Written by: Rita Roushdy, 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. Let me tell you a story about a past client, Sarah... Sarah had big dreams and even bigger money goals. She desired unlimited financial and time freedom. So she began by creating a vision of how she wanted to manifest them into her reality, starting with a big-money goal. She felt that her vision was on its way to becoming a reality and was far too excited to receive it. By doing that, she put her big-money goal on a pedestal and created resistance to the goal. That resistance becomes a block to the opportunities for money to come into your life. Because it limits how you're open to receiving. As a result, she was at the mercy of that external victory, giving her power away to that outside force. And deep down interlinking the achievement of her goal to her self-worth and self-belief. And before long, she would start her day being very aware that it hasn't yet manifested into her reality. Which placed her in a lack of vibration and initiated her scarcity mindset. Sound familiar? The goal is to create the sensation that you're good either way because you're not attached to the outcome. The power of letting go of the outcome lies in the following 3 worst-kept secrets. 1. Be The Master Of Your Current Reality The most powerful secret to detaching from the outcome is to be fully present in the moment. Master your current reality by being fully conscious and aware of the present moment. Have the awareness that your wins do not dictate how worthy or abundant you are. Marinate in the perception and feeling that you are already abundant. This is potent when it comes to manifesting financial abundance! The vision for your future is a preview of what you're working towards. They're a mirror to what you need to work on in the present. The person who sets the goal is not the person who achieves it, meaning that you must grow as you achieve each goal. So, focus on being present in the moment and connecting to yourself and the people around you instead of thinking about what the current opportunity could mean for your end goal. Being present includes being grateful for what you have in your life now. This allows you to feel the blessings of the money you're currently attracting into your life. Grounding in the emotions of gratitude. 2. Heal the need to control Attachment to outcome is 'control' in disguise, which comes from unhealed trauma. Note: We've all got unhealed trauma, during which we've created certain beliefs and perceptions. Living rent-free in your mind and body and can be manifest in the form of autopilot behavior. So, when Sarah was feeling the need to control every situation, it was due to traumatic memory. And based on her perception of what had happened, she created the belief that. "I need to control everything, otherwise it won't be perfect, and it will fall apart" Which became: "I need to control everything to succeed." This attracted more situations into her life to prove her belief to be true and depleted her energy. And the more controlling she did, the more she felt the need to control, All the while blocking the money that's trying to flow to her. Once she released the limiting belief, she made space for her new and empowering belief to take its place: "I believe and allow money to flow into my life with ease. I hold my vision lightly." And once you believe that your abundance is yours regardless. You’ll find that things happen so much more naturally and with so much more ease. 3. Use Emotional Freedom Technique To Release The Energy I've prepared an additional training video on this subject with a free EFT section. This will help you release the energetic charge you've created around this big money goal. Click here to access the video. And make sure you comment or DM me to let me know what emotion came up for you when you first started to do the exercise. With every secret shared in this article, you hold the power to uncover more of your truest and most abundant self. This is your reminder that you can be clear about what you want AND release attachment to how and when it happens. You are a powerful creator, and I invite you to use this piece to empower you to release the attachment to your goals. If you need more clarity on why you're not manifesting money with ease, you can book in for a free clarity call here. P.S. I only open these slots a couple of times a month. They're on a first-come, first-served basis, so I highly recommend that you apply sooner than later to avoid disappointment. Connect with Rita on Instagram and visit her website. Read more from Rita! Rita Roushdy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rita Roushdy is an expert in the money mindset, uncovering subconscious limiting beliefs and supporting high-level women in becoming a powerful magnet for money. After a decade of hustling hard but hardly being paid, leaving her depleted and wounded, Rita was on a mission to heal her relationship with money, knowing that it will be a lifelong journey beginning by healing herself first. Rita’s purpose quickly became to share this secret with other women who desire to level up their businesses and finances into new heights of limitless abundance that spill into all areas of their lives. Transforming society’s relationship with money, one woman at a time, Rita strives to uncover and release old limiting money paradigms that we’ve been programmed with. Using an abundance of healing tools and techniques, she guides her clients, releasing anything that no longer serves them by healing old money wounds and deep-rooted beliefs, making space for what they truly desire to have more of in their lives, activating and allowing them to become magnetic to their dream clients. She has supported her worldwide clients, reaching consistent £10K and £20K per month income goals and hitting their first £100K in business in less than 2 months of working together. She’s been invited to share her expertise on money mindset and became a keynote speaker, all within the first year of entering the coaching space.

Written by: Kelisha Mills, 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 determines business growth? Some factors that affect business growth are the entrepreneur's drive to succeed, their knowledge of the industry they are in, and how they allocate resources. For example, my Tourism business was forced to close because of the pandemic, while my Procurement business thrived! Now, as numbers are going down around the world, the Tourism business is set to thrive again. In order for a company to succeed, they need an entrepreneur with drive, knowledge of the industry they have chosen, and an understanding of how to allocate resources. Business growth is a complex process that depends on many different factors. To grow your business, you need to know what you want from your business and how you can achieve it. When you start a new business, it's important to know what you want to get out of it. Do you want a full-time job, or are you looking for a side project? What are your long-term goal and short-term objective? By answering these questions, you can better determine how to grow your business and move closer to that goal. Ways to Create a High Growth Business in 2021 1. Define your vision and goals with these questions What is your vision for your business? Do you want to be the next Netflix and change the way people watch and enjoy TV? Do you want to join the team of big companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nike, or Adidas? Do you want to be an entrepreneur who pursues your passion and is not afraid of taking risks? What can you do to find your vision for your business? It can be challenging to find the vision for your business. You need to know what your business is about and what you want it to be. This may seem difficult, but there are a few ways to start. How to create a vision statement for your business? A vision statement is a powerful way to communicate your company's mission to employees, customers, and other stakeholders. It helps you clarify your values and identify the difference you want to make in the world. The best way to create a vision statement is to start with the words "I am" and end with an active verb phrase. Defining your vision and goals can be a daunting task. But it will help you focus on what you really want to do, what you find valuable, and what those around you want from your writing. Define your values: What does success look like to you? What are your long-term goals? What is the ultimate purpose of your work? Define the audience: Who are you writing for? What will make them happy or angry about what they read? How do they prefer to consume content? Define the style: How should style be used in this piece of writing? Are there any rules that need to be followed within this specific organization, industry, or market segment that we need to adhere to when talking with our audience or clients? Is there a checklist for the tone 2. Brainstorm promotion ideas that would skyrocket growth Promotions are a low-cost way to increase customer acquisition. Promotions can be in the form of discounts, social media campaigns, or community events. Some promotion ideas that help grow your business. Marketing is a crucial part of any company's success. It increases brand awareness, generates leads, and increases revenue. The world of marketing is constantly changing. At the same time, so are the expectations of consumers. In order to keep up with the competition, it's important for businesses to think ahead. Start by creating a marketing plan that suits your business needs - are you looking for more social media exposure? Do you need help with branding? Narrow down your goals, and then work backward on how you will achieve them. 3. Decide on which marketing channels to use and how much time you want to invest in each one The process of choosing which marketing channel to use can be done in a few steps. First, you need to identify what your business is offering and who the target audience is. Second, you need to decide on which marketing channels would work best for your business. And finally, you should lay out how much time you want to invest in each one. We are now living in a digital era where people like convenience and simplicity when it comes to their products and services. The days of relying solely on traditional marketing outlets such as newspapers or TV spots are long gone because we live in a world where people have access to all the information they want at their fingertips 24/7 - thanks to the internet. The businesses that will thrive in this digital age are the ones that implement various types of marketing strategies encompassing both SEO and digital advertising. 4. Focus on strategies that will be sustainable in the long term so you can grow your business without burning out It is difficult for businesses to grow and maintain their competitiveness in the market. It is important to focus on strategies that will be sustainable in the long term so you can grow your business without burning out. The need for sustainability is becoming more important with the rise of artificial intelligence, which will eventually automate a range of tasks. Studies show that if businesses do not make changes now, they risk being left behind. The best way to ensure a sustainable business model is to adjust your operations and develop new ways of generating revenue, like adding new products or services or finding new customers that are outside of the current customer base. I’d love to hear of other ways your business experienced high growth during the pandemic! Send me a DM, and let’s chat. Follow Kelisha on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Kelisha! Kelisha Mills, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kelisha Mills is a wife, mom of 4, author, speaker, and Entrepreneur (BSc. Entrepreneurship) for over 13 years. Kelisha specializes in life makeovers for mom entrepreneurs, helping them gain the clarity and confidence they need to find symmetry to run a successful business and have quality time with their families.

Written by: William Lee, 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. “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…” My future was dependent on that exam outcome. And yet, I allowed myself to rely on that supernatural power. I was counting the number of handshakes before a hastily made rubber dice was rolled. That’s not how I would like to live for the rest of my life because, quite frankly, it’s nerve breaking. Luck would eventually run out. God only helps the self-help 天助自助者. I would like to take the driver's seat and work towards that ultimate goal of general happiness and freedom. But how? The Wheel of Fortune Every one of us has a distinctive way to live, just like every corporation has its unique business model to exist. That is one wheel of fortune for each (legal) person to exploit. And, there are three parts to it. The first is Capabilities. These are the things and business fundamentals required to build, grow and sustain (human) assets to attain enduring organic growth. These are the capacities to gather, generate and maintain functional senses of vision 眼, hearing 耳, smelling 鼻, tasting 舌, touching 身 and memorization 意識, followed by the abilities to emotionalize, internalize and process the information collected to reach and realize an aligned decision and action outcome. The second is Emotions of Seven 七情 which shapes a (collective) person’s decision-making process. These are happiness 喜, anger 怒, sadness 哀, fear 懼, affinity 愛, repulsion 惡, and the Desires of Six 六欲, which includes lasting growth好生, death avoidance 離死, far-reaching vision 正視, good information 長聽, right feeling 善感 and lingering taste 回味. All of these are influenced by how our minds worked when we made contact with the internal and the external worlds through our six senses (see Chapter 1 – Born With It All & Chapter 2 – Spontaneous Reactions). And, the third is the Commercials of pricing, terms, securities, and compliance that effectuates capital accumulation and supports the said capabilities building and emotionalized, internalized, and processed decision and action outcomes. The simpler is the business organics – or the environment one situates in – the more dominant is one part of the wheel of fortune over the others. When the business is complex, it takes complicated integration of capabilities, emotions, and commercials to succeed. There are no more clear boundaries between the three parts. It becomes one. Nevertheless, the way to navigate through all the challenges life thrown at us is to turn the wheel of fortune clock-wise, or anti-clock-wise, or a mixture of both zig-zagging. And remember, sometimes the fastest way is not the straightest. It depends on the business organics we are in (see also Chapter 3 – Business Organics). Steer that Boat So how we ‘visualize’ this world affects how we drive the vehicle of this body (corporate) to reach our goal(s). The closer we get to the truth, the better. Let’s take an example. Driving a houseboat. Although it involves the same concept of controlling the direction with a steering wheel like that of a car, the details and the skills involved vary tremendously. First, it takes a lot longer to realize how much a boat is turned. There is very little traction, and the larger the boat, the longer it takes to see the effect of turning. Secondly, the undercurrent has a huge impact – something that requires substantial experience to read and anticipate. And thirdly, it is easier to make a big turn or stay the course, with lots of small maneuvers instead of a big stroke. The larger the boat, the more so. When applying this observation to running an organization, it is easy to visualize the need to establish the goal, imagine the route(s) to get there, ascertain and anticipate the circumstances/conditions involved, choose what vehicle(s) to use, build the relevant capabilities, engage those involved, continuously improve and commercialize it the right way. If it has to be a big boat, be wary about the combined effects of undercurrent, traction, and momentum. Acquire team(s) of talents from a young age for core activities so that they develop coordinated-experienced instincts. Drive with lots of small moves and experiments, with new blood and/or consultants. If it involves a small one, be agile, or it can be overwhelmed. Taichi That Since the wheel of fortune is both tangible and intangible, we need both physical and non-physical, direct and indirect, means of measurements to help us become fully aware of the relevant business organics, past, now, and future. One very effective methodology is the concept of Taichi 太極. The Yin 陰 is the intangible part or anything that cannot be ascertained physically or directly. That is, the Cause 因. The way to observe this Yin is by utilizing the (sub)consciousness part of our mind 意識, where memory and instinct are stored (see Chapter 1 – Born With It All, and extrapolate. The Yang 陽 is the tangible part, capable of being observed physically and/or directly – the Effect 果. We get this by utilizing our five senses, assisted by ever more sophisticated tools as we develop. While it may be easier to observe the Yang in the current and past tense, Yin is how we predict the future Yang. A scientist or an economist would conduct many experiments to gather enough data points – the Yang – to postulate the Yin, and come up with a theory or mathematical model to predict the future outcome of Yang. Don’t forget to block out the Five Bad Habits五毒of greed 貪, careless talks 嗔, ill understanding 痴, inaction 慢, and suspicion 疑, while you gather data. These either obscure, twist, or hinder the way to the truth. Happy Taichi-ing Your Wheel of Fortune! Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from William! William Lee, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine William Lee, a business coach and expert in connecting people’s wheels of fortune together, excels at producing positive results in complex multi-stakeholder engagement, end-to-end customer experience satisfaction, and remote team management. Frustrated by years of conflicts and external negativities, William dug deep to understand how our minds work, how we interact with one another, and how good faith can improve our connected world together. Through a process called CentriFusion, William’s methodology and system provide an easy first step to vastly improve team empathetic capability. With increased presence and engagement, as a result, fertile mental grounds are sown to enable organic and spontaneous growth, aligned to a shared common purpose. William provides the way to attain TRUE and SUSTAINABLE COMFORT in your businesses. Enjoy life without complacency!

Clara Rose is a Literary Consultant and Strategist with Intentional Influence. She is the founder of the SAVVY Influence Builders movement and Chief Editor with RoseDale Publishing. Clara works with those who want to write, speak, and lead, to cultivate their influence and generate more leads and sustainability for their business, ministry, cause, or brand. Clara Rose is the creator of the popular Brainstorm & Blueprint book building process and host of the weekly show, Influence matters. Clara Rose, Literary Consultant, and Strategist Who is Clara? My husband Larry and I live in the Tampa area, just off the gulf coast of Florida, with our two rescue dogs. We each own a business, and we stay busy with friends and family. Our three grown children have given us nine wonderful grandkids, who we adore. I am an entrepreneur by nature; in fact, I started my first business adventure when I was just 18 years old. Not all my ventures have been successful, of course, but over the years, I learned to start with a business idea and launch a fully developed business. Since the excitement was in the startup, it led to business development consulting, a career I have loved! Over the years, my business focus has shifted several times, but in 2010 I started writing full time, helping my clients craft their marketing message and gain exposure through the written word. With an understanding that influence was creating success for my clients, I transitioned again in 2017, with a strategic focus on helping my clients create a business brand book to cultivate influence. The real influence that could generate organic leads and create sustainability in their business! What is it that you do for your clients? I work with entrepreneurs and professionals who want to write and publish a book for their business or brand. My job is to help them understand; a book is just a tool. It takes strategic focus and intentional action, to create the right tool, to build influence. Once we have created the right blueprint, we write and edit their book. Some of my clients publish with my RoseDale Publishing Pressmark, and others self-publish or work with a traditional publishing house. How they publish is not as important as writing a great manuscript, which is my goal of course. Who should hire/work with you? Entrepreneurs and professionals who understand the value of having a book to use as a marketing tool are my ideal clients. Usually, they know they want to write and publish their book but have no idea how to make it happen. I have a proven process for them to follow. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? It might sound crazy, but my biggest goal is to work HOW I want, when I want, and only with the clients who are a good fit for me. As I get older, this becomes more and more of a priority in my business and life. I have created a boutique consulting agency so I can work for myself and do what I love on my own terms. I love helping people take their idea and create a tangible book, it changes their business, and it often changes them as well. I am always open to letting my business evolve, as businesses do, but in 10 years, I suspect I will still be helping people write and publish their books! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

Written by: Kris de Jong, 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. As a leader, it’s imperative that your team trusts you. Trust in a work context means your people expect to be supported, be treated respectfully, and have confidence in you to do the right thing. As a result, employees feel free to talk openly about the issues that matter to them without fear of negative consequences. Why is trust so important? Why is trust such an important factor for workplace productivity and effectiveness? According to a study by Timothy Judge et al., The relationship between pay and job satisfaction: A meta-analysis of the literature published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior by Elsevier , “trust” is one of the top three things employees value at work, alongside “appreciation” and “inclusion”. These concepts are connected, so each supports the other. A meta-analysis study conducted by Dirks and Ferrin for the Journal of Applied Psychology found that employees who trust their leader rs are less likely to quit, have higher job satisfaction, are more likely to believe information from their leader, and are more inclined to commit to organizational decisions. A high level of trust in the leader results in more cohesion, better staff retention, and increased engagement. How can you increase your trust as a leader? So how do you build trust in a practical way? It starts with making a commitment to yourself to take action every day that demonstrates trust to your team. Executive leadership expert John Ullmen suggests there are three fundamental values that if displayed consistently, increase trust: Reliability, Credibility, and Connection. Here’s how you can apply these values within your organization: Reliability When you say you’re going to do something, make sure you do it. When people see that you follow through with your promises, it gives them confidence - not only in your ability to get things done but in the company’s capability to change and grow effectively. Example : As a result of an employee engagement survey, one of the key issues raised was a perceived lack of communication from the leadership team, so you say you’ll make sure this is addressed immediately. Clearly communicate how you’ll do this and take action. You could, for instance, send brief, weekly emails to everyone outlining key decisions and milestones and ask for feedback or questions. Credibility Your team looks to you to set the example. Consciously or unconsciously, they’re taking cues from your behavior and actions and seeing them as reflecting the culture of the whole organization. Be very conscious of how you’re coming across when interacting with everyone around you. Mean what you say and say what you mean. A casual remark about someone’s poor performance, an off-color joke, a rolling of the eyes when someone makes a suggestion – these seemingly small things can undermine your message around the desired culture, and have a big negative impact on your credibility. Example : You’re in a meeting with one of your team leaders, and they tell you about how an individual is underperforming. You then nod in agreement and say how awful that person is, and he’s probably going to be fired soon, thus talking about someone behind their back and engaging in gossip. Don’t do this, especially if you’re telling everyone about nurturing a caring, respectful culture. Avoid “do as I say, not as I do.”. Instead, talk with your team leader about how to deal with the performance issues of the individual in a constructive way. Connection The days of the autocratic leader are dead. Servant leadership involves looking after your people first, helping them to develop to be the best they can be in their role, and involving them in decision-making. When this happens, employees feel lifted up and supported, which in turn increases motivation and engagement. Example : Your workers are people, and therefore have a lot more going on than you see on the surface. Getting to know them and what excites and engages them helps to uncover pathways for career progression and personal growth. Look for specific ways to encourage this. It might involve providing skills training, relevant courses, or the opportunity to lead a project. Treat everyone with respect. Make building trust a habit Doing these small things every day will ensure you consistently build trust and enable a safe, open working environment where everyone feels valued and free to contribute to the greater good. Visit eclipselifecoaching.com to book a free consultation, and follow Kris on Linked In . Read more from Kris! Kris de Jong, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kris de Jong is an experienced and certified Executive Life Coach living in Auckland, New Zealand. He studied at the University of Waikato, completing a BSc in Biology and Psychology, and was later certified in Cognitive Behavioural Coaching and Professional Life Coaching. He's also a Certified Practitioner of the Global Leadership Assessment 360 (GLA360). Recently he's become a co-founding ambassador for Prox.io, a global virtual knowledge exchange platform. Kris has managed large and diverse teams over the years while building his coaching and mentoring skills. His experience in HR, recruitment, performance, and people management allows him to optimize employee coaching for organizations looking to improve workplace wellbeing. He's written over 100 articles, published in national news outlets, and featured on national radio. After achieving financial freedom at 40, Kris started Eclipse Life Coaching and is passionate about coaching and helping people to get what they want in life.

Written by: Kelly G. Wilson, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever faced a life event that mentally and emotionally spun you out of control? Perhaps a significant event such as an unexpected job change, the end of a relationship, a personal health crisis, or a pandemic? Or maybe a minor event like a bad date or an argument with a loved one? Can you think of a situation (big or small) that consumed you so profoundly that all you could feel was anxiety and fear? If you can relate, you are not alone. The ups and downs of life are part of everyday living. However, the ups and downs of daily living do not need to wreak havoc on your life. Here are five healthy habits to practice during difficult times that help you build emotional resiliency and mental strength. Acknowledge your feelings The first step is to acknowledge your feelings. During difficult times, it is easy to be consumed by anxiety or fear. Once this happens, anxiety and fear become so strong that it overshadows your actual feelings about the situation. The first step to building strength and resiliency is to slow down and carve out space to identify the underlying feelings and emotions. As a healthy habit, move into a quiet setting, sit silently with yourself, and ask yourself the following four questions: "What am I feeling at this moment?" "Why am I feeling this way?" "Where do I feel these emotions in my body?" Give your emotions a voice and ask yourself, "What do my emotions want to tell me? What do I need to hear right now?" Often the intensity is lessened once you identify and acknowledge your emotions beyond the initial anxiety and fear response. These emotions have been trying to get your attention. By slowing down, recognizing, naming, and listening, you are accepting and supporting yourself. Instead of avoiding, you are working through emotions, which creates a window for healing. Release Self-Judgment During breakdown, avoid negative self-talk, release self-judgment, and practice self-acceptance. Accept yourself for where you are. It is normal to feel scared, confused, and heartbroken. You may feel lost, hopeless, and helpless. These are normal feelings too. It is okay because these are your emotions, and you have the right to feel the way you do. No one else has the right to tell you how you should and should not feel. You and you alone determine the validity of your emotions. As a healthy habit, say these affirmations regularly if you need help accepting yourself during emotionally difficult times: "It is safe for me to feel the way I feel." "I am a work in progress." "I lovingly accept all of me, even the messy bits." "I am perfectly imperfect." "As I learn and grow, I get wiser and stronger." Be mindful of the story you write Mental storytelling is an interesting coping mechanism; it is a powerful habit of mentally weaving a story that helps you understand the experience. Unknowingly and sometimes painfully, mental storytelling reinforces a limiting belief that is deep inside of you. In other words, when unfavorable events happen in your life, your brain generates meaning and writes a story to produce evidence of a deeply rooted self-limiting belief. For example, if you are experiencing ghosting while dating, you might be thinking, "Of course, why would he want me? I have nothing to offer. I am such a mess." Or, if you are experiencing rejection in your relationship, you might be thinking, "I am never good enough. I wasn’t good enough for my parents growing up. I made so many mistakes, and they told me every time I made a mistake. I failed at everything. What makes me think I am good enough for this relationship now?" With the power of mindfulness and self-awareness, you can generate a new story from a place of curiosity and possibility. For example, "I wonder what is going on in his life that is causing him to shut down and cancel our dates?" Or "I wonder what happened today that might be factoring into this situation?" Note, in the last example, there was no personal meaning-making in the story. The new story came from a place of curiosity about the other person. As a healthy habit, write a story from a place of empowerment. Adopt a sense of wonder and write from possibility. Be mindful of generating meaning that is a direct reflection of you when truthfully, it is not a reflection of you. Identify what you can control and what you can't During difficult times, uncertainty and loss of control enhance the feelings of fear and anxiety. A healthy habit to adopt is to make a two-column list. List all the things you can control in the situation in the first column and list what you can’t control in the second column. For example, you can control your response, the story you generate, and when and how you ask for support. You can't control the other person's response, circumstances in his life influencing his behavior, or how he is reacting to the situation (growth-orientated or fixed mindset). Peace is found in knowing you did the best you could with the factors in your control. Grace is found letting go of the factors out of your control. Ask for Support Lastly, it is essential to remember that you are not alone. Although fear and anxiety can make you want to retreat and isolate yourself, the healthier habit is to reach out and ask for support. The first step is to identify the type of support you need. Do you need more support from friends and family? Can your work colleagues or your business network assist you? Do you need professional help? Therapists, coaches, and mentors all provide services to meet you exactly where you are and take you where you want to go. Lastly, have you asked for support from your Higher Power? Your Higher Power is always available and wants to support you. Once you have identified what type of support you need, then the next step is to reach out and ask for help. Even though this last step takes practice and vulnerability, know that you are not mean to face difficulties alone. To recap, the five healthy habits to build emotional resiliency and mental strength during difficult times are: Acknowledge your feelings Release self-judgment Be mindful of the story you write Identify what you can and can't control Ask for support Ups and downs are part of everyday living. Building habits to strengthen your emotional resiliency helps you thrive through emotional waves brought on by life events, both big and small. The more you practice these healthy habits, the more they become second nature and develop into your new default response mechanism, creating positive, impactful change in your life. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Kelly! Kelly G. Wilson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kelly G. Wilson, The Butterfly Guide, is a Life Activation Coach igniting women's self-confidence & self-worth so they can win at life, love, and relationships. Kelly's journey began ten years ago when she navigated total life destruction after divorce, which catapulted her on her journey of self-discovery and reinvention, where she learned the true definitions of authenticity, right relationship, and soul-aligned living. Kelly's journey has provided a pathway to wholeness, which she has now transferred into her signature coaching program, Win Academy. Kelly's mission is to empower women to rebuild their self-confidence, reclaim their self-worth, and practice radical self-love so that they can win at life, love, and relationships. Kelly has traversed her journey from caterpillar to butterfly and now lives in connection and relationship with life where quality, heart, and contribution intersect. She has a passion for adventure, travel, nature, and self-expression through art.

Written by: Dusya Lyubovskaya, 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. Our childhood affects the everyday decisions that we make. Whether it is about dating, starting a job, reviewing our finances before and after the month is over, or even starting our own business. When our parents teach us how to use money, they also teach us their values. When we witness as children how our parents treat each other, that affects us later in how we choose the person we date or even if we want to get married and start our own families. During our childhood , we learn from our family, school, and our environment in general what is okay and not okay to do, and sometimes we get confused when our family teaches us something different from what our environment/school teaches us. All these examples we take in as children affect us later in life, affecting the decisions or choices we make. When I work with entrepreneurs in my practice, many of them want to know why they have fears, feel like they are not enough, why they can’t get enough sleep when they have to show up confident with customers. That is why I ask them , " what was your childhood like?” Every time I ask that question , my clients look with big eyes at me because they wonder, “What does my childhood have to do with my problem?” The answer is in all the above-mentioned examples and even more. Anything you experienced growing up is going to affect you on a subconscious level. Anything we witnessed as children will stay in our subconscious. Anytime you force yourself to get out of bed to go to work or see customers, and you cannot figure out what is going on, it is possibly related to a memory from your childhood. Possibly your mother or father had issues at work or had worries about putting a meal on the table. You may not have these worries. However, the memory of your parents losing sleep stays with you. That is why I offer ancestral healing to my entrepreneur clients, to help get rid of limiting beliefs and mental blockages. By understanding your childhood and being able to say, “that is what my family went through, but that is not my story. I can start my own beautiful chapter and be so successful that I will be proud of myself!” Follow Dusya on her Facebook , YouTube Channel , or visit her website for more info! Read more from Dusya! Dusya Lyubovskaya, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Dusya Lyubovskaya is a leader of ancient holistic modalities. After growing up with an abusive father, her trauma caused her to develop health issues that doctors could clear diagnose. Although Dusya has been passionate about science since her youth, she went into the medical field because she had to be the breadwinner at an early age but never gave up her dream of going into science. During her work taking care of patients, she realized there was more than western medicine could offer. However, she felt she was running into walls. Dusya took care of both of her parents, who died from terminal cancer, and knew that she could at least ease their suffering with the holistic modalities she learned about growing up. After her mother’s passing in 2014, she discovered meditation and Reiki, and a brand new world opened to her full of opportunities! She got trained in reiki, and after a year, she was encouraged by many clients to get paid because she appeared to be very talented. She would perform energy healing on and off on the side, and in 2018 with additional training, became a holistic life as her clients around the world greatly appreciated her positive energy and experience. Dusya has also evolved in her medical career and started speaking for health care agencies as well as government agencies seeking her advice and expertise. Dusya discovered that many chronic health issues in her clients were caused by trauma so she used her western medicine knowing combined with ancient healing modalities and has been very successful. Meanwhile, Dusya has expanded to helping entrepreneurs who struggle to make more than 5k by helping them increase their money mindset and helping them get unstuck by helping them with inner child soul retrieval and helping them reconnect with their inner child as every issue we face as adults is affected by what we learned as children.

Written by: Marie Hernandez, 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. Taking your business online is not a creation by the pandemic, it has been around for the last decade since the internet took off worldwide. A lot of people have been missing out on the massive pool of opportunities because they don’t know the potential or how to position themselves. I’m Marie Hernandez, your sponsored travel expert. For the past 11 years, I have established my business online and executed countless successful marketing plans for my clients. And this is my story. Long before I built my business online, I have been documenting my travels via social media platforms so family and friends can keep updated on my progress. Then, I started getting offers from sponsors to market their business. As people started turning to social media to look for vacation spots, sponsors are also looking for someone with a strong online presence. At one point, friends started asking me how I was able to land sponsorships. After repeatedly answering the same questions from everyone, I realized I had found my niche. Like any physical business, it takes time and dedication to make your online business fly. I spent countless hours studying and strategizing for the best results and ended up failing. It’s all part of the process. It took me many detours and speedbumps to arrive where I am today. By going online, I am able to expand my reach significantly. My audience is no longer only based in the US, but the rest of the world as well. Not only has it been a beneficial experience for my audience as they can transcend geographical boundaries to learn the best about sponsored travel, it is an advantage for me as well to have an expert view on sponsorships around the world. My sponsorships are never limited to local destinations, but international ones. I have been invited to hot air balloon rides in Italy, visiting gorillas in Rwanda, having dinners on private yachts etc. I am able to take my work with me as I travel, which is perfect for my niche. Don’t get me wrong, becoming a digital entrepreneur by no means implies that you work less than a physical job. In fact, you probably will find yourself investing more time and effort. But I assure you that, in the end, it will all be worth it as you will have a business that’s entirely yours when you see the success. In my Mastering Sponsored Travel Mastermind , I teach students how to start their digital brand or transform their physical business online. Over the years, I have helped numerous ambitious and aspiring entrepreneurs kickstart their careers. If you want to keep up to date with some exclusive free tips and offers, join my Facebook group, Secrets for Passion Driven Digital Entrepreneurs Who Travel & Thrive . We are an engaging and encouraging community where you are more than welcome to ask any questions regarding sponsored travel and potentially collaborating with members! For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my web site ! Read more fro m Marie ! Marie Hernandez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marie Hernandez is a women's empowerment and digital entrepreneur business coach. After a devastating divorce at 50 that left her jobless, 10 thousand miles away from family, with 16 cents in the bank, she knew she needed to rewire her thinking. She has dedicated her life to the service of women who want to become empowered to alter the course of their lives. The owner and CEO of Marie Hernandez Coaching, LLC., she travels, lives, and works globally and offers women’s empowerment coaching programs that help women 45+ bridge the gap from where they are to a place of love and strength and live any life they choose. Download her free workbook " Rewrite Your Life Story ," which will help guide you to understanding the lies we believe and shift your mindset from limited to "anything is possible."

Written by: Dr. Ann Moir-Bussy, 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. Do you remember when you fell in love? And do you remember the words, the looks, the smiles, the commitment, and deep embraces as you began your journey together as a couple? Everything is filled with promise and possibility, until slowly, almost without noticing, the warmth becomes cold, and you forget, or don’t notice that you are not listening or looking or looking attentively or understanding this other person anymore. Love becomes war! It can be easy to forget that the word LISTEN contains the same letters as the word SILENT. LESSONS FROM TAIZÉ I work with many clients who get to this point in their relationship. Recently I was reminded of a journey I made in 1989 to a tiny village in the middle of France called Taizé. I had heard how each year hundreds of thousands of people, particularly young people, traveled from all parts of the globe to join together in prayer, reflection, song, and dialogue, and the differences between them melted away as they united at a deep inner level. The group was founded by Brother Roger, who left Switzerland in 1940 and moved to France, where his mother lived, to get well from tuberculosis. When the Second World War broke out, he was convinced he needed to help and support refugees, including German soldiers and those impacted by the war, and so he moved to Taizé, and with the help of friends, bought a house and a few buildings to provide shelter for them. Other men came to help him, and by 1949 seven men came to live in the community with him and join in his work. Today there are over 100 Brothers in this large ecumenical group, becoming a sign of reconciliation between divided Christians and separated peoples. I was fascinated and made the journey myself. What they have to share with us As the bell tolled for prayer the evening that I arrived, I joined over 3000 people in the Church of Reconciliation. Outside, young people were holding up signs - ‘Silence”. Then, chatter ceased, and a deep and beautiful silence fell upon us as we sat on cushions amid the soft glow of candlelight. I knew no one, but it was as though I knew everyone, as Polish, Germans, French, British, Russian, Asian, and dozens of other nationalities, came together in peace and unity. A single voice rang out in a simple chant, "Ubi Caritas” (Where there is love, there is God), and within moments the over three thousand voices took up the chant in waves of harmony. The repetitive, meditative phrases washed a deep peace and oneness into the throng. The feelings are still with me over 40 years later. A Bible passage was read in twelve languages and then more chants drawing one both inward and outward in a deep sense of unity. There were no divisions, no polarizations, or dualism, as we see so prevalent today in society, in countries and in families and workplaces, and even within one's own spirit. WHAT WE CAN LEARN Travelers arrived at Taizé with baggage - backpacks, clothing, some with tents and blankets. They would find a bed in one of the large blocks, mixing with different nationalities, and a Polish group invited me in. It didn't matter that we didn't speak the same language. When we enter into a relationship, we also bring baggage... including our inner baggage made up of experiences, stories, memories, hurts, and joys from our own life. At Taizé, no matter where you came from, you are accepted and welcomed for who you are, and no one tries to change you. So, here are a few of the critical elements. Silence enables you to hear what is going on around you. Silence also allows you to listen to what is happening within you if you are willing to listen. Such silence is warm and comforting, unlike the silence in some relationships, which is cold. A warm silence opens one up to hearing diversity and embracing it. In silence, we can learn to embrace the diverse parts of ourself including the shadows we don't like. Ask yourself if your relationship has time for silence. And when there is silence outwardly, what is your mind doing? Is the chatter so loud that you can't hear the other standing right next to you? Or is your house so filled with noise that there is no time for silence? So what do you do when there is silence? So many, fill it with noise, the television, the radio, the mobile phone. Silence also needs stillness and attention. There is a saying that silence is a strong fence around your wisdom. If your foot slips, you can retain your balance, but if your tongue slips, you can never rebuild your image again! Take some time to listen to the inner voice, too, the divine voice within, the voice of wisdom, of love, of self-compassion. Only then can you bring that to your partner. As William Penn said, True silence is rest for the mind. It is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment, and refreshment. LISTEN to UNDERSTAND. Most people tend to listen with the intent to reply. And because we are wanting to reply – we are actually thinking of what we want to say next, and we are not listening. And the reply is often coming from the baggage we have brought with us. Because we haven't taken the time in silence to go within and to uncover what we no longer need, we pull it out, blame our partner for it and then, dump it on our partner. I have listened to many clients doing this and watched beautiful relationships being destroyed. But, it makes such a difference when each one listens inwardly and recognizes and owns what is theirs and no longer throws it at the partner. LISTEN TO YOUR HEART. And listen WITH your heart. The Chinese pictogram for the word ‘Listen' is indeed powerful. Looking at the image, you will see the 'ears' but using the ears is not enough. On the right, you will see the eyes. To understand another's meaning, you have to look carefully with undivided attention and an OPEN HEART and FEEL the other. The ear symbol is also in the word 'Smart,' and for Chinese people, a smart person understands the art of listening. When you were a baby, you didn't start to learn by reading or by speaking – you observed your parents and absorbed their expression of their sounds and feelings and emotions. How is it, as we grow up, we forget that loving, heartfelt attention? We no longer listen, and we turn away from what our partner is feeling or saying. We focus only on ourselves. Love turns into war! Needing to be understood is a basic human need, and we all long to be understood, yet we are so slow to understand. How often I hear couples say to each other, "Why did you do that? WHY did you say that? Why, why, why? What is the point of asking WHY if you are not prepared to listen to the answer? To summarise Take some time each day to be STILL, to be SILENT, and to LISTEN. Return to looking at your partner with undivided loving attention. Each of you has so much to explore not only within the other but also within yourself. Recognize what is your baggage and get rid of it or transform it rather than dumping it everywhere. To listen, you will need silence, your eyes, ears, heart, and mind. Follow Ann on Facebook, LinkedIn, or visit her website for more info! Read more from Ann! Dr. Ann Moir-Bussy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine The rich life experience of Dr. Ann Moir-Bussy spans decades of missionary work, teaching, counseling, transformative life coaching, consulting, and becoming a best-selling author. She worked in schools across Australia and, in particular, in Indigenous schools in the Northern Territory and also trained Chinese students in Hong Kong in counseling and psychology. The founder and editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, Ann, became an editor of the Australian Counselling Research Journal and editor of the Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis. During a life of transitions and transformations to now conscious aging, Ann now brings her dedication and zest to guide women, in particular, to discover renewed clarity, purpose, and direction as they embrace their powerful feminine wisdom and intuition in their afternoon of life. Through her programs, podcasts, coaching, and writing, Ann enables women to develop a strong spiritual leadership that brings transformation in their life, work, and world.

Written by: Marc Singer, 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 previous article for Brainz Magazine, I spoke about how I was incarcerated for a crime I had not committed and how during that time, I tragically lost my entire family. Given what is called an IPP sentence, I was told that I would never be free again. However, thankfully I proved that to be incorrect and won my freedom after six years in prison. Upon being released, however, I discovered an entirely new set of challenges ahead of me. I was faced with a landscape that had completely altered in the six years that had passed. I had no family, no home, no job, and no direction. I felt completely drained both emotionally and mentally and lost. Physically the traumatic events I had experienced had also taken a huge toll. I needed to heal. Prior to going to prison, I had worked in sales for thirty-odd years; it was all I knew. But I also knew that I did not want to go back to the cut and thrust world of sales either. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to do something positive, something where I could give back and help people through my own personal experiences. But I had no idea where to start. I considered training as a counselor but soon discovered that wasn’t really for me. It was when I decided to have grief counseling and then reiki and coaching that things really started to click. I went to reiki to try and help with the pain I had been left in following so much emotional stress and trauma. My energy was completely blocked. Emotionally I was numb. I had blocked out all the traumatic emotions and feelings to get through my ordeal and remain focused. The reiki helped me to shift those blocks. It was at this point I shared with my grief counselor and reiki healer that I was looking into coaching as a career myself. I had been researching courses online and was considering enrolling in one of these coaching diplomas you see online for a couple of thousand pounds. I had no idea about any of it really and didn’t really know that these courses aren’t worth the paper they are printed on. It was my counselor who said to me, ‘Marc, if you are serious about this, and want to make a career of it, then I recommend you find the best school out there. The cost will be high, but it will be worth it. She wasn’t wrong about the financial cost being high either! I decided to look on the ICF (International Coaching Federation) website for their recommendations and came across the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). I read up on them, and what I read sounded amazing in comparison to all the other courses and schools I had researched. So, one day, on a cold, wet January morning, feeling utterly empty and lost, I took a leap of faith and went for it… And it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made in my life! Upon enrolling, I started to learn about an entirely new and transformative philosophy and way of being. Set out over the course of a year, I would take part in three live modules, each three months apart, and held at a hotel in London. Each one is, held over an intensive weekend, Friday to Sunday, 8 am to 8 pm. In between these modules, we would learn and complete numerous assignments, practical assessments, as well as coaching peers. We were all assigned mentors and success coaches based in the US who would help steer us in the right direction. In short, the stuff I learned was utterly mind-blowing! We learned about ten core disciplines, which, when practiced and subsequently lived and become, literally transform your life. And when you practice these disciplines daily, you cannot fail to be successful in whatever it is that you want to do. We learned about the six core influencing areas in life, which directly dictate how you show up at any given moment. And, more importantly, how you can optimize these. It took me a while to learn, practice, and become a coach. After all, you don’t work as a coach. You become a coach! I specifically found it hard to master the second core discipline, and one of the key ones too; acceptance. Learning to not only fully accept others and everything around you, but accepting yourself too. This was not easy as I still had a lot of deep-set emotional and mental baggage I had yet to unpack. Lots of personal guilt around my losses and mental blocks around who I was and who I was becoming. It wasn't easy to accept who I was and accept the parts of my character which were still aligned with my old self. I still had a way to go before I could fully master these disciplines. It was around the time of the 7th anniversary of my mother’s passing in December 2019 that something happened which opened those locked doors. I felt like I would never break free of these emotional and mental blocks when I had what I can only describe as a mini breakdown. And everything just came flooding out! I cried nonstop for days. I revaluated everything and everyone in my life, and after about two weeks, over the Christmas period, I found myself at total and full acceptance of myself and everything I had been through. It's difficult to explain what happened, but it was an amazing release of pent of emotional and mental stress and trauma. And for the first time in my life, I felt complete. That January, I started my live show and went full out to start building my business. I had reached the turning point I had been searching for. If the first one had come following my overdose and subsequent heart attack in prison, this was the second one. But then, we have many turning points throughout our lives. Yet on this occasion, things seemed very different. I had been coaching, using the very specific process I had learned during my training but had up until that point struggled with imposter syndrome due to my own personal issues. I now felt free of those and able to really commit to practicing all ten core disciplines, fully, each day. And by God, what a change it has been since!! Life has completely transformed for me… I now work with clients one to one, coaching them using the Core Energy Coaching process over a period of several months each, as they also learn how to become the very best versions of themselves also. I help them remove energy blocks such as fear, limiting beliefs, assumptions, and interpretations. And then partner with them as we work to optimize the six core influencing areas in their lives: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, physically, and environmentally. And teach them how when one area of your life is not optimal, it depletes all areas. We use a specific structure and process which makes the general thoughts, feelings, and attitudes we all experience as humans tangible. Therefore, enabling you to literally choose how you show up at any given moment in your life. I help them to live life in the NOW! Using an unbelievably amazing and accurate attitudinal assessment called the ELI Assessment, we can pinpoint exactly which areas of your life are not working for you and then work to optimize those areas with strategies and step-by-step plans. And although I work a process, which includes in my basic package nine one-to-one coaching sessions, the core body of work we do is essentially completed in between the sessions, as I assist and partner with them every step of the way. The results are life-changing. I use a workbook with clients to help them imbed this new knowledge and way of being, and when they fully commit to the process and change, you simply cannot fail to make huge progress. Naturally, however, change doesn’t happen overnight. My story and journey are evidence of that. But when you have the tools in your armory to achieve complete and total fulfillment in your life, and you are determined to use them and get to that point, then without question, you will be successful. And my passion and purpose now in life are to help as many people as I possibly can achieve that goal as quickly as possible. After all, if I can create that after all, I have been through using this amazing philosophy and way of being I now use, then anyone does the same! So, if you are ready to commit to the work needed to bring about permanent and consistent change and really learn how to become the very best version of yourself… then get in touch with me, and I will help you achieve that. Follow me on Facebo ok , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marc! Marc Singer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marc is a highly trained professional coach, a graduate of (IPEC) the institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching. After being badly bullied at school, Marc became involved in a gang full of violence and drugs. Although having enjoyed a great upbringing and from a loving family, he went off the rails. Having moved on from that life, he found himself in a situation one night that would change his life forever. Imprisoned for life for a crime he didn’t commit, he embarked upon an incredible journey of change. Tragically having lost all of his family whilst in prison, Marc found the strength to rebuild his life, secure his freedom, and build an amazing career. He now helps others create the life they desire and become the very best versions of themselves. Currently authoring his first book, his life story, he also coaches one-to-one in groups and does inspiring speaking arrangements motivating others to overcome their own barriers to success. In fact, he was recently invited back to the prison he was in, but this time not as an inmate but as a speaker. His story is unique, tragic, and shocking, but ultimately evidence that with the right mindset and approach to life, you really can achieve absolutely anything!

Merrill Isherwood is a life transformation coach who has spent much of her life being of service to others in the corporate world and her personal life. She has an exemplary work ethic and is driven by living a life of integrity, having honesty, kindness, trust, and respect as her core values. Her psychological counseling degree, supported by her accreditation in life coaching, allows her to ensure her clients are suitably supported in transforming their lives. She specializes in body image, lack of self-esteem, overcoming abusive or toxic relationships, finding life direction, forgiveness, and overcoming adversity. To her, a life well lived means making a difference in each person's life that you are fortunate enough to touch, even if only in the smallest way possible. Merrill Isherwood, Life Transformation Coach You’re someone with a passion for others, leading you to follow your drive to make the world a better place through your life transformation coaching. Tell us a little about your background and what led you to the point where you are now. Thank you. I was always a giver – giving of my time, my resources, my advice to others. It started when I was still a young girl, where I was always the one my friends and peers came to when they needed help with a myriad of things – be it friendships, schoolwork, general life situations, encouragement for events or important occasions, inspiration, and motivation. This continued in the workplace when I was older. Eventually, at the age of 42, I embarked on studying and acquiring a counseling psychology degree which fed my interest in the human mind and workings of the brain. My curiosity was piqued when I started hearing about life coaching, so I read a lot about it over the years but without fully understanding what it entailed. I was in a very emotionally abusive relationship for many years. During that time and afterward, whilst employed in the private and public sectors as a travel management specialist, I found myself exposed to, and yet again, experiencing traumatic workplace bullying. I could not understand how I so often ended up being on the receiving end of such shocking behavior. Eventually, I was so broken I took that first courageous step and sought professional help from a psychologist to begin my long personal journey of healing. I attended a session every two weeks, and it was good to discuss the issues with her. She was friendly, professional, attentive, and clear. Considering her fully booked schedule, considered to be a good psychologist. However, after two years of therapy, I felt stronger, but there was no real understanding of how I could prevent a similar issue from arising again. Was it something I was doing, was it my behavior, what triggered such destructive thought patterns in my mind that I wished I were no longer around? Yes, I was coping better, but there were no actual plans offered on how to stop the bullying or to help me overcome the internal turmoil I was experiencing. My very core had been turned upside yet again, and I was becoming a mere shell of myself. My self-confidence and lack of self-esteem were lower than ever. This was beginning to affect my work and health, and I felt as though my sanity was being challenged in so many ways that I lost faith that the therapy was working. I resigned from my job, stopped therapy, and tried to find a new purpose in my life – one I wished desperately could be free of abuse. Did you succeed in your quest? I started my own travel advisory firm and a promotional items company, but when it came to approaching people for business, my feelings of worthlessness and lack of confidence won the day, and I could not muster the courage to do what needed to be done. Purely by chance, with other motives in mind, I attended a coaching session by Mr. Arfeen Khan in mid-November 2019. The rest, as they say, is history. I did my certification through Arfeen, and just before the world changed due to the pandemic, some of us journeyed to Mumbai, India, to attend his conference there for the Incredible You program. The transformation in me whilst doing the coaching course was one my family nor I expected. With my severely negative view of life, because of my bad experiences in the world and everyone in it, besides my family, we were all amazed that for the first time in over twenty-eight years, there was a slight glimmer of hope in my eyes. I did further self-study through various coaching companies and re-read copious amounts of my psychology books, ever eager to learn more and more. It reinvigorated my search to know more about the mind and how capable it was of change. I found myself excited to rise in the mornings, excited to see what the day would bring, excited to seek how I could best use my skills and knowledge to help others. So, to answer your question, yes, through this excitement and a new zest for living, I felt the negativity dissipating and proceeded to move forward with living a more carefree and fulfilled life. You have a strong passion for helping others who find themselves in toxic relationships, low self-esteem, battling mental health issues, and forgiveness. What does it mean to you, and how important is it to you to be able to share your knowledge to help them overcome their challenges and for you to be a mental health advocate? Thank you for the question. It is extremely important for me to advocate for greater awareness and understanding of the individuals themselves who are suffering and in the greater communities, so they realize that experiencing mental health issues is no different from someone having a physical ailment. There is no stigma attached to someone who has broken their ankle or has a migraine, but if someone has a mental illness, there is still so much stigma attached to it, it is debilitating for the sufferer. No baby, unless due to a traumatic birth defect, is born with a mental illness. There may have been some trauma experienced physically during the pregnancy or childbirth. Likewise, most people with a mental illness have been, or are being exposed, to something traumatic, which has led to the mental health issue. As an ankle needs to be set to be repaired and given time to heal, so the mind needs to reset to heal. There is no difference. Both need time to recover, investigate what happened to cause the affliction, and assess the length of time required to heal fully. It is often because emotional trauma is brushed over and not attended to at the time of each traumatic incident that there is further trauma which weakens the functioning of the mind as it has not had time to heal from the previous episode. Many people do not realize what primarily causes a lot of mental illness - it can be worked through, and the mindset changed to overcome the pain and establish ways to prevent it from happening again. Of all the services you offer, what would you say is the one thing people mostly ask you for help about? Addiction and unemployment. These are definitely two of the foremost current support areas required for many people. The demand for assistance in these has grown tremendously due to the impact the pandemic has had on the job market. This, unfortunately, can tend to lead to an increase in drinking or drug use to get through these tough times. Are these also areas you're passionate about? I am passionate about helping anyone deal with and overcome any life challenges they may be experiencing, so yes, these and people with body image or eating disorder issues learn to forgive themselves and others, overcome grief, and find life direction. Would you say that these areas of specialization have something in common? Definitely, they are all results of people not feeling fully accepted, loved, or cared for, or where they have faced bullying or condemnation for not being who someone else wants them to be. This can take the form of the individual being judged, criticized, and/or humiliated, and they impact people in ways most do not realize, often having devastating long-term effects. What would you say are the most critical areas in which a coach can truly guide and support their client/s? By guiding them to review events in their lives, from an early age, that could be the root cause of their unhappiness and dissatisfaction with themselves or conduct from others that have impacted them and left indelible impressions on their young minds. Digging deep within helps them understand how badly others’ actions or behaviors affected them and analyze whether their perceptions are accurate or skewed from others’ viewpoints. Ultimately the coach takes them on a healing journey within their minds that will allow them to see themselves for who they truly are. Through that discovery, they can determine the future they want, with physical action plans to help them achieve their desired outcome. Q: What would your advice be to someone who has experienced traumatic physical or emotional abuse? Seek help from a professional – whether a coach, psychologist or psychiatrist. You can recover fully. You can heal. You can live the life you deserve to live where you can be happy and fulfilled. You mentioned you are becoming more involved in community work. Can you elaborate on that for us? I have recently started co-hosting a community radio talk show. I am looking to become more involved with doing group coaching within the community to help people help themselves to live better lives through understanding they can change their circumstances and choose their success in life. I have also joined up with a global woman’s club where I hope to collaborate with others to see how we can ensure greater awareness in the global communities on the importance of understanding mental illness and how it forms an integral part of holistic health and wellness. Want to learn more from Merrill? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website. Read more from Merrill!

Written by: Dr. Shané P. Téran, 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. Did you know that close to 80% of employees end up quitting their jobs because of lacking support from their managers? What’s more, 69% of Millennials fear that they won’t be able to grow their leadership skills in their existing role. With 83% of companies saying that leadership development is crucial, what are we missing here? With the many bright lights cast on mental health concerns impacting our global workforce, I must wonder if we pushed our top leaders and executives back into the game of pretending to keep the economy going or the many other reasons we’re in such a rush to go “back to normal”. At the start of the pandemic, it seemed as if we were able to wake up to the human experience and push budgets towards assisting everyone with managing this ever-evolving ‘new norm’. But if we look at the apparent gap between leadership development and leadership support/training, we may need to consider ways to uplift our leaders a bit higher than just above the fray. Let’s take a moment and explore seven golden nuggets that may help us all out: 1. We're Human When it comes to stressors, our body and mind keep the score. Whether you are currently engaged in a wellness plan or not, we should keep in mind that a holistic and Whole Health approach to our overall well-being is going to require taking time to be mindful, introspective, and emotionally intelligent. The days of talking about it, instead of ensuring you attend to your mind, body, and spiritual health, are gone. Your body can only do so much before compounding stressors begin to take a toll. Being out-of-balance is beginning to show in more ways than one. For some, the negative impact on others is now bursting through the seams, catching like wildfire, and destroying the leadership potential in others. 2. We're Not Perfect I know, I know...you don’t want to hear it. But while you are a superhero in your head, your key superpower realizes that you need help on your journey to perfection. By allowing yourself room for mistakes, you may also reduce stressors that are triggered by change and resistance to resilience. Whether it’s project-based or interpersonal conflict, the goal is to know when to ride the wave and when coasting is the better tactic. 3. Everyone’s Story Isn't the Same We must resist the urge to follow the herd and accept one-size-fits-all professional development and coaching products and services. At this point, accepting your story as a part of your leadership journey will not only allow others to find you human, but your story may inspire others to follow in your footsteps. Consider sharing your leadership journey with zero fluff - it will be both cathartic as well as fuel for re-engaging with your employees. They have a story as well, so take the time to hear it, honor it, and strategize success and growth based upon the information received. 4. You Can Try Again As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try again . That’s worth revisiting, right? Well, one of the key elements shared amongst systems redesign specialists, e.g., Lean Six Sigma, is the PDSA tool. As in Plan-Do-Study-Act. The very essence of growth entails transformation. Don’t allow your negative thoughts or imposter syndrome to delay a necessary pivot. Making enough attempts to give a new approach or idea a try can mean failing on purpose until you strike gold - not inadequacy. You can always regain the trust of your employees and stakeholders. It does, however, take humility, empathy, and stewardship...just some of the greatest characteristics of a Servant Leader (hint - hint). 5. No One is Perfect It’s basic - as in species kind of simple. So, the more you come to grips with self-compassion and self-love throughout your human experience, it will become second nature and best practice to apply this knowledge throughout your organization and teams alike. Leaders, managers, and the front-line workforce are more engaged and able to be most productive when they are allowed to be human and not a machine with a fail-safe switch. 6. Hard Work Doesn't Always Pay Off Allowing transformation in your business and personal endeavors takes time to cultivate and embed as muscle memory. When working with mid-to-large corporations, I always ask whether the leadership team is aware of the necessity of delayed gratification when seeking to be an HRO (High-Reliability Organization). For the individual executive, the question applies to their leadership journey. No matter who is identified as the client, it pays to expect delayed gratification and not shoot for the quick fix all the time. If you are more prone to that work model, expect to do a lot of hard work that may likely go up in smoke versus having a yield of sustainable outcomes. 7. The Pot of Gold is Your Purpose Instead of looking for a quick fix, the next revenue stream, or target number of sales, consider looking for a shared vision and purpose within yourself and across your organization. Being a high-performing leader has always taken a lot out of a person, but it’s with a sense of purpose that more intentional and stable leaders find themselves able to retain talent and maintain passion for their mission. The job market may have led you to believe that people only want to regain employment regardless of what it looks like. Yet, according to one of my C-suite level clients, candidates are asking to explore the impact and results just as much as work-life balance support and the current state of employee engagement of potential employers. But don’t take my word for it... A survey by Gallup found five key talents that were shared amongst high-performing leaders. 1. In addition to fostering trust and open communication, they offer complete transparency. 2. Not politics, but productivity drives their decisions. 3. With a compelling mission and vision , they motivate and engage all their employees. 4. A culture of clear accountability is fostered by them. 5. They can drive outcomes , overcoming adversity, and overcoming resistance. Let’s do ourselves a favor, cut the fluff in our heads and lean into being a human with a purpose...on purpose, everything will fall in place. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Twitter , Youtube, and visit my website for more info! Dr. Shane P. Téran, Executive Contributor, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As seen in LA Times, Thrive Global, and Authority, featured in VoyageLA and ShoutOutLA magazines, and on TNC Radio, Dr. Shané P. Teran is an Organizational Development Psychologist, Licensed Therapist, Podcaster, and Author who enjoys mining for peace in the midst of work-life turmoil. She is the Founder and President of the LA-based consulting firm SP Consulting Group, where she serves as the Senior Executive Coach and OD Strategist for business leaders seeking to attain work-life balance. From small to large fortune 500 companies, e.g., Amazon, Inc., Dr. Shané specializes in Clinical Psychology, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Burnout Mitigation, and Work-Life Integration. With over 11 years of experience in federal healthcare and 12 years in business consulting, Dr. Shané has the ability to merge her skills as a clinician, Lean Six Sigma Specialist, Certified Transformational Coach, and OD Psychologist to serve as strategist and advisor to people leaders, business executives and c-suite level leaders looking to fulfill their purpose, enhance their quality of life and lead with high moral and ethical standards.