Written by: Linda Evans, 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. Any other relentless question-askers out there? I know it can’t be just me. My gnawing curiosity causes me to constantly seek information when I talk to people. I came to learn that since I can’t help asking questions all the time, I might as well channel this natural tendency into one of my superpowers in creating and strengthening relationships, along with my abilities to help others create meaning out of hardships and recognize their strengths. Here’s what I figured out - there are many different motivations behind the questions we ask. When we ask questions with genuine goodwill, we can increase trust and strengthen the relationship. To get to know a person’s background - The better you know your audience (aka conversation partner), the more effective your communications will be because you can tailor your messaging to what matters to them. Plus, people are fascinating, and we have much to learn from each other. “What’s your story?” “How did you learn to ___?” “What was your upbringing like?” “What has been your favorite role/job?” “What are you currently working on?” To understand feelings - We aren’t always rational or logical. Many of our decisions and reactions are emotionally driven. Asking thoughtful questions can help us understand what is driving a person’s actions. “How did that affect you?” “How did you respond to that?” “I imagine you must have felt ___, is that right?” “What drove you to that decision?” To learn context - Things often make more sense when we understand the bigger picture and gain a wider perspective. Getting more journalistic details can help us make more effective decisions and develop greater empathy. “When did that start happening?” “Who else was involved? “Where else is this happening?” “What do you think caused this?” “How did this come about?” To collect ideas - Other people’s minds are treasure troves of creative insights, but they may need some prompting to share them. Brainstorming and problem solving are more likely to be fruitful if we are humble and confident enough to crowdsource by directly asking for input. “What other ways can you think of?” “What other ways have worked for you?” “Any interesting news or observations lately?” “Why do you think this is not working?” To customize approach - Sometimes, you sense something is not clicking with someone, and you know you need to fix it. Maybe you’re not getting responses in a timely manner or at all. Maybe you sense resistance or animosity on some level. Take a deep breath, avoid temptations to be passive-aggressive, and kindly ask for feedback. “What is your preferred way of___?” “What is your favorite way of___?” “What motivates you to ___ the most?” “What barriers do you have to___?” To clarify goals - Do you ever feel like you’re in a group project with no clear direction? When a project is lacking clarity, a lot of time and energy is wasted being confused and frustrated. Be proactive and ask for the instructions needed to move forward. “What is the main purpose we’re trying to achieve?” “What is the ideal outcome?” “When is the ideal completion?” “What does successful completion look like?” “What factors should be considered?” It’s not just what we say but how we say it. Practice using a tone of openness, calmness, and humility to help others feel safe to answer honestly. When we ask questions with ill will, we antagonize others and burn bridges. To judge people - When others sense we are trying to evaluate them as good or bad, professional or unprofessional, likable or unlikeable, or any other trait...they shut down and tune us out. Strive to learn about others without passing judgment. To fit people into stereotypes - Yes, political correctness can feel like a landmine sometimes. Still, the original intention behind more careful word choices is to increase respect for other people’s differences. To prove them wrong - Everyone can benefit from feedback and correction, but their level of receptiveness largely depends on the delivery of the messenger. Offer your point of view for consideration without accusing them of error. To find loopholes -Some people learn the rules just to get around them; this breeds great mistrust and can lead to a reputation of deception and laziness. Avoid asking questions to get out of doing work! To manipulate and trap people - Have you ever had someone use what you said against you? Nobody likes that. It makes people much more reluctant to share any useful information. Strive not to collect what people say as weapons to use in the future. Once we ask questions, it is crucial to genuinely listen and appropriately respond for true communication to happen. Although listening is an invisible internal process, there are many outward expressions. We can signal our attentiveness to our audience by practicing the classic indicators of active listening: Steady, soft eye contact (in Western cultures, this may seem rude in other cultures) Non-verbal acts like nodding and facial expressions Verbal expressions like “mmhmm” and “uh-huh” Periodically summarizing the other person’s words and checking for correctness. Asking clarifying questions Questions have the power to carry the conversation to higher levels of inspiration and enlightenment as well as deeper levels of understanding and relating with each other. Use your questions for good. What will you do today to improve your questions, communication, and relationships? Follow Linda on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit her website for more info! Read more from Lin d a! Linda Evans, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Linda Evans is a strengths-based career coach, speaker, writer, and personal branding expert. In 2011, she founded her virtual career coaching business, Launched by Linda, LLC. Her full-time career has been in higher education since 2012, and she currently works in Career Services at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Linda has a B.A. in American Studies and a minor in Ballroom Dance from Brigham Young University, and an M.A. in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University. She is also a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and has certificates in Positive Psychology and Public Speaking.

Written by: Natasha Zo, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. A manifestation is a wonderful tool that can bring your dreams to life and dramatically improve your mindset. Although many people assume it’s just a mental exercise, you can also use your physical body to practice manifestation and connect with your inner guide. Manifestation Through Movement was conceptualized by a life coach, reiki practitioner, and yoga instructor. Christina Medina allows you to use dynamic movement to shift your body’s energy and reshape your mind. Curious to know more? Here’s a closer look at how you can use this revolutionary idea to create a life you love. What is manifestation? Simply put, manifestation is the ability to make your thoughts a reality by aligning your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Ideally, you can create or attract whatever you conceive in your mind. It’s based on an ancient principle called the Law of Attraction. The law asserts that everyone and everything is made from energetic forces which are only attracted to similar frequencies. As a result, it’s believed that when you think positive thoughts, there is a greater chance that you will attract positive people or events into your life. Or, to put it simply, ‘like attracts like.’ Take a moment to look around you and make a note of what you see. Whether you were conscious of it or not, you manifested your current reality. This means everything you own and have experienced so far, from your job to where you live, results from your previous thoughts and actions. What is a manifestation through movement? No one knows the power of manifestation better than Christina. After leaving home when she was just 17 years old, she worked multiple jobs until she landed her first corporate job in marketing. After that, she worked in internet advertising and marketing and then lost her job in 2001 when the dot com bubble burst and went back to university to study art. It was around this time that Christina learned about the Law of Attraction. This is where things began to shift as she sent an intention and manifested a move to NYC from Missouri with her (now ex) husband. She landed her dream job working for a top NYC gallery doing all their graphic design, marketing, and designing adverts for art magazines. A year later, Christina lost that job but then found another one at a different art gallery. Due to the impact of the recession, she lost that job in 2008 and went back to bartending. While working that job, she learned how to meditate, re-acquainted herself with the Law of Attraction, got her coaching certification and reiki certification. It was then that life started changing. Christina credits her success in highly competitive real estate to the mindset techniques she practiced. Now she is passionate about helping others dive within and discover their soul’s calling so they can use manifestation to bring it to life. Christina came up with the idea for Manifestation Through Movement after earning her yoga teacher certification. Determined to combine the healing aspects of yoga, reiki, and intuitive dance into one practice, she had an epiphany. She realized dynamic movement could be a tool of manifestation t hat releases the mind-made energy blocks, fears, and disempowering programs--helping to realign us to our natural-born state of love, light, and abundance. The practice uses repeated affirmations and repetitive movement to help clear out blocked chakras due to physical, emotional, or psychological issues. Chakra means “disk” in Sanskrit and refers to the concentrated centers of energy and nerves within your body. Seven major chakras run from the base of your spine to the crown of your head. Energy can flow through your body much easier when your chakras are clear, and there isn’t any resistance due to limiting beliefs or fear. Healthy, balanced chakras can improve your chances of successfully manifesting your desires. The repetitive nature of Manifestation Through Movement can elevate your heart rate and improve both your physical and mental health. It also encourages mindfulness since you are intentionally focusing on your breath and body movements. As you become more aware of your body, you’ll eventually begin to notice any aches or pains that could signal a blocked chakra. How to practice manifestation through movement? Manifestation Through Movement involves three key elements: specific intentions, positive affirmations, and repetitive movements. Choose Your Intentions. First, think about what your intentions are for the session. Do you want to attract a loving mate or a better job opportunity? Or perhaps you’d like to manifest a home or travel experience. When you’ve got a good idea of what you want to focus on during your session, you can move to the next step. Create Your Affirmations or Mantra. Next, create some affirmations or mantras that will support your intentions. Try to keep them as short and simple as possible so they’ll be easy for you to remember. Some example of affirmations you can use are: I am healthy, wealthy, and happy. I have the freedom and power to create the life I desire. I am worthy of love, peace, and joy. I am abundant and prosperous in everything I do. Begin your repetitive movements and start chanting. Finally, move through a series of repetitive movements and begin saying your positive affirmations out loud. Imagine you are renewing your mind and cleansing your chakras with every movement. Manifestation Through Movement is a wonderful way to practice self-care. The repetitive movements and the repeated positive affirmations are a powerful combination that can help you become an agent of change that uses manifestation to create a happier, healthier life for yourself. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , or visit my website for more info! Natasha Zo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Natasha Zo is a former journalist from Siberia turned international media relations specialist. She is a founder of Cosa Famosa media - a boutique PR agency on a mission to amplify messages of conscious leaders, health, and wellness entrepreneurs through earned media. Known for her connector skills, she guided a number of authors to Amazon bestseller status, booked national TV, top-tier media, and over 400 podcast interviews.

Linda is a Business coach with a solid background in the Banking Industry. She believes in building businesses through long-term relationships and a partnership approach to grow and empower the small business owner through planning, actions, and regular reviews of actual results vs. planned results. She is the Founder and CEO of Just Ask Linda Business Coaching, which was born out of a desire to Grow, Learn, Empower others and Enjoy her work, her very own GLEE philosophy. From understanding your unique strengths and how they apply to work, establishing where you are now and where you want to be in your business, getting to know your numbers and setting goals, managing your time, or rather how to do more of what you love each day, building a loyal team of employees or just listening to the business owners’ major business challenges and offering up new thinking, you can Just Ask Linda. If she can make a difference in a business owners’ life, helping them overcome Money, Time, and Team challenges to grow a successful business and share some part of their business journey, she will be full of GLEE. Owning a business is an adventure, and she loves the one she is on. Who is Linda? Tell us about your personal life, where do you live, your family, any pets? I grew up in West Yorkshire, England, the eldest daughter of working-class parents. I have one sister, and together with my parents and dog, we emigrated to South Africa in 1984, a life-changing event. This month, June 2021, I will have been married to my husband and best friend, Evan, for 30 years. We have two amazing and independent daughters, Lauren, age 25, and Morgen, age 22. We have always owned dogs, the latest being a Chow/Belgian shepherd cross named Venus, a Border collie cross named Max, and a brand-new Pointer cross puppy called Astra. Variety is the spice of life when it comes to dogs, and we favor rescue dogs. What is it that you do for your clients? At Just Ask Linda Business Coaching, we know that many business owners want to be successful. Success means having a stable financial position, a great team, and enough time to enjoy the things in life that matter. To do that, you need a business that generates profits, and in turn, economic growth for your community. You need to learn more about your business through open discussion, you need to Empower others in your team to deliver results, and you must find ways to enjoy yourself in the process. This aligns with my personal philosophy, GLEE, which stands for Grow, Learn, Empower and Enjoy, and all my plans for business and life are contained in these 4 words. The reality is that most entrepreneurs fail to build sturdy foundations for their business or understand the risks, which down the line causes a lot of anxiety and stress and could end in business failure. The Just Ask Linda tagline is “Valued Insights, Focussed Action,” and that’s just what I do in monthly coaching sessions customized to suit the individual business owner. Building a thriving business and the community around you is simpler than you think. I understand that every business is different, and meet you where you depend on your unique journey. Who should hire/work with you? It’s been a challenge for me to find the right clients who get that business coaching can add significant value to their lives and help them set and achieve their business growth goals. My clients come from a wide variety of backgrounds and industries, and again variety is the spice of life for me, the more varied my clientele, the more challenging and the more creative I need to be. The main ingredients I look for in a new client are that they are growth-oriented, open-minded, and willing to try new ideas. I have had great success with clients in service industries, other coaches, financial planners, car auto detailing, digital media, and publishing. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? If I was still working at a bank, in 10 years, I would be asked to retire! Now though, as my own boss, I have the freedom to work at my own pace, in the environment of my choice, and for as long as I wish, good health willing. I have a written Vision that speaks to living in the South African mountains, going for long walks daily, having my own chef, and a library full of books. Doing occasional interviews on radio or podcasts, and maybe I have published a book or two. I would love to be running a thriving coaching practice where I develop other coaches to also use the catchphrase Just Ask... [Insert your name here]! Connect with Linda on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, LinkTree, and visit her website. Read more from Linda!

Written by: Nilima Amit, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Life is all about experiences. Each experience leaves us with some sweet, some not-so-sweet memories and loads of lessons. Despite the fact that there are lessons and we understand the lessons, we still attract the same experiences in our life at regular intervals. Such experiences either pull us back or push us ahead, but the emotional and physical turmoil that takes place is much more. We don’t like the turmoil, and so we don’t like the experiences too. For example, imagine a scenario in your life where someone is looking down upon you or saying that you just can’t achieve a certain goal in your life. This leaves a very bitter taste in your life. It also gives hurts, and your relationship with that person gets spoiled to some extent. This also motivates you to prove this person wrong and achieve the goal. This works as a motivator in your life too. Is it always necessary to have such motivation in your life at the cost of relationships?! Absolutely no! A few simple ways to find why you are attracting similar situations and people in your life Make a list of situations or people who are similar and which drain you out. Write down against each one. The positive and negative outcomes that occur because of it. Weigh the worth of positive and negative outcomes to find if it's really worth attracting it. Once you have the list of positive outcomes, find alternative ways of achieving the same positive outcomes. Find the reasons what stop you from using the alternative ways of achieving positive outcomes. Workaround the reasons and replace them to find an alternative positive motivation. Choose the alternative which will only have positive outcomes. It's very important to go to the root cause of why you are attracting such people or situations as we all deserve to live a life free from such people and situations. Dig a little within, and you will be able to find the reason why you are attracting such people and situations. In case you are unable to, take professional help. Life is beautiful and can be lived, so with just a little deep diving within to resolve the root cause of the conflicts. Have a happy and blessed life! For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website! Read more from Nilima! Nilima Amit, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Nilima Amit is a Bestseller Author, Holistic Life Coach, and Reiki Healer. Her life is a beautiful and interesting journey, from having an opportunity to be born to Osho follower parents to self-discovering her own Calling. This journey transmuted in the formation of her company, One Life Many Jouneys™. Coincidentally her bestseller book is also with the same name. The mission of One Life Many Journeys™ is to spread the light and guide souls in their quest in emotional and spiritual quest. Her book, handcrafted workshops, and Reiki infused products like affirmation box, wish box, Money, and Relationship box are created to help in the same.

Written by: Trevor Folgering, 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. If you’ve been struggling to lose the belly fat and create the body, you feel proud of. Then I want you to pay close attention to what I am about to tell you. Because it will change your life. Losing belly fat has nothing to do with counting calories, going on a diet, or exercising until the cows come home. I am sure you have tried all three of these outdated methods, and you had little results to show for all your effort. Within this article, I will outline the Top 5 Weight Loss Tips that are helping men over 40 lose belly fat and finally improve their self-confidence. These Weight Loss Tips are not something that everyone else has already told you. So, make sure to write them down and follow them. If you need more help losing your belly fat after this article, contact one of our Biohacking coaches by text message, and we will reach out to you right away. Weight Loss Tip No.1 – Reduce Insulin Secretion Insulin is your body's fat-storing hormone. It gets secreted by the pancreas every time you eat carbohydrates and proteins. Insulin’s role is to take glucose in your bloodstream and push it to the cells to be used for energy. It can also store glucose as glycogen in your muscles and liver. The most dangerous part about Insulin is that any excess glucose that is not being used or stored will be diverted to the liver, where it gets converted to Triglycerides and stored as body fat! Now I know your body is producing way too much Insulin. If you have a belly, it's 100 percent guaranteed that your pancreas is pumping out way too much Insulin, which is the 1 reason why you have excess belly fat that you can’t get rid of. So, you must reduce the amount of insulin that your pancreas releases. How do you do this? Drive down Carbohydrate consumption to below 20 grams. Now that may be a huge shock for your body, especially if you're used to eating 300 grams of carbohydrates or more a day. (This is typical on a Standard American Diet) This leads me to my next Weight Loss Tip. Weight Loss Tip No.2 – Drive Up Fat Consumption Listen, despite decades of lies that dietary fats are bad and must be avoided, you MUST increase fat consumption. Dietary fats drive the fat-burning process. Fats have no effect on Insulin, which means your body does not need insulin to break down Fats. Dietary fats that you eat get broken down by Bile and Lipase, not Insulin. You must eat around 75-77 percent of your total caloric intake from dietary fats. For most men over 40, that means 150 – 200 plus grams of fats. What this does is help drive down Insulin secretion. As your body uses the excess glucose in your bloodstream, it senses that glucose levels are low, so it releases another hormone called glucagon. Glucagon also gets released from the pancreas, but its effects are quite different. Weight Loss Tip No.3 – Improve Glucagon Secretion Glucagon is your body's 1 fat-burning hormone – and you should do everything in your power to drive glucagon secretion. Once you start eating less carbohydrates/proteins and increase fat consumption, you will start to see the powerful effects of Glucagon at work. Glucagon’s main job is to keep glucose levels stable in the bloodstream, but the other role of glucagon is to signal the liver to release body fat for energy. The more Glucagon you have in your bloodstream, the more body fat you can release. This will happen even if you’re eating higher amounts of calories. Because it's not the amount of food that matters, it is the type of foods you eat that will determine how quickly you lose body fat. This is how you are going to transform your body into a lean, mean fat-burning machine. Drive down Insulin. Increase Fat Consumption Improve Glucagon Secretion Now you might be thinking, “Okay, this sounds wonderful, but how do I do this?” That’s a great question! In our Biohack The Fat Body Transformation System, we focus on giving you 6-12 personalized meal plans designed for your unique biology. These meal plans will drive down your Insulin levels and improve Glucagon secretion so you can lose belly fat easily without needing to go on a crash diet or exercise in the gym 6x/week. If you would like more information on our system, enrollment is now open. Head over to our website and click the “Get Started Now” button to book a time to speak with one of our Biohacking coaches today. Just imagine your body 30 – 60 pounds lighter! How would your life be different! Start to use your Imagination and see your body changing right before your eyes. Because when become Biohacked losing weight because easy, simple, and fun! Let’s get your body Biohacked in 2021! Head over to our website or send one of our coaches a text message asking for help! Message one of our Biohacking Coaches Here For more information, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Trevor! Trevor Folgering, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Trevor Folgering is a leader in the weight loss and nutrition industry. For over 22 years, Trevor has relentlessly pursued the truth regarding losing body fat correctly. By uncovering the truth about how our bodies utilize body fat, Trevor created particular nutritional protocols that allowed him to tap into his own body fat stores and lose 40 lbs. of body fat in a concise period of time. He achieved this without going on a low caloric diet or restricting the foods that he ate. He now helps men and women achieve the body and health that they truly deserve through the science of Biohacking. He is CEO of Biohacked, global online health and body transformation company. His mission: To shift the weight loss industry's paradigm and re-educate the world on the proper methodologies of losing excess body fat correctly.

Written by: Haseena Shaheed-Jackson, 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. Within you is the power that will enable you to pursue and realize your vision. Your power is your mind, heart, and heart. Your mind is a powerful resource and tool. It is comprised of two major components the conscious and the subconscious. As such, you must work to bring your subconscious to consciousness. You must believe in yourself. Focus on the evidence that you can do what you believe you can do. Keep your focus on the results and progress because it is proof of what you can accomplish. You are the author of your story. Allow your attitude to provide the fuel to your actions, reflecting what is in your heart. Be confident and bold. Have a mindset of can, removing the word cannot. Believe in what you can do, and your mind will find ways to make it happen. Your heart is a vital organ in the body. It is the central core of your being. The heart is the source of your emotions. Without a heart, you could not live. Your heart speaks to your courage, which will propel you forward, enabling you to take action. Your actions are a reflection of what is in our hearts. Your heart fuels your passion, cause, and purpose. It will fill you with the strength to conquer the Goliaths in your life, overcoming obstacles and storms which are distractions. Distractions to dissuade you from pursuing your vision. Your spirit reveals what is in your heart and mind. It is the essence of who you are. It is the greatness that is within you. Your spirit speaks when you do not know what to say and guides you when you do not know what to do. It is your guidance counselor in the application of your knowledge resulting in your obtaining wisdom. You must lean into your spirit because it will aid you in making the right decisions and choices to realize your vision. Use your power to know who you are, believing in your vision, and being courageous in the pursuit and protection of your vision. Know who you are. Reflect on the story that makes you who you are. Your story is the catalyst that launches you on the journey of your life. You must uncover your talents. You can be your greatest fear and roadblock to using your talents. Know and believe that you have talents. It is for you to use your talents to the fullest. Thus, you must make the action a habit setting the goal of being excellent. Do not settle for mediocrity. Believe in your talents, unleashing their full potential. Believe in and protect yours in your vision. Know that what you visualize is possible and obtainable. You must be persistent and consistent in your actions and habits. Remain focused. You must be committed to your dreams. Dreams remain dreams without commitment, action, and sacrifice. Do not allow others to detour or distract you from your course. You must be courageously persistent and optimistic in the pursuit and protection of your vision. Be courageous. Being afraid is part of achieving success. Use your courage to conquer your fear. You must have the courage to fulfill the role and reason for your existence. Lack of courage and depth will lead to your failing, not utilizing your talents, and unleashing your potential. You must be willing to face the demons within yourself where you will be uncomfortable and result in your growth and development. Overcome the battle within yourself. Otherwise, you will self-sabotage realizing your vision. Believe in the power that is within you. Lean in and be fully committed to the pursuit of your vision. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Haseena! Haseena Shaheed-Jackson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mrs. Haseena Shaheed-Jackson is a Certified Coach, Speaker, and Trainer under the John Maxwell Team. She is the author of Reflections Within and Messages from the Spirit. Her mission is to add value to people to add value to others by intentionally growing, resulting in transformation and changing their world. Growth is a continual process that never ceases. It is a lifetime commitment that must become a habit. Ms. Jackson is the Owner of Faith, Hope, and Spirit, LLC, which offers training, coaching, and speaking in growth, development, leadership, and influence. For over 30 years, she has held leadership and management positions for various companies and organizations, where her responsibilities included mentoring, coaching, development, and training. She hosts a monthly networking group, Connecting and Collaborating to Thrive (CC2T). CC2T focuses on developing relationships and establishing a community. She actively seeks to form partnerships with others to make a difference and be impactful.

Written by: Cristina Ruscica, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever wondered the reason so many people are held tight within the grip of anxieties and dissatisfaction? There is a plague of the mind that involves worry, doubts, fears, regrets, shame, guilt, and on and on. Even though these very things are known to interrupt the deep-seeded desires in finding that inner bliss, there are so many of you that are blinded to the true source of rooted peace within you that is available for you the moment you make the decision to discover it. This is said not with discouragement or to shame any one of you for falling victim to the deceit held within the thoughts that create your worries, but rather, to pull you closer towards the emotional impact needed for you to awaken to the deeper truths about your most authentic self that has been waiting to step into the essence of the full-bodied piece of peace within. With this being said, there are three, only three things that you must know if you have the desire to move to the next level of both understanding and attainment of your sought-after bliss. Let’s begin by defining inner peace. In order to understand how to attain it, you must first need clarity around what this even entails. This is done by providing contextual contrast. This is how most of everything finds its way to meaning by understanding the relationship within the contrast between each thing. For example, you would not know what light was unless you first experienced the dark. Translate this to your own inner peace, and you will understand that this is defined and understood by first experiencing its relevant opposite counterpart. There are countless instances in which you may find yourself falling within the rabbit hole of anxieties, doubts, and fears. It can be agreed upon that all of these attributes are opposite to the feeling of peace. In this case, the worry is to the dark, as the peace is to the light. That worry is necessary for you to even grasp the idea of wanting to feel something different. The contrast within these emotions is pulling you towards understanding this and building more clarity for you as to the things you would prefer to feel. Hold onto this concept as this is an integral piece of the foundation for the three truths I will now introduce you to. So, here we go. The first truth I will cover is that you all are here for a purpose. This is far different than the education you attain or the job you acquire. Purpose runs so deep below anything you can see on the surface that to grasp this concept, it will require you to unlearn perhaps a thing or two about who you believe yourself to be. Is this a risky concept to introduce? Absolutely it is. I am basically saying that all you have been doing has not been for the reasons you may have thought you were doing them. It becomes easy to entangle ourselves within the chaos of societal roles, our jobs, and the hustle that life naturally brings to us. All of this pulls us away from remembering something crucial about our existence, as well as one of the key factors in pulling us along towards our own peace of mind. In fact, I am going to go so far as to say that we are all here for the same purpose. That purpose is for expansion. If this is difficult for you to take in, have a look around at the evidence that surrounds you right at this moment. Expansion is everywhere and in everything. We see this within evolution, technology, nature, relationships, education, income, and status, just to name a few. These are physical evidence before us that explicitly shows us some of the expansion of the magnificent way that has unfolded before our eyes. It is within this expansion of and within our world that has made living easier, more efficient, faster, stronger, and so on. If this were not the case, think about where this life would be if all stayed as it was 1000 years ago. You and I are part of this system in which the continued evolution of this world is reliant upon our ability to sustain its growth in every way. This especially involves expanding our understanding of who we are and the great power that is within each of us. In other words, we are not meant to be kept small. Our purpose is to express fully, love deeply, forgive easily, and become vibrant and unstoppable with our passions and desires. Keep this on top of mind as you continue reading. The second truth This may be a tough pill for you to swallow, but I am going to give it to you anyways. Everything, everything, and anything that has or has not happened to you have been working for you. This is not omitting the fearful, traumatic, or hurtful moments. I will go so far as to say that it especially includes those moments. I asked you to keep the first truth on top of your mind, which is why. If you can accept that you are here for expansion, then you can also accept that any event that has or has not happened to you has occurred as a means of moving you towards that first truth, which is for your expansion. For many of you, the hurt and fear take over during those times as you become consumed with the feelings of worry and doubts that this creates. It takes removing those overlaying emotions and then digs deeper into the ways those events have actually been working in your favor all along. Perhaps this means having to push through the walls, the ego-mind, and even your fears to experience the discomfort within the growth that leads to greater and more beautiful things. I always say that hindsight is a gift, and this is the exact reason why. Stay with me here, as this is going to be tied together in a way that will ignite an inner-knowing that will undoubtedly leave you wanting to know more. The third truth Every one of us is always being guided towards all things that are in our best interests. This guidance will lead us to new heights and, ultimately, our expansion. You can call this intuition, spiritual guidance, inner-voice, God, or whatever term that resonates with you. You have all experienced this on some level. This is the nudging inside of you when faced with having to make a decision. Or the times that you felt inclined to call someone or a sudden change in direction that wasn’t really planned. And then there is the seed of desire that is planted within your heart, giving you this subtle awareness to a knowing that you are to follow an idea, a dream, or vision. There are so many ways that your guidance speaks to you, and no matter the situation, that quiet voice is always sitting within. It waits for you to give the green light to be ready to receive it. The thing about this guidance is that it knows far more than you could ever know on this surface level. It has this vast radius of perceptual knowing that is far more expansive, and so when it speaks to you, you best be sure that it can see every twist, turn, corner, and obstacle that awaits ahead of your steps. Learn to trust this voice and your ticket to freedom is yours. Summary What we have so far, the three truths are this: You all have a purpose here in this life to expand, to become bigger, wiser, more loving, more creative, more forgiving, more patient, more kind, compassionate, prosperous, and abundant in every single way. Second, all life events are bringing you closer to this purpose, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Third, you have this magnificent guidance that is always with you, leading you towards all the very best things in this life, just for you. Your guidance understands your purpose and the ways all your circumstances are leading you there. Now, let's put these things together and give you the takeaway from it all. These three truths are a great basis to get you started, perhaps opening your mind even if just a tiny crack than where it was before. Take a moment to let all of this set in before I let you in on a pretty significant “aha” moment. You may have already caught on at this point that it lies within you. Taking this another step or three further, is this statement I now present to you: The degree of inner peace you will ever feel is directly dependant upon your level of awareness of these three truths. Maybe read that one again, as this could be the key that unlocks the door to your unwavering happiness. There you have it. A surefire way to attain all your heart has been longing for, wrapped up in these three simple truths. Challenge your perspectives and test this out for yourself. If you feel even the slightest nudge within you, that seems to be pulling you towards knowing and remembering and of this, take this as your guidance jumping for joy that this has been uncovered for you. The rest is now up to you to take action and experience this for yourself. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Cristina Ruscica, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cristina Ruscica is a leader in overcoming residual effects from past childhood trauma by strengthening self-awareness, understanding the power of perception and rewriting the script. Cristina's experience working with families for 25 years who have endured crisis and trauma, as well as the profound realizations she came to understand within her own personal journey of transformation, were the basis of the writing of her first book, Breathe Wide Open: Exhale the Past and Fearlessly Recalibrate Your Life. Cristina's writings have provided a pathway of healing that she has now transferred into an original coaching program, Inspired to Freedom. She helps others achieve their own breakthroughs from past trauma, elevating them towards inner-peace, self-love and opening up potential and abundance in all life areas. She is committed to spreading the message of trust within the journey, as well as enriching lives by helping others feel the inner power gained by strengthening the connection within.

Written by: Jacqueline Rhule, 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. You’ll have probably heard it a million times in anything to do with marketing and business creation. And for a good reason too. However, if it’s not something you’ve particularly sat down and thought about, because you’re, maybe, just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey or pivoting into a new area of service in an existing business, I will explain it: Basically, it’s the reason you wanted to create your business in the first place. I like to call it that “soul nudge” that you would find difficult to ignore. Firstly, it gets you really thinking about your life, taking a good long look at how it’s evolved and continuing to play out. This bit of scrutiny will give you a fabulous overview and the highlights of a thoroughly lived life. Within it, you will have experienced all manner of situations (the good ones and unwanted ones). Secondly, knowing this powerfully will help you design a business that will allow you to work in a way that best suits you. Take the time to set it up so that eventually, it can be run with minimal input from yourself. You will be in that wonderful situation whereby you’re following your purpose/bliss in the service you provide AND have the choice as to how much you are working “in” your business. Lastly, on an ongoing basis, you will always have your finger on the pulse as to the changing needs of your audience. You’ll always be anchored in the reason for starting your business, easily tuning into other services/products you could offer, further assisting them every step of the way. I’ve found it can be broken down into two parts. I did this as I feel it’s a great way to ensure the overarching “why” is balanced satisfyingly for you and your audience: 1st Part - For Your Target Audience You’re either providing a service or a product, or both. It fires you up knowing that from your own/others' experiences, you have put together a solution that addresses your target audience’s problems. Whilst doing so, they benefit from you satisfying your best-skilled way to provide the solutions. They get the best of the best that you have to deliver. 2nd Part - For Yourself Your “why” will also include what you want to achieve in your own life. I’m a firm believer in the saying, “charity begins at home.” If you do not satisfy your own life dreams, you won’t be free in your heart and resources to make a difference to others. It also needs to suit your most enjoyable avenue of providing your service. Let’s face it. If it’s not thrilling you, you won’t put your all into it. Potential clients will pick up on that, be less attracted to you, then no one benefits. I’m not wanting to be a party pooper, but running your own business can be pretty tough at times. You’re in charge of your dream and, likely in the early days, in charge of every task needed to grow and run it, e.g., sales, marketing, accounts, customer care, etc. You’ll have days where you are “hitting the wall” with the pressure of it all. Possibly questioning whether you’re doing the right thing. It’s those times where your “why” massively comes to the rescue. When you remember it, it pulls you right back on track, giving you the fuel to carry on. Now, I’ve always been pretty much “why” driven in whatever business I’ve created. It’s burned through my heart and soul, so I’ve felt no choice but to create a business solution to satisfy the strong calling. Realizing early on that resistance was futile – I had no option but to embrace and run with it. 3 Questions To Help You Discover Your “Why.” Have you successfully overcome any obstacles along your life journey and want to share your “How To’s” with others? Has someone close to you gone through a challenging experience? Witnessing it up close and personal can give you the drive to help others going through a similar situation. How would you positively want to influence your community or group of individuals’ way of thinking and living? The answers to these questions will help you pinpoint your “why,” anchor it in your heart and mind and keep you going through tough times. It will goose up your sense of purpose and keep you targeted on your solution finding for your target audience. I’d love to share with you my “Why . ” It will give you an insight into me and can act as an example if you are struggling to reel in your own “why” and be fired up about it: Way back (late 90’s), I knew that I wanted to make people feel better and for them to know that they are loved and heard – in a hands-on therapeutic way. I’d transitioned from being a Secretary (after leaving college) to starting my complementary health, teaching, and on-site massage, therapy business. I absolutely loved it. It answered all my “why” needs: helping people to feel better via massage, reflexology, beauty therapy, and working in schools with children who were experiencing challenges in their home life. I got to help them feel loved and heard. Much of that was borne out of having such a settled, secure, and filled with huge love upbringing by my parents, who, after 54 years, are still happily married. As a result, I always feel like I’m overflowing with love, and I want to share as much as possible. Through the passage of time, my “why” has grown and changed in the way I express it. 23 years later, the core “why’ is still there, but I satisfy it in the following way, with additions: Helping people to live their best lives now, to discover their “passion business” so that they can live their purpose via it. To dream much bigger, grow their businesses with more ease and flow – minus the burnout, to know that they are amazing and loved and can be, do, have their hearts’ desires. And for me: Knowing I’m making a positive difference in the lives of others. To generate more income allows me to travel and work from anywhere in the world and continue living my dreams, which includes happily ticking things off my “bucket list.” Also, as a British-born, Afro-Caribbean female born to Jamaican parents, it is incredibly important to me to see more ethnic diversity and gender equality in the world. When I grew up in the ’70s and 80’s it was rare to see anybody that looked like me in magazines and on TV. So, my intention is to show up and be more visible in the world to be part of the solution and not just complain from the sidelines. A Piece Of Advice For You Be prepared for your “why” to change when passing through different life stages and ever-changing happenings in the world. Adjust accordingly for your own happiness and for delivering a top, focused service to your audience. You can find Jacqueline on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , or visit her we bsite ! Read more from Jacqu eline ! Jacqueline Rhule, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jacqueline Rhule is a Business Coach (Business Coaching With Heart & Soul) who helps entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with much more ease and flow and turn their passion to prosperity faster. She also coaches you in the other areas of your life to ensure an optimum work-life balance, all within the realms of personal growth, spirituality, and the law of attraction. She believes that most of the work lies in improving the mindset and clearing any negative thought patterns that are holding you back. When coupled with practical business steps and advice, an unstoppable momentum to success and greatly enhanced overall happiness levels can be achieved. Email her at jackie@serenitycoachingtips.com.

Written by: Tanya Heasley, 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. Conflict is an imbalance between two forces. For instance, when two magnets are facing the wrong way, the conflicting forces will push apart and repel each other. On the other hand, similar materials with a magnetic force will attract and connect to each other when facing the right way. In a relationship, the imbalance of conflict is a power struggle between two people wanting different things. In other words, facing away from each other. Conflict will inevitably occur within a relationship. This is because we have different values and needs to each other. Sometimes our needs and values align, and sometimes they do not. When my values and needs do not align with my husband's, we each experience a conflict within our relationship. Our anger is triggered– and an argument is potential. However, I am aware when I am angry, I know what I want, and I can communicate this to my husband in a clean way. I attribute this to being a positive anger expert with a 26-year marriage. Therefore, I know a thing or two about arguments and how to resolve conflict. I have many strategies to help you resolve conflict, but I’d like to share just some basic tips below. Become anger aware. How do you know when you are angry? Considering that most of us will get angry at someone; whether that’s our partner, our children, our boss, or even ourselves, this powerful emotion is usually triggered by the actions, words, or the behavior of another, as well as a deep hurt, fear or traumatic event that happened to us in our past. For example, if you have ever experienced road rage, it is more than likely displaced anger caused by something that angered you in the past that you hadn’t fully dealt with or resolved. Consider thinking logically about past arguments; were you angry at that person, the situation, or was it actually something else? What is it that angers you? What outcome do you want? When you have a disagreement with someone else, do you shout at them or sulk around for hours after? What actually are you trying to achieve when you shout or sulk? What is the outcome you are hoping for? Is it… I need to be right I want to learn and grow from them I’m hoping to have an argument with them I want to resolve and improve our relationship The above are some of the most common outcomes most of us seek when we’re in conflict. Be honest, what do you hope will happen when you have a disagreement with someone? Communicate positively. When couples communicate their anger positively, their relationship will grow positively too. Take ownership of your feelings and make what you’re saying personal using ‘I’ messages, rather than blaming or attacking the other. For example, your partner promised to take the bins out, but they didn’t, and now the bin men have already gone. Responding with statements such as ‘You never listen to me’. ‘You always say you’ll do something and then you don’t,’ are YOU messages. This is a form of communication with the intention to attack the other person. Instead, own what you are thinking or feeling and use I-messages, such as ‘I feel angry when you say you’ll do something and then don’t do it. This makes me feel ignored and unheard’. To summarize Conflict is when you push away from something that doesn’t align with your values and needs and trigger your primal anger. Therefore, become self-aware of your anger, know what you want, and use I messages to communicate your values and needs. A strong and positive relationship is like magnets facing the right way, with equal power, pulled together and sticks. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tany a ! Tanya Heasley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As a Positive Anger Coach and Success Mindset Mentor, Tanya Heasley guides her clients to activate their authentic self, cultivate assertive communication, and develop self-confidence so that they can flourish and thrive in all areas of their life. What makes her distinctive and different in this work is her ability to identify and liberate the hidden blockages within her client’s psyche. Her intuitive, empathetic, and direct approach empowers her clients to become the best version of themselves. An award-winning serial entrepreneur, Tanya is also the Director of Tristone Coaching Ltd., a social enterprise with the mission to improve the lives of young people affected by adult anger. Tanya believes that her most outstanding achievement is being a mum to her four children with many successes under her belt.

Written by: Chesline Pierre-Paul, 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. Speaking engagements, when leveraged critically, become both streams and instruments wherethrough purposeful visibility and established authority are architected for the elevation of yourself, your voice, and your brand as industry maven. There is an irretrievable synergy, a wordlessly posited poetry of rhythms, foci, gravitas, creation, and disruption, that elevates your speech into a self-contained story where mere communication transcends its own state and becomes a living piece of paradigm-breaking intelligence. Have your speech be a self-standing monument of maximizable impact, articulate digestibility, grace, and elevation. How can you become masterful at layering words into a thoughtscape that exponentializes what intelligence comes to be in this room, in this instant of unfractured possibility? How to over-deliver a speech using a paradigm-shifting lens that is generative of heightenment, intelligence, grace, and palatability? Here are the few prompts I use with my clients that will help you succinctly compute the substantial core of your talk by leveraging uppermost impact in the shortest consolidated time frame available to you. Conversely, these prompts furthermore press your noggin for more of its capacity to articulate a cohesively soulularly mind-expanding talk. Read on: → Ask yourself: What dominant narratives will you de-prioritize so that “the obvious” be a marginalized currency in your talk? What will you render a non-consideration and will purposively and intentfully not dignify with the privilege of strategic and creditable visibility? What wholly unattended gaps will you call attention to so as to illustrate a structural deficit protected by your industry? Think of clichés and cliché-sustaining narratives that are reiterative, enhanceable, unchallenged, and entertain brokenness and ineffectuality as defining principles. What counter-narrative can you force into the open that will offer itself as a solution (however partial) and way forward as it relates to the structural gaps you’ve outlined? What level of transdisciplinarity can you summon so that your evolved paradigm forces into disruptive harmony worlds that are removed from one another and yet remain, irrespective, so inter-dependently as harmonious as they are complementary? What intelligent paradoxes will you mobilize and articulate so that transdisciplinarity becomes mobilizable as cross-industry innovation? In the midst of all of the above, how can you comprehensively prune your talk so that its capacity for digestibility and impact be honored? Lastly, as you wrap up, how can you integrate a bias towards execution as context for transitioning from your established conceptual framing to a tangible measure of impact? What implementation-ready examples will you put forth so that your audience may fully integrate your teachings in ways most organic and useful? Here are a few examples of what that can look like; Debunking the colonial construct that upholds "native speakerism" as a defendable reality and standard of accomplishment in language teaching and coaching. Here the shift in paradigm stems from debunking the supremacist falsehood that the epitome of mastery is a privilege undividedly tethered to biology and birth, quintessentially; when in truth, mastery is undyingly intentful, labor-intensive, targeted, and refined in scope and application. Decolonizing digital media landscape by (re)building platforms where the historically erased, removed, and tokenized are now autonomously centered as comprehensively self-represented thought leaders, paradigm-shakers, and self-established mavens that give new heights of uncompromised legitimacy, humanity, and powers to voices of nonconformity and resistance. Once you’ve ushered yourself through these prompts, you will have generated a host of unrevised thoughts, that for all their disorderliness, are high-caliber in their compositionality and intellectual integrity. At which point, you’ll take a few seconds solely to hierarchize your thoughts into a flow where the top 3 thereof will be maintained to the exclusion of all else. Some thoughts will reveal themselves satellite to others, that is to say, subpoints and counterpoints. Some will prove tactical reformulations, and others slightly misattuned and falling outside of the scope of consideration your talk establishes. Remember, less is more. Be unflaggingly intentful in your apportionment of silences; look at the flow and feel of your speech, and modulate it around a dynamism of counterbalancing silences, crescendos, and decrescendos. Why? This instills a rhythm that precludes monotony, a poetics of silences, parlance, and flow that supports whatever intelligence you are grounding in your speech by allowing for it to be all the more so maximally digested and centered. What’s more, your silences engagingly punctuate your speech as they italicize targeted segments and grant them more directed focus and capacity for gravitas. Then, the key as you go on to practice is to be iterative, not reiterative. That is to say, use keywords as destinations for your mind to land upon in a thought sequence, but do not memorize verbatim the entirety of your piece. Allow each iteration to be self-contained and unrelative to any other. Why? So that each time you enunciate your piece, it be colored by “the you” that is in attendance and not by “a you” that is removed and rehearsed. This way, your presence- and emotional truth drive more unscripted poise, fluidity, and energetic aliveness in your talk. For you can solely organically produce engagement in an engaged state. Before each practice session, prime yourself by asking yourself the following: Who do I want to show up as in this instant of possibility? Possible answers are: I want to be present, whole, and grounded. Whatever the answer, you summon that energetic poise into your speech, and that becomes what determinedly colors it with brilliance, deliberation, unscripted grace, composure, and energetic aliveness. Lastly, practice amidst a very small posse of trusted souls, 1-3 folx with whom you’ll practice a few times. Ask for their input as soon as you are practice-ready and work the brilliance of their insights into your piece. By honoring the afore-shared steps, is how you imbue elevation, refinement, simplicity, and impact with digestibility and augmented humane intelligence. Conclusion You start with debunking normative paradigms by foregrounding your own and using transdisciplinarity as fuel for engineering these new elevated paradigms and thoughtscapes. Then, you punctuate your flow with elective silences and tactically intersperse evocative language and metaphors as a means to encapsulate your most complex, refined, and mind-expanding ideas. And lastly, you show up in all of your state of energetic presence, groundedness, and vibrancy to augment engagement through how you hold space with purposed deliberation. This method has allowed me to become a multi-award-winning speaker in 5+ languages, cover in great depth and expanse dense theoretics, abstrusely perplexing academic research, and more, thus effectively rendering transformationally potent even the least palatable of topics by punctiliously and forcibly instilling and catalyzing high-level impact and engagement. Always. For more on how to over-deliver on the best talk of your life yet, from a place of unconstricted aliveness, poise, and composure, book me for a free discovery call. Today. Remember, transformation is only the beginning. You can also sign up for my e-course on public speaking called: “Public Speaking: Speaking Truth Into Power.” Read more from Chesline! Chesline Pierre-Paul, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chesline Pierre-Paul is a transformation coach, thought leader, digital media & language activist, and social impact expert on innovation, economic empowerment, & rebellious leadership. They deploy healing, cross-industry innovation, and positive disruption to concretize and accelerate the transformation and global impact. They have been featured on; Woman in Language, This Is It Tv, She Owns Success, Polyglot Conference Global, The Hambone Show, Happier By The Minute, The Accented World Podcast Callum Connects, to name a few. They bring into harmony worlds that are customarily divorced: activism and entrepreneurship, and they leverage the disruptive distance between the two to activate and stabilize next-gen global thought leadership. Today.

Written by: Marika Nikkinen, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How does it feel and sound like to live in your skin? Our minds are very active in producing continuous opinions on how we are behaving, acting, and being. How does your self-talk make you feel? Is it loving and caring or judgmental and hard on you? If you would record your self-talk for a day, how would it sound like? Negative self-talk is one of the top 3 topics I work with my coaching clients. Our inner talk is constantly judgemental for many of us, putting us down and making us feel never being enough. These voices might become the truth that guides us in life, hindering us from doing what we love and taking the steps forward towards our dreams. We have set ourselves an invisible bar that is unreachable, and often we are unconscious of its existence. We might look bold and beautiful on the outside, but we become smaller and smaller, ambivalent, anxious, exhausted, and hopeless from the inside. What if you were able to silence your monkey mind? What would be the impact on you, your decisions, your life? We often believe the judgment and criticism keep us growing, going forward, and succeeding in life. I want to challenge your thoughts and offer an alternative. What if it was self-love and acceptance that do the work better? What if we were able to change the demands into wants and the judgments into appraisals? How would that impact your life? Our inner talk has roots in our belief system, which we have built and internalized since we were born. It's about what our parents, family and friends, and our culture, religion, and society told us that becomes our beliefs for better or for worse. As good examples, "be a good girl "or "boys don't cry" makes us keep our emotions to ourselves and not daring us to show how we feel and think. It's very harmful since awareness of our feelings is an essential guide for us in life. The great news is that you can change your inner talk; you can change the stories you tell yourself, which will change your life. When we dare to challenge our beliefs and work to change them, a whole new world opens up for us. When I started writing, my inner voices were trying to convince me not to "you don't have anything to say," "no one will be interested," and "everything is already said." I still wanted to continue writing and put my thoughts out there. The beliefs that we carry with us are deep within us, and it takes time, energy, and work to with them. You can imagine your mind being a loud family, pushing and pulling you in all the directions, from support to rejection and everything in between. 3 Simple Steps To Change Your Self-Talk First step Working with your self-talk is AWARENESS. Becoming aware that the inner talk is separate from you is a game-changer. Becoming observant of your inner dialogue. Our higher self, our soul, would never judge or be mean to use. Its voice is loving, caring, and guiding. Often also very silent and subtle. What is your inner voice telling you right now? Make notes. It is good to write your thoughts down to get them out of your system and become observant. Second step Naming and understanding your inner talk. Listen to what inner talk is saying and pay attention to the tone. Are you able to visualize the voice? Is it the voice of someone you know? Imagining the voices have some kind of physical form helps you to work with them. What is the message your inner talk wants to convey to you? Acknowledge the voice and look behind it to create understanding. You can ask yourself what are they aiming for? Often we find a reason for why the voices are speaking to us as they are. The voice might be protecting us from something. The defense mechanism we have built along our life might not be needed anymore. Whose voice is it that is talking to you? How does it sound like and feel like? What are the needs/meanings behind the inner talk? Create understanding. Third step Change your inner talk, change the story and the perspective. When we become aware of the inner talk, we can visualize and understand it; we can also change it. What is the most beautiful story you could imagine of the critics you are having? Write that story down, repeat it to yourself and change your story. My "most beautiful story" in my writing is that I want to share my thoughts with the world. I know there is resonance. I want to serve my world with my thoughts. Connect. Working with my thoughts will help others to work with theirs. I am just enough and where I am meant to be right at this moment. This is about growth and learning. When we practice changing our inner stories, we are tapping into our pool of endless resources. If you look at your inner resources as it was a schoolyard full of kids, happily playing, having some arguments, with few bullies here and there. Look at the big picture, what's going on. What is the pain the bullies are putting forward with their actions? Give them some love and acceptance. Tell them that you need them and assign them a task to lead a game or become members of the student board. Support them to grow and give them loving feedback and the alternative action and result you would love to see. Talk to yourself as if you would talk to… A Child - It's ok to be sad. I am here for you. I love you to the moon and back. Your Best Friend - You are amazing! I am so proud of you. You deserve the best. Your Loved One - I support you 100% with whatever you want to do in life. I love you. A Stranger - How can I help you? If you want to work with your inner talk, I can help you. Drop me a line through social media or book a free get-to-know session through my website. My next article will be about Working With Your Inner Guidance, so tune into your negative self-talk work to be prepared for the next step. Thank you for reading. Follow Marika on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit her website for more info! Read more from Marika ! Marika Nikkinen, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marika Nikkinen is a leader in inner guidance, self-leadership, and spiritual activation. After a series of hardships left her with poor mental and physical health, she decided to recover and find her own way in life. Connecting with her inner guidance, she found her strategies, and she has since dedicated her career to helping her clients to unleash their inner power and to trust their inner guidance in life. With her company Conscious Leadership Coaching, she has been coaching organizations and leaders on value and purpose-based, conscious leadership in Europe and in Africa. Currently, she is focusing on working with her private clients worldwide and writing her first book on her journey and its learnings. Her mission: Every life matters.

Written by: Jenn Drakes, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The thoughts of a strategic thinker are holistic. This means they prefer to look end-to-end rather than piecemeal. Two questions are prominent for strategy-oriented individuals: “What are we doing or trying to achieve?” and “Where are we headed or going with what we are doing?” Formulating the answer to these questions regarding the view of one’s future (a.k.a. the vision) results in a strategy. The term “strategy” is derived from the Latin word “strategus” or the Greek word “strategos,” which has the meaning of “military general.” It is no wonder many references to the strategy include aspects of military concepts, and in many, if not all, armies are one of the highest military rankings. While for sure strategies are operationally embedded in military maneuvers and proliferate wartime stories, they are equally valuable in other areas. In this article, the focus is on the importance of having a strategy but done in my own unique way to ensure you are strategizing from the right perspective. Before you can formulate a strategy, you should already have a vision for what the strategy relates to. In prior articles, I indicated a few realities: Strategy supports the structure of a business. Strategy provides discipline in conduct; and Businesses are started to build a life. At some point of growth in our journey of pursuit, we can expect to be asked for a written plan. We are often asked for a business plan that captures a company’s vision, industry context, operating environments, and financial/human resources. All of which are then underpinned by strategies and tactics. Rarely are we asked for a life plan. Developing a business plan requires thought, knowledge, research, and calculations. Ironically, developing a life plan is no different, yet it seems to hold less overall value at the community level. In my mentorship sessions, I focus on being action-oriented and having a life strategy. A life strategy aims to get to a comprehensive plan that will consider personal and professional constructs and intentions. A business strategy only targets the commercial enterprise and its operational components, creating separation based on traditional and, what I believe to be, flawed thinking. It would be a tragedy if your professional pursuits did not fundamentally leverage your superpowers and did not align with who you are and what you are about. A life strategy still supports structure and provides discipline in conduct, if it exists. Unifying one’s personal and professional journeys ensures your points of achievement are better targeted to have a heightened sense of fulfillment as an outcome. You see, a well-built, holistic plan can achieve sustained happiness for you as a whole, which includes personal and professional desires. A strategy designs your way forward towards achieving something you are aiming for. A great strategy provides an advantage. Advantage can be derived in many ways through varying maneuvers. A recognizable demand is to have an advantage over your competitors. Strategies that present significant advantages could lead to market erosion for competitors and market dominance for you. That is a business perspective – or is it? Advantages can factor into other areas of our life if our points of reference are expanded to look at our surroundings and circumstances differently. Whether the strategy is one for your life or one for the professional aspects of your life, it nonetheless represents an achievement of a plan-to-action. Strategies lead to roadmaps, which are visual representations of the plan-to-action. Action planning with one person considered is complex. The degree of complexity expands with each person that gets added onto the list for consideration. The mere fact that strategy or strategic planning can become complex deters many from adopting a personal strategy, let alone a comprehensive life one. Yet, many of us want to achieve as much as we can in our life. Many of us want to be seen and heard. Is that desire for recognition, not a factor in gaining enough of an advantage to be noticed? The Tom Hanks movie Greyhound touches on all these aspects of strategy: leveraging who you are, the complexities when considering the many involved, and working for advantage and market dominance. However, what has not been realized is that there is a cost to not having a strategy or having one only focused on a single area, such as business. The cost is YOU. Remember, you pursue professional or career endeavors to build a life, usually one of substance. Building your life out in fragmented pieces leads to gaps, with some being pretty darn wide, and they usually lead you to a point of unfulfillment. With the mid-point resulting question being “how did I get here?” It is possible to have everything you desire, but there are many things you need to do to reap that possibility. One way, and from the very start, is to strategically align your every desire with everything about you and merge those into a comprehensive life plan supported by great strategy and tactics. Here’s the beauty in doing that, irrespective of any complexities. When your banker asks for your business plan, you get to simply pull out the relevant sections and say: “here you go.” When a family member asks what you plan to do with your life, again, you simply pull out the relevant sections and say: ”here you go.” If your partner ever suggests that there is a disconnect occurring in the relationship or you seem to be headed in different directions, then pull out the relevant sections and… Well, you get the point. Bottom line: stay connected, stay true to who you are, and don’t just plan the strategic paths of your business. Plan the paths for your life that include your business because that is the right plan-to-action to go after. I am really interested to know what you think, so share your thoughts and comments. Follow me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jenn! Jenn Drakes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jenn is a mom, serial entrepreneur, and life advocate who hosts the podcast Arrays of Living. She is also the creator and co-host of the Get Awesome show, author of the book Aladdin Carpets — change your perspective, change your life. In addition to Brainz Magazine, she is a Featured Author on Plumose. Co for her poetry and stories and Contributing Author on Boss Ladies Mindset. Jenn is a hidden gem in a desert of gems, and her personality and presence forever change everyone who discovers her. Over the years of working with youths and young adults, she was crowned The Original Goddess to acknowledge the shared feeling that "Jenn is wise beyond her years. I find her to be almost an "old soul" type of spirit." Her voice and writings are powerful, impactful, and life-changing because they trigger thought and promote tantalizing, intelligent conversations. Today, she uses that wisdom to shatter glass ceilings and power up the purpose she believes everyone holds within. It is a belief that is foundationally based on us being born with a gift and a responsibility to use and share that gift to achieve sustainable happiness. Her mission is to improve how people feel about themselves and empower their sense of self-worth to achieve more personally and professionally than they imagined.