Written by Phillipe Walker, Life Coach Welcome to Mend Don't Cry. A compassionate, professional space for rebuilding after loss. I combine decades of clinical nursing (HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases), university lecturing, and bereavement counselling with practical life‑coaching and NLP mindset tools to help people recover stability, reconnect, and find renewed purpose. Loneliness is now a major topic in discussions about well-being. Across Europe, policymakers and practitioners often call it a public-health crisis that affects mental health, physical health, and social ties. Still, some argue that loneliness, especially among men, is exaggerated, misunderstood, or even shaped by media stories. This debate is especially important for life coaches and wellbeing professionals. The way we understand loneliness affects how we help clients, create support programmes, and work toward healthier communities. To be effective, we need to consider both the evidence and the criticisms, particularly when working with men, whose experiences of connection are often misunderstood. Loneliness as a public-health issue Research in Europe over the past five years shows that loneliness is more than just a private feeling. It is a social issue that can be measured and has effects on whole populations. The EU Loneliness Survey[2] found that about 13% of Europeans are often lonely, with higher rates among young adults, migrants, and people experiencing financial difficulties. The UK Government’s Tackling Loneliness Evidence Review (2023) also links loneliness to depression, anxiety, heart disease, and lower quality of life. A 2024 review of loneliness policies across 52 countries[3] found that more governments now view loneliness as a real public-health issue that requires a coordinated response. This includes investing in social spaces, digital access, community programmes, and targeted support for groups at higher risk. From this perspective, loneliness is not imaginary. It is a real issue that affects health and society, and it deserves serious attention. The argument that loneliness is overstated Even with growing evidence, some critics have concerns about how loneliness is described and discussed. Loneliness is subjective and culturally shaped Not all loneliness is pathological. Some is: situational temporary developmentally normal culturally influenced More people reporting loneliness might reflect changing expectations of friendship and closeness, rather than a true epidemic. Risk of medicalising normal human experience Critics warn that calling loneliness a health crisis can make everyday experiences seem like problems, such as: solitude introversion life transitions natural periods of disconnection This can create unnecessary stigma. Structural problems can be mislabelled as loneliness Issues such as unstable jobs, housing shortages, fewer community spaces, and digital divides all contribute to disconnection. From this perspective, the real problem is weak social infrastructure, not just individual loneliness. These critics do not deny that loneliness exists. Instead, they question how we understand and address it. The debate around male loneliness The discussion becomes more complex when it comes to men. Many men do feel profoundly disconnected, but the idea of a “male loneliness crisis” can be misleading if we do not look deeper. Male loneliness may reflect structural change, not emotional weakness Men’s social networks have historically been tied to: stable employment local community institutions activity-based friendships As these structures shrink, men may feel “lonely” because they are losing traditional ways to connect. The risk of pathologising masculinity The crisis narrative often frames men as emotionally underdeveloped: “Men don’t talk.” “Men don’t open up.” “Men don’t have friends.” “Men/boys don’t cry.” This oversimplifies how men connect. It overlooks the value of bonding through physical activity, teamwork, shared tasks, and purpose-driven groups. Media amplification and moral panic Headlines often link male loneliness with: dating difficulties declining marriage rates online behaviour social withdrawal This can distort the issue and reinforce stereotypes rather than help us understand the real causes. Intersectionality matters A single “male loneliness crisis” narrative hides the fact that loneliness risk varies by: class ethnicity sexuality migration status disability Men are not all the same, and their ways of connecting are not identical. A balanced path forward The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Loneliness is real, it can be measured, and it has serious effects on public health. But calling it a crisis, especially for men, can oversimplify the issue or encourage treating normal feelings as problems. For life coaches and wellbeing professionals, the most effective approach combines compassion with attention to social structures. Strengthening social infrastructure Communities need: accessible public spaces affordable activities transport links digital inclusion intergenerational programmes Men need support in the ways they naturally connect This includes: activity-based groups skills-based coaching purpose-driven communities peer mentoring physical movement and shared tasks Use clinical pathways when appropriate When loneliness occurs with depression, trauma, or chronic illness, referral is essential. Avoid over-medicalising Not all loneliness is a disorder. Practitioners can help clients distinguish: situational loneliness chronic loneliness structural disconnection identity-based isolation Clarity helps avoid stigma and leads to better support. Pull-quote: “Not all loneliness is a crisis. The challenge is knowing when it’s a signal, and when it’s a symptom.” Conclusion Loneliness is not a made-up crisis, nor does it affect everyone in the same way. It is a complex social issue that requires careful understanding, especially when working with men. Life coaches and wellbeing professionals need to see both sides – recognising the real harm of ongoing loneliness while avoiding simplistic narratives that turn men into stereotypes. The future of addressing loneliness depends on improving social structures, using evidence-based methods, and recognising gender differences. This approach respects the many ways men connect, heal, and find belonging. Visit my website  for more info! Read more from Phillipe Walker Phillipe Walker, Life Coach I’ve faced crippling debt, homelessness, workplace burnout, and the loss of two life partners, and I know what it’s like to feel emotionally homeless and like an outsider. I came to the UK from a country torn by internal strife, and those experiences taught me that vulnerability and asking for help are acts of strength. With decades in clinical nursing (HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases), university lecturing, and bereavement counselling, I offer an evidence‑based, compassionate coaching approach. Using practical life‑coaching, NLP mindset tools, and steady empathy, I’ll help you reconnect, turn loss into possibility, reduce loneliness, and build a clear, actionable path to renewed purpose. References: [1] Barreto, M., Victor, C., Hammond, C. et al. (2021) ‘Loneliness and social isolation among older adults in Europe: Evidence from the SHARE survey’, European Journal of Ageing, 18(1), pp. 1–15. [2] European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). (2023) The EU Loneliness Survey: Monitoring loneliness across Europe. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. [3] Goldman, N., Khanna, D., El Asmar, M.L., Qualter, P. and El-Osta, A. (2024) ‘Addressing loneliness and social isolation in 52 countries: A scoping review of national policies’, BMC Public Health, 24(1), pp. 1–15. [4] Qualter, P., Vanhalst, J., Harris, R. and Lodder, G. (2021) ‘Loneliness across the life span’, Current Opinion in Psychology, 43, pp. 82–87. [5] UK Government. (2023) Tackling Loneliness Evidence Review: Main Report. London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Written by Kath Roberts, Coach, Colour Teacher & Author Kath is a systems coach and international teacher of colour therapy. She unlocks innate potential in individuals and groups by bringing together what we know, who we are, and then ultimately what we do. Recognising that brilliance isn't just in our heads, but emerges from the integration of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual intelligence. There's a question I ask every entrepreneur who approaches me struggling with their business, "What if nothing in your business is actually about your business?" The space always goes quiet. Because somewhere deep down, they already know the truth. Your business isn't separate from you. It isn't something you operate from the outside, like a machine you've built that occasionally malfunctions.   Your business is a living system , an extension of your consciousness, a reflection of your inner landscape, and a mirror for everything you haven't yet made peace with inside yourself. The reflection you can't unsee That client who keeps pushing your boundaries, she's showing you exactly where you struggle to hold your own. The team member who won't take the initiative is reflecting on your own relationship with trust and control. The revenue plateau you can't seem to break through is pointing directly to your ceiling around receiving, worthiness, or what you unconsciously believe you deserve. This isn't mystical thinking. It's systems theory, meeting depth psychology, meeting quantum physics. Everything in a living system is interconnected, mutually influencing, and responsive to the whole. When you change one element, the entire system reorganizes itself around that change. And at the centre of your business system is you. Your unhealed wounds become your business model. Your unconscious beliefs become your profit and loss statement. Your nervous system state becomes your company culture. The question isn't whether your internal world shapes your business, it's whether you're open and ready to examine it all and see how. The web of invisible connections We've been taught to think of business as linear, put in the effort, and you'll get the results. But living systems don't work that way. They work through feedback loops and what systems theorists call "sensitive dependence on initial conditions", or put more simply, small changes in one area creating massive shifts throughout the entire system. This is why you can implement the perfect marketing strategy and get zero results, while your competitor with an inferior approach attracts clients effortlessly. The difference isn't in the strategy. It's in the internal conditions that either allow or block the system from thriving. Actions matter, of course, but the consciousness from which we are operating matters way more. Your business exists within nested systems, and these are your personal history, your family patterns, your cultural conditioning, and your nervous system state. When you try to "fix" a business problem without understanding its roots in these deeper systems, you're treating symptoms while the cause remains untouched. This is one of the reasons you’ll find serial millionaires making money from their start-ups and then losing it all and restarting all over again. The body keeps the score Your body knows your business is in trouble long before your spreadsheets do. The exhaustion that no amount of sleep can fix. The anxiety that spikes before an important client call. The back pain that intensifies with each difficult conversation you're avoiding. Your body isn't failing you, it’s merely providing you with the intelligence your mind hasn't caught up to yet. When you're operating from complete alignment, your body feels resourced, energized, alive, and you feel like anything is possible. When you're out of integrity with your values or building something that doesn't truly serve your soul's purpose, your body begins to protest. What if that persistent tension in your shoulders is your body's way of saying you're carrying too much alone? What if that Sunday night dread is pointing to a business model that fundamentally doesn't fit who you are? The body doesn't lie. And in a living system, the body's wisdom is as essential as the balance sheet. In our modern age, we're amateurs at listening to our bodies' wisdom, living predominantly in our heads while staying distracted from our truth. Bessel van der Kolk, author of the groundbreaking book, The Body Keeps the Score, reminds us that "physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past." When we learn to befriend the sensations in our bodies, we unlock intelligence that our rational minds alone could never access. This is intelligence that's essential for building businesses aligned with who we truly are The patterns you inherited Some of the most persistent patterns in your business didn't originate with you. They came through you, transmitted across generations like a radio signal you didn't realize you were tuned into. The grandfather, who lost everything, taught a family system that security means never taking risks. The mother who sacrificed her dreams for everyone else's needs, passing down the belief that success requires self-abandonment. Unresolved experiences and beliefs move through family lines until someone becomes conscious enough to interrupt the pattern. I've watched entrepreneurs transform their businesses completely by addressing a single inherited belief. The woman who stopped over-giving when she understood she was healing her mother's pattern of martyrdom. Another who stopped hustling when she realised her family’s pattern of never having enough money. The man who broke through his income ceiling when he recognized he'd unconsciously taken a vow never to surpass his father's success. Your business becomes the arena where these ancestral patterns play out, until you bring them into conscious awareness and choose differently. As you integrate these unprocessed parts, you, your life, and your business will accelerate with less effort because you build from higher awareness and you create success from the inside out. The shadow in the boardroom Carl Jung taught us that whatever we don't integrate within ourselves, we meet as fate. In business, this shows up with remarkable precision. The parts of yourself you've rejected or disowned don't disappear, they   become your shadow.  They always show up as that "difficult" client who triggers you, the team conflict you can't resolve, the boss you just can’t please, and the visibility you unconsciously sabotage. Your shadow doesn't oppose your business, it merely reveals what's asking to be integrated so you can become whole. Every entrepreneur has a version of this, the success that terrifies them as much as it excites them. The visibility they crave but simultaneously hide from. The money they want but don't feel worthy to receive. These aren't character flaws. They're your psyche, trying to protect you based on old information. Maybe visibility meant danger in your family. Maybe success meant isolation. Maybe power meant becoming like someone who hurt you. When your shadow is integrated rather than rejected, it stops showing up as business problems and starts showing up as authentic power. The healing that transforms everything Here's where it gets extraordinary. When you do the internal work, that is, when you   shift a core belief,  heal an old wound, or integrate a rejected part, your business begins to transform without you changing a single external strategy. The entrepreneur who heals her relationship with receiving suddenly has clients showing up and willing to pay premium prices. The leader who resolves his control issues watches his team step into their full capacity. The creative who gives herself permission to be seen finds her work going viral. Nothing in their marketing changed. Nothing in their business model shifted significantly. But everything in the system reorganized around their new internal state. When you address the root cause, your consciousness, your beliefs, your nervous system, the symptoms resolve themselves. The system naturally moves toward wholeness because that's what living systems do when the conditions allow it. The practice of seeing So how do you begin to see your business this way? Start by   getting curious  instead of critical. When something isn't working, rather than asking "What's wrong with my strategy?" try, "What is this showing me about myself? What pattern is asking to be seen?" Notice when a personal breakthrough coincides with a business breakthrough. Pay attention to which activities drain you, and which energize you. Your body is always giving you systemic intelligence. Track the patterns. Do you have the same issues with different clients? The same conflicts with different team members? These repetitions are clues to something deeper, asking for your attention. Work with the whole, not just the parts. When tempted to fix one isolated problem, zoom out. What else is connected to this? How is this business challenge related to your personal growth edge right now? And bring compassion to what you find. Your business challenges aren't evidence that something is wrong with you, far from it. They are all invitations to deeper integration, more authentic expression, more wholeness, and ultimately, more aligned success. The business that breathes When you begin to work with your business as a living system, something profound shifts. You stop fighting against yourself. You stop trying to force outcomes through strategies that don't honour who you actually are. You start building businesses that breathe, that have room for your humanity, that grow organically and succeed because they're aligned with your truth. This doesn't mean business becomes effortless because living systems require constant tending and care. But the effort comes from a different place. Not from pushing against your own resistance, but from moving with your own wisdom. Not from proving your worth, but from expressing your gifts. Not from fear of what you might lose, but from devotion to what you're here to create. Your business is always communicating with you. Every challenge, every pattern, every stuck place is feedback from the system, showing you exactly what needs attention for the next level of growth. The question is, "Are you listening?" When you finally understand that your business is not separate from you, that it's a living, breathing expression of your consciousness, everything changes. You stop looking outside yourself for answers and start sourcing them from within. You stop treating symptoms and start healing systems. You stop building businesses that exhaust you and start creating ones that excite and expand you. This is the work. Not just building a business but becoming a person whose internal landscape can hold the business you're meant to create. Not just developing strategies but developing yourself. Not just seeking success but seeking wholeness in all aspects and discovering that when you find the latter, the former follows naturally. Your business is a mirror. What it shows you is always an invitation. The only question is, "Are you ready to look?" Ready to explore what your business is reflecting back to you? If this article resonates and you're curious about understanding your business as a living system, I invite you to explore working together. Through one-to-one coaching and my upcoming Creative Edge series (commencing January 14, 2026), I guide entrepreneurs, coaches, and conscious leaders through the journey of making the unconscious conscious, so your business can finally align with who you truly are. Because when you heal the system from the inside out, everything shifts with ease and grace. Discover how we can work together  |  Join The Creative Edge Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my LinkedIn  for more info! Read more from Kath Roberts Kath Roberts, Coach, Colour Teacher & Author Kath Roberts is an international colour therapist, systems coach, and author who bridges the business world with the metaphysical to facilitate profound transformation. With over 37 years of work experience across leadership, sales, and consultancy with a focus on cultivating talent , she uses colour, systemic coaching, and nature-based practices to help conscious leaders and creative entrepreneurs align with their soul's purpose. She creates space and the appropriate structure so transformation moves from the inside out with ease and grace.

Shaqeem Akbar-Downey grew up on the court and the field. Basketball and football were not hobbies. It was a daily routine. From an early age, he played for multiple teams and traveled across cities and states to compete. Those experiences shaped how he thinks about effort, teamwork, and focus. “Sports taught me how to show up every day,” Akbar-Downey says. “You don’t improve by talking. You improve by doing the work, even when no one is watching.” Traveling for games also opened his eyes to bigger opportunities. Competing outside his neighborhood pushed him to think seriously about education and long-term goals. The discipline required to balance training, school, and travel became the foundation for his future career. Education that blended creativity and business After attending Sir Wilfred Laurier High School, Akbar-Downey continued his education at St. Lawrence College. He studied culinary arts alongside business management. At first glance, the combination may seem unusual. For him, it made sense. “Culinary arts taught me precision and timing,” he explains. “Business management taught me structure. You need both if you want results.” Working in kitchens helped him understand systems, efficiency, and pressure. Business courses gave him the tools to manage people, processes, and outcomes. Together, they shaped how he approaches marketing today, with creativity guided by structure. Building a career in marketing and advertising management Akbar-Downey now works in marketing and advertising management, partnering closely with major used car dealerships. His role focuses on building campaigns that deliver real results, not just attention. “I don’t believe in flashy ideas that don’t convert,” he says. “If it doesn’t bring in qualified leads, it’s not doing its job.” His work centers on understanding local markets, customer intent, and timing. By aligning messaging with real buyer behavior, he helps dealerships consistently generate leads and close multiple deals. The approach is practical and grounded in execution. Rather than relying on one-size-fits-all strategies, he adapts campaigns to each dealership’s inventory and audience. That flexibility has become a defining part of his reputation. Leadership through consistency and trust Akbar-Downey does not describe himself as a traditional executive. His leadership style is shaped by sports and hands-on experience. He believes trust is built through consistency. “In both sports and business, people follow results,” he says. “You earn respect by being reliable.” Dealership partners value clear communication and predictable performance. Akbar-Downey focuses on setting expectations early and measuring outcomes honestly. If something does not work, he adjusts quickly. That mindset mirrors his athletic background. Review the game tape. Fix mistakes. Move forward. Staying connected to youth and community Outside of work, Akbar-Downey remains closely connected to sports. He is actively involved in youth basketball and football training programs. His goal is to help young athletes develop skills while learning discipline and confidence. “I see myself in those kids,” he says. “All they need is guidance and someone who believes in them.” He volunteers his time to support youth from the neighborhoods where he grew up. For him, giving back is not about recognition. It is about access. He wants young athletes to see pathways beyond their immediate environment. Sports, he believes, are a tool. Not everyone will go pro. But everyone can learn structure, teamwork, and accountability. A business mindset shaped by the long game Shaqeem Akbar-Downey approaches both business and life with a long-term mindset. He understands that success is built gradually. Campaigns improve through testing. Skills are sharpened through repetition. “Nothing meaningful happens overnight,” he says. “You build momentum by staying consistent.” That philosophy keeps him focused as he continues to grow within the marketing and advertising space. He is less concerned with titles and more focused on impact. Helping partners succeed. Helping young athletes grow. Improving systems one step at a time. Shaqeem focused on the future As his career continues to evolve, Akbar-Downey remains grounded in the lessons that shaped him early on. Discipline from sports. Creativity from culinary training. Structure from business education. Those elements now come together in his work every day. “At the end of the day, it’s about showing up prepared,” he says. “Whether it’s a game, a campaign, or mentoring a kid, the mindset stays the same.” For Shaqeem Akbar-Downey, leadership is not loud. It is steady. And it is built one play at a time.

Toronto, ON –  John Gerges is changing how people experience Toronto. Through his walking tours, Gerges transforms ordinary streets into living stories, blending art, history, and local culture into experiences that feel personal, current, and deeply connected to the city. Rather than focusing on major landmarks, Gerges leads visitors through neighborhoods like Graffiti Alley, Kensington Market, and lesser-known laneways filled with murals, gardens, and family-run shops. Each tour reflects the city as it exists in the moment, shaped by artists, residents, and constant change. “I liked knowing why a place looked the way it did,” Gerges said. “Once you know the story, you never see it the same way again.” A lifelong curiosity for the city Gerges grew up in midtown Toronto, spending his free time exploring neighborhoods with friends. Even at a young age, he paid attention to details others often overlooked, from murals tucked into alleyways to the history behind older buildings. That curiosity followed him to the University of Toronto, where he studied Communications and City Studies. While in school, he worked part-time at an art studio in Queen West, where he was introduced to street artists, independent creators, and the behind-the-scenes work that supports local culture. “That studio showed me how much talent exists off the main paths,” Gerges said. “Most visitors never find it on their own.” Turning passion into a walking tour business After graduating, Gerges earned a certificate in Tourism and Hospitality Management from George Brown College. The program helped him understand how tours are structured and how Toronto’s tourism ecosystem functions. In 2016, he launched his own walking tour brand. Instead of scripted routes, Gerges designed flexible tours that evolve with the city. Murals appear overnight. Shops change hands. Stories grow with each walk. “I tell people the tour changes every week,” he said. “That’s because Toronto keeps changing.” His Graffiti Alley tour quickly gained attention for its authenticity and variety. Visitors appreciated that no two tours felt the same and that both permanent and short-lived art were treated as part of the city’s story. Building trust through authentic experiences What sets Gerges apart is how personal his tours feel. He greets shop owners by name, remembers guests, and shares stories rooted in real relationships rather than rehearsed facts. “I try to remember names,” he said. “People relax when they feel seen.” His approach has led to strong word-of-mouth growth, with reviews often highlighting the connection guests feel during the experience. Many describe the tours as feeling less like a formal activity and more like exploring the city with a knowledgeable friend. Life beyond the tour routes Outside of guiding tours, Gerges remains closely connected to Toronto’s creative life. He lives near Ossington and spends early mornings practicing street photography, capturing quiet moments before the city fills with activity. He cycles the waterfront trail regularly and restores vintage film cameras, a hobby he developed during the pandemic. Food exploration also plays a role in his work. Gerges keeps a running list of favorite local spots, from bánh mì shops to shawarma counters and plant-based bakeries. Some of these places have become informal stops along his routes. “If I love a place, I want people to experience it,” he said. New stories, same streets Gerges is currently working on a photo-driven book documenting Toronto’s laneways and the artists behind them. He is also developing a nighttime walking tour focused on illuminated murals, neon signs, and the city’s atmosphere after dark. “Toronto changes personality at night,” he said. “I want people to feel that shift.” Despite new projects, his focus remains the same, authentic experiences grounded in curiosity and consistency. “This city is a living canvas,” Gerges said. “Every day, there’s a new story if you’re paying attention.” Through patience and a deep connection to place, John Gerges has turned a personal love of walking in Toronto into a meaningful career, one step at a time. About John Gerges  John Gerges is a Toronto-based walking tour guide and city storyteller specializing in art-focused and neighborhood-driven experiences. Through his tours, he helps locals and visitors explore Toronto beyond traditional landmarks, highlighting the people, murals, and everyday details that shape the city’s identity.

Sarah Josipovic did not stumble into real estate. She grew up inside it. Homes, plans, and neighborhoods were part of everyday life long before she ever wrote an offer or walked a client through a build. Today, she is a licensed Sales Representative with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, working closely with a respected Hamilton builder while also operating as part of a family real estate team. Her career reflects patience, preparation, and a steady approach to leadership in a changing industry. This is the story of how she built her path, step by step. Early roots in real estate and homebuilding Sarah grew up in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Both of her parents are from Hamilton, and real estate was always close to home. Her mother built a long career as a real estate agent. Her grandfather was a custom home builder. That exposure shaped how she sees property today. “I was around floor plans and job sites from a young age,” Sarah says. “I learned early that homes are not just structures. They’re personal.” Her childhood was active and focused. She excelled in tennis and skiing, sports that demanded discipline and repetition. “Sports taught me how to stay calm under pressure,” she says. “That carries over into real estate more than people think.” That mindset would later become a quiet advantage. Education in urban planning and sustainability Sarah attended Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School in Stoney Creek before moving on to Ryerson University, now Toronto Metropolitan University. She studied Environment and Urban Sustainability with a minor in Geography. She graduated with honours in April 2016. In her first year, she received the award for Best Overall First Year Student in her program. “I was always interested in how cities grow and how people live in them,” she says. “Real estate sits right at that intersection.” Her education gave her a framework for thinking beyond single transactions. She learned how zoning, land use, and long-term planning affect communities. That broader view still shapes how she works with buyers today. From service jobs to professional real estate Before entering real estate, Sarah spent over a decade working in hospitality and retail. From 2009 to 2020, she held roles as a waitress, bartender, hostess, and retail associate. Those years taught her how to deal with people on their best and worst days. “You learn quickly how to listen,” she says. “You also learn how to stay professional when emotions run high.” In 2019, she enrolled in real estate licensing courses. She became officially licensed in October 2020 with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. The timing was not easy. The market was shifting. Expectations were changing. “That first year forced me to learn fast,” she says. “There was no room for shortcuts.” Working with builders and new construction A major focus of Sarah’s career today is new construction. She works closely with RealPro Homes, a Hamilton-based builder, on residential projects. New builds demand a different skill set. Timelines are longer. Decisions are layered. Clients often need guidance months before move-in. “New construction is about managing expectations,” she says. “People need clarity at every stage.” Her background gives her an edge. She understands floor plans, materials, and design trade-offs. She also understands the emotional side of building from scratch. “You’re asking people to wait,” she says. “Trust becomes everything.” A family-based real estate team Since 2020, Sarah has worked alongside her mother as part of a real estate team. The partnership blends experience with a modern approach. “We’re different, and that’s the strength,” Sarah says. “She brings decades of perspective. I bring a new lens.” Working with family also sets a higher bar. “There’s accountability,” she adds. “You don’t cut corners when your name and your family name are both on the line.” Leadership style and personal balance Outside of work, Sarah prioritizes health and structure. She weight trains, practices Pilates, and yoga. She spends time fishing, hiking, camping, and skiing. Her favorite place is up north, on the lake, surrounded by trees. “That’s where I reset,” she says. “Nature keeps me grounded.” She is also rarely without her eight-year-old German Shepherd, a registered service animal who has been with her since puppyhood. “She goes everywhere with me,” Sarah says. “She reminds me to slow down.” A steady presence in a fast industry Sarah Josipovic does not frame success in loud terms. Her career reflects consistency, preparation, and trust built over time. “I don’t see real estate as a quick-win business,” she says. “It’s a long game.” As markets shift and client expectations evolve, that mindset positions her as a steady leader in her field. She brings together family knowledge, academic grounding, and real-world experience. And she continues to build, one relationship at a time.

Aspiring screenwriters face a universal temptation. A brilliant new idea appears mid-draft, sparkling with possibility, and suddenly the current project feels like a slog. The pattern repeats until hard drives overflow with abandoned scripts and nothing reaches completion. Bennett Graebner, who spent nearly two decades as an executive producer on The Bachelor franchise before returning to his original passion for screenwriting, has watched talented friends fall into this trap for years. His diagnosis is blunt: new ideas feel exciting because they remain untested, while screenplays function as lottery tickets that hold zero chance of winning if never completed. Why do new ideas feel more exciting than current projects? An idea that exists only in imagination carries no flaws, no structural problems, no scenes that refuse to work. Imperfections emerge only after a writer commits words to paper. "It's so easy to start something, get excited about it, work on it, and then get frustrated by it," Bennett Graebner observes . "That shiny other thing that's in your head or in your notes, because that thing is like, oh, well that's fun. And that's not that hard." Screenwriting coach Jenna Avery identifies this pattern as "bright shiny object syndrome," a term she uses in Script Magazine to describe how almost anything else looks more appealing once writers begin hard work on a script. Untested ideas appear perfect Current screenplays have problems that need solving. New ideas seem to solve themselves. "The only thing that's perfect is that idea that you just have the idea for that you actually haven't worked on yet, because that isn't anything," Graebner explains. "You're just like, that's an awesome idea. Well, yeah, it's just an idea." What seemed like a guaranteed success in imagination reveals complications the moment it becomes a working document. Rather than push through, writers retreat to the next shiny object. What do writers lose when they never finish? "They're all just lottery tickets," Bennett Graebner states. "Your chance of getting something made is so slim. But if you don't finish anything, well, you have no shot at all." Approximately 50,000 screenplays are registered with the Writers Guild of America each year , while spec script sales number in the dozens. Only 11 spec scripts sold in 2023, with just one selling in the first three months of 2024. A finished script at least enters the competition. An unfinished script guarantees nothing. Writers who never complete scripts cannot build proficiency with structure and pacing. Mechanics of ending a story, of bringing threads together in a satisfying resolution, only develop through practice. "I think about these friends of mine who are just working the same thing for years and years and years, and it's like, you can't do that," Graebner says. Graebner taught screenwriting for years and observed the same pattern repeatedly. Students with talent and ambition failed to complete projects, while less naturally gifted writers who finished their scripts moved forward. "You've got to get to the point where you can at least say, hey, take a look at this," Graebner explains . "As opposed to like, yeah, I'm working on something, which we all do, by the way." Managers, agents, and producers cannot evaluate potential based on descriptions of works in progress. Finished scripts give them something to read, assess, and champion. Quitting reinforces itself Creative professionals who repeatedly abandon projects develop patterns that become harder to break. Each unfinished script makes the next abandonment easier. Conversely, each completed project builds confidence and momentum. How can writers break the cycle? "You have to power through and just finish it, otherwise you're just going to be sitting there," Bennett Graebner advises. Frustration with a current project does not make a new idea superior. Both scripts will present problems and demand effort. Commitment to completion makes the difference. First drafts mark beginnings, not endings. Eric Heisserer wrote approximately 100 drafts of Arrival before production. M. Night Shyamalan did not discover that Malcolm Crowe was dead until the fifth draft of The Sixth Sense. Writers who abandon projects after two or three drafts may be quitting just before their best work would emerge. Use new ideas as motivation Rather than switching projects, Graebner suggests treating new ideas as rewards for completing current work. "Don't do that. Do not do that," he tells himself when tempted to jump to something new. "But sometimes a little bit of that is good where you're like, I need a break from this thing. But you can't take too much of a break. And then you just have to finish it, even if it's not perfect." Jon Acuff, author of Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done, recommends placing new projects at the finish line for current ones. Anticipated rewards provide motivation to push through difficult sections. Completion over perfection Bennett Graebner acknowledges that he fights the same impulses as every other writer. New ideas arrive uninvited. Current projects grow frustrating. The temptation to start fresh never fully disappears. "I do it too, man," he admits. "But yeah, I think that you have to power through and just finish it." His years teaching screenwriting reinforced what his own career demonstrated: talent matters less than output. Writers who generate dozens of ideas but complete nothing remain amateurs indefinitely. Writers who push through frustration and finish imperfect scripts develop the skills, build the portfolios, and create the opportunities that lead to professional work. A finished screenplay, however flawed, can open doors. It can attract representation, land assignments, or simply teach the writer what the next script needs. A drawer full of brilliant beginnings accomplishes none of these things. For aspiring screenwriters chasing careers in an industry where the odds already stack against them, Graebner's advice cuts through the noise: stop romanticizing the ideas you haven't tested and finish the work in front of you.

Written by Grinia Bradwell, Intuitive Author & Writer Grinia Bradwell, PhD, is a scientist, author, and Reiki Master exploring the intersection of science, consciousness, and personal growth. She is the author of The Energy Field: The Paths We Take Are the Choices We Make, a reflective memoir exploring personal transformation, cultural change, and inner awakening. We all know how it goes. On December 31 st we are pumped, excited to start fresh in the new year. New goals, bold resolutions, or in some cases, a sense of defeat because we failed to achieve all the ambitious goals that we had set for ourselves in the past. But what if there was a new way to set yourself up for success, without making a commitment that you know wouldn’t last more than a few weeks? What if, instead of just focusing on outcomes, you also focus on how you want to feel? Shifting the focus from rigid goals Every new year begins with hope. We promise ourselves change, growth, and a better version of who we want to be. For many of us, those resolutions slowly fade within weeks. This happens because we often set rigid, idealized goals that are disconnected from our current reality. We focus on the outcome and forget about enjoying the journey. Traditional resolutions often focus on the final result, such as losing weight, earning more, or changing something specific about ourselves. What if there was a more fluid and natural way to achieve these goals while enjoying and rewarding yourself along the way? The power of feeling your resolutions Think about your goal and imagine that you have just achieved it. How does it make you feel? Does it make you feel happy or recognized? Does it make you feel healthy and energized? Does it make you feel loved, cared for, or heard? The goals you set for yourself and their outcomes are often linked to how you want to feel when you finally achieve them. But why wait until you achieve each goal to experience that feeling? By feeling first, you shift your mindset from lack and need to having. There are many resources that show the impact of this mindset shift in our ability to quickly manifest our goals and live a more fulfilling life. Let’s take a moment to review 3 examples of how you can make your resolutions stick.   1. Lose weight & be healthy If your resolution is to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle, it’s common to start by setting traditional goals, like losing a certain number of pounds, going to the gym a few times a week, or eating more vegetables. These are great metrics to keep you on track. However, the downside of this approach is that when life gets busy or unexpected challenges arise, you might lose focus and fall back into old habits due to stress or lack of motivation. You may even feel tempted to say, “I’ll try again next year.” This is where focusing on how you feel can help you stay on course.   Instead of just looking at the end goal, think about how you will feel when you’re at your target weight and healthy. You might feel energized, more confident, or proud of the way you present yourself to the world. The key is to realize that you can start experiencing those feelings now. Here are 3 simple steps you can take:   Morning routine: Take only five minutes when you first wake up and visualize yourself healthy and on your target weight. Focus on that feeling, see who you are around, what you are doing, what you are eating. Imagine yourself looking in the mirror and being proud of who you are. Feel it. Gratitude for each step forward: Each day, identify actions or moments that bring you closer to those feelings. Maybe you ate a big salad, took a walk, or took a quick break from your screen during work. Each small step counts. Every time you take an action that aligns with your goal, take a moment to appreciate what it feels like to be on the path toward that healthier version of yourself. No space for guilt: When you slip up or fall off track, don’t dwell on it. Instead, remind yourself of the positive steps you’ve already taken. Keep track of your small wins, so you can return to them in challenging moments. Remember, this isn’t a sprint, you don’t need to move fast, just keep moving at your own pace. And most importantly, tomorrow is a fresh start, and you have another opportunity to take one more step forward.   2. Grow financially If one of your resolutions is to grow financially and build a healthier relationship with money, you might start by increasing your savings, paying off debt, boosting your income, or sticking to a budget. These are all great strategies to improve your financial situation, but for many people, taking these actions may be easier said than done, especially if you are living paycheck to paycheck and facing unexpected challenges such illness or job loss. In those moments, it can feel almost impossible to even think about long-term financial growth. This is where a shift in mindset can help.   Now ask yourself: how would you feel if your financial life were stable and you even had enough money to spend on things you love? Would it bring you a sense of accomplishment and pride? Would you feel more relaxed and joyful knowing that you don’t need to worry about how to pay your next bill? Would you feel generous knowing you could give to those less fortunate? You can begin cultivating these feelings now by following three steps:   Morning routine: Take five minutes each morning, right after you wake up, to visualize your ideal financial situation. What benefits does it bring to your life? Who is around you, and how do you feel? It may be hard to believe that simply thinking about it can create change but trust the process. The brain has remarkable capabilities, and when you clearly communicate what you want through visualization and emotion, it begins to shift your mindset, helping you recognize new opportunities and generate ideas that move you closer to living in that state. Gratitude  is a seed: You don’t need to wait until your finances improve to be grateful. Think about one of the feelings tied to reaching your financial goals, such as accomplishment. Simple daily actions like making your bed, organizing your space, or completing a small task can already give you that sense of achievement. The same goes for generosity: giving isn’t limited to money. A kind word, a smile, or sharing a helpful lesson can make a difference in someone’s day. Even without money involved, you are still giving and being generous. Notice these moments and appreciate them. Take a leap: now that you know how an abundant financial life feels, and you can see yourself living it with generosity and appreciation, the next step is to act. Place yourself in environments that can open the door to new opportunities, connect with people that embody a mindset of growth, achievement, and generosity. Show up with confidence, trust the process, and know that every step is moving you closer. All you need to do is to keep walking.   3. Meaningful relationships If you are looking to build healthier, more meaningful relationships, you might consider spending more time meeting and connecting with new people, communicating more openly, spending more quality time with loved ones, setting boundaries, or being more present. These are all excellent ways to build a supportive and meaningful community around you. But why do so many of us struggle to do this? For many of us, personality traits, past experiences, or environment can interfere with our confidence or ability to put ourselves out there. If this resonates with you, know that this barrier can be removed by aligning your vision with the emotions connected to it.   How would you feel if you had supportive and meaningful relationships? Would you feel seen and heard? Connected and safe? Loved and cared for? Let’s begin building your ideal community by starting from the heart. Here are the three steps to help you create deeper, more meaningful connections:   Morning routine: In the first five minutes after you wake up, take a deep breath and visualize yourself surrounded by people who love and care for you. They may be friends, partners, or family members. If you have experienced difficult or unhealthy relationships in the past, imagine a bright light moving away those who caused you harm, placing them where they can no longer affect you. Imagine an invisible protective barrier around you, where only people with the best intentions can enter. In this space, you feel safe, you feel heard, and you feel loved. Hold onto these feelings and carry them with you throughout the day. Gratitude  is a bridge: When we are in a positive mindset, we naturally attract people and opportunities that align with that energy. Acknowledging the good around us goes a long way in bringing positivity into our lives. Start by noticing the simple things, the nature around you, the night sky, or a kind gesture from a stranger. Be grateful for living in a world full of opportunities. While it isn’t perfect, it still offers so much to appreciate. Try to find small things to be grateful for each day, even if it’s as simple as being alive and waking up to a new day filled with new possibilities. Don’t be afraid to take the first step: Now that you’ve begun to shift your mindset toward positive feelings and gratitude, you can slowly put yourself out there. Take one step at a time if that helps you feel safer and more comfortable. Consider joining an online group focused on meaningful connections and aligned with your values, or take a course on a topic you love to meet like-minded people. As your confidence grows, allow yourself to take bigger steps. Notice how your new mindset and energy will begin to attract different types of interactions and relationships in your life. And above all, remember to love and honor yourself. Everything else will fall into place.   Aligning intention and emotions creates change No matter what resolution you choose, whether it’s improving your health, growing financially, or building meaningful relationships, the message remains the same, when you align your intentions with emotions like gratitude, abundance, and love, your actions naturally follow. Progress becomes less about forcing discipline and more about gently guiding yourself in the direction you want to grow.   You don’t need to wait for the perfect moment or the final outcome to start feeling fulfilled. Each day offers a new opportunity to take a small step, practice gratitude, and build momentum. Over time, these feelings will shape your mindset and will influence your choices, helping your resolutions stick, not just for a few weeks but for the long run.   If this approach resonates with you, I invite you to continue the journey with me. I share daily positive notes, reflections, and reminders on my Instagram  to help you stay connected to gratitude and intentional living. I’ve also created a gratitude book with daily gratitude prompts for reflection to help you anchor the feelings that matter most. Start where you are, take one small step today, and trust that meaningful change unfolds one feeling at a time.   Follow me on Facebook , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Grinia Bradwell Grinia Bradwell, Intuitive Author & Writer Grinia Bradwell, PhD, is a scientist, author, and Reiki Master who explores questions of perception, awareness, and personal growth. With a background in scientific research and a deep interest in consciousness and energy, her writing reflects on how logic and intuition can coexist. Through personal experience and thoughtful inquiry, she invites readers to expand perspective and reconnect with inner balance.

Written by Tatyanna Wright, Transformation Coach/Channel Tatyanna Wright is a spiritual transformation coach and host of The Conscious Diva podcast. Her work empowers others to release conditioned identities and live in authentic alignment. She is writing her first book. There comes a moment on the spiritual path when something shifts. A subtle inner opening. A quiet knowing. A nudge that doesn’t come from logic, conditioning, or fear, but from somewhere deeper. For many, this moment arrives with wonder and doubt. A quiet questioning begins: Is this intuition or imagination? Can I trust what I’m hearing within? These questions are not signs that something is wrong, they are signs that something is awakening. Spirit does not shout. It whispers. And learning to listen is both an art and a practice that requires discernment and courage. The moment of opening For me, the doorway opened not through effort, but through unraveling. I had spent years immersed in spiritual practice through meditation, yoga, and inner-child work. Yet I was unknowingly bypassing the deeper truths of my life. On the outside, everything appeared polished and successful. Inside, I felt disconnected, unfulfilled, and deeply dissatisfied in my marriage. In 2016, while producing a spiritual documentary television series filmed across India, I began experiencing moments I could not explain through intellect alone. Messages arrived spontaneously. Sensations moved through my body. Guidance came through signs, timing, and an unmistakable voice that felt both intimate and ancient, speaking to me in a tone that was unmistakable. I didn’t immediately label this as “spirit communication.” I questioned it. And tried to rationalize it. But the guidance persisted. It was always gentle, deeply loving, coupled with a knowing that “this is true.” The moment of opening is rarely dramatic. More often, it arrives as a quiet invitation: Are you willing to trust something beyond what you’ve been taught? Your path: How you learn to listen Spirit communication does not look the same for everyone. Some people receive guidance through physical sensations. Others through dreams, imagery, words, or sudden clarity. Some experience it as emotional resonance, an inner knowing that offers a deep sense of “yes” or “no” in the body. My own ability to listen was shaped by lineage, training, longing, and lived experience. I reached a point where my life no longer worked as it was. I needed guidance beyond my conditioned mind. Learning to listen required slowing down and creating space. I let go of the need to perform spirituality and instead allowed it to be lived. Spirit speaks most clearly when the nervous system feels safe, when we stop forcing answers and allow ourselves to rest in the trust of the unknown. Listening is not about receiving constant messages, it is about cultivating a steady relationship with your higher Self, built on trust, consistency, and self-honesty. What spirit communication looks like One of the greatest misconceptions about spirit communication is that it must be extraordinary. In truth, it is often subtle, practical, and woven into the fabric of everyday life, asking not for belief, but for attention. Spirit guidance may come as: A repeated phrase you see on a sign or hear in a song A physical sensation felt when something is aligned, or not A sudden realization that arrives with calm clarity rather than urgency An intuitive nudge that asks for courage, not comfort Guidance may also reveal itself through timing and repetition, the same message surfacing through different conversations or synchronicities that feel less like coincidence and more like gentle confirmation. In my experience, true Spirit guidance carries a particular quality. It does not inflate the ego or rush decision-making. It invites responsibility and self-honesty. More often than not, it asks us to be the change, to transform ourselves rather than attempt to fix or control others. Spirit does not override our free will. It offers perspective, support, and truth, then leaves the choice to us. Learning to recognize this guidance is less about developing psychic ability and more about cultivating self-awareness. As we become more aligned and attuned to what sincerely drives us, the voice of Spirit becomes easier to discern and quietly empowering. The inner shift: How opening to spirit transforms us When we begin listening to Spirit, something profound happens: We stop outsourcing our authority. Rather than seeking constant validation, we learn to trust our inner compass. Decisions become less about approval and more about alignment. Life becomes less performative and more authentic. This shift can be uncomfortable. Spirit guidance often asks us to release identities we’ve outgrown and roles that once kept us safe but no longer serve our becoming. For me, opening to Spirit meant leaving behind a life that looked “successful” but felt constricting. It required honesty, courage, and a willingness to disappoint expectations, including my own. Transformation is not a hack. It is a deep dive into the self. And Spirit walks with us through that descent, reminding us of who we are beneath conditioning and fear. Common fears: And how to navigate them The most common fear I hear from clients is this, “How do I know it’s not just my egoic mind?” Here is a grounded truth: ego-driven messages feel urgent, defensive, and self-protective. Spirit-led guidance feels steady, compassionate, and expansive, even when it asks for change. Another fear is “getting it wrong.” But Spirit is not punitive. It does not abandon us for missteps. Discernment grows through relationship, not perfection. Practical grounding tools include: Journaling guidance and observing patterns over time Checking guidance against the body by asking, “How does this feel in my body?” Asking: Does this lead me toward truth, responsibility, and compassion? Meditative stillness to cultivate and embody inner wisdom Spiritual maturity is not about escaping humanity, it is about inhabiting it more fully. How spirit communication changes our world When individuals learn to listen inwardly, the world begins to shift outwardly. Spirit-led people act with integrity. They lead from clarity rather than fear. They make choices rooted in service, truth, and responsibility. This is not about becoming “special” or “chosen.” It is about becoming deeply human, awake, present, and accountable. In a world driven by noise, urgency, and external validation, listening to Spirit becomes a radical act of self-leadership. And perhaps this is Spirit’s greatest gift: not answers, but remembrance. A quiet return to the truth that has always lived within us. Opening to Spirit is not about seeking answers outside yourself, it’s about learning to trust what’s already within. If you’re ready to deepen that relationship and walk this path with intention, I invite you to explore my transformative coaching offerings, join my newsletter for ongoing reflections and tools, connect with me on Instagram, or listen to The Conscious Diva podcast, where I share insights on intuition and living in alignment with your truth. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tatyanna Wright Tatyanna Wright, Transformation Coach/Channel Tatyanna Wright is a spiritual mentor and transformation coach who integrates shamanic wisdom with modern coaching to support profound personal growth. Her mission is to guide individuals in awakening their inner clarity, reclaiming their personal power, and aligning their lives with their soul’s truth. Through her work, she helps clients strengthen intuitive intelligence, break free from conditioned patterns, and recognize their inherent worth so they can lead themselves and their lives with purpose and integrity.

Written by Tina Feigal, M.S., Ed., Parent Coach Former school psychologist Tina Feigal specializes in helping caregivers heal trauma associated with adoption, foster care, and children's losses of any kind. She's the author of Present Moment Parenting: The Guide to a Peaceful Life with Your Intense Child and has trained and mentored 850 coaches worldwide. What if the answers to raising an 11-year-old girl or a 16-year-old boy were at your fingertips? Can you imagine how your new year could look entirely different from your current one? Try to picture a kid who no longer spends all or most of their at-home hours in a cave-like bedroom, texting, Snapchatting the night away, or endlessly playing Fortnite. What if they came to you with their concerns, confided in you, and even appreciated your input? What if they occasionally offered to help get dinner on the table or even offered spontaneous hugs? Okay, I get it. You’re asking, “What planet is this writer coming from? Has she ever met a surly, self-absorbed pre-teen or teen in her life?” Yes, yes, I have. And more succinctly, I’ve raised three sons through their teen years to successful adulthood. I’ve also coached countless parents whose teens have lived the disconnected existence mentioned above. So, what do I tell parents whose teens are in this isolated boat? First, I relate to them, fully acknowledging that with social media, electronics, and a fast-changing world, these are very tough times for parents. Then I offer hope, not for loving and connected relationships 100% of the time, but for reasonably positive ones. Would that feel good to you? Some helpful tips include: Understand that the teen years involve a major task, called “individuation.” Accomplishing this involves becoming “not mom,” “not dad,” and/or “not my caregiver.” If a teen has experienced separation from a birth parent or another trauma, this process becomes quite complex. And still, there’s so much that any currently involved adult can do to improve the relationship. First, acknowledge that the teen needs independent thinking. “I get it. You’re becoming your own self, different from us. That’s totally to be expected.” Then, identify ways in which the teen is uniquely himself or herself. “You’re so much more dedicated to your friendships than I was at your age, and even now!” or “I was never as good at math as you are. What a strength!” or “I couldn’t dream of performing in gymnastics the way you do!” These statements help the teen feel seen by you, which builds emotional safety in your presence, the gold standard of connected relationships. Next, authentically need them for tasks that tap their strengths. “We need to decorate the table for the company. What are your ideas?” or “I see that your sister has been a bit emotional lately. What do you think she needs? Can you help us understand?” or “I could really use a tall guy to help me install these window blinds. Are you willing to climb up the ladder?” These interactions help the teen feel seen, and when humans feel seen, we’re drawn to the seers. With every interaction, adults are either pushing kids away or drawing them near. You get to choose. Drawing them near strengthens their sense of emotional safety and therefore, your relationship. Give positive feedback when things go well. I call it “heartfelt appreciation.” (Note: It’s pretty typical for adults to see good behavior, breathe a sigh of relief, and walk away. Now’s the time to switch from giving your attention to shortcomings and noticing positives. Again, this draws your teen toward you, and ultimately gives great strength to your relationship,) “Wow, when you were so attentive to the dog’s needs, did you see how he responded? Just cuddling up so sweetly? You have some magical abilities with animals,” or “I noticed all your laundry in the basket instead of on the floor. I can’t thank you enough for doing that. Does this cleared-out bedroom feel better to you, too?” The upshot of this approach is that you will see more of what gets your attention. Instead of trying to stop negative behavior, you’ll grow positive behavior! For more on the physiology of how this works, read my first Brainz Magazine article here. Speaking of physiology, the body changes at this time of your pre-teen or teen’s life are, as you know, quite distinct and can be troublesome to many kids. They grow so fast that their coordination suffers, they wonder about the appearance of hair, more smells, new cycle changes, and sexual urges that weren’t there before. And they feel it’s not ok to talk about these, as self-consciousness is also a big part of being in this life phase. Open up the conversation, so kids don’t get the subtle message that talking about sexual development is taboo. This hesitation to talk can create emotional isolation, which is at the core of mental health concerns. A good way to do this is to get books on body changes (both male and female) and leave them where the pre-teens and teens will find them. Write a note in the book that says, “Never hesitate to talk to me about this stuff. No pressure, but if you want to, let’s go for a walk on Wednesday.” Then do it without delay. When kids don’t get information about sex from you, rest assured, they will get it from peers who have a different viewpoint, often incorrect. Yes, schools discuss the body changes, but it may be incomplete information delivered by a teacher they are not likely to approach for answers. I’ll be blunt here: Avoid leaving your pre-teens and teens on an island of silence, emotionally or physically, if you want them to grow up to be healthy, well-functioning adults. Use these same ideas for talking about safety re: drugs and alcohol use. Please don’t let the thought, “That won’t happen to my child,” keep you from being their trusted resource. Yes, it’s hard, but there are great resources online that can pave the way to open discussions. Also, parent coaching can be gold for this. The return on investment from opening conversations and building emotional safety, becoming your child’s trusted adult, is tremendous! Tina Feigal. M.S.Ed. Is a former school psychologist who sees the enormous value in placing relationship healing in the hands of parents. As a parent coach, author of Present Moment Parenting: The Guide to a Peaceful Life with Your Intense Child , and TEDx speaker, she brings 25 years of experience to her work. Having trained over 850 professionals to coach parents, served staff of foster care agencies and schools, and worked with 1,000’s of families, she sees tremendous results from helping parents create emotional safety for their children of all ages. Contact Tina here. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Tina Feigal, M.S., Ed. Tina Feigal, M.S., Ed., Parent Coach Tina Feigal, M.S., Ed. works with parents of children of all ages, specializing in, but not exclusive to, child losses and trauma (foster care, adoption, reunification). Tina sees parents' power to heal their children's hearts in a way that they often miss. She offers tried-and-true ways of connecting with children of all ages to create emotional safety, the key to better relationships and behaviors. She uses a non-judgmental approach, understanding that every parent carries "how I was raised" as their model, often with unsatisfactory results. She helps parents get what they truly want from their parenting experience – peace of mind! Resources: How to Talk So Teens Will Listen Why It’s Important to Talk to Your Child About Alcohol and Other Drugs Four Things Parents Should Say to Their Teens Every Day Talking to Your Kids About Drinking, Drugs, and Sex

Written by Shale Maulana, Liberation-Based Therapist and Coach Shale Maulana is a holistic mental health therapist who specializes in liberation-based healing. She integrates mindfulness, self-care, and cultural integrity to empower individuals and communities. She is passionate about fostering resilience and self-compassion in all her work. High-functioning anxiety is often mistaken for a personality trait. It can look like competence, drive, and reliability, qualities that are praised and rewarded. But beneath the surface, this pattern is usually a nervous system adaptation to chronic stress, responsibility, or fear. When we mistake survival strategies for identity, healing becomes harder than it needs to be. What high-functioning anxiety really is Anxiety, at its core, is a nervous system in overdrive. It’s a state dominated by sympathetic activation of the physiology of pushing, urgency, vigilance, and fight-or-flight. This adrenaline- and cortisol-driven state can be highly functional, especially in a culture that values output, productivity, and performance. For some people, anxiety becomes fuel. It helps them function at work, at school, and at home. It powers caregiving, leadership, and achievement. There’s energy in it. It can feel motivating, even productive. What makes it toxic is not the energy itself, but what’s driving it.   When action is driven primarily by fear, fear of failure, fear of letting others down, fear of losing control, there’s little room left for care, reflection, or attunement to the cost of that functioning. Anxiety narrows the frame. It keeps the system focused on survival, not sustainability.   What it looks like in real life High-functioning anxiety often shows up as having too much responsibility and too much to do, and continuing to take on more. It looks like constant vigilance, difficulty resting, and a nervous system that stays “on” even when things are objectively going well. Many people describe a persistent sense of being on edge, a low-level foreboding that something bad could happen at any moment. There’s a feeling of needing to anticipate every possible outcome and prepare for it. This pattern often positions someone as “the reliable one.” The one who holds it together. The one others depend on. That role can feel good, affirming, and even empowering, but it comes at a cost when there aren’t interdependent systems of care in place. Humans function best in webs of mutual support, not in systems where one person does everything for everyone else. There is also often a control component. Being the one who handles everything can feel safer than trusting others to show up imperfectly. You get to decide the timeline, the standards, and the execution. But this sense of control is a trap. It’s not sustainable, and eventually the nervous system pays the price.   Why does this pattern develop High-functioning anxiety frequently develops in response to early experiences of too much responsibility. When a child has to grow up too fast emotionally, practically, or relationally, they may internalize the belief that staying in control, being needed, or doing everything themselves is how they stay safe. Over time, over-functioning becomes a strategy for survival.   But what once protected you can later become overwhelming. The pressure accumulates. Burnout, collapse, or chronic health issues become more likely not because you’re weak, but because no nervous system can sustain that level of output indefinitely.   Why it gets rewarded This pattern is reinforced   because it works at least for a while.   High-functioning anxiety often leads to productivity, reliability, leadership, emotional containment, and the appearance of having it all together. These traits are rewarded socially and professionally. At the same time, the constant activity can mask pain. It can crowd out softness, stillness, reflection, and care. The system stays unbalanced and mobilized without adequate recovery, and eventually, something gives.   Why this is not a personality Calling high-functioning anxiety a personality trait implies choice. It suggests this is simply “who you are.” In reality, it’s a response.   It’s an adaptation to conditions that didn’t make enough room for you, conditions that required you to over-function in order to stay safe or keep others okay. The focus stays external: doing, managing, performing, holding. Over time, people who live this way often ignore their bodies’ signals. They don’t rest when they need to. They don’t say no when they should. Chronic illness, exhaustion, and even premature health decline can follow. This pattern can feel like your identity because it’s familiar. But there is a real you underneath it, a version of you that hasn’t had much space to be expressed. When this pattern loosens, people often discover more authenticity, patience, and self-compassion than they thought possible.   What changes when you stop identifying with it When people begin to unmap from high-functioning anxiety, several shifts often occur:   There’s more self-compassion and less urgency to fix everything. Control starts to give way to regulation. The nervous system becomes more flexible. Receiving support feels less threatening. Authenticity and honesty deepen, which creates the foundation for healthier relationships. Letting go of this identity doesn’t mean becoming less capable. It means becoming more whole.   Where healing actually happens Healing doesn’t happen by trying to suppress competence or ambition. It happens by teaching the nervous system safety, flexibility, and recovery. There is no amount of willpower that can force calm. Regulation comes from working with the body using tools and supports that help the nervous system shift states again and again until downshifting feels familiar rather than dangerous. Between rigidity and chaos, there is another way of being: flexible, responsive, alive. A way where goals still exist, purpose still matters, and care for the body and self is no longer optional. That’s where sustainable healing lives.   And that’s where the real you gets to emerge.   Call to action If this article resonates, it’s likely because your nervous system has been working hard for a long time. You don’t need to become less capable or try harder to calm down. You need support that helps your body learn safety, flexibility, and recovery again. The Anxiety Reset  is a short, embodied experience designed to help you begin regulating your nervous system in real life, not by fixing yourself, but by giving your system the conditions it needs to settle and reorganize. It’s a gentle, accessible starting point for people who are high-functioning on the outside and exhausted on the inside. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Shale Maulana Shale Maulana, Liberation-Based Therapist and Coach Shale Maulana is a licensed therapist and holistic mental health coach specializing in mindfulness and liberation-based psychotherapy. With a background in clinical research and nearly a decade of work addressing health equity in underserved communities, she brings a unique, integrative perspective to healing. Drawing from her expertise in mindfulness, self-care, and cultural integrity, she empowers individuals to navigate challenges with resilience and compassion. Her work emphasizes the connection between mind, body, soul, and community, offering a comprehensive approach to wellness.

Written by Lana Duncan-Hartgraves, Master Psychic Medium/Lifecoach Lana Duncan-Hartgraves is an author, psychic medium, animal communicator, hypnotist, and Reiki master who integrates spirituality into daily life. Through her books, the 5D Pioneer podcast, retreats, and readings, she helps others achieve higher consciousness and healing. There’s a unique kind of pain that comes from being betrayed by someone you trusted. It doesn’t matter whether it was a friend, family member, or coworker, the sting cuts deep because betrayal violates something sacred: your faith in another human being. But here’s the truth, few people tell you, holding onto that pain only anchors you to the moment it happened. Forgiveness isn’t about excusing the person who hurt you. It’s about freeing yourself from the emotional chains they left behind.   1. Acknowledge the wound without shame When you’ve been backstabbed, it’s easy to question yourself. “How didn’t I see it coming?” or “Maybe I deserved it.” Stop right there. You didn’t deserve it. Recognizing that you were hurt is not weakness, it’s honesty. Healing starts with acknowledging what actually happened, without minimizing it or masking it with false positivity.   2. Understand that forgiveness is for you, not them Many people think forgiveness means letting the other person “off the hook.” But it’s really about taking the hook out of your own heart. When you forgive, you’re saying, “I refuse to let your actions define my peace.” You can forgive and still choose to never trust that person again. You can forgive and still keep your distance. Forgiveness and reconciliation are two completely different things.   3. Feel the emotions fully Anger, sadness, disbelief, grief, all of these emotions are valid and necessary. Don’t rush to forgive before you’ve processed the pain. Let yourself cry, journal, talk to someone you trust, or even scream into a pillow if you need to. Energy moves through acknowledgment, not suppression.   4. Step back and see the soul lesson Every betrayal teaches something. Sometimes it’s discernment. Sometimes it’s self-worth. Sometimes it’s learning that your intuition was right all along. From a spiritual lens, those who hurt you may actually serve as catalysts for your growth. Their betrayal forces you to stand taller in your truth and set stronger energetic boundaries.   5. Release the need for closure One of the hardest lessons is realizing you may never get an apology, explanation, or sense of justice. Closure rarely comes from others, it comes from within. When you say, “I release this situation, I no longer need answers,” you reclaim your energy and let the universe handle the rest.   6. Choose peace over bitterness Bitterness may feel powerful at first, but it slowly poisons your joy. Peace, on the other hand, nourishes your spirit. You can still remember what happened without reliving it. You can acknowledge the betrayal without becoming defined by it.   7. Trust has been depleted, but not completely deleted You also need to know when "not" to go back for more or when to give them a second chance. Use the “pit of the stomach” as your guide. Some things to ask yourself: How bad was the betrayal? How many more times are you allowing this betrayal? Are you done? As I said before, what are your boundaries? The takeaway Forgiving those who have backstabbed you doesn’t make you weak, it makes you wise. You rise not by pretending it didn’t happen, but by refusing to let it darken your light. Every scar can become a symbol of strength, a reminder that even when others tried to break your spirit, you chose love, peace, and freedom instead. Follow me on TikTok and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Lana Duncan-Hartgraves Lana Duncan-Hartgraves, Master Psychic Medium/Lifecoach Lana Duncan-Hartgraves is an author, psychic medium, animal communicator, hypnotist, and Reiki master who integrates spirituality into daily life. Through her books, the 5D Pioneer podcast, retreats, and readings, she helps others achieve higher consciousness and healing. On her hobby farm in Wisconsin, she cultivates gardens, raises animals, and is developing an equine therapy and rescue center, creating a sanctuary where people and horses can heal together.

Written by Adam Conn, Sirens to Strategy Adam Conn is well-known for his work in frontline innovation and wellbeing support for emergency services. He is the founder of The Squad Group, creator of the Coffee for Coppers initiative, and a former Metropolitan Police Officer turned strategic advisor and entrepreneur. For years, security and emergency service planning has relied on the same tools such as floor plans, PDFs, static drawings, written procedures and risk registers. They tick boxes, they satisfy process, but they fail at one critical point. They do not show reality. In high-risk environments, understanding movement, pressure points, response time, and human behaviour matters more than words on paper. I saw this gap repeatedly during my policing career, and later while working across security, custody, events, and public-space protection. This is why I adapted Meta-dology for the security and emergency services sector. From property visualisation to operational decision-making, Meta-dology was originally built to help people understand physical spaces through immersive, explorable environments. In property and development, it helps buyers and planners visualise buildings before they exist. The breakthrough came when I looked at it through a policing lens. What if decision-makers did not read a security plan, but walked through it? What if commanders could see patrol routes, access points, blind spots, and response pathways before an incident occurred? What if risks were not described, but experienced? That shift changes everything. Turning plans into lived scenarios When adapted for security and emergency services, Meta-dology becomes a live operational environment. Instead of reviewing documents, stakeholders step inside a digital twin of the site. They move through entrances, they follow patrol routes, they observe lines of sight, they see where congestion forms - They understand how an incident unfolds, second by second. This approach supports: Security tender submissions Emergency response planning Custody and detention environments Schools, hospitals, and public venues Stadiums and large events Critical infrastructure Reviewers no longer guess how a plan works. They see it. Reducing risk before it appears Traditional planning often identifies risk after something goes wrong. Immersive planning brings risk forward. Teams spot issues early. Response delays become visible Poor access routes stand out Conflicting movements show up instantly Communication gaps appear in context This allows planners and leaders to fix problems before deployment, not after an incident report. For emergency services, this matters. Time matters. Clarity matters. Confidence matters. Improving understanding at the leadership level One of the biggest challenges in policing, prisons, and emergency services sits at the senior decision-making level. Leaders carry responsibility for complex sites but often rely on summaries prepared by others. Immersive planning closes that gap. Senior officers and executives gain an immediate understanding without a technical explanation. They do not need to interpret drawings or decode language. They walk the environment and understand it within minutes. This shortens approval cycles. It reduces clarification meetings. It strengthens confidence in operational decisions. Standing out in security tenders In competitive security tenders, most submissions look the same. Meta-dology creates separation. Instead of handing over documents, bidders present an explorable environment. Reviewers see professionalism, preparation, and control from the first interaction. It signals something important. This team has thought beyond compliance. This team understands real-world risk. That impression lasts. Designed for people under pressure Emergency services operate under stress. Any tool introduced must reduce cognitive load, not add to it. The adapted Meta-dology platform focuses on clarity. Simple navigation Clear visual cues No technical jargon No training burden If a platform does not work for a tired officer at the end of a long shift, it does not work at all. The future of operational planning The security and emergency services sector faces rising complexity. Threats evolve. Sites grow larger. Public expectation increases. Planning tools must evolve with them. Immersive, explorable environments represent a step forward. They turn theory into understanding. They turn plans into experiences. They help teams prepare properly, rather than hope documentation holds. This is not about technology for its own sake. It is about helping people make better decisions before their lives are on the line. If you work in security, policing, prisons, education, healthcare, or public-space protection and want to see how this approach applies to your environment, I offer tailored demonstrations. Watch this video that clearly shows what you can accomplish. Click here . You can reach me directly here . Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Adam Conn Adam Conn, Sirens to Strategy Adam Conn is a leader in frontline innovation, wellbeing, and purpose-driven enterprise for the emergency services community. A former Metropolitan Police Officer, Conn has dedicated his post-service career to supporting those on the front lines. Through his company, The Squad Group, he is working to equip Police and Prison Officers with The Glove—a groundbreaking Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device (CD3) that offers safer intervention options. Alongside initiatives like Coffee for Coppers and Coffee for Heroes, his mission is clear: to protect those who protect us.