Written by: René Luisman, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. June is known worldwide as Pride month. What in the 70’s started as a protest march for the rights of the LGBTI community is now a way to celebrate freedom and diversity in many countries. But Pride also has a healing function for many gay men. In the acceptance of freedom and diversity, the discussion usually revolves around acceptance in society. For decades activists have been climbing the barricades to fight for the rights of the LGBTI+ community. Less attention is paid to the inner struggle for self-acceptance that every LGBTI person has to deal with. Because what is the impact if you do not meet the social norm of gender or sexuality? How homosexuality is still associated with shame and guilt Imagine. During your puberty, you discover that your sexual preference differs from that of your parents, family, and friends. In most cultures, you still subconsciously get the message that sexuality is something between a man and a woman. And even if you grew up in an environment in which sexual diversity is accepted, the message is often still that it is fine to be gay but that you should not show it too much. So your first tendency is probably to deny or hide your feelings. You adjust to what you think others expect of you. Or you go to the other end of the spectrum, and your attitude becomes indifferent or even defensive. Because with the realization that you do not meet the social norm comes a sense of shame at the identity level. Shame for who you are and what you feel. This feeling is reinforced by guilt as soon as you express your sexual preference. Guilt for doing something you suspect your environment will disapprove of. And unlike other minority groups, you as a gay man do not learn from your parents how to take your place in the world despite shame and guilt. You usually walk that road alone. The coming out is only the beginning of a search for yourself Then comes the moment of your coming out. You gather all your courage, confide in others and share your true identity. And with that, it is often done for the outside world. But the fact that you hid a part of yourself in a vulnerable phase of life determines how you view yourself and how you make contact. Something that can also affect your adult life. Because it is precisely in this adult life that you examine which parts are really yours and which parts you have created to protect yourself. Based on the messages of your childhood, you may have drawn the belief that you are not good enough. That your feelings and emotions are not welcome or that it is not okay to be yourself. And because you do not feel this confirmation within, you are always looking for validation that you matter. As a person, as a friend and as a partner. You quickly focus your attention on the other person, you suppress your own feelings and emotions, or unconsciously you put on a mask to hide them. Yet, there is a deep desire to reconnect with yourself and others. How shame and guilt can get stuck in the body In my work with gay men, I noticed that many of them struggle with the same themes. Social anxiety, depression, physical dissociation and difficulty making a meaningful connection. Symptoms are very similar to those of traumatic events. Now, when you think of trauma, you may think of violent events such as an accident, rape, or abuse. But how traumatic is it when you discover as a child that you do not meet the standards of identity and you fear the consequences this has? Trauma treatment expert Peter Levine describes in his book ‘The Tiger Awakens’ that many people have traumatic symptoms that go unrecognized. He describes trauma as an unfinished movement in which the energy is fixed in the body. So you discover that you are different, sexual energy arises, and at the same time, you suppress this emotion through shame and guilt. And if you zoom in further, more similarities indicate that coming out can be traumatic for some men. Dissociation and hyper-alertness During one of our coaching sessions, Vincent said: 'It's like I can't connect with my own feelings and emotions. I'm constantly in my head, and it seems like I can't get to my feelings. And when I do experience fear or anger, these feelings are so overwhelming that I push them away.” One of the hallmarks of trauma is the emotional distance from others, making it seem like you are experiencing the world from a distance. There is also the same distance to your own emotional world. It is mainly feelings of fear, anger and shame that are easily accessible. Another characteristic is that traumatized people are often hyper-alert because they do not feel safe at the core. I also see this in the men I supervise. They are very aware of their environment and unconsciously adjust their behavior to it. Or they numb themselves with alcohol or drugs, so they do not have to feel. Usually, these symptoms do not manifest themselves until years later. But they unconsciously influence every new encounter and event. And instead of moving freely and spontaneously, the trauma still unconsciously grips you. Does this mean every gay man is traumatized? No, definitely not. Whether the period surrounding your coming out was traumatizing depends on several factors. How threatening was this situation for you? What support did you experience in your environment? What skills did you learn that were helpful? And to what extent were you able to influence the situation? All of this determines how you experienced the situation and how you dealt with it. Trauma has two opposing mechanisms. On the one hand, you do everything to stay away from this pain. And on the other hand, you are drawn to it again and again. This costs an unnecessary amount of energy and is at the expense of your spontaneity and authenticity. By seeing the period around a coming-out as a possible traumatic event, there is more awareness for the symptoms. And it gives direction to break and heal this dynamic. How to overcome the trauma of sexual diversity Connection with the other arises from the connection with yourself. And that is precisely where many men have lost connection. So how do you restore this connection? We often try to solve a problem in the same way that it started. In this case, we go to our heads and think of all the possible ways we can reconnect with ourselves and others. But the relationship with yourself is also the relationship with your body. The very parts that we have once split off or condemned are the key to healing ourselves again. If you are willing to descend to the places where you were once hurt, you can explore which part of you needs attention. It is sometimes quite overwhelming at first. Because you may find disappointment, anger, or sadness there. Then know that these feelings say nothing about your worth. It does say something about what you missed and what you may still long for. By letting these feelings in, it will naturally calm down inside. Trust that your gut tells you what you need and dare to ask someone you trust. This way, you take responsibility for your own needs. What does this have to do with Pride? Back to Pride. How do protest marches, parties, and rainbow flags help to reconnect with yourself and others? You can see Pride as a protest march, a social discussion, or even a commercial marketing stunt. But when you view Pride as part of the recovery process from a traumatic event, the role of the environment and one's own "tribe" plays a crucial role. When the step to accept and welcome yourself is still too big, it is a powerful gesture when the world around you confirms that you are welcome. This support from both the LGBTI community and straight allies is an important step in the process of self-acceptance. For more info, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website! René Luisman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine René Luisman is a professional life and career coach. Finding his place in life has been quite a challenge after a traumatic accident in which he sustained serious burns on both of his legs. As a trainer and coach, he creates a safe environment for people to work on their authenticity so they can grow in their personal and professional life. His work has been recognized by the Dutch Association for Trainers, and they awarded him Trainer of the Year 2017/18. René is on a mission to create more awareness for self-acceptance, especially for gay men.

Susan Hum, aka the LoveHacker, is a thought leader and self-mastery expert specialized in the area of love and relationships with a specific focus on emotional intelligence. Her own personal journey in forming a unique voice and unraveling her personal truth led Susan to achieve success in all pillars of life – family, career, financial freedom, and most importantly, love and incredible relationships. Susan´s success in helping high achievers attract more love and passion into their lives has led her to work with some very prominent leaders in business, sports, music, and Hollywood. In 2020, she created the Steel Rose Movement, a conscious leadership platform for women with a mission to elevate love consciousness in the world by narrowing all divides in society, whether between women, genders, races, cultures, identity preferences, or personal beliefs. Who is Susan Hum? I am a die-hard truth seeker and conscious high-achiever. I am so grateful for the life I have lived, the people who have come across my path, and best of all, the incredible people who are in my life today. I am a proud stepmom to 21-year-old Andrew, married 17 years to my best friend, soulmate and love of my life Kevin. I am all about love… love of life, love of people, love of Mother Earth, and most importantly, love of self. What is the story behind your alias, The LoveHacker? It’s a great name, isn’t it?! It was given to me by someone I was coaching and mentoring in 2019 to get her life back in order, which was a mess despite all the years of personal development she had undergone. She said to me when I met her that it would take a miracle to get her the clarity she needed to get out of her hole, let alone achieve her dreams. So, I said, “Then let’s create that miracle.” After three months, she found love, and within six months, she landed the job of her dreams. As a Master Coach, I help busy female professionals excel in any area of life. I teach women emotional intelligence, and through a technique I created called Hack Your Heart, we quickly hack through all the layers of confusion that can bury the heart of our truth and hinder us from making conscious decisions in our life. I hold clients accountable to their true heart’s desires so they can move quickly through friction to take the right actions aligned with their intuitive knowing. Magic happens, and results are accelerated when we live with more emotional clarity. You have achieved great success in your corporate career. How and why did you transition into Life Coaching? I have worked as a business development professional in many industries in Canada, the U.S., Hong Kong, and Singapore, including health and fitness, international relocation, hospitals, and the last 10 years in the financial brokerage world until I retired in 2016. My work as a life coach started haphazardly during my expatriate assignment in Singapore as the General Manager, Sales & Marketing. I was only 30 years old and was given a promotion to move from Hong Kong to Singapore. I took on this challenge knowing it would stretch my abilities, but I was also keenly aware that I didn’t have the management experience to confidently make a fast impact in my new role with the company. I walked into an established sales-and-marketing team of professionals who had much more experience than I, so I had to get creative to build trust and credibility quickly with my new team. An added challenge was that I was younger than my team members. The superpower I uncovered was my ability to connect with what people really needed (not necessarily what they said they needed) and exceed their expectations in all ways – professionally and personally. I succeeded in achieving our business objectives over four years because I gained their respect by helping them get out of their own way. Most of the time, it was solving problems originating from life outside of work—love, relationships, health, family, children… The winning formula to heartfelt connections with people, building trust and credibility, is integrity. After leaving Singapore in 2003, I continued developing my life coaching skills, working with clients while working full time as a business development professional in finance. What is your meaning of success? Hands down, success is freedom. To me, it means having it ALL—financial freedom, happy, healthy family, deep, meaningful connections with people, a career I am passionate about, and best of all, LOVE. At the age of 25, single, in debt with no steady career, I declared to myself that I would reach success and retire by 50. I had no idea how but I knew the next step ahead of me was to work my way up the corporate ladder. I ended up building an incredible career in leadership positions in Asia for 11 years before returning home to Montreal to complete my university degree in finance and start another career in the financial brokerage industry. After 10 years working at one of Canada’s top brokerage firms, I finally retired from the corporate world to do what I love to do… to help people attain anything they desire in life and to have it all. What was the most impactful lesson you learned in your life? Staying true to myself and exercising the courage to stay real all the time. When I first made that declaration, 25 years ago, that I will have it all, I never in my wildest dreams could have figured out that the journey to achieving it all would take me on a path of self-mastery. I pushed myself past my limits in business, in relationships, in health, and in love, despite others telling me that what I wanted was ridiculous or impossible. Staying true to my heart’s desires propelled my life into a continuous change of environments and people. You are known for your acute ability to see in others what they cannot see in themselves. Would you say that is a born gift? I don’t believe it is a gift since that assumes that no one else can do what I do. My ability to connect to others’ truth and see their blind spots has been developed over decades of experience and acquired wisdom. Anyone who learns and practices something repeatedly day in and day out for decades can be an expert in whatever they do. I was born with a passion for understanding human behavior and our patterns. As a result, I made career choices in my life to position myself with opportunities to continue learning about human influence. That’s the reason I went into sales in my twenties, even though I hated selling. Today I fully embrace the importance of sales because I learned early on that selling is the same as influence. Who doesn’t want to influence people in the most integral way, ensuring a win-win outcome for all, including for him/herself? You talk a lot about clarity which is what you help your clients with. Why is clarity so important? Clarity is everything in life. Clarity is closely tied to our truth. I have a running game that I play with everyone who asks me what I do. Rather than explaining my work, I ask, “How much would you pay me if I could give you clarity within 15 minutes on the one thing you are most stuck with?” or “What dollar value do you place on clarity?” Most people cannot answer these questions because they quickly realize they don’t really know what clarity looks like. Clarity is the moment when what we think is fully aligned with how we feel (when our head is aligned with our heart). When we have clarity, we make more conscious decisions faster. This is where that sense of certainty lies. Our emotions don’t get in our way as we are intimately connected with our feelings and intuition. Clarity is the guiding force that leads us to our ultimate success with ease and grace. It is a deep knowing that is not reliant on logic. Combining our objective reasoning with our feelings and intuition is a superpower that business leaders and professionals hire me to help them attain as they move towards their goals and dreams. What is next for Susan The LoveHacker? In 2019, I decided to take my work to a broader audience. For years, I ran a boutique coaching practice that helped high-paying, successful professionals take their life, love, and business to the next levels. I felt it wasn’t fair that only people who can afford me reaped the benefit of connecting with their true selves to live the life of their dreams. I truly believe that everyone deserves love, health, wealth, and fulfillment. Since 2019, I have been rebranding, creating coaching programs for all levels, and in 2020, I started The Steel Rose Movement. Steel Rose is a movement that teaches women how to lead their lives consciously and to stand in their personal truth. My mission is to elevate love consciousness by narrowing gaps in society—between races and cultures, belief systems, sexual and identity preferences, in relationships, and between women... women elevating women to achieve our goals and dreams. We can have it all. There is no such thing as impossible. It is only a matter of what we truly want and whether it is aligned with our true heart’s desire. Follow Susan on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit her website for more info!

Written by: Kamini Wood, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Both social and physical environments can significantly affect our mental health and behavior. The environment can impact our mood, influence our actions, create or reduce stress, and inspire or discourage social interactions. Home and Work Environment Different studies show that bright rooms with lots of light (both natural and artificial) can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. Moreover, scientists believe that a healthy and relaxing environment can do much more than simply boost your mood – it can affect your health and improve the immune system. On the contrary, toxic environments can negatively affect your feelings, thoughts, and behavior. An unhealthy environment can create stress, weaken your confidence, and impact your emotional and physical health. How Your Home Environment Affects Your Behavior? Keeping your home organized and clean will bring harmony and peacefulness to your living space and mental space. Also, decluttering and organizing your home environment can help ease stress and anxiety and promote positive family relationships. For example, a clean and organized hallway will encourage you to store all your items away. Similarly, an inviting family space will encourage interactions and strengthen bonds within the family. Furthermore, one of the best ways to promote relaxation and happiness at home is the wall colors. Colors can be a great stress management tool. One research found that room colors can affect our feelings and stress response. Therefore, they can help reduce stress and promote calmness and harmony. Research has also proved that when we look at the colors, our brain releases neurochemicals that affect our mood and overall mental and physical well-being. For example, green and white environments promote relaxation and have the power to calm us down in stressful situations, while red color can make us more tense and anxious. Similarly, the emotional atmosphere within the family can have a significant impact on our health and our behavior. For example, toxic family life can cause frustration, depression, anxiety, and a variety of physical symptoms. Toxic Work Environment and Mental Health Studies by the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) found that 35 percent of workers in the U.S. report being bullied at work. In addition, the intimidating treatment in the workplace may trigger mental health issues related to anxiety and depression. One research found that the negative rumination or the mentally replaying of an event from a workplace can affect insomnia and thus overall health. A toxic work environment stimulates people to ruminate about their negative experiences, causing anxiety, depression, and substance use. Further research has found that this negatively affects organizations as well. For example, toxic work environments can lead to decreased productivity and a lower level of employee commitment. How to Cope with Toxic Environments? Coping techniques can help lessen the negative effects of a toxic environment on your overall well-being. Relaxation and meditation . It has long been known that practicing relaxation techniques is associated with fewer health complaints and less fatigue. Some relaxation techniques you can practice involve meditation , listening to music, reading a book, and spending time with positive people. Counseling. If you think that you cannot cope with a toxic environment on your own, seek the help of mental health professional. The Boundaries. Setting the boundaries can help you manage stress and frustration. In addition, boundaries can boost your self-esteem and help you feel in control of your life. Follow me on Faceboo k , Instagra m , Linked In , or visit my website for more info! Kamini Wood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kamini Wood is the founder and CEO of Live Joy Your Way and the AuthenticMe® RiseUp program. An international best-selling author Kamini is driven to support people of all ages to heal their relationship with themselves and to stop outsourcing their self-worth. As a result, her clients become their own confident, resilient self-leader with healthier relationships. Kamini is a certified life coach, board-certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, holds specialty certifications in Calling in the One®, Conscious Uncoupling®, NewMoney Story®, and teen life coaching. Also trained in conscious parenting, Kamini aims to meet her clients where they are, supporting and guiding them on their journey to where they want to be, both personally and professionally. Her mission: create space for each person to see the unique gifts they bring to this world.

Written by: Gabrielle Cole, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When we’re kids, dreaming comes easy for us—especially dreaming big. Nothing feels out of reach for the future, and everything feels like a possibility. But as we age, the scales seem to tip out of our favor, and instead of everything feeling possible, it can often seem like our possibilities are very limited. It’s important that we work to keep dreaming, even as adults, because when our dreams die, we can fall into the trap of stagnant living. We stop moving forward. Dreams inform our goals, and our goals create the future we want. As mothers, it’s not uncommon to lose sight of our dreams, goals, and passions because we have been conditioned to believe that is what a good mom does. We have been told that our only goals must be in service of our children and their futures—everything else becomes a sacrifice for them. But what if our “sacrifice” is doing more harm than good? In 2020, I surveyed 260 mothers, with an average composite age range of 30 - 50 and an average of 2 children, to gain insights on the reality of maternal burnout —the phenomenon of losing ourselves in the name of being “good moms.” When asked what special talent they have, 105 out of 260 participants skipped the question altogether. That’s more than 65%. And those who did respond were mostly a chorus of “I don’t know” or “I don’t have special talents anymore.” Why is it socially acceptable for mothers to completely lose sight of any resemblance of who they are? Imagine how much more we could inspire our children if we refused to play into this expectation on a daily basis. If we chose not to ignore the red flags our bodies are giving, we admitted that we are suppressing our needs and emotions; admitted that something needs to change. In any other walk of life, owning up to our needs would be considered emotional wellbeing. But in motherhood, powering through on fumes is just seen as the life of a mom. The major problem is that to raise dreamers, they need to see us dreaming too. So many of us are stressed, anxious, on edge, depressed, and burnt out—that is the image of us our children are seeing and the energy we’re surrounding them with. It needs to stop with us so that we can show them what it means to be confident, self-assured beings. Otherwise, what are we sacrificing for? It’s time for us to set an example of how to value ourselves, advocate for ourselves, set healthy boundaries, and work to meet our goals. This shift can only start with you. Rediscover what your needs are, give yourself the time to tend to those needs, and don’t feel guilty about making them a priority. When you fill your cup, you have more to pour into theirs. Unlike kids, our dreams need to be realistic, attainable, and measurable. When you see yourself in your mind's eye living the life you dream of, what do you see? Think in terms as specific as possible and use journaling, vision boards, and daily affirmations as a mental tool to record these goals. These tools of mental imagery put your daily choices into perspective. Every decision you make, ask yourself: Will this choice get me closer to my goal or not? And if you don’t know, consult your journal or vision board for the simple answer! By doing this, with small steps first, you’re making a plan to reach your goals and working toward them every day. For more information, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my w ebsite ! Read more from Ga b rielle ! Gabrielle Cole, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine I am Gabby Cole—Founder/CEO, mother of twin girls, and advocate for moms everywhere. I was married in 2011, and by 2012, I was a mother to twin girls. I have an established career in pharmaceutical sales, as well as pursuing my dreams of becoming a “Mompreneur.” I hope to dedicate my life to helping women like me find their purpose and become the woman and mother they want to be.

Written by: Dr. Denise L. Morrison, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you been feeling: Tired No energy Moody Cravings kicking in Stressed Overweight Overworked Annoyed with people Frustrated with yourself Not enough time to do the things you need to do and want to do? Ugh! You are not alone. This is also not a joke, and I am here to remind you to take your self-care seriously. ​ Think about the effects on your precious body and life if you were to continue to neglect yourself. In my practice, I see the manifestations of chronic mental and physical illnesses, diseases, loss of friendships, loss of jobs, and more. ​ My mentor, Dr. Joe Dispenza, reminds us that our beliefs and behaviors affect our biology, so if you keep on this path of putting yourself last, it may not end well for you and your family. ​ Let me offer you some support. ​ If you were my client sitting across from me on Zoom (or on the phone), I would ask you these questions. Are you saying yes when you really mean yes ; and saying no when you really mean no ? Do you give away your power to something or someone else and push your own needs, self-worth, and boundaries aside? ​ Allow me to elaborate so you can get a sense of what this looks and feels like. ​ Take me, for example. When the phone is ringing, and a certain someone is calling me, and I see their name, I start to feel my jaw clench and my breathing stop because I really do not want to answer it. ​ If I neglect my body’s wisdom and distract myself from the screaming voice inside me saying, “No, don’t answer it!” and I take the call, I just fall back into the pattern of being submissive and ignoring my personal boundaries. So, at that moment, I have neglected my true needs, self-worth, and value and put theirs ahead of mine. ​ Of course, if this was an urgent matter, I would self-assess and know that I would need to take the call as a responsible adult would do. ​ However, if you know that there are certain people, events, TV shows, social media sites, etc., that will trigger you in any way, you can start to assess if they are truly a “yes” or “no” in your life. Usually, they will be a “no” because they suck your energy, time, and sanity, and you feel bad when you take part in them. ​ Losing touch with your inner guidance to trust in yourself. ​ So, if you repeatedly ignore your body and its inner wisdom, also known as your needs, wants, and desires, you teach yourself that you can’t be trusted. You lose that intimate connection between your inner wisdom because you get stuck in your mind doing all the “shoulds” and “musts” that the world has put upon you. ​ As I have witnessed with many of my clients, their connection to their very personal, intuitive self gets disconnected, and they fill that void, grieve that loss, or numb out any inklings of real feelings by using food, drugs, sex, alcohol, people-pleasing or other forms of self-abuse. ​ I created these steps to follow so that you can set firm boundaries and learn how to stop and reconnect to your inner wisdom: Free write your 10 Most Important Priorities (MIP) in your life. Think about all the activities you do in a day and assess whether they align with your MIPs. Truly ask your inner guidance and body’s wisdom if those activities feel good to you, or perhaps they do not. Next, cross out all those activities that you do which do NOT feel good to you. Create a new list of activities that will honor your 10 MIPs. Take time daily to check in with your inner guidance to assess how each activity feels and note if it’s a yes or no in honoring your most important priorities. Smile and know that you are building trust and confidence in yourself so that you become a top priority in your own life. Set aside time every Sunday to review how your week went and assess which activities you will include or remove from your life based on your own boundaries. I hope this helps, and if you have questions or need my support, you can find me at deniselynnmorrison.com . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Dr. Denise L. Morrison, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Denise Morrison is the CEO of Intuitively Unique Coaching, her Holistic Brand of Health/Life Coaching. She struggled for decades to overcome traumatic experiences from my own past. She compensated for lack of confidence with degrees and professional success. She numbed her pain with addictive eating and self-abusive behaviors. And when she finally turned to the right teachers and coaches, she learned that change does not need to take decades. Change can actually be instantaneous. And change can be lasting. After working for many years in healthcare, Denise felt a pull and a passion for working with people on a deeper and more transformational level. Her academic mind was drawn to the evidence-based practices of nutrition and exercise, but she was also compelled by the more mystical therapies emerging from neuroscience and quantum healing. Denise sought out the best training in health and wellness, life coaching, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to have access to the most powerful tools to help others change their lives for the better.

Written by: Aimmee Odom, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. First off, let’s talk about where our power resides? The Solar Plexus Chakra is our powerhouse energy center and is located above the belly button — at your diaphragm — it is where you get that “gut feeling.” This chakra is to do with our willpower, motivation, and purpose. Ever need to find out if your self-confidence or esteem is low? Look no further! This chakra will let you know the scoop. Now, how do you know if you are in your personal power? When standing in your power means you live and speak with authenticity. You know who you are! A knowing of what you stand for and fully committed to setting boundaries. You know what you are capable of and have a robust B.S. meter — For real! The Solar Plexus energy is masculine and has the will, drive, and power to attract OR repel anything you desire. Here are some signs that you are not in your power: Do you sabotage yourself? Do you stay small to “fit in” or “be normal?” Or don’t want to rock the boat? When we shy away from our power, we look for acceptance in others. In turn, we are giving away our control. Do you have a hard time making decisions? When you decide out of fear, lack, or judgment, you are not honoring your truth. Do you engage in negative self-talk? When you repeat a broken record of limiting beliefs running in the background, this can be toxic. Such limiting beliefs are, “I am not worthy!”, “I don’t deserve XYZ.,” “I could never accomplish that!” It lowers our vibration when we criticize ourselves, and our self-esteem will stay in a lower spectrum. If any of these hit home for you, you are not alone! Here are some simple tools to get you on the right track. Find your voice! Speak your mind and through your belly. You want to harness your power from your gut and project your voice from within yourself. Also, change your vocabulary to a more empowering, uplifting, and inspiring language. Get clear on how you want to show up in the world. Clarity equals power. Who do you want to be? Kind, loving, compassionate, joyous, adventurous? Stop allowing society, family, or friends to mold you. You are indeed a unique powerhouse; show us your light! Make self-care a priority. This action is the best way to send yourself love. It lets you know you are worthy. You are deserving. You are the priority. Learn how to set boundaries. Having boundaries is being authentic to your beautiful self. We all have this innate wisdom to tap into and hear what our intuition has to say. We can say “no” to things that don’t feel in alignment. We have the answers within us. All you have to do is get quiet and listen. Get conscious of your limiting beliefs. If you do not, these nasty little saying run ramped in the background. These can be tricky to catch, for they have been there for eons. As you start to get more conscious and aware, you will pick them up more quickly and take ownership! It makes me wanna sing that song from the early ’90s, “I got the power!” Do you remember that song? You, my friend, do have the power! Choose not to be a victim! Life can be difficult and awful things can happen. We can choose to suffer or look at these events to find beauty, a gift, or a superpower. It’s easy to fall prey to victimhood and feeling “poor me.” The key is to find a different meaning. Stand in the knowledge you have the power to choose what you focus on at any given moment! Personal power is about trusting yourself. Shine in your beautiful bright light. You are one-of-a-kind. You have nothing to fear. So, step into your power and live life to the fullest. Until next time laugh, love, and be uniquely you! Want more info? Follow Aimmee on her Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube Channel. You can also visit her website to get in touch. Read more from Aimmee! Aimmee Odom, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aimmee Odom is on a mission to inspire people to tap into their own uniqueness. To live life to the fullest, we need to look within. After many hardships of life, including weight loss, divorce, and learning disabilities, Aimmee has unlocked the key to fulfillment! Her teachings are a pyramid of change through body, mind, and spirit. This change pyramid will ignite your personal power, get clear on who you want to be, and learn how to listen to that little voice we call intuition. The most powerful key of all is LOVE. Love is the key to enlightenment, joy, and The Uniqueness of You!

Written by: Melissa Skoff, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Summer is one of the best seasons! Sunshine, lots of outdoor activities, and hopefully, for most, a nice vacation. Although we love summer, our budgets may not agree. Extra activities and vacations can often mean busting your budget! Here are three simple steps to make your summer budget behave. First, make your vacation match your budget. Remember, your budget gives you the freedom to prioritize what’s important to you. Take a look at your budget and what you have allocated for a vacation. Choose a location and a duration according to those numbers. Don’t choose the location or duration of the vacation first and then hope to have enough money in the budget. Remember, there are lots and lots of vacation options out there that range from luxurious, expensive vacations to stay-cations. Choose what works best for your budget right now. If your budget is tight right now because you’re paying off debt or saving for a home, remember this is a temporary season. Make your budget match your goals. A fancy vacation will be there waiting for you when the time is right and when you’ve got the room in your budget. Second, choose outdoor activities that are little to no cost. For example, choose to go to a local park with your family instead of an expensive water park with paid admission. Choose a bike ride with family instead of going out to eat. Many communities host celebrations and fairs that are free to attend. In fact, finding free and low-cost activities can serve to be just as much if not more fun as going on an expensive vacation. Family time is valuable no matter what type of activity it involves. Give it a try! Third, always remember to refer back to your budget. Use it as a filter to decide what you can and cannot afford. A budget is a way to keep promises you’ve made to yourself. You agree on the purpose, on paper, before the month begins only to spend a certain amount within a certain category. Make sure you stick to that number and don’t break your promise! Here’s a tip that I find extremely helpful in my own vacation planning. Use the cash envelope system. Here’s how it works. First, save a certain amount of cash for a vacation. Then, only bring that amount of money with you. This will force you to budget meticulously because certainly, no one wants to run out of money on vacation! If bringing physical cash makes you a bit weary, a prepaid debit card can work beautifully too. Summer is a time for enjoyment, so it can seem a bit daunting to take time to go through your budget. I promise you, though, it will be well worth it. Your September self will thank you. If this seems a bit overwhelming, I agree! Let’s work together to keep you on track. I am now accepting new clients for 1:1 coaching. Let’s do this! Follow Melissa on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more f rom Melissa ! Melissa Skoff, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mel, the Money Coach, is a leader within the world of financial coaching. She is known as the Medical Professional's Go-To Money Coach as she is also a Nurse Practitioner and Graduate Nursing Educator. After Mel and her husband paid off $160,000 in 20 months, she set out to help others do the same. She has the heart of a teacher and has dedicated her career to helping others win with money, especially medical professionals. She is the creator of Money Masterminds, a group coaching platform where she helps her clients improve their financial literacy and hone their budgeting, saving, and investing skills. She also has a YouTube channel called Mel the Money Coach, where she helps her listeners learn all things related to finances. Her mission: Everyone deserves to live financially free.

Written by: Rose Burnett, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. A Spiritual Awakening is life-altering. You will simply not be the same person anymore. For a time, people may not relate to you like they once did nor understand you because you have changed and grown so much. It can feel confronting, confusing, enlightening, and joyful, all mixed into one. The process of a Spiritual Awakening is often triggered by a significant life event like divorce, relationship breakdown, major illness, unresolved trauma, financial loss, death of a loved one, or emotional crises. The trigger is the wake-up call that something in your life needs to change for you to live a happier, healthier, and more emotionally fulfilled life. What does a Spiritual Awakening feel like? A Spiritual Awakening involves living in a heightened state of awareness and consciousness. You will feel more connected and open to all that is. Like the spirit world, universe, nature, animals, earth, stars, lunar cycles, astrology, natural therapies, past lives, and your ancient history, soul tribes, and ancestors. You can feel drawn to learn more about energy healing, sound therapy, meditation, yoga, naturopathy, tarot and the oracle, and other types of healing modalities. Your intuitive, empathic, and psychic abilities are heightened. And you start spending more time in solitude in nature, doing your spiritual practices, and living a healthy lifestyle. You can feel more centered, balanced, and calm and set healthy boundaries around your time, energy, and emotions. As a result, the impacts of negative life experiences and toxic people start to affect you less. Feelings of lack are replaced with more faith and trust in the Universe. You can appreciate the beauty and wonder of life and are grateful for the experiences that have led you to become the strong, enlightened, divinely beautiful being you are now. And you can share those experiences to help others. You can experience more synchronistic events and feelings of déjà vu like places you have been before, connections with certain people, and know things without knowing how you know them. Your ability to see and intuit signs from spirit increases, and you can connect with others in the physical and spiritual worlds on an energetic level through time and space. There can be a return of your DNA Light Codes of your past life information, including soul tribe connections on earth and in the stars, your divine gifts and talents, and latent memories stored in your Soul Light from past lives. There will be a burning desire to discover your divine life purpose for what you were born in this lifetime from an enlightened state. The path that allows you to be in flow your passions, heart, intuition, divine gifts, and talents. At the highest level, you may wish to give back to humanity to create global change and leave a ‘legacy’ behind that will benefit future generations to come. There is often a softening of your ways towards others. You come to understand that everyone is on a different path and what is right for them is not necessarily what is right for you. You can experience more compassion and empathy towards others and a desire to help or be in service. You decide to live in the most authentic way possible for you to be in flow and strive to live in the present moment as much as possible. Why does a Spiritual Awakening feel so confronting? When you go through a Spiritual Awakening, which can last months to years, it can feel lonely and confusing and sometimes deeply saddening. Because to raise your vibration on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level to live at your highest potential, you must face your shadow side. To fill our energetic and spiritual body with more light, we need to release deep-rooted emotional pain, karmic imprints, and attachments, trauma, and insecurities that can go right back to childhood. Which often show up as self-sabotaging behaviors in relationships, co-dependency, low self-esteem, addictions, victimhood, anxiety, stress, fears, being closed off emotionally, overly protective of self and others, and more. It means taking stock of your life, the failures, the losses, and taking responsibility for Self in how you showed up in life and the decisions you made. The release process is cyclic, like peeling the layers of an onion back. When you feel like you have healed and made peace with the past, something will create a trigger that makes you realize you have more healing and release to do. And living in a balanced state emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually requires you to cultivate daily practices that support your wellbeing and help you cope with the daily stresses of life. It is an ongoing journey. Connecting with Your Spirit Guides and Ancestors Connecting with your Spirit Guides can also be confusing when you first start. However, there are psychic development courses that you can do and guided meditations that will help with this process. From my own experiences, in my first Reiki course, I first connected with one main spirit guide but could feel the presence of two more, even though I could not see them. Over the past six years, through regular spiritual practices and in my healing practices with clients, I have been able to call in and connect with hundreds of thousands of beings of light. This includes spirit guides of clients, ancient master healers and elders, crystal divas, star peoples, ancient gods and goddesses, Gaia, angels, archangels, and the presence of God — As well as ancient soul tribes, star peoples, ascended masters, shamans, my ancestors (human and animal passed over), past-life soul connections, soul tribes, the divine collective consciousness, and more. I am spiritual but not religious. From a personal level, I have always believed we have limitless possibilities. There is no barrier to what we can create, do, or be. When you have an open mind and foster faith and trust in what you see and interpret, you will discover there are limitless possibilities for your Soul Light to connect with Universal source energy and all that is. You can do astral travel, receive accurate spiritual guidance, and energetically connect to anyone (human, animal, or spirit) in the earthly and spiritual realms. Whilst living in an enlightened state can feel truly wonderful, you want to avoid overthinking, or delusion states around spirituality. Remember to remain grounded in your physical body and daily life. Yes, you may be an Angel having a human experience, but you still need to live here on earth. Alright, my beautiful people, I am signing off. I hope you found this guidance on spiritual awakening useful. Much love and Blessings, Rose Burnett For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , and visit my webs ite ! Read more from Rose ! Rose Burnett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Rose Burnett is a Certified Transformational Coach, Leader, and NLP Practitioner. An Advanced Usui Reiki Practitioner and specializes in Mind Body Soul Balance. With a keen interest in fitness, diet, and nutrition, mind-body-soul connection, and spirituality. Rose works with clients all around the world in Transformational coaching, Empowerment, chakra healing and balance, revitalization of Chi Energy, Soul Light, and Inner Child Healing from Emotional and Karmic Trauma. Rose has a large Astrology & Inspirational YouTube Channel and is the Founder, Warrior Spirit Activewear for Women.

Written by: Lois Wagner, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I lost a business and went bankrupt. I was attacked, raped, and left for dead. I was forced into retirement and experienced many other life and business challenges. I recovered. I developed a model for recovery and healing based on my own experiences and other resources such as Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler’s Five Stage of Grief model [1] , John M Fisher’s personal transition curve [2] , and the work of numerous other researchers and authors. [3] [4] [5] It is important to understand that each person experiences their own unique journey and that this experience is not linear. It is a convoluted and complex process. We can move between phases at any time and for any reason. Our reactions and emotions can come and go at any time and may last for any length of time and return when we least expect them. We can go quickly through some of the phases, and we may go through some of the phases simultaneously. We go up and down and backward and forward, and even when we have achieved success, a memory or event may trigger us, and we will find ourselves falling back into an earlier phase. There are no clear boundaries between phases, and we may not even notice the subtlety of the changes. Our progress also depends on our past experiences, our earlier life patterns, our self-perception, and our outlook on the future. Each phase builds on the experiences and learning from previous phases in whatever way we move through these phases. Each time we return to a later phase, it is with more resilience and grit, and newly acquired abilities. Some of the dangers on the road to healing are that we may miss the signs. For example, we may not recognize the emotion we are feeling: is it anger or frustration; is it a perceived threat or anxiety? And we may not accept these feelings as real or important, so we ignore them, allowing them to fester. Or we may react in a way that does not serve us, and then we do things which, rather than help us, may increase our stress levels. Victim After facing a life or business challenge, adversity, or disruption, our immediate reaction is usually becoming the victim of that situation or those circumstances. My definition of victim includes these reactions, emotions, and feelings: Shock and denial – avoidance, confusion, bewilderment, horror, fear, numbness, lack of energy, the blahs, blame, complacency Anger – fury, frustration, irritation, hostility, hatred, need for revenge Fear and anxiety – embarrassment, shame, threat Depression – detachment, feeling overwhelmed, helplessness, flight, guilt, disillusionment. Elation – happiness and relief Here, and throughout the recovery process, we may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, sweating, pounding heartbeat, dizziness, crying, breathlessness, dry mouth, or yelling when reminded of or thinking about the trauma. I demonstrated most of the victim's symptoms at various times throughout my healing journey. Unfortunately, I was often triggered and fell back into the victim's mindset. Survivor Many people relate the term ‘survivor’ to someone who managed to stay alive after some form of attack or accident. However, many more people think of it as someone who has managed to overcome a bad situation, tragedy, or illness. I think it is at the stage of the healing cycle when we start bargaining and reaching out for support when we begin to cope with our trauma. That is when we become survivors. For me, surviving is a struggle. We gradually start to accept what happened and want to find meaning in our experience – to tell someone our story so that it starts making sense. To bargain for a different outcome. Here we might try to change the situation; we might try to find a way to postpone the inevitable outcome. We start sharing our stories with others. We start reaching out to others and asking if there is another way. We may even begin to experiment with new ideas. We may attempt to bargain with God or with our higher self. We try to negotiate a compromise and may even develop false hope. The benefit of this stage is that we are starting to get our lives back to some form of normality. Holding regular conversations is a promising sign that we are moving into survivor mode. This is when we can talk about the topic of the trauma without getting involved in our story and our anguish. I started to validate my experience by changing the world, lobbying, and becoming an activist. I felt what I was doing was the right thing to do. I felt that I was taking control over what had happened and that there was some positive outcome, some light at the end of this very dark tunnel. I became ‘strong’ and ‘brave’ by going public. This made me feel good about myself. I started to move forward and to take back control. To become ‘me’ again and to feel comfortable with my choices. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) It can develop when we are injured or experience some other challenge or adversity, such as a life-threatening attack, accident, or severe illness. Also, it can happen after someone close dies or goes missing. PTSD symptoms can be manifested whether something actually happened or even if it was just a threat. The symptoms may occur because of our personal experience of the trauma or just from witnessing the trauma. Even the police, medical personnel, or therapists who respond to an incident may display symptoms. Just hearing about the trauma from others, watching a video, or reading about it may bring on symptoms. And we can easily be re-traumatized at any time when something triggers our memory of the event. Most of us will experience difficulties in coping without loving support and care. With some of us, the symptoms may manifest immediately, and in other cases, they may worsen overtime - days, weeks, or even years later. Here are some of the symptoms we may experience: Flashbacks – re-experiencing the trauma: we may feel that the trauma is happening all over again. Unpleasant or distressing memories about the trauma at unexpected times Emotional reactions and feelings of distress when reminded of or thinking about the trauma Feelings of panic and experiencing panic attacks Uncontrollable crying for no obvious reason Physical reactions, such as nausea, sweating, pounding heartbeat, racing pulse, crying, breathlessness, dry mouth, or yelling when reminded of or thinking about the trauma Nightmares and upsetting dreams Insomnia, negative or interrupted sleep patterns Lack of interest in life around you, feelings of detachment and numbness, feeling flat or empty or numb. Lack of focus or lack of a positive outlook for the future and avoiding long-term planning. Feeling hopeless about the future. Negative feelings and thoughts about yourself and emotional detachment. Detached or negative feelings about others and the world in general Sudden or unexpected changes in mood Avoiding certain feelings, thoughts, or experiences Avoiding places, events, people, or activities Fear of leaving your home Difficulty in maintaining close relationships and feeling detached from family and friends Avoiding certain topics, especially related to the experienced trauma Difficulty in remembering details of the trauma event Any of the feelings in the victim spectrum: self-blame, blaming others, aggression, angry outbursts, irritability, feelings of overwhelming guilt or shame Isolation or social alienation Afraid of being alone Taking risks and demonstrating self-destructive behaviors, such as dangerous activities or driving too fast Overuse of alcohol, drugs, or food Lack of self-control Difficulty in concentrating Easily frightened or startled by sounds, shadows, movements, touch, and always on guard for danger. Resilience Resilience for me is my courage, creativity, and optimism that gets me back up, working with renewed energy and greater strength, determination, and control after facing a difficult challenge. Resilience helps us through the survival phase and prepares us for growth. It is the mindset that says we must get back up onto our feet after a challenge or facing adversity. The noun resilience, meaning 'the act of rebounding,' was derived from resiliens, 'to recoil or rebound' [ 6] . But it is not bouncing back to where we were before because life will never be the same again after major trauma. And we do not ‘bounce’ back – it is a convoluted journey of scrambling up and falling and climbing back up again. Resilience is about returning to a meaningful yet different life. We can develop resilience, that skill to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adversity and stress. We do this by maintaining or returning to our original state of mental health or well-being using effective coping strategies. We can focus on things over which we can have personal control and have an impact. This empowers us and prevents us from feeling lost and powerless. We first need to understand how the experience had an impact on us and how we coped. Then, we need to understand what we will be losing and what we will be gaining as we start returning to normality. We also need to understand that we will succeed on our own. For me, the impact was obvious: physical and emotional damage and financial implications. What I was losing from my activism was privacy. What I was gaining was the ability to take control of the situation. I also developed courage and purpose: the opportunity to serve others. One key element of resilience is adaptability. So I started to learn how to do different things and how to do them differently. I focused on creative solutions and on the way forward rather than on the problem and reframed the experience into one way to change the world. Another key element is personalizing the event: the ‘what if’ or the ‘if only.’ It is removing the self-blame and seeing the other person as the cause. The rapist raped me. It was not my fault. To be resilient, we need to be optimistic. I just knew that I could help change the law and the world. Grit For me, grit [7] is my drive, passion, perseverance, and persistence that keeps me interested and focused on my goals and aspirations. Grit is an important quality to develop. Although we may be talented, intelligent, and creative, we do not achieve success without grit without that drive, and we do not thrive. I found that opportunity to forge forward. To start to find meaning to my horrendous experiences. To change the world. To make a difference. To make this my calling. Post-traumatic growth considers the expression ‘if it doesn't kill you; it makes you stronger.’ What have we all learned from our experiences? From our mistakes, failures, or adversities? How have we grown, developed, or changed? Thriver Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, of being able to control our lives and claim our rights. The principles of empowerment include having the information that enables us to make informed decisions and resolve problems. It is about accountability, taking responsibility for our choices and actions. While I had been successful during my career, I only started to thrive when I started to reflect on my experiences, took responsibility for my choices and actions, and became empowered. I began living my childhood dreams and games [8] to live my true passion and purpose. Freedom True freedom comes with forgiveness. Forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others. Forgiveness is not condoning the actions of the other person, and it is not “letting them off the hook.” Forgiveness breaks the bond that ties us to the person or situation and liberates us from the associated negative emotions and potential triggers. I forgave myself for having hateful emotions and for subsequent toxic behaviors. I forgave the business partner who betrayed me and put the business into liquidation, sending me into deep debt. I forgave the rapist for what he did to me. I forgave others. I will write more about forgiveness in future articles. Total Transformation I have gone the full cycle from victim to survivor to thriver and beyond to freedom. Fly Free with Me - Lois – Your Friend for Forgiveness. For more info, follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , Youtube Channel , and visit my web site ! Read more from L ois ! Lois Wagner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lois Wagner: Your friend for forgiveness. Helping you move from victim to survivor to thriver and beyond and then to freedom, after facing a life or business challenge or adversity. Lois lost a business and went bankrupt. She was attacked, raped, and left for dead. She was forced into retirement and experienced many other challenges. Her work is based on these personal major adversities and life experiences. Lois learned to forgive (she forgave the rapist and the business partner who betrayed her) and moved on to a more rewarding and fulfilling life. Lois guides you through building your resilience and grit, developing a growth mindset, energizing your mojo, and learn to forgive. This is achieved via one-on-one coaching, group masterminds, and keynote presentations. Lois’s book – Walking Without Skin: A Journey of Healing – From Fear to Forgiveness to Freedom is part memoir and self-help guide. Fly Free with Lois – Your Friend for Forgiveness References: [1] Elisabeth Kübler-Ross & David Kessler. On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss, 2005. [2] John M. Fisher. The Change Curve. [3] Lewin's 3-Stage Model of Change: Unfreezing, Changing & Refreezing [4] Jeff Hiatt. The ADKAR model [5] John Kotter. The 8-Step Process for Leading Change. [6] resilience: the capacity to recover: Macmillan Dictionary Blog [7] grit: courage and resolve; strength of character [8] See my Brainz article – Your True calling is Revealed to the Child

Written by: Beth Inglis, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Navigating a serious illness or health condition can leave you feeling disempowered and helpless within the context of a health care system where you are defined as "the patient." Julie’s story illustrates this. Julie was in her early 50's, self-employed, and enjoying the re-opening of her community with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. That all changed suddenly on December 30th, 2020, when she experienced flashes of light followed by vision loss in one eye. Over the next 4 months, what ensued was a cascade of medical referrals, tests, scans, diagnoses, opinions, and recommendations. In that short period of time, Julie had seen five different specialists, all consulting on her newly discovered illnesses and disease processes. Unfortunately, this resulted in varying opinions and recommendations for treatment and management. Julie was started on several medications, all of which had some side effects to be managed. As a result, test results were lost, referrals were misplaced, she was attending medical appointments almost daily, and she had thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses that insurance would not cover. Julie became increasingly overwhelmed and even hopeless. She felt directionless as she navigated her health issues and the healthcare system. She had no clarity on where all this was going or just what her efforts, time, and money were leading towards. She longed to have one person oversee things and walk with her every step of the way as she moved between various clinics, hospitals, and practitioners. She wanted to feel partnered and seen as the expert of herself, the person who had lived in her body for 52 years. Strikingly but not uncommon, at no time did any of Julie’s doctors or practitioners have a conversation with her about her goals or a plan to get her back to living a vital and full life. What did that even look like? And here we come full circle to the crux of the issue that Julie and so many of you are facing: You are not in the driver’s seat of your health journey. As Julie put it, when she said, "I have no control over where the doctors are taking me on this ride," it can feel like a journey with no clear destination and no overriding navigation system. To Julie, it was like being a passenger on a long road trip with lots of other passengers, each using a different map and none of them having any idea of the destination, including her. In essence, Julie’s story is one of moving through a healthcare system that sees her and you as "the patient." Not as the driver of your own health journey. Take a quick look at the word “patient,” and you’ll find definitions like these: "an individual awaiting or under medical care and treatment" "the recipient of any of various personal services" "one that is acted upon"[1] And with descriptors like "awaiting," "recipient," and "acted upon,” the word “patient” implies passivity. There is no power or control inferred in that word. For Julie and so many of you, it is no wonder that overwhelm, lack of clarity, and helplessness ensue when navigating a serious illness or health condition in the context of the healthcare system that sees you as the passive recipient of services and care. If the idea of being in the driver’s seat is not supported or even talked about by the healthcare system or your practitioners, it is understandable that you might easily feel that your role is to be the passive, “good” patient doing what you are told. Therefore, you follow everything recommended to you for fear that you will be labeled a problem patient who’s acting “against medical advice” if you don't or you question anything. So, if the healthcare system doesn't see you as empowered and in the driver's seat of your health journey, how do you get there? Is it even possible? First, it’s not just possible. It’s a certainty that you can be in the driver’s seat. No matter what has happened up to this point, even if you have been passively moving along in the “patient” role, you can be in the driver’s seat of your health journey and stay there. What’s the first step in putting yourself in the driver’s seat? The first step is to take that 30,000 ft view of what’s going on in your health journey. This is the big picture overview. This means looking at where you are right now and defining where you want to get to— the goal or outcome you are moving towards. Then you determine who you need on your team to help you get there. Being in the driver’s seat means taking that 30,000 ft view regularly because it’s empowering and provides clarity about the route you are taking so you can easily see if you are on track to your outcome. Doing this also supports where you spend most of your time, which is at ground level, zoomed in and focusing on your day-to-day efforts. A health journey requires alternating between the 30,000 ft view and flying back down to the ground level, where you spend most of your time, energy, and efforts, concentrated towards reaching your outcome. Simply leaving it here, however, doesn’t address the elephant in the room. People are often afraid to set a goal or outcome for their health, especially when they face a serious and life-threatening illness. So, they don’t. They avoid it. They often think that setting a goal means setting themselves up for disappointment if they don’t achieve it. The problem with this is, if you don’t set a goal for your health journey, you put others in a position to define the outcome for you. You stay in that “patient” role and become a backseat passenger along for the ride while someone else defines the outcome that you “can” and “should” expect. Instead, step into that driver’s seat and define your outcome. It’s where you want to be in six months or one year. Then, define what you are doing in that outcome? How are you doing it? Who else benefits when you realize your outcome? What’s possible for you and those you love when you reach and live in that outcome? Don’t be afraid to be specific about your outcome. And always ask yourself this question: “Why is this outcome so important that I will do whatever it takes to realize it?” You strengthen your ability to reach your outcome when it’s connected to a strong “WHY.” Julie hadn’t defined her outcome, where she wanted to be living her life in six months. And this was impacting her ability to take the next step beyond simply wanting to be in the driver’s seat to embodying it in her decisions and actions. So Julie needed to zoom back out to the 30,000 ft level and see where she was and where she was headed. With guidance, Julie could do this and then focus on the next step: to look at what was working well for her in her health journey and what wasn’t. This kind of deep-dive requires the experience and expertise of a specialized health coach, one who understands the healthcare system and, more importantly, can provide a framework with a step-by-step roadmap for just how to be in the driver’s seat in every aspect and circumstance specific to your health journey. I invite you to think about your health journey. Are you moving along in that “patient” mindset, are you in the driver’s seat, or are you somewhere in the middle? What’s missing for you to fully believe, embody and live from this mindset so that you feel empowered and realize your health journey outcome? You can be in the driver’s seat, empowered, supported, and guided by your healthcare team and realizing the outcome you define for your health journey and your life. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Beth Inglis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Beth Inglis is a leader in helping people navigate serious illness or injury in the driver’s seat, especially within fractured healthcare systems that can leave one feeling disempowered. After 25 years working as a kinesiologist and occupational therapist and experiencing her own life-altering illness in her 20's, Beth recognized common ways in which people get stuck, overwhelmed, and disempowered as they moved through the healthcare and medical systems in the face of a life-altering health issue. As a result, Beth developed a framework and roadmap to help her clients become the driver and CEO of their health journey and stay there. Beth is the owner of Beth Inglis Consulting and currently works with clients in Canada and the US. Beth holds a B.Sc. in Kinesiology, B.Sc. in Occupational Therapy and is a registered and certified Health Coach. Beth’s mission is to put everyone in the driver’s seat of their health.

Written by: Yashna Crawford, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. For many, birthdays are a reminder of how "old" they are getting. It has become the norm for people to speak (unintentionally) negatively about aging, which comes across as another cycle of added burden. On the other hand, we hear from so many that they are not looking forward to their birthday. It’s just another normal day. How did we get to a point where our birthdays feel like punishments rather than embracing the growth and being grateful for more adventures in the unknown? When and how did we allow ourselves to numb our inner child and forget how to feel excited and lit up? I've just reached 30. Yay! No, honestly! I feel pure, divine happiness! For years, I was on the line; Am I happy or am I ... (Fill in the blank). Always doubting myself, questioning, do I deserve to be here? Do I even belong here? What could possibly go right for me? What do I do with myself? ... Until I realized I was turning 30, and I began to change my perspectives. As much as we should celebrate ourselves every day, our birthday is worth celebrating because we have made it to a higher number, longer than many we mourn for. I invite you to ask yourself these questions: What am I grateful for in my life today? What does my life mean to me? What is my biggest achievement so far? (Motherhood, a business, marriage, home, your transformation) Am I where I want to be at this point in my life? If not, what can I do to get myself there? What do I want to experience before I leave this plane? Also, here are some tips that allowed me to be blissful, appreciative, and joyous on my birthday: Avoid people who speak negatively about aging. Surrender to the endless possibilities on your journey in this life. Spend your day with those who genuinely share your happiness with you. Give as much as you can with gratitude that you can give because you have. (Clothes, food, kindness, smiles, hugs, love, money, whatever you have!) Create for yourself the time and space to be grateful for yourself and love you because you are worthy! Be grateful for everything and every one no matter what your circumstances are. Whenever your birthday is, I wish you a very happy birthday! Because you deserve it! Lots of love and gratitude. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or visit my website for more info! Yashna Crawford, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Yashna is a Lover, a Mama, a Sister, a Friend, a Naturalist, a Specialist at Never Giving Up, Reiki Practitioner, and an Awareness & Abundance Coach. She is also a Lifetime Student of Mindfulness and Meditation as well as an Inspiring Writer with a promising future. After many years of aimless social status search and the emotionally traumatic loss of her first child, Yashna has devoted herself to loving and triggering a self-awareness within others that would otherwise often remain dormant. As someone who lives by the saying "Be The Change You Wish To See," Yashna spends much of her time learning, applying, experiencing, cultivating, and observing so she can share this awareness of self with others globally for a life of abundance with confidence. She is aware and confident that each individual is capable and worthy of experiencing life at its greatest. She thrives off witnessing the greatest transformations within those she crosses paths with.

Written by: Andrée Funnell, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Discovering our passion and purpose in life is vital to our joy and well-being. The problem is that many people have lost touch with any sense of their passion and purpose and have no idea how to access this information. Do any of the statements below resonate with you? “I know there’s something I’m supposed to be doing, but I don’t know how to find out what it is.” “I don’t seem to be passionate about anything.” I’ve heard these phrases over and over from my clients. Authentic Self The answer for this information lies within our core authentic self. Furthermore, our essence, the true authentic self, is often buried during our early years. If our true Authentic Self was not seen and validated by our parents, teachers, or other caregivers, it is likely to have gone underground. We create our wounded self to avoid pain and create love. Our wounded self has within it all of our fears and false beliefs. In addition, it does not have access to what is true for us. How, then, do we discover our passion and purpose if the blueprint for this information is long-buried? The good news is that while it is buried, it is not lost. Instead, you can reclaim this information if you are willing to do the inner work of healing your wounded self. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients, who as they go through their journey of self-discovery with me as part of my 90-day program, gradually heal: Their fears and identify Core values Limiting beliefs Self-sabotaging behaviors Gain clarity and confidence to the point where their true Authentic Self starts to appear. Your authentic self is the person who feels joy, fulfillment, contentment, success and can express these feelings to the world. As you allow this aspect to emerge, you will gradually discover what truly brings you joy. You will also feel confident, and your self-esteem will soar to great heights. In our society, we tend to ignore our special talents and choose our careers according to what will give us a sense of security. Too often, however, what makes us feel safe does not fulfill us spiritually. My Story Art College was my dream. I was very creative and loved drawing and painting; however, my parents insisted I went to Secretarial College. They told me that I would have a job for life and get a job in a bank. Working in a bank was regarded as a prestigious career and a good place to work. However, deep down, I knew that this was not my chosen path. So off I went to Secretarial College and excelled and got a job as an Audio Secretary for John Lewis. A role as a Legal Secretary for BP Chemicals was the next stage in my career. The start of my HR career began at BP International as an HR Adviser. This was swiftly followed by a role as an HR Manager at a Swedish company called Molnlycke. My final corporate role was HR & Training Manager, a Senior Management role for Tesco Logistics for seven years. I looked after 800 personnel, and my workload and stress levels were unbelievable. I finally walked away with no idea of what I was going to do next. In my career as an HR & Training Manager, I was rewarded with a great salary and had all the trappings of a Senior Management position. However, I was unhappy, unfulfilled, and stressed. My health and wellbeing and my family relationships were all at risk. Looking back I realize that my confidence, health and wellbeing were being jeopardized due to the fact that I was overworked and had a highly demanding and stressful job. However, there was something else more fundamental to my unhappiness. What was it? Imposter Syndrome The answer is: I was not living in alignment with my core values. My limiting beliefs were embedded, i.e., ‘I am not good enough,’ and I felt confined and constrained by rules, regulations, and feeling that I had to fall in line with organizational expectations and social norms. I believed I had to act and behave in ways that went against my values and left me feeling low in confidence, self-esteem and I was miserable. I realize now that when I started in the role, I had ‘imposter syndrome.’ In other words, I was not my true authentic self and was an imposter in my own skin. This led to me being frustrated, unfulfilled and unhappy. Many of my clients present similar stories and symptoms, and some are suffering from anxiety and depression. Some realize they are not living their values or purpose in life and are miserable, unfulfilled, and feel unsuccessful. Is that you? So ask yourself, ‘are you being authentic and living the life and purpose you were set out to do? Or are you living someone else’s dream or ideals, such as a parent? Do you yearn to discover your passion and purpose in life? Case Study — Sarah My client Sarah enrolled in a one-to-one 90-day coaching program. As a result, she has not only changed her career path but nailed the job of her dreams with a £5k hike in her salary. Three months ago, she came to me with low self-confidence and self-esteem and had lost her vision and passion. However, by implementing the strategies I gave her, she has totally transformed her mindset, career, and life and is financially better off. While it may not always be possible to change your work to something you love immediately, it will often lead you there if you follow your passion. And even when you have to earn money in ways that do not express your soul, you can seek volunteer opportunities and hobbies to express who you are. Often these can lead to the work that you will eventually do. Right now, you’re probably feeling one of these 3 things… Undervalued, frustrated, and overlooked in your career, and want to work for a company that appreciates your skills, experience, and achievements. Maybe you feel trapped or restrained by low self-esteem and need to find the confidence and courage to stand up for what you deserve and desire in your career. Or maybe you’ve achieved promotion, and you want to rise to what is expected of you to succeed and excel in your new role. Your soul has a deep desire for you to express yourself in ways that bring you joy. It is your job to discover what that is and to bring it about. Finally, if you are ready to find your purpose and passion and build your confidence, credibility, and vision to skyrocket your life and/or career and have the authentic, fulfilled life or job you deserve? Then I would love to hear from you. To find out more, contact me at info@behind-the-mask-book.com. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Andrée! Andrée Funnell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Andrée is a multi-award-winning Coach, Learning & Development Consultant, best-selling author, and speaker. She is the founder and driving force behind the success of Aspiring Future Competence (AFC). Since its inception in 2002, AFC has helped clients across a wide range of business sectors to get visible, get heard, and get ahead by applying inspirational ways to bring about positive change and empowerment. She has over 20 years of HR & training experience working in corporate organizations and a further 18 years delivering development solutions that make a difference to people’s careers and lives. She is a qualified coach, professional trainer, and NLP Practitioner. She discovered that Authenticity is the key to happiness, fulfillment, and success and is keen to get the message out there to others. ‘Behind the Mask’ is Andrée’s literary debut about ‘Authenticity.’ It’s an essential interactive step-by-step guide to turning your life around and achieving the kind of life you deserve by living authentically.