Written by: Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” — Hippocrates. My doctor’s words to me were, “Whatever you are doing is working, so keep it up and let’s retest in one year.” This news was music to my ears! I gave my body the right environment and restored my thyroid to normal. The mass and nodules had shrunk in four months, all using whole foods and plant-based supplements. Not to mention a loss of twenty-four pounds and had more energy than ever before. Woohoo! I wanted to scream this from the rooftops and tell everyone. I wanted to share my wealth of knowledge and skills to inspire others to do the same. How did my passion for naturally healing the body start? That, I owe all to my sweet fur baby Sonnie, my then four-year St. Bernard. In 2017, after two years of frustration trying to find a cure for his Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I found the solution I was searching for in my mentor. While asking God to use my fingers as guides to point me to the person who could finally teach me how to heal him, my prayers were answered. Within eight months, he was healthy and thriving again. This triggered my love for naturopathic healing and inspired me to pay it forward to other pet owners that were in the same state of hopelessness as I was. My eyes were wide open now. The simplest of recipes, yet one of the most valuable pieces of information, such as adding pureed organic zucchini and a celery stalk into his main meals, removed the mucous out of his stool and stopped his diarrhea. This learning experience taught me how to balance his whole diet with plant-based supplements, thereby feeding his body the three biological requirements needed to maintain homeostasis. In the meantime, there was a new dilemma on the horizon. My doctor shared that the nodules on my thyroid that were once under control had now increased. My thyroid was malfunctioning, and lastly, and most of his concern was that I developed from what the sonogram showed a heterogeneous mass on my thyroid besides the nodules. He wanted me to go to an endocrinologist and for a biopsy asap. I asked him why I had to see the endocrinologist, and he said they would prescribe thyroid medication. My reply was, “No way, I am not taking medication.” My doctor was taken aback by my refusal to comply and said, you really should go; this is serious. I left the doctor’s office, thinking, “Do I have cancer? Is this going to get worse? And how in the world did this happen?” I have always had perfect wellness exams every year. I was tired of feeling so sick! I was tired of having no energy! I was tired of being told that medication was the only recourse I had for my life and health. I needed to get my immune system rebooted, stabilize my gut, and boost my liver elimination process and kidneys. I had all the tools and knowledge I needed to start my healing journey. Once it began, I would check my lumps every day, and they were still there, that is, until a month later. I woke up that morning started the same ritual of checking the lumps, and to my amazement, I no longer felt them. I weighed myself, and thankfully I lost 12 pounds, and for me, that was excellent news since I am 5’3” and was at an all-time high of 151lbs. I was so frustrated that everything I tried on was tight, and I lost the sexiness that once boosted my confidence. My experience with healing Sonnie was the steppingstone I needed in treating my adrenal fatigue. No more menopause symptoms because I balanced my hormones in the process of my optimal healing. On September 23, 2018, I checked my weight, and I went down to 139lbs and started getting my energy back. I gave myself three months before going back for a recheck, and when I did go, I got my Christmas present on December 26th. The latest thyroid sonogram showed and confirmed that my nodules and mass had shrunk more than half their original size. My blood results showed that my thyroid function was back to normal, and everything else was perfect again. (A copy of my results can be found at the end of my book.) My thyroid was still average at my next wellness exam and showed that the mass and nodules were gone entirely. The hidden secret, which is not a secret at all, is your gut. Your second brain and all your ailments start with an unhealthy gut. Changing my diet to a wholefood diet and doing what I refer to as a ramp-up process with plant/superfood supplements as part of the healing process. It did not happen overnight, but healing the body naturally is a long process, and you must understand the healing crisis phase. I started getting my sexy back to feel my energy coming back, which made me so happy. I felt relieved that what I was doing was working. I knew I needed to share this information with others experiencing the same things I had gone through. This system is a natural healing method that works on many degenerative conditions; you need patience. I am paying it forward and want to assist you in doing the same, assuring you, you will not regret it. I realized that many people out there like me are searching for a solution and feeling frustrated; I am here to give you peace and hope again. I have devoted myself to sharing the knowledge that I have acquired throughout the years from personal experience and reading health-related books and articles. My goal is to empower and inspire you to get healthier, overcome degenerative conditions, and practice disease prevention. By reading my book Healing Through Nature’s Medicine, A Story of Hope, you will learn that you can achieve an incredible state of health and that only you can create that result. Only your miraculous body can generate the state of “Optimal Health,” and you are your own best doctor when it comes to the basics. Your state of health is truly your choice. The pathways you have available for achieving optimal health are what I will share with you in future articles. Perhaps, you can relate to what I went through. Learning life’s hard lessons about health and possibly your experience related to learning about health could be like my thirst for finding a solution. I want to start by giving you an overview of my background. I am not a doctor nor a nurse. I am a certified health and life coach. My nutrition knowledge came from personal experience and mentoring from a woman whom I call my earth angel. She has taught me a vast wealth of knowledge on healing the body using nature’s medicine. I was told so often that the Irritable Bowel Syndrome that was causing my sweet boy Sonnie so much needless suffering was incurable. Many are under the assumption that it is a fatal disease, but I am here to tell you that it is curable, and I healed my dog in eight months. Before meeting her and becoming a health coach, I was frustrated, felt hopeless, and confused about health. I did not know what to believe or what diet to follow. As for supplements, I took many from a B complex, a multivitamin, C, and E; in total, I took about ten different supplements daily. I was baffled because I still did not feel right. Why are degenerative conditions present in the American population, such as heart problems, cancer, thyroid issues, arthritis, diabetes, etc., becoming more prevalent instead of less? Children have more cases of cancer today than at any other time in American history. We have more doctors, hospitals, and money for research than any other country in the world. We have the best pharmaceuticals and supplements offered by labs. We have thousands of books on health and healing, so why are we getting sicker? How could something so profound and yet simple have been missed by so many? We are talking about dedicated experts from many prestigious institutions with millions of dollars focused on studying diseases, understanding the causal problems, and finding cures. The entire body is made from food, air, and water. This straightforward statement had profound importance for me and will for you as well. Pay attention to what I will say and see if it makes sense to you, maybe even as much sense as it made for me. The quality of our health reflects in no small measure the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, as this is what our bodies consist of. That’s it, BINGO! When I learned this, I felt like I won the lottery because I became empowered for the first time. I am the one that controls the water I drink and the food I eat, but unfortunately, we cannot control the air we breathe. The quality of the food you eat and the water you drink translates to your health quality. Quality foods give the basic building blocks to usher a state of higher quality of health. Of course, other things matter like exercise, attitude, relationships, recreation, stress management, mindful eating, and getting a good nights’ sleep for at least 7-8 hours. Mindful eating is one of the many techniques I teach my clients in my wellness program. But foods are the single most crucial element in creating the state called “optimal health.” Follow Emanuela on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Emanuela is a leading expert in restoring health and a Master Transformational, Health, and life coach. After 20yrs recruiting in the finance industry, she discovered her true calling for naturopathy and helping people and their pets throughout the US. The value she provides her clients has put them in a position to gain better health and live a more fulfilling life. Having restored her own health, Emanuela is excited to share her victory and help others do the same; from thyroid conditions, shrinking nodules, blood pressure, hormones, and much more. This inspired her to write her first book, “Healing Through Nature’s Medicine,” A Story of Hope. Having restored her St. Barnard’s health as well, Emanuela coaches many pet owners on how to become their own best healer. She loves spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors, and her deepest passion is helping others transform their health.

Written by: Jeanne Agius, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you been thinking of ways to grow your confidence? Maybe with the changes this past year, you've been thinking of starting an online business or leading virtual summits or even simply turning on the camera during a zoom call, but you don't feel confident. The truth is confidence is a feeling or an emotion that helps you take challenges head-on, gain credibility from others, and then continue building momentum, but what is the source of that confidence? How do other successful people seem fundamentally more confident than you? The answer is absolute confidence comes from taking action and constantly challenging yourself. If you want to build your self-confidence, you have to do something to get you real results. When you do anything, you lay the foundation for increasing levels of self-confidence and maintaining it by constantly challenging yourself. For example, tackling new issues, going beyond what you already know, asking for more assignments, reading the employee manual to figure out the nitty-gritty of whatever it is you're doing, etc. Let's break it down even more: When you decide to do something and try to get good at it, you start picking out the patterns. You start figuring everything out by breaking things and processes into parts. You start seeing the relationship of these parts, and you're able to connect the dots. Sooner or later, you can know the process like the back of your hand. Now, here's the thing. Most people don't do things that way. Most people would instead take things on a superficial level and call it a day. So by constantly challenging yourself, you're getting in front of the issue. You can do things more effectively and efficiently. Most importantly, you can optimize your skills every day at your job, school, or anywhere else; you increase the value you get from your daily interactions. You stand out from the crowd. It becomes evident to anyone looking at you or looking at your co-workers that you are not just going through the motions. You are doing things to take things to the next level. You go beyond the call of duty. You're constantly challenging yourself, and this creates a competence that produces results. The more visible these results are, the more likely you'll get rewarded with a raise or a promotion. It is precisely those results that enable you to become a more confident person. You have a higher estimation of your ability to get things done. You don't let the small stuff or challenges get you down. You have a completely different emotional perspective about the things you choose to do. The more you do this, the more you realize that instead of constantly crying and whining, moaning, and asking, "What happened?" you become the person who makes things happen. You become the person who takes personal ownership and responsibility for what's happening in your life, enabling you to develop direction and feel like every day you spend alive is purposeful. Do you see how this works? One of the most powerful revelations you could ever realize is that every challenge is doable if you break it down in action bites. Every challenge has many different moving parts. If you pick these apart, and you attack one piece at a time in many different sequences, the chances are you will achieve a breakthrough. If you had wished you were more self-confident like those successful people you heard about, you now know that they have developed it along the way by taking messy action and constantly challenging themselves, which means you can too! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jeanne! Jeanne Agius, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jeanne Agius is a former Corporate Escapee turned founder of Self-Care Journey Coaching, every woman's Self-Care Coach, Healthy Lifestyle Expert, certified holistic wellness, life and success coach, NLP, EFT, hypnotherapy and Time Practitioner, International Speaker, along with a wife and mom of 2 rambunctious toddlers. She has also been featured in publications such as Yahoo Finance as one of the Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs, Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs to look out for in Benzinga, Authority, Medium, and Brainz. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, she spent 15+ years in the Corporate world, leading various projects in Marketing, Communications, and Risk Management and the health and wellness space as young as 16 years old. Since becoming a mom of two, she has been a frequent speaker worldwide on guiding women, especially moms, to prioritize themselves and their whole health without feeling guilty, despite the many hats they wear. She has been fortunate to help hundreds of women worldwide elevate their lifestyles and optimize their whole-body wellness by using self-care as their superpower to thrive. She is on a mission to help thousands more build strong bodies, confident minds, and healthy lifestyles they're obsessed with through her signature Self-Care System. Her upcoming book will help redefine self-care for today's woman because she whole-heartedly believes tending to your basic needs is not self-care, but true self-care is essential to living a life you love.

Written by: Kelly L. McCarthy, 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 quote by Maya Angelou says it best. “As we know better, we do better, and as we do better, we help create space for others to do the same. That in itself is the simple definition of universal energy and how it works. Going deeper is to understand each of us is a unique energetic frequency born into a specific fate that can become conscious enough in our awareness to create our true destiny. It is learning to live as our energy and not just during a meditative practice of it with full awareness of our frequency and how it affects every single being on the planet, whether you are conscious of it or not. When we learn to identify, understand, and harness our energetic frequency, we can help create the space for others to do the same, just as Maya speaks of. Here is an example of energetic frequencies and how they affect others. Imagine having a productive day at work. Everything is running smoothly, everyone is happy, and suddenly, the computer system crashes, leaving everyone at a complete standstill in their jobs. Some people will immediately react in anger and frustration, while others panic about a deadline or anxious about all the unknowns related to the crash. Then some may see it as an unexpected welcomed break in their day where they can get up, move around and stretch their bodies understanding it’s just a glitch and not the end of the world. Those not understanding their frequency and how to harness it will not only cause more anxiety and stress for themselves, but they will unconsciously share it with others through the words they speak, their tone of voice, and even their body language, unaware of the deep imprint and impact they are leaving. Still unconscious to their frequency, they run errands after work taking their frustrations out on someone who may have pulled out in front of them or was driving slower than they would have liked now gripping the steering wheel tightly and cursing loudly at literally no one that can hear them and the frequency is becoming frantic. They stop at the store for a few things and what they need is out of stock, and of course, they picked the wrong line because they always do so are tapping their foot visibly annoyed imprinting on every person they come in contact with. As they walk through the front door finally home after the day, they have had believing it’s safe and they can relax and unwind. They see chaos upon opening the door. Kids' shoes and backpacks are on the floor blocking the hallway, the kitchen is a mess, and the milk was left out yet again. As the kids come running in to hug them instead of embracing the moment and them, they scream, leaving the children stunned, scared and confused, imprinting and impacting them with an energy that has nothing to do with them. The children’s frequency has now been altered, and their behavior, words, and actions will not only stay within them but then pass on to the next, maybe at school or maybe back to the parent, a sibling, or even a pet. And unbeknownst to the person with the frantic energy they have also imprinted on the people at work, the people in traffic they honked and cursed at, the people in the grocery store watching them impatiently standing in line rolling their eyes and the ripple goes on and on all from one person unaware of their energetic frequency. Now take a moment to think of the office where it all began and how many people left with that same frequency imprinting and impacting others. Now think of the thousands of businesses this is happening in every single day. Lastly, take a moment to think of the world and all the situations that are happening daily where the energy of others is affecting others. The ripple effect is daunting, without adding the animal kingdom and the planet to the conversation yet. Then we have the person who has connected to and understands their frequency. They are more aware of how they are at any given moment, able to see, accept, be in and shift the thought, feeling, or situation, remembering the key to creating and staying in balance is in the awareness. When we are in balance, everything around us is easier to balance, bringing us back to the statement, “as we know better, we do better.” The energetic frequency this person harnesses spreads more awareness, understanding, compassion, and happiness much more frequently. However, they can still get caught up in their negative energy, their ability to recognize it and move through it easier and faster than those with no understanding at all. Many live as though life is happening to them, continuously caught up in the linear details of life as they perceive it through the filter of their own beliefs without the understanding they are creating these experiences through their frequency. Life is actually happening as us, through us and every single experience is one we have asked for whether we are conscious of it or not. To live intentionally through your energy, you need to hold space for yourself and others with compassion, love, empathy, and understanding for both your paths as you find your way, even if it’s different from each other with no judgment. Everyone learns differently, at their own pace, and it is not up to us to choose another path at any time. It is our responsibility to show up as the best version of ourselves every day. Through awareness, we can learn to harness our energy releasing the ego, and live through our conscious self as a mirror for others to see themselves within. We all leave an energetic footprint and how we choose to walk makes a difference. Follow Kelly on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Kelly L. McCarthy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kelly McCarthy is an expert in understanding energetic frequencies and how they impact the world, whether consciously or unconsciously. As a former restaurant owner and mother of two, she was caught in the frantic energy of always trying to stay one step ahead, struggling to juggle a personal and professional life with the need to slow down. After a hospital stay the clinical world would call a full body breakdown, Kelly saw it as a breakthrough where she learned from a variety of modalities the power of harnessing Universal Energy. As a spiritual leader in the holistic community, she was called to create her business, Beyond Words N Wisdom, sharing her knowledge through speaking, teaching, classes, and energy sessions. With clarity and compassion, her clients learn to identify and use their intentional energetic footprint to leave legacies that matter.

Written by: Jennifer Gattinger, 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. Are you finding that your stimulus checks just aren’t cutting it? Or maybe you want some extra cash to spend once restrictions lift this summer? Whatever it may be, there are many ways to supplement your income. You’ve probably come across opportunities to take surveys and get $5-10 here and there as well as the latest MLMs while scrolling your Facebook feed. After all, these opportunities seem to appear everywhere. The problem is that, generally speaking, neither are very profitable, not to mention, you may want to spare your friendships from being ruined with MLMs. That said, let’s take a look at some ways that you can start earning extra money from the comfort of your own home: 1. Teach English online. Teaching English to kids online is probably one of the easiest ways to supplement your income. Many companies, such as VIPKid and QKids, require teachers to have permission to work in the US or Canada, hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher, and have 1 or more years’ experience working with kids. Pay is typically between $14-22/hour, possibly higher for teachers with a TEFL/TESOL certificate. 2. Teach on outschool. As they say, everybody is an expert at something. Take a minute to reflect on the things you are good at. Ask yourself what advice people turn to you for. Once you figure out something, you can monetize it by teaching on Outschool. Called the Netflix of learning, Outschool is a platform offering classes in everything from math and language to essay writing and Roblox. Once hired, teachers set their prices and keep 70% of the profits. While Outschool requires teachers to be experts in their subject areas, they do not require teachers to have teaching credentials and/or previous teaching experience. 3. Create and sell online courses. If you enjoy teaching but find that giving live, online classes is not your cup of tea, you may want to think about creating and selling online courses. You can get up and running fairly quickly by offering courses on teaching marketplaces, such as Udemy or Skillshare. As an alternative, you may want to consider creating and promoting your courses with the ease of a platform like Teachable, which allows you to maintain more control over your products. Regardless of the platform you chose, the best part about selling online courses is that once you’ve got them up and running, they start generating passive income for years to come! 4. Sell a product or service online. Do you have the skills to make unique handmade or even digital products? If so, you can upload your products to the online marketplace Etsy in a matter of minutes and start selling right away. If you are interested in selling other types of items or offering services, you may want to consider setting up your website to refer potential clients to. Bluehost hosting combined with free, integrated WordPress templates makes it easier than ever to get your website up and run in no time. 5. Learn a high-demand skill. Skills such as graphic design, web design, social media management, digital marketing, and content creation are currently in high demand. Other positions looking for virtual assistants, transcriptionists, and proofreaders are also widely available. Take free courses or search for courses on these topic areas on Fiverr Learn or Udemy, and once ready, you can list your newfound freelance services on Fiverr or Upwork or look for remote positions on sites like flexjobs. If you want to learn about more ways to increase your income and generate passive income, I invite you to check out our upcoming group coaching course. *Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are my own. This article may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you, and I may earn a small commission. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jennifer! Jennifer Gattinger, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jenny is a personal financial coach with a passion for helping millennials reach their financial goals. Having completed a degree in Economics, along with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Coach Master Training, she teaches them how to organize their money and put it to work so that one day, sooner rather than later, they won’t have to. A millennial herself, Jenny’s financial savviness has allowed her to follow her dreams of travel and visit 50+ countries as well as compete internationally in two different sports, all while maintaining a sense of financial wellbeing.

Written by: Aden Eyob, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When life gives you lemons, mind map your way to your lemonade. 2020 was a whirlwind, but that's not the flavor of 2021. I must admit, it had been a while since I have gone back to the drawing board. Although I have set my intentions, desires, and goals, I find that it is a healthy exercise to go back and re-evaluate the end destination every so often. One of the ways I do this is by mind mapping my intended outcome. What is Mind Mapping? Mind Mapping is a creative exercise that links vital concepts or ideas to your central topic or desire. It is in essence, a visual thinking tool that streamlines a large amount of information in a simple visual framework and in doing so, allow you to see the big picture, analyze and consolidate data, and see patterns and relationship between your ideas to your central topic. Mind mapping stems from the concept of radiant thinking, which is the notion that thoughts radiate from a single idea, often expressed as an image. The beauty of this simple yet effective tool is its influence on the brain through dynamic learning. It dispels the traditional linear thought process by allowing both hemispheres to co-exist. It's an analytical and creative activity in nature, thereby engaging both the right and left brains to develop innovative yet well-thought-out ideas and opportunities. And, best of all, it is enjoyable. How Can I Create A Mind Map? Please keep it simple. You can use a piece of paper, whiteboard, or your tech-savvy apps such as MindNote. Start with your paper or app in landscape format, as this gives the creative brain freedom. Begin by writing or drawing your central idea you intend to develop. Your main idea is akin to your desire or goal. Now connect your sub-topics to your central topic, connecting each of them to the main subject with a line. Your subtopics are ideas that arise and can, in essence, facilitate the attainment of your central topic, desire, or goals. The key is to keep it simple; It's not meant to be a pretty exercise. Allow the creative juices and download to come without making it look visually appealing and perfect. Furthermore, keep the topics as short as possible, using keywords to describe an image better yet. By refraining from complex sentences, you are allowing for clarity to form. I suggest that you play around using colors, symbols, text size, and drawings. It is meant to be a fun exercise to experiment without the fear of doing it right or wrong. Once you have made your mind map, it is recommended to revisit it frequently to facilitate action. In doing so, it is good practice first to identify your learning modality. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), there are three primary learning modes: visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic. Given that mind mapping is a visual activity, shouldn't be a reason to give up on implementing its benefits. It is simply a matter of applying your learning modality. For instance, if you are a visual learner, the mind map is already designed to cater to your learning processes. You can make it effective by regularly revisiting it and taking time to visualize your end outcome as though it has happened. Also, placing your mind map in a place that you periodically access will help keep your mind map top of mind (e.g., daily planner). If you are an auditory learner, then consider adapting your visual mind map with a supporting dictation so that the words will anchor in the brain. Make it a point to listen to your dictations while looking at your mind map to make it effective and, ultimately, give you the action steps to achieve your desires. For the kinaesthetic learner, it's about the element of touch. How can you utilize your mind map, so you engage your touch senses? One way to do so is to create a physical mind map, take time out to feel the paper, and write the words down until it's anchored into your brain. You can also choose to bring in additional objects that support achieving your central desires and take time to experience these along with your mind map to maximize the effectiveness in attaining your outcome. What Are the Benefits? Gain clarity Create a simple roadmap that is innovative yet well-thought-out Great for organizing many data and help you see patterns What Can I Use It for? Creativity Brainstorming Planning Problem-solving Memorization and retention Researching and consolidating information from multiple sources Presenting information Gaining insight and clarity on complex subjects Mind Map Resources Good ole pen and paper MindNode App (www.mindnode.com) Miro (www.miro.com) Last Light I have used mind mapping in the past to gain clarity on my career, hobbies, traveling adventures, yearly targets, and yes, even relationships. Recently, I went back to this clarity invoking activity, except this time, I went with the focused intentions of creating a simple yet clear roadmap for my next four months. One may ask why only four months, well that's the vision I can see, for now in this pandemic. In the end, the journey is revealed when there's a roadmap. What’s your roadmap? Follow Aden on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Aden! Aden Eyob, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aden Eyob is a leader in mindset. She is the clinical neuroscientist and author, The Book on Mind Training: The Secret for Positive Living. She is the founder and CEO of Mind Medication, a fusion of neuroscience-psychology and spirituality-based mindset consulting and speaker service that helps you uncover your why to unlock potential and free limiting beliefs to achieve the impossible. Her clients include CEOs, entrepreneurs, and celebrities—her mission: a world free from limiting beliefs.

Written by: Antoinette Njombua-Fombad, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Have you ever wondered why you keep cycling back to certain periods or events that moved you while avoiding the ones that broke you? Or why the thought of certain encounters initiates anxiety and disappointment? We have become programmed to consistently associate those encounters with their negative effects because we avoid a crucial part of understanding the purpose of these events, as the emotions they evoke tend to be unpleasant. Every encounter, negative or positive, is meant to help us grow. They are meant to help us understand ourselves better, the purpose of our interactions, and how they fit into our growth journey. Emotions are a core blueprint for understanding everything about who we are, our choices, and our life paths. Before this new age of a better understanding of the correlation between energy, awareness, and growth, there existed almost a standard/procedural commonality with managing emotions. The favorable/positive ones were beneficial and favored like a reward system, while the unfavorable/negative ones were shunned and viewed as adverse and valueless. There is a realization that most individuals connect more with the effects of emotions than the lessons they provide. We tend to stay reactive to emotions rather than proactive. By regular standards, the immediate response during an unpleasant encounter typically initiates the fight or flight response expected and necessary for the body to adjust. That, however, is supposed to be a temporary response meant to begin the next step of evaluating our options and choices. However, with unpleasant emotions, we tend to stay in this response state for extended periods and unconsciously/habitually label them as detrimental. 5 things to remember about emotions: Every emotion has a purpose, even the unpleasant ones. Emotions are meant to grow us, not stall us. Fight or flight is meant to initiate the opportunity to process and learn from our emotions. Focus on their lessons rather than their effects. Remember that you always have the power to choose how you react and contribute. It is important to remember that a negative association to any encounter or experience hinders our ability to benefit from its purpose. Take vulnerability, an emotional state which before social scientists like Brené Brown graced us with a broader exposure to its value, was very often associated with weakness. We feared embracing it because of the general societal perception. Thankfully, as consciousness continues to grow and our appreciation for the value of emotions continues to evolve, there has been a consistent global shift and acceptance of emotions as useful. We now see them as valuable regardless of their effects, allowing for a better understanding and connection with their meaning for ourselves, our choices, actions, and our experiences. Processing our emotions constructively always allows a greater possibility for growth, and decreases the influence of limiting self-belief. Here is a simple fear-to-growth self-assessment that can help clarify the process of understanding the lessons from emotional encounters, using an example of a lost job opportunity that triggers doubt or distress. Ask yourself: Why do I feel disappointed? Is it because I was rejected for the position, or is it because I feel like a failure? Why do I feel like a failure or rejected? Is it because I am worried about others' perception of me, or is it because I wasn’t good enough? Why is it important to me what people think of me, or why am I not good enough? Is it because I have attachment issues, or is it because I wasn’t prepared enough? What do I need to work on to start detaching myself from the needed approval of others, and what do I have to do to become better at the skills needed to increase my chances of getting that position? See, emotions are the first breadcrumbs needed to lead us through the journey of understanding ourselves, our circumstances, and how we can make better choices as we grow into who we want to become. When this becomes our vantage point, our connection to the purpose of our emotional experiences truly becomes elevated and solution-driven. They become the absolute ingredient to every and all pathways for growth, whether professionally, socially, or individually. “As long as we are human, one thing is for certain, life will be dual. Don’t look down or disregard those difficult moments, rather listen to them, they are trying to teach you something. Don’t get lost in the darkness of those moments, that is their design by nature, not yours. Rather be more aware of them and your surroundings, and use them to lead you to what they are trying to teach you. They may be downers by nature, but they are just as valid as the happier times. Very soon, before you know it, you will come out of the other end stronger, and clearer” - Healloveandgrow.com Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and Linke dIn ! Read more from Antoinette ! Antoinette Njombua-Fombad, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Antoinette Njombua-Fombad is a Connection and Awareness solution-driven coach, helping individuals and groups understand the value of emotions as purposeful and vital to enhancing our perception for individual and collective growth. She is the founder of Within Life Coaching Services, a writer, storyteller, and motivational speaker working to inspire and empower individuals and groups towards a better understanding of self for improvement in areas of awareness, mindset shifting, negotiation, Identity, presentation, and confidence, using a healing-loving-and-growing approach. She is a healer who believes personal growth is crucial to all other relationships and transactional growth. Her healing and coaching journey includes a combined background in caring for individuals as a Registered Nurse and Case Manager for the past eleven years. Her practice and writings are centered around the conviction that we are gifted beyond recognition with individual capabilities often suppressed by our fear of emotions, which continue to deprive us of the lessons needed to elevate ourselves and our relationships. As our humanity necessitates endless opportunities for healing and loving environments to facilitate self-improvement in the process of our evolution, we need to keep looking within ourselves for a pathway to growing and becoming.

Written by: Lauraine McDonald, 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. We come into this World with our unique body already formed. This body is equipped to withstand the most extraordinary experiences, circumstances, and extremes. As babies, our minds and bodies are connected. They are one. They communicate and work together beautifully. As we grow older, our mind-body relationship diminishes, and many of us become separated from it. The main reason being trauma. We all experience traumatic events, and they shape part of who we become. One way of dealing with negative events is to move away from the event and the feelings we do not want to experience, and as humans, we do this by disconnecting from our bodies. An amazing survival technique that most probably kept you alive. The result of this, however, is that you now primarily live from your head. Once disconnected, it is all too easy to stay this way, so we continue growing up detached from ourselves. Most of us did not have anyone to teach us how to nurture through trauma and negative experiences and continue living from a deeply connected bodily place that we were born into, so we forget the beautiful and unique relationship we innately have. Did your caregivers and teachers spend time sharing how miraculous, how functional, and how in-tune this vessel of yours is? Where have you shown how to stay connected to your body? Did they share with you that your body, this solid malleable form you inhabit, is energy? And because it is energy, can it be worked with and transformed in a way that works for your highest and greatest good? No? Mine didn’t either. And it was most likely not for any other reason than lack of knowledge. We forget about the mind-body connection if there is no one to teach us. Most people in this world don’t live in a culture or society where the body is revered. We take it for granted. For the most part, our bodies function without us having to think about it. We get up every morning and expect it to work, to function properly, and to run all day as we want. We don’t think to be grateful for our bodies and nurture them as they are and back to a healthy state. For example, we get angry with it when it hurts. We speak to it badly if it is tired, and most of us don’t feed it all the nutrients it requires. We take our limbs for granted. We take our senses for granted. And most importantly, we take our breath for granted. After all, we breathe without paying any attention, and there is nothing we have to do to keep our hearts pumping physically. We take for granted the main thing that keeps us alive. When was the last time you noticed your breath and your beating heart? Exercise and healthy food are not the only answer to meeting our body’s needs. We have to take care of our mental and emotional states too. Our bodies are not the machines we were brought up believing them to be. They cannot run effectively all day without love, care and attention. They are sacred energy in motion, fluid, and change all the time. Our bodies go through continuous cycles, and as conscious beings, our job is to honor, respect, and work with them, not against them. You see, our bodies are on our side. They bat for the same team we do. They want us to do well, and they will communicate with us until we do. They are our friends, our greatest cheerleaders, and the biggest protection we have here on this Earth. It is possible to tune into our body’s energy and learn the language it speaks. And it is our responsibility as grown adults to do so, which enables us to release, restore and maintain balance. When was the last time you listened to your body and asked what it needed? And when was the last time you acted on the answer you were given? The feelings, emotions, needs, and desires we have to tell us vital information about what is happening. If we do not feel these, we become powerless. We run on autopilot, unconscious of our behaviors and unaware of how to live a more fulfilling life. This connection between mind and body, for me, is the key to life. It allows us to be present and gives us the power to know who we are every second of every day because we have the best point of reference to keep coming back to; ourselves. If you are not entirely in your body and present, you lose the sense of self. Self-worth and self-esteem are measured from sources outside of your physical body and surrounding energy that your body radiates. It becomes easier for you and others to cross your boundaries, and advocating for yourself can become hard. It becomes all too easy to live within the boxes and expectations that society, culture, friends, and family place on you rather than living a life full of freedom and passion. And I, for one, have totally and utterly been guilty of this. Living in and from your body gives you total access to the autonomous, conscious, sovereign you. My body has withstood sexual, mental, emotional, and physical abuse. I am hypermobile, so my joints dislocate easily. I have asthma, eczema, and allergies. I have not been the size I have wanted to be since puberty, and up until a few months ago, my voice sounded like a child. I lived half of my life in my head. I subjected myself to other people’s rules and expectations, societies, and my culture's boxes. I felt stuck, lifeless, helpless, and hopeless and did not want to be in a human body. I thought I was better off in my head and not grounded because then, at least, I didn’t have to feel my pain fully, and I could create a fantasy world to live from. It got to the point in my life that I either do some serious deep work on myself, or I give up and die. I chose life and found the most amazing people to help me heal, all from different walks of life. Every one of them had the same message; to heal and live the life I desired for myself meant I had to be present in the here and now, and that required me to embrace my body, feelings, emotions, and experiences. To release the trauma and stuck energy from my system and allow myself to be seen, heard, and felt. I started on this journey when I was 16, and it will be one that I walk for the rest of my life. Learning to love my body, to trust my body, and to listen to my body is what has taught me that self-worth and self-esteem come from within ourselves, that I can live my life outside of the boxes those around me wanted me in. I now create boundaries that feel authentic to me, and the voice that I have had since I was first born finally gets used. I can honor the vessel my Soul and Spirit sit in. This does not mean I always like the situation I am presented with or do not have struggles within my body. Of course, I do. It is unrealistic to believe that life is always roses. That is not true or real. Life has many ups and downs. We all go through ‘dark nights of the Soul,’ and we all have periods of joy. The unknown of what life is going to bring next can be scary. It involves fully trusting the Universe, who we are, and the vessel that got us into this World. But what helps me live in an unknown reality is the knowledge that I have a vast tool bag that I can use at any moment, in any given situation, to help me move through what presented itself in the healthiest way I know-how. My tool bag will continuously expand as I go through life. My experiences and the knowledge that I now have, allow me to walk with a strength that no one or nothing can ever take away from me. When you meet the core of who you are from a raw, authentic, vulnerable, and true place, the life you have always seen as fantasy and unreachable becomes touchable. And when something becomes touchable, you can make a conscious decision as to whether you desire to bring it further into your reality, decide it is no longer what you want or needs, and/or begin reaching for something new. If you have a longing to be; fully present in your body and experience this rich life that we are surrounded by, conscious as to who you are from the depths of your core, free and passionate about who you are and the life you are living, I have a piece of advice for you. What has helped me most on my journey is to gain a best friend relationship with my body. One where we communicate often, feel grateful for each other, and if we don’t speak for a while, our world does not come shattering down around us. You can start by simply asking your body how it is today and what it would like to do. Whether you hear words or feel a sense of the answer, you then get to trust that what you heard and/or felt is true for you. Next, follow through. Take that risk! And then allow your world to open up to all the limitless possibilities on offer. Do not be surprised if your little child within you wants to come out to play. Allow it. Have fun, be random, do something wild and crazy if it is calling your name. It is ok to act like a child would sometimes. As adults, we forget, and that beautiful child part within us wants us to remember. So, eat that ice cream, or watch movies all day. You are an adult, and no one gets to tell you what to do or what is right or wrong, other than you. If your body is asking you to do something more serious, that is great also. Listen, breathe, take your time, and look after yourself in the process. Ask yourself what you would need as support to accomplish what your body is asking of you. Allow yourself and give yourself permission to take some of your power back right now and listen to you first and foremost. This is key to developing an ongoing deep and diverse relationship with who you are. To truly believe that your body is your greatest asset requires you to have a relationship with all parts of you. Bring your energy back to you so that what you feel and experience can be used positively to heal the trauma you went through or are currently going through. If I can do this, so can you. You already have a supporter on your team, me. Follow Lauraine on her Facebook , Instagram , Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Lauraine McDonald, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Lauraine McDonald is an intuitive guide and empathic healer who has been working with Energy for over 15 years. She has two degrees in Psychology and relishes every opportunity to bridge the gap between the mind and body. Due to many traumatic experiences, she has dedicated her life to helping people connect authentically to themselves and to the world around them. She does this by helping you to release past traumas, break free from cultural and societal boxes and innately see and express who you are. Deeply rooted in the Native American Way of Life, Lauraine brings a holistic approach to her work. Lauraine is also a Sexual Abuse Advocate and looks forward to bringing light to the mental health stigma of keeping quiet and holding on to secrets that belong out in the open. Her mission is, "Become you, speak your truth, reclaim your power and step into who you were born to be."

Written by: Beckie Kullberg, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. For years I would either avoid mirrors or only look at one when I did my makeup or to see if the outfit I chose was decent looking on me. I would take a quick glance and then look away. When passing a large plate glass window and seeing my reflection, I remember actually feeling sick to my stomach and asking, “ Is that really me?” When I finally got fed up with feeling this way, I chose to seek a new belief about myself and learn to love what I saw looking back at me in the mirror. The journey was one of self-development and overcoming old beliefs that no longer served me. It’s funny to me now how our society seems to support body shaming more than body loving. Media messages suggest if we are thin, tall, and have long hair, then we are pretty and accepted. If you look different from this ideal, then you are not attractive or must do something to change your appearance to be more acceptable. This is a bunch of bs! Here are 5 ways I learned to love and accept my body as is and love the beautiful woman looking back at my reflection. 1. Stop comparing myself to others This was HUGE! When I looked at other women who, in my mind, were more attractive, had a better body, or a great career, I believed that if I didn’t have what they had, then I wasn’t enough. This pattern went on for years and ate away at my self-confidence and body confidence. Then I learned this little strategy that made a big shift for me. When I caught myself comparing myself to others, I simply noticed, stated “comparing” in my mind (without judgment), and then it gave me a second to pause and make a different choice. Making a different choice meant recognizing that they are on a different journey than I am and if I chose to follow theirs, then I could too. We tend to compare our “B” roll with their “A” roll. That’s like comparing giraffes to toenail clippers and nobody wins. Letting go of comparing creates freedom and more energy. It takes a lot of effort to compare and I choose to use that energy towards my goals and dreams. 2. Lose the scale and gain control The scale is a device that tells us our gravitational pull, and that’s it! Why do we give it so much power? Every day I would step on that device and it would give me a number and I chose to allow it to dictate what kind of day I was going to have. If it was down, I was good, happy, and felt light. If it was up, I was bad, ugly, and fat. Even if I felt good about myself before I got on the scale, I gave it permission to tell me how I was supposed to feel that day. One day, I remember this so clearly. I woke up and felt great, had positive energy, and was ready to take on the day. Like all mornings, I emptied my bladder and stepped on the scale. The number was 4 pounds higher than the previous day. What the $@^#!?! My energy shifted, the negative self-talk started, and I felt defeated. Then suddenly, something shifted inside me an inner strength, and I walked into the bathroom, picked up the scale, walked out the front door, and threw that sucker into the garbage bin. A few words came out of my mouth along the lines of, “you no longer have power over me” and I slammed the lid and walked away. It was 1 year before I purchased another scale, and in that year, I let go of the number that I had decided would dictate my worth. That number had haunted me for years. Being without a scale, I used other forms of measurement to monitor my size. How was my energy level? How did my clothes fit? What did I see when I looked in the mirror? Letting go of that number empowered me. Now the scale only gives me feedback in the form of a number, and I get to decide what I do with that information, not the scale. 3. Love all parts of my body, not only my favorite parts. My eyes, smile, and small waist were the only things I liked about myself. My butt and thighs were gross and ugly in my mind. As a skinny preteen, I got the nickname “bubble butt.” Loathing parts of my body seemed natural to me as I heard others doing it and shaming myself was another way to “fit in.” If I said I liked a part of my body or how I looked, then that meant I was egotistical, conceited, or stuck up, and all of that sounded horrible. That saying, “No one can truly love you until you love yourself,” really hit home with me and I wanted to love myself, like REALLY love myself and all parts of my body. One by one, I fell in love with my thighs, my butt, and even my arms. Does this mean I don’t want to make changes? No! This means I love what I see, and that’s it. No energy. No drama. I simply love my body. 4. Accept my unique body shape As a petite woman who is 5 feet 1 and a half inches tall, I will never be 5 feet 7 inches, it’s impossible and yet I dreamed that if only I were taller, my body would level out and look “normal.” This is one of those bs stories we tell ourselves that keep us chained in misery. My body is curvy, lumpy, and dare I say, sexy. Sexy is a choice, by the way. There is no other body on the planet like mine and that is a gift. I am a gift. My body is my body, and no one gets to tell me it is less than perfect. When I took my power back and acknowledged my unique body shape, the weight that I was carrying of other people’s opinions was gone. Just like no 2 fingerprints are alike, neither are our bodies...and that’s a beautiful thing! Love the body you are in because you’re going to be there for the rest of your life. Once you let go of the resistance of your God-given body, love it as is, you start to see the world differently. 5. Loving my body doesn’t mean I am vain As I said before, it seems to be more acceptable to be down on your body than love it, and this simply is not acceptable. This one really gets me curious and fired up! If I were to post on social media that I despise my butt, many people would jump in and share what they despise about their own bodies. On the flip side, if I said, “I love my arms” this post might get crickets or a few, “good for you!” Snicker, snicker. This is not acceptable, and the shift of loving our bodies and having it be known starts here, right now! Own it, love your body as it is today, not how you believe it “should” look-TODAY! Life is happening now. Do you want to look back and say I wish I had loathed my body more, Or I wished I had loved my body more? It’s a choice and it starts with you. Say it with me, “I am beautiful, I love my body, and I am sexy.” If you struggled with that last part, no worries, it gets easier, keep saying it. I choose to love the woman I see in the mirror because she’s one BADASS, ROCKSTAR, and BEAUTIFUL human being. Who do you see? Please share your ahas and breakthroughs. For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Beckie Kullberg, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine For the past thirty years, Beckie Kullberg has guided women of all ages and walks of life to fully understand and embrace self-love. She is a gentle leader who bonds with her clients and provides a safe haven for them to build body confidence and achieve a positive mindset. Her own story of binge-eating and recovery prompted her to create programs and tools to help others succeed in establishing strong self-esteem. Beckie coined the phrase “image nemesis” as she designed the courses “30 Days to Breakup with Binge Eating” and “Body Confidence and Weight Release.” After hiding her secret for years (even her husband didn’t know), Beckie took multiple self-development courses and made the shift to stop the shame and restore optimal health of mind and body. She feels grateful to live in scenic Sonoma County with her husband of eighteen years and her teenage son, where she loves to hike the local trails and connect with nature.

Written by: Serena Scarlett, 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 don’t think I have ever felt isolated as an entrepreneur. Some of the best times I had (and I'm still having) have been planning with others for more success to come. Coming up with the most fantastic Dot Com website names and program names together. Scheming and dreaming up the passive income programs with jam-packed value, cracking changemaker courses. Working together to keep us, and our families, in the lifestyle we would like to become accustomed to. More on my history at a later date but, right now, the company I keep are those ahead of me, people I am supporting to greater heights, and some I'm collaborating with just for plain fun. Shall I drop names? I reckon I will! Vanessa Talbot, with her brilliant mentoring who shines the way for me in her Coaches & Changemakers, Spotlight Academy. With his Heart Of Presenting, Andrew Eggleton paved the way for a new class of World Presenters. Andrew, btw, was instrumental in his earlier days in overcoming my hesitancy to use Facebook Live. Now he runs retreats, one coming up in Hawaii, possibly? Pals like Neil Asher with his Aussies Online Entrepreneurs e-commerce business creation and a bloody good sense of humor keep me intrigued, waiting to see what he will say next. Colleagues like: Hypnotherapist William Hopkins, using Tarot towards business success. Soul Power Tess Vergara, with deep dives into your self-awareness, flicking the switch to spiritual awareness, Witchery Woman, aromatherapist and perfumer Julie Nelson, and her Facebook Group ‘Goddess Manifestation.’ Fabulous Financial Adviser Liz Sowers, with her damned good Debt Busting. Jacinta Ojwang, who blesses her cotton socks, has been in business since her early 20s and runs a charity near Kisumu, Kenya. Children, parenting, and family are her passion. Productivity Paul – Paul Henriksen is also a darling (sorry to the wife), but he is a honey. He’s such a pleasant, polite Norwegian despite being a Forensic Detective as well, that would turn many bitter. Ever helpful and ready to serve the community as a productivity coach. Don’t you just love people who share the best of themselves? Gives one a new trust in life and people. Many of these guys 'n gals are growing and vamping up their vision, being the best they can be with enormous value and authentic services that deliver. I mean really deliver, powerfully packed with potent solutions—all with tried and true methods to their madness. Did I say madness? Well, zany, if not crazy, delightfully unique, and never, ever dull or boring. They are finding new ways to heal, calm, lift and fill those missing hollows that all of us may have, from time to time, when life loses its luster. Adding meaning and purpose and ultimately having a fulfilling life. Friendships, relationships, business partners, professionals in the same industry, and others that interest or awe me are all counted. In my ever-growing friendscape in my ever-changing landscape of being an Entrepreneur. Who is one of your most interesting journeyers? Drop me a line; I am intrigued to know. Cheers! Come on over, share the Journey and enjoy a Business Beauty Break. Here is an open invitation to our Facebook group. Tribe up and join Entrepreneurs with Spirit Tribe 'n Thrive. Follow Serena on her Facebook and visit her website for more info. Serena Scarlett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Serena ignites messages while maintaining the business owner’s feel and stamp. Wholistic copywriting with alternative approaches are central for supporting unique businesses. When Magic (and the opposite) happens, Serena provides Mentoring. She delivers creative problem solving, outside the box solutions and stratagems. Whatever the role or project, Serena powers it up and packs a punch. This includes presenting to a SharkTank / Dragon’s Den-style panel and a public audience at Sydney School of Entrepreneurship in 2019. Copywriting for web pages and marketing materials are her core functions, in addition to being a Wholistic Mentor for Entrepreneurs. The nitty-gritty / hard yards achieved: - designed and ran spiritual groups, mindfulness, relaxation and meditation classes, taught conventional classes on marketing & small business management, financial (debt) management sessions, - therapeutic counseling and case management, - start-up and business mentoring - copywriting, making business presentations, entrepreneurial pitches. - International Business Mentor, with clients in the USA, Europe and Australia. Companies worked for include International Legal firm VisAustralia, Counselling services Converge International, Belconnen Community Services Canberra, Mission Australia, and Anglicare Canberra covering South East and South West NSW, Australia.And currently an Entrepreneur Serena Scarlett as Spiritual Wordsmith / Wholistic Copywriting & Mentoring. KEY QUALIFICATIONS (Quals) Copywriting Training & Internet Marketing by Hot Copy, Graduate units Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, Ideation & Structure for Success in 2019 fuelled this further. Formal Quals include B.App Sci Health (& Community) Education Post Grad Community Counselling Dip Financial Counselling. Create Your Destiny graduate with William Whitecloud April 2021 Mind Soul Spirit workshops (30 + years) The latter two being personal, spiritual and psychic development.

Written by: Léa Agbo, 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. People are particularly concerned by their lifestyle on long-term perspectives. However, we sometimes ask ourselves if our current way makes sense. This is quite essential, as people who live without asking themselves if they are on the right track are usually not fully living their lives as they could. Everybody knows the word ‘optimization.’ Outside the marketing, managerial or economic contexts, we could use it as a ‘make things better.’ Thus, to look for our life mission would be the way to optimize our quest for happiness - a personal and deep wish to improve our current way of living to accede to the healthiest and wealthiest life being the fundamental part of it. Our way could then be defined as what we like to do and also what emotionally, spiritually, or ethically feeds us the most without effort. Let's start with a focus on the mission concept. The mission is filled with multiple goals with an essential meaning given to the unique point they should converge towards (our mission). That is to say; we set goals by placing a deep value on the ‘why’ for which we are doing it. Indeed, if our goals are not interconnected to achieve this end, it is at this point that we lose the sense of our value. Goals are also revealing because they help us identify our resources and even allow new ones. These resources were, of course, already in ourselves but still appear to us as news because we had never explored them before. And so, what if our mission was ‘simply’ to exercise our talents? What if it was the fact of thriving in who we are, and then that as many people as possible could benefit from it? Sharing our way to improve our reality, our positive state of mind, reaching out to others, and being of service are things within everyone's reach. Sharing, caring, and supporting are the most inspiring actions there are. What is certain is that our first mission is to inject something positive into our daily life. Why are we looking for our (own) way? The answer is simple: to find our way is to find ourselves. It is to give our lives meaning (again) and gain amplitude. We are looking for it to avoid feeling cramped in our inner greatness definitely. This question is imposed on us to find what animates us and, consequently, to go towards the construction of solid bases for the life we choose. As a matter of fact, being on that journey, we notice more evidence of the involvement effect, and so we exercise more clarity in what we do and why we do it. On the other hand, although envisioning or dreaming of our mission should be a pleasurable experience, that momentum can sometimes be dampened by the fear of all the things we have to put in place to realize it. Taking the trajectory of our way by identifying it could indeed be demanding, as it requires us to become a better version of ourselves. Indeed, it can be frightening to decide not to leave our life mission to the hands of time, the current context, or our environment. However, because of that nagging feeling that has been in us for a long time, we want to go to the next level. We are now telling ourselves that it's now or never. It is time for us to move forward. How? Getting to discover our life mission is a fascinating adventure. At this stage, the interest is in knowing how to identify it to apprehend, accept, and implement it into our lives. Indeed, the real goal is not knowledge alone. This theoretical identification aims to put it into practice, and therefore to develop a better integration into our daily actions. This consists of five major stages: 1. Knowing ourselves better. I know you already know this point, but let’s have a quick review. What are our potentialities? What are our limits? How do our emotional pillars work? Where does our energy go? How do we spend it? To solve this Sphinx-like riddle, we can start by writing a few lines focusing on the following questions: Do I think that I have an inherent duty and/or vocation? What would I like to accomplish? Do I have any specific aspirations? Do I have a time perspective for my mission? Do I have any particular talents that I can use to accomplish my mission? What role do I wish to fulfill within my mission? Answering these questions will help us to be able to draw a global picture of ourselves, including what it takes to go for it (our life mission). 2. Observing. To us, our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and attitudes seem to be appropriate reactions to the various stimuli we are subjected to. If this were not the case, we would act differently. This is why this is a question of looking at our way of functioning to enter our field of consciousness. It all starts with this ability. It is about developing that inner observer that we all have and allowing it to be fully operational. The point here is to put our finger on what genuinely makes us vibrate. The more regular the practice of the observation phase is, the more it is possible to identify what makes us happy through our talents. 3. Accepting. The process continues with the acceptance (of oneself), which counterbalances the essential observation phase. It has been noticed that the previous step can sometimes lead to a negative attitude of criticism towards oneself. Such a position is both ineffective and unjustified. Acceptance (of self) is thus what will induce inner peace and insight into action. We should avoid judging ourselves, as there is neither good nor bad in what we do. It is simply our responsibility to express the best of us. 4. Taking action. The three previous stages will allow us to understand better our personality and behavior in a concrete and lively way. The acceptance phase is having, for its part, positively directed our energy. It is now possible to take action, which results in change(s). Indeed, it becomes much easier to be pragmatic while being benevolent with ourselves. The change we are making consolidates much more constructive management of the future, and we will now concentrate our energy on our life mission. Keep in mind that the word ‘energy’ is a synonym for involvement and is similar to vitality or an enterprising spirit. It is the fuel that activates our talent for seizing or creating opportunities. A great success goes hand-in-hand with the physical, intellectual, and cultural energy that drives us to get to the bottom of our actions and projects constantly. 5. Enjoying the perfect match between what we have achieved and who we have become. It is important to know that wondering about our way, as a life mission, is already an act of awakening in itself. Several ingredients are indeed necessary to find one's way. It is, of course, more appropriate to have confidence in one's ability to choose, have the courage to make important decisions, act and react, understand, and adapt to the changes that are offered to us. It should also become our reality that we deserve the best and deserve to (always) be happy. At this stage, we have already experienced being more confident because of the victories we have had. This is what drives us to keep experimenting and succeeding. However, it is essential sometimes to review our progress to help us realize what we have achieved. This brings us joy, a taste for perseverance, and this certitude that we are on the right track, as we can now see that we have become a better version of ourselves. How long does it take to find our (own) way? When we are focused on a question we would like to get an answer to, we have to be pragmatic. If we are sufficiently involved in finding what will be our next life, it is a question of months. If you spend 3 months thinking and writing about what is right for you in terms of well-being, career, family, etc., then spend another 3 months setting up, develop and put into practice what you previously thought about, you will have quick results. During the first 3 months, you should focus on describing your goals with as much precision as possible. Those will, of course, be in total alignment with your convictions and values - convictions being a positive belief about who we are and what we can become. It precisely determines what we will become. People who succeed know what they want and are convinced that they can get it. Convictions have to be distinguished from values considered ethical, moral, or practical fundamentals. It is essentially a positioning to help us to adjust and make decisions. Therefore, knowledge of the values we hold dear is one of the most fruitful elements in our quest for success and happiness. The next 3 months are a good time to think about ‘How do I do it?’ Ask yourself the following questions, and you will have your answer: What ingredients do I currently have available? Do I need more ingredients to make my recipe succeed? How or where do I acquire it? Throughout this journey, clarity will come. Thus, your life mission will come to you as a matter of course. Remember, the coherence of our goals and the fact that we feel fulfilled lead us to our way. Did you say ‘benefits?’ The benefits of still looking for or finding our life mission are very powerful: We gain in decision-making maturity. We take action - Each of our steps brings organization and reinforces the structure of our life. We seriously increase our self-esteem (just by taking stock of the last few months) We know ourselves better and more deeply to innovate, create and apply what is best for us. We are in total agreement with ourselves, and, above all, we find our authenticity along the way. How do you know you’ve really found your (own) way? When we feel that we have found our way and are fulfilling our life mission: We have energy - We are dedicated to everything we go for We find joy from our ambitions We have found a healthy life balance We are curious and full of aspirations We feel aligned with what we do, and we genuinely enjoy it We are regularly inspired We feel at peace with our past, our present, and our future We listen to our intuitions We feel that we advance on our way with ease (obstacles fall easily) We have developed a daily awareness that allows us to readjust when necessary We feel that what we do allows us to shine more in our mission We are natural and enthusiastic We have fluid relations We have confidence in the future But what if? But what if the idea was, above all, to find out how aligned we are with our way in our current level of consciousness? After all, this is essentially a matter of (personal) perception. We could also ask ourselves: Does a ‘universal’ and unique life mission exist for all of us? In this case, there wouldn’t be an ‘own’ way but a collective one, converging to the unique concept of ‘doing good around us.’ Some will say that we should consider the lifestyle, the context, the culture, etc. Maybe. Maybe not! Nevertheless, thinking about this possibility can only do one thing: make us grow. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Léa Agbo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Léa is an entrepreneur and infopreneur, a certified coach in positive psychology, and a specialist in cross-cultural business. With over 10 years of experience in personal development, her focus is for you to become a better version of yourself. A wide range of clients, including entrepreneurs, require her services to smoothly optimize their lives and/or business projects, have more confidence and energy to pursue their goals, and build real, constructive, and consistent self-esteem. She specifically coaches entrepreneurs on the cross-cultural aspects of their businesses and is the author of the ‘Globalisation Programme.’ Léa holds a master’s degree in Strategic Business Management and Entrepreneurship. She is also a Certified Operational Manager. Léa is the Founder of AGBO Business Consulting, a company aiming to challenge you to the next level.

Written by: Cynthia Jones, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up someplace else – Yogi Berra . Is your vision clear? Do you know where you are your business is going? A question is so simple but yet so complicated. Understanding the vision is fundamental. Every decision you make has consequences, and without a clear vision, you fall short of having the life you desire. Your vision must be strong and steady as it guides you to the place you truly desire; if not, you will find yourself having an imbalanced life. If you try to base your vision on something other than your inner self, you will find your life not satisfying and empowering. With a clear vision, you will have fulfillment, purpose, and meaning in your life. I can still remember when I first wrote my vision. I was afraid to let go and dream. I thought maybe I could do this wrong. Not sure why I thought that when my vision is personal to me. I had to rewrite it about 4 times before I read the vision statement and just smiled. Creating and believing in your vision is not always an easy step. It will require you to believe in what you are doing or want to do and become a focus that will work and be dedicated to the process. By creating a vision, you can reach far beyond your current level. It will require you to get out of your comfort zone. You sometimes believe more in what you can’t do than in what you can do. Your heart and soul want to become more focused on what you can do, and you will create from that positive energy. Here are three steps to help you get started. 1. The first step is to create the vision at least 5 to 10 years into the future. And the best way to do this is from within. Often, you want to look at what others are successful at, the latest statistics for growth in a certain field, or what others have given you as a vision. So envision something you like doing or always wanted to achieve, and when you are doing this, let go of all barriers, obstacles, or challenges. Do not hold yourself back. Let yourself go. Is it traveling the world, being the best Mom ever, the top executive CEO, Making a million dollars, or starting your own business? Whatever your vision is, YOU CAN ACHIEVE It! It will become your reality if you can hold the vision long enough. Many times the vision is let go because of fear. Do not let fear steal your vision and dreams. 2. Write the vision and ensure it incorporates every aspect of your life. It should include family, business/career, health, spirituality, money, and relationships. What would your everyday life look like once you achieve this vision? Where will you live? Will you have a business, or will you work for someone? How do you spend time with your family? What car do you drive? Do you have parties and invite a lot of friends and family? Incorporate as much as your life into the vision as possible along with your business or career. 3. After you are done with your vision, begin to set goals from what you have written. This can become one of the hardest steps, especially if you are not already involved in your vision. For me, it was planning my business. I started my business but did not have many goals or aspirations until I created the end picture - vision. Once I saw my business's great success, I began to set intentional goals to reach that end goal. I know this vision session has given you the steps to create a powerful vision that allows you to see beyond your present condition. Visualization is a powerful tool, and it was given to you for a reason. You can create the life you desire. Through vision, you dream, created, and manifest what does not exist yet. But like I stated before, you must hold steady to the vision long enough. You only receive what you can give, so fill yourself with positivity, and as you are freely giving it, you will receive it. You will have your vision and all you desire, but it will take determination, commitment, and faith. I believe you have what it takes, so dream in abundance. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cynthia ! Cynthia Jones, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As a first-generation college student, Cynthia began her career in Cybersecurity with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a double masters in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity Policy. She worked her way through college with limited support. Fortunately, she had her husband by her side as she completed her master's degrees. As she entered the male-dominated field of cybersecurity, Cynthia had to learn how to show up with confidence to avoid dismissal, which many women struggle with. At this job, she realized her ability to empower other women to become fearless in pursuing their purpose. She now has accumulated 20 years of experience in mindset coaching and has helped many women on and offline pursue their goals with courage and continues to watch them succeed.

Written by: Tricia Dycka, 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 found out I was an empath 10 years ago, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. When they say the hardest breakdowns create the most amazing breakthroughs, it was so true for me and a pivotal turning point in my life. It started in September, and I just started to feel nothing! Absolutely nothing. I was a shell of a person going through the day. Doing what needed to be done and going to sleep, this went on until Thanksgiving. Suddenly, the pressure cooker top blew off, and all the emotions I refused to deal with and took on as mine from others came bursting through. Years of being told that you are too sensitive and hiding emotions, pushing them down so nobody will see the tears or how hard I was trying to cope came bursting through the vault I had erected to be dealt with. I was always super busy to avoid feeling all the feels that blew up in my face. IT was one of the best things that happened to me. The uncontrollable sobbing started, and it went on for months. At my job, I would run to the bathroom and have tears silently course down my face. At home, it was anyone’s guess when the next wave of sobbing came, and all I could say to my hubby when he asked what was wrong was ' I don't know,' I could not explain what was going on. All I knew is I was completely overwhelmed with feelings, and it did not make sense. Even when the tears stopped, the anxiety was on full throttle, waiting for the next explosion. Finally, one day I had a chat with the Universe. "This is not who I am, and if this is it, I do not want to handle it." I fell asleep that night, fully expecting my life to be over. When I woke up the next day, I said, “so I am guessing this is happening for a reason." What is it? “Please help me because I do not want to go another day like this.” When you reach rock bottom and ask for help, help does arrive in many ways. The answers started rolling in. I had a friend on Facebook reach out to me saying I have a message for you. When we chatted that night, she announced that I was an empath . What? I had no idea what an empath was. I started the research and realized so much of my life started making sense. Empaths are born with their gifts. Empaths can pick up emotions from people they know, people they have never met, and from the collective. One day I was at home trying to work, and my anxiety started to shoot through the roof. I began to walk around the house feeling tremendous pressure throughout my body, and my hubby opened the window and said, look across the street. My neighbor and his son were having a very heated debate, and I was picking up all their emotions. A great example of emotional collective issues was the beginning of the pandemic and the world shut down. There were many collective emotions of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, anger, worry, and loss. An easy tool that I use is the empath symbol . It is super easy to implement and add to your morning ritual. My symbol is a bear, and I ask the universe to show me the bear when I feel it DOES NOT belong to me. You can use animals—fish, places, instruments, mammals, rainbows, etc. Empaths can pick up physical issues. They can actually feel someone’s pain in their body. This is a big problem when the empath does NOT KNOW the physical issue is not theirs. Several years ago, when I went into work, I was feeling like a million dollars. I slept well. I was happy and ready to take on the world. When I sat at my desk ALL OF A SUDDEN, I had a headache and felt drained. I just thought it was weird until I heard a co-worker say I am exhausted and have a really bad headache. An easy tool is to ask the universe to remove any physical issues that are not yours. Empaths can pick up mental issues or what I would like to call the empath fog. The inability to focus, have clarity or make a decision. During Christmas, I was at the mall with a list of gifts I wanted to buy and stores I wanted to browse. Instead, I was walking around totally befuddled, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. An easy tool is to ground your energy. Hug a tree, put your feet in the grass, or if you are inside a mall like I was, I went into the restroom and washed my hands. Water is a great cleanser and grounding tool. The most important part for the empath is the spiritual aspect of how you feel about yourself and what it means to empathize. In the beginning, I felt cursed and that I was being punished. If this is you, I can relate and understand how you feel. It wasn’t until I learned my energy and realized how much I was picking up that things started to change for me. I was not dancing in the streets, but my anxiety levels were way down, and I could breathe. In this space, I could see my mindset, and how I saw being an empath was a huge block. If you want something different, ask the universe for people, tools, and resources to come your way. To give you a new perspective and create a supportive environment. That is very important for an empath to be supported and understood by the people in their life. If you pulled out being an empath, ask yourself, what are my beliefs? How do I feel about myself? What do I want from life? Those answers will start you on a path to freedom, and being an empath will help you understand these things for yourself at a much deeper level. Always remember the happier you are, the easier emotions will flow through you. For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and visit my webs ite ! Read more from Tricia! Tricia Dycka, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tricia is an intuitive empath coach, Reiki Master, bestselling author, teacher, & speaker. Her mission is to help other empath coaches and healers go from emotional overwhelm to learning how to manage their energy to be more visible and enjoy inner peace. Tricia has created quick and easy tools so people can recognize their energy and quickly clear anything they pick up that is not theirs.