Written by: Dianne McKim, 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 we approach our work and life has a huge impact on our success. I recently read an article that got me thinking about the outcome of how we approach situations, challenges, or projects. Why do some people seem to have success no matter what they attempt, and others seem to flounder? Albert Einstein is known as a genius. However, here are a few facts about him you may not know: he had language challenges as a toddler, he dropped out of school at 15, and he struggled to find jobs early on. If I had known him then, I would not have thought he would amount to much. Yet, none of these things held him back. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. He is known to have said, “Success is a failure in progress.” I love that thought. I suspect he had a “Yes, possible” mentality that helped him keep striving and ultimately develop the theory of general relativity. Many people struggle to succeed because they are a “No, can’t” person instead of a “Yes, possible” person. A “No, can’t” person looks at what is before them and finds all the reasons not to proceed, or why things won’t work, or why they can’t accomplish something. A “Yes, possible” person does just the opposite. Where some say impossible, they say, Yes, but what if it is possible. The “Yes possible” person doesn’t quit because, at the moment, they don’t see how something will happen. They persist and persevere and allow themselves the freedom to fail on their way to succeeding. Continuing to try and try again may just be what we all need to overcome the successful obstacles we often face along the way. I know even in my own life, I had times when the work before me seemed beyond my ability and all I could think is I can’t do this. With this thought replaying in my head, I was not able to see that I had the capability and ability to actually do what was before me. As I grew, matured, learned, and understood my true identity, my ability to move past my own negative roadblocks developed. Now, when those negative roadblocks try to rise up, I know I can take steps to overcome them and keep moving forward. So what can you do to shift from a “No, can’t” mindset to a “Yes, possible” mindset? 1. Be intentional - setting your mind on accomplishing what is before you is great if you are intentional. Leaving things to chance won’t cut it. So, that project you have been assigned or that work that needs to get completed must be part of your focus. 2. Schedule actions - breaking the project or work down into actionable steps helps you see that it is possible to achieve the finished result you are working to have. 3. Persevere - don’t give up if you hit roadblocks or obstacles along the way. You may have to get creative or brainstorm with others to come up with a workaround. In this way, you begin to see possibilities and you grow in the process. 4. Breathe - taking deep diaphragmatic breaths is important, especially when we feel stressed. Breathing like this lowers your heart rate and blood pressure while it helps reduce your stress level. Reducing stress can help you focus on the work at hand with better clarity. 5. Visualize - consider the result you are looking for in the project and try to visualize the finished product. What does it look like? How do you feel when it is completed? What are the benefits of completing the work? As you visualize the outcome, you will become more confident in yourself, and that will get you energized to keep going. With these approaches in play, your “No, can’t” thoughts will shift to the “Yes, possible” thoughts, and success is sure to follow. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dianne! Dianne McKim, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dianne McKim is a leader in personal, professional, and spiritual coaching. She has the depth of experience, training, and certifications to provide her clients the transformation they need to excel. Whether your team needs to maximize productivity and cohesiveness, your underperforming employee needs help to improve, you need help in life to overcome obstacles, or you desire to move forward from whatever is holding you back, Dianne is the coach who can make it happen. Her clients say it best "If you are looking for someone who will help you grow as an individual, work better with a team, or simply get “unstuck” and discover your purpose for being, Dianne will certainly challenge you and work with the unique individual/organization you are."

Written by: Michele Ogston, Senior Level 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 autumn equinox is September 22nd, 2021. This is when the sun is directly above the earth's equator. This year it happens during the daylight hours on September 22 (3:21 p.m. EDT, 2:21 p.m. CDT, 1:21 p.m. MDT, and 12:21 p.m. PDT). Fall brings the slowing of energy. It's time to harvest the insight from our lessons. The shorter days and longer nights provide more time to tune into your intuition and direct it towards where you want to apply the lessons you have learned this year. Fall brings change. Change in clothes, leaves, and lifestyles. As the equinox occurs, it is a good time to consider the following: 1. Balance Day and night are equal during the equinox. It reminds us to check in with ourselves about what is in balance and what is out of balance. Tapping into the energy of the sun and the moon can guide you to recalibrate your life. Consider asking yourself: Where am I spending? Where am I investing? What am I making? What am I using? What am I allowing? Aligning with balance provides a solid foundation for your manifestation practice. 2. Gratitude Spend 5 minutes counting your blessings. Set the timer and write down everything you are grateful for - even your triggers and your lessons. (a.k.a. attempts that didn't work out the way you wanted them to.) When we express gratitude, it aligns us with the universe to bring us more blessings. Be ready to receive. 3. Meditate The Autumn equinox literally provides a place for things to “fall” into place. Bring yourself to a place to accept a mindset of peace, positivity, and a sense of belonging. This will allow you to slide into hibernation with ease and security. Try adding to your meditation practice sending love and gratitude to the following: Someone you love Somewhere that needs love Someone, you are having a challenging time with. Sending love and gratitude highlights to the universe you can act outside your own ego. You are capable of so much light when we share it in this way, and we share with the world. 4. Choose a Ritual & Symbol Take a moment. Don't overthink. What is the first symbol that comes to your mind when you think of fall? It can be a number, a color, a song. All that matters is that it resonates with you. Write this down. This is your symbol for the Fall. Now think of something you love to do during the fall. Enjoying a cup of tea? Doing a special meditation? Maybe you like to take an evening walk. Write this down too. This is your ritual. Whenever this symbol shows itself in your life, it's a reminder to partake in the ritual you are feeling called to do. Aligning like this provides a moment for us to take care of our spirit. By trusting our intuition, we build trust and create a deeper love for ourselves. 5. Let go & Release As we harvest, it is also time to let go. It's a time to release what has been shown this year to no longer serve us. Winter is when we will reset. It helps us to start clean by letting go now. Take some time to think of: The emotions that you are recycling (meaning they keep showing up for you). The endings you didn't get to choose. The actions that weren’t completed. The people who let you down. It might be worth considering making a list by writing all of these things down. Once you have completed this list - tear it up into little pieces and throw them in the trash. You can even burn it if you are feeling called to. As you are destroying this list, say the following words out loud or to yourself, “I now release you with gratitude and love. I am open. I am ready to receive all good things now with gratitude and love.” Michele Ogston, CLC Certified Intuitive Mindset Coach You can connect with Michele on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit her website! Read more from Michele! Michele Ogston, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Michele Ogston is a certified intuitive mindset coach! She holds certifications in life coaching and is a certified meditation & mindfulness teacher. She has been nicknamed “the everyday empath coach” because she has a knack for blending the linear mind the spiritual soul. She’s on a mission to make sure no one suffers in silence. She works with empaths and soul centered people to break the patterns that have been holding them back to design an authentic life filled with peace & purpose. She truly believes you’re one decision from changing your whole life. In addition to working with her clients 1:1 - she also runs The Soul Tribe! A membership program for soul centered people who are wanting to design their life with intention and intuition. She runs The Soul Healing Tribe For Soul Centered People & Empath Support Group, on Facebook. She owns Cloud 9 Life Coaching in Northern California, where she lives with her husband, children and fur babies. You can connect with her on: Facebook , Instagram, or LinkedIn or visit her website: Cloud 9 Life Coaching.

Written by: Carla Barber, 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 it comes to self-discovery, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that will set the ball rolling and produce consistent results. We’re all diverse in our own ways with our own beliefs, perspectives, and feelings. All three of these have the potential to prevent us from achieving what we really want. How? What we accept as true is what we believe. For example, if we approach this article with the belief that we already know everything there is to know about ourselves and that there is nothing new to learn, we will not apply the strategies provided and will not get anything from it. If, on the other hand, we believe we are deserving of this time commitment, we will take the steps necessary to learn more and grow. Our attitudes are shaped by our perspectives. We can absorb and try out new knowledge for ourselves when we are more open-minded and see how it feels and fits. When we’re more closed-minded, we avoid evolution and facing our challenges. Finally, our feelings are a blend of the above. The difference is identified by our approach. It's normal if you're experiencing some nervousness or reluctance right now. To find out why it's there, I invite you to check in with yourself. This can appear as a lack of interest in reading this… yet you clicked and are now reading, so there must be a reason you're here. Recognize it, take a big breath, and release it. So let’s get into this! These 3 practices are designed to push you and open your eyes. Try each one at least 3 times before dismissing it, and keep a journal of how each one sits with you (my suggestions for this are at the end of this article). 1. Take yourself on a date What: Consider the type of date you've always wanted to go on and create it for yourself. A date I always wanted to go on starts with amazing food! Then is followed by something easygoing that encourages me to get to know the other person better without distractions, like going for a walk and then sitting on the beach or somewhere green. I’ve been taking myself on this date once a month for over 8 months now, and for me, it means 2 things: My expectation isn’t on someone else to fulfill this for me (not that I’d say no!) I get exactly what I want in the exact way I want it! Why: We learn to be self-sufficient by doing this for ourselves. We also learn to care for ourselves in the same way that we care for others which boosts our self-esteem and confidence. Big bonus… we get to enjoy a soothing day doing something different from our usual routine. 2. Keep a journal. What: Set a goal with yourself to write the following, physically with pen and paper, at the end of the day before bedtime for the next three months, and be as detailed as possible by adding the question “why?” to each one. How have I felt today? What was the highlight of my day? What made me not feel so great today? What is something I did that worked? What is something I did that didn’t? Take the opportunity not to overthink your answers. Something that worked may be as simple as "I didn't burn the dinner!" and something that didn’t may be "I snoozed my alarm for 15 minutes, making me rush to get ready." Give it a go! Why: The goal of this exercise is to increase self-discipline and accountability while also increasing self-awareness. I recommend reviewing this on a weekly and monthly basis and making a list of any standout elements. By actively reflecting, we become aware of any triggers we may have, as well as any behaviors we may be indulging in that contribute to our mood and that of others. 3. Do 3 things per month outside your comfort zone What: There is a multitude of activities to do here that can be discovered all over the internet. I'll share a few of my favorites with you: Listen to music from a genre or artist that isn't your usual go-to. - Not out of taste, just not a top choice. This improves our concentration and serves as a type of meditation by allowing us to be in tune with our bodies and how each instrument feels. Better yet, do it in a new setting, ideally outside. Take a trip to the unknown. - Get in the car… and drive. I typically do this for around 30 minutes and see where it take me. I usually stop when I come to a place that is visually appealing. This gives us a sense of independence and satisfies our natural curiosity. Make a change in your surroundings. - Purchase a new plant to care for. Replace an inexpensive item, such as a blanket or cushions. Rearrange the furniture. Get a new picture to hang on the wall. The possibilities are nearly limitless. The key here is to make sure the difference is visible and something you'll notice every day. Why: By staying in our comfort zones, we encourage procrastination and limit our ability to grow. It also promotes impactful feelings like anxiety, depression, and loneliness. With these small efforts, pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone alters the tolerance in our brain that we need to modify for the better. It motivates us to be more flexible. And, when we consider that change is one of the few constants in life, we realize how critical this is. The following questions will help us reflect on these and draw out our major learnings! What makes me motivated and uplifted? What encourages me to procrastinate or ignore duties and responsibilities? What habits do I have? (Useful and intrusive) How are my routines impacting me? On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) how satisfied with my life am I? I'm curious to hear how you get on! Send me a message on any of my social media accounts with your results, questions, and discoveries. Best of luck! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Carla Barber, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Carla Barber is a mindfulness expert who specializes in emotional intelligence, cognitive behaviors, and analytical thinking. After years of feeling restrained by anxiety, depression, and stress, Carla discovered what happens when we create a tool-belt of techniques, ideas, and activities that can help us to become more resilient to what affects us on a personal level. She devotes her time to help people discover how to create their own tool-belts and identify what's been preventing them from stepping into the life they want. Carla's mission is to inspire more kindness, awareness, and acceptance in the world.

Written by: Caroline Brewin , 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. Gender Equality – one of the most important targets for organisations. But as they work toward this, something is missing… despite starting to have the right blend of diversity around the table. What if after all that focus, hard work, recruitment, policy, and advocation, we are still missing a key piece of the jigsaw? Confidence. Unfortunately, even when we have got to a point of having the right proportion of males and females in an organisation, there is still a lot of work to be done to get the best from those minds (1). Through years of experience as both a leader and a coach, I’ve seen countless highly qualified women underestimated, undervalued, and not contributing what they could as they lacked confidence. Whilst this is absolutely not exclusive to women, the research does show it is more prevalent in women than men. In fact, research from Princeton found that women speak 75% less than men when they are in the minority and 50% of women vs. less than 30% of men have self-doubt about their performance and careers. So, whilst the numbers on the spreadsheet add up, the work still has to be done in the organisation to ensure women feel empowered and confident enough to bring their brainpower to the table. But what happens if the brain is in a state of fear? It doesn’t contribute in the same way as it’s frightened of the consequences – perhaps anticipating social rejection, lack of control, or basic lack of safety. Contributions will be muted - if they come at all - and instead you only hear the voices of the dominant (mostly men) with their associated way of thinking. It’s not bad , it’s just not as powerful as it could be. This is why focusing on confidence is so critical. To be clear, this isn’t about ‘fixing the women’. This is a misconception which masks the problem at hand (whilst I focus here on confidence for women, not all men are confident and plenty of senior men lack confidence in different areas). This is not addressing a weakness, but doubling down on and releasing their strengths. Enabling confidence here is about bringing out the deepest level of potential from the female brains in the organisation. It’s lifting the lid on your company’s performance. It’s about giving them permission to be themselves and to flourish in that form, not squashed and moulded into an alternate which limits its contribution. When you give women the confidence to be themselves, with all their power, logic, calmness, and wisdom, you harness a current; a deep ocean of talent which can both bring people together and enhance how they can rise up collectively. They naturally look for opportunities to collaborate not compete; to put aside the ‘best solution for me’ and find the ‘right solution for us’. Once you give them the permission to be authentically themselves, to see that high performance can be quiet and unassuming not just brash and loud; you will see contributions you never saw before. Where do you start in the organisation? There is no doubt that the most senior women will already have considerable confidence to have reached where they are - they will have the battle scars to prove it. Are there areas they doubt themselves? Absolutely, as there will be with the men too. Is there value in giving them more self-awareness, self-confidence; boosting their existing talents even further? Definitely. McKinsey research from earlier this year sighted how critical investment in “immersive and engaging development programmes” is for senior leadership, to increase their adaptability to facilitate an environment based on psychological safety. Confidence starts with this self-awareness, whatever gender you are: “It’s critical that learning programs prompt leaders to engage with and shift their underlying beliefs, assumptions, and emotions to bring about lasting mindset changes” (McKinsey, 2021) A big ‘bang for your buck’ also exists in investing in the upcoming female leaders. This is the talent not yet at the Board, but the mid-emerging level leaders. This is often the group who are weighing up their priorities of family and work – they want to progress but if they don’t feel the compromise is really worth it, then why bother? If they can truly grow into their potential and see its worth the effort - they aren’t minimised, taken for granted or their skills undervalued; they will continue to invest their precious time and talent towards the more senior roles. They will have the confidence to apply for new opportunities, stretch roles; areas they would have otherwise seen outside of their capabilities. This is your talent pipeline to feed the precious upper echelons of leadership and inspire those below. The more the junior women look up to see and hear their senior female colleagues step into their confident selves, they themselves will feel empowered to do so. They will see safety in authenticity; see value recognition for what only they can bring and so be inspired to push further, give more and perform to the best of their unique ability. Then the jigsaw will be complete. If you think someone could benefit from this article, please click the share bottom below! If you’d like to know more about how to create Brain Powered Confidence in your organisation, please get in touch. You can see testimonials about our confidence programme here. (1) Please note, whilst I focus on the traditional definition of gender in this article, I fully acknowledge and celebrate all gender identifications that people associate with. Ultimately, we need diversity of thought and absolutely everyone has gifts to give on that agenda. For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Read more from Caroline! Caroline Brewin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Caroline Brewin is a professionally trained Executive and Confidence Coach, complemented by over 18 years of Global Investment Banking experience. From Chief of Staff to complex Regional & Global roles, she’s seen it first-hand: the long-term success and profitability of organizations are inextricably linked to the trust, motivation & diversity of their people. She is the founder of Brain Powered Coaching, which uses a neuroscience-based approach to improving Confidence and Leadership; enabling lasting, exceptional results. Through Executive Coaching and her unique Authentic Confidence program, she is committed to empowering Individuals and Corporates to achieve their personal and professional potential. References: Institute of Leadership and Management 2011 Women’s Agenda Ambition Report 2019 Brigham Young University & Princeton research 2012 McKinsey: Psychological Safety and the Critical Role of Leadership Development 2021

Written by: Karen Gibson, 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 first thing we must do is acknowledge the guilty feelings, know that it’s normal and check your mindset: Are you allowing your thoughts of feeling unworthy as a parent define you? Be aware of your perspective: Is your perception of the conflict with your child true? What was the trigger that started you to travel the treacherous journey of guilt? Did you react to your child’s mood? Understanding the reason you feel guilty is the first step. Second, ask yourself, “ Why am I feeling guilty?” When you label yourself as a bad parent, it’s often because you are taking responsibility for your child’s behavior or you feel inadequate. Did you lose your temper? Maybe you feel like you didn’t spend quality time with your kids? Perhaps you didn’t help them with their homework? As a mom, I find myself judging myself by comparing what I do to what I think a great parent should do. Oftentimes, my research as a parent coach leads me to the guilt trap. I’m guilty of not doing many of the tips I coach my clients to do. I have a hard time walking away in the midst of an emotional outburst with my 19-year-old daughter. I forgot to take a time out until we calmed down before resuming the conversation. I’m learning to forgive myself. I give myself permission to forgive my mistakes, blunders in judgment, and hurtful behavior, because it's a reminder that I’m human. A perfect parent doesn’t exist and it’s ridiculous to set my standards so high that I end up feeling like a failed parent. Lastly, when we let conflict with our child control our mood, our peace bubble will pop. My advice to parents is to envision themselves surrounded by a peace bubble. We have the choice to allow others to pop our peace bubble or to keep our peace bubble safe. It takes awareness, acknowledgment, and acceptance to release guilt. Once we are aware of the guilt rising, you acknowledge what caused your guilt, choose peace and learn to let go. Holding onto guilt only exacerbates the situation. Your guilt will consume your soul. It might sound too simplistic, but we have the power to allow guilt to pop our peace bubble or to simply let it go and move forward in our parenting journey I strongly recommend that every parent practice more self-care since parenting on an empty tank results in feeling stressed which causes potential conflict since we’re more irritable. Chat with a friend, seek out a therapist or parent coach or do something fun even if it’s 10 minutes of enjoying your favorite treat. My mission is to help moms and dads parent with peace , not pain. I’m hosting my first Pandemic Parenting Summit which is focused on preparing parents for navigating their forever-changing New Normal journey. I have ten speakers who will share valuable tips from how to build a nest egg without money, child psychologists, a memory expert, a mom in the UK who used to be a part of the British Royal Navy who helps those recovering from PTSD, Kanoelani Elementary’s principal who won the Life Changer Spotlight Award, as well as a motivational speaker/best selling author from Canada. The summit will be on Saturday, September 18, and Sunday, September 19th from 10 am to noon via Zoom. Contact me at Karen@lettinggowithaloha.com for more information. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Karen! Karen Gibson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Karen is the founder of "Letting Go with Aloha," offering coaching for overwhelmed parents and those in parenting roles who want to parent with peace instead of pain. As a former special education teacher, she also founded Brain Builders, a private tutoring business whose mission is to enhance students' mental and emotional potential. She is the author of "Mama's Gotta Let Go: How to Let Go Without Losing Your Sanity,” available on Amazon, as well as “100 Parenting Tips Inspired by the Pandemic,” published in March 2021 by Balboa Press.

Written by: Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, 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. To live a long, happy and healthy life, to possess vitality, and look youthful are ultimate goals for many people. A lot has been written on the topic of reaching longevity while still being physically and mentally fit and there is a lot of data on what one should do regularly to stay young and feel vibrant and energetic until old age. According to the research, there are several areas where we can improve our behaviors and habits to promote long, happy, and healthy lives. Some ideas are simple and logical, and some are a bit more challenging and counterintuitive. Dr. John Demartini, a human behavioral specialist offers an extensive list of ideas for, as he calls it, the expression of immortality. Here are a dozen of excellent ideas: Have purpose and mission in life. People who know their purpose well and have a long-term vision for their lives, live more vital and happier lives. As in the saying “Without vision, the people perish”, having a 100-year vision will keep you still active and sharp in your 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. Determine your values and make sure you live congruent with the highest ones. Your goals must also be aligned with your values, which will assure that you’ll live life by your design. Keep your mind sharp. Continuously learn and teach others what you learn. Stimulate your mind and keep it alert. Practice brain exercises, read inspirational biographies of people who lived long lives. Meditate to reach the state of gratitude and appreciation. Keep your body active and flexible. Walk, stretch, swim, practice yoga, dance, have sex, etc. When your muscles are tight and your body is rigid you not only feel old, but your mind is also not working to its fullest potential. Eat quality foods. Chew your food well and consume fewer calories and less variety. Less stimulation from various types of foods reduces overeating. Don’t eat late at night and don’t go to bed with a full stomach. Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Your muscles, joints, and all organs need water to function most optimally. Coffee, tea, and juices don’t count – drink them in moderation or eliminate them. Rest and sleep adequately. If you love what you do and do what you love, you can’t wait to get up from bed to do it. But you must sleep to recharge and revitalize your mind and body. Some people need 7 or 8 hours of sleep some less. Manage your emotions. Don’t get too high or too low - keep your emotions balanced and your mind calibrated well. Proper breathing helps keeping you centered and grounded. Breathe slow deep diaphragmatic breaths. Socialize with people and hug them a lot. Don’t sit in a chair and get old, be involved in society, interact, the more people you meet, the longer you’ll live. Associate and spend time with youth. Stop blaming and shaming yourself. Shame and guilt shorten your life. It’s not about what happened to you, but how it served your life, what did you learned from it or what could you be grateful for. Surround yourself with music you love. Collect music that brings tears of appreciation to your eyes, and which inspires you. Inspired life keeps you youthful. Take advantage of technologies and cosmetics that can give you a look of youthfulness. Take care of your skin, hair, nails, etc. You don’t have to be afraid of aging, but you can maintain a healthy and youthful appearance. Besides hard-core scientific research and studies that promote longevity, there are also secrets and home recipes shared through generations by people who enjoyed long and happy lives. Here are a few of those: Drink wine at lunch Go with the flow Find a perfect partner Drink many cups of tea Eat ice cream Don’t stay in the sun too much Don’t squint Don’t forget to smile Practice foreignness Practice gratitude and appreciation Think jovially and have a youthful spirit Have a sense of humor Declutter your life Eliminate toxic relationships. Be optimistic Eat blueberries Try some or all these tips and ideas and see for yourself if you can add life to your years and years to your life. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Jola! Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jola Pypno-Crapanzano is a Certified High-Performance Coach™️, NLP and TLT®️ Practitioner, founder and CEO of Coaching Journey with Jola, two times International Bestselling Author of “One” — Your wellness guide to body, mind, and soul and “Stay home” — When you can’t go outside, what happens inside? She carries a Master's Degree in Scientific-Technical Information from Silesian University in Poland. She has over 30 years of combined experience working with thousands of unique individuals and groups of people serving them in many different capacities. First, as a tour guide traveling all over the world (almost 70 countries visited so far) and translating into 4 languages, then working in the entertainment and hospitality industry as part of operational management in a large publicly-traded company in NYC. Finally, coaching people initially as fitness, wellness, and lifestyle coach and most recently more holistically as Certified High-Performance Coach™️, NLP, and TimeLine Therapy®️ Practitioner. She also helps her clients in Positive Intelligence, specializing in strengthening their Mental Fitness, and supports them through various strategic interventions. Her mission is to help one million people live their lives to the fullest, reach heightened and sustained levels of clarity, energy, courage, productivity, and influence and show them that it is possible to live lives of their dreams, on their terms, without regrets, be fully engaged, joyful and confident and build an incredible lasting legacy.

Written by: Aden Eyob , 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 Are Limiting Beliefs? Beliefs, commonly referred to as opinions, attitudes, and convictions, are unwavering thoughts that something is true. In the world of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), beliefs are based on the expressions of your inner models or internal representation that you use to filter and make sense of the world around you. A limiting belief is, in essence, the thoughts that you believe are true yet constrain you in some way, whether that be in your personal and professional capacity. The thing with unhelpful thoughts is that, in most cases, you are not aware of them as they are operating at the subconscious level. Limiting beliefs are the defense mechanism used by the subconscious mind from reliving a painful memory, experience, or childhood trauma. The internal representation is how you experience the world and create behavior, whether positive or negative. This is done by absorbing patterns of external information through your senses (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory, and gustatory), known simply as VAKOG. Data is then filtered and organized by either: delete, distort, and generalize before forming your thoughts and thereby internal representation system. The internal representation that you make affects the way that you carry yourself, your physiology; this, in turn, affects the way that you feel "state." Your state, in turn, affects the quality of your behavior and consequently your result(s). Examples of Limiting Belief Language at Play Deletion in language means something important is left out of the sentence, limiting thought and action. For example: "It's all gone wrong" can be challenged with: "How has it gone wrong?" Distortion in language means information is twisted in a way that limits choice and leads to unnecessary problems. For instance: "You think I'm stupid." This can be challenged by reframing as: "What makes you think that?" Generalization in language means when one specific experience represents a whole class of experiences or is generalized to the whole. For example: "I must lose weight.” This thought can be reframed with: “When must you do that?” 5 Ways to Rethink Limitations Self-awareness (identify, reframe, move forward): Your ability to heal your limitations is as good as your ability to know yourself. Taking time to Identify your blocks, reframe the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and take proactive measures to change the direction of your beliefs can only take place when you get to know yourself. Make time for knowing you. Journal therapy: Part of letting go of limiting beliefs is acknowledgment. The best way to do so is to write down the limiting beliefs that are holding you back. Put them on paper and reflect. When you do so, you will unlock the path towards healing. Surrender/release your limiting beliefs, not truths: Daily, review the limiting beliefs that you desire to release. State it out loud incorporating your senses so that you believe in what you release. Visualisation : take time to reflect and imagine your life without your unhelpful thoughts. How do you feel, what do you see, what do you hear. Make space for your new belief to enter your reality through visualization. Talk to a professional: As a certified Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner (NLP), I can help you uncover you're why, unlock potential, and free limiting beliefs to achieve your impossible desires. If you are ready to take the following steps to overcome your unhelpful thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, then reach out to me at: aden@mind-medication.com Food for Thought In the words of Tony Robbins, "The only thing that's keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself." For more mindset tips, tools and inspiration, check out my book, The Book on Mind Training: The Secret for Positive Living on Amazon. Follow me on Fa cebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Aden! Aden Eyob, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aden Eyob is a leader in mindset. She is the clinical neuroscientist and author, The Book on Mind Training: The Secret for Positive Living. She is the founder and CEO of Mind Medication, a fusion of neuroscience-psychology and spirituality-based mindset consulting and speaker service that helps you uncover your why to unlock potential and free limiting beliefs to achieve the impossible. Her clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, and celebrities—her mission: a world free from limiting beliefs.

Written by: Natasha Zo, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. A great marketing plan is critical if you want to own a thriving business. No one knows this more than James Patrick . The best-selling author, podcast host , and entrepreneur coach is passionate about teaching life, health and fitness coaches how to boost their overall sales and brand visibility. He also recently founded the annual conference FITposium to further help fitness entrepreneurs build their brand. Read on to discover five of his best digital marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition in 2021. Why is it important for entrepreneurs to have a digital marketing strategy? Millions of people have turned to online commerce, especially since the start of the pandemic in 2020. As a result, it’s essential that you use innovative digital marketing strategies so you can stand out from the rest and increase your sales. James learned firsthand how difficult marketing could be when he graduated college with a journalism degree and discovered he didn’t learn how to best position himself to get a job in his field and market his skills. He eventually landed a marketing job and spent over a decade gaining valuable digital marketing, business development, and client management skills while selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products and services. After James launched his own fitness photography business, he became a coach after seeing other fitness professionals making the same mistakes he made years ago because they didn’t understand how to build and market their own brands. He has been featured as a marketing expert on various TV shows, podcasts, and media outlets including Fitness Maga zine, Oxygen, and Business Insider . His outstanding photography skills have earned him over three dozen ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation. James also received the SAAEMA Marketing Professional of the Year Award and the Next Gen Award from the American Advertising Federation by the Tucson, Arizona Chapter. Save Time with the Pinnacle Content System James uses the Pinnacle Content System to prevent business owners from getting overwhelmed with the content creation process. The Pinnacle Content System allows you to develop one piece of “pinnacle” content and break it up into smaller pieces so you’ll have enough content for the rest of the week. This simple yet efficient exercise allows you to focus on coming up with 52 content ideas instead of one for every day of the week. Here’s an example of how the system works: Create a video and publish it online. Transcribe the video content and upload the written content as a blog. Publish the written transcription as part of your company’s email newsletter. Take a quote from the video and turn it into an image for Instagram or Pinterest. Upload the video’s audio to a podcast platform like Spotify or Apple. Post the full video on Instagram and Facebook. Create Instagram and Facebook ads using short video clips. Drive Audience Growth by Making Content Others Want to Save and Share with Others Many brands make content based on what they think will please the social media platform’s algorithm. Instead of wishing that your content goes viral, James recommends that you grow your audience by providing valuable content. He reasons that when you consistently post entertaining, informative, or inspiring content, your target audience will want to save and share it with other people. This digital marketing tactic can lead to greater organic growth over a period of time since your content will most likely be prioritized on the person’s feed after they save or share your content. Personally Interact with Your Audience to Boost Audience Engagement In a world where almost every business is trying to outsource or automate as much as they can, the majority of customers anticipate that they are interacting with a chatbot or artificial intelligence whenever they contact a brand online. Your business can stand out from the competition if you connect with your audience on social media. When your target audience realizes that you or your employees personally take the time to reply to their comments or answer their questions, it will build up their trust in your brand and help build a genuine connection with your customers. This can help increase goodwill and build a loyal following so they’re more likely to purchase from you than a competitor in the future. Build Your Own Email Lists Another digital marketing strategy recommendation is to focus on email marketing. Although social media marketing is important, it can be unpredictable and your content may not always reach your followers due to changes in the algorithm. Emails lists are valuable because they allow you to connect with potential customers without social media platforms acting as a middle man. That’s why it’s important for you to either rent an email list or gradually build up your own - or try a combination of both. The best way to collect emails is to provide a lead magnet or something of value like an ebook, online course, or report that your target audience will find valuable. The people who opt-in and share their email addresses and other personal information are more likely to make a purchase in the future. Leverage SMS Text Marketing to Increase Sales Lastly, SMS text marketing is a clever digital marketing strategy that can keep you way ahead of the competition. While email marketing works, it’s not as effective as it used to be ten or twenty years ago before “spamming” became popular. Now the average open rate for email marketing has fallen to around 18%, while SMS marketing has a 98% open rate in comparison. Simply offer an incentive like a coupon for people to opt-in and you’re in luck! Overall, engaging with your audience and using an efficient content creation system to create valuable content along with text and email marketing can take your business to the next level. Speaking of... James has a 6th tip that you are going to want to have as it will help you drastically increase your income in 2021. Simply text James at +1 (480) 605-3254 or follow him on Instagram @JPatrickPhoto to find out more! Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Natasha! Natasha Zo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Natasha Zo is a former journalist from Siberia turned international media relations specialist. She is a founder of Cosa Famosa media - a boutique PR agency on a mission to amplify messages of conscious leaders, health, and wellness entrepreneurs through earned media. Known for her connector skills, she guided a number of authors to Amazon bestseller status, booked national TV, top-tier media, and over 400 podcast interviews.

Written by: Tamara Makar, 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. Hello everyone! I haven’t been very active on here in the past weeks/months because my competition season started in May and I have been focusing on that. I still have one last competition in September, but a lot of people asked me about my competition prep and I thought I’d shed some light on how a competition prep goes, what it really entails. I am going to talk about the bodybuilding division mainly, so bear in mind that other divisions are not necessarily the same. I usually start my prep for a competition about 12-16 weeks out. It depends on how I look, how lean I am offseason. Our diet consists of mainly cutting calories in a very controlled way. The calories have to be calculated precisely because not enough caloric deficit or too much caloric deficit can both do more harm than good. So prep starts at around 12 weeks out, training intensity is still high, we still have the energy. Everything is going fine until you reach a certain body fat level when your body starts resisting any further fat loss. If you’ve been trying to lose weight, you are probably familiar with this feeling. Your weight loss stops and you need to tweak your diet, increase cardio, or just do whatever it takes to get you back into the fat-burning state. This is not only a pressure on your body – not many people mention mental fatigue. This whole process is a constant focus on your goal (the leanness, the trophy, whatever it may be). Dieting down for competition is more of a mental game, not a physical one. You have to convince your mind that you are not tired, you are not drained, you can push through. This mental challenge is one of the biggest reasons why not more people stand on the stage because they don’t make it. They quit before they could see the end results. Almost every prep is different. Your body gets used to the process, but it also wants to give up at different times and stages. It’s your mind, which convinces your body to keep going. Weeks go by, you are cutting calories and increasing cardio to burn that ever stubborn fat so that you can present a lean physique on stage. The leaner and drier you are, the more muscle mass and separation show in your body. The last 3-4 weeks are usually quite tough because by then, you have run out of energy, training takes its toll on you, and you feel like you are always drained and tired. You just can’t seem to get enough rest. The last week of prep is probably the toughest – and the busiest time. By then, we are very depleted. Depletion means that your body used up all the muscle glycogen in your body for energy, your muscles look ‘empty’ – and this is exactly how it feels to train at that point: your body is running on empty. Usually, 1 or 2 days before the competition we start the filling up process by taking carbs. Quite a lot of it actually, because we need to fill out all those depleted muscles. The last few days before a competition, we also need to dehydrate: the purpose of that is to pull the water out from under the skin, so the skin stretches tight to show the muscle separation underneath. This process usually involves increasing your water intake for a few days, up to about 6 liters or more, depending on your body, and then cutting it. Some people have to cut water completely, others just need to reduce it. It all depends on your body. These last 1-2 days are very precise because you have to ‘peak’ on stage. You have to bring your fullest and driest form when you step on stage – and that state cannot be prolonged for too long. You can look great at 8 o'clock in the morning, and when you go on stage at 10 am you might flatten out by then (it happened to me before). The last 2-3 days are about constant checking of your physique and adjusting your food. Some people work great with carbs, others need some fats, too. Everyone is different and reacts to different foods in different ways. All foods are not created equal. All calories are not equal. Some foods have more nutritional values, others can be slightly inflammatory. When the goal is to look dry and chiseled, you have to consider the different food sources. Usually, throughout a contest diet, we take out certain foods from our diet to make sure what goes into our bodies is pure and clean food to maximize their nutritional values. No zero sugar alternatives, no diet drinks, no sweeteners, no additives/fillers. Even supplements (pre-workouts or BCAAs) can contain some of these, therefore I usually restrict most of the supplements in the last 2 weeks to only BCAAs and 1 protein shake after training. People usually believe that when you are on a diet, you need to have a ‘cheat day’ every week. The truth is: cheat meals are tools. They are not rewards on a diet. They have their purpose. When your body is very depleted, and your weight loss stops, a cheat meal can help kick off your metabolism again. Cheat meals are usually not completely ‘clean’ foods, but – again - it depends on your body. Some people can get away with eating absolute rubbish, and others have to consider some better sources. Cheat meals are not a must. Sometimes I go almost all the way to the end of my prep without having one. It depends on your diet, how restricted it is and how depleted you get. If you have ever tried a generic diet from the internet, you know that it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ thing. How seriously you need to take your nutrition depends on your goal: if you just want to look good and you want a physique that you can maintain in the long run, you can probably get away with less restrictions – purely because you can’t go on with caloric and food-restricted diet indefinitely. However, if your goal is a competition, a photoshoot, or even a holiday, then you will need more discipline and careful consideration of your food intake. Usually, after I’ve finished a season of competitions, I do a hormone resetting diet. Dieting for a prolonged period of time can take its toll on your body, and some hormones can get imbalanced. I always find it very helpful for my body to reset all hormones so that I can start my offseason and the following season without any digestive or metabolic problems. A hormone resetting diet can do wonders for people with digestive issues (like IBS), or even insulin sensitivity. If you’re suffering from some issues and can’t lose weight, it could be a hormonal imbalance. If you’d like to get more information on a hormone resetting diet, drop me a message, or if you need help with your diet or weight loss, hit me up on my email hello@tamaramakar.me or check out my website: www.tamaramakar.me Follow me on Faceb ook , Twitter , and LinkedIn . Read more from Tamara! Tamara Makar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tamara Makar is an IFBB pro female bodybuilder internationally known and recognized after competing at the highest level for many years. She has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years, helping people to achieve their fitness goals and desired physique. Tamara's passion and dedication will help those willing to change their lifestyle as well as mindset. With a huge hunger for achieving results, Tamara has been studying psychology (and specifically sport psychology) to combine her knowledge of fitness and nutrition with the knowledge of how people get motivated and how they can change their mindset to achieve their goals. She is a certified Personal Trainer and an Advanced Sports and Exercise Nutritionist and has worked with some of the best in the industry. Tamara is very much a people's person who thrives off working with people of all ages, backgrounds, and desired goals – from beginners to competing athletes. She is relentless in making sure everyone achieves their desired outcome!

Written by: Rachael Downie , 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. Many people self-sabotage without knowing it, or if you are aware of it, you don’t know how to stop it. You may not be aware of the self-sabotaging behaviours, thoughts, and feelings that are holding you back. Yo ur subconscious mind sees self-sabotage as self-preservation, a way to safeguard and defend you from the unknown. Self-sabotage, according to the google definition, is the behaviours or thought patterns that hold you back and prevent you from doing what you want to do . S elf-sabotaging behaviours get in the way of your intent, of your bigger dreams and goals . You can put a stop to self-sabotage. It starts by understanding the thoughts and feelings that are driving unwanted behaviours. “Self-sabotage is like driving with your foot on the accelerator and the brake pedal at the same time.” It doesn’t matter how hard you press the accelerator you are not going to reach your destination with your other foot firmly planted on the brake”. Would you agree that you have done something, thought something, or behaved in some way that has created problems for yourself getting from where you are to where you want to be? Your subconscious probably sees self-sabotage as some form of self-preservation, a way to defend yourself even if it’s not. Some of your self-sabotage is so subtle that it is easy to miss. One of the things I wanted to do was to create some awareness for you about what sabotage is for you personally and what are some of the ways that you can move through it. A lot of the beliefs/behavior starts as a child. Something has happened in your life back then and you decided “I am not going to do that. I don’t want to ever feel like that again”. And that thought pattern as a 6, 8, or 10-year-old is still controlling you with habitual behaviors/ beliefs that are playing out in your life as an adult, and no longer serving you. You are aware of some of the behavior but you are still doing them. If you are feeling bad you can guarantee you are having self-sabotaging thoughts like: I am too tired. I am too busy. It is too hard. I am not smart. I can’t be bothered. I deserve the biscuit because I worked out today. I don’t think I am a good leader. I have too much to do. I don’t look nice. Which cause feelings of: Blame Fear Guilt Shame Beating yourself up with thoughts that cause these feelings. Self-sabotage is a state of mind, a type of attitude that you have. It all starts in your mind. You have a precursor thought that triggers you to feel a certain way which then causes or stops you from behaving a certain way. There are lots of things that people do to escape feeling bad. You may be escaping your emotions and how you feel by watching television, scrolling through social media, watching movies, reading books, drinking, using prescription and non-prescriptive drugs, exercising, and a whole host of other activities to take your attention off your emotional pain long enough so that you can push it back down. You may be used to feeling down and that has become the normal state of affairs. You learn at a young age to become more responsible to other people’s expectations of you then to the needs of your own emotional well-being. What are the ways that you sabotage? What are some sabotaging thoughts? What are some sabotaging feelings? What are some sabotaging actions? Sneaky thoughts like: “I am not good enough”, “I can go without “, “I might let someone down”, “What will people think? “, “I don’t have time”, “I’m so stupid”, “I never look nice”, “I don’t have enough time”, “I don’t have enough money”. Are there more? Keep digging to find out what is in that mind of yours. Ask yourself “What am I settling for?” “Why am I continuously talking myself out of what I want? This will cause you to think. Just doing this will expand your awareness. How are these thoughts impacting me and what I am doing? Be really specific. Self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviours all come from beliefs of unworthiness and not feeling good enough. Many people are in harmony with feeling guilty. Feeling guilty is their modus operandi . Their cause and effect. Feeling guilty is the normal way of life and they keep attracting circumstances, people, and events that will cause them to feel guilty. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it. But this is how it works. One of the key changes you can make that will move you away from self-sabotage and feeling guilty is to start being kind to yourself. I know when working with clients that this is not an easy thing for people to do. They are so good at being ‘kind” to everyone else around them but showing kindness to themselves is a different language. To even list ways of how you could be kind to yourself can cause resistance as it isn’t in harmony with the guilt. If you really think about it, you would never speak to someone the way that you speak to yourself in your head, would you? You can be your worst enemy with the comments that you make and the criticism. You want to learn to speak to and treat yourself as you would your best friend. Becoming aware of these self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviours is like weeding in the garden. You know in spring when all the weeds are coming up? If you don’t’ continue to pull the weeds out all the new seedlings that you have planted get covered over. You have to find the good stuff, nurture it, and remove the weeds. "Whatever you plant in your subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality". – Earl Nightingale. To change the behavior on the outside, you’ve got to change what is on the inside. This comes as a result of rewiring the brain through repetition and autosuggestion. The two most important words are “I am”. Everything you say after these words become your truth. You give direct instruction to your subconscious mind. What would you like to think instead? How would you like to feel? I am good enough I am confident I can take the first step I have all the time I need I am safe I can do this I am beautiful I am able to take the first step I am capable of changing my habits permanently I am able to find all the time I need I a good at what I do I am able to have beautiful thoughts I am able to fuel my body with great food I am healthy These statements are more powerful statements to be feeding your mind with. This is a choice. Make a decision moving forward that you are going to feel good. Nothing is more important than feeling good. This will help you to minimize the self-sabotaging behaviours and thoughts and replace them with more empowering ones Happy Weeding! Follow me on Faceboo k , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Rachael! Rachael Downie, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Is your mindset holding you back in your business? Rachael Downie is a successful mentor and someone who is truly focused on converting your thinking into results. Rachael works with a variety of individuals, businesses, and CEOs both locally and internationally - simply because we all have the same blockages, doubts, limited thinking, money, and staffing issues. (and if you don't, you are probably one of the 3% who is an unconscious competent, who may find it difficult to transfer your success skills to your staff or family). Rachael loves helping you create success not only in your business but also in other areas of your life.

Written by: Kathy Scott, Ph.D. and Bridget Sarikas, Executive Contributors Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. My Truth and My Mental Health Do you feel surrounded by strong opinions that are interpreted in hundreds of different ways? Are you feeling or expressing righteous indignation when people do not acknowledge your rightness? Or have you been the victim of someone else’s “truth”? How can so many people be so right and so wrong? With the continuation and surge of the global pandemic, many are feeling the added stress and decline in their mental health. Tempers are flaring and patience is in short supply. This, combined with the proliferation of polarized views, identity politics, and misinformation, is creating an even greater crisis. There is a destructive virus in our midst. This virus is an ugly negativity that insists that my truth is more important than you. It is the virus of rightness over kindness, and it comes out of our collective anger and grief. It is exacerbated by a diminished supply of empathy. Its observable symptoms include intolerance, blame, impatience, disrespect, violence, and social unrest. Let’s take a look at where our truth comes from. Our personal ideas, feelings, and beliefs about important things are impacted by our personal experiences and the culture we’ve been exposed to. This includes important beliefs about love, politics, freedom, justice, and beauty. As a result, we each see the world through our own special set of lenses. These lenses influence our truth on a day-to-day basis. Living out of our truth is not the problem, however. In fact, central to living a purposeful life is living out of our inner sense of truth and wholeness. This keeps us centered and steady. The rightness of our truth is not the problem either. There will always be differing views and beliefs about the world we live in. And that’s okay. The problem is when we value defending our truth more than extending kindness to the people impacted by this truth. This places a greater value on our ideology than on the worth of a human being. Kindness Before Rightness So, what exactly are we talking about when we use the word “kindness”? We are referring to the quality of being friendly, gracious, understanding, and considerate. It is aided by a sense of curiosity and the ability to understand the feelings of others. It can be as simple as a smile, a laugh, or a courteous gesture (which does not include any gesture that involves that middle finger). Kindness touches the human spirit even when there are opposing views. It is restorative and transformational. Demonstrating kindness does not imply that we must accept or adopt someone else’s viewpoint. It simply means we take the time to invest in, be considerate of, appreciate, and/or recognize the person behind the views. The Global Decline of Mental Health This topic of truth and kindness is more important than ever as we continue to experience a decline in mental health. With the onset of COVID and more recent surge of COVID variants, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are on the rise. Recent 2021 studies indicate the following: Roughly 40% of U.S. adults have professed to feeling the symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder - about four times higher than those who felt similarly in 2019 (Kaiser Family Foundation). A U.S. Census study suggests that mental health deterioration has been especially severe among younger adults. About 27 million people in the 18-39 age group are now receive counseling or take prescription medication for mental-health reasons, up from 20.2 million in the late-August 2020 survey (Bloomberg). A survey of 5,800 people in 7 countries across Europe identified deteriorating levels of mental health. The number of Europeans with a “bad state of mind” has tripled in recent months, with younger people most impacted (AXA Europe). This mental un-health is observable each day as we see the rise in rudeness, violence, hate crimes, and social unrest. We are experiencing a collective grief and an empathy famine. But there is an alternative. An Alternative Approach Kindness and common courtesy are strong medicine for this unhealthy culture. We can indiscriminately practice this with anyone we come in contact with, not because we necessarily like them, or think they’re right, but to show them we value them as a human being. As individuals, we can set the tone in our sphere of influence. The norms and expectations perpetuated in our daily interactions influence the behaviors of others. When people are treated kindly and feel valued and respected, they are more willing to invest, contribute, and engage. Kindness is a healthy antidote to an ugly virus. Piero Ferrucci, a psychotherapist, philosopher, and author of the book The Power of Kindness, suggests we try an experiment during an ordinary life situation that demonstrates the power of simple acts of kindness. He suggests we start with exchanging a few words, making eye contact, or striking up a conversation. This is easier for some than others. Even if you are not one of those people who enjoy striking up conversations in elevators, long lines at your local grocery store, or even waiting in dreadful bathroom lines, test it out. The most important part of this exercise is to be fully present when engaged in these simple acts. Dr. Ferrucci describe how “Suddenly a change occurs. Something becomes unblocked and energy circulates.” And while “It might not be an encounter of two souls, it surely will be an exchange of vital energy between two people.” Now, this is a beautiful thing! Moving from acts of rightness to acts of kindness includes being kind to yourself. None of us are perfect or the best at everything and there will be times when we cause hurt or harm. This is where the head and the heart often struggle. We must learn to give ourselves grace and kindness. If you need permission – permission granted! Rather than trusting in your perfection, learn to trust in your disciplined effort to know yourself better. This includes your triggers, habits, strengths, and weaknesses. When you can recognize your own humanity, you are better able to get yourself out of the way. Kindness shines to others through this humility – not because you are from the same tribe, or of the same thinking. And not because you are acting out of self-interest, calculated generosity, or superficial etiquette. Rather, our humility helps us see each other’s humanity and recognize our humanity in them. When we step up and role model kindness before rightness in our homes, communities, and workplaces, we make a significant difference in the mental health of those around us. We can be an antidote for the virus of rightness over kindness wherever we are. Kindness begets kindness. Titter Time: “Kindness is free – sprinkle that stuff everywhere.” – Unknown Follow Kathy and Bridget on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and visit their website for more info! Read more from Kathy & Bridget! Kathy Scott, Ph.D. and Bridget Sarikas, Executive Contributors Brainz Magazine Kathy Scott, Ph.D., and Bridget Sarikas have seen plenty of stale, uninspiring, and unhealthy leadership styles during their respective 30+ year careers in various industries. They saw the same old leadership structures (hierarchical), the same old mindset (my way or the highway), and the same old reaction to change (blame and shame). Now they are on a mission to help individuals and organizations be more purposeful, live more intentionally, and make better choices to promote their personal resilience and professional success. Kathy and Bridget are partners and co-founders of L3 Fusion LLC. A niche firm focused on transformational leadership that helps individuals and organizations maneuver through the chaos and complexity of today’s organizations and move to a healthier way of living leading, and learning. Using the science of systems thinking and psychology, they help others overcome the unhealthy status quo and move with the intention to achieve their goals – moving from surviving to thriving. They do this with a dose of humor, science, and stories from the field. Kathy and Bridget are also Amazon's bestselling co-authors of the book “Stupid Gone Viral – When Science and Reality Collide,” a new approach to leadership that helps the reader develop their own path to success that ensures they are NEVER underestimated as a leader! References: AXA Europe. A report on mental health and well-being in Europe. Ferrucci, P. (2006). The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life. New York: Penguin Group. Panchai, N., Kamal, R., Cox, C., & Garfield, R. (2021, February 10). The implications of COVID-19 for mental health and substance use. Kaiser Family Foundation. Accessed at The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use | KFF Tanzi, A. (2021, August). U.S. mental health under growing strain in COVID’s second summer. Bloomberg Equality. Accessed at U.S. Mental Health Under Growing Strain in COVID’s Second Summer - Bloomberg

Written by: Ilham N. Musayev, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. “I think it's very important to have a feedback loop, where you're constantly thinking about what you've done and how you could be doing it better” — Elon Musk. There are many ways and definitions of perceiving and understanding the meaning of “feedback.” However, not everyone understands the true mission of the feedback and its intentions in the same way, which creates the biggest conflict in our minds and behaviors. For information, most people get it negatively and set themselves for negative emotions when they hear about receiving the feedback. I tried to explore and find where the average point is and, after some time-consuming web search, found the closest definition on what makes sense to me from indeed.com: “Effective feedback is a way of giving input that can be positive (such as a compliment), negative (such as a corrective measure) or neutral (such as a general observation), but it is always useful to the receiver. It provides recipients with insight or suggestions that contribute to desired outcomes. If you want to give effective feedback, you should aim to be supportive, encouraging, and specific on the direction that's needed to change, improve or continue actions and performance.” With these insights in mind now, let’s continue our conversation about the power of giving and receiving feedback. Nowadays, giving and receiving feedback is so critical business communication skill. And most importantly, it is a two-way process of both giving and receiving information efficiently and constructively. Today, in our lives, feedback is a paramount part of business, education, training, and even professional coaching engagements. If it is provided in a professional manner with consideration of the above factors, it proves to be very motivating, helps in personal and professional development. It helps any person who received it to focus on their blind spots, build on existing superpowers, and that way improves performance further in the desired direction. One important thing I would like to highlight is that feedback could be given or received by anyone, not just seniors to subordinates or elderly people to younger. As long as it is mastered and provided in the right format and environment, neither age nor position/status make a difference. However, mastering it is an art, and it takes time to build some skills. So, practice…practice…practice and never fear failure. And here is the number one [1] skill required to master: Active listening! That’s where all magic starts; that’s where all difference is made. As a result of providing quality feedback following benefits were obtained: It is a free but yet, powerful way of communication that helps to improve performance, grow in the desired area, find blind spots and learn about any areas of improvement, including bad habits. It opens up avenues and an effective way to motivate. It may not be obvious; however, feedback is a way of learning for each and every person. By being a two-way process, everyone tries to learn something positive from the other person’s suggestions, perspectives, or insights. Important: It is all about mutual understanding, respecting each other’s opinions, and learning something from each other’s experiences. There are a couple of special areas or how I like calling them “tricks of the trade” in giving and receiving well-structured feedback. Here are some, which require most of the attention and time to master: 1. Prepare in advance and stay positive. Read that again… The more positive and encouraging you are, the more you are motivating people you provide the feedback. The better we are prepared, the better we stay on track and won’t waste anybody’s time. 2. It is all about the right time – feedback should be timely! Any feedback received on time and with relevance to the situation is golden. It helps to boost the learning momentum for that specific time and situation and unlocks blind spots by offering areas for improvement. 3. Do not take feedback as a formal process – think out of the box! Providing feedback for some people or organizations could be considered a formal process. However, this is not a healthy approach as it builds boundaries rather building trust and cooperation. We have already mentioned that the feedback is about two-way communication. So, let’s keep it exactly that way and use it as a way of communication, learning, and helping each other to become better versions of ourselves. If we change the focus, we can change a lot and build a strong environment where feedback is used to grow, develop each other, and not powerplay, which is a popular way of how it has been (or being) applied. 4. One important moment in sharing the feedback is that it should be free of additional noise. In other words, it should be clear and concise! The power of the feedback is in trying to focus on specific and related facts and by doing that removing all ambiguities and unnecessary gray areas. I personally believe that any feedback process should be fair, theme and area of conversation should be mutually agreed upon, and it should not be forced. If receiving party is not ready or not quite aligned with the reason on why it is provided and where the value is obtained, then that is where the conversation needs to happen in the first instance. In order to be fair and for both parties to get most of the value from this communication, I trust that good coaching skills can massively help. So rather than giving feedback without alignment with the other party and understanding direction of their thought process - start by asking questions. Begin your conversation by asking the other person about their perspective. You want to learn about their experience and what they think of their work/actions. It will be much easier and natural to raise your concern if they’ve already voiced it. Be positively set and hope that people are willing to brainstorm ways to handle the situation differently in the future. Be open and clear that they’re being evaluated on their results/behaviors/outputs, not their effort. One important thing which is always neglected to happen in feedback conversations is the takeaways that receiving party gets. My personal position on this case is that it is always important to structure a conversation in a way that there is time left for that magic question: “What are your key takeaways from this conversation?” Again, again and again – coaching skills are making such a difference here that the learning process becomes natural, and it serves to faster and powerful growth. Letting people reflect on their takeaways is so critical. It helps to understand the value of the conversation and provides opportunities to shape the messages in the right direction if they were not received correctly. It can save a lot of wrongly wasted time and helps to improve the quality of the communication, and that is where the trust is coming. Taking care to deliver feedback with clarity and sensitivity will help people around us focus on the reality of our messages, even in a remote environment. And now a one-billion-dollar question: What was the last time you have asked for feedback? Any feedback. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ilham! Ilham N. Musayev, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ilham N Musayev is a mentor and coach (outside of the company he works for) who helps people unlock their potential in career and personal development. He also helps in the area of personal effectiveness, setting realistic goals, and becoming organized and structured. Ilham also helps to re-gain the [lost] confidence and look to issues and problems from a different perspective. Another area of his support is helping to cultivate servant leadership via coaching and mentoring technics. Overall, he is an energy sector professional with 23 years of the practical experience obtained by working in one of the leader companies in this sector. Ilham’s experience is very multilayered. He worked and gained his experience from the following functions: Wells, PSCM, Operations, Global Projects, by mainly providing project controls support. For the last three years, he worked in Modernization and Transformation and Agile Design Teams and helped his company transform into new working ways. He currently is a part of the Agility team and, as an agile coach, supports the company by implementing agile ways of working. Ilham holds the following professional certifications and accreditations: EMBA, PMP®, ICP-ATF; ICP-ACC; PSPO I; PAL I. He also is a Professional Life Coach and ICF Professional (Member). Ilham’s position is that staying open for support, serving people as a leader, and helping people to grow is what wins hearts and minds and is the only answer to all questions. His mission: “Aspire to inspire before we expire.”