Written by: Saskia Kremer, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. How are you able to manage it all, is a question I often get. Solo parenting with all the challenges it brings along, building a business in a foreign country, lockdowns, and personal challenges…. Well, to be honest, I don’t 😉 , and yet I do 😊 There are a lot of choices I need to make; prioritizing, planning and forward-thinking are key. A few good friends and family members who are there to support me are crucial. And what becomes more and more evident to me is I can handle a lot when I know I am safe and can rest in that loving space where I can be without judgment. If I want to hold the space for my children, friends and clients, so they can transition through tough times, I fundamentally need to be connected to that space myself. That space in which I accept that I don’t know and that that is ok. A space where I can be a witness to myself and all I am discovering, a space of loving acceptance where I can show up without a solution. And talking to a dear friend reminded me of Joan of Arc (a young French woman who around 1430 lead stunning military victories and later burned to death as a heretic) when she was questioned during her trial: “Do you know whether or not you are in God's grace?” Joan: “If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me.” The vulnerability and yet the power of her statement struck me again. The vulnerability she accepted during her trial of not knowing if she did the right things and the powerful confidence she placed in God to protect and guide her and keep her in the space where she wanted to be. Could she measure it by herself? No, and yet, it gave her a tremendous power to fulfill her mission, to stand up and lead! This is the paradox of leadership: You cannot lead if you don’t accept to be lead yourself. You cannot create and hold that safe space for your team to grow and develop if your safe space does not support you yourself. You cannot Step Up with power if you cannot embrace your vulnerability. Are you wondering how you can improve your leadership and be even more unapologetically? Schedule a quick call , so we can talk and support you! For more info, follow me on LinkedIn , visit my website and join my Facebook Group ! Read more from Saskia! Saskia Kremer, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine As an Executive Coach and Trainer, Saskia helps successful, time-challenged high-level management, directors, and business owners increase their performance and their teams' productivity without the stress and overwhelm. Once a Missionary, working alongside Mother Teresa herself, made her live all around the globe, helping people discover their meaning in life in sometimes heartbreaking circumstances. After leading multiple projects and International communities, she left the missions following her own experience of burnout. Starting her own business allowed her to combine her philosophical and theological research with her rich multi-cultural experience. She places the human person at its center, allowing it to find its unique place and thrive. In 2016, as a single mum of 2 young children, she moved from Holland to Ireland. She specialized in working with business owners, directors, and managers, showing them how to create a bigger vision for their business and life, freeing up their own time to excel in what they are best at and increase their profit and satisfaction without the stress and the overwhelm.

Andrée is a successful transformational coach and trainer, as well as being an author, speaker, loving wife and mother of 2 fantastic and authentic kids. (Well, not kids, as they are now adults in their own right.) She had a career in HR and Training in the corporate world spanning 20+ years. During her HR career, Andrée realized she had a passion for helping others develop and grow. This passion coupled with her stress levels and poor quality of life, led to a recognition that there was more to life than endeavoring for someone else as an employee. With a yearning to help others, a need for a better work/life balance to spend with her family, she walked away from life in the corporate fast line. In 2002 she set up her own Learning/Development and Coaching consultancy called Aspiring Future Competence. She has been married to her soulmate and husband, Richard, for 36+ years. Meeting him was one of the best things that ever happened as he has made the biggest impact on her life in more ways than one. The reason for this is that he was living some of her values – fun and freedom. He was impulsive, optimistic, and had a yearning for discovery and travel – all the things that she desired but held herself back from attaining. He believed in her more than she believed in herself. He encouraged her to develop and flourish in her career. Her family is the most precious thing in her life, and she has very strong family values. She is a mother of two fantastic and authentic human beings, her daughter Elisse and son Alex and as a family, they are very close. The family is based in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, living between Cambridge and London. She loves being outdoors and feels grateful and lucky to live near rolling fields and countryside. Early mornings are spent walking their beautiful dog called Archie, who is a Springador (Labrador/Springer spaniel cross). He’s a beautiful chocolate color, with an unbounded energy that ensures we get lots of exercise and is definitely a major part of our lives. Health and wellbeing is one of Andrée’s key values, meaning that in addition to her outdoor walks, she also attends classes at the gym and does Pilates 3 times a week. In her younger years, her pastime was riding horses and owned a horse for 9 years, however with work commitments and other leisure interests, her horse riding days have come to an end. She is also an avid cook who loves nothing more than spending time in the kitchen experimenting with cultural cuisine from places she has visited. In November 2011, she experienced a life changing event when she was told she had breast cancer. Her determination, positive mindset and belief helped her to overcome the disease. She has continued to support others who are starting their own cancer journey through a cancer support group she attended in early 2012 and is now keen to reach another goal of publishing a book about her cancer journey to help others. Although a challenging situation to go through, the cancer journey did give Andrée something positive, a new mindset. The situation forced her to carry out a lot of self-reflection and realized that you only get one shot at this life, so what you do with it and the path you go down is entirely of your own making. She now lives life to the full and loves traveling the world to experience other countries and their cultures. All of these life experiences have helped to highlight her real purpose in life, setting her on a journey to inspire others and share all she can to help others grow and develop. Personal development is a key priority and has manifested in Andrée being an avid reader of self-help books. In 2019, she reached a momentous personal milestone by publishing her own called ‘Behind the Mask.’ It’s an interactive book that takes the reader on their own journey of self-discovery to live an authentic, happy, and fulfilled life. How has she faced lockdown? She has used lockdown to develop and grow and pivot her business from face to face training and coaching to virtual delivery. She is also developing online courses, e-books, audiobooks to support her corporate and personal development products/services. In addition, Andrée has spent quality time with her family/friends often virtually due to the constraints of lockdown and spent time in the kitchen creating some new culinary delights. What is it that you do for your clients? I help my clients to get visible, get heard, and get ahead in their career and/or personal life by transformational coaching/training techniques. These outcomes are facilitated both face to face and virtually. I work with both corporate businesses and with individuals for personal development and transformational change. My clients are, therefore, a mix of: 1. Corporate clients/SME’s for the Learning/Development and Executive Coaching across the UK. My specialist areas are: Leadership & Management Career Coaching Authentic Leadership Influencing with Impact and more. (Take a look at our website) 2. Personal Development clients for one to one transformational change coaching. My specialist subjects are: Emotional Intelligence Core Values and Imposter Syndrome How to stop self-sabotaging your life (Limiting Beliefs/Inner Critic) and career coaching. Who should hire/work with you? In the last 12 months, the world has changed and may never be the same again. We all need to pivot and use a different set of skills and techniques to motivate our teams and ourselves. Organizations and individuals are facing new challenges, which include working remotely and trying to motivate and lead a team or themselves. I’m looking to work with organizations or individuals who are happy to invest in their people and their future to bring about transformational change. I believe the key to business success both organisationally and personally is to facilitate transformational change and develop Authentic Leaders. I love to inspire people to develop and grow with new vigor to become authentic leaders of the future, who are trusted and respected by others whilst valuing others contributions. This also is the same for individuals looking to develop themselves either for business or in life. At AFC, we deliver inspirational, interactive and engaging solutions to help people to develop to their potential. I have a passion for igniting something deep within that engages and motivates an individual to achieve their goals which ultimately will lead to personal/business success. What is your big goal? My biggest goal is to create an amazing online presence that helps and inspires others. This environment will help nurture individuals, develop their skillset, maximize knowledge, open their mindset and broaden horizon. My goal is to be the ‘guru’ of authenticity and become the ‘Confidence Coach’ for years to come. My friend/colleague has already called me ‘The UK’s answer to Brené Brown' on the subject of authenticity, so my aim is to ensure others see me that way. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Sitting on a tropical island, sipping a cocktail, writing books, publishing articles and running a successful online global coaching company in semi-retirement. I also see myself speaking at conferences and events both face to face and virtually. My overall drive for 10 years’ time is to be described as the go-to person on the subject of Authenticity and Authentic Leadership. Follow Andrée on Facebook, Instagram, connect with her on LinkedIn and visit her website for more info! Read more from Andrée!

Diane Forster is an award-winning life coach and intentional living expert. After several life events that led to an attempted suicide, Diane reinvented her life and found her true calling. Now, she helps others transform their lives to live with passion and purpose. As a mindset and manifestation master, she has helped thousands clear away limiting beliefs and feelings of low self-worth to instead bring their ideas to actualization and create the life of their dreams. Diane's TV Show and podcast, "I HAVE TODAY with Diane Forster" offers practical, actionable steps that you can do today. She is also an award-winning inventor, author of 6 books, and has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, QVC, ESPN Radio, KHTS Radio, and several other TV, radio, podcasts, and magazines. Her mission: Transform 1 billion lives. Who is Diane? I was born and raised in New York. I moved to California with my family at 17 and lived there for ten years. Then I moved to Chicago and lived there for 24 years, which is where I raised my twins. I moved to San Diego, California in 2015, and I promised myself that I will always live in a place with warm weather for the rest of my life! I am an Entrepreneur, Inventor, TV Host, Podcaster, Speaker, Author, and I’m humbled to say the recipient of the 2020 Global Excellence Award for “Life Coach of the Year” in California. I absolutely love being part of building something that is my own while helping so many others make their dreams come true, too! I’m a mom of twins…my daughter, Melanie, and my son, Robert. They’re college graduates, they’re strong and independent, and they make me proud every single day! I live at the beach in San Diego and walk along the shoreline almost every day. The beach is my happy place. I also enjoy hiking, cooking, reading, writing, and spending time with family and friends. I love live theatre, movies, travel, and especially dancing. Although I don’t have any pets right now, I love dogs…especially Westies! What is it that you do for your clients? My background was in corporate. I worked in the Advertising and TV Sales industry for many, many years. It was a good career for me, but towards the end, I knew I wanted more. I wanted to create something of my own. Additionally, I was in an unhealthy marriage, and I was unhappy, depressed, lonely and exhausted for a long time. It led to a suicide attempt. That night in the bathroom woke me up! I reached out for help the next day and began my journey of healing, self-love, self-worth, personal development and spiritual awakening. It was the universe’s way of knocking me down (and almost out) to make changes in my life so that I could start doing what I came here to do…help others, through my work, my voice, both verbal and written, my heart, and my presence. Once I knew that was my purpose, I made the bold decision to completely reinvent my life. I quit my corporate job at DISNEY/ABC, sold my house and everything in it, got my twins off to college, and moved cross country to start over. That’s when I founded “I HAVE TODAY.” I help women who are either going through transition or want to transition in their lives, personally or professionally…and often both simultaneously, to bring their ideas from concept to actualization. Most of my clients want to build something that’s their own (just like me) and they need help putting all of the pieces together, executing an effective strategy, learning how to leverage what they have, and how to create their greatest earnings potential with it. My program is called, “Have It All Life” because I wholeheartedly believe that you can, and deserve to, have it all…whatever that definition is for you! “Have It All” doesn’t necessarily mean material things. It means whatever feeds your soul so that you are doing what you love and loving what you do every day. That is why we are here on this earthly journey. I do a lot of mindset and manifestation work with my clients through my programs, products and services as well because without the right mindset, you can’t make the changes you want and need to make. When your mindset is healthy, you can manifest what you want so much faster and easier than you can imagine! That’s one of the things that my clients love most about working with me…their lives change so fast! It’s so much fun! Who should hire/work with you? I’m really, really good at building brands that are an authentic expression of you. When I meet someone, I can “see” what they can’t see for themselves. I call it “taking all the facets of the diamond that you are and creating something tangible and unique that is “YOU.” I’ve also built two businesses…one product-based and one service-based. Both of my businesses had massive success from the get-go. Inventing my product, “The SPIFTER” which won an Innovation Award and landed me on QVC, where we sold out in 6 minutes is something I am so proud of! I wrote a best-selling book the first year I moved to California, and in my coaching practice, our revenue hit 6 figures in our first year! I help other women make their dreams come true, and we get there fast! We use a 2-part approach and an 8-step blueprint. So, if you are a woman professional who has an idea for a product, service, or business, or you want to make changes in your life, but you don’t know where or how to start, I can help you. So, please do yourself a favor…be brave enough to ask for the help! None of us can do it alone. I sure didn’t. There’s help just waiting for you to come and get it! If all of this can happen to me, it can happen to you, too. Here are some tips to see if you’re ready to work with a coach to make changes: 1. You wake up every day unenthusiastic about the day in front of you. 2. You’re bored, tired a lot, nothing seems to interest you, it’s all just “status quo.” 3. You know you want to do something different, but you don’t know what it is, and you’re terrified of leaving your current situation. If you said, “Yes, that’s me” to any of those statements, please contact me for a complimentary session at info@dianeforster.com. Who else should hire Diane? Speaking: Companies and corporations looking for powerful, motivational, inspirational delivery of impactful and valuable content. I’m proud that whenever I present, the audience is inspired and motivated, they lean in and they move into inspired action. It’s wonderful to witness. “I HAVE TODAY with Diane Forster” TV Show and Podcast Sponsorships: Brands and companies interested in aligning with our vision and mission have an opportunity to get in early. Our content is wholesome, engaging, entertaining, and evergreen. The shows inspire, empower and educate, and we give practical, how-to advice on things you can do TODAY to improve your life for the better. It’s an advertiser’s dream-come-true platform. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? My big goal is to see that 1 billion people who don’t know their self-worth discover their true divinity, power and purpose. I am on a mission to create THE Global Media Company that helps people who are feeling depressed, suicidal and low self-worth to love themselves unconditionally, to live an intentional, purposeful, happy life, because it is my belief that the only path to world peace is through unconditional love of self. I see very big things for me, the company, the brands, and the impact we will make on the world! Steve Jobs and Walt Disney would be very proud. I can feel them smiling down on me from Heaven. Follow Diane on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit her website! Read more from Diane!

Written by: Ibbie Aromolaran, 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. So you meet someone really special, and as time draws on, you begin to form a “thing” that resembles a relationship. You spend lots of time together. You only date each other. You get jealous of other people show interest in either one of you. You go through all the highs and lows of a relationship together. You have all the feelings and expectations of a relationship. You give each other boyfriend/girlfriend benefits. You may even fantasize about your future together. However, something is still amiss. You’re technically not together, and you’re “not allowed” to call that person your significant other. Why? Because it’s undefined. That, my friend, is a situationship. The term “situationship” has been floating around frequently in the past few years and, in simple terms, has come to mean an undefined or uncommitted relationship. People get wrapped up in situationships to avoid commitment while still having the benefits of being in a relationship. Oftentimes one person is more accepting of this relationship structure than the other, resulting in many conflicts. One person wants to be in a committed relationship but pretends that he/she is okay with the situationship. In contrast, the other person basically runs the show and decides the relationship structure. So how do you know if you’re in a situationship? I have compiled a list of signs you can use to determine whether or not what you have is happy, healthy commitment, or undefined struggles of a situationship. One. No concrete talk about the future. If you still have yet to have the dreaded “what are we?” conversation or whenever one of you brings it up, the other shuts it down, and you’re most likely in a situationship. Two. You’re the one who always brings up the future or commitment. Your faux partner avoids the topic of the future altogether. He or she may say things about the future to keep you around, but there are no actual concrete decisions made. Three. They say they don't think labels are important. This here is a major red flag. If someone is dating you and basically telling you that you are not meant to be dating other people, yet they won’t define the relationship, THIS IS A PROBLEM. And don’t tell me labels don’t matter, because they do. A person that truly wants to be with you will be proud to label you their partner, fiance, wife, husband, or soulmate PUBLICLY… which brings me to my next point. Four. They don’t claim you publicly. As I stated above, a person who truly values a relationship with you will want to shout it from the rooftops, want to share it with their family and friends, and make it be known that you are an addition to their happiness. Stop playing yourself with the excuse that he or she is a private person. This may be true, but not private enough to keep you away from important people in their life. They claim their job. They claim their car. They claim their friends. They claim their pets. They can claim you too. Five. They say they just want to see where things go. *insert violin sounds here* I’ve heard this one way too many times. People praise the phrase “going with the flow” as if it establishes peace of mind. It actually does quite the opposite. It leaves things up in the air and open for misinterpretation. Going with the flow is great. It’s fun. It’s exciting. But, if your goal is long term commitment or marriage and someone says they just want to see where things go with you, they are prolonging your heart’s desires, and you shouldn’t be tied down to their indecision. When someone truly wants you, going with the flow isn’t an option. They will set the intention to be with you and take whatever steps necessary to get there- the same way they would with buying a house, buying a car, going to school, starting a business, or starting a family. You set intentions and plan for things that are important to you. Six. They want you to commit fully to them while they do what they want on the side. Oh, the infamous double standard. Often in situationships, the person who calls the shots is free to do whatever they want (including dating other people), while the other person gets scolded for even smiling in the direction of another man or woman. This usually results in gaslighting and blaming while the non-committed one suddenly becomes the victim, and you’re left feeling confused. Seven. They don’t make intentional time for you (PLANNED OUT, THOUGHT OUT, INTENTIONAL TIME). Netflix and chill, as they like to call it. You randomly happen to hang out with each other. 9 times out of 10, it’s on a couch, on a bed, or in a car. Your faux partner does not make intentional time for you. One because he/she doesn't want it to resemble a relationship too much and two, because he/she doesn't want to be seen in public with you... because they’re usually keeping their options open. Hate to break it to you. I’ll also add that when you mention date plans, they either flake or make an excuse. Eight. You go days without talking to each other. This happens a lot after the love bombing stage. They shower you with attention, affection, and time but as soon as you fall for it, they start withdrawing all those things. So, you may go days without hearing from them, and then they pop back in your life like nothing happened with some lame excuse. Beware of the lame excuses. Nine. They make you feel bad for wanting more. Whenever you bring up the topic of making things official, they may start to question you and say things such as, “What’s wrong with what we have?” “You don’t trust me?” “Why are you never satisfied?” These questions start to play on your emotions. You begin to feel guilty, and then you start doubting your own true wants and needs. So yes, I know I made situationships sound horrible. Forgive me; I’m biased. However, there are times when situationships can work. If both you and the other person agree on the terms and conditions, if you have no ulterior motives about how you can convince them to change their mind and be in a relationship with you, if you are honest with yourself about what you truly want & a relationship isn’t it, then a situationship might work for you. The main point is, to be honest with yourself. Establish what you want and need from all the relationships in your life, and be willing to let go of those who don’t align with that. You deserve your heart’s true desires. If you feel that you may be straddling the fence between wanting a true committed relationship or keeping a situationship alive to someone who doesn’t want to commit to you, head on over to my Instagram for more tips and support. For more information, you can find Ibbie on Instagram , follow her on Facebook , connect with her on LinkedIn , and watch her on YouTube ! Read more from Ibbie ! Ibbie Aromolaran, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ibbie Aromolaran has a passion for guiding and empowering women to create the love lives of their dreams by letting go of toxic love and “situationships”. As a Mental Health Therapist turned Certified Dating Coach, she is dedicated to helping women uncover their deep-rooted barriers to finding and securing happy, healthy relationships. Through her signature coaching program ‘Sick of Situationship’ (SOS), Ibbie teaches women to heal the parts of them that have allowed mistreatment in relationships so they can build new, effective habits from the ground up... while filling up on self-love along the way! Ibbie’s goal is to use her doctoral research to spread awareness about the science of human interactions, toxic love, codependency, trauma bonding and more.

Written by: Colleen Urquhart, 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. In my business, I am always working with Empaths. I hear all the time from my clients. They are attracting narcissists; they are exhausted, they want to shut themselves away from everyone and everything. This is usually the point where they are awakening. They are spiritually exhausted because they are not aware of protecting themselves. It is a bit like walking out the front door of your house and leaving it wide open for anyone to walk in and help themselves. Would you do this? Of course not, so why do it with your own energy? Learning to ground yourself and protect your energy should be a daily practice for everyone but especially Empaths. It's essential to navigate your emotions and survive without feeling like you are in survival mode every day, leading to burnout! What is Grounding? Grounding your energy is the practice of bringing yourself back to the present. It ensures you are not thinking or worrying about past situations or what could happen in the future. Generally, if you feel stressed, anxious, forgetful, frazzled, lack concentration, easily aggravated, exhausted, scattered, clumsy, and overwhelmed, these are all signs that you are not grounded. Grounding yourself will help you overcome these feelings and bring a sense of balance within you. How long does it take? Grounding techniques can take anything from a few minutes to 15 mins. Spending 5 minutes of your day, preferably when you first wake up, will make a big impact on your energy. If you are new to grounding, you may not notice a difference initially, but over a few days to a couple of weeks, you will quickly start to see the improvements and benefits of grounding. Protecting your energy is another essential technique, and this can be incorporated into your grounding practice. If you do not protect your energy, you will attract negativity in your vibrational field, you will leave yourself open to attract the wrong people, you will be allowing other people to take away your own energy, and in turn, you will absorb some of their energy, which can impact your emotions and overall wellbeing. Have you ever felt like you were in a bad mood and had no explanation for it? I know I have, and it usually means I have forgotten to protect and ground myself. If you’re an Empath, this is essential to navigate everyday life. Even if you are stuck at home with family in lockdown or on your own, your energy can be affected by television, radio, news, zoom calls, team calls, and/or friends and family moaning about being stuck at home! Both Grounding and Protection are great techniques to implement into your everyday life to overcome emotions that negatively impact, and for Empaths, they are essential for everyday life. If you find yourself feeling stressed, anxious, forgetful, overwhelmed, frazzled, aggravated, clumsy, scattered, and/or exhausted, it’s a sign that you need to ground yourself. Bring yourself back to the present and focus your energy. When your energy is flying high, it will bring the most magnificent positivity to you and bring you great clarity. If you want to know some simple techniques to implement, you can connect with me on social media or join my free Facebook group for regular tips, and the link is in my Instagram and Facebook Bio’s. Visit my website for more info! Colleen Urquhart, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Colleen Urquhart is a leading mentor in energy attunements and healing. After reaching a dark point in her life, where she lost her sense of direction. She discovered Usui Reiki and used this as her basis for healing while learning and developing in other healing modalities. Colleen is the founder of The Spiritual School of Attunement. The host of her signature mentoring program for Women. Learn how to become a master in Energy Healing, how to apply it in your everyday life, overcome Spiritual Imposter Syndrome, follow your intuition and create a successful Holistic Business. Her mission is to connect women to their true source, to launch a successful career in alignment with their soul and become profitable masters.

Written by: Agnes Gomori, 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. Looking after our mental health when isolating alone is a priority. In many countries, socializing has been cut off completely because of the pandemic, forcing us to look inwards, maybe for the first time. In this article, I share some of my tips on shifting our focus from surviving to thriving by changing our mindset. Here in London, we are in the middle of the 3rd lockdown. I noticed a worrying trend amongst some of my extroverted Empath clients who are typically in their 30s and 40s: they feel they don’t have the right’ to openly show their emotions. They feel the need to be the strong one for others: for their children, their elderly parents, their employees, their businesses, their boss, everyone but for themselves. Regardless of the living arrangements: living with a spouse, family, or flatmates, the common story that emerges is a stark feeling of increased detachment and loneliness. Men are often more affected than women, especially those who were brought up believing that showing their emotions (or even acknowledging them) equals weakness. Not talking about our feelings can be very self-damaging in the long run. But if they feel this way, having their family and friends around them, what about those extroverts who are isolating alone during lockdown? Do they feel even more lonely, or do they feel blessed that they are living independently? According to the latest data, over 2 million Londoners are living in a single household. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that around 50% of them are extroverts (although I have to add that the line between introverts and extroverts is often blurred). No socializing can be a safe haven for introverts, but it’s a tricky balancing act for extroverted people, especially for sensitives, like Empaths. Extroverted Empaths tend to be fiercely independent, and they want the best of both worlds: they want the excitement of a packed social life and want peace and harmony and stay away from drama. The restrictions have taught us many things. One of them is that we have to adopt. The much-hated long commute has been replaced with a comforting routine of working from home for many. But what about our free time? The key is to learn to appreciate alone time. It’s crucial that we do this and not fight against it. That is when we can start to make conscious choices by listening to our needs. The needs of our body, mind, and soul. Why? Because if, for instance, we are not doing the activities which engage our mind, or if we are not nourishing our body, if we deny that dance, music, or whatever feeds our soul, then we cease to achieve the right balance. Being mindful about how we spend our time is not just about focusing on being productive. That is the result. Whilst spending too much time in solitude is bad for us - there is a reason forced solitude is used as a punishment - having no alone time is just as damaging in the long term. One of the genuine risks is losing ourselves, not knowing who we are anymore as we don’t have the alone time to reflect. Being alone doesn’t make you lonely, but being in bad company does. A bad company doesn’t have to be a human company; it can be bad thoughts of yourself. Empaths who are not empowered can form dependency while isolating themselves alone, such as: Food or alcohol dependency, reckless online shopping, overworking, binging on the news/ social media, or even exercising too much. People who didn’t learn how to be in touch with their feelings will numb themselves to avoid thinking and talking about it. Empaths who don’t feel supported can take it a step further: they numb themselves but still feel obliged to help others—a recipe for burnout. If you are currently isolating alone and you feel lonely, the good news is that you can turn negative feelings associated with it into something positive. Like there are two sides of the coin, there are two sides of isolating alone. You can believe that you are a victim of the circumstances, or you can look at it as an endless opportunity for growth. The choice is yours. Here are some tips on feeling more empowered: Declutter your mind Start to write down your thoughts in an auto-writing style. It’s important that your ego does not control your writing. It can be just a quick 10 minutes in the morning or before going to bed. I use this technique with my clients, and it has a very therapeutic effect on them. Don’t worry about the style of the writing. You do it for yourself, and only you will read it. It will free up your mind, and you will be surprised about the number of recurring thoughts racing through your mind once you record them in your journal. Your inner dialog is an open invitation for knowing yourself better. In my sessions, I help my clients analyze these recurring thoughts as they are the tell-tale signs of the inner blocks. Decluttering our mind is essential for our mental health. Honor your needs: mind, body, and soul Our mind needs intellectual engagement, just like it needs leisure time. It could be enrolling into a course, reading a book. It doesn’t have to cost you money; there are plenty of free courses and free downloadable books available online. Maybe it’s the right time to retrain yourself or to start a side hustle. Create: Draw, paint, sing, dance, write. Anything that takes you into an uninterrupted joyous flow. It doesn’t have to be a piece of art. Just do it for the sake of enjoyment. Time flies when you’re inflow. You can also join an online hobby group if you prefer to start a new hobby or pick up an old one. Ground yourself: Walk in nature daily, even if it’s just in a tiny local park. Breathe in the fresh air deeply, touch the trees. You must walk at a comfortable pace. Slowing down allows you to feel centered. It might take some practice to slow down, as it can be uncomfortable to allow our emotions to surface at first. If you catch yourself ‘racing’ through your walk, ask yourself the question:’ Why am I running away from myself?’ Meditate: I recommend at least once a day, preferably first thing in the morning, so you can start your day feeling centered. This will allow you to feel focused and productive. Ideally, for about 20 minutes a day, but even for just 5 minutes will make a big difference. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; you can sit in silence with your eyes closed, or you can choose a guided meditation. Again, there are plenty of free resources online. Establish boundaries The glorious side effect of mental decluttering and honoring your own needs is that suddenly you don’t want to spend your time on things that are not aligned with your true self. You’ll be able to identify more clearly what gives you energy and what takes it away. You’re starting to be selective. Being selective is the new cool. Cutting back on reading news and social media use in itself will boost your mental health. It’s also important who we keep in touch with and how. Empaths usually have strong family connections, but if it’s not the case, limiting the amount of time you interact with them can help. Keeping in touch with friends is equally important. Based on last year, you probably have a good idea who you can rely on in lockdown. Your friends know that you live alone. Who is keeping in touch? Is it a two-way friendship? Do you feel uplifted or drained after you spoke? If someone’s actions tell you that they don’t care about you, then believe them and let them go. Not all friendships are meant to last forever, and that’s ok. Focus on those who are there for you, with whom you can be totally yourself, laugh and share meaningful conversations, those who make you feel energized. Conclusion: Making the most of our alone time is all down to our positive mindset. While we can’t know for sure when we will socialize freely again, we can tame the uncertainty by establishing our own routine. The power of saying no to what’s not serving you equals saying yes to your mental health. Remember, the most important choice is always yours: the choice of how you react to the hurdles of your life. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website for more info! Agnes Gomori, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Agnes Gomori is an Intuitive Life Coach and Healer. As a multi-passionate, creative Empath, Agnes is committed to helping fellow Empaths to find their true calling by applying the healing power of arts and nature, which she combines with energy healing in her therapeutic coaching sessions. Agnes has helped clients from across the globe to unlock their true potential. Her mission is to help extroverted Empaths become the empowered creators they were born to be.

Written by: Kim Wilkinson, 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. COVID is creating a tremendous amount of stress, grief, and loss. Not only are we facing health concerns, but we also have financial stress, loss of connection to family and friends, loss of feeling in control, loss of many familiar patterns and behaviors that bring comfort and joy, like going to concerts, going to sports/activities, travel and many other regular “routine” activities. The following are daily routines that I personally practice and teach to all my clients. These lifestyle choices have helped me navigate some of life’s most painful challenges, including losing my 22-year-old son to overdose in 2019. 1. Let go of what you can’t control. The truth is that we will never, no matter how hard we try, never control anything outside of us. Sometimes the things we do and the things we say might influence what is going on around us, but we will never control anyone or anything outside of us. When we learn to accept this, we stop wasting time and energy on things that we will never control. The only thing we will ever have control over is within—our internal environment. 2. Take back your power. We tend to give our power away. We allow other people and other things to determine our happiness or our emotional state. When we do this, we become a slave to those people or those things. Don’t give your power away. Take it back. You decide how you are going to experience your day, your life. Your internal environment I just mentioned, you have the power to create that atmosphere. Think of your physical body as the home for your soul. You wouldn’t just let anyone into your house you live in. You would do whatever it takes to not let in danger, toxicity, and anyone or anything that has the potential to cause harm. Yet daily, we allow all sorts of negativity and toxicity to come into our home for our soul. Learn to create an internal environment that is calm, peaceful, and that feels controlled by you. When you do this, it doesn’t matter what chaos is happening around you. You are in a safe and happy place. This can be done with awareness and activating your power of choice. Meditation is also a great tool to help with this. 3. Meditate. Meditation can be the greatest medicine. Many people have a misunderstanding of what meditation is. Often people say they can’t meditate because they can’t stop thinking. Meditation is not about not having any thoughts. It is about training your brain to focus on just one thing. There are many different ways to meditate. It is a practice that can be done in as little as 5 min and can last up to several hours. 10 min of meditation daily can be life-changing! Like anything, consistency is key. Meditating once a week or until you feel the balance isn’t going to cut it. As soon as you stop, you will fall right back into old patterns and start to see the same old outcomes, the ones you are trying to avoid. If you are not sure where or how to get started, no worries, the end of this article has a link to a tonne of free resources, including free access to my online Intro to Meditation program. 4. Learn to shift from fear to love. There are only 2 places from which we can experience life: love or fear. Love is heart-based living, the soul. Fear is the ego-mind. That voice in your head, always trying to give you advice. It means well, it wants to protect you, but it doesn’t give the best advice. You are NOT the voice in your head. It is a part of you. Who you are is the one noticing the voice. We call this your soul or spirit. If you give your power to fear, it will take you to dark places, and it will keep you stuck. It will recreate your past in your future. One of the quickest and easiest ways to shift from fear to love is first to understand that you are living life from fear. If you are anxious, worrying, stuck on thoughts of the past, reactive, you live from fear. When you notice this, close your eyes, bring one or both hands on to your heart and take a few deep breaths. The physical act of bringing your hands onto your heart instantly pulls the energy from your head and brings it to your heart. It brings calmness into the body. It allows you to think more clearly and to respond instead of react. Try this the next time you need to have a difficult conversation with someone. We will always bounce back and forth between love and fear, but the more we can learn to shift back to love, the more enjoyable life will be. 5. Gratitude. There is always something to be grateful for. Even if you just got divorced, lost your job, have covid, got an eviction notice, and debt seems deeper than the earth’s core, there is still something to be grateful for. Pre-covid, statistics showed that over 160,000 die every day from illness, injury, natural causes etc. Add covid to this, and we know those numbers are much higher now. If you are reading this. You woke up today. THAT is everything to be grateful for. If you woke up this morning…..ALLELUJAH!!! You have a new opportunity to make a different choice. You have another chance to live your best life. Without that, you have nothing. Think of that tomorrow morning when you wake up. Instead of hitting snooze, complaining about having to go to work, or about having a crappy sleep, try jumping out of bed with some excitement that you simply woke up. Tomorrow morning, hundreds of thousands won’t have that chance. Be grateful. 6. Find and maintain balance. This should be common sense, and it's simple stuff, but still, many don’t practice this. This is everything from getting enough rest, good food, exercise, enough water, time in nature, and activities for our mind and our emotions. Balance comes when we give energy and attention to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Spiritual health does not mean religion or religious practices. Most people, if not everyone, believe in something. God, Universe, Source, Energy, Spirit, or higher power may be a title that resonates with you. Spiritual Health practices are routines or rituals that we do to connect to or whatever we resonate with. This can be everything from journaling, to yoga, to meditation, to chanting or singing, to breathing exercises, to nature ceremonies, and of course, church/religious ceremonies. Emotional health is probably the most neglected—everything roots in emotions. Most of us were actually taught to avoid and distract, right from the time we were kids. Our distractions from our emotions, our pain are things like food, alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, workaholism, binging Netflix, and/or spending hours on social media. At the end of this article, you will find more resources and information to better support your emotional health. I strongly suggest making your emotional health a priority. It is here that we find freedom from our past and learn to manage future stressful situations better. 7. Personal Growth & Development. We all want something better, different, or more. If you want a different outcome, you need to do something different. This means learning to think differently, learning to respond differently, expanding your consciousness. This is what changes our limiting beliefs and allows us to grow and to achieve. Read some motivational or inspiring books, sign up for an online course, never stop learning. 8. Forgive. Forgiveness is giving up the hope of a different or better yesterday. Read that last sentence again. Perspective can make or break you. This is part of managing our emotional health and very difficult for many people to do. Holding on to resentment only affects you. It isn’t as easy as “just let it go,” but with a clear understanding and the right action, you can let it go. Healing and recovery comes from action. Freedom comes from forgiveness. 9. Make Conscious choices. This means responding from love rather than reacting from fear. It means thinking before you speak or act and make the best possible choice for the best possible outcome. It means practicing awareness and being present and not just living on autopilot. 10. Be Kind. The world is on fire. You can add water, or you can add fuel. The world needs more love right now. Being kind will not only make you feel better, but it can also turn someone’s mood, day or life around. People we view as being “unkind, uncaring, inconsiderate” are living life from fear. Our actions and responses towards them can drive them deeper into fear or can help them shift into a place of love. Be kind to all. For FREE resources and additional supports for managing Mental and Emotional Health, please click here and visit my page. For more information on the Grief Recovery Program, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Read more from Kim! Kim Wilkinson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kim Wilkinson is an expert in Emotional Health and in helping people to move from SUFFERING to EMPOWERMENT. Through her own family struggles with Mental Health, PTSD, Addiction, and Traumas, including losing her 22-year-old son to overdose, Kim found healing, recovery, and transformation. Most of all, through this journey, what Kim found was purpose and a passion for helping others. Kim's approach with clients is one of compassion, non-judgment, and patience. She knows firsthand how applying specific tools and techniques can bring healing and recovery and bring abundance and success in all areas of life. Kim continues to work a few days a week at the Addiction Treatment Centre that her son attended. However, most of her time is focused on supporting people through Grief Recovery (online and in-person). A message from Kim "The whole world is grieving right now, and we all have unresolved grief. It's time to learn how to take care of our Emotional Health and break the cycle of Mental Health concerns and find an end to our suffering."

Written by: Awaz Ahmed, 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 live in a world with different cultures, religions, values, beliefs, and attitudes or behaviors. Miscommunication is misinterpretation or misconstrued messages that can potentially lead to conflict in professional or personal life. In Piaget's theory of development, children construct a series of schemata, based on experiences they have had, to help them understand the world. Why do I mention that? Well, similarly, the transactional model of communication by Barlund in the 1970's demonstrates how different experiences or "noises" can lead to miscommunication. The transactional model of communication shows how a message is sent to the receiver through a channel of feedback and the surrounding of the message, such as experiences known as "noises,” can disrupt the message from or to the sender/receiver. The transactional model of communication gives a feedback loop, where the person communicating can ask and interpret what they have understood from the sender. In the workplace, this will help managers, employees, and teams in minimizing the misunderstand happening, which will minimize conflicts, irritation, and misunderstandings. At the same time, it helps with personal communication. Sometimes we forget that everyone has different experiences and schemas about certain things or words. A simple example in a workplace setting to better understand the model, a client is at an organization and is offered coffee. Now, coffee can mean cappuccino, black coffee, espresso, macchiato and so on. Well, the client asks politely for just coffee, black coffee. The kind server comes back with a cappuccino. The client politely tells the server that she asked for just black coffee, not with milk or anything, and it's only then the server understands and apologies for the mistake. Are you thinking, why is this relevant? Well, by understanding the transactional model of communication, it helps us understand communication as an individual and an organization. Everyone has different experiences; therefore, communication can be misinterpreted. This understanding is important to professional and personal life, which can help eliminate or minimize miscommunication and limit conflict in professional or personal settings. Tips for effective communication: 1. Approach people in a positive manner; be open to and verbally welcome their ideas and opinions. 2. Build bridges of understanding and cooperation; seek out common interests and goals and speak to those. 3. Listen for and customize your communication to the needs of other individuals (i.e., if they need data to make a decision, let them take the time they need to become comfortable with the data; if they need to be acknowledged, recognize them). 4. Ask a lot of open-ended, unbiased, neutral questions that lead the conversation in a positive direction. 5. Seek first to understand what the other person is saying; ask questions to clarify; repeat back and paraphrase what you think you heard; convey that you have heard them (they won’t hear you until you do). 6. Maintain composure, keep your communication constructive, convey your intent to help and support, and not diminish, put down or make the other person wrong. 7. Communicate clearly and completely; plan your messages ahead of time to ensure the best delivery and reception. 8. Express appreciation often and with genuine sincerity . Follow me on Linkedin and visit my website ! Read more from Awaz ! Dean C. Barnlund. (1970). A Transactional Model of Communication. Institute for Social + Emotional Intelligence®, (2020). https://the-isei.com/home2.aspx . Awaz Ahmed MBPsS, Business Psychologist, Business and Emotional Intelligence coach Awaz Ahmed is a Business Psychologist and Coach, helping organizations and individuals in the workplace by encouraging and facilitating clients in a range of professional and personal areas. She has also worked internationally and is the founder of aweology; a company platform of Business Psychologists and professional coaches. With a MSc in Business Psychology and coaching Awaz Ahmed, is also a certified emotional intelligence coach, NLP practitioner, certified 70+ hours of ICF coaching training, member of the British Psychology Society, American Psychology Association, Society for Industrial and organizational psychology and currently studying her Ph.D. in Business Psychology. Through her extensive experience and education in Business Psychology, she is highly skilled and passionate about research, psychometrics, assessments, training, development, recruitment, and coaching.

Written by: Anna-Karin Lingham, 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. There are similarities between painting a masterpiece and working with branding. You need to use large brush strokes to set the strategy and brand platform. Then you need to focus on details to make everything complete and clear to the customer or viewer. Let´s look at a simple model for branding. You can use it for both corporate and personal branding. It includes 3 perspectives: Identity Profiling Image Your identity is the internal perception of your brand. If you have created a clear brand platform from which all employees agree upon and act from, you have great conditions to be consistent and trustworthy on the market. This is where you find the large brush strokes in your painting. Then you send out consistent signals and messages in all your profiling channels based on your identity. It may be in live meetings, social media, emails, phone calls, the way you dress and act, your graphic profile… This is where you find many of the details in your painting. Your image is how the market perceives you. Will they be attracted to and interested in your brand? Are both large brush strokes and small details clear to them so that they find you trustworthy? Be aware that there is always noise in the mind of the consumer. It affects their perception of your brand and is based on values, preconceptions, memories, and other things. The clearer you bring about the picture of your brand to the market, the less space there is for undesirable noise. Just remember to keep your eyes on the market while you build your brand. Is there a target group out there who will find your brand attractive? If so, then just Go Go Go with your brushes ! For more information, follow me on LinkedIn , Instagram and visit my website or Pick My Brain ! Read more from Anna-Karin ! Anna-Karin Lingham, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna-Karin Lingham is a branding expert with a great interest in both business and people. Since more than twenty years back, she has worked with marketing, branding and business development both in Sweden and on an international arena. She has had leading roles in companies like the Axfood group, the global premium brand Hästens Beds, the health company Apotek Hjärtat and the sports fashion brand Björn Borg. She has launched the concept Ambassador Branding, where corporate and personal branding meet for great financial results, strong job satisfaction and brilliant ambassadorship on the market. Anna-Karin has been appointed Mentor of the year by the Stockholm Marketing Association. She has written a guidebook in personal branding and is an active business developer, speaker and mentor. She is also an artist and outdoor adventurer, with a special fondness of high mountains. Her mission is to help companies and individuals to open their own windows and take place on greener and greater arenas.

Written by: Katarzyna Terlecka, 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 recently talked to two female friends of mine. They are both intelligent, gifted, and successful women. They work, take care of their family members, and have no space for themselves and their well-being. They say they don't' have time for that. While talking to them, I really felt that their bodies and emotions need some attention. Not in a few years when their are grown up, but right now! Do you resonate with that? Do you also wait for the right time to take care of yourself and your needs? When will that right time come for you? 1. Change that story in your head. As much as I feel for you and can imagine how hard it is to juggle between a job, various obligations, and family life sometimes, I also know that this is all a story that you have in your head. It might differ in terms of details case by case, but it is something along the lines: "If I want to be a good mother and wife, I need to put my family first." "I spend so much time at work/ with my professional obligations that I owe my children all my free time." "I need to devote all my free time and resources to my kids for them to be happy." I could continue writing, but I am sure that you know what I mean. Do you know that you base such beliefs on what you were told, taught, or observed when you were a kid? None of them is universally true. And each of them is limiting you and affects your well-being. What is more important, you can change each of them to a belief that is empowering you. That makes you feel valuable and loveable, no matter what. That makes you feel important enough to take care of yourself at least as much as you take care of others. Once you do that, you will realize how much lighter and joyful you feel. Your body will be healthier. You will feel an authentic you. 2. Do this anytime and anywhere. Being a former transactional attorney, who used to work 24/7 and felt that eating or sleep is a waste of time sometimes, I also know that the more you think, "I don't have time to take care of myself, I am too busy" the more you and your body need that. The good news is that you can start with this simple heart coherence technique introduced by HeartMath Institute. It will change how you feel during your busy day. You can do that everywhere – at your desk, between meetings, in a taxi, while taking care of your kids, or cueing in a shop. All you need to do is: take some deep breaths into your heart area (feel the air coming in and out of the heart) think of something that you are grateful for or somebody you care about let this feeling of gratitude, love, or care spread out through your chest stay with it for few seconds. Repeat these steps few times during the day and especially when you feel stressed and anxious. These simple steps will result in your heart sending positive signals to your brain, and the brain will send the relevant signals to your whole body. The hormones, such as cortisol, will start dropping down, you will have more clarity in your mind and start feeling an internal peace—the science research effects of the heart's influence on our brain functions for years. 3. Find some free space on your phone to do this one. Another technique that you could use to take care of yourself, even if you have no time, is: create a new folder in your smartphone and call it, for example, "emotions" (or however else you want to call it) every time you feel any challenging emotion during a day that you cannot or don't' wish to express, write it down in that folder - just one word. Write "angry" if you feel angry at your partner; write "disappointed" if you feel disappointed with the situation at work; write "frustrated" if you have enough of explaining your coworker the same thing a third time, etc. In this way, instead of pushing down your emotions and storing them in your energetical body that could ultimately lead to some sickness, you are expressing them on the spot. You are also learning that it is safe for you to express these challenging emotions. Nobody will argue with you, and nobody will try to challenge you and your right to be angry, disappointed, frustrated, etc. It is safe, and you can do it anytime and everywhere. Observe your body and the effect this technique has on you. It will not only make you feel relief but will enable you to restore balance in your 5th energetic center (so-called throat chakra) that is responsible for self-expression. Work with Katarzyna! If you are struggling with finding your inner power, confidence, and self-worth in the professional world or look for more connection with your intuition and inner wisdom, Katarzyna is a coach for you! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Katarzyna! Katarzyna Terlecka, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Katarzyna Terlecka is an Authentic Empowerment Coach for career and entrepreneur women. As a former attorney with over twenty years of experience in mergers and acquisitions and working with the top leaders around the world negotiating complex international transactions, she is able to unite highly practical systems with an intuitive energy approach to inspire and empower women in their personal development. Applying active listening, intuitive, energy, and coaching skills, paired with her knowledge of the corporate world and the woman’s role in it, she leads women to discover their unique inner power, activate their intuition and confidence and express the depth of their feminine wisdom.

Written by: Linda Terjesen, 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. It’s “funny” to think that we are directly hurting ourselves. Think about it. You really want to go LIVE on Facebook, but you’re scared. You want more followers on Instagram, yet you keep your account private. You long for a certain promotion at your work, but you keep playing small. You want to improve your health, but yet you keep eating comfort food and drinking soda. You want to grow your business, but you don’t want to invest in a business coach. The list goes on…. The problem here is, what you resist persists! Resistance will cause you a lot of problems as you are: Not living in harmony - you want to lose weight, but you don’t want to exercise. Going sideways / staying the same as you keep doing what you know versus trying something different. Lacking focus and thus end up overwhelming more often than not because you’re not as productive as you want to be. Trying too hard and overthinking the process. Scared of the unknown because what if it’s not what you thought and maybe you won’t want to do it after all. Holding back because that’s what you’re used to doing. Afraid it’ll be too hard, and you’d rather it be easy. Having mixed feelings and you want to do what feels best because it’s much safer. Wanting to stay comfortable and stick with your current routine and patterns because they are familiar. Resistance is actually a signal that you’re moving into a new area, so it’s best not to resist resistance because you are on the path to something bigger and better. Besides, why postpone your own goals and desires?! “Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills!” - T. Harv Eker Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone. The comfort zone is a place to relax in between your growth stages, but you don’t want to stay here too long as it can kill your momentum! You are programmed to fight or flight, but if you work on letting go, life will flow so much better. Accept help, and you will grow faster and more efficiently. So sit back and let your awareness kick in, think about what you want, stop resisting, and work on mastering your own desires. It’s a journey like no other, but very worth the growth and happiness in your mindset and life. Let go and let God. For more information, follow Linda on Facebook , Instagram and visit her website ! Read more from Linda ! Linda Terjesen, Executive Contributor BRAINZ Magazine. Linda Terjesen is an International sought-after Certified Nutritionist, Health & Fitness Expert dedicated to helping middle-aged women worldwide build consistency, lose belly fat and boost metabolism to feel and look confident for life with a sustainable, real food approach. After Linda lost her only brother at age 45 to a sudden heart attack, Linda decided to follow her passion for health and fitness and help others live their healthiest life. As a relatable Coach who truly cares about her clients and their success, Linda has served over 100 Clients worldwide, providing a wealth of accountability, support, and education.

Written by: Cheryl Kasper, 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. Spiritpreneur is a noun that refers to a successful woman who combines spirituality with entrepreneurship. I have always looked at myself as an entrepreneur and as a spiritual woman. But, when I heard the word 'Spiritpreneur ,' it hit home! YES, that is who I am! I am a spiritual entrepreneur in full alignment. It wasn’t easy shifting into a Spiritpreneur. I had to push through the mud like a lotus flower before I was able to bloom. As a clinical therapist, I hid my spiritual side for a long time. I didn't want to be seen as "weird, crazy, or woo woo." I feared being judged. It wasn't until I did the deep inner work, believed in myself, and understood my life's purpose that my business exploded! But it wasn't always this way. A few short years ago, I was overcome with anxiety, overwhelm and burn out. I was working 60-70 hours a week, my marriage was falling apart, I wasn't there for my kids, and we were over $100,000 in debt. I felt like my life was crumbling right before my eyes. Worst of all, I felt like a failure- failing in my marriage, as a mom, in my career, and financially. I was ashamed, embarrassed, and worried about what others would think of me if they really knew what I was going through. I was burning the fire on both ends, and my mental health was being affected. I was burnt out, resentful, and incredibly stressed out. I felt as if the walls were closing in on me, and I had nowhere to run. I was scared of losing my marriage, my business, and my life. I was trying to "do it all," and I put a lot of pressure on myself to be "perfect." Nobody knew that my internal struggle to feel "good enough" was causing so much anxiety and overwhelmed me. I always had a smile on my face to hide the pain, but inside I was crumbling. I knew burning the fire at both ends was not working, and so personal development became an addiction for me. I traveled around the country to workshops and trainings to better myself, both personally and professionally, from top leaders and gurus. I was starting to feel better. I began to forgive and release all of the negative emotions that I had been harboring for so long. This journey led me to find spirituality. That was that a-ha moment for me.I felt a profound shift combining personal development with energy work and spirituality. This was the shift that would change my direction, like a sailboat changing its course with the shift of the wind. I took fearless action and began to surround myself more with positive people. I distanced myself from negativity in my life. I did the deep inner work, hypnotherapy, energy work, meditation, journaling, and affirmations. All areas of my life began to explode and blossom in such an amazing way. I was opening up to what the Universe had in store for me all along. I know I had to experience all of that pain to get to where I am today. I have a deep sense of peace, purpose, and belonging. The anxiety and overwhelm are gone. I am debt-free. My marriage is amazing, I created a life of freedom and peace, and my business is skyrocketing. Here are my 7 tips to becoming a Spiritpreneur: 1. Believe in yourself . For you to share your spiritual gifts with the world, you must believe in yourself. I'll be honest, and this was not easy. It requires you to turn inwards and banish any limiting beliefs you have about yourself and understand where those beliefs originated. Has someone made you feel not good enough as a child? Did someone discouraged you from using your spiritual gifts? 2. Honor your gifts. What are your unique gifts? Dig deep to uncover the spiritual gifts you have. How do you help others? What do others say about you? What do others come to you for? Believe that your spiritual gifts were placed upon you to help and heal others. Trust in them. 3. Get clear on your soul's purpose/ mission. We are all created and placed on Earth for a purpose. What is your purpose? Journal on it? Ask someone close to you. Sometimes others see in you what you can't because you may be dimming your light. Your purpose in life drives you and moves you forward when you are in flow and content with your life. 4. Have a clear message. Now that you believe in yourself, know your unique gifts and understand your soul's purpose, it's time to have a clear message. This is the key to becoming a spiritual entrepreneur. Talk about your spiritual gifts and talents and how they can help your ideal client. Focus on the points that your client wants to overcome. Once they know you understand them, they will connect with you on a deeper level and trust you. Talk about your own journey, the journey of others you have helped, and the transformation you can provide for them. 5. Connect. Connection = Success. Look for places that your ideal clients hang out. Is it on FaceBook? Instagram? LinkedIn? Local business groups? Meetups? What social media groups are they in? Join all of these platforms. Get noticed. Provide value in those groups, talk about your unique gifts and how you've helped yourself and others. Be visible and consistent. Most social media groups have specific days to promote your business… people are looking for what you offer. Be visible. 6. Be unique. Offer a service or product that is unique. Stand out from others in your niche. What makes you different? Do some "market research" in some social media groups to understand what people are looking for. It's not what you think they want. Your ideal client will tell you what they are seeking. 7. Trust yourself. Listen to your intuition and trust your gut. If it feels right, you're in alignment. If not, tweak it until it feels genuine and authentic. When everything is in the right place at the right time, you will attract clients and abundance and will be in the most divine flow. You will be a Spiritpreneur. There are times where we may need support and guidance and maybe in a dim place, but in the darkest of times comes the light of transformation. I have collaborated writing a book with 12 other female Spiritpreneurs from 9 countries around the world, who all share their personal stories of struggles to success and how each of us overcame adversity and embraced our spirituality to become new, empowered versions of ourselves. Our lives improved. Our businesses skyrocketed. We are all leaders, therapists, coaches, speakers, and, above all, empowered women. I hope you find comfort in these empowering spiritual stories and the valuable advice these Spiritpreneurs shares to find inspiration, motivation, and courage for your unique journey to spiritual and transformational success to become a Spiritpreneur. Click here to order your book: US , UK , AU , CA , and NL . For more info, follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website ! Read more from Cheryl! Cheryl Kasper, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cheryl Kasper, LCSW, is a Clinical Psychotherapist with a private practice in New Jersey. Cheryl is also a global Mindset & Empowerment Coach. Cheryl helps female entrepreneurs achieve balance in their life by showing them how to do the deep inner work by removing negative beliefs, blocks, Imposter Syndrome, anxiety & overwhelm to up-level their life and business. Cheryl uses a unique mix of her 25 years of clinical psychology experience, Rapid Transformational Hypnosis, deep inner healing, mindset, and strategy, to work with both the conscious and subconscious mind. She integrates psychology, neuroscience, and spirituality into her practice for rapid and permanent results.