language patterns that he was taking on that state as his identity. The thought of - Leaves people better than how you found them, came into my mind. As my mindset was still in coach-mode from the day’s sessions, I felt compelled to offer him some support & help. “I’ve gone through moments of depression myself, and I help people. May I offer you something that may help?” I said. Looking up for the first time, he replied, “Okay”. I continued - “I hear you saying the words I am depressed. No, you're not depressed.” That comment surprised him, and with that, I got my foot in the door. Stunned, he looked at me firmly and said, “YES I am, I AM depressed.” “That is a limitation you can fight for if you’d like, but notice the words you are using. Is that who you want to be? Do you want to BE depressed?” I asked. “Well, no.” he shot back. “Great! So let’s consider that YOU are NOT depressed. YOU are NOT depressed, are you?” I asked. “Well, no, I’m NOT depressed; that’s dumb. I’m me,” he said. “That’s right; you are you, and depression is depression right?” I inquired. He nodded. “So if depression isn’t who you are, then you must be currently experiencing a struggle or state of depression. Right?” Confused and curious, he asked, “What?” His mindset was starting to shift with the introduction of a new idea. I replied with another question, “What is depression?” He thought for a brief moment and answered, “Well...It’s how I feel...I feel depressed.” Did you notice the language shift in that statement? I’ll break it down for the people in the back. He went from I AM depressed to I FEEL depressed. It’s a lot harder to change who you are but easier to change how you feel. When you change how you feel, you can change yourself. The problem that was tied to his identity was losing as he was untangling his own knot. “That’s right, and are feelings connected to thoughts?” I said. He replied, “Yes...” He was more curious now, and his mind was starting to consider something different. “Can thoughts be changed? Can feelings be changed?” I mused. “Well yeah, of course,” he said...he was standing up straighter; his tone was becoming brighter...I paused & let that seed take root a bit, and then I shifted gears… “What did you have for lunch?” Did I inquire? “Um...some chips and pizza,” he said. “Was it pepperoni?” I wondered. “Sausage & onion” was his reply. “Yum!” I quickly jumped the track again...“So what makes you happy? What brings you joy? What is it that if you were just to think about it, would make you feel good and free?” He thought for a moment, and I could see the corner of his mouth turn up as he started to smile, and then he said. “I really love to skateboard!” “Great!!” I exclaimed. I started talking about skateboarding with him. I took an interest and started asking him all kinds of questions about it. Everyone just wants to be heard, validated, and valued, right? He started to light up and get really into telling me all about his passion. “Where do you feel this skateboarding passion in your body?” I inquired, as he put his hand to his heart, he verified, “In my heart!” There was still no one in line, so I said. “Humor me. Close your eyes for a moment and remember the feeling you get when you are skateboarding. So fun, so free...can you feel it?” “Yes!” He said. “Notice that even though you are standing at work, you carry that joy with you always. Feel that feeling you get in your heart when you are skateboarding.” I proceeded to do a quick anchoring process with him to help him connect to that positive feeling as an inner resource state. The depression was lying to him & infiltrating his identity. His mind & heart needed to be reminded of his joy, who he really was, and his own inner resilience. At that moment, he was able to shift his own perspective and put the depression in its proper place. As the clerk was experiencing, I AM depressed will shape the reality of the experience. The thoughts & language we use upon ourselves are powerful. The “I AM” or “MY (name of the problem)” statements tell & reinforces in the mind that the problem IS you. It tells the mind to focus on that, personify it, internalize it, and like a tractor beam, it pulls into your present awareness all things that match, keeping said problem active. What you think and speak about matters. How you label, yourself matters. Thoughts do become things. For better or worse, they will shape who you are & your reality. When you can learn to pay attention to the thoughts and words you are offering, you become aware of what shifts need to take place. Just like how the clerk noticed, there is a distinction between “I am depressed” and “I am in a state of depression”. One keeps you in the problem while the other separates you from it enough so you can start to turn towards solutions. You can begin to change this for yourself by becoming mindful and remembering that in the midst of our problems, we are NOT the problem. Depression is NOT WHO YOU ARE. Anxiety is NOT WHO YOU ARE. Hurt, Shame, Blame, Guilt, Anger, Sadness, Fear are NOT WHO YOU ARE. These are thoughts and feelings. “I Am: Two of the most powerful words, for what you put after them shapes your reality.” — Gary Hensel You might be going through a problem, but I encourage you to not take ownership of it but rather take ownership of your resilience. Your Favorite Hypnotist, Mark D. Lakowske CTC® CMHT® For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn , or visit my we bsite ! Read more from Mark ! Mark D. Lakowske, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Multiple award-winning & internationally renowned clinical hypnotherapist Mark D. Lakowske has trained practitioners worldwide in his groundbreaking methods. Through this and his own practice, he has helped improve the lives of tens of thousands of people in countries ranging from the United States to Australia & New Zealand. Mark is an author of three books & regularly tours the world, contributing ideas to the development of hypnotherapy practice. His passion & drive is assisting people to overcome the overwhelming & live with more confident joy & happiness!

Written by: Nilima Amit, 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 capability to think is one of the precious gifts we Humans have. Most of us find it very easy to think about everything that is negative, everything that will go wrong and find it difficult to think positive. Is it so difficult? The answer is it can be made simple and easy with conscious practice to think positive. Thoughts create our Reality and this is the ONLY Truth. Let’s do a self-assessment and find which areas of life we have positive and negative thoughts. Answer the below questions in Yes and No Do you criticize yourself? Do you complain? Do you blame others? Do you worry? Do you find faults in others? Do you overcorrect family members? Are you stressed most of the time? Do you feel life is a struggle? Do you get jealous? Even if one answer is “YES” then there is a need to check the thoughts. Find the thoughts which are fueling such situations in life. You might feel it's impossible and very difficult to change thoughts and also might wonder what harm can a few negative thoughts do. If the negative thoughts are serving you to excel in life and stay happy, do not change them. But the moment they start draining you, make things difficult for you, then take immediate action to change them and drop them from your life. For example – Thoughts like “You need to work very hard to earn money” This thought serves in both positive and negative ways. This motivates many to work and make a good life for themselves in terms of money. But if this makes you feel how much ever you work, you won’t be able to earn money as the degree of work you do in your life does not qualify as hard work as per your definition then its time to sit back, reflect and change the thought so that you will be able to create the life of your dreams through your work. Now the question remains How to change our thoughts? Let me share my SECRET how I change my thoughts at the snap of the finger. Children up to a certain age (around 2 years) live a very blissful life. If they are happy, they show it. If they are upset, they show it. They just don't have any carry forward. Whatever it is they settle it there and then. Be it happiness, anger or hurt. They just don't get any past in the next similar experience, nor do they imagine anything happening to them as per the past experience. I just try and be like the small child and live in the moment. Remove the hurts and experiences of the past, uncertainties of the future, remove any attachments and what remains is only the present moment and positivity. Just surrender in the moment. This works wonders. Whenever I face a challenge, or the answer to any of the above questions is Yes for me, I pause and think how would the baby react. Voila, I just get my answer and helps me to think positive and stay in a neutral state of mind. Make Thoughts Your Friend And Create A Life Of Your Desire! For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Nilima! Nilima Amit, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nilima Amit is a Bestseller Author, Holistic Life Coach, and Reiki Healer. Her life is a beautiful and interesting journey from having an opportunity to be born to Osho follower parents to self-discovering her own Calling. This journey transmuted in the formation of her company, One Life Many Jouneys™. Coincidentally her bestseller book is also with the same name. The mission of One Life Many Journeys™ is to spread the light and guide souls in their quest in emotional and spiritual quest. Her book, handcrafted workshops, and Reiki infused products like affirmation box, wish box, Money, and Relationship box are created to help in the same.

Written by: Sunu Philip, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Who doesn’t love a good story?! Stories have captured the attention of generations of children and adults alike. And it’s the stories that draw us even now when we open a social media app or check our emails. In a distracted online world, it’s more essential than ever to use stories to build familiarity and trust with your ideal client. A story will stick in the mind of your audience long after you’ve shared it. It only takes one good story to get someone interested in what you’re offering them. This is especially important when you’re trying to sell your high-ticket offers. Including stories in your content plan will make a big difference in the engagement and conversion rates. Stories work for all kinds of businesses in diverse industries but these must be stories that stick and are told in your unique voice. For a story to work, it must have the following components: It emotionally connects with the audience. There’s a logical connection between the story and what you’re promoting. It should showcase a practical, tangible result. With that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 types of stories you can use to sell your high-ticket offers. 1. Mission Story When you share your mission story, you’re telling your people why you do what you do. They get to connect with the bigger picture of your work and the impact you’re hoping to make. A mission story creates intrigue in the audience and they’re curious to read about your big ‘why’. They get to see the heart behind the transformations you provide and it touches them on a deeper level. Sharing your mission with your audience makes your passion visible. It connects with their emotions and they get a different perspective of the work you do. If you want to share a mission story, you can start with: Your big ‘why’ - the purpose behind what you do. An ‘aha’ moment that directed this trajectory in your life. A lifelong dream that you’re making a reality. 2. Client Transformation Story Everybody loves a good ‘before and after’ story and a client transformation is sure to resonate with your audience, giving them a glimpse of what they get by working with you. This is not just a way for you to showcase the transformation you provide, but it’s also a way to celebrate the success of your clients. You can present a client transformation story in multiple ways: Celebrate a client’s progress. Showcase the results you got for them as a case study. Detail the process you went through with them. Do a big ‘before’ and ‘after reveal. The before and after a story is sure to connect emotionally with your audience, and there’s also the practical aspect where they can see the transformation firsthand. 3. Teaching Story The purpose of a teaching story is of course, teaching. You can pick one of the problems that your ideal client faces and present it in the form of a story. The context is very specific to a particular problem, so such stories might not be readily available for you. If you’re working with B2B clients and you have a team to support you, you can brainstorm and come up with a funny story about a hypothetical situation that your client might find themselves in. You can use the story to outline the solution and the transformation that your ideal client will get by working with you. This kind of story has a more logical bend to it. You’re showing your client exactly what state they’re currently in and how working with you would be beneficial to them. 4. Empathy Story Empathy is one of the most underrated skills in the digital world. So when you share a story that empathises with your audience, it tugs at their heartstrings. You can share an incident from your life where you’ve walked in your ideal client’s shoes. If you’ve had some kind of similar experience as your client, it will help them feel understood. This kind of story starts with your personal experience but ends with what changed for you and how you can help them get the same results. Your audience knows you’ve walked the same path and that you understand what they’re feeling. When you share the transformation you underwent, that gives them hope. They connect with you emotionally, and since you get them, they’ll be convinced that you’re the best person to work with them through their situation. 5. Failure Story There’s something about failure stories that capture our attention. When you share about a failure you’ve experienced, it makes you more real to your audience. Stories of failure logically connect with the audience and they realise that yes, people do fail. You have failed too and you’re not just painting a rosy picture of your life. You’re a real person with ups and downs, failures and successes up your belt. This makes you more approachable and shows your ideal client you’re only human. Failure stories are powerful because it allows you to empathise with your audience as they may be going through something similar. Reading about your failure story and how you bounced back from it will spark them on to intense action and get them to start working with you. In conclusion, I think we can all agree that stories are a great way to connect with your audience and get them interested in your high-ticket offers. Keep a journal handy where you can jot down ideas for different stories that come to mind. Then as you get time, you can flesh them out and use them wherever feasible. You don’t have to restrict your stories to just your social media or email campaigns. You can also use them as blog posts, create videos out of them, and incorporate them into other kinds of marketing material. The key is to tell captivating stories that touch your audience emotionally, show them practically how you can help, and lead them to a logical decision of working with you. Looking for other ways to start selling your high-ticket offers? I can help! To know more about me and my work, please visit my website. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! Read more from Sunu! Sunu Philip, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sunu is an international lead magnet expert specializing in creating a lead magnet and launch funnels that help coaches and consultants consistently sell their high-ticket offers with ease. She has been in the digital marketing industry for the last 12+ years, working with varied industries, and has helped her clients generate £3 Million+ yearly income through SEO and inbound marketing strategies. A high-school teacher turned online marketing consultant, Sunu is passionate about supporting people who love to transform the lives and businesses of their clients. Over the past 2 years alone (since she embraced the title ’The Lead Magnet Lady’), Sunu has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners share their story, build their tribe, increase their impact, and get more leads and sales by designing and setting up an efficient lead magnet and launch funnels for their businesses.

Written by: Dolores Andrew, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever felt on the outside of your life looking in, feeling powerless with no control over what happens? When you don’t have your hands firmly on the steering wheel directing your life, you can feel like a mere passenger. Learning to embrace and stand in your personal power will change the trajectory of your life. What Does Your Personal Power Look Like? When you are standing in your personal power you are not powering over another to get your needs met, nor are you allowing someone else power over you You do this in an emotionally mindful way, not allowing someone else dictate what you should do. While you actively listen to others, you make decisions in alignment with your own values. We are all unique in how we are made up but, the general principles of standing in your power remain the same for everyone. How Your Beliefs around Your Personal Power were Formed? Your beliefs start to form from the moment you are born. As a baby you cried to have your basic needs met, it’s instinctual and necessary for survival. As you grew into a toddler, you started to see the world around you and began interacting with it. You started to form relationships with others. Your perceptions of the experiences at these early developmental stages formed your beliefs around life, including your personal power. Your beliefs became your truth and the story you tell yourself. Your actions in your life are fuelled from these beliefs. How you react when those beliefs are triggered is key to understanding them. Here are two ways you can find yourself reacting to triggers. 1. You can fall into victim mode, believing you are a victim to your circumstances. Here is what victim mode looks like: If you believe you have no power, you can fall into victim mode whenever something triggers your personal power story. You will blame others for the way your life is and your story may sound like; Everyone walks over me, Nobody listens to me, Nothing ever works out for me Unconsciously you are giving your power away to the “others” you believe are responsible for taking your power from you. 2. You can fall into the energy of selling your soul to get what you want. Here is what selling your soul looks like You may want something so badly for yourself that you will do anything to get it, even if it means going against everything you believe in. It may be that you care more for the outcome than how that outcome makes you feel. You may want the prestige and title of a particular job rather than one that ignites your passion. Perhaps you want the man or woman because of who they are rather than having a partner whose values are aligned with yours. You will do anything to get to the end goal despite the result it brings. If you sell your soul to get what you want in life, you are giving your power away to someone else. 2 Ways to Take Your Power Back Form Personal Boundaries People who have a good relationship with their personal power always have good boundaries in place. Your boundaries dictate how you allow others to treat you. You can develop your “non negotiables” and state these clearly to others, around what you will and will not accept from them. It could be a non-negotiable with a partner or child as to how you allow them to speak to you and letting them know the consequences of not respecting your boundary. Your boundary may say; “I will not allow you to speak to me like that again, if you do, then this is what will happen”. Relationship dynamics work best when each party knows what is expected from them. Look at how power was dealt with in your family How power was dealt with in your family growing up has an enormous impact on how you perceive your own power. Some questions to ask yourself to explore what your story is around your personal power. How did you perceive power when you were growing up? How was your relationship with your parents or caregivers? What beliefs did you form from the stories you perceived? How do you react when you feel like someone is attacking your power? Do you feel like your boundaries are being torn apart? Do you feel like you have any boundaries? Did your father or mother exert no power leaving you with an indifferent sense of your sense of power? When you look at the answers you give to these questions, don’t attach blame or guilt, remember it is how you perceived your circumstances. Your perceptions and beliefs were formed from the knowledge you had when they were made. As you start to unravel the old beliefs that are limiting you, you can replace them with beliefs that are in alignment with what you want from your life. If you liked this article you can find out more about the work I do as a Holistic Life Coach and Corporate Wellness Trainer on my website. Want to learn more from Dolores? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Dolores! Dolores Andrew, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dolores Andrew is an All-Star Accredited Lifestyle Leader in Holistic Life Coaching. Her personal coaching sessions and Corporate Training programmes are tailored to her client’s unique requirements. Dolores’ expertise supports people to break through their personal barriers and reach their full potential, whatever that means to them. She supports them to reassess their values, effectively navigate their emotions and live their lives aligned with their authentic selves.

Written by: Alex Knysh, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. There has been so much going on in the world, so much chaos and uncertainty. Even the planetary action in the last 12 months has been big with change and energy and transformation. Have you been feeling it too? As I have been moving through these energies, I was thinking how important it is now, more than ever, to think about, and feel gratitude. What are you grateful for? Even in times when things can be so challenging? Do you really know? Firstly though, what does it mean to have an attitude of gratitude? Cultivating a feeling of gratitude means to show thanks and appreciation for what is good in your life. When you feel thankful, you are taking the time to acknowledge the gifts you have. Feeling thankful is experiencing an effective, positive emotional state that helps to neutralise other emotional states such as anger, frustration, sadness, etc. You cannot feel those states when you are in gratitude. Experiencing an effective emotional state such as gratitude is like a tonic that leads to greater happiness and greater satisfaction in our lives. It is a powerful practice, that if you really feel it from your heart, it can lead to huge shifts in your perspective, behaviours, and your energy. Practising gratitude daily can help you rewrite your story and go from a life of lack and negative thinking to a life of positive energy and abundance that flows through you and all around you. Some years ago, I was very ill with chronic autoimmune dis-ease and I wasn’t coping with my diagnosis. I had a psychologist advise me to write three things that I was grateful for every night before I go to bed. I was in such a negative state at the time; I felt in despair, I was very ill and in an intense amount of pain, physically and emotionally. So, I really struggled to find three things that I was grateful for each day. Mostly I was just grateful for a roof over my head, my comfortable bed, and my cat. And so most nights, I would write the same three things over and over. However, as time passed, I noticed I was beginning to find more within my immediate surroundings to be grateful for, such as watching and listening to the birds in the tree out my window or being able to cook myself a nutritious meal. As the months went on, I noticed instead of writing just one line a day, it turned into full sentences, then paragraphs, and then sometimes full pages of things I that I truly felt thankful for. This was an incredibly powerful process for me. It allowed me to take the focus away from the pain I was experiencing and focus on what was positive in my life. It truly shifted my perception and helped change the neural connections within my mind. It allowed me to be more compassionate with myself. It gave my life so much more meaning and lifted my energy higher so I could start healing the dis-ease that was running through my body. That was several years ago now, and I fully believe that practicing gratitude and having an attitude of gratitude contributed significantly to my healing. I still practice gratitude daily. I give thanks for my family, my friends and having meaningful connections in my life. I give thanks for my thriving and successful business and helping people change their lives. I give thanks for having the flexibility in my business for my own self-care. And every day I give thanks for my strength, my health, my happiness, knowing who I am, and my purpose in life. Having an attitude of gratitude is a powerful way to transform your life. It helps to reduce stress and depression and improves the quality of your being. It helps you feel healthier, stronger, happier, and more aware of the abundance around you. The more you practice, the more you enjoy and appreciate. It is such a simple action to take on as a daily influence that helps you change your whole story. We can’t control what’s going on in the world, but we can control our thoughts, our emotions, our actions and manage our responses. You can shift your energy so quickly when you allow yourself to pause, to notice what you’ve got that’s good in your life, to acknowledge your wins and achievements (even if that is just getting out of bed each day!), and to really focus on the things that make you feel good. When you practice having an attitude of gratitude, your whole world starts expanding. Even if that whole world is centred only around your lounge room! I encourage you to start a list, write in a gratitude journal, to put reminders in your phone, or stick post-it notes around to remind yourself to tap into the state of gratitude. There are many different ways to tap into feelings of gratitude. For some people, being out in nature helps to appreciate Earth’s bounty, for others, having a ritual such as saying grace before a meal helps to cultivate those feelings. For others, it is expressing gratitude to their family and friends for acts of kindness or thoughtfulness. It can take practice and consistency. One idea might be to take some nice deep breaths, close your eyes, focus on what it is you want to feel grateful for, and see if you can notice the feelings or sensations in your heart. Fill yourself up and say, “wow this is so great!” and really savour the feeling of what you are focusing on and feeling thankful for. True gratitude is all about feeling good and improving your quality of life. So, I ask you now, what are three things that you are grateful for today? Want more help finding happiness within? Get in touch via my website or on Facebook or Instagram. Read more from Alex! Alex Knysh, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Alex Knysh is an Energy Leader & Self-Love Coach, supporting women to live their passion and purpose through the journey of connecting deep within and discovering self-love. Alex is passionate about helping people develop more confidence, clarity, and connection. With 6 years of experience coaching and leading groups, running workshops and events, Alex is also the founder of Better Life Solutions, a group inspiring people globally to be the best versions of themselves. When she is not helping clients discover their own inner brilliance, you will find her exploring nature and sitting on the shores of the beautiful beaches of her hometown of Sydney.

Written by: Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. “Survival of the fittest” is a quote so often referenced when looking at evolution, business, and even sport, but is it really what we should be aspiring towards? When we look around everyone is setting the benchmark to “survive”, but are we selling ourselves short in thinking this is what we should be aiming for? What happened to thriving and planning forward, planning to succeed with a perpetual future outlook? If you “survive”, then what? Let’s take the next 5 minutes to really look at how we can better shape our mind so that the lens forward looks beyond survival; it includes thriving and success. Your outcome is about your mind and your behaviour. Our lived experiences and history, in general, enable us to reflect and make choices as we move forward. Yes, that’s right, the choices we make today are what will decide our future. Our future is not reliant on where we have been so if we aim to merely survive, that is great, set your plan forward to get you across the line of the destination you have chosen. There is no failure in that, you have succeeded, or have you? What do you do then? Resilience is about survival, and we have seen triumphs of resilience over the past decade and in fact over centuries, but perhaps even more so over the past two years, especially through natural disasters, and then the pandemic. We have seen unsung hero’s show up day after day to provide comfort, support, and guidance. We have recognised that as a collective, we keep getting up to do the same thing the next day, and that is showing us that we are resilient, we are surviving, however, the road forward appears to be longer than we anticipated, we waver, we doubt and we question what we all need to keep moving forward to stay resilient. Everyone has drawn on their personal skills and tools from lived experiences, but still, we recognise that to survive we may need something more. What can we add to our toolbox to go from Survival to Success? Reflection provides us with a unique opportunity, to truly identify what has worked so that we may learn from it, not just to repeat it but to learn from it. Let me elaborate on this point as we don’t’ always take the extra step. If we ask ourselves; what have I been able to adapt, learn from and then use to become stronger; we would then take an extra step because it’s not just about doing the same thing to avert an error, it will be to ensure we elevate the outcome as well. When we look at successful people in history, there is one key pattern that can be drawn on. Whether it be a battle, an individual or a corporation, they have all followed a similar path to reach success. They have failed, they then reflected on key learnings and then looked at identifying what they could do differently to strengthen from what they have experienced. Whilst this may not always appear to be an easy step, when you look at the alternative you have a key driver that is important – to succeed! Don’t stay in a holding pattern of survival, take an extra step in the process and then enhance that by bringing others on the journey with you, collaborate, and create robust discussions, asking questions such as “what else?” increase your vision of strengthening so that you reach success. Resilience vs Antifragility Whilst others pursue the path to be more resilient, consider what you have just learnt and decide on your future. Do you want to survive and have learnt from it, or do you want to learn and strengthen from it? The steps to develop this enhanced skill means that you will not just have a different path forward, but you will also have identified opportunities for growth personally and in business. Antifragility is not new, it is just that very few know about it, very few practice it, and very few are able, willing, and prepared to change. As a business strategist and advisor with three decades of lived experience in Finance and business, I now understand that we need to know more and to be more. My journey of strengthen began when I decided that learning needed to form part of life, so I also became a qualified Counsellor whilst staying in finance, and recently also became certified to train in the 4 stages of psychological safety but my learning’s don’t stop here, I learn through the feedback of my peers, my staff and my elders in pursuit of success. For me success is to ensure that the people, leaders, and businesses that I work with succeed. Survival is the first step, but we must always strive for more. I succeed when you succeed. How will your moments of reflection serve you? Want to learn more from Cathy? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Cathy! Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cathy Dimarchos is an award-winning business advisor, mentoring and coaching leaders internationally, and is an indefatigable philanthropist who believes we can all contribute to lifting the baseline of people across the world one person at a time. She founded Solutions2you with the purpose of impacting so that she can serve others and leave a lasting imprint. As a professional advisor and motivational voice, Cathy dedicates her time to perfecting a combination of people, business, and situational skills. Her values take center stage, and business becomes honest and expressive. She believes that knowledge exchange leads to self-reliance with effective and sustainable outcomes. Her Advisory services extend to New and Established Entrepreneurs, teams, and large corporates and support people to become antifragile in a world that is forever changing, stretching their boundaries. “When we rise, it is important to also lift those around us” — Cathy Dimarchos.

Written by: Liz Loizou-Smith, 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. And the short answer is… YES There have been countless published studies that have reported the physical and mental health benefits of meditation. Many of these include decreased pain, better immune function, decreased inflammation at the cellular level, less anxiety and depression, a heightened sense of well-being, and emotional self-control. Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person. It has nothing to do with religion. It isn’t “woo wooo” and it doesn’t mean you have to sit with your legs crossed, hands in prayer position “ohm’ing”, meditation is different for everyone. It’s a skill that takes practice. Just like learning how to ride a bike, we need to learn how to meditate. Everyone CAN meditate. A few forms of meditation that may not seem so overwhelming are meditation in the shower, on a quiet walk in nature, or before bed listening to a guided mediation. I do best listening to guided meditations that last no more than 15 minutes or are meant to help me fall asleep. When we meditate, we are abler to lower our stress levels, improve our focus, and treat ourselves with kindness. There are endless styles of meditation, just like diet and fitness. There’s no one size fits all, and it takes practice. When we pay attention to our breath, we are learning how to return, and remain in, the present moment. Below is a great meditation/mindfulness practice for beginners: Keep in mind we’re not looking to wipe your mind clear of the countless and endless thoughts that enter our brains. We’re practicing bringing our attention to our breath. When our mind begins to wander, we accept the thought and come back to our breath. Find a comfortable space, sit or lay, just be comfortable wherever you are. You’re going to simply focus on your own natural inhaling and exhaling of breath. Focus on your inhale and exhale pattern. Where do you feel your breath most? In your belly? In your nose? Try to keep your attention on your inhale and exhale. To easily keep your attention with your breath, we’re going to perform the 5-5-5 method; this method will keep your mind from wandering too far as well as give you a boost of energy at the end. To bring ourselves to calm, take a deep inhale, expanding your belly, and then exhale slowly, elongating the out-breath as your belly contracts. Do this 3 times, on your fourth inhale; you will hold your breath for 5, then exhale for five. We will do this for 5 breaths. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 and exhale for 5. Remember, It’s about training your awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings but instead tune in and accept them. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or visit my website! Read more from Liz! Liz Loizou-Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Liz Loizou-Smith is a leader in Human Performance Coaching. She helps individuals tap into their greatness by guiding them in rebuilding their power from within. She is a certified Holistic Health Practioner, Sports Nutritionist, and Movement Specialist. She is also a practicing Reiki Master and a highly intuitive individual. Her approach involves an integrated solution rooted in holistic health, which combines Eastern and Western modalities of nutrition, movement, and mindfulness practices. Her quantum alignment background allows her to connect with her clients' energetic imbalances intuitively. She is the founder of Rebel Instinct Coaching, which integrates physical, mental, and spiritual well-being by fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit. Her belief, if one of these areas is out of alignment, then none of them can properly function. Liz has made it her mission to help others incorporate these practices into their personal and professional lives in a way that is aligned with their goals. She has also developed the Teen Rebel Mastery Program, an interactive, highly engaging mental and physical training program that helps each grasp and apply critical concepts for peak performance in both sports and life. Her passion for integrative health has inspired her to develop, The Power Plate Method and The Connected Body Method, which, at its core, focuses on nutrition, movement, and mindset.

Written by: Andrea Raggambi , 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. Think about the last time you had a conflict with someone. What was driving the disagreement? What was your view? What was their view? Was the conflict based on a miscommunication? Or, was the conflict rooted in a difference in personal values? In my work experiences and observations through my own ups and downs in life, I have determined that there are generally two reasons we encounter conflict. One reason is an unmet need. This unmet need may be a need that was never expressed or was unclear to others. Another reason we encounter conflicts is because of misaligned personal values. Personal values are rarely discussed openly and frankly in our conversations. Having conversations about our personal values can help us avoid conflicts by identifying our personal values, defining our values, and outlining a strategy for interacting with others. Some examples of personal values are family, freedom, creativity, security, loyalty, intelligence, structure, integrity, commitment, cleanliness, trust, honesty, faith, and autonomy. If you Google ‘personal values,’ you will find dozens of examples. Not surprisingly, we are likely to encounter a conflict or frustration when our highest values are opposite of those of others. For example, if an employee highly values autonomy but their manager's leadership style is driven by their value of the structure, there could be a conflict between them about how work gets done. Not only would the employee and manager want to first identify their values, but they would also need to define what 'autonomy' and 'structure' means to them. The employee and manager can use these definitions to find a common goal, how they will achieve this goal, and ultimately, how they will know when they have met this goal successfully. By reflecting on our top three to five personal values, we can better communicate our needs and understand conflicts - whether it’s in our personal or professional lives. We can open ourselves up to asking others what their values are, and we can respectfully make requests and engage in positive, constructive discussions. Within a team, clarity around each other’s values can help to establish group norms, ground rules, and behaviors that facilitate mutual respect resulting in increased collaboration and productivity. In part 2 on this topic next month, I will share an exercise you can use for reflecting on personal values. For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Read more from Andrea! Andrea Raggambi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andrea is an ICF ACC coach and Chief Success Designer for mid to upper-level leaders who want to hit the pause button on busy-ness to take an exciting and courageous journey to design their personal and professional legacy and move forward with clarity, confidence, and renewed energetic purpose. Her purpose is to empower curiosity and creativity so that we choose to accept our differences, embrace change, and make choices that represent our best selves. Andrea applies a unique mashup of coaching and “success management” techniques utilizing a mix of change management, mindset, and habit-building practices to shift energy, thoughts, and behaviors in the direction of her client’s vision and goals. Since launching PerforMore in 2009, she has designed creative experiences, tools, and products that have resulted in success for hundreds of high-performing leaders in the technology, medical, architecture, construction, and engineering industries.

Written by: Tricia Brouk, 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 work with speakers, whether it’s on an event I’m producing or simply mentoring them, I hear them say the same thing, “Nobody cares about this idea.” Or, “What if it’s been talked about before by someone who’s got more credibility.” And most everyone shares that they don’t have the time to devote to the process. The truth is that these are all limiting beliefs preventing you from becoming an influential voice. What I know to be true is that there are 7.8 billion people in the world, and your idea is going to resonate with at least one of those people. And when you allow the limiting belief that “nobody cares about this idea” to get in the way of you sharing your powerful story, you are literally robbing someone of having the opportunity to be changed or even saved by your powerful story. I’m going to share three ways I support speakers in moving from fear and imposter syndrome to confidence and command. First, remember that your point of view is uniquely yours. When you share your idea through your lens, the idea will land with the person or audience who’s meant to hear it, who you are informed how you see the world. Your values and how you show up in the world inform your ideas and the way you share them. There is no way anyone else can be you, so when you share your unique idea, it does matter because it’s yours, and there is only one you. Get clarity around your values and trust that you’re unique POV is enough. Your voice matters. Second, there are a lot of people speaking who have fancy degrees. And there are a lot of speakers who don’t. Being credible is not limited to having a Ph.D. Credibility is about you being the expert in what you are sharing and expertly and generously sharing it. Acknowledge that your life lived, the years you have been inside of the story and how you made it to the other side gives you credibility. Identify how many years you’ve shared, taught, and written about this idea and the passion you have around shared it with the world for impact as an influential voice. You are credible. Finally, time is something we all have the same amount of. If you are allowing yourself to fall into the limiting belief of not having enough time, you are making excuses and playing into your mind’s limiting belief. Identify what’s important to you and make the time. If you are using the excuse that you don’t have time, then get clear that you don't want to share your powerful story. And that’s okay, just get clear. If you do determine that you are not making the time because of fear, you can move from that limiting belief into action. Start small, but start. Schedule twenty minutes into your day every day to write. And keep the commitment to yourself. You wouldn’t cancel on a client, so don’t cancel on yourself. You are capable. When that limiting belief shows up, thank it and then lovingly remind yourself that you are not selfish and that there is someone out there who needs to hear from you. This is how you move from fear and imposter syndrome to be confident and fully in command of your worth as a speaker. And if you desire to go deeper, HERE is Chapter One of my book, The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean For Lasting Legacy, for free. Your voice matters. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Tricia! Tricia Brouk, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tricia Brouk is an internationally award-winning director. She has worked in theater, film, and television for three decades. Tricia founded The Big Talk Academy, where she certifies speakers in the art of public speaking. She was the executive producer of Speakers Who Dare and TEDxLincolnSquare, and now The Big Talk Live. She is currently being featured in a new documentary called Big Stages, which highlights the transformation of her speakers. Tricia’s commitment and devotion to inclusion are a priority as all of her shows, events, and communities are diverse. She curates and hosts the Speaker Salon in NYC, The Big Talk, an award-winning podcast on iTunes and YouTube. The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean for Lasting Legacy was a 1 New Release on Amazon in December 2020. She was awarded Top Director of 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals and Top Ten Speaker Coaches in Yahoo Finance in 2021. Her documentaries have received critical acclaim—winning Best Documentary Short at The Olympus Film Festival and Los Angeles Movie Awards. Tricia has spoken at Forbes, Pride Global, New York Public Library, I Heart My Life Live and The National Organization for Rare Disorders.

Written by: Jenn Taylor, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In my 7th and final pregnancy, I lost twins at 19-weeks which resulted in 3 surgeries: A D&C, which left me hemorrhaging, then a vaginal hysterectomy, and an emergency surgery a couple of hours later for internal bleeding. To save my life, surgeons cut me hip to hip and took out or moved around my internal organs I was later told a second surgeon was called in, it took almost 3 hours to stop my bleeding, I was dead on the table, and I had 5 blood transfusions - 3 were from the blood that was suctioned out of my abdomen, run through a machine, and given back to me. Although it was 17 years ago, I wrestled with my physical scars and even more with my emotional scars for a long time. Feeling like I was less of a woman because I no longer had my uterus and cervix. Feeling inadequate because I wasn’t able to carry those twins. Feeling lost that in the end losing them was a relief because my body was just so exhausted. It took years to get past the feelings of inadequacies, to reconcile the trauma my body went through, to rekindle the relationship with my body that, in the past, had been easy and effortless. I had to talk to myself and encourage myself. I had to remember that I should’ve been dead, BUT GOD has other plans for me! I had to remember that the scars I carry (inside and out) prove that I am strong. My resilience shines through not despite these scars, but BECAUSE of them. I realized that my scars allow me to witness, inspire, encourage, and motivate others, and give God glory at the same time. I needed to learn that my transparency about the emotional scars would help someone else embrace their own scars, and thankfully, I kept track of my journey that I later used to create a program helping other women process their own traumas and scars. Embracing my scars didn’t happen overnight. I had to pray, wrestle with my personal demons, ask for help, follow through on the therapy I needed to process the trauma and loss. I had to be OK with not feeling OK and to learn what it meant to be different than I was before, and learn to love it. That took a village of people close to me urging me to open up, let down my guard, share my story, and heal. It was a lot of letting go and equal parts of embracing the new. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. When I see a bowl or cup made in this way I smile thinking how much more beautiful and unique we all are with our scars patched with gold. “If you never heal from what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you.” Today, I praise God for my scars! I will be an example to the world and help them to heal and embrace themselves, flaws and all. I offer free Benevolent Gratitude training to help launch your healing journey. https://www.momof18.com/page/208274 For more info, follow Jenn on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website! Read more from Jenn! Jenn Taylor, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jenn Taylor is Mom Of 18 and The Naked Podcaster, a Mindset Coach, and Motivational Speaker. She is also an NLP Practitioner and has 15+ years in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer, has written the blog - Mom’s Running It - for 9 years, and is a published author of a self-help memoir "Hello, My Name Is... Warrior Princess". She teaches Compounding Joy, bringing fast, easy, actionable exercises to people to increase their joy and gratitude. She is also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, is a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. Compounding Joy - Using the theory of compound interest to create a happier life! If you’ve attended events or heard speakers in the past and gotten excited about making changes only to return home and not know what to DO with the information, or feel frustrated at not knowing HOW to implement the information, you’ll love this talk! Compounding Joy brings fast, easy, actionable exercises to people to increase their joy and gratitude. Not only will you walk away with WHAT to do, but you’ll also know HOW in quick, easy steps.

Written by: Nancy Hovde, 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. Try first to be a man of value; success will follow.” - Albert Einstein As leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs, one of the best, most authentic methods to gain success in our life or career, is to choose to be of value. Sounds simple, right? Be of value and success follows. When clients come to me who want to see more success in their life, work or business, I use a holistic approach and suggest three core elements. First is Optimal Wellness Optimal wellness is doing everything possible to feel our best physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. In order to give our best value to others, we must first choose optimal wellness for ourselves. This includes feeling our best physically, which will then help to support us mentally to think our best and perform at our best, therefore, creating value and success. Think about it, when you don’t feel good physically, you can’t think as clearly or perform at your best. While we may not be able to control everything in our lives, we can control: What we put into our bodies Choose to exercise Select what information we feed our minds Integrate self-care that rejuvenates and replenishes our soul Meditation for mindfulness and stress management Practice good sleep habits When we incorporate daily body/mind/soul practices, this provides the foundation for optimal wellness and wellbeing that will fully support us to be of value. Success has a greater chance of happening in our life and business! Second is Living Core Values I share with my clients that they can see more success in their personal and professional life, when they are aware of their core values and living them, as well as using their strengths as often as possible, which leads to living a more fulfilling and meaningful life. I encourage clients to keep focusing on what energizes and fulfills them. No matter how far we are in our career or in life, there will be situations that come up when it is crucial to ensure our top values are being integrated into our daily life or as often as possible. Take a few minutes to reflect on and answer the following questions regarding success: When in your life have you felt success? Which of your accomplishments stand out the most to you? What were you feeling when you achieved that goal? What has been your most challenging life lesson so far? Now, take a look at your answers. Do you notice any similar emotions, feelings or thoughts you may have felt about success during these achievements? Ask yourself what success means to you. Third is Goals & Accountability Lastly, I have clients set goals and use accountability to help stay on track for successful results. While there are always both short-term and long-term goals to be set, there is one simple, daily mini-goal that can have the biggest impact on our life. I suggest asking this question each morning: “How can I be of value today?” Listen for guidance, an intuitive nudge, or inspired action. Follow that. While there are numerous methods of holding oneself accountable, it can be very individual with what works for you. Whichever accountability method you use, I encourage clients to include a daily and weekly reflection on how they chose to be of value: What do you need to have present or put in place, today, to support you in keeping your commitment with the answer you received from the question above regarding your daily mini-goal? In what ways has committing to the action steps in the past week allowed you to be of value? How has committing to the action steps and accountability allowed you to feel more empowered, valued, and successful? Starting today, reflect on how you can be of value and what success means to you in both your life and business. Are you living a life that is both successful and fulfilling? When we hold ourselves in high regard and focus on who we've become and the value we can offer—not only on what we have accomplished—we find true success. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Nancy! Nancy Hovde, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nancy is a leading Life Empowerment Coach who has combined her professional background, credentials, personal experience, knowledge, and insight to inspire and motivate those who wish to create positive change. For over 15 years, she has empowered clients who desire positive change with career/life purpose, personal growth, or wellness goals. Nancy will help you discover how true change can happen when we use our time and resources to develop our minds and spirits, examine our values, and let go of issues that hold us back. She inspires and guides clients to live their optimal life through her books, blog posts, articles, and coaching services. Nancy is the author of Uber Empowerment and Uber Empowerment Quotes: 500 Inspirational Quotes for Knowledge, Insight & Wisdom. Her credentials include Certified Life Coach, B.A. Interpersonal Communication, Stress Management Specialist, Behavior Change Specialist, and Certified Personal Trainer.