Written by Roje Khalique, Founder of rkTherapy Roje Khalique is a visionary clinical consultant with 20 years of experience in mental health. She is the founder of rkTherapy, a London-based bespoke psychology consultancy, and a specialist in culturally attuned Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). “I need to be true to myself and be my best version.” I hear this often in my clinical practice, usually fueled by a social media trend that equates authenticity with being unfiltered. But authenticity has a social dimension that these conversations tend to skip. We use small filters and social graces to maintain harmony, what philosophers call the social contract. A version of authenticity that treats other people’s feelings as secondary to self-expression is not radical truth, it is self-centeredness with better branding. So, what does authenticity truly mean in the field of mental health, and could the widespread pursuit of universal truthfulness lead to unintended consequences? The “speak my truth” trap To understand the risk, we must look at what “radical truth” looks like in the real world. In a clinical setting, I’ve had clients say things like, “I’m just going to speak my mind from now on. It’s my truth, and I’m going to speak it.” This is a very popular sentiment in social media and “pop psychology,” but it is often miles away from actual therapy or clinical mental health. The impulse behind it is usually legitimate, a genuine desire to stop suppressing themselves and to stop performing for others. That impulse is worth taking seriously. But there is a difference between not suppressing yourself and ignoring the impact of your words on the people around you. Imagine if we all walked around our workplaces, grocery stores, and neighborhoods with this “I will speak my truth” mantra, regardless of the impact on others. While it feels empowering in a TikTok video, it often creates unnecessary friction. This version of authenticity is often more about “performing” honesty than it is about deep, internal growth. It mistakes being unfiltered for being authentic. In a clinical sense, authenticity is not just about dumping your thoughts on others, it is about understanding the source of those thoughts and how they align with your deeper values. The myth of the “best version” Both “speak my truth” and “best version” are versions of the same mistake, they treat growth as a performance rather than a process. Nowhere is this clearer than with the concept of the “Best Self,” which troubles me and many of my colleagues in the mental health space. I often ask, “What is your best self? Have you met your best self? When, and how?” To be clear, the “Best Version” is not a science-backed psychological concept at all. It implies a fixed destination, a peak you reach and maintain. But consider what we know about human psychology. Who wakes up 100% motivated every day, for work, for family, for friends, for their health, and for relationships? Is that even realistic? Some days we are healthier than others, some weeks we are more energetic than previous weeks. That is simply what it means to be human. Life is never “its best” all the time. Furthermore, a Growth Mindset, the opposite of a fixed mindset, suggests that you are forever evolving in life. If you are always evolving, there is no final “best” version. The “best version” almost implies you have no further growth to do. While it makes sense to do your best in terms of effort, the idea of becoming a “Best Version” is a concept that defies the reality of human change. Choosing the “Healthier version” From a mental health perspective, we do not advocate for a “best” version, but rather a Healthier Version. For example, if you did not exercise last week, we look at what changes would allow you to do more this week. We also acknowledge that you will eventually lose that motivation, because that is human life. A healthier version allows for these natural fluctuations, rather than perpetuating the “all or nothing” thinking or unhealthy perfectionism that a “best version” demands, a rigid, unattainable standard that turns ordinary dips into failure. The therapy room vs the “Polished” myth In my therapy practice, I often encounter patients who express a desire to uncover their “best self” or “authentic self,” sometimes without fully understanding the deeper implications of these aspirations. Increasingly, patients expect their therapeutic journeys to reflect the polished transformation arcs they see on social media, only to discover that real progress is often messy and far from a “quick fix.” To truly embark on the journey of self-discovery, it is essential to explore some fundamental questions. A foundation for deeper self-exploration To move past the “wellness culture” version of authenticity, we must look honestly at five specific areas of our lives. These are not just questions, they are the pillars of a truthful life. 1. Identifying the inauthentic divide In practice, the gap usually shows up in the roles we play. A client can be an entirely different person at work, at home, and in their relationships, and not have noticed. The question is not whether you play different roles, everyone does. It is whether those roles feel like choices or like traps. Are you performing a character to fit a corporate mold? Saying what you think people want to hear? Raising your children based on what looks right to others, rather than what you believe? When we identify these gaps, the messy work of closing them begins, and it destabilizes the people around you too, which is why most people avoid it. 2. The conflict of values and commitments Are you prioritizing activities or commitments that conflict with your core values? Many of us live “busy” lives that are completely disconnected from what we care about. We yield to peer pressure for the sake of popularity or “fitting in,” rather than seeking genuine value and connection. If your “best version” is just a collection of activities that make you look successful to others but leave you feeling empty inside, you are not living authentically, you are just performing a higher level of “wellness.” 3. The popularity trap In the pursuit of being our “best version,” we often fall into the trap of seeking popularity. We want to be seen as authentic, which is its own contradiction. If you are acting a certain way so that people will think you are authentic, you are still performing. Genuine connection requires us to step away from the need for popularity, and sometimes even from being “liked,” and move toward a space where we can be truly known, flaws and all. 4. Meaningful growth vs convenience Are you investing in relationships that foster mutual growth and meaning, or are they merely convenient? Convenience is easy. It keeps the peace. But growth is often uncomfortable. Authentic desires and values often lead us to relationships that challenge us, rather than just those that are easy to maintain. 5. Challenging the rules Are you conforming to beliefs and rules that you do not truly support? This is where the individual and society truly clash. We are taught to follow rules to keep things stable, but when those rules violate our core values, we face a real choice. Do we stay “authentic” to ourselves and risk disrupting the peace, or do we conform and lose our sense of self? There is no comfortable version of this question. Final reflections Authenticity is a powerful tool for personal growth, but we must handle it with care. If we treat it as a “universal truthfulness” that ignores the delicate balance of society, we may find that the world around us becomes more fractured. Authenticity is not a destination you announce on social media and then maintain. It is an ongoing negotiation, between who you are and who the people around you need you to be, between your values and the compromises that life requires. That negotiation does not end. It just gets more honest. Instead of chasing a finish line that does not exist, focus on being a healthier version of yourself today than you were yesterday. Embrace the fact that you are forever evolving. Real progress is not a “speak my truth” post or a 5:00 AM workout, it is the quiet, messy work of aligning your life with your values, one day at a time. The “best version” is social media curated. The “healthier version” is the real human journey. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Roje Khalique Roje Khalique, Founder of rkTherapy Roje is a clinical practitioner for a wide range of anxiety disorders and depression. She is dedicated to making quality psychological support accessible to high-achieving professionals in the legal and finance industries in London's high-stakes corporate world. During COVID-19 she recognised a global and increasing need for evidence-based support and developed a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) online, virtual platform and a mobile app. Designed to fit the demanding schedules of professionals not only in London but across Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Asia.

Written by Victoria (Vicky) Russ, Managing Director and Leadership Coach Vicky Russ is a leadership coach and former CEO with 20+ years’ experience across the public, health and education sectors. She specialises in leadership, transformation and helping leaders navigate complex change and life transitions. Redundancy is one of the most significant life events a working adult can experience. So why do we treat it as a purely financial and administrative process, and almost entirely ignore the psychological devastation it leaves behind? The United Kingdom is in the grip of a redundancy crisis. In 2025, over 315,000 jobs were flagged for potential redundancy, the highest number since the pandemic. The Liquidation Centre, drawing on official data, forecasts that 2026 could see as many as 327,000 redundancies, a further increase of nearly four per cent. The drivers are relentless, rising employer National Insurance contributions, wage inflation, shrinking margins, and sweeping restructures across both public and private sectors. The civil service is shedding thousands of roles, with the 2025 Spending Review setting target reductions in departmental administration budgets of at least 11 per cent in real terms by 2028 to 2029. The NHS is undergoing its most significant workforce restructure in a generation, with a 50 per cent reduction in posts across NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care. Integrated Care Boards have been told to halve their running costs. Local government, already hollowed out by a decade of austerity, continues to cut as it enters another round of local government reforms. Behind every one of these statistics is a person. A professional who built a career, developed expertise, contributed to something they believed in, and who has just been told that they are no longer needed or of value. The financial implications are serious. But the psychological impact is something else entirely. As redundancy becomes more common and is normalized, it is the part of the experience that almost nobody is talking about. More than a job loss – A grief experience When we think about redundancy, we tend to think about practicalities. Settlement agreements. Notice periods. Job searches. What we rarely acknowledge is that for many people, redundancy triggers a profound grief response, one that can be as intense and disorienting as bereavement. Research published in the Journal of Loss and Trauma explored redundancy as a source of workplace grief and found that the grief process begins before the redundancy is even confirmed. The researchers identified a sequence of experiences, something changed, loss is anticipated and anxiety increases, loss is confirmed and shock follows, and afterwards reconciliation and recovery. This suggests that the psychological injury of redundancy is not a single event but a prolonged process that erodes wellbeing and emotional resilience over time. A 2022 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry introduced a cognitive behavioural framework for understanding job loss related complicated grief. The researchers identified three core processes that drive prolonged suffering, negative cognitions about the job loss and misinterpretation of grief reactions, anxious and depressive avoidance strategies, and insufficient integration of the job loss into autobiographical memory. In other words, when people cannot make sense of what has happened to them, the grief does not resolve. It festers. The Priory Group, one of the United Kingdom’s leading mental health providers, reports that individuals who have been made redundant are twice as likely to develop serious mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, in the months following the event. The British Psychological Society has described redundancy as carrying a “double jeopardy”, the practical loss of income and the psychological loss of status, identity, companionship, and self worth. The identity wound For many professionals, particularly those in senior or long held roles, work is not simply what they do. It is who they are. Their sense of competence, their social network, their daily rhythm, their contribution to something larger than themselves, all of these are bound up in their professional identity. When that identity is removed involuntarily, the impact goes far beyond the loss of a salary. Research on the Job Loss Grief Scale, published in the journal Anxiety, Stress and Coping, found that identity disruption is a central component of job loss grief. The extent of a person’s suffering is closely linked to how much their sense of self was invested in their role. The more meaning someone derived from their work, the deeper the wound when it is taken away. This is particularly acute in the public sector, where many professionals chose their careers not for financial reward but for purpose. Teachers, NHS staff, civil servants, and social workers are people who built careers around service. Being told that your role has been made redundant when you entered that role precisely because you wanted to make a difference carries a particular kind of cruelty, even when the decision is purely organisational. The Open University has drawn parallels between job loss and the Kübler Ross grief cycle, identifying that individuals who lose their jobs pass through stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, the same emotional trajectory as those experiencing bereavement. Yet while we would never tell someone grieving a death to simply update their CV and move on, that is essentially what we tell people who have been made redundant. The scale of the problem The numbers are stark. By the end of 2025, United Kingdom unemployment had risen to 5.2 per cent, its highest level in almost five years. The Office for National Statistics reported that redundancy levels increased significantly over the year, with rates climbing to their highest point since the early months of the pandemic. Vacancies have been falling for over a year, remaining well below pre pandemic levels at approximately 729,000. What makes the current wave different from the pandemic driven redundancies of 2020 is that these job losses are not the result of a single crisis. They reflect structural, ongoing pressures on employers, rising costs, policy changes, and a fundamental reshaping of how organizations are structured. This means the redundancies are unlikely to be reversed quickly. For many affected professionals, the path back into equivalent work will be long, uncertain, and psychologically demanding. Research suggests that on average, a person will be made redundant three times during their working life. And yet, despite this near inevitability, we have almost no infrastructure for supporting people through the psychological impact. Statutory redundancy pay addresses the financial loss. Employment law addresses the procedural requirements. But the emotional devastation, the shame, the self doubt, and the loss of purpose, is left almost entirely to the individual to manage alone. What coaching offers that a job search cannot The conventional response to redundancy is to focus immediately on finding the next job. Update the CV. Activate the LinkedIn profile. Start applying. While these steps are necessary, they are not sufficient, and for many people, they are premature. Asking someone to market themselves confidently when their self worth has just been shattered is like asking someone to run a marathon on a broken leg. This is where coaching makes a critical difference. Not as a replacement for practical job search support, but as the psychological foundation that makes everything else possible. A good redundancy coach helps a person process the grief, rebuild their sense of identity, and reconnect with their strengths, values, and purpose before they re enter the job market. The evidence supports this approach. Research on outplacement programs has found that 70 per cent of individuals who receive structured career transition support secure new employment within three months, compared to 50 per cent without support. A survey of career coaching clients found that 85 per cent reported increased confidence in their job search after just a few sessions. Organizations that provide outplacement support see a 35 per cent improvement in retention and engagement scores among remaining staff, because how a company treats people on the way out sends a powerful signal to those who stay. But coaching goes deeper than outplacement. It does not just help people find the next job. It helps them find themselves again. It creates the reflective space to ask the questions that no recruitment consultant can answer, "What do I actually want from my next chapter? What have I been tolerating that I no longer need? What would it look like to build a working life around my values and character strengths, not just my skills and past experiences?" A crisis, and an opportunity None of this is to minimize the pain of redundancy. It is real, it is significant, and it deserves to be taken seriously. But with the right support, redundancy can also become a turning point. Research consistently shows that when people are given the space and the tools to process the loss, they are capable of extraordinary reinvention. One of the most striking findings from the outplacement research is that 77 per cent of people who received comprehensive transition support ultimately felt that losing their job was a positive experience. Not immediately. Not easily. But eventually, because they were supported to move through the grief and into growth. The current redundancy crisis in the United Kingdom is not going to resolve itself quickly. Hundreds of thousands of professionals are facing or will face involuntary job loss in the coming months and years. They deserve more than a statutory payment and a template CV. They deserve support that recognizes what they have actually lost, not just a job, but a part of who they are. Financial support addresses the practical gap. Coaching addresses the human one, and in a crisis of this scale, both are essential. If you are facing redundancy, have recently been made redundant, or are supporting someone through this transition, the question worth asking is not just “what will I do next?” but “who will I be next?” The answer to that question may be the most important career decision you ever make. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Victoria (Vicky) Russ Victoria (Vicky) Russ, Managing Director and Leadership Coach Vicky Russ is a leadership coach and former CEO with over 20 years’ experience across the public, health and education sectors. She specialises in leadership, transformation and helping leaders navigate complex change and life transitions. Her work focuses on supporting leaders to maintain performance while creating psychologically safe, high-performing cultures. Vicky is also a teacher of Positive Psychology Leadership and brings a practical, human approach to even the most challenging situations. She is passionate about “protecting the protectors” and helping leaders move from pressure to purpose. References: Liquidation Centre (2026). UK Redundancy Statistics 2026: UK Redundancies Hit Five Year High. HRreview (2026). Redundancies rise as 327,000 job losses forecast for 2026. Office for National Statistics (2025). Employment in the UK: December 2025. Institute for Government (2026). Whitehall Monitor 2026: The State of the Civil Service. NHS England / DHSC (2025–2026). Workforce restructuring communications. Via MIP Health and UNISON reporting. Cairns, D. and Malloch, M. (2009). Journeys Into Grief: Exploring Redundancy for a New Understanding of Workplace Grief. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 14(5), 401–419. Van Eersel, K.A., Taris, T.W., and Boelen, P.A. (2022). Job loss–related complicated grief symptoms: A cognitive–behavioural framework. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 933995. Van Eersel, K.A., Taris, T.W., and Boelen, P.A. (2019). Development and initial validation of the Job Loss Grief Scale. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 33(2), 193–206. Priory Group (2024). Maintaining your mental health after being made redundant. British Psychological Society (2020). Double jeopardy: The surreptitious consequences of redundancy. The Psychologist. The Open University. Job Change and the Grief Cycle. LHH / INTOO (2025). Top 5 Outplacement Trends to Watch in 2025. Fair Play Talks (2026). UK Redundancies Surge as Early 2026 Data Signals Another Record Year.

Written by Priya Rani, Founder and CEO Priya Rani is changing the world of marketing and branding from the inside out, building a body of work rooted in human power, deep vision, and language that moves. Founder of Social Apostrophe Inc., creator of Dream Atlas™, and Director of Branding and Strategy at Carolina Women+ in Tech. There is a question that has been asked in every boardroom, every brand agency, every career coaching session, and every entrepreneurial retreat for the past two decades. It sounds like strategy. It presents itself as clarity. It begins with the words, what is your why? And for most of the people who answer it honestly, something still feels missing. Not because the question is wrong. But because it has been pointed in the wrong direction. What does it actually mean to know your why? The idea that purpose drives everything is not wrong. It is incomplete. Because the question, what is your why, assumes the why lives somewhere outside of you, in a cause, a customer, a market gap, a societal problem waiting to be solved. It sends people searching outward when the most honest and transformative answer has always been internal. The frameworks are built around this outward search. The keynotes orbit it. An entire generation of founders and brand builders has been sent on an inward journey to find their purpose, only to return with a mission statement, a values document, and a purpose pillar that sounds meaningful but feels borrowed. Professional. Palatable. Entirely disconnected from the one thing that would have made it powerful. Themselves. Your I is your why. Not as a starting point that you then translate into something more universally palatable. Not as raw material to be refined into brand language that sounds less personal and more professional. The I, meaning who you are, what you have lived, what you see that others do not, what you cannot stop caring about, what you would defend in a room full of people who disagree, is not the input to your strategy. It is the strategy itself. This is the distinction most brand thinking has never made. And it is the reason so many brands, even intelligent and well resourced ones, eventually arrive at a version of themselves that performs correctly and resonates with no one. Why the disconnect always shows A brand is not a logo. It is not a tone of voice document or a set of brand guidelines stored in a shared folder that gets opened twice a year. A brand is the accumulated impression of every decision a business makes, what it says, what it refuses to say, what it charges, what it gives away, who it hires, who it turns down, and how it behaves when no one is watching. When the person or people at the center of that brand are genuinely themselves, every one of those decisions draws from the same well. The messaging sounds like the strategy. The strategy sounds like the culture. The culture sounds like the founder. Everything is coherent because everything comes from one real place. When there is a disconnect, when the brand has been built around what the market seems to want, or what a consultant identified as the right positioning, or what felt safer than the truth, that coherence is impossible to manufacture. You can hire extraordinary copywriters. You can brief brilliant designers. You can invest in campaigns that win awards. The audience will still feel, somewhere beneath their conscious assessment, that something does not quite add up. They cannot name it. But they respond to it. They hold back the level of trust that turns a customer into an advocate, and the brand wonders why loyalty is so hard to sustain. The disconnect is not a communications problem. It is an identity problem. No amount of strategy resolves an identity problem. Only honesty does. Putting yourself at the center is not narcissism, it is precision There is a fear that runs quietly through almost every conversation about authentic personal branding. It sounds responsible, even humble. The fear says, if I make this about me, I become the obstacle between my audience and what they need. Good brands serve others. Good leaders step aside and let the work speak. The I should be invisible. This fear is understandable. It is also one of the most expensive mistakes a brand can make. Putting the I at the center of your brand strategy is not an act of ego. It is an act of precision. Because your I, the particular combination of experience, perspective, failure, obsession, and conviction that has produced the person you are right now, is the only thing your brand has that cannot be replicated, licensed, or reverse engineered by a competitor. Every other element of your brand is acquirable. Your I is not. Being different or unique is not a weakness. It is the strategy. The most irreplaceable brands in the world did not become irreplaceable by blending in. They became irreplaceable by committing so completely to who they were that imitation had nowhere to begin. The I is not in the way of the strategy. It is the strategy's only durable foundation. The moment a brand becomes real There is a moment that happens in brand strategy work that is almost impossible to plan for and immediately recognizable when it arrives. It is the moment when whoever is at the center of the brand stops answering the question they think they are supposed to answer, and starts saying what they actually believe. The language changes. The tempo shifts. Suddenly there is specificity where there was abstraction, and conviction where there was considered neutrality. And in that moment, everything that was sitting flatly on the page comes alive because it is now drawing from a real source. That source is always the I. The lived experience. The formed opinion. The thing they know to be true from having been inside a problem, an industry, a relationship, a failure, in a way that no amount of research can replicate. That knowing is not anecdotal. It is the most credible form of expertise that exists because it is the only kind that cannot be faked. The brands that earn genuine devotion, not just customers but believers, not just buyers but advocates, are almost always brands where this moment happened early and was honored rather than smoothed out. Where someone decided that their particular perspective was not a liability to be managed but a signal to be amplified. Your I is not your limitation. It is your frequency. The right audience does not just hear it, they recognize it. What happens to strategy when the I is the why Strategy built without the I at its center has a particular quality. It is technically sound. It covers the right ground. It ticks the boxes that strategy is supposed to tick. It requires constant maintenance, because nothing about it is self sustaining. Every decision has to be run back through the framework, checked against the positioning, evaluated for brand consistency, because there is no living core that the decisions can orient themselves around naturally. Strategy built from the I has a different quality entirely. It generates its own direction. When a brand knows, not intellectually but genuinely, who it is and why that specific combination of values, experience, and perspective matters, decisions become clearer. The right opportunities are recognizable because they feel like an extension of something real. The wrong ones are equally recognizable, even when they look attractive on paper, because they require the brand to become someone it is not. This is what most strategy frameworks are attempting to produce artificially, the clarity, the consistency, the sense of coherence that makes a brand feel inevitable rather than assembled. But these qualities cannot be installed from the outside. They can only be uncovered from within. And the thing they are uncovering, every time, is the I. Career choices work the same way. The most consistently fulfilled people in any field are rarely the ones who chose their path based on market demand, salary projections, or external prestige. They are the ones whose professional life is an accurate expression of who they actually are. Not a performance of who they think they should be, but a genuine outward extension of an inward truth. The I led, and the path followed. This isn't a philosophy about self promotion, it is a philosophy about self honesty Somewhere in the reading of this, a version of resistance appears. The voice that says, this sounds like building a personal brand, and personal branding is performative. It is curated. It is the opposite of authentic. That voice is right about one thing. A great deal of what presents itself as personal branding is performative. It is the deliberate construction of a public identity designed to produce a desired impression, dressed in the language of authenticity to make the construction less visible. Audiences are extraordinarily good at sensing this. The performance is always legible, even when it cannot be named. But that is not what your I is your why asks of anyone. It asks for something harder than performance, and more generous than image management. It asks for honesty. The willingness to build a brand, a career, a business from what you actually believe rather than what you believe will be most palatable. To let your specific perspective take up space rather than filing it down to a point where it can no longer challenge, disrupt, or illuminate anyone. The brands and people who move the world are not the ones who found the safest way to present themselves. They are the ones who were honest enough about who they were that the world had no choice but to respond. Your I is not a liability. It is the only thing anyone will ever truly follow. Begin here Before the next positioning document. Before the next campaign brief. Before the next career decision or business pivot or brand refresh. Begin with the I. Not the professional summary version. Not the version edited for palatability and reach. The actual version. What you know to be true from your specific place in the world. What you would still believe if no one agreed with you. What your brand, your work, and your decisions would look like if you trusted that being precisely yourself was not a risk to be managed but the most powerful strategy available to you. Because strategy disconnected from identity is just decoration. It looks intentional. It performs adequately. It leaves everyone involved, including the audience, with the quiet sense that the most interesting thing about this brand has never quite been said. Your I is your why. It always has been. The work is simply to stop apologizing for it, and to start building from it. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Priya Rani Priya Rani, Founder and CEO Priya Rani is a brand strategist, speaker, and founder who is changing the way the world understands marketing, branding, and the power of human identity. She built Social Apostrophe Inc. on the belief that the most powerful brand in any room is always the human behind it. As the creator of Dream Atlas™, she has developed a new language for inner authority, guiding leaders to show up with vision, conviction, and clarity. She is the Founder of Social Apostrophe Inc., Director of Branding and Strategy at Carolina Women+ in Tech, recipient of the Auralis Magazine Billion Dollar Vision Award, and honored among The KNOW Women's 50 Women to Know in NC. Her mission: dreams happen when you happen.

Written by Shardia O’Connor, Cultural Consultant Shardia O’Connor explores identity, power, leadership, and social conditioning through a values-led, critical lens. Respectability often arrives with polish, credentials, and the quiet authority of approval, which makes it easy to mistake it for moral truth. Yet the structures we instinctively trust are not always the ones that deserve it, and the ones we question are not always the ones causing the most harm. There is a widely accepted illusion that continues to shape how we evaluate people, behavior, and success. The belief is that legitimacy equals morality, that if something appears structured, professional, or institutionally recognized, it is inherently trustworthy. And conversely, if something appears chaotic, informal, or rooted in survival, it is inherently questionable. This framework is not neutral. It is conditioning. From early life, we are taught to read value through presentation. We are trained to respond to polish, language, and approval systems as indicators of credibility. But in doing so, we inherit a distorted moral lens, one that prioritizes appearance over impact. The consequence is a society that over scrutinizes visible struggle while under scrutinizing embedded power. Individuals operating in survival are judged quickly and harshly, often without context. Meanwhile, larger systems, those with greater influence, reach, and consequence, are granted legitimacy simply because they function within accepted structures. This creates a double standard in moral accountability, one where visibility invites criticism, but institutionalization often shields impact from it. And over time, this imbalance becomes normalized. We begin to confuse legality with ethics. We confuse success with integrity. We confuse respectability with responsibility. But these are not the same things. Some of the most harmful outcomes in society are not produced by visible disorder, but by organized systems operating with full legitimacy and social approval, and this is where discomfort is required. Because it is far easier to critique individuals than it is to interrogate infrastructure. Far easier to judge behavior than to question systems. Far easier to focus on symptoms than to address origins. Yet without that shift in focus, meaningful accountability becomes impossible. This is not an argument against order or structure. It is an argument for consistency in how we apply moral judgment. If we are willing to scrutinize survival with intensity, then we must also be willing to scrutinize success with the same level of honesty. Otherwise, morality becomes selective, and selective morality is not morality at all. It is comfort. A Shade of Reality. We are not lacking information, we are lacking consistency in what we choose to question. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Shardia O’Connor Shardia O’Connor, Cultural Consultant Shardia O'Connor is an expert in her field of mental well-being. Her passion for creative expression was influenced by her early childhood. Born and raised in Birmingham, West Midlands, and coming from a disadvantaged background, Shardia's early life experiences built her character by teaching her empathy and compassion, which led her to a career in the social sciences. She is an award-winning columnist and the founder and host of her online media platform, Shades Of Reality. Shardia is on a global mission to empower, encourage, and educate the masses!

Written by Honor Tremain, Nutritionist, Author, and Journalist Honor Tremain is an award-winning longevity nutritionist, author, and journalist whose journey into nutrition began with a personal health crisis. Determined to reclaim her life, she completed qualifications in nutrition, eventually healing herself and going on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree. Everyday products are assumed to be safe, but what if that trust is misplaced? This article examines the hidden world of chemical exposure, revealing how everyday items may carry unseen risks and why greater transparency is urgently needed to protect long-term health. There are currently more than 150,000 chemicals in commercial use across Australia, China, and the United States, and new ones are introduced every month. The troubling reality? Only a small fraction of these substances have been rigorously tested for human safety. Even more concerning, manufacturers are not always required to disclose every chemical used in their products, often citing “confidentiality.” But when it comes to what we put on and in our bodies, and those of our children and pets, should transparency really be optional? To better understand the risks, we spoke with two of Australia’s leading experts in environmental health, Professor Peter Sly and Professor Barry Noller from The University of Queensland. Their message is clear. Many of the products we use daily may pose long-term health risks, not through obvious dangers like radiation or smoking, but through subtle, cumulative exposure to these hidden toxins. “When you walk into a supermarket and buy a product off the shelf, you expect that its safety has already been verified,” says Professor Sly. “You trust that the food, drink, or household item you place in your basket is not harmful to you or your family. It’s not our job as consumers to act as environmental safety officers, yet that’s the position we’re in right now. And it’s not acceptable.” Professor Sly points to growing evidence linking increased chemical exposure to rising rates of childhood illness like autoimmune, allergic, and inflammatory conditions, behavioural challenges including ADHD, autism, and other mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. Where are these chemicals hiding? The answer is simple, almost everywhere. We are exposed to chemicals daily through: Personal care products (soaps, shampoos, skincare, perfumes) Household cleaners and insecticides Food and drink packaging Clothing and furniture Baby products (bottles, pacifiers, toys) Contaminated air and household dust These substances enter our bodies through skin absorption, ingestion, and inhalation, usually without our awareness. A growing health concern In the United States alone: Approximately 6.5 million children (10.5%) have been diagnosed with ADHD Around 15.5 million adults (6%) are living with ADHD At the same time, autism rates have risen sharply, with current estimates suggesting 1 in 44 children are affected. Australia is following a similar trajectory. Alongside these trends, increases in anxiety, depression, and hormonal disturbances are being observed, including earlier puberty in girls and abnormal hormonal development in boys and men. While these conditions are complex and multifactorial, mounting research suggests environmental chemical exposure may be a significant contributing factor. How does chemical exposure affect the body? One of the most profound mechanisms is via epigenetic change. When a developing baby is exposed to certain chemicals, those substances can influence how genes are expressed without altering the DNA itself. In other words, they can switch genes on or off or change how strongly they are activated. This can increase susceptibility to disease later in life. Who is most vulnerable? The most at-risk groups include embryos and unborn babies, infants and young children, teenagers, and workers in high-exposure industries, such as mining, firefighting, manufacturing, and the beauty and cleaning sectors. What chemicals are we talking about? Some of the most concerning substances include Bisphenols, e.g., BPA, BPS, BPF, found in plastics, food containers, baby bottles and pacifiers. Phthalates, used in plastics and fragrances. Organophosphate pesticides, common in agriculture and household pest control. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g., benzo[a]pyrene, produced by fuel combustion. Heavy metals, including lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. Dioxins, byproducts of industrial processes and high-temperature combustion. These chemicals can either exit the body relatively quickly, water-soluble, or accumulate over time in organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, and bones, potentially leading to chronic disease, including cancer. Urban air pollution itself is now classified as carcinogenic, with compounds like benzo[a]pyrene contributing to long-term health risks. The misleading comfort of labels Terms like “microwave safe” can create a false sense of security. In reality, this label simply means the container won’t melt or catch on fire in the microwave, not that it won’t release harmful chemicals into your food or drink when heated. Similarly, “BPA-free” plastics are often replaced with chemically similar alternatives like BPS or BPF, which may carry comparable health risks. What can we do? While systemic change is essential, there are practical steps individuals can take to reduce exposure: Advocate for transparency: Contact government representatives and push for stricter regulations requiring full ingredient disclosure. Rinse all produce thoroughly: Even organic foods can carry pesticide residues. Choose organic where possible: This can reduce exposure to synthetic pesticides and should be considered in choices around food, drink, skincare, and household cleaners. Limit processed foods: Whole foods typically contain fewer additives and contaminants. Avoid heating plastics: Never microwave food or drinks in plastic containers, especially for babies. Skip the dishwasher for plastics and use natural dishwashing soaps: Heat and detergents can accelerate chemical leaching into food and drink, which is particularly harmful for babies and toddlers who often have their bottles or cups washed in dishwashers. Do not reuse disposable plastic bottles: Use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic alternatives instead. Reduce canned food consumption: Many cans are lined with bisphenols. Minimize chemical sprays: Avoid insecticides, air fresheners, and antibacterial sprays where possible. Control household dust: Regular vacuuming helps reduce exposure to chemical-laden particles. A call for accountability Both Professor Sly and Professor Noller agree that stronger regulation and greater transparency are urgently needed. Manufacturers should be required to disclose all ingredients in their products, just as food producers are. “Companies often hide behind ‘confidentiality,’” says Professor Sly. “But this is fundamentally a safety issue. People have a right to know what they’re really using and being exposed to.” About the experts Professor Peter Sly, Founder, Children’s Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre UQ, Professor, The University of Queensland, Emeritus Physician, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Queensland Children’s Hospital Professor Barry Noller, University of Queensland, Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Specialist in environmental contamination, toxicology, and risk assessment Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Honor Tremain Honor Tremain, Nutritionist, Author, and Journalist Honor Tremain is an award-winning longevity nutritionist, author, and journalist whose journey into health began with a personal crisis where, between the ages of 18 and 23, Honor was bedridden with multiple chronic illnesses & determined to reclaim her life, she completed a Diploma in Nutrition, eventually healing herself, and went on to complete a science degree. Honor opened a thriving nutrition practice in Sydney, Australia, became a columnist and feature journalist for national and international publications, and in 2015, Honor published her debut book, A Diet in Paradise. Most recently, she founded Daya Pet Food Co., a health-focused and sustainable dog food company that was proudly awarded Best Health-Conscious Dog Food Brand 2025.

Written by Jessie Rose, Relationship Identity Breakthrough Coach Jessie Rose, a Relationship and Identity Coach, helps individuals overcome emotional and physical barriers to unlock their true potential. Through her personalized coaching programs, she empowers clients to achieve lasting transformation in their relationships, health, and overall well-being. There is a kind of disconnection that doesn’t always look obvious. From the outside, life can appear fine. You’re high functioning. You’re showing up. You’re doing what you’re meant to be doing. Yet, something doesn’t feel quite right. A subtle sense of unease. A lack of fulfilment you can’t fully explain. A feeling of being slightly removed from your own life and your partner. Not completely disconnected. But not fully in it either. This isn’t uncommon, but it is important Many people experience this at some point. They describe it as feeling flat or emotionally distant. Going through the motions. Lacking clarity or direction. Feeling disconnected in relationships. Or simply not feeling like themselves. Often, they can’t point to a clear reason why. Because nothing is necessarily “wrong.” But something is missing. Disconnection doesn’t happen overnight This kind of disconnection rarely appears suddenly. It develops gradually. Often, as a result of adapting, sometimes from a very early age. We learn how to behave. What is acceptable? How to maintain a connection with others. In doing so, we can begin to override parts of ourselves, our needs. Our feelings. Our instincts. Not consciously. But as a way of staying safe, connected, or functional. This is the undesirable survival mode. When adaptation becomes disconnection Over time, these adaptations can become so familiar that we don’t recognise them as adaptations anymore. They become our normal way of thinking. Our way of responding. Our way of relating. But underneath that, there can be a growing distance between who we are. How are we living? What we think. How we feel. How we identify with ourselves, others, and life. This is often experienced not as a clear problem but as a quiet sense of disconnection. Your body often knows first Before the mind fully understands what’s happening, the body usually registers it. You may notice. Ongoing tension. Fatigue that doesn’t fully resolve. Rising discomforts. Difficulty relaxing. Changes in sleep or digestion and a general sense of unease. These are not random. They are signals. Your body is not working against you. It is responding to your internal set of experiences to what is happening, or what happened to you, and often guiding you back to yourself. Why you can’t think your way out of it One of the most common responses to disconnection is to try and “figure it out.” To think more. Analyse more. Push for clarity. But this kind of disconnection doesn’t come from a lack of thinking, and won’t come by overthinking it won't solve it either. It often comes from a loss of connection to yourself and your physical intelligence, which means it cannot be resolved through thinking alone. It requires something different. When we lose connection to self in this way, we rely on the mind alone and that doesn’t work. A lack of clarity comes from a lack of alignment between what you think and what meaning you make (head brain) and what you’re feeling and experiencing in emotion (the heart) and how you identify with that, and what you know to be true, what to go on, and what to do (gut brain). We need to become aligned with these separate intelligences again by learning that it is safe to come back into connection with self and old experiences. Because it is all information to process and to heal you. In my work as an Identity and Relational Intelligence Coach, using methodologies rooted in Core Process Psychotherapy and mBIT (multiple brain integration technique), Behavioural modelling, NLP, and cognitive linguistics, I see this pattern consistently. Disconnection is not a failure. It is often a signal. A signal that something within you needs attention, awareness, and reconnection. You don’t need to become someone new. You need to safely reconnect with who you already are. With what you think, feel, identify with and what to let go or and do. The role of self-regulation and inner intelligence Part of this process is learning to reconnect with your own internal systems, the awareness that already exists within you. It starts with noticing your thoughts, not just observing them, but recognising the meaning you attach to them. Often, it is these interpretations that shape how you feel and respond, rather than the thoughts themselves. As you deepen this awareness, you can begin to notice your feelings more clearly. Instead of pushing them aside, allow yourself to sense where they live in your body. Emotions are not just mental experiences, they have a physical presence. By tuning into where they arise and gently exploring where they may have come from, you begin to understand them in a more grounded and connected way. Another important part of this reconnection is learning to slow and regulate your breath, as well as your responses. When your breathing becomes steady, it helps calm your nervous system and creates space between stimulus and reaction. This space allows you to respond with intention rather than from automatic patterns. Maintaining a consistent connection to your body’s sensations is equally essential. Your body is always communicating through signals such as tension, ease, discomfort, or calm. The more you listen, the more familiar and reliable these signals become, guiding you in subtle but powerful ways. Over time, this builds a deeper trust in your own internal signals at a guttural level. Instead of constantly looking outward for answers, you begin to rely on what you feel and sense within. This is not something you need to learn from scratch. It is something you already have. It may simply be that you have become disconnected from it over time. Your body and internal systems hold an innate capacity to regulate, adapt, and guide you back into balance when you begin to understand them and truly listen. Small shifts that begin to reconnect you Reconnection doesn’t happen through force. It begins with awareness. Some simple starting points: Notice where you feel disconnected: Without judgement, begin to observe, where do I feel out of sync with myself? Slow down your responses: Create small moments of pause. This allows your system to come back into the present. Slowing down allows you to sit with the feeling, allowing a better connection to self for better understanding and clarity of what it is. Listen to your body: Notice sensations, tension, heaviness, openness, ease. These are signals, not problems. Feel the safety in that knowledge. This will allow a level of coherence with your feelings for better processing of what is happening. Get curious, not critical: Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” Ask, “What might this be showing me?” Or “if this feeling had a voice, what would it say?” Allow space for what you feel: Disconnection often involves suppressed or unprocessed emotion. Allowing yourself to feel safe and gradually can begin to restore connection. This is not about fixing yourself It is important to understand that this is not about something being wrong with you. It is about something that happened to you. Disconnection is not a personal failure, it is often a response shaped by your experiences. In many cases, disconnection is the result of adaptation. You adjusted to situations, environments, or expectations in the best way you could at the time. Alongside this, it can also be a form of protection, a way to create distance from what felt overwhelming, unsafe, or too much to process. At its core, it is often about survival, your mind and body working together to help you cope and continue. These responses made sense when they first developed. They served a purpose and helped you navigate what you needed to get through. But over time, what once protected you may begin to feel limiting. What kept you safe then may no longer support who you are now or who you are becoming. Recognising this creates space for change. It allows you to approach yourself with understanding rather than judgement, and to gently begin reconnecting in ways that feel safe, supportive, and aligned with your present life. Coming back to yourself Reconnection is not about adding more. It is about removing what is no longer aligned. It is about becoming aware. Reconnecting with your body and learning to trust your own internal intelligence systems again. As this begins to happen: Clarity returns. Energy shifts. Relationships feel different. Life begins to feel more real and peaceful. A final reflection You don’t suddenly become disconnected. It tends to happen gradually, through small moments of ignoring yourself, pushing through, or adapting to what is needed around you. Over time, that distance can grow quietly. The reassuring part is that if it happens step by step, you can also find your way back in the same gentle, intentional way. Take a moment to reflect on where in your life you feel slightly disconnected. It may not be obvious or dramatic. It could be a subtle sense of being out of sync in your work, your relationships, or even within your daily routines. These small signals often point to where your attention is needed most. Then consider when you feel most like yourself. Notice the moments where you feel grounded, natural, and at ease. These experiences can reveal what truly supports you and what helps you reconnect with your sense of identity. You might also explore what you have been overriding or not listening to. This could be your intuition, your emotions, or simple needs like rest, space, or boundaries. Disconnection often deepens when these signals are consistently set aside. Finally, turn your attention to your body. It communicates in ways that are easy to overlook, through tension, fatigue, or a sense of calm. Listening with curiosity rather than judgement can help you understand what it has been trying to tell you, guiding you gently back towards yourself. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jessie Rose Jessie Rose, Relationship Identity Breakthrough Coach Jessie Rose is an award-winning, UK-based, international-level Identity/ Relational Intelligence Transformational Coach in the field of Wellbeing and Personal Development. Through her work, integrating several processes rooted in science, she supports individuals to break through limitations by reconnecting with their inner intelligences, their own capacity for self-regulation, self-healing, and meaningful change across relationships, health, performance, and purpose.

Just Starting Out, a UK-based platform headquartered in London, is preparing to launch a whopper of a search engine designed to connect new business owners with their first customers, while simultaneously helping households navigate the ongoing cost of living crisis. Built on three years of research with over 1,700 early-stage businesses, alongside extensive consumer data, the platform is positioning itself as a dual-sided solution to two of today’s most pressing economic challenges. “At a time when new businesses are struggling to be seen and households are increasingly selective about where they spend, there is a clear disconnect,” said Abi Hill, Founder of Just Starting Out. “Our mission is to bridge that gap - giving new business owners a genuine route to market, while making essential and everyday services more accessible and affordable for the public”. The platform will operate as a dedicated search engine, allowing consumers to find and connect with newly established professionals across a wide range of services, from trades and creative industries to beauty and wellness. In return for competitive pricing and flexible service offerings, new business owners gain invaluable early traction, including ratings/reviews, testimonials, image permissions and real-world experience that are often critical to long-term success. ​Insights gathered during the platform’s research phase reveal a growing trend, while aspiring entrepreneurs face increasing barriers to entry, many consumers are actively delaying or avoiding services altogether due to rising costs. Just Starting Out directly addresses this imbalance by connecting untapped supply with unmet demand, thus creating value on both sides of the transaction. Already making waves ahead of its official launch, Just Starting Out has received multiple accolades, including recognition as ‘Best Emerging Start-Up Support Innovators 2025’ at the Southern Enterprise Awards, ranking 11th in the UK Start-up Awards 2025, and being shortlisted for both the Global Gamechanger 2025 Award and Best Business Start-Up at the UK Small Business Awards. The company has also been recognised as part of the Brainz 500. With its official launch not long away, Just Starting Out is set to redefine how new businesses enter the market - offering a smarter, more accessible way for entrepreneurs to grow, and for consumers to access the services they need in an increasingly challenging economic climate. About Just Starting Out Just Starting Out is a UK-based platform dedicated to supporting new business owners in gaining early traction and building sustainable businesses. Alongside connecting emerging professionals with cost-conscious consumers, the platform also provides practical tools, guidance, and a community forum - recognising that many new business owners often feel isolated in the early stages of their journey. By combining access to customers with ongoing support, Just Starting Out aims to reduce early-stage business failure rates while making services more accessible to the public. Founded by Abi Hill and Richard Windley, the platform is built on extensive market research and a mission to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs. Media contact Amanda Grant Communications Manager 0203 633 0286 amanda.grant@juststartingout.co.uk

Written by Remington Steele, Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach & Philanthropist Remington Steele is an Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach, and the visionary founder of Breathe With Rem and We Are The Village – Teen Moms. A philanthropist and author of Breathe With Me, Remington’s work is rooted in healing, empowerment, and generational transformation. The conversation around teenage parenting often ends after they give birth or break into their twenties, but what about them twenty years later? Behind every statistic and stigma is a story of endurance, growth, and transformation that rarely gets told. Many who became parents in their teenage years are now raising young adults of their own, carrying both the weight of their beginnings and the wisdom gained through survival. Society tends to forget that teenage parents don’t remain teenagers forever, they evolve, adapt, and rebuild while still navigating the remnants of early judgment and limited support. Twenty years later, even more for some like myself, our experiences reveal powerful truths about resilience, generational cycles, and the long-term impact of being underestimated. This is not just a reflection on what was lost, but a celebration of what was learned, built, and reborn through the journey of parenting against the odds. Have you ever wondered what happened to that teenage girl with the baby? The one who was whispered about in hallways, judged in waiting rooms, and labeled before she had a chance to introduce herself? I was that teenage mom, just twenty-six years ago. At sixteen, I held a newborn in my arms and the world on my shoulders. Life didn’t pause to give me space to breathe, it demanded I grow up before I even understood what womanhood was. But what I didn’t know then was that motherhood, though heavy and unplanned, would become the very force that shaped my strength, my purpose, and my faith in what’s possible when a young mother refuses to give up on herself. And what about the baby in the equation? What about the baby in the equation? The child born into the storm of their parent’s growing pains often becomes the silent witness of both struggle and survival. Many of these children grow up fast, learning responsibility, resilience, and empathy before their time. Some repeat the same cycles they were born into, while others break them with fierce determination. Their upbringing can swing between love and lack, stability and chaos, depending on the resources, mindset, and healing of the parent. Too often, society fails to see these children beyond their circumstances, overlooking how deeply a young mother’s journey shapes the child’s sense of identity and belonging. Yet, within these stories lies a hidden truth, these babies, now young adults, carry not just their parents’ lessons but the possibility of a different legacy. Teenage parents can be some of the most resilient people But here’s a fact, teenage parents can be some of the most resilient people you will ever meet. And not just them, their children too. When life demands strength before maturity, something remarkable happens, perseverance is born out of necessity. Teenage parents learn to adapt quickly, to love deeply, and to create stability in the middle of uncertainty. Their children, in turn, grow up watching grit in real time, witnessing what it means to keep going when the world says you shouldn’t make it. Together, they embody a rare kind of resilience, one forged through experience, faith in themselves, and the determination to rise above statistics. Their stories remind us that growth doesn’t always start from perfect soil, but from the courage to bloom anyway. Punish or support? Why is that the question? For generations, society has chosen punishment over support when it comes to teenage parents. Instead of offering tools, compassion, and guidance, we often hand them shame, judgment, and isolation. The teenage parent becomes a cautionary tale rather than a human being in need of nurturing. Schools may push them out instead of pulling them closer, families may express disappointment instead of extending love. This approach not only isolates the young mother or father but also deepens the emotional wounds that already exist. When punishment replaces support, we rob them of the opportunity to build confidence, self-worth, and the mental stability needed to love their children without fear or insecurity. The truth is, empowerment begins where judgment ends. When a teen parent feels seen and supported, healing begins, not just for them, but for their child and lineage. A stable, loved, and mentally strong parent can raise a child who feels safe in the world. Yet when we respond with rejection, we create a cycle of doubt, anxiety, and emotional distance that can ripple for generations. What if, instead of punishing, we nurtured? What if we replaced criticism with curiosity and fear with faith in their potential? Imagine how many cycles could be broken, how many families could thrive, and how many lives could be transformed if our first response to a teenage parent was love, not judgment. Who loses, really? When society turns its back on a teenage parent, it’s not just the young mother who loses, it’s the child too. Both are left to navigate a world that questions their worth before they even have a chance to define it. The strength of an entire family lineage is weakened when love and guidance are withheld, and generations suffer in silence instead of healing together. What could have been a story of restoration and resilience often becomes one of repeated cycles and quiet pain. In truth, when we fail to support the mother, we risk losing both the promise of the parent and the potential of the child. Let's discover 4 of their stories and learn their names Today, we shine a light on four brave, incredible women who once walked the path of teenage motherhood and have not only survived, but thrived. Their stories stretch beyond the struggles of their youth into the wisdom of adulthood, with some now entering the beautiful era of grandparenting. Each of them carries lessons of faith, endurance, and transformation that challenge the narrative of what’s possible for teen parents. However, not all had an easy or pretty journey, some stories may be hard to hear. Others chose to remain anonymous, while many struggle to share their stories at all. Before we hear their words, let’s honor the journey that brought them here, over twenty-plus years later, still standing, still loving, and still breaking cycles. Remington Steele, 41 I became a mother at 16 years old. Before I could fully understand who I was, I was responsible for someone else’s life. What many saw as a mistake became the very thing that shaped me, stretched me, and called me into a level of responsibility I wasn’t prepared for, but answered anyway. I was still growing, still learning, still needing guidance myself, yet I stepped into motherhood with a determination that refused to let my circumstances define my outcome. There were moments of fear, moments of isolation, and moments where I had to make adult decisions as a child. I didn’t always have the language, the support, or the understanding I needed, but I had a deep knowing that I must keep going. I learned quickly that love alone is not enough, you need support, resources, and guidance to truly thrive. Without those, survival becomes the focus instead of growth or love. My journey through motherhood is what opened my eyes to the gaps that exist for teen parents, the emotional, mental, and practical needs that often go unseen. It showed me firsthand how easy it is for young mothers to be overlooked, judged, or left to figure it out alone. But it also showed me the power of resilience, the strength that can be built through adversity, and the importance of having even one person who believes in you. That experience did not break me, it built me. It led me to create spaces where teen mothers are supported, seen, and guided differently than I was. Today, through my work, I don’t just speak about teen parenting, I understand it, I’ve lived it, and I’ve committed my life to changing what that journey can look like for others. RaChelle Hawkins, 39 I became a teen mom at 17 during my senior year of high school in 2003, an A/B honors student excited for my final year when everything changed. I didn’t tell my mother at first, but she figured it out, and although she was disappointed, she supported me through it all. I even waited until I was about five months pregnant to tell my dad, and while he was initially disappointed, his love showed through one expectation, that I finish high school. I was determined to do just that. My baby’s father and his family were also supportive, and that village carried me through a season I could not have navigated alone. I spent my entire 12th grade year pregnant and gave birth on May 3, 2004, just two weeks before graduation. I missed out on prom, senior night, and trips, and at times, I felt robbed of that experience. Still, I walked across that stage two weeks postpartum, exhausted but proud. Financially, we had very little, I had to quit my first job, and my child’s father was working with limited means, but somehow, my baby had everything she needed. Surrounded by love, even in the delivery room filled with family, I experienced both the weight and beauty of that moment. At the same time, I was newly married, pregnant, and still a high school student, trying to understand a life that had changed overnight. After graduation, there were no celebrations, just a quiet return home with my newborn. From that moment on, my life centered around my child. I have spent years putting my children first, working tirelessly to ensure they never experienced lack, even when I did. Now, 21 years later, that baby is in her third year of college, and I can see the fruit of perseverance, sacrifice, and support. I recognize how blessed I was to have a village, because many teen moms do not. My advice to young girls is to take your time and enjoy your youth, but if life takes a different turn, do not lose yourself in regret. Take accountability, lean into support, and persevere into the life you were always meant to live. As I approach 40, I am stepping into a new season, one I have never known without children, and while I will miss them deeply, I am proud of the life we built and excited to continue growing together. Anonymous story, 62 There are stories that are harder to tell, not because they are rare, but because they reveal what happens when no one shows up. One teen mother delivered her baby with no family beside her, only a doula she met at the time of labor. In what should have been a moment of support and protection, she left the hospital with someone she trusted, only to have her baby taken from her hours after leaving the hospital and abandoned in the middle of nowhere, alone, at night. In an instant, motherhood, safety, and identity were all stripped away. The loss did not end there, it followed her. The pain of having her child stolen became a wound she carried for years, leading her into deep depression, and eventually into drugs and alcohol as a way to cope. Without support, guidance, or intervention, her trauma was left to grow unchecked. Years later, after the person who took her child passed away, their family reached out, and she was reunited with her then preteen child. What should have been a healing moment came with layers of pain from years of separation, unanswered questions, and emotional disconnect. The absence of early support did not just affect one life, it impacted generations. The family continued to struggle with cycles of trauma, including running away, substance use, incarceration, and ultimately, loss through violence. What began as one unsupported teen pregnancy turned into a ripple effect of pain that extended beyond mother and child, reaching into the next generation. This is the reality we must face, when teen parents are left without support, the consequences do not stay contained to one moment or one person. They echo. They grow. They shape futures. Support is not a luxury, it is protection, prevention, and intervention. When we show up early, with care, resources, and consistency, we do more than help a teen parent, we disrupt cycles that could otherwise continue for generations. Marian Armstrong, 64 My first pregnancy was at age 14. I carried my baby for six months before going into labor on November 21, 1973, and giving birth to a tiny baby boy. He had to remain in the hospital to gain weight before coming home, but he only lived three days. I was so broken. At 15, I became pregnant again and gave birth to a healthy baby girl on November 22, 1974, weighing just 4 pounds, 1 ounce. She stayed in the hospital until she reached 5 pounds, 10 ounces, and was able to come home just before Christmas. I turned 16 shortly after, on November 30. My mother did not believe in government assistance, so I had to leave school and get a job to support my child. A good friend helped me get to work and even taught me how to drive. I didn’t have a car, but I never missed a scheduled shift. One of my older siblings helped care for my baby so she didn’t have to go to daycare. I attended night school for a time, but eventually had to stop when my mother found out my younger sister, only 14 herself, was caring for both her baby and mine. Years later, I went back and earned my GED. Today, I am the proud mother of three beautiful daughters whom I love and adore. Through every hardship, every loss, and every responsibility placed on me at such a young age, I can say this, God has been good. Research should be done on teenage parenting as a form of PTSD While we celebrate stories of strength, we must also acknowledge the darker side of teenage parenting. Research should be done on teenage parenting as a form of PTSD because the trauma is real, even if it goes unnamed. The constant stress, lack of support, and emotional isolation can push a young parent to the edge of hopelessness. Too many teenage mothers have quietly battled anxiety, depression, and self-doubt while trying to hold everything together for their babies. And more often than we care to admit, some have lost that battle, choosing to end their pain rather than continue a fight they were never equipped to face alone. These stories are rarely told, yet they reveal the cost of a system that fails to nurture the nurturer. To truly break cycles, we must not only support life at birth but also protect the lives of those still learning how to live and love through their pain. Sadly, not everyone survives teenage parenting She was only twenty-three, with three babies, six years old, one, and just three months. Her days began before sunrise and ended long after midnight, yet rest never came. Between bottles, diapers, and endless cries, her own tears often went unnoticed. She carried the weight of motherhood, survival, and solitude all at once, whispering the same words so many young mothers have cried before her, “I’m tired.” Tired of pretending to be strong, tired of being unseen, tired of trying to make a life out of broken pieces. Her exhaustion was not weakness, it was the echo of a system that demands miracles from those it refuses to help. What the world saw was a young mother, what it missed was a woman drowning beneath the pressure to hold it all together. Her story is not just hers, it belongs to every young parent who has ever loved deeply, fought quietly, and felt the crushing weight of doing it all alone. And until we learn to listen, support, and see beyond the struggle, her final words will continue to haunt too many hearts, “I’m tired.” Support is somewhere, search for it before giving up You do not have to carry the weight of your world alone, no matter how heavy it feels. Reach out to someone, family, friends, coworkers, classmates, even a stranger, because sometimes the person you least expect can help you find light again. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, help is available 24/7. You are not alone, and your story is not over, there is still love, healing, and hope waiting for you to breathe again. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Remington Steele Remington Steele, Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach & Philanthropist Remington Steele is an Intuitive Breath Practitioner, Emotional Wellness Coach, and the visionary founder of Breathe With Rem and We Are The Village – Teen Moms. A philanthropist and author of Breathe With Me, Remington’s work is rooted in healing, empowerment, and generational transformation. As a former teen mother herself, she has turned her personal journey into a mission to guide others through intentional breathing, holistic wellness, and community-centered care.

As the CEO of PawlaNation Inc., which was founded in 2018, a Business Marketing graduate and licensed Realtor since 2011, Paula is a seasoned full-time Sales Representative with EXP Realty. She continuously chooses to expand and build her empire, which includes Chief Networking Officer of Total Knockout Referrals, Founder & CEO of PawlaNation Leadership, Foundation & Sanctuary. For the past 12 years, she has been choosing her personal development in a committed and rigorous manner, leading herself to her personal power, potential, authenticity, vulnerability, peace, and serenity, all the way being guided by a powerful vision and mission, to empower humanity with their humanity. Paula Margulis, Master Leader in the Work of Transformation Who is Paula Margulis? I am a leader who transforms how people see themselves and their reality. My work begins with deep listening, beneath words, beneath performance, where I detect the unseen narratives shaping behavior, decisions, and outcomes. From there, I introduce perspectives that reorganize how a situation is understood, allowing new possibilities to emerge with clarity and power. I don’t teach frameworks or offer surface-level solutions. I facilitate shifts in perception that create lasting change, quietly, precisely, and without dependency. My presence invites truth, challenges distortion, and supports others in stepping into authorship of their lives. I operate at the intersection of intellect, intuition, and structure, translating complexity into actionable insight. Whether visible or behind the scenes, my influence is designed to move people, leaders, and systems into greater alignment, integrity, and effectiveness. I am not here to be followed. I am here to awaken recognition, so others can create their lives by their own design. What strategies do you employ to drive impactful change while maintaining empathy and resilience? For a long time, I believed change required pressure, more effort, more discipline, more force. What I’ve come to see is that sustainable change happens through awareness, not force. The strategy, if I were to name it, is attunement. I listen beyond what is said, into the patterns shaping how someone is relating to their reality. When those patterns are seen clearly, often for the first time, something reorganizes. Change is no longer something to be pushed. It becomes inevitable. Empathy, for me, is not about absorbing or carrying someone’s experience. It’s about meeting them precisely where they are, without distortion or judgment. Resilience comes from remaining grounded in my own center, clear on what is mine and what is not. I hold the space with intention and precision. They lead the movement. What role does emotional intelligence play in your leadership style and decision-making process? Emotional intelligence, for me, is less about managing emotions and more about understanding what they reveal. Emotions are signals, indicators of how someone is interpreting their experience. When I can read those signals without reacting to them, I gain access to what’s actually shaping their behavior beneath the surface. In my leadership, this creates a very particular kind of presence. I can engage with intensity without being pulled into it. I don’t need to absorb what someone is feeling in order to understand them, I stay clear, and in that clarity, I can see what is true. That clarity is what informs my decisions. No reaction. Not urgency. Not pressure. Clarity. What challenges have you faced in balancing analytical rigor with compassion in your work? Earlier in my career, I believed I had to choose between precision and compassion. Precision felt direct, sometimes confronting. Compassion felt softer, sometimes less effective. What I’ve come to understand is that the real power is in holding both, simultaneously. You can be deeply compassionate while also being incredibly clear. In fact, clarity, when it’s clean and undistorted, is often the most compassionate thing you can offer. The challenge was never balancing the two. It was releasing the belief that they were separate. What do you believe sets your leadership approach apart from others in your field? Most approaches focus on changing behavior, strategy, or external conditions. My work begins earlier in the chain, with how someone is interpreting their reality. What I’ve seen, again and again, is that two people can have the same experience and walk away with entirely different outcomes. The difference isn’t the situation, it’s the story they’ve made it mean. When that story shifts, their relationship to everything shifts with it. And from that place, new choices become available, naturally, without force. That’s where real change happens. Not through pressure, but through awareness. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Paula Margulis

Written by Katie Simons, PharmD, BCPS, CCHT, Transpersonal Hypnotherapist and Coach Dr. Katie Simons, PharmD, BCPS, CCHT, is a clinical pharmacist, transpersonal hypnotherapist, psychedelic medicine facilitator, and coach specializing in nervous system regulation, personal transformation, and holistic healing. She is the founder of The Holistic Apothec, a resource for coaching and education on healing through altered states of consciousness. At some point, almost everyone asks the same existential question. This question might come on a Sunday afternoon as the weekend is ending and the ordinary rhythm of the week is about to begin again. It might show up after a promotion that was supposed to feel more meaningful than it actually does. It might surface in the middle of a Wednesday that looks and feels the same as yesterday and last Wednesday. What am I actually doing with my life? Beneath that question is another one that feels harder to answer, "What is my purpose?" For many people, this question carries pressure. It suggests there is something to be discovered—a role or calling that will finally make everything meaningful. When a sense of meaning is lacking, it is easy to assume something has gone wrong. Maybe I have not figured it out yet. Maybe I am behind. Maybe I am missing something. This anxiety has become a shared experience in modern life. It arises when we feel stuck in a misaligned career, when our achievements fail to bring satisfaction, or when we feel disengaged despite constant activity. At its core, this isn’t just restlessness or discontent. It’s a common human search for meaning that many of us encounter. We often interpret this feeling as a lack of purpose. But what if the issue is not that you have not found your purpose? What if the issue is the way you have been taught to think about purpose in the first place? The tension between meaning and meaninglessness To understand this, it helps to look at two philosophical perspectives that have influenced how we think about meaning, nihilism and existentialism. Both nihilism and existentialism suggest that life has no inherent meaning. From the nihilist perspective, nothing we do ultimately matters. This realization can feel heavy or even discouraging. If nothing has meaning, then what is the point of trying at all? Existentialism starts with the same understanding and arrives somewhere very different. Instead of seeing the lack of inherent meaning in life as a problem, it sees it as the very condition that makes a meaningful life possible. If meaning is not given, it can be created. If there is no predetermined script, then the question of how to live becomes open. In this sense, the absence of inherent purpose is not a flaw in the system. It is the space that allows for freedom and authenticity. And yet, this freedom can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. Our minds tend to look for structure. We want to know what to do and to feel certain that we are on the right path. When such a structure is not clearly provided, it is easy to default to searching for it. So, we begin to look for purpose as if it exists independently of us and will bring us a sense of meaning in life. Something that can be located, defined, and secured. And this is where things start to become confusing. How language forms our perception of purpose and self Notice the way we talk about purpose and self. We say we want to find purpose, have lost our sense of self, or are trying to become a better version of ourselves. All of this language assumes that self is an object, and purpose is something we can possess. We conceptualize both self and purpose as objects waiting to be discovered and claimed. Interestingly, this way of thinking is molded by the structure of the language we use every day. In English, we organize experience around nouns, with nouns taking up about 60% of our language. We treat identity as something we have and define the self as something we create. When we speak this way, we subtly shape how we relate to ourselves and the world around us, turning processes into things. There are other ways of structuring reality through language. In many Indigenous languages, the emphasis lies far more on verbs and relational descriptions than on fixed nouns. Rather than naming things as static objects, these languages often describe what something is doing, how it is moving, or how it is relating to everything around it. A river is not a noun, but is "rivering" as a body of water that can do nothing but flow. Lightning does not strike, it simply "lightens," since this snap of electricity that breaks through a storm can do nothing other than exactly that. Even what we call a person is understood as a living expression in relationship with land, community, and time. When you try to express this idea in a noun-heavy language, you notice the irony. This difficulty makes it clear how deeply language forms our perception of reality. When you structure language with verbs, you naturally start seeing the world differently. Nature doesn't appear as separate or made of isolated objects, it becomes a continuous process of interactions. The boundary between self and environment grows less rigid because you understand everything through relationship and movement, not separation and reductionism. What if self is not a noun, but you are actually a verb? When identity is a verb, something that is lived and expressed, the purpose of life is innate in the description of self. If reality itself is dynamic and relational, then purpose would not exist as a static answer waiting to be found. It would emerge through participation, through how one moves within the web of relationships that make up life. The purpose of life is being you. Purpose as participation How many times have you heard someone say this about the purpose of life? "The purpose of life is just to be yourself." Seems like a trite response to an enormous, existential search for the meaning of life. Possibly, but just because it's simple does not make it easy. If self is something you are doing, then purpose is not something you locate. It is something you enact. Purpose transitions from a destination to the pattern of how you engage with your life as it is happening. This might sound abstract at first, but it becomes very practical when you bring it into everyday life. Most people assume that living with purpose requires a dramatic change that brings a new depth to life, leaving a job, starting a business, moving somewhere new, having children, reinventing their entire life. While those changes can feel meaningful temporarily, they are not what create purpose on their own. Purpose is not dependent on your job title or your external circumstances. It shows up in how you do what you are already doing. It shows up in how you speak to people, how you handle responsibility, how you respond when something does not go as planned, and the choices you make when no one is watching. It is present in the small, repeated actions that shape the direction of your life over time. This is where many people overlook it. They are waiting for a clear sign, a moment of certainty, a feeling that tells them they have found their purpose. But purpose does not usually announce itself that way. It reveals itself through participation. Values as direction If purpose is something you enact, the next question becomes how you orient yourself within that process. This is where values come in. Values are often treated as abstract ideas, things we say matter to us but do not always translate into daily action. In reality, values are directional. They influence how you make decisions, shape what you prioritize, and determine what you are willing to move toward or away from. For example, if you value honesty, that will show up in how you communicate, even when it is uncomfortable. If you value growth, that will influence how you respond to challenge. If you value connection, that will affect how you show up in your relationships. Values are not something you list once and forget. They are something you live. When your behavior consistently reflects what you value, your life begins to feel more coherent. Not because everything is easy or perfectly aligned, but because there is a sense of internal consistency. You are moving in a direction that feels true to you. That is what gives life a sense of meaning, the presence of alignment. Passion as energy in motion Alongside values, another element often gets misunderstood. Passion. We are frequently told to follow our passion, as if it is a fixed interest we need to identify before we can move forward. This can create another form of pressure. What if I do not know what I am passionate about? What if nothing feels strong enough to build a life around? A quick onset of analysis paralysis. Instead of thinking of passion as something you either have or do not have, view it as energy in motion. Notice what naturally draws your attention, what sparks your curiosity, and what you engage with even when no external reward exists. You develop passion through engagement. As you participate more in something, you deepen your experience of it. As it deepens, it becomes more meaningful. This shows how purpose emerges through action rather than waiting to be discovered. Making life purpose real in everyday life At this point, it is important to bring all of this back to the reality most of us are living in. The main argument holds, purpose is something realized through intention and action within your actual circumstances. Most of us have responsibilities, jobs, families, and financial obligations. The idea of purpose can start to feel disconnected from that reality when we think of it as something that requires a dramatic shift. But living with purpose does not require you to step outside of your life. It asks you to become more intentional within it. You can express purpose in a job that is not your ultimate passion by how you approach your work, how you interact with others, and how you choose to grow within that environment. You can express purpose in your relationships by how present you are, how you communicate, and how you show care. You can express purpose in your personal time by what you choose to engage with, create, or explore. None of this requires a complete reinvention. It requires attention, self-awareness, participation, and a willingness to take responsibility for how you are living, even when the circumstances are not perfect. The freedom and responsibility of creating meaning When you stop looking for purpose as something to find and begin to experience it as something you are actively creating, something else becomes clear. There is no single right way to live. There is no universal blueprint that will tell you exactly what to do. For some people, this realization feels unsettling because it removes the idea of a guaranteed path. But it also removes the idea that you are doing it wrong simply because you have not found the one perfect answer. Existentialists refer to this process as forging authenticity. If meaning is not assigned, then it is constructed through the way you live. Every choice you make is an expression of your own authenticity. Not in theory, but in action. What matters is defined by what you consistently choose to engage with. Are your choices aligned with your values and passions or someone else's? Are you exercising freedom by choosing how you show up? Over time, those choices form a pattern. That pattern becomes your life, and that life carries the meaning you have given it through how you have lived. A different question to ask If you take this perspective seriously, the question begins to change. Instead of asking, "What is my purpose?" you might begin to ask something else. What am I choosing to participate in? What do my current choices say I value? Where am I showing up fully, and where am I holding back? What am I passionate about? What kind of life am I actively creating through the way I am living today? These questions are less comfortable because they bring the focus back to you, not as someone seeking an answer, but as someone who is already shaping their life through what they do. And yet, they are also more empowering because they do not require you to wait for certainty before you begin. They invite you to start where you are, right now. Purpose is something you do. It is present in the way you live, not hidden somewhere outside of you. It does not arrive all at once. It builds through continuous participation in what matters to you. And it is not reserved for a select few who have everything figured out. It is available to anyone willing to pay attention to how they are living and take responsibility for the direction of their life. So perhaps the question is no longer whether you have found your purpose. Perhaps the question is simpler. Are you living in a way that reflects what matters to you? Because if you are, even imperfectly, then purpose is not something missing from your life. It is already unfolding through it. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Katie Simons Katie Simons, PharmD, BCPS, CCHT, Transpersonal Hypnotherapist and Coach Dr. Katie Simons, PharmD, BCPS, CCHT, is the founder of The Holistic Apothec, a platform for coaching, education, and healing transformation through altered states of consciousness. A clinical pharmacist turned transpersonal hypnotherapist, psychedelic medicine facilitator, and coach, she blends neuroscience, somatic practices, trance techniques, and spiritual wisdom to guide clients in creating lasting change. Drawing on a decade in academic medicine and years in holistic healing, Katie’s programs focus on nervous system regulation, trauma recovery, overcoming limiting beliefs, and medication tapering. Her work bridges science and mysticism, offering a grounded, accessible path to deep healing, authentic living, and personal freedom.

Written by Ladys Patino, Book Reviewer and Writer Ladys Patino is a distinguished writer and book critic with a specialization in organizational behavior, management, leadership, and community dynamics. The great resignation. Quiet quitting. Burnout. The headlines paint a bleak picture of modern work, but they miss the fundamental truth that great managers already know, people don't leave companies, they leave managers. And people don't thrive or fail because of what they do, they thrive or fail because of how they're led. The difference between disengaged employees going through the motions and energized teams doing their best work comes down to leadership that knows how to bring out human potential rather than just extract human productivity. The books on this list offer radically different approaches to the same challenge: how do you create conditions where people genuinely want to do great work? From tackling turnover to building psychological safety, from coaching conversations to radically candid feedback, these authors understand that managing people is fundamentally about unlocking what is already inside them. The best managers do not control their teams. They create the culture, ask the right questions, provide honest feedback, and build the trust that allows people to become the best versions of themselves. Here are eight essential books that will transform how you think about managing people. Dare to Lead Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown Dare to Lead is the culmination of seven years of studying courage and leadership by four-time number one New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown. After two decades of researching the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, Brown turns her attention to what it means to dare greatly in leadership. Her central insight challenges conventional wisdom. Daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we are choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time we are scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines cannot do better and faster. What can we do better than AI? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. When we dare to lead, we do not pretend to have the right answers. We stay curious and ask the right questions. We do not see power as finite and hoard it. We know that power becomes infinite when we share it. We do not avoid difficult conversations and situations. We lean into vulnerability when it is necessary to do good work. This book provides a practical framework for building the courage, vulnerability, trust, and resilience that transform organizational cultures. CHURN Proven Strategies to Overcome Failing Conventional Talent Management and Achieve Zero Turnover by Clark A. Ingram CHURN tackles the single most expensive and demoralizing problem facing organizations: employee turnover. Clark Ingram's career took an unexpected turn when he was moved from finance into human resources by a CEO desperate to stop the bleeding of constant departures. What he discovered was that conventional talent management does not just fail to solve turnover. It often makes it worse. Drawing on his track record of dramatically reducing turnover while increasing profits at three different companies, Ingram developed a systematic approach that he has since launched as People Profits to help more organizations take better care of their most valuable resource. His philosophy centers on a simple but powerful idea. Zero employee turnover is not just possible, it is an organizational philosophy. The book reveals the real root causes of turnover that everyone overlooks, introduces the magic question about the five reasons employees actually work for you, and identifies which employee groups are hearing "I want you to stay" versus those drowning in hopelessness. Ingram shows that employee turnover is the ultimate organizational disruptor, and solving it must be the first step toward taking control of your greatest asset. For leaders tired of the dreaded dance of one step forward and two steps back, this book offers a proven plan of attack. Radical Candor Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott Radical Candor is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller that revolutionized how we think about feedback and management. Kim Scott, who led teams at Google and Apple before becoming a sought after CEO coach, introduces a deceptively simple framework that changes everything. Care personally while challenging directly. Most managers fall into one of three traps. Obnoxious aggression, challenging without caring, ruinous empathy, caring without challenging, or manipulative insincerity, doing neither. Radical Candor is what happens when you show that you care personally for employees while also challenging them directly with clear, kind feedback. The book is packed with illuminating truths, insightful advice, and practical suggestions, all illustrated with engaging and often funny stories from Scott's experiences in Silicon Valley. She demonstrates how radically candid relationships with team members enable bosses to fulfill their three core responsibilities. Create a culture of compassionate candor, build a cohesive team, and achieve results collaboratively. Drawing on years of experience and the wisdom of leaders like Sheryl Sandberg, Scott shows that being nice is not the same as being kind, and that the kindest thing you can do is give people the honest feedback they need to grow. For anyone who manages people, whether one person or a thousand, this book is essential. Good Work Transform Your Work from the Inside Out by Dr. Kathryn Page Good Work shifts the conversation from individual resilience to systemic design. Dr. Kathryn Page, an organizational psychologist and adjunct professor, asks one big question. What makes work good for us? With over two decades of experience across psychology, public health, and organizational leadership, she works with leaders to create conditions for strong performance without burnout. Her book focuses on the systems, cultures, and everyday practices that shape how work feels and how sustainable it is. Page argues that psychological safety, meaningful contribution, and genuine connection are the foundation of both human flourishing and organizational performance. The book explores how pausing becomes the new productivity, how performance should be measured by energy rather than hours, how mental health is pursued through challenge rather than comfort, and how meaning is the missing metric in modern work. What makes this book particularly powerful is that Page has lived the highs and lows herself. The thrill of meaningful projects, the grind of bureaucracy, the sting of burnout, and the quiet joy of rediscovering purpose. She writes with the conviction that work should be one of our greatest determinants of health and flourishing, not one of our biggest risks. For leaders serious about creating workplaces where people and companies thrive, this deeply grounded and scientifically rigorous book provides the roadmap. The Coaching Habit Say Less, Ask More and Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier The Coaching Habit is a million copy bestseller that topped the Wall Street Journal bestseller list and made coaching practical for everyday managers. Michael Bungay Stanier distills the essentials of coaching down to seven core questions that any leader can use to unlock their people's potential. Drawing on years of experience training more than ten thousand busy managers from around the globe, Stanier reveals how to make coaching a regular, informal part of your day so managers and their teams can work less hard and have more impact. The seven essential questions, from the Kickstart Question, "What is on your mind?" to the AWE Question, "And what else?" to the Learning Question, demonstrate how saying less and asking more develops coaching methods that produce great results. The genius of this book is its simplicity and practicality. It takes courage to ask a question rather than offer advice, provide an answer, or unleash a solution. Giving another person the opportunity to find their own way, make their own mistakes, and create their own wisdom is both brave and vulnerable. But Stanier guides readers through how to take this new information and turn it into habits and daily practice. The book is witty, engaging, and provides real strategies to unlock your team's potential without overwhelming your schedule. For anyone who wants to move from telling people what to do to helping them discover what they are capable of, this is essential reading. Alive Inside Unlock Your Leadership Advantage in the Age of AI by Emmanuel Gobillot Alive Inside delivers a groundbreaking leadership framework for the AI age. Emmanuel Gobillot, described as "the first leadership guru for the digital generation" and "the freshest voice in leadership today," is a bestselling author and one of the world's most sought after speakers. His central argument is urgent. In our increasingly automated world, leaders must reclaim the distinctly human qualities that keep them indispensable. Compassion, courage, intuition, presence, and storytelling. Blending historical narratives, neuroscience insights, and real world case studies, Gobillot reveals seven practical principles that transform leadership in the age of machines. Authenticity over automation, moral courage over mere compliance, intuition over instruction, curiosity over certainty, compassion over calculation, presence over performance, and stories over structures. The book shows how vulnerability outperforms perfection, how caring becomes a strategic advantage, and how attention creates real authority. Written for leaders feeling pressured to act like machines or fearing replacement by them, this book is packed with actionable strategies for building the human centered leadership skills no machine can replicate. For anyone in rapidly digitizing industries seeking to protect their human edge while embracing technological advancement, Alive Inside provides the clarity, capability, and confidence to command trust, inspire teams, and shape cultures that thrive on creativity, connection, and meaning. Hidden Project Drivers Building Behavior that Drives Success by Kursten Faller and Alan Weiss Hidden Project Drivers reveals the invisible forces that determine whether projects succeed or fail. Todd Faller and Eric Weiss understand that technical skills and formal project management processes are necessary but not sufficient for success. What actually drives project outcomes are the hidden behavioral factors that most leaders overlook. Ownership, critical thinking, perception management, productive conflict, innovation, and growth mindset. The book explores how ownership acts as the hidden multiplier that amplifies every other capability, why critical thinking allows you to think like a master strategist rather than just follow templates, how perception becomes reality and must be actively managed, why conflict is the crucible of greatness rather than something to avoid, and how to ignite innovation before it is too late. The authors identify the silent killers of project success and show exactly how to beat them. They demonstrate that growth is your greatest competitive advantage and teach you to play your own game rather than someone else's. What makes this book particularly valuable is that it addresses the gap between knowing what to do and actually getting people to do it. The behavioral insights translate directly to any situation where you need teams to execute effectively. For leaders tired of projects that fail not because of poor planning but because of human factors, this book provides the missing piece. The Enlightened Manager A Transformative Approach to Work and Life by Vishwanath Alluri with Harry Eyres The Enlightened Manager takes a philosophical approach to management by examining the deeper patterns that separate exceptional managers from ordinary ones. Vishwanath Alluri spent decades in leadership roles at IMISoft and IMImobile, navigating major acquisitions by Ramboll and Cisco, before distilling his insights into this transformative framework. Rather than offering quick fixes or surface level techniques, the book explores fundamental questions about how we work and lead. Understanding the operations of the mind, the role of vulnerability in leadership, work life integration rather than balance, and productivity's immutable laws. Alluri draws insights from fields as diverse as contemplative practice, peak athletic performance, including a chapter on Roger Federer's unique excellence, and operational management to show how great managers think differently. The book challenges readers to question their assumptions, understand their conditioning, and develop more conscious approaches to leadership. It is dedicated to those who read with no expectations or preconceptions, and to those ready to examine their own expectations and preconceptions. Each chapter, from "Vulnerability: To be vulnerable is to live" to "Employees: Building blocks and shifting sands," offers wisdom that applies across contexts. For leaders ready to move beyond management techniques to fundamental shifts in how they understand and approach their work, this handbook provides a path to more enlightened and effective management. Visit theenlightenedmanager.com to learn more. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Ladys Patino Ladys Patino, Book Reviewer and Writer Ladys Patino is a distinguished writer and book critic with a specialization in organizational behavior, management, leadership, and community dynamics. Her expertise lies in dissecting and evaluating literature that delves into the intricacies of organizational structures, the nuances of leadership styles, and the complexities of community interactions. Patino's reviews and writings offer insightful perspectives on how these themes play out in various settings, providing valuable analysis for those interested in understanding and improving the functioning of groups, businesses, and societies.

Written by Ebi Sheila Diete-Spiff, Lifestyle Strategist Ebi Sheila Diete-Spiff is a leading self-love and transition coach, speaker, and mentor. She is the founder of Ebi’s Powerhouse, where she equips women worldwide with the tools to break free from self-doubt, reclaim their worth, and step into their power with confidence. High performance is often celebrated as the driving force behind organizational success, but beneath sustained output and reliability, many high performers are carrying invisible levels of pressure and exhaustion. This article explores the hidden cost of performance culture, why burnout and disengagement often go unnoticed, and the strategic shifts organizations must make to support sustainable leadership, retention, and long-term performance. High performance is one of the most valued assets in any organization. It drives results. It sustains delivery. It keeps businesses moving. But there’s a cost most organizations don’t see early enough. Because it doesn’t look like a problem. High performers are often reliable, consistent, high output, low maintenance. On the surface, they are your strongest assets. However, underneath, a different pattern is quietly emerging. The hidden risk inside high performance High performers don’t usually disengage in obvious ways. They don’t miss deadlines, drop standards, create disruption. Instead, they carry increasing levels of pressure, over function to maintain performance, self manage beyond sustainable levels. This creates what I call "The Polished Mask". From a leadership perspective, everything appears stable. But internally, the cost is building, cognitive overload, emotional fatigue, reduced decision clarity, declining self trust. Left unaddressed, this leads to a critical organisational risk, "The Silent Departure". Where your most capable people are still present but no longer fully engaged. This is where organizations begin to see reduced innovation, slower decision making, increased presenteeism, rising attrition risk. By the time it becomes visible, you’ve already lost momentum. So what actually improves this situation? Not more performance management. Not more pressure. But a shift in how high performance is supported and sustained. 7 strategic shifts to sustain high performance at scale Before organizations can reduce burnout, improve retention, and sustain high performance, there needs to be a shift in how performance itself is understood. Because the issue is not capability, it’s not commitment, nor is it a lack of talent. It’s the conditions under which high performance is being sustained. The following shifts are not theoretical. They are strategic levers organizations can use to protect performance, strengthen leadership, and reduce hidden costs at scale. 1. Move beyond confidence to build self trust in leadership Most organizations reward confidence, strong presentation, decisiveness, visible leadership presence. But confidence without self trust creates instability under pressure. Self trust drives consistent decision making, even in the face of uncertainty. The organisational impact of self trust, faster decisions, reduced escalation, stronger leadership capability. 2. Reduce over functioning to prevent burnout risk High performers often compensate for gaps, taking on more responsibility, holding team dynamics together, absorbing pressure silently. This creates unsustainable dependency. The organisational impact, hidden burnout risk, key person dependency, increased absence and attrition. Sustainable organizations distribute performance, not concentrate it. 3. Redefine strength within your leadership culture In many environments, strength is interpreted as constant availability, high output, emotional control. But this drives long term disengagement. Redefining strength to include boundaries and sustainability is critical. The organisational impact, healthier leadership behaviours, reduced burnout cycles, improved team stability. 4. Address overthinking as a performance issue Overthinking is not inefficiency. It’s a response to low psychological safety, fear of getting it wrong, lack of internal trust. The organisational impact, slower execution, delayed decision making, reduced innovation. High performing cultures require decision safety, not perfection pressure. 5. Separate performance from identity in your culture When employees feel their worth is tied to output, they overextend, they avoid rest, they fear failure. This reduces long term performance capacity. The organisational impact, increased presenteeism, reduced creativity, higher emotional fatigue. Sustainable performance requires psychological separation between who I am and what I deliver. 6. Shift from pressure driven to alignment driven performance Pressure creates short term results. Alignment creates long term sustainability. When individuals operate from alignment, energy is more stable, engagement increases, performance becomes consistent. The organisational impact, improved retention, higher quality output, more resilient teams. 7. Build internal safety, not just external success Many organizations invest in strategy, targets, performance frameworks. But overlook internal safety. Without it, even high performers second guess decisions, seek constant validation, operate from underlying stress. The organisational impact, leadership fatigue, reduced confidence in decision making, loss of high potential talent. The real business risk High performance is not the issue. The risk lies in how it is being sustained. When performance is driven by pressure, proving, over functioning, it leads to burnout, disengagement, attrition. Often, before organizations even recognize the signs. The opportunity for organizations When high performance is supported through self trust, internal safety, sustainable leadership behaviours, which in turn leads to stronger retention, more effective leadership pipelines, consistent, scalable performance. From insight to implementation: How organizations are addressing this Understanding the silent cost of high performance is one thing. Shifting it at an organisational level is another. Because this isn’t just about awareness. It’s about changing how performance is sustained across your people, your leaders, and your culture. This is the work I do in collaboration with Lodestone Inside, co created with Linden Thorp. A different approach to performance and retention Rather than adding more frameworks, training, or pressure, we work at the level where performance is actually being driven, the nervous system, decision making patterns, internal safety and self trust. Because sustainable performance doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from creating the conditions where people can function at their best, consistently. What this looks like in practice We support organizations in addressing recurrent short term absence and burnout risk, presenteeism, employees who are present but not fully functioning, leadership pressure and decision fatigue, retention of high performing women and leadership pipeline stability, return to work stabilization following burnout or long term absence. Through embodiment led practices grounded in real time regulation, structured, self led tools that integrate into the working day, small group integration for cultural shift, targeted 1:1 stabilization where needed, aggregate insights, not individual exposure, for organisational learning. Why this matters now Most organizations are still trying to solve burnout and attrition at the surface level. But the real drivers sit underneath, how people relate to pressure, how safe they feel to think, decide, and lead, how performance is internally sustained. Without addressing this, the cycle continues. High performers deliver, until they can’t. The outcome When organizations address performance at this level, they begin to see more stable and confident leadership, faster, clearer decision making, reduced burnout and absence, stronger retention of high potential talent, a culture that sustains performance without hidden cost. Final invitation Organizations don’t lose their best people when they leave. They lose them while they are still there. The question is not, “Are our people performing?” The question is, “At what cost is that performance being sustained?” If this article resonates, it’s likely you’re already seeing some of these patterns within your organization. The question is not whether high performance exists. It’s whether it’s sustainable. More importantly whether your organization is set up to support it without losing your best people in the process. If you’d like to explore how this could be applied within your organization, we welcome the conversation. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ebi Sheila Diete-Spiff Ebi Sheila Diete-Spiff, Lifestyle Strategist Ebi Sheila Diete-Spiff is a self-love and mental fitness strategist who empowers women to reclaim their worth and embrace their potential with confidence. Born in Hertfordshire, England, she transformed personal struggles with toxic relationships, divorce, chronic illness, and single motherhood into a journey of resilience and growth. A pivotal awakening in 2014 inspired her to embrace self-love, fueling her mission to guide women worldwide past self-doubt. Through her signature blueprint, The WORTHY Woman Framework, Ebi offers tools for healing and empowerment. Today, she stands as a beacon of hope, inspiring women to live boldly and authentically. Sources: Employee Burnout: The Biggest Myth Employee Burnout, Part 1: The 5 Main Causes by Ben Wigert and Sangeeta Agrawal Gallup - Employee Wellbeing: What It Is, Why It Matters and How to Improve It