Lowe Insights ™, the thought-leadership brand behind The Resolution Room  podcast, has officially launched The Resolution Society! This space is designed for individuals seeking deeper self-awareness, grounded communication, and personal growth. The community offers exclusive content, guided tools, and behind-the-scenes conversations that extend the podcast’s mission: helping people navigate conflict and connection with more clarity and intention. “Our listeners have been asking for a space to go deeper, somewhere they can reflect, practice, and feel supported,” said Dr. Nashay Lowe, founder of Lowe Insights and host of The Resolution Room. “This community was created for people who want more than episodes and 30 second reels. They want a place to grow at their own pace, to feel seen, and to explore the real work of becoming more grounded and intentional in their relationships.” Members of the community gain access to a supportive community base, guided reflections, micro-lessons on conflict and communication, live Q&A sessions, and early access to new offerings across the Lowe Insights ecosystem. The experience is designed to help people slow down, understand their reactions, and shift everyday moments into opportunities for clarity and connection. Structured yet flexible, the platform supports anyone navigating tension at work, at home, or within themselves. Early members have described the community as “a calm corner of the internet,” “a space that finally makes conflict feel human,” and “the grounding I didn’t know I needed.” Unlike traditional membership models, The Resolution Society centers intentionality over volume, offering thoughtful content meant to be integrated, not consumed quickly. Right now, it is 'free' to join the community and the first 50 members will secure complimentary lifetime access. After we reach this number, members are encouraged to select between two tiers: standard and premium with monthly and annual membership options designed to be accessible for individuals committed to personal growth and reflective practice. Spaces will fill up fast, so ' join now! ' About Lowe Insights Lowe Insights™ is a thought-leadership brand dedicated to transforming how people understand and navigate conflict. Through research-driven frameworks practiced through Resolution Sessions, digital tools, and The Resolution Room podcast, the company helps individuals and organizations cultivate clarity, curiosity, and connection. Founded by Dr. Nashay Lowe, Lowe Insights combines academic research, lived experience, and storytelling to reimagine conflict as information rather than interruption by empowering people to approach tension with intention and insight. Media contact Rachel Walker Receptionist 615-212-5986 hello@loweinsights.com

Written by Beth Rohani, Entrepreneur, Speaker and Creator Beth Rohani leads the No. 1 moving company serving the Houston Multi-Family Industry, and her company is considered one of the Top 3 Best Rated Moving Companies in Houston. As a first-generation Iranian-American, former TV news assignments editor and CEO of a transportation and logistics-based business in a male-dominated industry. A year ago, I found myself right in the middle of this truth. My team and I were stuck. We had been tackling the same operational challenge for weeks, and no matter how hard we pushed, the problem wasn’t budging. We tried the "push harder" approach, more meetings, more resources, more effort directed at the source of the friction. I was frustrated. I was tired. And if I’m honest, I was ready to throw in the towel on the whole thing. The emotional exhaustion was real. But then Maya Angelou’s words found me at exactly the right time. I realized that I’d been exhausting myself by trying to break down a brick wall that simply wasn’t going to move. What I needed wasn’t more force, it was a crucial shift in perspective. I was trying to solve a system problem with only brute-force effort. So, I stopped trying to go through the wall. I walked around it. "If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude." – Maya Angelou The trap of fixed thinking in problem-solving leadership In business and in life, it’s incredibly easy to get locked into fixed thinking. We become attached to the idea of how the solution should look, and when our initial approach fails, we assume the solution is simply to repeat the attempt with higher intensity. This is the definition of grinding, and it leads to burnout, not breakthroughs. As the CEO of a moving company, I’ve seen this happen countless times. A logistical problem, say, a specific delivery route that keeps causing delays, can’t be fixed by simply yelling at the dispatcher to try harder. The problem isn’t the effort; the problem is the route, the truck size, or the time of day. The problem is the system. My experience with that operational wall was similar. I was fixated on maintaining the old process while forcing a new result. My frustration was proof that my approach was flawed. The biggest block wasn't the external challenge; it was my internal resistance to changing my own strategy. I was letting my ego demand that my first idea be the right one. A new strategy, a bigger outcome Instead of continuing the same frustrating approach, I gave myself and my leadership team time and space to step back. We stopped holding meetings focused on assigning blame or forcing the old method to work. We shifted our focus entirely: What if we accepted this wall existed and treated the situation as a brand-new scenario? I mapped things out, became intentional, and started looking for solutions that weren’t just about patching the immediate surface problem but about creating something better and more lasting. We didn't just fix the one issue; we redesigned the entire operational flow surrounding it. A month later, we launched a new strategy. And here’s the beautiful part: it didn’t just solve the surface issue. It dramatically improved the way we worked as a whole. It reduced stress, created more value for the team by making their jobs more efficient, and, in turn, elevated the service quality for the people we serve. We turned a major liability into a competitive asset. That shift reminded me of something I’ve learned time and again as a business owner, a leader, and honestly, as a human: sometimes the solution isn’t about the problem at all. It’s about us. It’s about the mindset we choose to bring to the challenge. The leadership lesson in the pivot In leadership, there’s a strong temptation to believe we have to always push harder, always know the answer, always get it right on the first try. But the truth is, leadership isn’t about bulldozing problems. It’s about evolving yourself, being willing to think differently, to pause, and to adjust your approach based on reality, not ego. It’s about asking the tough, self-reflective questions: What is this challenge teaching me about myself? (Am I impatient? Am I relying too much on old assumptions?) Where do I need to grow in order to move forward? (Do I need new information? A new system?) Am I reacting emotionally, or am I responding with clarity and intention? When we allow ourselves to shift our perspective, we not only solve problems more effectively, but we also grow as leaders, teammates, and people. You are essentially transforming a liability into a character-building opportunity. Moving forward with intention At Ameritex Movers, we use a phrase I love: stress-free moves. On the surface, it’s about making moving easier for our clients. But at its core, it’s about helping people navigate big, stressful transitions in life without letting that stress control the entire process. It’s about teaching them to trust the system we provide so they can manage their own attitude about the unavoidable chaos of moving day. The truth is, life is a constant series of transitions, some chosen, some unexpected. You can’t always change what happens to you. But you can always decide how you’ll respond, how you’ll reframe the situation, and how you’ll move forward. That’s what this experience taught me. By changing my attitude instead of forcing the outcome, I gained clarity, peace, and ultimately, better results. The energy I saved by quitting the brute-force approach was the energy I needed to find the real, lasting solution. We can’t control everything, not in business, not in life. But we can control the energy we bring, the perspective we hold, and the attitude we choose. So, the next time you face a challenge that seems immovable, remember that powerful choice: If you can change the situation, change it. If you can’t, change yourself. That’s where true leadership begins.   For similar content, consider following me on any of my social media platforms: TikTok X Threads YouTube Follow me on  Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Beth Rohani Beth Rohani, Entrepreneur Beth Rohani leads the No. 1 moving company serving the Houston Multi-Family Industry, and her company is considered one of the Top 3 Best Rated Moving Companies in Houston. As a first-generation Iranian-American, former TV news assignments editor, and CEO of a transportation and logistics-based business in a male-dominated industry, Beth embraces the stereotypes while inspiring and mentoring others to build a successful business with a balance to live their best life.

Written by Santarvis Brown, Leadership Engineer Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director. Walking through a haunted house is a masterclass in human psychology. Every element, dim lighting, eerie soundtracks, and hidden actors, exists to unsettle you. The tension builds not because you don’t know you’ll be scared, but because you don’t know when or how. Leadership often mirrors that journey. Markets shift without warning, teams experience moments of deep uncertainty, and leaders face problems that leap out from the shadows. The leaders who grow stronger are those who not only walk through the haunted house but also guide others through it. Anticipate the jump scares Jump scares in leadership take the form of sudden resignations, budget cuts, or unforeseen crises. Leaders can’t always predict the exact moment these shocks will appear, but they can cultivate a mindset of readiness. Think of it like scanning the corners in a haunted house: you’re not paralyzed, but you’re watchful. Anticipation builds resilience, and resilience ensures that when surprises strike, you’re steady enough to respond rather than react. Keep the group together In haunted houses, people instinctively grab hands and huddle close. The instinct to band together is powerful because fear magnifies isolation. Leadership works the same way. In moments of stress, individuals drift into self-preservation mode. A leader’s responsibility is to unify the group, remind them of shared goals, and make sure no one feels left behind in the fog. Teams that stick together don’t just survive chaos; they grow stronger because they’ve weathered it collectively. Courage in leadership is contagious It’s striking how one steady person at the front of the group can calm everyone else. A trembling voice can make the entire team falter, but a confident stride can reassure them. In leadership, courage doesn’t mean you’re unafraid; it means you acknowledge the fear and move forward anyway. Leaders who model courage set the emotional tone for their teams. Courage is not only contagious; it’s catalytic. It transforms anxiety into action. Exit with lessons, not just relief When the haunted house ends, most people laugh, exhale, and relish the relief. But seasoned leaders don’t stop there, they ask, “What did we learn? Did fear expose cracks in communication? Did the team panic, or did they pull together?” Reflection turns haunted-house moments into leadership laboratories. Without reflection, fear is just an ordeal. With reflection, it becomes a teacher. The big takeaway Leadership is not about pretending darkness doesn’t exist. It’s about guiding people through it with steadiness, empathy, and vision. The haunted house eventually ends, but the lessons you gather inside, resilience, unity, and courage, become tools you carry long after the fog clears. Leadership isn’t about proving you’re fearless; it’s about proving you’re faithful to the people you lead. Just like in the haunted house, your team doesn’t need a superhero, they need a steady hand that says, “We’re going through this together.” Real leaders don’t run from the dark; they light the path through it. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Santarvis Brown Santarvis Brown, Leadership Engineer Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director. A noted speaker, researcher, and full professor, he has lent his speaking talent to many community and educational forums, serving as a keynote speaker. He has also penned several publications tackling issues in civic service, faith, leadership, and education.

Written by Anastasia Schenk, Pediatric Feeding Specialist/Integrative Nutrition Anastasia Schenk is a Pediatric Feeding Specialist and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She supports children from starting solids to young adulthood with evidence-based strategies for ARFID, picky eating, gut health, immune support, allergy prevention, and chronic inflammation. Walk into any supermarket, and you’ll see a glossy wall of baby food pouches, lined up like tiny fuel canisters for small humans. They promise convenience. “On-the-go.” “Mess-free.” “100% fruit.” And the modern toddler has learned the ritual, twist, squeeze, suck, and move on. In many families, pouches have quietly become a default meal format, not just a backup. And here’s the uncomfortable question we rarely ask: What happens when an entire generation grows up eating in a way that barely requires chewing? Because chewing isn’t just a food skill. It’s a developmental signal. It shapes how the mouth grows, how the airway forms, and how well sleep does its job. In other words, chewing doesn’t only affect the menu, but it may also influence the architecture. This article isn’t a moral panic about pouches. They’re not “bad.” They’re a tool. But tools can be overused, and overuse can create unintended consequences. Let’s zoom out.   The great de-chewing Humans didn’t evolve on smoothies. We evolved on foods that demanded work such as fibrous plants, tougher proteins, textures that made the jaw earn its keep. Chewing loaded the facial bones, trained oral muscles, and widened dental arches across childhood. Modern food technology has reversed that requirement. We now live in a world where calories can be consumed with minimal resistance, and baby food culture is at the front of that shift. When the early diet is dominated by ultra-soft textures (purees, pouches, “melties,” snack foods that dissolve instantly), the jaw gets less mechanical training. And bones are not passive. They respond to use. Your child’s face isn’t only genetic. It’s genetics plus the environment acting on developing tissue.   Chewing is a growth stimulus, not a bonus feature The mouth is part of a larger system, including muscles, bones, tongue posture, breathing patterns, and swallowing. Orthodontists call this the stomatognathic system, basically, the “chew-swallow-breathe” ecosystem that shapes the lower face. During childhood, the jaw and palate are still forming. And mechanical forces matter. The simple act of chewing creates loads that stimulate bone remodeling and muscular development. That’s why researchers have repeatedly found links (in animal models and emerging human data) between softer diets and reduced craniofacial development, including smaller jaws and narrower dental arches. Again, this doesn’t mean a pouch causes orthodontic issues. It means a diet that rarely challenges chewing may contribute to a low-stimulation environment for facial growth, especially if it becomes the norm during key developmental windows.   The palate is the floor of the nose Here’s the part most parents never get told. The roof of the mouth (the palate) is also the floor of the nasal cavity. So when the palate develops narrow and high-arched, there may be less room above it, meaning less space in the nasal airway. In pediatric sleep medicine, certain craniofacial features (like a narrow, high palate) are commonly discussed as part of the phenotype seen in childhood obstructive sleep apnea. This matters because breathing patterns influence everything. Sleep quality, nervous system regulation, and even how the tongue rests in the mouth. When the tongue rests low and the mouth tends to stay open, the palate may miss the gentle widening pressure that healthy tongue posture can provide over time. Development is a chain reaction. When one part of the system adapts, everything else starts negotiating.   Sleep is where the brain pays its bills Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea isn’t always obvious. Adults with sleep apnea often look exhausted. Kids can look wired. In children, disrupted breathing at night is associated with learning and behavioral issues, including difficulty paying attention and ADHD-like symptoms. When sleep fragments, the brain loses its overnight maintenance cycle. Memory consolidation, emotional regulation, impulse control, and attention stabilization. So if early feeding choices nudge oral development toward narrower structures and mouth-breathing patterns, the downstream effects may show up years later as “behavior” when the root issue is actually physiology. We are quick to label kids as difficult. Sometimes they’re simply tired.   The pouch problem isn’t nutrition, it’s texture and mechanics The real issue isn’t that pouches exist. It’s how they’re used. When babies suck directly from a pouch spout, they bypass key skills: Moving food around the mouth Practicing lateral tongue movement Biting and chewing Learning textured variety Developing oral strength and coordination And pouches tend to deliver a uniform texture. Even the “chunky” ones are often the same sensory experience as smooth, sweet, predictable. That predictability matters. Not just for the jaw, but for food acceptance. Large studies tracking thousands of children have found that delaying lumpy textures past the end of infancy is associated with more feeding problems later, including reduced acceptance of fruits and vegetables and more reported feeding difficulties in childhood. This is why many public health guidelines emphasize progression with purees are a stage, not a lifestyle. Babies need to move through textures in order to develop the oral-motor skills that make real family food feel safe. Convenience becomes a problem when it freezes development at one stage.   How to use pouches without raising a liquid-diet kid Here’s the good news, you don’t need to ban pouches. You just need to stop letting them become the default format. 1. Treat pouches as “occasion food,” not daily food Use them for travel days, emergencies, and busy transitions. Don’t let them replace the developmental work of meals. 2. Don’t let babies suck straight from the spout Squeeze onto a spoon or into a bowl. It slows the pace, supports skill-building, and reduces constant contact with teeth. 3. Pair every pouch with a “chew opportunity” If you use a pouch as part of snack time, add something age-appropriate that requires gentle chewing: Soft finger foods Tender cooked vegetables Strips of omelet Soft meatballs Toast fingers (when ready and safe) 4. Move up the texture ladder on purpose You’re not “rushing” your baby by offering mashed/lumpy textures and finger foods in the appropriate window. You’re teaching their mouth what food feels like. 5. Slow the meal down Pouches are fast. Chewing is slow. Development happens slowly. A child who learns to sit, explore, chew, and self-feed is building more than nutrition, they’re building coordination, confidence, and regulation.   When to take a closer look Not every child who likes pouches has an airway issue. But certain signs are worth paying attention to: Persistent mouth-breathing Regular snoring Restless sleep, night waking, sweating Daytime hyperactivity or difficulty focusing Gagging or refusal of textured foods well past the early stages Prolonged “puree-only” eating without a medical reason If these show up, it’s worth discussing with your pediatrician, and sometimes a feeding specialist, ENT, pediatric dentist, or sleep specialist can help connect the dots.   The bigger picture Pouches didn’t ruin childhood. They solved a modern problem including time, stress, and convenience. But convenience has a side effect, it removes friction. And the developing body, especially the developing face, needs a little friction. It needs resistance, texture, and time. Let pouches be what they were meant to be, a backup tool. Then build your child’s everyday diet around real textures that teach their mouth how to grow. Because sometimes the most revolutionary thing you can do for a child’s future health isn’t adding a supplement. It’s giving them food that lets them use their teeth. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anastasia Schenk Anastasia Schenk, Pediatric Feeding Specialist/Integrative Nutrition Anastasia Schenk is a Pediatric Feeding Specialist and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who reversed her own autoimmune disease through nutrition. A mother of two, she combines clinical expertise with lived experience to help families navigate picky eating, Pediatric Feeding Disorders, ARFID, gut health, and chronic inflammation. Her programs are evidence-based and rooted in real life, supporting children from starting solids to young adulthood. She is the founder of Early Eaters Club, a platform dedicated to raising resilient, adventurous eaters for lifelong health.

Written by Ashish Prabhu, Company Director and Freelance Journalist Ashish Prabhu has a wide range of experience when it comes to promoting equality in society. People being forced to fake how they feel in the workplace is one of the main causes of occupational burnout. That’s according to new research by Emlyon Business School. Researchers have discovered that surface acting creates a form of exhaustion that drains an employee’s ability to organise themselves and engage in everyday work-related tasks. This affects an organisation’s ability to function well and cater to its own staff and customers. This creates a huge impact on each individual’s ability to manage their cognitive capacity while eroding their sense of authenticity. It also negatively impacts team trust and makes engaging in leadership more difficult. The study, conducted by Gordon Sayre, Professor of Management at Emlyon Business School, alongside colleagues from Pennsylvania State University and National Sun Yat-Sen University, explored common behavioural patterns and analysed how the emotions individuals exhibit align with their need to meet personal expectations. The findings illustrate that emotional masking reduces each leader’s energy levels, increases tiredness, and creates a self-reinforcing cycle that becomes harder to escape. This cycle hampers their ability to develop ways of finding solutions to particular problems. Participants took part in two intensive studies, with 55 employees in the first and 87 in the second. They reported on their emotional energy, emotion regulation, and recovery activities several times per day across multiple working days. According to the findings, employees who begin the day feeling emotionally drained are more likely to engage in surface acting. This behaviour further intensifies fatigue by the end of the day. Over time, it traps individuals in a spiral of maladaptive surface acting that can be difficult to break free from. It also reduces leaders' capacity to remain present, authentic, and effective in their roles, affecting the quality of their interactions with colleagues and teams. Professor Sayre says that "recovery after work effectively breaks the loss spiral of surface acting. By building in moments of emotional recovery, leaders are better equipped to shift from surface acting to more authentic emotional engagement, reducing strain, strengthening trust, and preventing exhaustion from taking hold." Professor Gordon Sayre explains that "employees may surface act not of their own volition but because they are 'stuck' in a loss spiral." This means employees continue to put on a positive front, not because it is effective or healthy, but because depleted energy and emotional resources leave them without the capacity to engage in more genuine, adaptive forms of emotional regulation. The main findings of the research highlight the importance of allowing time for genuine recovery to wind down from strenuous tasks. Clearer boundaries should be set between the emotional demands of work and reducing customer mistreatment. There are many measures people can take to avoid burnout. These include: Self-care It is important to switch off after work and maintain a work-life balance. Make time to practice self-care and do activities you enjoy outside of work. When feeling burnt out, you may not be able to do as much as usual. Try to pace yourself and reward yourself for what you can do. You could try mindfulness to relax and feel more present. Take breaks To maintain a work-life balance and reduce the chances of burnout, it is essential to take breaks from work. Ensure you use your annual leave and leave work behind when you are away. Try not to check work emails when you are off and be clear if you are uncontactable. Stress awareness Check in with how you are feeling each day. You could try recording your stress levels in a diary to identify any triggers. Monitoring how you feel and taking prompt action to address your difficulties and minimise stress can reduce the likelihood of becoming burnt out. While burnout can be caused by stress, it isn’t the same as stress. Stress tends to be short-term, and while it may impact your sleep, energy, and emotions, you are still able to engage in the activity causing you stress. With burnout, you feel so detached and demotivated that it impacts your ability to function, and you feel hopeless that your situation can change. Burnout can occur when you have repeated and prolonged high demands that exceed resources. It’s likely that burnout, whatever the cause, will impact the individual’s well-being at work and in their personal life, such as their relationships. Due to the consequences of burnout, it’s important to recognise it before it saps energy and motivation and becomes overwhelming. Follow me on Facebook ,  Instagram,   LinkedIn,  and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Ashish Prabhu Ashish Prabhu, Company Director and Freelance Journalist I'm a multi award winning freelance journalist who covers news, current affairs and sports stories specialising in disability, equality and diversity issues.

Written by Daniela Aneva, Executive and Team Coach Daniela Aneva is widely recognized for helping leaders and teams perform at their best. She’s an executive and team coach, an OD consultant, and a small business owner, known for practical, people-centered work that drives real behavior change and measurable results. Most leadership development focuses on visible behaviors, communication, strategy, delegation, executive presence, decision quality. Those matter. But they’re not the source code. Underneath every leadership behavior sits an internal structure that silently determines what a leader notices, what they assume, what they fear, how they interpret people, and what they repeat under stress. That structure is a schema. When you learn to work with schemas, clinically, developmentally, and organizationally, you gain a level of leverage that conventional leadership training rarely touches. You stop “fixing behaviors” and start upgrading the system that produces them. This article takes an integrated approach, leadership + OD + executive management + therapist-grade insight, so you can understand schemas, diagnose them in leaders and cultures, and reshape them in a way that increases performance and sustainable happiness. What a schema is (and why leaders can’t out-strategize one) A schema is a deeply learned pattern of meaning-making. It’s a mental and emotional template that answers questions like: Am I safe here? Can I trust people? What gives me worth? How do I avoid rejection? What happens if I fail? How do I get love/respect/control? Schemas form early (family, school, social ranking, identity experiences) and later consolidate through adult reinforcement (career wins, failures, power, pressure, culture). In leadership contexts, schemas show up as: reflexive decision rules (“If I’m not perfect, I’ll be exposed.”) interpersonal assumptions (“People only respect strength.”) emotional reflexes (defensiveness, shutdown, overcontrol, pleasing) coping styles (avoid, overcompensate, submit) culture-making moves (how safety, accountability, conflict, truth are handled) Key point: A leader doesn’t react to reality, they react to the meaning their schema assigns to reality. Three levels of schemas that matter in leadership To use schemas well in executive development and OD, it helps to separate three interacting layers: Individual schemas (clinical/developmental): These include classic “life patterns” that drive emotion and coping. In high performers, they often masquerade as strengths. Relational schemas (attachment + power + trust): How a leader unconsciously manages closeness, conflict, dependency, authority, and vulnerability, especially under stress. Organizational schemas (culture as shared assumptions) Teams and organizations also hold schemas: “Mistakes get punished.” “Only loud confidence wins.” “We don’t talk about tension.” “Work equals worth.” “The customer is an adversary.” “Leadership must have the answers.” Culture is not only values on a wall. Culture is shared schema + repeated behavior + reinforced consequences. “Leadership schemas” vs. “schema therapy schemas” In leadership research and OD practice, people also use “schemas” to describe: mental models (how the leader believes the business works) implicit leadership theories (what “a real leader” looks like) scripts (“In conflict, we escalate or avoid”) In therapeutic frameworks (like schema therapy), schemas are often emotional-developmental patterns. These aren’t competing definitions. They’re complementary: Executive mental models shape strategy and systems. Early maladaptive schemas shape threat perception, emotion, and relationships. Great leadership is what happens when both get upgraded. Why schemas matter more as you become more senior The higher you go, the more three things become true: Stress increases. Stress activates o lder, faster brain pathways. Schemas become louder. Feedback decreases. Power insulates leaders from honest mirrors. Schemas go unchallenged. Impact multiplies. A leader’s schema becomes a cultural force: it shapes meetings, norms, promotion, conflict rules, and psychological safety. A single executive schema, like “mistakes are dangerous”, can generate an entire culture of concealment, politics, and stagnation. The schema loop: How leadership patterns self-perpetuate Schemas run in a predictable loop: Trigger (a missed number, dissent, a board question, an employee’s emotion) Schema story (“I’m failing.” “I’m not respected.” “People are incompetent.”) Emotion (shame, fear, anger, contempt, anxiety) Coping response Surrender: appease, comply, overwork, self-silence Avoid: delay, detach, minimize, “busy out” Overcompensate: control, criticize, dominate, perform Short-term relief (control restored, discomfort reduced) Long-term cost (trust erosion, burnout, turnover, lower innovation) Schema reinforced (“See? I can’t trust people.”) Leadership development becomes durable when you interrupt the loop at the story and coping stages, consistently. The 12 most common schemas that derail leaders (and what they look like at work) Below are patterns frequently seen in senior leaders. The same schema can present as “drive,” “excellence,” or “high standards”, until stress reveals the cost. Unrelenting standards/hypercriticalness: Looks like: perfectionism, intolerance of mistakes, chronic urgency Culture effect: fear, risk-avoidance, low candor Hidden belief: “If I relax, everything falls apart, and I’ll be exposed.” Antidote: “High standards with high self-compassion” + systems that normalize learning. Approval seeking/recognition seeking Looks like: over-indexing on likability, branding, conflict avoidance, political calibration Culture effect: ambiguity, lack of accountability, decision drift Hidden belief: “If they’re disappointed in me, I’m not safe.” Antidote: values-based leadership + tolerating clean disappointment. Emotional inhibition Looks like: robotic calm, low warmth, difficulty praising or repairing Culture effect: low belonging, shallow trust Hidden belief: “Feelings are dangerous or weak.” Antidote: emotional range training + relational repair rituals. Mistrust/abuse Looks like: suspicion, testing loyalty, interpreting mistakes as betrayal Culture effect: politics, defensiveness, information hoarding Hidden belief: “If I’m not vigilant, I’ll be used.” Antidote: evidence-based trust building + transparency structures. Defectiveness/shame Looks like: hypersensitivity to critique, defensiveness, overworking, imposter cycling Culture effect: fragile leadership climate, others walk on eggshells Hidden belief: “If they really see me, I’m done.” Antidote: shame-resilience + separating worth from outcomes. Failure Looks like: risk avoidance or overcontrol, reluctance to stretch others Culture effect: slow innovation, talent underutilized Hidden belief: “If I fail, I lose my identity.” Antidote: exposure to safe failure + learning metrics. Entitlement/superiority Looks like: rules for others, impatience, low empathy, “special case” thinking Culture effect: resentment, disengagement, quiet quitting Hidden belief: “I must stay above to stay safe.” Antidote: humility practices + consequence alignment. Subjugation Looks like: saying yes, avoiding upward conflict, not setting boundaries Culture effect: burnout, passive aggression Hidden belief: “If I push back, I’ll be punished or rejected.” Antidote: boundary training + assertiveness reps. Self-sacrifice Looks like: rescuing, overfunctioning, creating dependency Culture effect: learned helplessness, leader exhaustion Hidden belief: “My needs don’t matter, I earn love by carrying.” Antidote: empowerment leadership + role clarity. Emotional deprivation Looks like: “Nothing is ever enough,” chronic emptiness after wins Culture effect: relentless pace without meaning, retention issues Hidden belief: “Support won’t be there, don’t expect it.” Antidote: connection design + meaning-based motivation. Vulnerability to harm/catastrophizing Looks like: over-planning, risk inflation, crisis mindset Culture effect: paralysis, bureaucracy, anxiety contagion Hidden belief: “If I don’t predict every risk, disaster is imminent.” Antidote: probabilistic thinking + nervous system regulation. Insufficient self-control/self-discipline Looks like: reactivity, impulsi ve decisions, difficulty following through Culture effect: volatility, whiplash priorities Hidden belief: “Discomfort is intolerable, relief now.” Antidote: impulse delay tools + accountability systems. The “mode” problem: Why smart leaders regress under Pressure A therapist’s lens adds a crucial dimension: leaders don’t just have schemas, they shift into modes (state-dependent versions of self). A calm, wise executive can become: the Driven Controller (micromanage, criticize, dominate) the Detached Protector (cold, unavailable, “too busy”) the Approval Chaser (overpromise, avoid hard calls) the Attack Defender (argumentative, contemptuous) the Shame-Soother (workaholism, numbing, distraction). This explains a common executive paradox: “I know what to do. I just don’t do it when it counts.” Because in the moment, a different internal mode is in charge. Leadership maturity is the capacity to notice the mode, name it, and choose a better response anyway. The executive schema audit: How to identify your patterns fast Here’s a practical, executive-friendly diagnostic sequence you can use for yourself or clients: Step 1: Find the repeated “hot situations” Ask: When do I get disproportionately intense? Where do I overcontrol, withdraw, or appease? What situations reliably cost me trust? Examples: being challenged in meetings underperformance from a direct report board scrutiny ambiguity and slow progress interpersonal conflict public visibility moments Step 2: Capture the “instant sentence” Schemas speak in short, absolute lines: “This shouldn’t be happening.” “They don’t respect me.” “I’m failing.” “I have to fix this now.” “I can’t trust anyone.” “If I’m not exceptional, I’m nothing.” Step 3: Name the coping style Surrender: comply, appease, self-silence Avoid: detach, delay, minimize, distract Overcompensate: control, dominate, perform, punish Step 4: Calculate the ROI What does this protect me from short-term? What does it cost me long-term (relationships, culture, health, execution)? That ROI calculation is where leaders become willing to change. Schema work without therapy-speak: The “story to strategy” reframe Leaders often resist “therapy language,” but they love precision and results. This frame is both: Story: What meaning am I assigning? State: What emotion/state does that create? Strategy: What behavior follows? Success cost: What does it break? New story: A truer, more useful interpretation New strategy: A small, repeatable behavior under pressure Schema change is not insight. It’s repeated new strategy in the old trigger until the nervous system learns safety. How schemas create culture (OD lens) From an OD perspective, schemas don’t stay inside a leader. They become: meeting design (who speaks, who gets interrupted, what “good” looks like) decision rights (control vs empowerment) error policy (learning vs punishment) conflict norms (avoidance vs clean confrontation) promotion signals (who is rewarded: performers, politicians, caretakers, truth-tellers) pace expectations (sustainable excellence vs chronic adrenaline) A leader’s private schema becomes public culture through reinforcement: what gets praised what gets punished what gets ignored what leaders model when stressed If you want culture change, you must identify the schema the culture is organized around. The happiness edge: Why wellbeing is not a soft metric The therapist’s view of “happiness” isn’t superficial positivity. It’s sustainable wellbeing, the capacity to experience meaning, connection, vitality, and emotional flexibility while facing pressure. Schemas distort happiness in predictable ways: Unrelenting standards – happiness postponed (“after the next milestone”) Approval seeking – happiness outsourced (depends on praise) Emotional inhibition – happiness muted (no joy, no intimacy) Mistrust – happiness defended (no vulnerability, no deep bonds) Self-sacrifice – happiness leaked (resentment + depletion) A high-performing leader who cannot access happiness will eventually pay in: burnout strained relationships addictive coping (work, alcohol, scrolling, spending, adrenaline) brittle culture succession risk Wellbeing is not a perk. It’s a performance stabilizer. The “happy leader” model that actually works Here’s a grounded, executive-compatible model of happiness that improves leadership outcomes: Emoti onal agility (not emotional perfection) Feel the signal without becoming the signal. Respond rather than react. Meaning and values alignment Decisions anchored in principles, not mood management. “This is hard, and it’s still what we stand for.” Secure relationships (at work and home) Repair quickly. Build psychological safety and high accountability. Vitality practices (nervous system leadership) Sleep, movement, boundaries, recovery cycles. Without these, schema work collapses under stress load. Contribution that isn’t self-erasure Service without martyrdom. Empowerment instead o f rescuing. This is how happiness becomes a leadership advantage: it reduces schema-driven reactivity and increases clarity, courage, and connection. Interventions: How to change schemas in leaders (without becoming their therapist) Whether you’re developing yourself or guiding executives, the most effective schema-change stack looks like this: Awa reness with precision Identify triggers and “instant sentences.” Track which mode appears. Regulation before reasoning A dysregulated nervous system cannot update schemas. Use simple practices: 90-second pause before responding breath + posture reset labeling emotion (“I’m noticing threat/anger/shame”) Cognitive restructuring (truth + usefulness) Replace schema stories with interpretations that are: evidence-based values-consistent action-generating Behavioral experiments (small, repeated) Schemas change through new experiences: delegate and tolerate imperfection invite dissent and stay warm hold a boundary and survive disappointment admit uncertainty without collapsing status Relational repair training High-level leaders need “repair speed” more than “never rupture.” Name impact Take responsibility Clarify intent Offer a new behavior Follow through System redesign (OD integration) Hard truth: many leaders fail at change because the system keeps rewarding the old schema. So you adjust: incentives decision rights team norms meeting formats feedback loops Personal change sticks when the environment stops paying the leader to stay the same. Practical tools you can use immediately Tool 1: The schema-to-strength map Take a “derailing” pattern and translate it: Schema fear: What am I trying to prevent? Hidden value: What do I care about? Overuse strength: What strength is being overdriven? Next-level strength: How does this value look when mature? Example: Unrelenting standards fear: “If we slip, we’re unsafe.” value: excellence overuse: criticism, urgency next-level: excellence + learning + sustainable pace Tool 2: The clean pressure script (for conflict) When triggered, use: Observation: “Here’s what I’m seeing…” Impact: “Here’s what it’s causing…” Ownership: “Here’s what I may be missing…” Request: “What I need is…” Choice point: “Can we agree on X by Y?” It creates accountability without schema-driven domination or avoidance. Tool 3: The happiness operating system check Weekly, rate 1–10: energy (sleep/recovery) connection (real conversations) meaning (purpose felt, not stated) autonomy (choice and boundaries) play/joy (yes, even for executives) Low scores predict schema flare-ups. This becomes preventative maintenance. What “schema-informed leadership” looks like at the highest level A schema-informed executive is not someone with no triggers. It’s someone who: recognizes their internal narrative under pressure regulates before they speak chooses values-based courage over threat-based coping builds cultures where truth is safer than politics protects sustainable performance through wellbeing measures success not only by outcomes, but by how outcomes are achieved That’s not softness. That’s mastery. Closing: The real competitive advantage In modern leadership, the bottleneck is rarely intelligence. It’s patterned reactivity. Schemas are the patterns behind: micromanagement conflict avoidance brittle cultures executive loneliness burnout disguised as ambition “high standards” that quietly kill psychological safety When you can name and reshape schemas, you don’t just become a better leader, you become a healthier human with more access to happiness, connection, and meaning. And that, paradoxically, is what makes you more formidable in the boardroom and more trustworthy to the people you lead. Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Daniela Aneva Daniela Aneva, Executive and Team Coach Daniela Aneva is an international executive and team coach, coaching supervisor, professional speaker, and author. With over 25 years of executive experience in multinational organizations, Daniela has supported the growth of more than 5,000 leaders and teams across the globe. She is a council member at Forbes, a mentor at Rice University’s Doerr Institute, and has co-authored books with Brian Tracy, Jonathan Passmore, and contributed to Team of Teams by Peter Hawkins and Catherine Carr.

Written by Toren Ylfa, Tattooed Alkhemist Toren Ylfa is an ex-martial artist, trauma-informed practitioner, and Traditional Japanese Reiki Master Teacher known for mythic branding, survivor-led advocacy, and scholarly fire. As the author of Sigil of the Mind (title forthcoming), Toren transforms lived experience into fierce, poetic reclamation. Food is not only fuel, it is a ritual threshold. Across cultures, fasting, feasting, and sacred herbs have been used to purify, celebrate, and commune with the divine, encoding identity, lineage, and belonging. Biochemically, these practices orchestrate autophagy, ketone signaling, serotonin synthesis, dopaminergic reward, immune modulation, and gut–brain communication. This article advances a unique, reciprocal view, ritual and molecules co-construct one another. Cultural practices sculpt biochemical rhythms, while biochemical cascades reinforce the symbolic power of ritual, turning “sacred eating” into a multi-scalar choreography across cells, bodies, and communities. (Cabo and Mattson, Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease | New England Journal of Medicine )   Fasting: Autophagy, ketones, and the ritual of emptiness Anthropological context and ritual motifs  Purification: Fasting rites (Ramadan, Lent, Yom Kippur, Buddhist retreats, Indigenous vision quests) mark liminality, stepping outside ordinary time for moral clarity, discipline, and transcendence.  Thresholds: Withholding food reframes scarcity as sacred, preparing the person for initiation or renewal.  Molecular cascades and stress resilience  Autophagy activation: Intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding increase autophagic flux, a cellular “cleansing” process that recycles damaged proteins and organelles, improving stress resistance and metabolic adaptability through AMPK–mTOR and sirtuin signaling. ( Nieto et al.A Narrative Review about Metabolic Pathways, Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications of Intermittent Fasting as Autophagy Promotor | Current Nutrition Reports ) Ketone signaling: Extended fasting induces nutritional ketosis, β‑hydroxybutyrate serves as both an efficient neural fuel and a signaling metabolite linked to neuroprotection and hormesis. Large observational cohorts show long-term fasting reliably elevates ketone bodies with favorable safety profiles. (Grundler)  Neuroendocrine adaptation: Fasting modulates bioenergetic sensors (NAD+/NADH, ATP/AMP), reduces insulin and amino acid levels, and engages FOXO, PGC‑1α, NRF2, AMPK, and SIRT pathways, molecular signatures of renewal that mirror ritual purification.  Unique angle: Scarcity encoded as sacred  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Fasting sacralizes emptiness, biochemically, scarcity triggers repair programs (autophagy) and alternative fuel signaling (ketosis). The rite enacts “clearing” and “vision,” while cells enact degradation and signaling, two languages, one choreography.  Feasting: Serotonin, dopamine, and the ritual of abundance Anthropological context and social bonding  Celebration: Feasts mark harvests, weddings, coronations, and communal victories, encoding gratitude and abundance.  Cohesion: Shared feasting reinforces norms, trust, and belonging, both symbolic and physiological.  Molecular cascades of reward and satiety  Serotonin dynamics: Meal composition and timing modulate brain serotonin via tryptophan transport, mounting evidence details how serotonergic circuits regulate meal initiation, satiety, and affect across dorsal raphe pathways. (Blundell)  Dopamine interplay: Dopamine and GABA inputs to serotonin neurons shape feeding onset and reward, integrated models explain how palatability, anticipation, and social context recruit these circuits for communal joy and reinforcement.  Immune and growth signals: Nutrient surges activate anabolic pathways (e.g., mTOR), supporting growth and repair, biochemical motifs that mirror the symbolic flourishing of communal feasts.  Unique angle: Abundance encoded as sacred  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Feasting sacralizes plenty, the body echoes abundance through serotonergic contentment, dopaminergic reward, and anabolic repair. Social celebration entrains reward circuits, which in turn reinforce the memory and meaning of the feast.  Sacred herbs: Phytochemistry, neuroreceptors, and the gut–brain axis  Anthropological context and plant lineage  Communion: Ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, soma, and sacred smudging encode plants as mediators, bridging human and divine, carrying ancestral wisdom and ceremonial potency.  Ritual craft: Preparation, timing, and setting (“set and setting”) curate meaning and physiological effects.  Molecular cascades from receptor to microbiome  Serotonin receptor modulation: Tryptamine and indole alkaloids (e.g., psilocybin) act on 5‑HT receptors to alter perception and induce mystical states, computational and experimental work shows diverse phytochemicals can target 5‑HT1A/4/7 with promising pharmacologic profiles.  Neuroactive polyphenols: Phytochemicals exert multi-target effects on neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, synaptic plasticity, and neurotransmission, supporting mood and cognition via convergent biochemical routes.  Gut–brain axis: Herbal fibers and bioactives shape microbiota composition and metabolites (e.g., SCFAs), influencing CNS signaling through immune and endocrine pathways, integrative reviews highlight phytochemicals’ potential in neurological health through the gut–brain nexus.  Unique angle: Communion encoded as sacred  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Ceremonial herbs sacralize communion, biochemically, receptor-level modulation and microbiome signaling open perceptual and affective channels. Symbolic frames guide expectancy and integration, while molecules and microbes choreograph neurochemical states.  Ritual synchrony: Group timing, hormones, and collective resilience  Multi-scalar alignment across people and pathways  Shared timing: Ritual calendars (fasts at dawn, feasts at dusk) entrain circadian rhythms that coordinate metabolic and hormonal cycles across communities, easing stress and enhancing predictability.  Bonding molecules: Communal eating elevates trust and affiliation, oxytocin and reward circuitry interplay can be inferred from coordinated feeding studies and social neuroscience, aligning symbolic cohesion with biochemical synchrony.  Stress modulation: Structured ritual reduces uncertainty and cortisol, neuroendocrine models of fasting–feeding cycles explain how predictable oscillations cultivate resilience at cellular and communal levels.  Unique angle: Liminal governance of physiology  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Anthropology shows ritual governs liminal thresholds, biochemistry shows oscillatory states govern cellular thresholds (catabolism/anabolism, scarcity/abundance). Ceremonial nutrition becomes a governance system harmonizing metabolism with meaning.  Molecules as myth, ritual as biochemistry  Ceremonial nutrition reframes food practices as thresholds where anthropology and molecular science converge. Fasting invokes autophagy and ketone signaling as purification. Feasting elevates serotonin and dopamine as communal joy and repair. Sacred herbs modulate receptors and microbiota as divine communion. Across individual and group scales, ritual scripts and biochemical cascades co-author resilience, identity, and transcendence. The sacred is metabolized, metabolism is made sacred. Follow me on Instagram ,   LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Toren Ylfa Toren Ylfa, Tattooed Alkhemist Toren Ylfa is a mythic advocate, ex-martial artist, and trauma-informed practitioner known for transforming lived experience into fierce, poetic scholarship. After surviving complex trauma, Toren forged a path through biochemistry, psychology, and energy work, becoming a Traditional Japanese Reiki Master Teacher and expert in CBT, DBT, REBT, EFT, and NLP. Their work blends Celtic and Viking motifs with survivor-led critique, dismantling stigma through academic rigor and ancestral fire. Toren is the author of Sigil of the Mind (title forthcoming) and creator of Sigil of the Unquiet, a podcast that weaves global statistics, legal analysis, and mythic cadence into transformative advocacy. Their mission: Reclaim the narrative. Burn the silence.

Written by Cedric Drake, Educational Psychologist and Technologist Cedric Drake is an expert in educational psychology. He dissects learning and brings innovative ideas. He contributes to educational think tanks and writes articles for academic institutions in the US and Asia. Currently, he is building a publishing company to connect students to companies in different fields and expand education. When we lower expectations, we do not create equity, we create erosion. Education was never meant to be easy. It was intended to be transformative. Yet across classrooms, curricula, and policy decisions, we are witnessing a quiet but devastating shift, the systematic dumbing down of education. Under the guise of accessibility, efficiency, and standardization, intellectual rigor is being replaced with simplification, depth with shortcuts, and curiosity with compliance. The consequences are not abstract. They are human, cultural, and generational. Below are six profound outcomes of this erosion, each one weakening not only students, but society itself. 1. The death of critical thinking When education is simplified to memorization and test preparation, thinking becomes optional. Students are trained to recognize answers, not to question assumptions. Complex problems are avoided rather than explored, ambiguity, where real learning lives, is treated as a threat. Critical thinking requires struggle, debate, and uncertainty. Dumbing down education removes these experiences, producing learners who can follow instructions but cannot evaluate truth, detect misinformation, or challenge flawed systems. A society that cannot think critically becomes dangerously easy to manipulate. 2. The illusion of achievement without mastery Lower standards create the appearance of success while masking intellectual fragility. Grades rise. Graduation rates improve. But beneath the surface, foundational skills erode. Students advance without mastering reading, writing, mathematics, or reasoning. This false sense of accomplishment does not empower students, it betrays them. When they encounter college, careers, or civic responsibilities, they discover they are never truly prepared. The result is frustration, disengagement, and a deep mistrust in the very system that promised opportunity. 3. The silencing of intellectual curiosity When learning is reduced to pre-packaged answers and simplified tasks, curiosity suffocates. Students stop asking “why” because the system rewards speed, not depth. Creativity becomes inefficient. Exploration becomes inconvenient. Dumbing down education teaches students that learning is about completion, not discovery. Over time, they internalize the belief that thinking deeply is unnecessary, or worse, unwelcome. A culture without curiosity stops innovating, imagining, and progressing. 4. The widening of educational inequality Ironically, lowering standards in the name of equity often deepens inequality. Affluent students continue to receive rigorous instruction, enriched curricula, and high expectations. Marginalized students are offered “simplified” learning, stripped of challenge and intellectual respect. This creates a two-tier system, one that prepares students to lead, and another that prepares them to comply. Accurate equity does not mean less rigor, it means access to excellence. Dumbing down education denies access to those who need it most. 5. The erosion of teacher professionalism When curricula are oversimplified, teachers are reduced to script-followers rather than intellectual leaders. Their expertise is undervalued. Their autonomy is stripped away. Teaching becomes delivery, not dialogue. This not only demoralizes educators but also drives passionate, skilled teachers out of the profession. A system that does not trust teachers to challenge students ultimately loses the very people capable of inspiring deep learning. 6. The weakening of democracy itself Democracy depends on an educated population capable of analysis, empathy, and informed decision-making. When education is dumbed down, civic understanding declines. Slogans replace nuanced debates. Complex issues are reduced to sound bites. An undereducated society becomes reactive rather than reflective, divided rather than discerning. The cost is not just academic, it is democratic. A nation that cannot think deeply cannot govern itself wisely. A call to restore intellectual courage Rigor is not cruelty. Challenge is not exclusion. High expectations are not oppression, they are an act of belief. To dumb down education is to assume students cannot rise. To demand depth is to declare that they can. We must reject the false comfort of simplification and reclaim education as a space of struggle, wonder, and transformation. Our students deserve more than easy answers. They deserve the chance to think, to wrestle with ideas, and to become fully human in a complex world.  The future does not need less intelligence.  It needs braver education. Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cedric Drake Cedric Drake, Educational Psychologist and Technologist Cedric Drake is an educational psychologist and technologist in the learning field. His ten years as an educator left him with the psychological understanding to innovate classrooms and learning centers for all ages. He has since gone on to be an educator at Los Angeles Opera, do doctoral studies in educational psychology, publish scholarly literature reviews and papers, and work at the American Psychological Association as an APA Proposal Reviewer for the APA Conference.

Written by Linda Schneider, Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development Linda Schneider is a highly respected spiritual teacher with over twenty years of experience guiding people into deep awareness and wholeness. Renowned for her clarity, depth, and uncompromising compassion, she is recognized worldwide as a powerful and trusted force in the healing community. Linda Schneider is a Curandera and Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development with over twenty years of experience. She specializes in helping people unravel self-destructive patterns and work through unconscious dynamics that limit clarity and vitality. Her work supports people in reclaiming inner authority and self-trust, and in creating lives that are grounded and deeply fulfilling. In many modern mentoring and healing spaces, safety is often confused with likability. While safety is essential for healing and growth, it does not depend on constant agreement, emotional cushioning, or avoiding difficult truth. When the goal is inner authority and self-trust, mentorship must offer something deeper than comfort. What is the true purpose of mentorship? A mentor is not here to be liked. A mentor is here to be trustworthy. Trust is built through attunement, honesty, and consistency. It grows through presence and reliability rather than through pleasing a client’s personality or avoiding discomfort. A mentor’s role is to create conditions where truth can be met without harm and where growth is supported without force. Safety does not require agreement. It requires containment. A client can feel safe while being challenged, while meeting grief, responsibility, or long-avoided patterns, as long as they are not rushed, overwhelmed, or left alone in the process. Safety shows itself through appropriate pacing, respect for nervous system capacity, and careful handling of relational power. Why likability is often confused with safety Many mentors feel pressure to be reassuring, agreeable, or emotionally comforting at all times. This often comes from good intention, but it can blur the line between support and avoidance. When likability becomes the priority, clarity often softens where precision is needed. Patterns remain unnamed, responsibility is postponed, and growth slows. This does not protect the client, it protects the mentor from tension. Tension itself is not harmful. When held with skill, it becomes clarifying. True mentorship involves the capacity to remain present when discomfort arises, without amplifying it and without retreating from truth. This requires regulation, discernment, and a deep respect for the client’s capacity to meet reality. Containment: The foundation of real safety Containment is the ability to hold emotional, psychological, and relational intensity without escalation or collapse. It allows truth to surface without overwhelming the system. A skilled mentor maintains this stability while speaking honestly. They sense when reassurance supports integration and when it postpones necessary movement. They respond with discernment rather than formula. When avoidance masquerades as care Avoidance does not always look harsh. It often appears gentle, reasonable, and familiar. Avoidance can show up as over-reassurance, delayed feedback, softened truth, or an emphasis on comfort when clarity is required. While it may feel kind in the moment, it keeps the client inside limiting patterns instead of supporting movement toward wholeness. Support invites growth. Avoidance preserves familiarity. Mentorship requires the capacity to sense the difference and act accordingly. Being seen is not always comfortable Many clients long to be seen without having experienced what being truly seen involves. To be seen means patterns are reflected clearly and without judgment. It means inconsistencies are named with care. It means capacity is acknowledged even when it feels intimidating. For clients who have spent years accommodating, minimizing, or surviving, being met in their fullness can initially activate fear or grief. A skilled mentor remains present during this phase, allowing the nervous system to integrate truth rather than brace against it. Confidence grows when a client is held while becoming more real. Ethical mentorship and responsibility Ethical mentorship requires ongoing self-examination. A mentor continually asks whether they are speaking from clarity, whether they are prioritizing the client’s well-being over approval, and whether timing and pacing respect capacity. Boundaries, humility, and responsibility are essential components of safety. Honest mentorship does not soften truth to preserve harmony. It also does not weaponize truth in the name of growth. Both extremes undermine trust. The end goal of mentorship The purpose of mentorship is the clients clarity, inner stability and self-trust. Over time, external guidance becomes internal, discernment strengthens and inner authority stabilizes. Fulfilled living becomes lived rather than sought. A mentor devoted to healing knows when to step back. This is not abandonment. It is respect. Clients seeking mentorship may ask whether they feel safe enough to be honest, whether truth can be spoken without diminishing them, and whether their nervous system is respected rather than overridden. Mentors themselves may ask where clarity is softened to preserve ease, where safety is confused with comfort, and whether truth is allowed to matter more than approval. Mentorship that serves these conditions may not always feel pleasant in the moment. It remains deeply safe, and it changes lives. This article reflects the principles underlying my work. More context can be found here . Linda Schneider is a Curandera and Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development with over twenty years of experience. She specializes in helping people unravel self-destructive patterns and work through unconscious dynamics that limit clarity and vitality. Her work supports people in reclaiming inner authority and self-trust, and in creating lives that are grounded and deeply fulfilling. Follow me on  Instagram for more info! Read more from Linda Schneider Linda Schneider, Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development Linda Schneider is an expert in deep, lasting healing. She specializes in transforming self-destructive patterns and restoring connection to the true self. Drawing from ancient wisdom and modern healing practices, she supports those ready for real change in reclaiming their inner power, integrating shadow and light, and living with genuine health, fulfillment, and abundance.

Written by Kass James, Healthcare Business and Disability Specialist Kass James is an assistive technology specialist with a master’s in management of information systems from the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business. Fully licensed in ADA compliance and environmental access, he’s a partner at The Spoonie Advocate Associates. Anyone who is disabled encounters this issue regularly when traveling, and the videos online are legendary. People have checked their wheelchairs only to arrive at their destination to find pieces missing, damage beyond repair, or the chair lost completely. One of our clients was handed their electric wheelchair's armrest with nothing else attached at the end of their journey. Over the years, we’ve consulted with professional disabled travelers and ADA airline specialists to ensure your equipment is more likely to survive and that you're fully compensated if it gets damaged. Planning & booking Anyone who lives with a disability or chronic illness knows that preparation is key to having an easy time. Know your rights In the United States, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) of 1986, and in the European Union, EC 1107/2006, guarantee certain rights to passengers with disabilities. These laws prohibit discrimination and require that modern aircraft provide accessible facilities. Specifically, in the USA, any plane that seats over 60 people must have an onboard wheelchair and an accessible lavatory. If it seats more than 100 people, it must have in-cabin storage for your manual folding wheelchair. There are also specific requirements for airports, including assistance with baggage and transportation within the facility. This is especially important for travelers making connecting flights or going through customs. Contact your airline in advance about any assistance or equipment concerns Every major airline has a department that specializes in medical assistance and ADA compliance. You should always contact your airline as soon as possible when traveling with medical devices or when you have a medical condition that requires attention. Some medical devices, especially when traveling internationally, require approval, which can take up to two weeks. You may also be required to provide proof of a prescription for certain devices, such as oxygen, especially when traveling internationally. Always bring a copy of this with you on your trip, as customs and TSA security may request it. Know your SSR codes before and after contacting your airline Special Service Request Codes serve as a secret language at airports, with many used to manage ADA-related needs. Knowing how to communicate with airline staff and interpret these codes helps you navigate their bureaucracy effectively. It also helps you understand why airlines must classify equipment under regulations involving items like batteries and oxygen. If you’ve reported a piece of equipment or a medical need, you should see a code on your boarding pass. Looking it up online can help you accurately inform your airline if they’ve misclassified your needs and figure out how to address them. Planning your travel day Get there early with your documentation ready Bring your necessary documentation for special equipment or service animals. If you have a medical implant, have your card ready when going through security. Many items, such as oxygen and other devices, require you to bring your prescriptions when traveling, so have them printed to speed through security. Document your equipment every time it leaves your hands It’s not rude to demand to take photos of your devices when they’re leaving your possession. This helps you make claims later if something is damaged. Remove anything that’s loose and attach instructions to your chair Ground crews often accidentally damage equipment because they don’t understand how it works. Attaching a tag to your chair that explains how to operate, lock, and remove the battery is crucial for returning it to its original condition. Also, remove any loose pouches, cushions, or dangling items, as these can be torn off or lost during transit. What to do if and when they damage or lose your device According to DOT statistics, only 2% of wheelchairs are damaged. However, this report may be inaccurate because many airlines adjust their reporting based on where the damage occurred or whether they classified it as luggage rather than a wheelchair. Most damage also occurs through third-party contractors who operate the ground crew, not the airline itself. Document all damage upon receiving your equipment and file immediately As you would when handing it over to the airline, take photos of any damage immediately. This helps you prove to the airline that the damage happened while it was in their care, not while you were on your trip. Always report all damages to the airline’s baggage office immediately after your flight. Delaying a report can lead to attempts to deny your claim and may require additional legal procedures to obtain compensation. Airlines are 100% liable for damages In the USA and the EU, airlines are required to repair or replace damaged wheelchairs and other medical equipment. Under the ACAA, they’re responsible for all costs, up to 100% of the original purchase price. Unfortunately, any repair or replacement process can take weeks or months, but they are also required to provide you with a loaner. File a complaint with the U.S. DOT Office of Aviation Consumer Protection If you receive any pushback from an airline regarding the repair or replacement of your device, immediately report it to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. A report of this behavior can be useful if you need to go the legal route, and it proves that you attempted to work with the airline before taking them to court. Remember that it’s never personal Stay calm and work through the process. Most often, it’s the ground crew or movement in the cargo hold that has damaged your device. This is outside of the airline’s control, and they are also unhappy that your device was damaged. If the person assisting with the damage report doesn’t understand your needs, they may not be trained in ACAA or ADA. The typical baggage claim agent is only trained to handle lost or damaged luggage. Politely request to speak with a specialist in the airline’s ADA department who understands its obligations and can expedite the process. Follow me on LinkedIn  and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Kass James Kass James, Healthcare Business and Disability Specialist Kass James is a forerunner in the field of disability rights, corporate responsibility, and healthcare business. Having been physically disabled for most of his life, Kass was acutely aware of the lack of accessibility in the workplace. His work focuses on restructuring healthcare to increase profitability while benefiting patients, as well as doing patient assessment for ADA compliance and assistive technology. He’s a partner with the Spoonie Advocate Associates, an organization pushing for increasing value and patient outcomes through common sense and responsible change.

Written by Juliette Kalokoh, Author, Coach, Mediator, and Philanthropist Juliette Kalokoh is a compelling writer whose work blends life experience with powerful social insight. She is known for her clear voice, thoughtful analysis, and commitment to truth. She is the author of From Nightmare to New Beginnings: A Journey of Faith, Resilience, and Hope and The Hidden Struggles of Accent Discrimination. Religion has long served as a moral compass for billions of people worldwide, offering hope, meaning, and guidance through life’s uncertainties. At its best, faith inspires compassion, humility, and service to others. Yet, when religious authority is distorted, it becomes a powerful weapon. Throughout history, God has been invoked to justify slavery, colonization, gender oppression, racial hierarchy, and psychological abuse. This misuse of sacred language transforms faith into a shield for cruelty rather than a call to conscience. The phrase "God told me" or "This is God’s will" carries immense weight. It discourages questioning, silences dissent, and frames injustice as divine decree. When God is used to justify harm, victims are not only violated physically or emotionally, they are spiritually disoriented, taught that suffering is righteous and resistance is sinful. This article examines how divine authority becomes a tool of control, the consequences for individuals and societies, and the urgent need to reclaim faith as a force for justice rather than domination. The psychology of divine justification Humans are psychologically wired to respect authority. When that authority is framed as divine, it becomes nearly unquestionable. The concept of God implies moral perfection, omniscience, and absolute truth. Thus, when harmful actions are justified in God’s name, they acquire a sacred immunity. This phenomenon is known as moral licensing, where individuals believe their actions are righteous simply because they are aligned with a perceived divine mandate. Studies in moral psychology show that when people view themselves as morally superior, they are more likely to excuse harmful behavior.[1] The appeal to divine authority intensifies this effect by shifting responsibility away from the individual and onto God. Victims of spiritually justified abuse often experience deep confusion, guilt, and self-blame. They are taught that suffering is a test of faith, that questioning authority is rebellion, and that endurance is holiness. Over time, this erodes self-worth and replaces critical thinking with fear-based obedience. Historical use of God to legitimize oppression The misuse of religious language to defend injustice is not new. During the transatlantic slave trade, enslavers used biblical texts to argue that slavery was divinely ordained. Colonizers framed their exploitation as “civilizing missions,” claiming God endorsed the destruction of Indigenous cultures. Women were excluded from leadership and education under the claim that God designed them to be submissive. In each of these cases, religion was not the root of injustice, it was the justification for it. Power structures selectively interpreted scripture to maintain dominance. This pattern reveals a troubling truth, God is often not used to challenge injustice but to stabilize it. Spiritual abuse: When faith becomes a weapon Spiritual abuse occurs when religious beliefs, practices, or authority are used to manipulate, control, or harm others. Unlike physical abuse, spiritual abuse is difficult to detect because it masquerades as righteousness. Common forms include: Silencing victims by labeling them as sinful or rebellious Demanding obedience under threat of divine punishment Using forgiveness rhetoric to avoid accountability Shaming those who leave harmful religious environments This abuse creates a double wound, one emotional, one spiritual. Victims are not only harmed, they are taught that their pain is sacred. The social consequences of weaponized faith When God is used to justify injustice, society internalizes harmful norms. Discrimination becomes moralized. Inequality becomes holy. Violence becomes righteous. This distortion affects legal systems, educational institutions, and healthcare policies. Laws informed by selective theology can deny bodily autonomy, restrict rights, and marginalize entire populations. When injustice is framed as sacred, reform becomes heresy. Moreover, these dynamics foster religious hypocrisy, where public piety masks private cruelty. People learn to perform righteousness while avoiding responsibility. This erodes trust, damages communities, and discredits genuine faith. Theological contradictions Ironically, most major religious traditions emphasize justice, compassion, and protection of the vulnerable. The use of God to justify harm directly contradicts these core values. For example, sacred texts often emphasize caring for the poor, welcoming the stranger, and defending the oppressed. Thus, injustice justified in God’s name is not divine, it is political, psychological, and social. Reclaiming faith as a force for justice Faith does not have to be abandoned to be purified. Reclaiming spirituality requires: Accountability: No one should be immune to critique because of their religious status. Interpretive humility: Sacred texts must be read with historical awareness and ethical responsibility. Victim-centered theology: Any belief system that prioritizes power over people is unjust. Justice as worship: True devotion is reflected in how people are treated. Spirituality should not silence pain, it should confront it. Conclusion Using God to justify injustice is one of the most dangerous distortions of faith. It transforms moral guidance into moral immunity and turns sacred language into a shield for cruelty. True spirituality does not defend harm, it resists it. It does not silence victims, it protects them. It does not demand submission, it nurtures dignity. God should never be used as an excuse to avoid accountability. If faith is to remain meaningful, it must be anchored not in power but in justice. Follow me on Facebook ,  and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Juliette Kalokoh Juliette Kalokoh, Author, Coach, Mediator, and Philanthropist Juliette Kalokoh writes with a rare combination of courage, vulnerability, and purpose. Through her words, she shines light on the struggles, silences, and triumphs that shape our communities. Her work is rooted in her own journey. One marked by faith, resilience, and a commitment to using her voice for those who cannot speak. Whether exploring themes of identity, justice, or healing, Juliette brings honesty and hope to every page. References: [1] Bandura, 1999

Written by Andrea Welling, Founder/Business and Leadership Coach Andrea Welling, MA, CDP, PIDP, is a leadership and business coach helping entrepreneurs grow with clarity. She supports clients with business planning, cash-flow guidance, and strategic coaching to strengthen teams and build confident, connected leaders. At first, nothing looks obviously wrong. You’re still getting things done. People still rely on you. Your calendar is full, your inbox keeps moving, and from the outside, you appear capable and steady. But inside, something has shifted. Tasks that once felt meaningful now feel heavy. Your patience is thinner. Rest doesn’t restore you the way it used to. You may tell yourself you just need to push through one more busy period, one more deadline, one more quarter. Burnout rarely announces itself with drama. It doesn’t crash into your life all at once. It creeps in quietly, disguising itself as dedication, responsibility, and resilience. Many people don’t recognize it until the cost is already high: strained relationships, emotional withdrawal, declining health, or a sudden loss of motivation that feels both confusing and frightening. In this article, we’ll slow things down and name what’s often hard to see while you’re inside it. You’ll learn how burnout develops, why high performers are especially vulnerable, and the five most common warning signs that indicate you may be closer to burnout than you realize. More importantly, you’ll be invited to reflect before your body or nervous system forces a reckoning. What burnout really is (and why it’s so often missed) Burnout is frequently misunderstood because it doesn’t arrive loudly or dramatically. It develops quietly over time in capable, committed people who continue to perform long after their internal resources are depleted. At its core, burnout is a chronic stress response caused by prolonged exposure to unmanaged work-related stress, particularly in environments where demands consistently exceed capacity, autonomy is limited, or effort goes unrecognized. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. This distinction matters. Burnout is not a personal weakness or a failure of resilience, it is a signal that something in the structure, culture, or expectations of work has become unsustainable. Burnout is characterized by three interrelated experiences. The first is emotional exhaustion: a deep depletion of emotional, mental, and physical energy where rest no longer feels restorative. People may sleep but still wake up tired, as though their internal battery never fully recharges. The second component is cynicism or emotional detachment. This often presents as numbness, irritability, or a growing sense of detachment from work, colleagues, or clients. Detachment is not a character flaw, it is the nervous system’s attempt to protect itself from ongoing overload. The third component is a reduced sense of efficacy. Even when external performance remains strong, individuals may begin to feel ineffective, less capable, or quietly uncertain about their value. What makes burnout especially difficult to detect is the way it develops. It often begins with high engagement. Purpose-driven, responsible people say yes often, care deeply, and carry more than their share. Over time, chronic stress becomes normalized. Long hours, constant urgency, and emotional labour are reframed as “just part of the job.” As this continues, recovery starts to erode. Sleep quality declines, connection fades, and moments of joy become rare, yet productivity remains intact. Eventually, people cope by pulling back emotionally. If nothing changes, burnout reaches a breaking point. My journey: When burnout spills outward One of the most challenging aspects of burnout is recognizing its impact on others. In my own experience, burnout didn’t just live quietly inside me, it leaked out in moments of frustration and negativity that felt out of character. We were reviewing a process I had developed years earlier, one that had never been properly implemented by another team. In my burned-out state, I couldn’t hold back my comments. I said we were getting nowhere and that we lacked a clear way to make decisions together. The room went silent. I turned off my camera and withdrew, saying nothing. That moment still stays with me. Not because the feedback itself was wrong, but because of how it landed. Burnout had narrowed my capacity for patience, curiosity, and repair. I wasn’t regulating, I was reacting. That’s one of burnout’s most subtle costs: it erodes the very qualities that make us effective collaborators, leaders, and humans. The 5 signs you may be on the path to burnout 1. Exhaustion that rest doesn’t fix This is not ordinary tiredness. You may sleep, take time off, or slow down briefly, yet still feel depleted. Emotional and physical exhaustion blend together. Motivation drops. Even work you once loved feels heavy. Many people describe feeling numb rather than overwhelmed, as though enthusiasm has been quietly burned away. 2. Emotional detachment and cynicism Detachment often masquerades as professionalism. You may feel less emotionally invested, more irritable, or quietly cynical about decisions, colleagues, or leadership. Your world becomes smaller. You withdraw from connection and lose a sense of shared purpose. This isn’t a personality change, it’s a protective response from a nervous system that has been under pressure for too long. 3. Reduced sense of effectiveness Burnout doesn’t always show up as poor performance at first. Externally, you may still be meeting expectations. Internally, however, confidence erodes. Tasks take more effort. You second-guess yourself. You feel less capable, even if there’s no clear evidence to support that belief. This gap between outer competence and inner doubt is deeply distressing. 4. Irritability and emotional spillover Small frustrations feel bigger. Your tolerance is lower. You may snap, withdraw, or shut down more quickly than usual. This can show up at work, at home, or both. Burnout reduces emotional regulation, making it harder to pause, reflect, and respond thoughtfully. Relationships often feel the impact before the individual fully recognizes what’s happening. 5. A quiet loss of meaning and joy One of the most overlooked signs of burnout is the absence of joy. You may struggle to feel pleasure, curiosity, or satisfaction, even outside of work. Life starts to feel flat or mechanical. This isn’t depression in the clinical sense, but it is a warning sign that your system has been operating in survival mode for too long. Why high performers are especially vulnerable Burnout is frequently masked by competence. People who are reliable and capable are often rewarded for over functioning, reinforcing unsustainable patterns. Their identity is closely tied to being dependable, and organizational systems tend to reward output rather than sustainability. From the outside, they appear in control. On the inside, they are quietly running on empty. There are also persistent myths that keep burnout hidden. One is the belief that burnout is just being tired. Tiredness resolves with rest, but burnout does not. Another is the idea that a vacation will fix it. Time off may relieve symptoms temporarily, but if the underlying conditions remain unchanged, burnout returns quickly. Perhaps most misleading is the assumption that burnout means you hate your job. Many burned-out people care deeply about their work, which is often why they stay too long in unhealthy dynamics. Burnout is not a personal failure It’s important to distinguish burnout from short-term overload. Being busy or stretched happens to everyone and improves with support, delegation, or rest. Burnout is different. It is chronic. It reflects a mismatch between demands and capacity over time. In one sentence: Burnout is what happens when capable, committed people are asked to operate in survival mode for too long and are praised for enduring it. A gentle call to action If you recognize yourself in these signs, pause. Not to judge yourself, but to listen. Burnout is information. It’s an invitation to examine workload, boundaries, expectations, leadership culture, and how recovery and connection are supported in your life. Start with one small, honest question: What has my nervous system been carrying for too long without relief? From there, seek conversation, support, and structural change, not just more coping. If you’d like support in untangling burnout and rebuilding sustainable leadership, connection, and clarity, I invite you to reach out. Burnout is not the end of your capacity. It’s a signal that something important needs to change, and change is possible.   Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Andrea Welling Andrea Welling, Founder/Business and Leadership Coach Andrea Welling is a transformational leadership and business coach with over 30 years of experience helping entrepreneurs and managers lead with clarity and confidence. Drawing on a rich background in entrepreneurship, senior leadership, and adult education, she supports clients in strengthening workplace culture, navigating staff challenges, and building resilient teams. In addition to leadership development, Andrea provides hands-on business coaching that includes crafting business plans, improving cash-flow strategies, and guiding clients through key growth decisions. Known for her empathy, insight, and analytical approach, she blends practical tools with deep reflection to create meaningful, lasting results.