Written by: Magdalena Hanah, 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 love the thought that we are all unique and special – and that’s absolutely true! But, my life has changed massively once I understood the coaching power and growth potential in how we are actually similar. In my eighteen-year-long infatuation with self-growth and business books, I tend to do a lot of reading. In fact, my minimum is one book a month, and usually, it’s more like two or three. Depending on how much time I’m able to put aside, based on my current projects. I still think that books are, oftentimes, much better than courses, training, and webinars, but I must say, the book that inspired me to write this article was a complete game-changer in the way I approached my own life and the way I started helping my one-to-one coaching clients, as well. I would classify it as the “ missing link” contained in an unpopular opinion. We can be put into certain “brackets” or boxes, and that there is a pattern to our behavior that might determine how we act in certain situations, personal or business. The book I’m referring to is Gretchen Rubin’s “Four Tendencies,” and it really is “that good,” as it says on the label! Gretchen speaks about our natural propensity to certain types of thought patterns and behaviors. She classifies them into four strict tendencies and a few intricacies, based on our inclination to lean towards a couple of types of reactions. She structures her tendencies due to our organization, planning, and motivational triggers, which makes it really helpful, especially in productivity, to help ourselves (or our clients) understand our own strengths and weaknesses and achieve incredible growth as a result. After reading Gretchen’s book, I must admit that I found myself perceiving people in a whole different way than I used to before. I started seeing tale-tell signs of other people’s tendencies, as well as, really quickly, recognized my own. This newly acquired “skill” was, at first, a source of real amusement, as I almost started predicting what people are going to say to me before they even said it, right after I recognized their own patterns and tendencies. Once the first emotional thrill passed, though, I started seeing the untapped potential we have in acknowledging our own tendencies and how that recognition can help us get out of our own way. According to Gretchen, people fall into one of the four categories: upholder, questioner, obliger, or rebel. So, what are the tendencies, and what advantages to your personal and business productivity can they have? I’ve shortly described all four tendencies and the corresponding solutions based on my own experiences and observations below. However, I would still advise everyone to pick up the book for the full scope of how that works and for different combinations you might be exhibiting if you lean towards more than one type of behavior. Although similar to the authors’, those are my own conclusions, based on what I’ve found out whilst working with and creating solutions helpful to my own clients. Upholders If you’re an upholder, it’s quite possible, you are a natural goal achiever, and you’re almost always on track with the things that you do. That is because people from that tendency have a natural ability to organize themselves, create their own schedules (and keep up with them), motivate themselves, and remain consistent. Being an upholder myself (go figure) and working with a few upholders, I know I noticed that we have this inherent need to create frameworks out of almost anything we do and ensure everything is in its rightful order. The awesome part about this is that upholders need hardly any assistance to keep themselves on track. Once they learn the appropriate systems or methods, it’s a breeze to keep up with them due to the natural ability to react to internal and external motivational triggers. But, as with every tendency, it has its good and not so great parts, as well. Upholders are brilliant at organizing things for themselves and others. Still, when it comes to spontaneous plans or changing the habits or patterns suddenly, upholders get very easily irritated, and it’s hard for them to jump into a new and more flexible way of being. Questioner Although in many ways, they are like upholders – questioners have a certain difficulty when it comes to fulfilling orders or requests from others. Questioners have an amazing ability to self-motivate but can show an almost rebellious streak to them when accepting externally imposed rules or authorities. That is because they have an inherent need to question everything and continuously seek confirmation of their own opinions in a never-ending number of sources. That is why the only way to keep an upholder client in your line of service is to provide as much proof of concept as well as proof of results (backed with concise data) as you can. If you’re a questioner yourself, you might have the urge to jump from coach to coach or continuously seek new information without thoroughly trying out the previous methods. That’s usually because the previous coach or method didn’t give you enough proof to believe that it has the potential to be a good fit for your needs. The curiosity of questioners is often a source of valuable information and an asset for “brainstorming” forms of training, such as masterminds. It may, nevertheless, cause people from this tendency to tire themselves out by not being able to settle in their pursuit of finding out “the truth.” Once a questioner does settle, though, they’re unstoppable in their actions. Obliger Obligers are an absolute delight to be around and probably the best to work with from all four tendencies. That is because they are the least opinionated or questioning and have a natural ability to fulfill obligations and work well under pressure. They can be great students, co-workers, or friends. Obligers need to do good in whatever goal or challenge they undertake. Because of their inability to self-motivate, they rely on external motivation and accountability so much. They are willing to adopt organizational systems and methods with a lot of ease. Sadly, because it’s hard for them to develop their own drive, it’s also hard for them as entrepreneurs to organize and plan around their goals. That’s why they should hire a coach, mentor, or find a reliable and trustworthy accountability partner (preferably a questioner or upholder). The thing to look out for with obligers is, if you push them too much and do too many follow-ups ongoingly, they might snap and exhibit something called the “obliger rebellion” (as named by the author of “the four tendencies”), which might make them stubbornly refuse any further suggestions, or terminate the relationship altogether. Rebel Rebels are challengers. I don’t mean in a bad way, but they can make you question your methods, and they can trigger your own need for self-improvement. That’s because rebels won’t react to either outer or internal motivational triggers, and they will go against anything you tell them they “need” or “should” do in their approach towards business. As tough of a cookie as they might be, they are a blessing to any coach, mentor, or trainer due to their ability to challenge everything you say, as well as cause you to improve and upgrade your methods and/or your delivery. If you’re a rebel and it’s hard for you to follow through on your actions because you get continuously distracted by new “shiny objects” and an inherent need for freedom, your uninhibited nature may cause some serious setbacks unless you allow yourself to listen to people, who are keen on giving you choices, that are easy to visualize. I mean that rebels react well if you give them two different scenarios for the same outcome and the possible wins or failures they may entail. Rebels are more prone to focus on short, easy content and a strong support system and self-development classes. That will allow a rebel to see how their actions may create a certain type of results, based on the type of input they, themselves, are willing to make. The last thing I would add here is, be patient with a rebel, as it takes time for them to build strong new habits, but their often creative abilities are well worth keeping around. The four tendencies are such a great tool for both self-development and as a guidepost for helping others. Remember, though, that most of us, however well defined, will also exhibit our own unique sets of behaviors. The tendency distinction is to understand yourself better and/or others and use your unique abilities to improve your results quicker and more efficiently. The trick here is to perform your actions to focus on your strengths and minimize those that might expose the weaknesses. So, let me ask you - did you find yourself in any of the four tendencies? It would be great to hear your thoughts about this and find out the possible examples of how you manage your own tendencies in terms of motivation and productivity in general. If you’re a service-based entrepreneur who could use a “helping hand” with your performance and business goals– I’ve prepared an awesome set of tools, training and even wrote an e-book about 5 super easy ways in which you can skyrocket your focus, motivation, and organize yourself effectively in both your life and business. The e-book is called “Entrepreneur’s guide to goal achievement,” You are free to get your copy from a link below this article. It’s a set of little tweaks, which are super easy to implement and won’t take a lot of your time, but what’s especially thrilling is, I’ve prepared them based on taking the four tendencies into account, which means, whoever you identify yourself as they can create enormous changes in your results. To your growth! Magdalena Hanah Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more info! Discover her 5 Fool-Proof Methods Every Overwhelmed Entrepreneur Can Use To Effectively Plan Every Day! Magdalena Hanah, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Magdalena is a serial entrepreneur, an award-winning business productivity coach, and a creator of the A.I.P.D productivity framework for coaches, consultants, and freelancers. She spent some 16 years studying and actively pursuing two of her passions: Neuroanthropology and Marketing. After building two international businesses and spending years on the sidelines, devoting her time to both her studies and looking after her son as a single mother, inspired by her own coach, she finally decided to take all her expertise and create a business that would help entrepreneurs all over the world. Her project aims to achieve quicker, better results without the stress and overwhelm resulting from information overload. It’s her mission to minimize the negative aspects of the globally acclaimed “hustle mentality” and help business owners rid of confusion around the most logical steps in their business, causing them to achieve more, work less and enjoy their journey in a more present, fulfilling way. Falling victim of the industry pressure and not being able to find products within the performance space that would completely address all aspects of our forever expanding conscious approach to life, she decided it’s time to build her own and adopted a more holistic approach by tackling mindset, action-set and spirituality together, for well-rounded results.

Written by: Dr. Tomi Mitchell, 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 sudden feeling of extreme happiness over an achievement, followed by feelings of anxiety over the possibility of not being good enough. Sudden persistent feeling of someone interested in your job and the possibility of having it being taken away from you. A sudden feeling of exhilaration because of a business idea followed by feelings of worthlessness and despair over an episode of failure. This is just a peek at the usual whirlwind of emotions that people with bipolar disorder are struggling to deal with. This is not meant to stereotype these people and try to fit them into a box, however, this is the harsh reality of a constant struggle that bipolar people are faced with – and should be understood about. We all have our ups and downs. We all experience triumph and defeat. However, for a person with bipolar disorder, these ups and downs are way severe. It can cost you your career, your relationships, and your financial stability. The cycle goes on for days, weeks, and months until a family member or a loved one notices significant changes in the person’s behavior deemed just enough to seek help. It is no longer about intense mood swings when the changes are enough to cost one’s career and relationships. During a manic episode, one could thoughtlessly quit his job, go on a shopping spree and pile up huge debts. A depressive episode may result in sleeping more than usual, hesitancy to get up from bed, productive self-loathing, and hopelessness. Worst-case scenarios include suicide and suicide attempts during a depressive episode. The sad thing about bipolar disorders is that they are often overlooked and misdiagnosed. Often the result of heredity, bipolar disorders either make or break a person. People with bipolar disorders are often hesitant to admit that they have a problem, which results in a negative feedback mechanism between the patient and his or her healthcare provider. What makes matters worse is that the more one delays treatment, the more the condition worsens. Self-awareness is very crucial in a person with bipolar disorder. It helps the patient recognize symptoms early on and hence seek help as soon as possible. Furthermore, it helps the patient accept the condition and take the necessary measures to avoid becoming symptomatic. The life of a person with bipolar disorder is not easy, but yes, they can still lead normal lives. The trio of getting the right treatment, practicing healthy coping skills, and getting support from your loved ones is a tried and tested way to avoid complications. Although the patient swings back and forth from manic episodes and depression, most patients experience depression more than they experience mania. How do we extend a helping hand towards people with bipolar disorder? Active listening goes a long way. Bipolar people want to be understood and heard. Having a patient or loved one share their stories with you will help them rise and forget their being different. The more motivated they are with life, the more compliant they will be with regard to their maintenance medications. Unlimited patience, love, and understanding. Time and time again, you need to reaffirm your support through giving endless patience and understanding. Often, people with the disorder are reluctant to seek help because they do not want to become a burden to the people around them. Thus, the need to be vocal and demonstrative with your care and support. Learn more about bipolar disorder. Educate yourself. You need to distinguish between moods, when the mood is authentic, or when it is used to manipulate you. If you learn more about bipolar disorder, you will be more equipped on how to handle those suffering from it. You get to learn to keep things in perspective. If the person is still undiagnosed, encourage him or her to get help. This is perhaps the most difficult but the most important. It needs a bigger degree of trust from the patient to the caregiver for the patient to open up. Thus, the caregiver should be able to gain that trust so he can directly suggest getting help. How about you? How can you help those in your life who suffers from bipolar disorder? Follow Tomi on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit her website for more info! Read more from Tomi! Dr. Tomi Mitchell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Tomi Mitchell, MD, is a leader in the health & wellness industry, known for her advocacy for social issues, including health reform. She believes in the whole person's approach to life and health. Rather than resorting to quick fixes, she gets to the root of problems by taking the time to understand her client's emotional, physical, mental, environmental, financial, spiritual, and social health. She believes these factors affect individuals' behaviors and beliefs about themselves and others. Dr. Tomi Mitchell believes that people feel lost or overwhelmed when there is a loss of balance, so she takes such a holistic approach with each client's situation. Dr. Tomi Mitchell has appeared in many publications, including but not limited to Thrive Global, Fox, NBC, CBS, Global News, CBS & many other news outlets. She has her own blog & leads two ClubHouse clubs and has been a guest speaker numerous times. She is a game-changer, and she gets her clients' results and refuses to compromise her integrity by sugar-coating issues. Using over 10 years as a family practitioner and certified life & health coach, she is able to help her clients create transformational, long-lasting results!

Written by: Ana In Style, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. What is your motto? Do you believe “Fake it till you make it” works? What if I told you this very same advice many people swear by is a fake in itself? I am guilty of trying it out myself, too, of course. Many of us went through this. I will tell you that there is more to this than meets the eye. But before I do that… Yes, I am claiming that this aphorism itself is a fraud, and I will explain why. The mindset The problem of this idea starts at the very foundation – the mindset. If we say we need to fake something, we do not believe that it is true. Moreover, we are telling ourselves over and over again that this is not true. Therefore, transforming it into our truth and our reality becomes difficult. How can we become somebody if we do not believe it is true? The belief If we do not believe it is true, can we then believe it is possible? I do not think so. If we do not believe something is possible? How can we become a person we wish we were/could become? The trust If we do not believe, we cannot trust. That means we cannot trust that things will get better. We can only hope they will. The hope Hope is something that gives us humans the will to carry on despite all present odds that are not in our favor at the moment. But hope is contra-productive. It is static. It does not do anything. There is no action. It just is. We can sit on a couch all day long and just hope something will happen. But we leave it to chance. And more often than not, nothing happens. Because we are passive, we do not act. All in all, this statement seems to be too simple and only valid for a short time. Just enough to overcome a stage-fright or something similar that fades away as quickly as it came. What if there was a better way? A more permanent way? A way that would make you skip stages and help you evolve faster, much faster. Lucky for you. There exists a better way. It is called “Become your future self.” However, I must warn you. This is not the same as “what would your role model do or say.” It is more powerful than that. It is about you, your inner essence, your imagination, your perception, your potential, your dreams, your talents, you name it. It is all about you, your inner diamond that just needs a little polishing, and you alone. So let’s focus on that. Being vs. faking Being is something completely different than faking. It is a part of you already. It has always been there, maybe in a dormant state, but it has been there. You do not have to search for it. You do not have to work hard for it. But what you do need to do is letting it loose, setting it free, let it spread its wings, let it shine in all its glory. Being means freeing yourself from hiding, from holding back. It is not fake. It is there. It is alive within every one of us. If you can dream it, you are capable of doing it. This is probably my favorite and most used quote with my self-conscious clients. If you were not capable of doing something you wish you had or did, you had not even thought of it. Now, how powerful is that?! But it is not enough. You were prepared to do it. You need a fruitful ground, the energy and willpower, the knowledge, the opportunities, the support. But you are capable, and this is the most important part because everything else can be fixed, arranged, and manifested. Picture your future self Time is irrelevant. It does not exist in the future as it does in the present. Just pick a time when your dream self would/will be possible for you. You will need to do that with your heart because time does not exist in your heart, but it does in your head. So go into your heart and observe through your heart. Have a meeting with your future self Now invite that person to come closer to you. Who is that person, what does he or she do, how is he or she dressed, how does he or she act, how does he or she talk, behave? Observe and learn. Study them well. You can even tell them to talk to your inner child and comfort its fears and disbeliefs. Mimic Now mimic them. Act as if you were your future self now. Try to be them. Try to be your future self in the present moment. Act in front of a mirror or record yourself so that you will have proof that you indeed can be that person. Repeat If you keep repeating that, it will come naturally to you. You will merge the present and the future in an upgraded, improved, elevated you. Too much theory? A practical example: A depressed and unpopular high-school girl wants to be loved and accepted by her peers. She fakes to be nice and cute. It is evident she is trying too hard. Fast-forward a few years, a grownup businesswoman with good career opportunities suffers from impostor syndrome. She needs help. She is suggested to have a meeting with her future self. She does the exercise, and now she knows she is meant for something more. She finds her mission and purpose in life and a clear path to how she will make it happen. And the best thing? This way, it is permanent, believable, and achievable. Do you silently believe you can? Do you secretly believe you are capable? That is good enough for me. The question is, is it good enough for you? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or visit my Linktree for more info! Ana In Style, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ana Malovrh, also known as Ana in Style, is the founder of Choose Your Signature Style™. She is a Certified Virtual Personal Stylist and Visual Brand Consultant. As a talented but introverted linguist, she had discovered the power of nonverbal communication that transformed her life. She now works with high achievers and empaths who would like to level up their success by feeling confident and aligned with their inner essence through their signature style. With her keen eye for supposedly unrelatable connections, she created a fusion named The Feng Shui Apparel System™ to help her maverick clients feel confident and secure even in the most unfavorable or highly competitive environments. Outside the public eye, she is a patient and loving special needs mom.

Written by: Mark D. Lakowske, 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. Guess what? I know I’m a hypnotist and mindset expert who helps people with those pesky overwhelming feelings. I know I’m “Mr. Positive" or "Bringer of Joy" — some would say. But, I have a secret for you. Even I get down from time to time. It’s true! Just like all humans, I feel a wide range of emotions — feeling overwhelmed & blue are among them once in a while. Recently, I was feeling that way. So do you know what I did about it? I felt it! Crazy right? Yes, I allowed myself to feel those emotions. As we can all agree, we would much rather feel happy emotions, but it’s okay to feel the “bad” ones too. The truth is they aren’t really bad. They aren’t really good either. Emotions are just emotions, and they are there to guide us like a compass towards learning and self-betterment. I took a deep breath, held it, closed my eyes as I exhaled, and just sat in the emotions. I took a few more breaths and felt myself sinking deeper into them, and then I started asking questions: “What am I feeling?” — I waited, breathed, and then a voice came from inside. “Bad,” said my inner voice. “Bad, how? Be more specific.” I questioned. “Bad, like feeling down, sad.” the voice answered. “And why are you sad?” I inquired further. “I don’t feel loved, and I’m missing someone.” Came the voice from my heart. “Oh, well, what do you need?” I asked, and the voice answered, “I need to feel loved, appreciated, connected. I know I really am loved, but I don’t feel it right now.” I sat in that for a moment. I noticed I felt a bit better. Something within me felt heard, and I had indeed connected. I continued to speak to my inner voice and asked, “How do you know you really are loved? — I just know. I know I am love and of love. I have family and friends who love me. I have a dog who loves me — valued relationships where there is love. I love myself. I have my career and hobbies I love that fills me with joy.” the voice replied. I inquired, “How can you get what you want? What’s one way, something you can do right now, so you feel loved, appreciated & connected?” Silence. I waited for the answer, I waited, and I waited quietly and patiently. Then all of a sudden, a picture appeared on the screen of my mind, right in the center of my five-head (I’m bald, I have too much head to just have a forehead!). The image was of a post I had made on social media about a big achievement I recently announced. I went and logged onto my computer, pulled up the post, and noticed hundreds of likes & love hearts and even more comments from acquaintances, family & friends from all over the world who were congratulating me and wishing me well! I started to read the comments and look at the names and faces. I felt seen, heard, and above all, loved. I decided that I would sit and reply back to each person on the thread. I gave each person a loving heart & expressed my appreciation & gratitude for each individual. Once I had concluded, I sat and looked it all over and then closed my eyes. I breathed deep into my heart, and I felt amazing!! I had satisfied the need that the unpleasant emotion was yearning for. I double-checked on the old emotion, and it was gone. I believe that in anything “negative,” there is always something “positive” that can be learned or gained. Isn’t it better to feel the emotion, learn from it and move on? The sad emotions that I was momentarily feeling were there to get me to act & give myself what my heart truly needed. We just have to be willing to look into our innermost selves -- ask, act, believe, trust, expect & know that we have everything we need already inside us to “trance-form” our own lives in positive ways. If you would like a free resource to help you connect to how you feel and use that information to move out of problems, please follow the link to grab a free resource! Your Favorite Hypnotist, Mark D. Lakowske CTC® CMHT® For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn , or visit my we bsite ! Mark D. Lakowske, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Multiple award-winning & internationally renowned clinical hypnotherapist Mark D. Lakowske has trained practitioners worldwide in his groundbreaking methods. Through this and his own practice, he has helped improve the lives of tens of thousands of people in countries ranging from the United States to Australia & New Zealand. Mark is an author of three books & regularly tours the world, contributing ideas to the development of hypnotherapy practice. His passion & drive is assisting people to overcome the overwhelming & live with more confident joy & happiness!

Sarah Tricker Alchemy is a change-maker and has the ability to see what lies in the unseen and unexplained. After realizing her dream of becoming an educator, Sarah soon understood she was not fulfilling her life purpose. In 2016 she began the journey of entrepreneurship and had been forging her way to true authenticity. Sarah is a Public Speaker & Spiritual Empowerment Coach helping women who are in transition within their life. With her gift as a healer, she facilitates women in finding their authentic selves and their life purpose. Every moment is a miracle, and there is always opportunity even when you cannot see it. Sarah Tricker Alchemy, Public Speaker Spiritual Empowerment Coach Who is Sarah? I live in a small town in southern Alberta, Canada. My family moved here from a seaside town in England in 2007. I am married and have been since 1997. I have two children, who are actually both adults! My hubby and I are empty nesters who live with our dog and three cats. We are currently renovating our 1906 home, which at this point, has been an 11-year journey. It is one of my passions to create beautiful spaces, and I have a very eclectic style with Victorian, Gothic, and a hint of modern. I am also very passionate about history and love to read and research, especially the esoteric realm! How did Sarah Tricker Alchemy Originate? My journey as a soulpreneur begins way back in 2015. By day, I was a high school social studies teacher; however, I was a Tarot reader by night! I had joined another lady in town who also read, and we began to do events together. I look back on the beginning with fond memories. Together we traveled all over southern Alberta and went to psychic fairs, summer fairs, and even a Tattoo Convention. We had a gazebo decorated with curtains, fairy lights, and candles to entice people in to have their cards read. She was a gypsy, and I learned so many wonderful skills from her. How do you shift from social studies teacher to Spiritual Empowerment Coach? Anyone who gets to know me soon finds out that I revel in being a little different from the expected path people see me taking! A couple of years after I graduated from the University of Lethbridge, which is the best education program within Canada, I began to question if this was really what I wanted to do. I had attended a personal development weekend in Calgary, which brought the thought that I may want to get out of the constraints of a career and create my own path in life. Now picture this; people’s reactions when I tell them that I am leaving my secure career as a teacher, with benefits, a pension, and stability to become a million-dollar Tarot reader! The majority of these people watched me move to Canada and work super hard to get my two degrees and were flabbergasted that I was going to give that all up in just two years. I rented a room in a flower shop and set up my Tarot deck, and there was no going back. I often laugh when I look back as I actually sold all of my classroom materials and planning binders, so I literally could not go back to teaching in the public system. When I shut my classroom door on June 31st, 2016, it was closed physically and metaphorically. Something significant in this journey is that the small town I set up in maybe was not quite ready for the work I do. Lots of heads turned, and tongues wagged! I worked really hard over the next three years. In 2017 I ventured into my own little store with my mother. On our journey together, I was given the gift of learning mediumship which has been in my family for at least five generations. I also gained my Reiki Master and became a certified life coach. In 2018 I rebranded from Tricker Tarot to Sarah Tricker Alchemy. This has been such an invigorating journey bringing all of my skills together. As an educator, psychic medium, spiritual reader and healer, and life coach, I found that I have a special gift in guiding women who are often going through a spiritual awakening and searching for a guide to help them through the transition. What is a Spiritual Empowerment Coach? As I look around at our world now, it can often feel like everything is measured on material gain. As an educator, I know only too well how we teach in a compartmentalized way. Our world is not separate from us. We are an integral part of it. It sounds quite cliché; however, the most important thing we can do as humans is to balance the mind, body, and soul. As a spiritual Empowerment Coach, this is what I guide women to do. Now you will see how all of my skills arm me to provide the level of support needed when someone is going through any enlightenment or shift within their life. This manifests in many ways for women, such as a divorce, children leaving home, sudden career change, and maybe even losing a loved one. Suddenly, they face the meaning of life, their purpose, and the amount of time and energy they put into others' happiness and often not their own. My work is holistic; life coaching is for the mind, Reiki is for the body, and the mediumship is the soul. In a nutshell, Spiritual Empowerment Coaching is a holistic approach to helping people connect with their own inner wisdom. How has the global pandemic affected the work you do? Wow, what a whirlwind! I cannot even lie and say it has been an easy journey. I am eternally grateful that I connect and align completely, trusting in my soul that everything happens the way intended to get me to where I needed to be. The year before the pandemic had been one of massive growth for me. I had moved from my tiny little store to another bigger one. I actually outgrew that one within six months and had moved into a 3700 square foot store on main street Fort Macleod. I had manifested my dream of creating a Harry Potter School. I had four signature programs running with about 30 women registered. It was a mammoth year with exponential growth far beyond anything I could have even imagined. Then came 2020! Things had already started to take a turn for the worse a few months into the year. The massive storefront was a lot to maintain on top of the staff. I had already begun to question if it was viable to continue. I set the intention that if I had the rent covered for February, it was my sign to stay, and if not, my sign to shut up shop and move my business home-based. Well, I handed my notice to quit, and then would you believe COVID-19 was worldwide. I was in the middle of closing and selling out my store, renovating a room in my home, and the world was coming to a standstill. This is how I know that everything worked as it should. Although I had to mourn the loss of a dream I had built and manifested, filed for bankruptcy, and felt like I had to go back to basics, it has actually been the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I, like many, was gifted the time to be home, slow down, and re-evaluate my business aspirations. I have had time to adapt all my programs to an online forum. Also, people in the world have become more comfortable with the benefits of working online. Although I had to do some deep healing and soul work, I have realized that this shift in our world means that I now have an opportunity to reach people around the whole world and not just in my local community. Is there anything new and exciting you have been working on behind the scenes? Always! It is almost a standing joke for clients who have followed me on this journey so far. Every year I will shift and transition. Maybe this is a part of being a Scorpio, as we are known for always being determined and never been held back from the dreams we have! Last year I joined Toastmasters. This was something I had wanted to do for a long time, and with the closing of my storefront, I found myself in a position where I had the time to commit. How did this open up opportunities? I was not expecting it. I have found an amazing and supportive group of people and really expanded my network. The pathway I took has helped me become a better speaker and give me a safe space to practice this particular skill. The Speakers Bureau of Canada has also accepted me as a keynote speaker. Once things get back to some normalcy, I will be on their books! This is a dream of mine that I have worked very hard for, and it is just coming to fruition. Do you see how everything is beginning to come together? The time I have now I don’t have to run a storefront, the time to create my signature programs and workshops online, now frees me to travel and share my message on a larger scale! This ability to restructure my work time has also allowed me to register for my 200-hour teacher Yoga training, which I begin in September. I have a signature program that incorporates Yoga, and I am excited to see what possibilities open up from this new venture! What is it that you do for your clients? I am talking directly to all women now. There are generally two things that women want in their life. The first is more time. How many of you out there are working, a mother, a wife, all at the same time trying to maintain the perfect house, meal prep, and fitness? Every woman’s life looks different; however, the one theme that shows up, again and again, is how to create more time for the things they want to do after looking after everyone else. The second thing that women are often searching for is recognition. Even just using the scenario just described, can you imagine coming home and your hubby thanking you for all the work you do, or going into work and your boss, without cause, recognizing your hard work? The reality is for most women do not get the recognition they desire for all they give to others! Now you are clear on what women get from working with me; time & recognition! How I hear you cry? But how? There are five main things I teach women: Authenticity, who you really are! Balance, using structure & self-care Self-worth, setting boundaries! Intuition, connection mind, body, & soul Control, get what you want instead of what comes your way! Every woman is on a different journey, and over time I have crafted four signature programs to help women get what they want. Whether this is their own healing business, connection with their body, connection to their craft, or their authentic self, there is a path you can walk with me. Who should hire/work with you? Women who know they are ready. They have been searching for a sign, a guide, a mentor who has done the work and has the results to show for it! They are not afraid of hard work and are prepared to hear the truth, even if at times it can be hard! They totally understand that to make changes, and it takes time to practice the new skills. They understand that when you are shifting your core belief systems that it is going to be hard. They can be kind to themselves when needed and push when needed! They are not quitters and will do what they need to get what they desire! Most importantly, they are willing and able to invest in themselves! What about your keynotes? My keynote speeches have been designed for both small intimate groups and large-scale events. If you are looking for a motivational, interactive, educational keynote speaker to take your audience on a journey of discovery and enlightenment, these are the keynotes for you. I am available for meet and greet, keynote, breakout sessions, panel discussion, and daily workshops. The first is a health and wellness keynote ‘My Superpower Codependency; Creating Resilience & Strength from Adversity!’ The journey begins with the acknowledgment of codependency behaviors. The step that I, too, had the responsibility for the relationship. No longer being the victim of circumstance, I created the nemesis and morphed into my superpower. I show how, you too, can change your biggest adversity into your very own superpower! This particular keynote is universal in its message. The second is women empowerment keynote ‘Unadulterated, authentic, influential women in leadership!’ Women in today’s world have many different hats they have to wear. As equality has grown in the workplace, it has left most women unequal in most other areas of their lives. How can we break free from unrealistic expectations from not only ourselves also those around us? Discover how the journey of authenticity, stepping through fear into entrepreneurship, changed not only me also my whole family. You too can create your life’s dream! Although this keynote is created for women, it can also be presented to men equally. The third is a spiritual empowerment keynote, ‘Reawakening Womban in Total Control of Herself.’ Learn how the connection to our ancestors helps us redefine the patriarchal system without emancipating men. Embracing the maiden, mother, and crone as the journey of wombanhood is key to our womb healing. Allow me to take you on a unique healing pilgrimage of enlightenment as I have walked. These particular keynotes are designed for women-only groups. What is your big goal? My big goal is to be able to help guide women worldwide! To enrich women’s lives and show them that they can have anything they want and give them the tool bag to go and get it. I see myself traveling and giving keynote speeches, creating TEDx talks, and having a successful online forum for women to learn and grow through my signature programs and academy. My legacy for the world is helping women heal, bringing true balance back into their lives, their families, and our world! Follow Sarah on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit her website for more info! Read more from Sarah!

Written by: Serena Fordham, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Do you ever feel that you are overloaded with work and don't know how to go about reducing that big pile of stuff, which has been building up for days, weeks, or even months? Maybe it’s about time that you conquered that Mount Everest of tasks and paperwork! Here are my top 10 tips on how to become a more organized (and hopefully a less stressed) entrepreneur. Create a mind-map of all the ideas that are crowding your headspace. Use this to clear your mind and focus on each task at hand. Write a to-do list. Use headings and subheadings to narrow down exactly what needs to be achieved within each task. Use a scheduling or diary system to organize your time. Plan tasks ahead of schedule to allow you to dedicate suitable time for each one. Outsource anything you can to free up your time to run and grow your business, e.g., by using Virtual Assistants, Marketing Experts, Accountants, etc. Set aside designated planning time and spend one evening (usually a Sunday works best) to plan and prepare your week ahead. Check emails at the end of every day rather than at the beginning. Use a small amount of time to plan and prepare for the next day at the end of the day. Turn off your phone and stay logged out of your email while completing each task. Less distractions mean you will complete tasks quicker, and you can reply to urgent calls and emails during coffee breaks in between tasks. Schedule email mail-outs and social media posts in advance, so they happen automatically. Set aside time to schedule as this will save you time in the long run (you can also use a social media management tool to be even more efficient at this!) Clear your workspace, so it is free from loose papers and clutter. After all, an organized space creates an organized mind! Constantly review your progress. Assess what is working well for you at keeping you organized, and focus on doing these things (and remember that what might be working for another person won’t necessarily work for you – and vice versa). These are all good and well, but are you still wondering where on earth to start with becoming more organized and tackling that mammoth of a mountain? Here are some useful tangible items you might want to use to help you get started: Mind-mapping software , such as MindGenius or iMindMap (or just an old-fashioned pen and paper – and one or two highlighters) A paper diary – electronic ones are great, but sometimes it’s good to have everything there in front of you in black and white! A list of useful contacts to lend a hand with your outsourceable tasks when needed. Social media management programs (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer, etc.) Email scheduling software (e.g., Mailchimp, CRM database, etc.) A quiet and clutter-free space to work and focus (even a desk in a library might be suitable!) Basically, all of the above boils down to the fact that failing to prepare is preparing to fail. This mantra is very true both in life and business. Setting aside a little time to prepare your diary, and plan your time, will be extremely worthwhile in helping to organize your life, work, and most importantly your mind. So, don’t wait until tomorrow to start planning your strategy to become more organized. Give yourself that phew’ feeling, and start taking action now! (You might even get a better night’s sleep, and thank yourself for it!) Feel free to visit my website & follow me on Facebook for more tips like this! Read more from Serena! Serena Fordham, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Serena is an expert Business Strategist, Growth/Development and Empowerment Mentor to Female Entrepreneurs, and a best-selling Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, and successful multiple Business Owner. Her main passion is offering business strategies, support, and empowerment to ambitious and high vibe business women both locally and internationally – through HER Business Revolutio n . She is also known for her organizational skills by owning Glow Virtual Assistants and supporting women and child-related charities (also founding two charitable initiatives – Mums Empowerment Movement and SociaBubble).

Written by: Henrik Pettersson, 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. Feel sorry for yourself, get lost in the swamp of bitterness — or complain. Surveys show we practice a negative spread of toxins between fifteen and thirty times a day. From an energy point of view, it is important for us to clarify our complaints and how they affect us. Is there anything that drains us more of power? You need your energy for things that drive forward rather than fill you with more negative thoughts, right? Complaints have two faces: When you express something uncomfortable, that is wrong or dislike, and the person in front of you can’t do anything about it. When you can, but do not offer a solution yourself — or act, to do something about it. It's like getting a cold coffee at a coffee shop. If you ask for a new cup and you do not complain, then you're doing something about it. But, if you instead say that, "This coffee was cold, they don’t do anything right in this place!" You'll get stuck in pointless whining instead of doing something about it. At the same time, there are two types of complaint machines, which we all commute between. The energy vampire: The classic complainant, who is constantly looking for fault but does nothing about it himself. The Inspirer: The solution-oriented, who prefers to see solutions to problems rather than problems with solutions. So my first question is — Which of the types do you hang out with the most? It may be difficult to answer because complaining has become a social trend, discussing coffee breaks, at the dinner table or in front of the TV. And, if you come across someone who never complains, you get suspicious, right? If you want to stand out from the crowd, if you want energy over to things that create strong results, here are three arguments for why we should stop poisoning ourselves with negative thoughts. Focus. Where focus goes, energy flows. And since it is the energy that makes it possible to take action, it’s important to choose where and how, and when you invest it. Victim. The one who complains sees himself as a victim. One thing that makes you powerless prevents you from performing at the level you have the capacity to. Comfort. When we complain, we give ourselves the right to withdraw and close our eyes to our potential. Solutions for those who want to save up energy: Be aware of how often you yourself are an energy vampire. Simply move a rubber band on the wrist from one hand to the other every time you complain. You will probably be surprised at how often you fall into the negative zone. Glide. When you feel that you are about to start complaining, you may have already done so, but you choose to slip over to provide a solution and get yourself to action. 24H Rule. Give yourself a challenge that you should not complain about at all for 24 hours. If you feel that you have not managed it, then start counting the new 24 hours. This is a really tough challenge for most people, test it yourself, and you will see how you handle it. It is only when we see the whole picture that we can do something about our own possible shortcomings. Complaining about others is one thing, but constantly complaining about yourself is a sink you should get rid of. As we think and feel, we speak and act. It is as easy to get caught up in the complaint spiral as it is to get out of it. If you only are motivated to create strong results. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and subscribe to my Youtube channel ! Read more from Henrik ! Henrik Pettersson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Since 2004, Henrik has been working as a coach, educator, and motivational speaker around Europe. Life is about growth. The challenge to growth is to gain boldness to handle our fears and vulnerability. To strengthen your spine - to be able to manage your challenges towards stronger results. Life’s tough at times, and the formula for gaining more boldness, and dig deep into, is Faith – Energy – Focus. His new book is built on the three pillars above and is called: program yourself to success. Henrik is frequently hired by large companies like Volvo, H&M, and Avis.

Anna Vogel is a coach, mindfulness instructor, and artist based in Stockholm, Sweden. She's passionate about helping women create a work-life they love and support individuals and teams in accessing more health, creativity, and internal motivation. Anna is the founder of Hey Maker, a company she runs with copywriter and producer Jörgen Kjellgren, and her brand By Annavogel, which is her space for online courses, one-on-one coaching, speaking engagements, and educational programs, "With a higher degree of self-awareness, we can work proactively with our health, goals, and mission in life. Let's say goodbye to burnout, overwhelm, and pressure. And let's say hey and hello to creativity, playfulness, and ease." Anna Vogel, Coach Who is Anna? I'm a coach, mindfulness instructor, podcaster, and artist who run my companies, By Annavogel and Hey Maker. Before I started to work with coaching and human development, I ran my own production company and produced tours and shows with comedians, musicians, and speakers. I was also the creative director for an art and culture center for youth, supporting young people in their creative development. When I was younger, I worked as a professional dancer and choreographer. So my background is in the culture -and entertainment industry, but I have always been passionate about human beings, psychology, what motivates us and makes us thrive in life. I live in Stockholm, Sweden, but my heart is always in Spain, where I lived in my twenties. I try to go back as often as I can on holidays. I'm married to a copywriter and musician/producer, Jörgen – he's the second half of Hey Maker and our pop duo Little Boxes. We have two teenagers at home, Viola and Dante, and a fluffy cat, Kurre. Besides having a passion for personal and professional development, I love interior design and sustainable fashion. You'll find me browsing the internet for furniture, handbags, or clothes that are preloved by someone else. I'm blessed to have fun, female friendships in my life. I spend my free time at the gym, out in nature, at home with my family, or sipping on some wine or coffee with a few of my friends. What is it that you do for your clients? I coach individuals to more inner power, creativity, health, and inner motivation. I help companies be more sustainable and have happier and healthier employees. I run two individual coaching programs. Women in Business for women who want to grow, find clarity, and be more confident and grounded in their careers. The other program is for individuals who seek to find their inner power and purpose and live more from the inside out, tending to their own needs and dreams. In my online course, Sju strategier för inre kraft och hållbarhet (in Swedish), you get to create healthy habits, manage your energy and be more in your strengths. I'm also setting up a program for creativity together with a friend who is a creative mentor. I love to work with clients and connect the dots between personal development, creativity, and health. My podcast En kaffe med Vogel, is an extension to my work. I interview entrepreneurs, experts, and artists on topics like personal development, entrepreneurship, and creativity. To drink coffee and have deep conversations with interesting people is one of the best things in life! Who should hire or work with you? Females who want to start or grow their own business. Creative females who want to make space for their creative dreams and projects. Leaders who wish to begin leadership coaching or employee coaching. Organizations that want happier, healthier, and more engaged employees. I have many awesome consultants and changemakers I collaborate with to create the best experience for every client. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself ten years from now? Oh, I love to answer that question! I have a clear picture of myself in my holiday home in Spain, sitting on my terrace overlooking mountains and the ocean, with a pile of books and notebooks on my table. I love to read and learn and give myself time for that. Other than that, I want to do what I already do, with sustainable scaling over the years. I'd love to create more online courses, have a small team working with me, and release more music as a solo artist and with my band. I hope that in ten years I have written one or more books too, since I love writing. What advice would you give to someone who wants to take steps towards their dreams? A clear vision I would encourage you to create a clear vision. Use everything you can to move that future dream into the present moment. Whether that is creating a vision board, stepping into the feelings you look for or asking yourself who you need to be to create that dream. Identify how the goal aligns with your values, and make sure you know why you want to reach that dream. When you have a clear vision, it's usually easier to move past obstacles, the inner critic, and fearful thoughts that will get in your way. You want to FEEL your vision even before you get there. Get out of your head and start to take action. Then, I suggest taking small steps every day or every week that moves you closer to the dream. They can be as small as having lunch with someone who has done what you want to do, dedicate half an hour every day to your goal, or sketch out a concrete plan for the month. You'll learn as you move forward, so don't try to figure everything out before starting. Start before you feel ready and learn from the process. Sustainability, self-compassion, patience, and a growth mindset. Many people give up when the results don't come fast enough. To have patience and be kind to yourself when you slip is a good idea. The road to a dream or goal can feel like two steps forward and one step back, so it's wise to see it as a part of the process. A growth mindset focuses more on learnings than just the result, which is a good approach. And don't forget about your health and the other parts of your life when moving towards a goal. It's not worth sacrificing your well-being in the long run. Allow yourself to be flexible with your goals. Sometimes we cling to goals just because we decided something many years ago. Sometimes you grow out of your dreams, or your situation changes. Be willing to have some flexibility and adjust your sails when needed. I review my goals every quarter to check in with myself and see if I still want to move in that direction. Thanks for reading my story, and don’t hesitate to get in touch! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website! You can also visit Hey Maker studio on Instagram or directly send an email. For Swedish readers: Join my online course Sju strategier för inre kraft och hållbarhet! Read more from Anna!

Written by: Dale Darley, 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. Recently I watched the last episode of Lucifer. What I love the most is when he looks deeply into someone’s eyes and asks, ‘What is it that you truly desire?’ If he looked at me that way, well, I’d confess too. But drooling over fictitious characters aside, he asks a great question. So, what is it that you truly desire? Recently, I bought a new office chair. I wanted it. Ever since my spine fractured, I have struggled with what to sit on. A few months ago, I dusted off an old office chair, plumped it up with cushions and lumbar support, and here I have sat feeling miserable. The chair is what I’d call the material and mundane in my heart’s desire process. I want it. It will make me feel good – it serves a deeper purpose, but it isn’t what my heart truly desires. Last year was a big birthday. The last big birthday was ruined by someone close to me. For this last birthday, there were two options. I’ve never been one for the beach and lying around, but I felt I would like to be pampered, and so it became an option. This is what I call magical in my heart’s desire process. It’s not going to change the world, but it will change how you feel about your world. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that I didn’t go. But I did spend time with some lovely friends, and I had a great cake – result! Magical things include a new job, changing career, moving house, finding a new partner, and stuff like that. They, too, have a deeper meaning and purpose. They certainly change how you view your life. Last year I ran a live beta version of Journey Of The Heart. ‘A’ joined and fully immersed herself in the learning. At one time, I was convinced that she would follow her heart’s desire and get a drum kit. We’d join forces in a rock and roll band and tour the world. When we came to creating a vision for her heart’s desire, something very different emerged. Here’s what she said: ‘It was doing the vision board which made me realize that I wanted a relationship - before that, I was Miss Independence & probably keeping men at bay! I also realized that I was ready for a relationship and told the Universe. The man I’ve met, totally unexpectedly, is very different from the type I’ve attracted before, very in touch with his feminine side. I’m taking that as a measure of how much I’ve changed and grown.’ My vision board did have a picture of a man on it and a novel I wanted to write, but I wanted something different. What I wanted was in the magnificent part of the process. My heart’s desire was around the impact I could make on the world. Like you, I have many experiences that I could use to inspire others. But although I have loved many of the things that I’ve done and do, something was missing. And then, just like that, someone interviewed me for their show and started to ask questions about something else that I had overcome – the journey of my heart. I journaled on it, I almost burnt the house down with sage pondering on it, I meditated with crystals, and I even consulted the dogs – they said woof and gimme treats. Then I remembered to look deep into Lucifers eyes – What is it that you truly desire? I want to help my clients create a deeper connection with their heart – the 7th sense and live from a place of love and connection. A question then for you? Do you really love what you do? Truthfully? You make like it. It may give you a great income. But is it what fills your heart, enables and empowers you to want to get out there and inspire others? This is what magnificent is. It’s working from the heart and doing everything from a desire to change the world in some way. Okay, heart’s desire process time. At the start of each new month or new moon, it’s a great idea to think about what you want. The things on your list can be anything. The point is for you to scribble and to keep scribbling. These can be anything from new shoes, the windows painted, to a baby, a new job or change in business direction, better health, self-love, inner peace, or meeting your soul mate. Just get them all out. Why anything? Because often, what we desire, remember has a deeper fundamental meaning. New shoes could be about self-esteem, new doors – safety, or a holiday – you need to unwind and escape from day-to-day stress. Start with the mundane and material, move onto the magical, and finish with the magnificent. Keep coming back and adding things in. This is great fun, and you will end up with all kinds of things on your list. Mundane and material These are the things you feel are everyday things, such as new windows, shoes, throws for the sofa, new crockery, etc. It’s basically stuff that you want that will probably make you feel happy. Magical These are things that feel a bit more special, like a holiday or a new job, and they can include healing relationships and making friends with someone who has hurt you. Magnificent These are the things that you want to do that will change the world. This might be a cause close to your heart, and perhaps sharing your healing journey with others to show them what is possible. How do these make you feel? When you look at the list, find one or two things that resonate and ask how you feel and who you will be when you have those things. Will new crockery help you to feel proud to invite friends over for dinner. Will a holiday restore your soul. Does having a heart-led business serve a greater purpose, and you feel like you are living your mission? Journal it. Write your heart’s desires – start with the mundane and material, move to magical, and end with the magnificent. Reflect on why these are important right now. Now, guess what you need? Yep, it’s an action plan. We’ll talk about that another day. If creating a connection with and healing your heart so that you can discover what it is your heart desires, then let me invite you on a journey with your heart. Who knows where you will end up and who you will inspire? Here's the link to my course. For more information, please visit my website. Read more from Dale! Dale Darley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dale works with her clients to help them to discover the magic in their story through the power of writing, journaling, and energy work. Dale is an expert at getting your story out, finding the essence of who you are, what you want to become, and supporting you to get what you want through coaching and programs. She believes that writing heals, and her vision and mission is to create a community of people who find clarity, purpose, and meaning through their writing. That these people go on to inspire others to know what is possible in the world. Dale holds an MBA from The University of Glamorgan and an ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching certificate. She served in senior marketing management roles in the IT and manufacturing sectors before working for herself.

Written by: Byron Athene, 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. My last article explained how we could gain conscious control of our emotions. We feel bad because we entertain negative ideas. Those negative ideas can be neutralized by entertaining more truthful positive ideas. I introduced a framework that is part of an Emotions Mastery Program that I put together. The first part of the program enables clients to get better control. Another part asks the question, "if we have better control of our emotions, or better yet if we can feel good immediately after feeling bad, what’s the point of feeling bad in the first place?" This article aims to definitively answer that question. The fact that we have more control of our emotions disproves most, if not all, of the conventional theories of bad emotions. When I say ‘bad’ or ‘negative’ emotions, I’m talking about emotions such as anger, disappointment, embarrassment, etc. – the ones that most people agree aren’t enjoyable. When I say ‘disprove,’ I mean I will demonstrate that they’re not absolute, i.e., applicable to everybody at all times. There are too many theories to try to disprove them all in this article, so I’ll tend only to the three theories I’ve heard the most often. I’ll start with a summary of the theory and then identify an error in logic. I may use another section, ‘Considerations,’ to highlight other ideas that may support or refute. I’ll then introduce a fourth theory that will be harder to disprove. I believe that our life-view is definitely shaped by our relationship with good and bad emotions. If the fourth theory is true, it could significantly impact the way we view existence. Let’s jump in. Theory 1: We need bad emotions to know or appreciate the good ones. Error in logic: We don’t need one thing to know or appreciate the other. It makes more sense that the people who believe this mean that we need at least two things to make a comparison. That is true. But, we don’t need one to know the other. With that logic, you would need to know what a car looked like to identify a bicycle. It might be easier to pick out a bike if it was in a line-up of cars, but you wouldn’t need to know what cars looked like. Some people say they’re able to appreciate something more because they’re able to compare it to another. For example, you could appreciate the taste of a flavored drink after drinking water. Someone could drink coke twice and apply values to the experiences. The first sip could taste like a +3. The person could have some water, and then when they tasted coke again, it could taste like a +4 because they’re comparing it to the water. If this is true, it’s the taste equivalent of an optical illusion: one thing might seem different when seen within the context of another thing, but the attributes haven’t changed. Considerations: Even if it were true that you needed one thing to know another, if there was one reason for the existence of bad emotions, could it be this? Also, if we needed negative emotions to identify certain things, we would only need to experience that thing once. After the first time, we could use our memory. For example, we only need to feel the pain of fire once to know touching fire isn’t a good idea, but every time you touch fire, it’s going to hurt. Theory 2: We need bad emotions to stop us from doing bad things and have empathy. Error in logic: Although bad feelings like guilt and shame prevent some of us from doing certain acts some of the time, we are still able to do bad things despite those feelings. It’s also possible that some people do just good things without feeling guilt or shame. Also, we don’t need bad emotions to have empathy. All we need is understanding. Some might say, how can you understand someone else’s bad emotion if you don’t feel bad? In the same way, you could understand how someone could feel if their partner of 40 years died and you haven’t gone through the same experience. The argument that bad emotions can be useful in certain scenarios can be addressed by saying it’s true they can be useful outside of the original purpose, but that’s like using a hammer as a paperweight. In fact, it’s like using a hammer as a paperweight when you’ve got lots of nails and pictures that need putting up, but you don’t know how. Considerations: How could we possibly know if this was true because we live in a world where bad emotions are ever-present? We wouldn’t actually know what would happen if they were removed. We would need to remove them and observe what happened. Someone could say a psychopath can ngage in psychopathic acts because they don’t feel guilt or remorse. This is true in that specific case, but that psychopath could experience other negative emotions like anger, depression, or anxiety. What is the positive purpose of depression – what does it prevent us from doing that would be harmful? Theory 3: Having negative emotions is just a part of being human / If you try to suppress bad emotions at the time, they’ll leak out on another occasion. Error in logic: Because two things are together doesn’t mean that they must be together. No matter what we did, we would still be human. We’re logical and emotional creatures. The negative emotion is there originally for a specific and logical reason. Saying it’s there just because it must be is flawed logic. However, I do believe displacement exists. Some people have difficulty expressing anger at an intended target so express anger at a safer outlet. But not all people feel the need to defer the expression of anger or other emotions. Also, some people wouldn’t get angry at that same incident, so there’s nothing to defer or displace. Theory 4: The Baby Theory We have negative emotions only because babies need them to alert someone that something is wrong in their external or internal environment. A baby is ideally in a state of equilibrium. When there’s something wrong internally (hunger) or externally (temperature), this doesn't feel good. The baby cries because of this bad feeling so that a caregiver could then problem-solve and change the internal or external environment. Hence, the baby returns to the normal state of equilibrium. Let’s call this the ‘BAND,’ which is an acronym for ‘block against needs/desires.’ This is one of the most important functions our brains perform. It’s vital for a baby because it ensures the baby’s needs are met. After a baby’s needs are successfully met, the baby notices a connection between bad feelings and equilibrium restoration. At this stage, we could call it the BAN function because a baby may not have desires yet, just needs. When desires are introduced into the baby’s world, and the baby perceives a block to those attractions, it uses the BAN function to get these desires met in the same way as its needs. At that moment, BAN becomes BAND. This means the baby makes itself feel bad and starts crying so that an adult gives the baby what it wants, in the same way it used to cry so that an adult gives the baby what it needed. This tactic works more times than fails, so an ironclad association is made between feeling bad and getting what you want. When we grow up, we’re not taught about this function, and those other theories take precedence in terms of explaining why bad emotions exist. If this theory is true, the baby could’ve stopped using the function as soon as it was able to communicate its needs and desires or when it becomes independent. After language acquisition and independence are achieved, the only negative emotions that adults still need are fear and pain. These emotions have the continued purpose of letting us know our body is being harmed or at risk of being harmed. The BAND function should’ve been superseded by language as early as possible. Instead, it’s left to unknowingly run in the background so much that it becomes woven into the fabric of our experience. Its misinterpretation means we potentially look at life in a completely different way than we otherwise may have. This is due to bad emotions seeming to play such a big part in our lives. It can be argued that bad emotions are actually the main cause of life’s perceived struggles because of the negative behavior that often ensues negative emotions. Error in logic: I haven’t found one. Some people have asked what about the babies who aren’t tended to when they cry? Those babies have their needs met enough, or they wouldn’t have survived. All the other theories aren’t absolute because they don’t cover every incident of bad feeling for every person. This theory can be disproved by feeling bad and not perceiving anything in your environment that you want to be changed. I have been trying to disprove the idea since my first exposure in 1992 actively and have not been able to. In terms of theory 3: bad emotions are just a part of being human. This is true, being human involves having desires, and we're going to do what we can to meet those desires. For the first few years of our lives, feeling bad is a tried and tested tactic. So almost every time we have a desire above a threshold that's not being met, we're going to feel at least a little bad. Considerations: One of the things that makes this harder to believe might be the fact that more people haven't seen it already. That's due to the subjective nature of reality: those other less sensible theories are being made concrete. Due to confirmation bias, we seek out evidence that proves our current beliefs instead of evidence that refutes it. This often happens to the extent of immediately ruling out everything else. Some people will accept this truthfulness, i.e., acknowledge this makes more sense than its alternatives but still wonder now what? We can acknowledge this is a conditioned response, and the best way to condition another response is awareness and repetition. Every time you feel bad, you can use an acronym to remind yourself of what’s happening. That acronym is PEACE. PE stands for Programming Enlightenment. The ‘ACE’ stands for the ACE framework of my last article. That article identified four steps you can use to neutralize bad feelings. So if this really is true – and experience and logic can indicate within a fine degree of certainty that it is – we can use awareness to gain a higher level of appreciation of what we are as organisms. Instead of viewing this once essential biological process as one of the inescapable things that makes life sometimes feel like a trial, we could use it to prove that we are committed to trying to create a better world for ourselves every single moment of our lives. Also, the bad feeling is an indication that you want reality to be different or there’s a problem to be resolved. If you’re feeling bad, you’re less likely to be in a resourceful state, so the odds of changing reality or resolving the problem have been further reduced. That’s if the situation can be fixed at all. Often, the healthier and more helpful thing to do is to accept the situation and focus on positive, truthful ideas to feel better. This will often be difficult to do, particularly at the bigger life events like experiencing grief or loss. There is a direct correlation between the intensity and duration of the feeling with how big we think the event is. At those bigger events, a part of us acknowledges that we have to accept the situation, but we continue to feel bad because a part of us still wants that aspect of reality to be different. Can you disprove this theory? Can you think of a time when you felt bad about something and weren’t able to identify something you wanted to be changed? Connect with me on LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Byron! Byron Athene, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After fully immersing himself in philosophy and psychology for 30 years, Byron Athene is truly an innovative force. His 'Generative Mindset' and 'Emotions Mastery' packages vastly extend the boundaries of conventional thinking. He encourages clients to change their current perspectives. This often results in them immediately tapping into the infinite source of the mind's creativity and power, which will have significant emotional, psychological, and behavioral benefits.

Written by: Ekaterina Matveeva, 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 pandemic has drastically changed the way how learners interact with institutions and how corporate training programs are held. In the past year, I have been teaching students of various levels and hosted a number of round tables with teachers and entrepreneurs to explore the learner’s point of view. Being an active online learner myself, I discovered new approaches to engaging in my studies. Putting aside the obvious obstacles such as the speed of the internet, unequal access to the internet, and privacy issues, there are more serious, to my mind, hindrances preventing a modern learner of any age from enjoying and fully involving in the study process. One of them is the lack of engaging educational content, accompanied by a myriad of distractions starting from social media and ending up with online games. This brings a lot of learners to “zoom fatigue” - an emotional state when they are required to keep their cameras on during the whole study day, constantly feeling under the pressure of being observed, in the spotlight, without being able to relax between periods of high concentration, or stretch their legs now and then. Consequently, a lot of learners of different age groups started falling behind their studies, experiencing negative emotions towards particular courses, and ignoring their lessons by getting carried away by online distractions. A poor online support system and feedback prevented them from staying on track and instantly sharing how they felt with the instructors. This is not an easy challenge to tackle. However, there are a few outstanding examples that can serve as a beacon in this transitional period. As an online learner, I was lucky to take up the online course “Introduction in Computer Science” — “CS50” at Harvard University. Dr. David J. Malan leads this course. Dr. Malan began teaching CS50 years before the pandemic. However, he already had in mind an idea of online education. He requested the university administration to assist him with filming the course to allow learners watching his course via MOOC platforms to feel as if they were present physically in the auditorium. Eventually, this turned CS50 into one of the most engaging courses with over 2 million registrants. Learners enjoy the course immensely. Does it mean that all the courses should be like this? There is no correct answer to this question. However, if learners have no opportunity to attend engaging classes, how could they learn more efficiently? First of all, a learner needs to find a healthy balance between on-screen and off-screen time to avoid “zoom fatigue.” It can involve physical exercises, getting a healthy snack, or doing anything off-screen. Moreover, the eyesight might get affected by long hours in front of the screen. Therefore, a break is recommended every 2 hours, if more frequently is not possible to do. Secondly, a learner can try to work in a team with other learners to engage in discussions and solve tasks. This might help to learn faster and find multiple solutions. Thirdly, a learner can use memory techniques and storytelling to memorize information. As a memory athlete, I can testify that these techniques help create associations turning boring information into adventurous stories. Fourthly, providing learners with space between new concepts, rather than cramming lots of information in all at once, has proven to be effective not only on paper. I elaborate on my experience with knowledge bites below. And finally, when learners feel excited, supported, and safe, they learn better. A well-facilitated online session can help learners connect with materials and with each other. A poorly run session can leave learners isolated, disconnected, and frustrated with their experiences, which has been observed in the past years worldwide. Overall, various methods can help learners take up responsibility for their studies. Yet, a lot still depends on an educator, not only session facilitation. What are the main obstacles in online teaching? As an educator with over ten years of online teaching experience, as a language teacher, public speaking coach, and university professor, I must admit that one of the biggest challenges at group sessions is not to burn out while trying to keep learners engaged, especially when privacy issues or connections don’t allow keeping their cameras on during discussion sessions. This turns a teaching experience into a live session with no immediate response, feedback that could stir the course of the session. Personally, as an educator constantly interacting with learners, I found it extremely stressful at some programs that I was leading. I discovered my own ways of how to measure the temperature in the room with no cameras by either having a few selected learners engaged in our public discussion or a colleague being in an active dialogue with me. I was not alone in distress when I heard from many of my colleagues teaching at universities how hard it was to run a course online. On top of connection issues and the inability of some teachers to use digital tools, it turned out that there was yet a bigger issue - how to convert offline course content into online course content. It was highly impractical to take two-hour lectures and schedule webinars with the same content, expecting students to follow a monotonous teacher and engage in activities. I experienced this when I was preparing an executive program on public speaking in English for international speakers at the University of Palermo (UP), Argentina, and we were driven to the same impasse where it was expected from me to turn an in-person program into an online program without any changes. However, I proposed a different way to approach the situation. As a creator of video courses on soft skills in foreign languages, I learned the strategy of knowledge bites - short informative videos with engaging storytelling and practical tasks to memorize the provided information afterward. It took me some time to explain my approach, as this was novel to the university administration typically measuring the efficiency of programs and financial rewards of professors in conducted hours. Nevertheless, soon a new format was born of blended learning with a mixture of pre-recorded short videos on theory, engaging tasks, and practical dynamic webinars. The feedback on the program has proven this approach to be the most effective at the current stage. And more cooperating with Amolingua institutions start adopting this approach. But does it mean that all the lectures must be either recorded in the style of Dr. Malan or new blended learning? As the founder of Amolingua, where we have been training languages, cultures, and soft skills for over five years, I went through a round of attempts to build apps, platforms, and other tech solutions to provide impeccable learning/teaching experience. And I must say, we ran into various issues, including resistance to change by particular groups of learners who couldn’t imagine studying online. And even though the pandemic has put resisters in the corner, a lot of people are still distressed by technology in online learning. In the past years, I realized that one should not focus on technology as the core of their value proposition, as tech solutions change so fast that it is really easy to be left out in the tech race. Also, one of the old issues is when companies throw tech at big problems without really solving them. Instead, you need to focus on identifying what you’re trying to accomplish and then look for a tech solution to support your goals. Even though virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is more frequently mentioned in the space of learning, this cutting-edge technology requires time and educators' adaptation. And one of the opportunities for ed: tech companies is to focus on learning design. As Bob Cooney - the world’s expert on virtual experiences, says: “It’s not about the technology, it’s about the experience.” While I had to work with educators and university administrators on how to turn offline content into online content, I discovered that it is not simply re-writing the script or re-organizing sessions. This transfer involves significantly more, especially concerning human behavior online, a learner’s trajectory, personalization of learning, brain function, and UX design. A learning designer is a person who adopts an offline course to an online course, finds new ways to engage learners, and provides interactive sessions for educators. Being a practicing learning designer, I can say that it is a creative and yet technological job. And this might be your opportunity if you are in the sphere of technology and education. But this not the most lucrative opportunity in this field. Apart from highly required training on digital tools for educators, another need must be addressed. It concerns community or ecosystem building. An offline institution easily builds a community of students attending the same premises, bonding over similar sport or art interests, spending time in nearby entertainment facilities. The future is in ecosystems. And creating learning ecosystems online still proves to be challenging. A few years ago, the Singularity University leaders were pointing out that there are four stages in development: a product - a service - a platform - an ecosystem (a community); it seems that we are currently at the stage of platforms. Educational institutions are looking for tech solutions without addressing a bigger issue - the creation of an online ecosystem. And there is an opportunity for startup founders to find new ways of creating communities or helping institutions create communities by connecting their learners to their “why,” common values, and shared vision. I am now tackling this challenge while working on our Erasmus+ funded project Lingo+, building multilingual, multicultural teacher training. Simply engaging in training for teachers won’t be enough. We’re set to build a learning community. I hope to share some of the insights of our journey with useful tips in one of future articles. Now back to the ecosystems. If the future is in ecosystems, VR, AR, blended learning, and learning design. What kind of jobs might emerge in this sector? How will the field of education evolve in the following years? This has already been explored by the “Global Education Futures” project (GEF), where I have been contributing since 2015 on the topics of future trends and threats in various educational fields. What is quite peculiar is that educators taking part in this project agree that the figure of a teacher will evolve into more of a mentor or coach who accompanies a student on the path of learning rather than serving as the source of knowledge. Apart from a mentoring position, there will be game masters who will work on the gamification of courses with new tech solutions; educational trajectory development specialists helping to personalize courses; project-based learning organizers that will look into real projects required by real sectors each state. More educational platform coordinators will appear similar to present learning center coordinators with the surge of online platforms. Some of the roles are emerging already. You can find out more about these jobs in the “Atlas of Emerging Jobs” as one of the outputs of the GEF work. Conclusion The period 2020-2021 has accelerated the digital transformation of all sectors, but by all means, the educational sphere has been one of the most affected. When the first wave of emotional dismay is over, real ideas and solutions start getting shaped. And agents on both sides of the table need to work together to find the best ways to create a new learning/teaching experience for the years to come. For instance, we can start with a human-centered design provided by IDEO to discover the needs of learner-workers for corporate education. The future is exciting and empowering, as it promises limitless possibilities for lifelong learning for everyone, regardless of race, culture, gender, sexuality, income, age, or physical ability. And I personally hope that we will watch the rise of edutainment where education and entertainment mix and art and education meet at the edge of technological advances. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Ekaterina Matveeva, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ekaterina Matveeva is a linguist working in 9 languages, award-winning entrepreneur, learning designer, founder of Amolingua, and leader of the ErasmusPlus funded project Lingo+. She is a TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and researcher developing her theory “Language Alter Ego.” She has been training people worldwide for over 14 years and is now set to develop bespoke training for educators to teach in a multilingual, multicultural environment. This year she is running the MM Universe conference. Ekaterina is on a mission to create a better connected multicultural, multilingual world. She believes in communication across cultures. She has been working with world thought leaders from TED to Singularity University, serving as a public speaking coach at Talkboutique, and an invited professor for executive programs at the Universidad de Palermo. Education and entrepreneurship form a huge part of her life. She is an advisory board member of 3 Day Startup, helping university students acquire entrepreneurial skills. Her motto is: Dream, Decide, Do. References: Amolingua Atlas of Emerging Jobs (3rd edition, 2020) Bob Cooney Cepeda, Pashler, Vul, Wixted, & Rohrer, 2006, Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354. CS50 Global Education Futures IDEO Immordino-Yang, Darling-Hammond, & Krone, 2018, The Brain Basis for Integrated Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. Lingo+ Singularity University University of Palermo

Written by: Gurpreet Kaur, 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 lot of the people I work with express not ever feeling good enough no matter what they do in their lives. Feeling inadequate all the time can literally plague your life from the inside out. This type of deep sense of self-doubt and feeling incompetent comes from striving to be perfect. If you are a perfectionist, you probably already know it. You have this ideal image and an unachievable image of yourself that is almost impossible to achieve. You set very high standards for yourself. Interestingly enough, many people who struggle with these feelings are also highly intellectual or even gifted; their internal yearning to be perfect is very real. The drive to be perfect and flawless usually leaves you hating yourself. Why? When you try to live up to an ideal image of yourself, you will fall short at some point in life, which is the recipe for self-criticism and self-doubt. Because you do not like to fail, you don’t want to make mistakes. You are expecting perfection, which is impossible. When you make mistakes (which is inevitable), you don’t like it and become increasingly critical. The desire to control things, even those things outside of you, leaves you drained of energy. When you reach this point, you are irritable and overwhelmed, you make more mistakes, and you criticize yourself for perceived failure. This cycle often continues because you base your self-worth on arbitrary or flimsy measurements such as GPA, Facebook likes, test scores, income, etc. These measurements of self-worth leave you feeling even emptier after they are taken away from you for one reason or another. You are not yet able to see the beauty of imperfection. Finally, you begin to ask yourself: Why do I need people to approve of me? Why do I require validation from others? Why can’t I be enough just as I am? Why do I have to please everyone around me? Here’s a bit of knowledge that will place you on the path of self-acceptance and more fulfilling life: We all fall short on many different things, but you are perfect the way you are. Embracing this truth is the way you will get out of this negative, self-destructive cycle and start glimpsing beauty through imperfection. I encourage my clients to embrace their imperfections, differences, and failures. No one else has them; it is what makes you unique and special. You will find your true Self in your differences, not similarities, with others. Imperfection is beauty. You will learn more about your authentic Self from your failures than successes. Embracing your imperfections instead of constantly criticizing them will place you on the path towards acceptance and peace. Here are two steps you can take today to help you shift your lens regarding your imperfections: Make a list of all the things you do not like about yourself. For example: not tall enough, not thin enough, not smart enough, not successful enough, not mathematical enough, etc. Now look for strengths within your weaknesses. For example, I am not good at memorizing numbers. The strength I found for this weakness is that I can make more decisions with my heart and intuition instead of crunching numbers all the time. This two-step process has been tremendous in helping the people I work with and me personally to replace the feelings of self-doubt and self-criticism with those of strength, courage, and confidence. Here is another FREE guide to help you get on the path and stay on it to embrace your imperfections. I still practice these steps daily to keep myself on the right track. Try these methods and let me know how they worked out for you. Follow Gurpreet on her Facebook , Instagram and visit her website for more info! Read more from Gurpreet! Gurpreet Kaur, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Gurpreet Kaur is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Life Coach, Speaker, and an Author. Dr. Kaur is very passionate about self-love, self-empowerment, wellness, reaching the full potential, and applying quantum mechanics principles to daily life. Dr. Kaur teaches a step-by-step self-care process to live a mentally and emotionally healthy life.