Written by Jean-Gabrielle Short, Clinical Director Jean Short is highly experienced in treating Borderline Personality Disorder and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She is the Clinical Director of Wise-Mind DBT Brisbane and Brisbane EMDR Clinic. At the beginning of each year, month, or even week, many people feel a renewed pressure to change. New Year's, birthdays, Mondays, and anniversaries are treated as symbolic reset points, carrying the expectation that motivation will suddenly appear and that long-standing emotional or behavioral patterns will loosen simply because the date has changed. For many people seeking therapy, this belief quietly becomes a source of shame. When change does not arrive on cue, it is often interpreted as a personal failure rather than an accurate reflection of how human change actually occurs. Emotional regulation, behavioral change, and identity development do not operate according to the calendar. They develop through repetition, practice, and time. Letting go of the calendar as a measure of progress can be the first meaningful step toward change that is realistic, compassionate, and sustainable. The myth of the fresh start Symbolic dates are appealing because they offer a sense of order and control. They suggest a clean break from the past and the promise of becoming a different person without carrying previous patterns forward. This idea is deeply embedded in cultural narratives about productivity, self-improvement, and success. From a psychological perspective, however, the nervous system does not reset at midnight. Emotional sensitivities, attachment patterns, coping strategies, and stress responses remain intact. When a sudden change is expected, the gap between expectation and lived experience often intensifies self-criticism, avoidance, or emotional collapse. In clinical practice, many people describe repeated cycles of recommitment followed by disappointment. Over time, this pattern can erode confidence in the possibility of change itself. How change actually happens Meaningful change is usually gradual and often subtle. It is shaped by small, repeated actions rather than decisive moments of motivation. Emotional regulation strengthens through repeated experiences of safety, containment, and choice. Behavioral change develops through practice in real-life situations, including moments where skills are applied imperfectly. Identity shifts emerge after people have responded differently many times, not after they decide to be different once. This pattern is explored in more depth in " Why Change Feels So Hard and How DBT Helps You Move Forward ," which outlines why sustainable change relies on skill development rather than motivation or symbolic turning points. When change is expected to be immediate, people often abandon the process too early. When change is understood as cumulative, it becomes more workable and more sustainable. 1. Stop waiting for motivation and start with structure Motivation is often treated as the prerequisite for change. From a DBT perspective, motivation is a state-dependent experience that fluctuates with emotional intensity, fatigue, stress, and context. Waiting to feel motivated before acting often results in cycles of recommitment followed by collapse, particularly when early efforts are met with discomfort or imperfection. Change is more reliably supported by structure than inspiration. Small, repeatable practices, such as pausing before responding, completing a brief daily check-in, scheduling skill practice into existing routines, or using reminders and cues, can create conditions for change even when motivation is low. Structure also reduces reliance on willpower, which is especially vulnerable when people are tired, overwhelmed, or emotionally activated. 2. Shift the focus from outcomes to responses When change is measured primarily by outcomes, progress can feel invisible. Outcomes are influenced by factors outside our control, including other people’s behavior, environmental stressors, and physiological vulnerability. A more sustainable focus is the quality of your responses when difficulty arises. Noticing that you paused instead of reacting, repaired more quickly after conflict, asked for support rather than withdrawing, or returned to a skill after forgetting it are all meaningful indicators of change. These responses reflect increasing capacity, even when outcomes remain imperfect. Over time, consistent changes in response patterns tend to shape outcomes as a secondary effect. 3. Understand emotional regulation as a capacity that develops Emotional regulation is often misunderstood as a decision to feel differently. In reality, it is a capacity that develops through experience. For many people, intense emotional responses have been present for years or decades and were once adaptive. They may have helped someone survive, cope, stay alert to danger, or maintain attachment in unpredictable environments. Because of this, emotional patterns tend to be deeply ingrained. Regulation emerges when people learn to notice emotions earlier, tolerate discomfort for longer, and respond with skill rather than urgency. This approach reflects " Beyond the Skills: The Comprehensive Understandings of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy ," where emotional regulation develops through repetition, therapeutic relationships, and lived experience rather than quick behavioral fixes. Expecting emotions to disappear quickly often reinforces frustration and self-blame. A more workable approach focuses on how emotions are met and responded to over time, including how you recover after emotional intensity, how you relate to your internal experience, and how quickly you return to skills when things go off track. 4. Practice new behaviors in the same contexts where old ones appear Insight alone rarely leads to behavioral change. Understanding why a behavior exists does not automatically make it easier to change, particularly when the behavior functions to reduce distress quickly. New responses must be practiced in the same environments where old patterns are triggered, including situations involving conflict, perceived rejection, exhaustion, or uncertainty. Importantly, practice includes attempts that do not go well. Each attempt provides information about what escalated emotion, what skills were difficult to access, and what supports might help next time. Over time, this information supports refinement, flexibility, and confidence. Behavioral change becomes more reliable when it is treated as practice rather than performance, and when setbacks are interpreted as data rather than proof of failure. 5. Reduce shame through mindfulness non-judgmentally One DBT skill that strongly supports sustainable change is mindfulness non-judgmentally. This involves observing thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and urges without labeling them as good or bad, right or wrong, success or failure. Judgment intensifies emotional distress by activating shame-based threat responses such as avoidance, self-attack, appeasement, or emotional numbing. Non-judgment creates space. It allows experiences to be noticed accurately without escalation, which makes it easier to choose a response rather than being pulled automatically into familiar patterns. This dynamic is discussed further in Emotional Vulnerability and Self-Invalidation in DBT , where shame and self-judgment are understood as significant barriers to returning to skills after setbacks. Practicing non-judgment does not mean approving of harmful behavior or abandoning the desire to change. It means naming what is present without adding unnecessary layers of criticism. For example, “I am feeling overwhelmed, and I want to withdraw” is a radically different internal stance from “I am hopeless, I never improve.” The first supports skill use. The second fuels collapse. 6. Allow identity to change as a byproduct, not a goal Identity does not shift through intention alone. It develops through lived experience and accumulated evidence. People begin to see themselves differently after responding differently many times. In therapy, this is often one of the most overlooked aspects of change, because it happens quietly and often later than people expect. Clients frequently notice identity change retrospectively. They realize they paused longer than they would have before, recovered more quickly after emotional intensity, or acted in line with their values during difficulty. Allowing identity to evolve naturally reduces pressure and supports more stable self-trust. Rather than trying to “become” someone new through force, identity shifts when repeated actions provide credible evidence that you can cope differently than you once did. Letting go of the calendar as a measure of progress When progress is measured against the calendar, meaningful change can be overlooked. Subtle shifts in response, recovery, and self-respect often matter more than dramatic resolutions. The calendar can be used as a prompt for reflection, but it is a poor measure of whether your nervous system has learned new patterns. Therapy is not about becoming a new person overnight. It is about building capacity over time. Each moment of awareness, each return to a skill, each attempt to repair, and each decision to respond with care contribute to change, even when it feels unremarkable. Start your journey today If you find yourself caught in cycles of recommitment followed by self-criticism, you are not alone. Many people seek therapy not because they lack insight or effort, but because change feels harder than expected. Support can make a meaningful difference when progress feels slow, when shame is loud, or when old patterns reappear at the exact moments you most want to do things differently. Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers a structured, evidence-based approach to building emotional regulation, behavioral flexibility, and self-trust over time. If you would like to learn more about working with me, you can visit here . You do not need to wait for a new year or a symbolic turning point. Meaningful change begins with the next small, workable step, repeated over time, within the right kind of support. Follow me on Instagram for more info! Read more from Jean-Gabrielle Short Jean-Gabrielle Short, Clinical Director Jean Short is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Clinical Director of Wise-Mind DBT Brisbane and Brisbane EMDR Clinic. She specialises in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and trauma-informed practice. Jean is completing postgraduate study in Sexology, deepening her understanding of identity, sexuality, and relational wellbeing. Her work integrates compassion, evidence-based treatment, and social justice values to support clients in rebuilding their lives.

Written by April Potter, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist April Potter is an RN, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and Transformational Nutrition Coach. She is the founder of Sweet ReSolve, providing community-based diabetes services. She is passionate about empowering individuals and communities to achieve holistic well-being and thrive. A CDCES explains why applying corporate metrics to your blood sugar is unsustainable, and how to embrace “good enough” for long-term health and focus. As a high-achieving professional, you’ve mastered strategic planning, effective problem-solving, and continuous optimization in your career. When you apply this same intensity to managing your diabetes, you may expect straightforward results. However, human biology does not operate like a business plan. The quest for perfect blood sugar levels often leads not to success, but to burnout, anxiety, and the overwhelming feeling of “failing”, a term that should have no place in self-care. It’s time to adopt a true high-performance philosophy for your health, one that replaces judgment with iteration and rigidity with grace. The downside: When the “achiever” mindset backfires Many driven individuals inadvertently sabotage their health by applying a corporate success-or-failure framework to their glucose readings. If you identify with the high-performer stereotype, you likely recognize these common, counterproductive traps: 1. The all-or-nothing trap In your professional life, you understand that a single misstep does not derail an entire quarter. However, many of my clients see a high blood sugar reading, such as 250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L), and interpret it as “failing the entire day.” This perception can lead to a mindset of abandoning all their efforts. For example, they might think, “I messed up lunch, so I might as well have pizza and dessert.” What starts as a momentary lapse can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure, as they end up punishing themselves for a biological fluctuation. 2. Data paralysis and self-flagellation We live in the age of Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), which provide real-time data on demand. For high achievers, this data is often seen less as a valuable tool and more like an exhaustive performance review. Instead of using the information to learn and improve, they spend hours anxiously analyzing charts and spikes, which can lead to increased psychological distress. This anxiety releases cortisol, a stress hormone that physiologically raises blood sugar levels, ironically making it even more challenging to achieve control. 3. Chronic burnout (The hidden tax on performance) The continuous need for vigilance, such as calculating carbohydrates, monitoring devices, and timing medication, combined with the emotional toll of self-criticism, can lead to severe fatigue, commonly referred to as “diabetes burnout.” This fatigue diminishes your most vital assets: focus, creativity, and executive function, all of which are essential for maintaining peak performance in your career. In this process, you end up sacrificing mental energy in the pursuit of perfection, which is biologically unattainable. The mindshift: From failure to feedback The high-performance mindset emphasizes sustainable optimization and resilience over perfection. This shift is both simple and profound. It encourages replacing the language of judgment with the language of learning. 1. Embrace the scientist’s approach (Iterate, don’t judge) As a high performer, you value an evidence-based approach. Apply this to your health. Reframing metrics: Stop viewing glucose metrics as judgments and start viewing them as actionable feedback loops. The experiment: Treat every out-of-range reading as a neutral and valuable data point. Ask yourself, “What was the experiment?” Did a new exercise impact it? Was the meal timing different? This neutral, analytical approach transforms anxiety into investigation. Focus on time in range (TIR) as your primary metric: This is the percentage of time your glucose levels are within a healthy target range, typically 70-180 mg/dL or 3.9-10 mmol/L. This perspective acknowledges the complex reality of biological variables and celebrates consistent, incremental effort, a far more sustainable goal than chasing an unrealistic flatline. 2. Embrace “good enough”: The power of grace Perfectionists struggle with the concept of “good enough,” yet in chronic disease management, it is the key to longevity. Define success sustainably: The goal is not to achieve 100 percent perfection, but rather to maintain a consistent 80 percent effort over the long term. True success is about feeling energized, focused, and healthy enough to thrive in both life and work. Giving yourself grace: This is a crucial step. Grace involves accepting that human biology is imperfect and complex, influenced by numerous external factors. When you encounter an unexpectedly high reading, recognize the significant effort you invest in managing your condition every day. Adjust your approach and move forward. Grace frees up mental energy that would otherwise be spent on guilt and self-blame. 3. Reframe your language A strong and adaptable mindset for managing diabetes is built on the practice of simple linguistic reframing. Old, punitive language New, empowering language “I failed my diet.” “I had an unexpected result today.” “I cheated on my meal plan.” “I made a conscious choice; I’ll adjust insulin or activity next time.” “I’m bad for eating that.” “This is a learning opportunity.” Approaching your diabetes management as an ongoing scientific process, one that relies on data, involves continuous improvement, and is supported by the power of grace, can help you transition from the exhausting cycle of feeling like a “failure” to a confident, resilient state of high performance. Instead of battling against your body, you focus on optimizing your most valuable asset, your health. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from April Potter April Potter, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist April Potter is a community leader dedicated to fostering health and resilience. A mother and person of faith, she believes in a holistic approach to life, nurturing the body, mind, and spirit. She is the CEO of Sweet Resolve, which is rooted in a desire to see individuals not just cope, but truly thrive. Discover more of her inspiring perspectives on living a life of purpose and optimal health.

Written by Helena Demuynck, Transformation Catalyst for Purposeful Women Helena Demuynck is the women’s leadership architect and transformation catalyst, and author of It’s Your Turn, guiding high-achievers to shatter glass ceilings from within. She hosts The Boundary Breakers Collective and Power Talks for Remarkable Females, reshaping modern female leadership. For many professional women, motherhood marks a profound shift, not just in daily life, but in identity, priorities, and how work is experienced. Yet when this transition feels heavy or disorienting, women often assume something has gone wrong within them. What if the real issue isn’t personal at all, but systemic? The quiet crisis no one prepared us for Many women enter motherhood with strong careers, solid self-trust, and a clear sense of direction. And then, something changes. Work feels heavier. Motivation shifts. The pace that once felt manageable now feels relentless. Confidence flickers, not because skills disappeared, but because the internal compass has recalibrated. What’s striking is how rarely this experience is named. Instead, women quietly ask themselves: Why can’t I do this the way I used to? Why does this feel harder than it should? What’s wrong with me? The answer, in most cases, is nothing. What women are experiencing is not a personal failure but a predictable response to a major developmental transition colliding with systems that were never designed to support it. Matrescence meets an outdated work model Motherhood initiates a deep psychological and identity shift, a transition known as matrescence. Much like adolescence, it reshapes how a woman relates to herself, time, responsibility, and meaning. At the same time, most professional environments still operate on an outdated assumption that the ideal worker is uninterrupted, endlessly available, and able to separate life from work as if the two were unrelated. The result? Women are asked to adapt internally to a transformation while externally performing as if nothing has changed. This mismatch creates friction. Not because women lack resilience, but because they are trying to evolve inside structures that reward sameness, not development. When systems don’t adapt, women internalize the cost When support is missing, women rarely blame the system. They blame themselves. They push harder. They lower expectations. They over-function. Or they quietly disengage, stepping back, turning down opportunities, or leaving altogether, often at the peak of their capability. This internalization is costly. It erodes confidence. It fragments identity. And it creates the false narrative that motherhood and professional ambition are fundamentally at odds. In reality, many women are not losing ambition, they are refining it. What’s changing is their tolerance for misalignment, inefficiency, and work that demands sacrifice without meaning. From personal struggle to structural awareness Reframing this experience matters. When women understand that their struggle is not a deficit but a signal, a call for integration rather than endurance, something shifts. Shame softens. Clarity grows. Better questions emerge. Instead of “How do I cope better?” the question becomes, “What kind of work, leadership, and environment actually support who I am becoming?” This is not about lowering standards. It’s about redefining success in a way that includes life, not excludes it. The future of work will not be shaped by women who simply adapt harder. It will be shaped by those who insist on systems that recognize human development as part of professional excellence. Motherhood doesn’t weaken leadership. But unsupported transitions do. And once we see that clearly, the path forward changes, for women, and for the organizations that want to keep them. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Helena Demuync k Helena Demuynck, Transformation Catalyst for Purposeful Women Helena Demuynck pioneers a movement of radical self-reclamation for women leaders, blending strategic coaching with cutting-edge neuroscience and body work to dismantle limiting beliefs at their core. The author of It’s Your Turn, she equips visionary women to architect legacies that defy societal scripts, merging professional mastery with soul-aligned purpose. Through her global platforms, The Boundary Breakers Collective and Power Talks for Remarkable Females, she sparks candid conversations that redefine leadership as a force for systemic change. A trusted guide for corporate disruptors and entrepreneurial innovators alike, Helena’s work proves that true impact begins when women lead from uncompromising authenticity.

Dallas, TX, USA – December 30, 2025 – While industry insiders urged her to "just use social media" and predicted she would eventually return to corporate America, digital TV pioneer Zondra Evans made a different choice, ownership. Today, Evans is the founder of Zondra TV Network (ZTV), a multi-platform streaming and distribution company built to amplify all voices and prove that women, especially women of color, don't need permission, or have to sell out to be recognized as a leader in their industry, or corporate approval to own media, the narrative, and control distribution. The ZTV Producer Academy is teaching entrepreneurs the power of ownership and making their own commercial revenue to support their shows. Long before the "creator economy" became a buzzword, Evans walked away from corporate America to do what few dared, build and own her own media empire. Despite being told to rely on social platforms or warned she'd "be back in corporate," Evans founded the Zondra TV Network (ZTV), a multidimensional streaming platform company designed to shift power, ownership, and narrative control into the hands of independent creators and visionary women. Often called "the Oprah of Texas," Evans says her mission is bigger than personal success. It is about ownership, creating lanes where women build and control the platforms, distribution, and narratives that shape communities. "People told me to stay on social platforms and keep it cute," Evans said. "But social is not ownership anytime your account is at risk of being shut down. I built Zondra TV to prove we can create our own tables, develop our own content, and monetize our way to pure success. This is evident by the three recent shows added to the network: Repo Chics with Nekima Hortin, Exit Ready with Ritchie Thomas, and our most recent show titled, The Bougie Bauldie Show, where the host/producer Kellie Rhymes heightens awareness of women balding and the power in walking in your authenticity. Check out the latest episodes here ." Evans' message echoes the growing shift of prominent Black media voices moving away from traditional gatekeepers toward independent, platform-first businesses. In a recent interview , Joy Reid described leaving corporate media as "liberating," noting the constraints that come with working on someone else's air. Evans says that reality is exactly why she chose the harder path: building infrastructure, distribution, and powerful content to navigate your journey. Zondra TV Network is a multimedia platform company with a potential reach of more than 800 million households and is televised across multiple streaming platforms such as Connect to your City, ZKast Network, In the Black Network, and Got One TV, to mention a few. ZTV also provides a platform for entrepreneurs and producers to expand visibility, build audience trust, and create new revenue streams through video distribution. In fact, Zondra TV Network has the largest distribution network as a privately owned channel. Evans also draws inspiration from her family's journalism legacy. Her cousin, Iola Johnson, was recognized as a trailblazer in Texas broadcasting and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators, a legacy Evans says fuels her commitment to positive programming and representation. "To carry a legacy means you do not just show up, you build something that lasts," Evans said. "ZTV is my proof that women can exit corporate, own media, and create opportunities for others to do the same." To learn more about Zondra Evans, Zondra TV Network, or opportunities to be featured, click here . About Zondra TV Network Zondra TV is a full-service production studio and distribution hub specializing in creating high-quality content for streaming television, film, and digital platforms. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, Zondra TV has established itself as a leading force in the entertainment industry. Media contact Company Name: Zondra TV Network Contact Person: Zondra Evans Email: Send Email Phone: 469-712-7168 Country: United States

Written by Heather Beebe, Health and Wellness Coach Heather Beebe is a health coach and founder of Rebolistic Wellness, curating transformative retreats that empower high performers to rebel against burnout culture through integrative nutrition, mindset work, and conscious movement. We are more “wellness-informed” than ever, yet also more exhausted, anxious, and disconnected from our bodies than at any other point in history. What if the problem isn’t a lack of discipline or effort, but the way modern systems ask humans to function? This article explores why wellness fails when it’s forced into performance culture and what happens when we return to biological alignment instead. How did wellness become another thing to perform? For most of human history, survival depended on paying attention to the body. Long before artificial light and rigid schedules, human life followed a biological cadence shaped by the sun. People rose with daylight. They focused their most demanding work during peak light hours. As darkness fell, activity slowed. Melatonin rose without effort or intervention. Evenings were quieter. Sleep came more easily because the body was prepared for it. That biology hasn’t changed. What has changed is the structure surrounding it. Modern work asks us to be alert before sunrise, cognitively sharp late into the evening, responsive across time zones, and productive regardless of sleep, stress, or season. Meals are rushed. Movement is minimized. Rest is postponed. And then wellness is added on top, another task to execute correctly. Track your sleep. Hit your steps. Optimize your morning. Control your diet. Push harder. Wellness becomes something to perform rather than something that emerges from alignment. Why the body responds poorly to optimization In my work coaching around circadian rhythm and nervous system regulation, one truth comes up again and again, biology does not respond well to force. Optimization implies control. It assumes the body will comply if we apply enough discipline. But human systems are rhythmic, not linear. Energy rises and falls. Focus comes in waves. Creativity, digestion, and recovery all fluctuate across the day. When wellness strategies ignore these rhythms and demand consistency at all costs, the body eventually pushes back. Early mornings layered onto chronic sleep debt. High-intensity exercise during nervous system exhaustion. Strict nutrition protocols added to already overloaded lives. What looks like inconsistency or lack of willpower is often a physiological stress response. The cost of living against our internal clock From a biological perspective, constant optimization keeps the body in a low-grade stress state. Cortisol becomes dysregulated. Recovery capacity shrinks. The nervous system stays on alert. Inflammation rises quietly over time. I see this regularly in high-performing professionals, people doing everything “right” on paper while feeling progressively worse in their bodies. Energy declines. Sleep becomes fragile. Anxiety creeps in. Digestion falters. The tools aren’t the problem. The context they’re placed in is. Why discipline alone can’t solve this Discipline has its place, but it cannot override biology. Willpower can’t compensate for chronic circadian disruption. It can’t outwork prolonged psychological stress. It can’t replace physiological safety. The body responds to rhythm, predictability, and recovery, not pressure. When wellness is treated like another demand instead of a support system, it eventually collapses. Not because people failed, but because their biology was never designed to sustain that pace. What happens when systems ignore human biology Most modern workplaces are designed for uniformity, not physiology. They assume identical energy patterns, fixed productivity windows, and constant cognitive availability. But circadian rhythms vary. Focus peaks at different times. Recovery isn’t optional, it’s required. And yet, rest is often the first thing sacrificed in the name of success. This raises an important question for leaders and organizations, "Can wellness truly work when it’s layered onto systems that fundamentally ignore how the human body functions?" From wellness perks to biological design This is where my work has increasingly focused recently, not on adding more wellness practices, but on changing the container they’re placed in. Through years of coaching around circadian rhythm, stress physiology, and lifestyle alignment, I’ve seen that sustainable health doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from designing systems that work with human biology instead of against it. This is the foundation of what I now call Biology-Aligned Performance, a framework that helps individuals and organizations align work design, expectations, and daily flow with the biological rhythms that govern energy, focus, and recovery. It’s not about doing less. It’s about designing work more intelligently. Redefining what “success” looks like When performance is measured only by output, wellness becomes expendable. But when success is redefined through sustainability, everything shifts. Consistency matters more than intensity. Capacity matters more than compliance. Alignment matters more than optimization. When systems support regulation instead of constant performance, people don’t just feel better, they perform better, stay longer, and contribute more meaningfully over time. Alignment is the missing metric Wellness doesn’t fail because people lack discipline. It fails because alignment is missing. Poor sleep, rising anxiety, and gut issues often feel sudden or unexplained, but they’re rarely random. They are the cumulative result of years spent living, eating, and working against the body’s internal clock. True wellness may not come from doing more. It may come from remembering how humans were designed to function and building systems that honor that truth. Call to action If this perspective resonates, I’m currently offering a limited number of executive workshops for organizations interested in designing work in alignment with human biology. Explore the Biology-Aligned Performance workshop here. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Heather Beebe Heather Beebe, Health and Wellness Coach Heather Beebe is a health coach and founder of Rebolistic Wellness, guiding high performers to reclaim their health through integrative nutrition, mindset, and movement. Her journey through burnout inspired her mission to disrupt the norms that keep people stuck in stress cycles. Through transformative retreats and corporate wellness experiences, she helps leaders live with authenticity and intention—inviting them to rebel gently, heal deeply, and return to themselves.

PEACEFUL, a newly launched meditation and mindfulness app, is redefining digital wellness by offering trauma-sensitive, science-backed practices for children, teens, and adults within a single, family-centered platform. Designed to support emotional regulation, stress reduction, and daily mindfulness, PEACEFUL is now available worldwide on iOS and Android. Unlike most meditation apps that focus solely on adults, PEACEFUL was created to serve the entire family. The app features a proprietary children’s audio library organized by age and emotional need, alongside a robust adult collection that includes somatic reset practices, breathwork, binaural beats, and guided meditations. One subscription supports the wellness needs of every household member. “Mindfulness shouldn’t require multiple apps or feel inaccessible to children,” said Jenna McDonough, founder of PEACEFUL. “PEACEFUL was created to offer psychologically safe, developmentally appropriate practices for kids while giving adults the depth and flexibility they need, so families can build calm and emotional resilience together.” PEACEFUL’s trauma-sensitive design prioritizes emotional safety through gentle guidance, flexible session lengths, and grounding techniques that accommodate different comfort levels and lived experiences. The app also integrates evidence-based tools such as binaural beats and breathwork, supported by neuroscience research to enhance relaxation, focus, and nervous system regulation. Key features include: Family-centered design with specialized content for children and adults in one app Trauma-sensitive meditation practices that prioritize psychological safety Science-backed tools, including binaural beats and regulated breathwork Premium learning courses such as Highly Meditated and Introduction to the Healing Arts, with unlimited access Flexible session options ranging from 5 to 30 minutes to fit busy schedules Progress tracking and community support to encourage consistency and growth For children, the PEACEFUL Kids library includes age-appropriate meditations, mindfulness exercises, somatic resets, breathwork exercises, and binaural beats supporting bedtime routines, school stress, emotional regulation, mindfulness activities, and major life transitions such as separation anxiety or overwhelm. Adults gain access to deeper somatic practices and structured learning journeys designed to build sustainable mindfulness habits. PEACEFUL offers a 7-day free trial for its Peace Plan and a 14-day free trial for Peace Plus, allowing users to explore both the meditation library and premium course content before committing. About PEACEFUL PEACEFUL: Mindful Moments for Every Age is a family-centered meditation and mindfulness app designed to support emotional regulation, nervous system balance, and daily well-being for users ages 3 and up. Through trauma-sensitive, science-backed practices and expert-led courses, PEACEFUL makes mindfulness accessible, safe, and sustainable for modern families. Availability PEACEFUL is now available for download on iOS and Android. To start a free trial or learn more, visit here . Media contact Jenna McDonough Founder & Creator, PEACEFUL Email

Written by Nadija Bajrami, Strategic Hypnotherapist, Mind Coach Nadija is a multi-award-winning trauma and empowerment specialist with a double diploma in hypnotherapy, mind coaching, and online therapy. She is also a Reiki Master and a grief educator, and she has been trained by an international grief specialist and best-selling author, David Kessler. Nadija is also an end-of-life doula. The cycle of New Year’s resolutions often leads to the same disappointment, lofty goals abandoned by February. The problem isn’t a lack of effort, it’s the flawed method of creating change. Instead of relying on fleeting motivation or rigid goals, it’s time to embrace a more sustainable approach. This article offers a fresh perspective, a toolbox of practical tools designed to support your growth, create lasting change, and help you step into the person you truly want to become. The annual cycle of hope and disappointment Every January, millions of people around the globe begin the year filled with good intentions. They promise themselves that this will be the year everything changes. They will be more disciplined. More focused. Healthier. More confident. More successful. They will hit the gym regularly. They will quit smoking, and so on. And yet, by February, sometimes even earlier, most New Year’s resolutions are quietly dropped and abandoned. Not because people are lazy. Not because people are not disciplined. Not because they lack motivation. But because the system is broken. New Year’s resolutions fail not because you fail, but because the approach itself is flawed. And it’s time we tell the truth about it. The hidden problem with New Year’s resolutions New Year’s resolutions are built on a dangerous assumption. “If I just decide hard enough, I will become a different person.” But lasting change does not come from pressure. It comes from alignment, identity, and structure. Here’s why resolutions rarely work: 1. They are rooted in guilt, not growth Most resolutions are born from self-criticism. “I need to stop being so lazy.” “I should be further ahead by now.” “I am not good enough the way I am.” When change starts from shame, the nervous system resists it. You cannot build a powerful future from self-rejection. 2. They focus on outcomes, not identity “I want to lose 10 kilos.” “I want to make more money.” “I want to be more productive.” “I want to be healthier.” These are results, not foundations. Without changing who you are being, no goal can be sustained long-term. 3. They ignore how humans actually change Resolutions assume linear progress. But humans change through: Small, repeatable actions Emotional safety Self-trust Momentum, not pressure When willpower is the only strategy, burnout is inevitable. The truth most people never hear You do not need a New Year’s resolution. You need a New Year’s Toolbox. A toolbox supports you daily, whereas a resolution only pressures you occasionally. A toolbox adapts when life happens, while a resolution breaks the moment you do not feel motivated. This is the shift that changes everything. New Year Toolbox, a framework for real, sustainable change Instead of asking, “What do I want to achieve this year?” ask, “Who do I need to become, and what systems will support me?” Your New Year’s Toolbox is made of five essential tools. Each one is simple, powerful, and immediately applicable. 1. Identity before action Lasting change begins with identity. Instead of saying, “I will start exercising,” say, “I am someone who honours my body.” Instead of saying, “I want more confidence,” say, “I am someone who speaks to myself with respect.” Application: Write this sentence and complete it intuitively, “This year, I choose to become the kind of person who…” Let your actions flow from who you are, not who you think you should be. 2. One non-negotiable daily anchor Most people fail because they try to change everything at once. Empowered people choose one anchor habit. Not ten. Not a full life overhaul. One. Examples: A 10-minute morning walk Writing one page a day Five minutes of breathwork Drinking water before coffee Application: Ask yourself, “What is the smallest daily action that reinforces the identity I am building?” Consistency beats intensity. Every time. 3. Emotional regulation over motivation Motivation is unreliable. Your nervous system is not. If your body feels unsafe, overwhelmed, or pressured, it will resist change. This is why self-discipline without self-regulation never lasts. Application: Create a calm reset ritual you can use anytime. Three slow breaths Placing a hand on your chest A grounding phrase like, “I am safe to go at my pace.” Empowerment is not pushing harder. It is listening deeper. 4. Weekly reflection instead of daily judgment Most people quit because they judge themselves every day. Empowered leaders reflect weekly. Reflection builds awareness. Judgment destroys momentum. Application: Once a week, ask these questions. “What worked this week?” “What felt heavy?” “What is one adjustment I can make?” No drama. No self-attack. Just leadership. 5. Self-trust as the ultimate metric Success is not perfection. Success is self-trust. Every time you keep a promise, even a small one, you strengthen the relationship with yourself. And that relationship determines everything. Application: End each week by writing, “This week, I am proud of myself for…” Confidence grows from acknowledgment, not achievement. Why this works when resolutions do not Resolutions demand that you become someone else overnight, which is very unrealistic! A toolbox meets you where you are, and walks with you forward. It respects your humanity. It adapts to real life. It builds momentum without burnout. And most importantly, it creates internal safety, which is the foundation of sustainable success. The New Year is not a deadline, it is an invitation You are not behind. You are not broken. You do not need fixing. You need supportive systems, not harsher expectations. This year, do not ask more from yourself. Build more for yourself. Trade resolutions for tools. Pressure for presence. Self-criticism for self-leadership. That is how real transformation begins. And that is how this year becomes different, not because you tried harder, but because you chose wiser. Follow me on  Facebook ,   Instagram ,   LinkedIn ,  and visit her website  for more info. Read more from Nadija Bajrami Nadija Bajrami, Strategic Hypnotherapist, Mind Coach French by birth, Nadija lived in Scotland for 7 years and travelled the world. After recovering from some serious health issues, Nadija had a wake-up call and came to Ireland to find her path. She has been living in Dublin since 2017. Nadija is working mostly online worldwide and shares her time between Ireland, France, and Switzerland. Nadija is a multi-award-winning trauma and empowerment specialist with a double diploma in hypnotherapy, mind coaching, and online therapy. She is also a Reiki Master and a grief educator, and she has been trained by an international grief specialist and best-selling author, David Kessler. Nadija is also an end-of-life doula. She is dedicated to helping her clients get empowered, supercharge their confidence and self-esteem, overcome their limiting beliefs, and manage anxiety and trauma responses. She also helps people on their grief and healing journey through her therapy, coaching, grief education and support programmes, and spiritual work.

Written by Dr. Ariel McGrew, Business Psychologist, Chief Creative Officer Dr. Ariel McGrew is a distinguished business psychologist, licensed professional counselor, and founder of Tactful Disruption®. She leverages her extensive experience in psychological operations and her academic expertise to enhance organizational culture and leadership. Long before I learned about trauma-informed practice, developmental repair, or how the brain handles emotions, I understood something much messier: what happens when ambition mixes with panic. At 22, I had a degree in Speech Communication, a string of brand ambassador jobs that paid in free merchandise and good energy, and the pressure of student loans hanging over me. And yes, I was getting paid. I just didn’t understand the challenges of 1099 taxes, quarterly payments, or how the IRS always seems to show up when you’re least ready. To make matters even more ironic, I was also: an introvert afraid of heights generally allergic to being told what to do and the closest understanding I had of military service came from binge-watching The Unit. So naturally, I joined the Army Reserves. Not for patriotism. Not for structure. Not for a long-term career. No. I joined because I wanted a maroon beret. Someone told me, “You have to be pretty smart and willing to jump out of airplanes. And if you want to be PSYOP, you’ll have to keep up with the standard.” And to know me is to know: If you tell me something that requires intelligence and audacity, I’m already signing the paperwork, even if it contradicts every personality trait I possess (I’m a nice mix of shadow and light ego traits). So, I did it. I became airborne. This stands out because I’m an introvert who likes quiet spaces, someone who gets dizzy on step stools, and a person who never liked being told “because I said so.” Still, there I was, jumping out of an aircraft because, at 22, I thought a beret might fix everything. I didn’t realize that this choice (driven by ambition, panic, and wanting to look good in a beret) would one day lead to $192.20 receipts for copies and express mail for 11 years of email/medical documentation I’d later send to the VA. Ironically, I never broke a bone jumping out of airplanes. Not once. And then, in one 19-minute, 2-mile run in August 2022, I nearly broke my entire left leg off my body. But the other injuries, the hamstring tendon tears, psoas strains, and piriformis sprains, came from the daily grind, the training, and the drive to prove I could do hard things long before I understood what resilience would really cost me. Back then, it was exhilarating to discover that I could push my body, my mind, and my limits. Now, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do on purpose is something entirely different. Healing beyond my own perspective. When perspective becomes a lifeline When I applied for my VA disability benefits, I expected bureaucracy. I expected paperwork. I expected to revisit pain I had neatly filed away under “things I survived.” What I didn’t expect was how deeply I needed someone else’s perspective to anchor me. I asked for letters of support, which was unusual for me (I’ve an uncanny knack for self-reliance), and one letter changed everything. It didn’t just list my injuries. It described me, my resilience, my discipline, my emotional strength, and my humanity. It reflected a version of myself I couldn’t see clearly because I was too busy surviving the process. And that’s when I realized: Healing is never truly solitary, even when it feels like it. Why perspective matters when you think you’re healing alone Many people think healing is something you do on your own, private, personal, and self-contained. But research shows the opposite: social support is one of the strongest factors in psychological recovery, even if it’s just from one person. A 2022 scoping review found that social support plays a “substantial role in attaining and maintaining good mental health, in the prevention of and recovery from mental health problems”.[1] Emotional support, being seen, validated, and understood, is especially powerful. Another study in Frontiers in Psychology found that social support lowers perceived stress, which then boosts positive feelings and reduces anxiety and depression.[2] In other words, support doesn’t just feel good, it changes how the nervous system handles stress. A 2025 meta-analysis in Psychological Bulletin found that perceived social support is closely linked to better mental health (r = .35) and improved functioning (r = .37). This means that being seen, even by just one person, can change the course of your healing.[3] These findings echo what I experienced firsthand, "When someone reflects your strength to you, it becomes easier to believe in your own capacity to keep going." The paradox of “healing alone” There’s a painful paradox many of us face: We believe we’re healing alone because people didn’t show up, or because we didn’t ask. But healing is relational. Even when the relationship is small. Even when the support comes in the form of a letter written on a Tuesday afternoon by someone who saw you more clearly than you saw yourself. Support doesn’t always look like a crowd. Sometimes it looks like one person telling the truth about who you are. Perspective as a healing mechanism Perspective is not passive. It is an active psychological process that reshapes: how we interpret our experiences how we evaluate our resilience how we understand our suffering how we locate ourselves in our own story When someone offers a compassionate, accurate perspective on your journey, it can: reduce shame increase self-efficacy strengthen emotional regulation restore coherence anchor identity during destabilizing transitions This isn’t just poetic; it’s backed by evidence. Social support helps people reappraise stressors, making them feel more manageable.[2] It also contributes to human thriving rather than just survival.[3] Perspective is a psychological intervention. Closing reflection I joined the Army Reserves for a maroon beret. I stayed because I discovered I could do hard things on purpose. I healed because someone else reminded me who I was when I couldn’t see it myself. Sometimes, the most powerful thing someone can give you is their perspective. Not advice. Not solutions. Not platitudes. Just the truth of what they see in you when you can’t see it yourself. Healing is not a solo sport. It is a communal act, even when the community is small. And sometimes, one letter or one witness becomes the anchor that keeps you from drifting away from your own strength. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Ariel McGrew Dr. Ariel McGrew, Business Psychologist, Chief Creative Officer Dr. Ariel McGrew is a highly regarded business psychologist and founder of Tactful Disruption®. With over 15 years of experience in U.S. Army Psychological Operations, she has honed her expertise in leadership and organizational dynamics. Dr. McGrew holds a PhD in Business Psychology, is a licensed professional counselor, and has been featured in Forbes Coaches Council. Her work focuses on enhancing mental health and professional development within organizations. References: [1] Bjørlykhaug, K. I., Karlsson, B., Hesook, S. K., & Kleppe, L. C. (2022). Social support and recovery from mental health problems: A scoping review. Nordic Social Work Research , 12(5), 666–697. [2] Acoba, E. F. (2024). Social support and mental health: The mediating role of perceived stress. Frontiers in Psychology , 15, Article 1330720. [3] Yeo, G. H., Lansford, J. E., & Rudolph, K. D. (2025). How does perceived social support relate to human thriving? A systematic review with meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin . Advance online publication.

Written by Kelsey Irving, Licensed Clinical Therapist Kelsey Irving is a licensed therapist and recognized specialist in OCD and anxiety disorders. She is the founder of Steadfast Psychology Group and author of the children’s book Jacob and the Cloud. Relationship OCD (ROCD) is an overwhelming condition that causes individuals to doubt their romantic relationships constantly. Unlike the occasional doubts that most people experience, ROCD leads to intrusive, relentless thoughts that demand certainty. This article explores how ROCD affects relationships, common compulsions associated with it, and the effective treatment options, particularly Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy. Learn how ERP can help break the cycle of anxiety and uncertainty, allowing individuals to engage more fully in their relationships. Is he the right one? Do I love her enough? Shouldn’t I feel more excited when I see them? If I notice someone else, does that mean I’m unfaithful?   Questions like these are almost a rite of passage when starting a romantic relationship. Most of us want reassurance that we’re making the “right” choice. We want to avoid heartbreak, mistakes, and regret. A little doubt is normal and sometimes even healthy. But for some people, these thoughts don’t come and go. They take over.   For individuals with Relationship OCD (ROCD), doubts about a partner or relationship can become relentless, intrusive, and deeply distressing. Instead of serving as passing curiosities, these questions feel urgent and threatening, demanding answers that never quite satisfy.   What is Relationship OCD? Relationship OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder centered on the fear of being romantically involved with the “wrong” person or of not loving a partner “enough.” The issue isn’t the relationship itself, but the obsessive need for certainty about it. People with ROCD don’t simply wonder about their feelings, they become stuck trying to prove them. The mind insists that there must be a definitive answer, yes or no, right or wrong, and until that answer is found, anxiety remains high. To cope with this discomfort, individuals often engage in compulsions (also called rituals): behaviors meant to reduce anxiety or gain clarity. Unfortunately, these strategies tend to backfire, keeping the cycle alive.   Common ROCD compulsions Compulsions can be subtle or time-consuming, mental or behavioral. They may include:   Ruminating endlessly about whether the relationship is “right.” Replaying conversations or moments for hidden meaning Imagining future scenarios to predict happiness or regret Constantly checking emotional connection or physical attraction Avoiding interactions with others out of fear of “cheating.” Seeking reassurance from friends, family, partners, spiritual leaders, or even psychics Comparing one’s relationship to those of friends, coworkers, or fictional couples   While many people experience doubts occasionally, for someone with ROCD, these behaviors become increasingly impairing, time-consuming, and emotionally exhausting.   Treating Relationship OCD Research consistently shows that Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most effective treatment for OCD, including ROCD. ERP works by helping people face their fears without performing compulsions. In therapy, an ERP specialist helps identify the beliefs driving your anxiety, often rigid ideas about what love “should” feel like or what a “perfect relationship” looks like. Together, you gently challenge those beliefs and learn to sit with uncomfortable thoughts without trying to neutralize them. Just as important, ERP focuses on reducing compulsions. With practice, you gain confidence in your ability to tolerate uncertainty and discomfort. Over time, fear loses its grip.   Learning to live with uncertainty At some point in the spiral of overthinking, the same questions start looping like a broken record, the mental equivalent of “The Song That Never Ends.” By then, it’s clear, no amount of thinking will bring absolute certainty. The truth is, none of us has a crystal ball. There is no way to know, with 100% certainty, whether a relationship will last forever. And waiting for certainty before living your life only keeps you stuck in your head, missing what’s happening right now. ERP teaches a powerful shift: instead of living according to fear, you begin living according to your values. You show up for the relationship, not because you feel perfectly certain, but because connection, commitment, and presence matter to you. And paradoxically, when you stop chasing certainty, life and love has more room to breathe. If you’d like to learn more about Relationship OCD or get treatment, contact me today. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kelsey Irving Kelsey Irving, Licensed Clinical Therapist Kelsey Irving is a licensed therapist specializing in the treatment of adults with OCD and anxiety disorders. Inspired by a close family member’s diagnosis and the widespread misunderstanding of OCD, she became deeply committed to providing informed, compassionate, and effective care. Kelsey serves individuals through her private practice, Steadfast Psychology Group, and extends her impact through her children’s book, Jacob and the Cloud.

Written by Ladys Patino, Book Reviewer and Writer Ladys Patino is a distinguished writer and book critic with a specialization in organizational behavior, management, leadership, and community dynamics. Dr. Mitch Abrams doesn't mince words, and that's precisely what makes  I'm Not F*cking Angry!   such a refreshing entry in the crowded self-help landscape. Drawing on over 25 years as a psychologist working with everyone from prison inmates to professional athletes, Abrams dismantles our misconceptions about anger with the blunt force of a Brooklyn native who's seen it all. His central thesis is deceptively simple: anger isn't the problem. Nobody gets arrested for being angry. People get in trouble for the destructive things they do when they can't control that anger. This reframing from "anger is bad" to "anger is a tool that requires skill" provides the foundation for a book that's equal parts psychology textbook, street wisdom, and tough-love coaching session. The book's greatest strength lies in Abrams's ability to make complex psychological concepts accessible without dumbing them down. His "adjust the flame" metaphor runs throughout, positioning anger as fire essential for survival and achievement in the right measure, catastrophic when uncontrolled. He distinguishes between instrumental aggression (healthy drive toward goals) and reactive aggression (lashing out to cause harm), explaining how the former fuels success while the latter destroys lives. Abrams supports these frameworks with practical tools: breathing techniques, visualization exercises, trigger recognition, and cognitive restructuring. The chapter on "prediction of consequences," essentially learning to think three moves ahead like a chess player, offers particularly valuable guidance for anyone prone to heat-of-the-moment decisions they later regret. Abrams's unflinching use of profanity will either deeply resonate or immediately alienate readers, and he makes no apologies for it. The language isn't gratuitous, it matches the intensity of the emotion being discussed and reflects how people actually talk when they're furious. His personal story, growing up poor, losing his sister at seventeen, working as a bouncer while earning his doctorate, gives him credibility that extends beyond his professional credentials. When he writes about the "explosion threshold" or admits his own struggles with feeling unappreciated, readers recognize someone who's walked through the fire rather than merely studied it from a distance. This authenticity elevates the book above typical anger management guides that can feel sterile and disconnected from real human experience. The book does have limitations. Abrams's focus on sports psychology, while fascinating, sometimes overshadows broader applications that general readers might find more immediately useful. The extensive discussion of athletic performance and coaching strategies may lose readers who have no connection to competitive sports. Additionally, while his chapter on gender dynamics and "men's fragility" offers important insights into how society shapes male anger, some readers may find his generalizations about masculine insecurity too broad-brushed. The book would also benefit from more structured exercises or worksheets that readers could return to repeatedly, rather than concepts embedded in narrative form. I'm Not F cking Angry!!!* succeeds because Abrams treats anger with the respect it deserves, not as a character flaw to be ashamed of, but as a fundamental human emotion that, when properly understood and channeled, becomes a source of strength rather than destruction. His message that "the toughest guy in prison never fights" and that true power lies in being unflappable will challenge readers to reconsider their relationship with this most volatile emotion. For anyone tired of being told to suppress their anger or feeling powerless when it overtakes them, Abrams offers something better: a roadmap to mastery. This isn't a book about becoming calm and serene, it's about becoming strategically dangerous, someone who can summon anger when needed and put it away when finished, rather than being controlled by it. In an era of road rage, keyboard warriors, and perpetual outrage, that kind of emotional mastery isn't just valuable, it's essential. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Ladys Patino Ladys Patino, Book Reviewer and Writer Ladys Patino is a distinguished writer and book critic with a specialization in organizational behavior, management, leadership, and community dynamics. Her expertise lies in dissecting and evaluating literature that delves into the intricacies of organizational structures, the nuances of leadership styles, and the complexities of community interactions. Patino's reviews and writings offer insightful perspectives on how these themes play out in various settings, providing valuable analysis for those interested in understanding and improving the functioning of groups, businesses, and societies.

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. In this article, Beth Rohani, President and CEO of Ameritex Movers, reflects on her journey from self-doubt to confidence. As a leader in a male-dominated industry, she reveals how clarity, planning, and accountability have helped her overcome internal struggles, turning doubt into an opportunity for growth. Learn how to stay focused and move forward, even when the path seems uncertain. This morning, I walked into the office questioning everything.   Am I capable? Am I making the right decisions? Am I even doing this right?   If you’ve ever had those thoughts, welcome to being human. We all doubt ourselves. The difference is whether you let that doubt paralyze you or push you toward growth. Doubt is a constant in the world of entrepreneurship and leadership. As the CEO of a multi-city moving company and the current President of a speakers community, I have learned that the moment you stop questioning is the moment you stop learning. The initial feeling of doubt is normal. The mistake is giving it control. By the time I walked out of my office today, my mindset had completely shifted. I didn’t leave with doubt, I left with confidence. And not because the questions magically disappeared, but because I leaned into intention. Planning. Strategy. Taking the time to think through my decisions instead of reacting emotionally. That deliberate process is what truly builds confidence. It’s not instant, it’s something we create by being intentional with how we move forward every single day.   The weight of the unspoken question For years, I allowed that initial feeling of doubt to drive me toward co-dependency. I looked for external approval, a partner’s nod, a client’s affirmation, a mentor’s sign-off to validate my choices. The problem is, when your stability relies on someone else’s opinion, you’ll always feel unsteady. You give away your own power. The real challenge of doubt isn't the question itself, it's the mental space it consumes. That energy spent cycling through "what if I fail?" or "am I smart enough?" is energy stolen from action. As a leader, you don’t have the luxury of extended emotional reactions. You need to identify the doubt, process the fear, and move on to the solution. When I started Ameritex Movers, I knew the industry was tough and male-dominated. Doubt was loud. But I learned early that the only way to silence it was to focus on the things I could control: my effort, my preparation, and my consistency. Doubt fears accountability because accountability shows proof. Clarity over paralysis: The role of planning The antidote to emotional doubt is logical planning. Planning is the factual counter-argument to your fear. When I face a massive decision, whether it’s launching a new branch in a competitive market or designing a new pricing structure, the initial fear is always there. But instead of letting that fear paralyze me, I use the structure I have built. I check the data. I review the processes. I rely on the framework of integrity and accountability we use in the business. We preach structure at Ameritex Movers because structure creates confidence. When a moving crew knows the precise checklist for a packing job, when they know the safety protocols for the loading dock, and when they have clear communication lines, they execute the job with confidence. That confidence comes from trusting the system, not just their gut. The same principle applies to your personal journey. Planning isn’t about predicting every outcome, it’s about reducing the variables that lead to guesswork. It’s about building a foundation of hard work that you can stand on when the inevitable mental storm hits. It gives you the evidence you need to tell your doubt, "I already did the work."   The loudest voice: Internal noise Interestingly, that same lesson about planning and trust hit me in the most unexpected place, a loading dock at a convention center. We had just finished offloading for an expo, and as I tried to make my way inside, I kept turning corners and second-guessing myself. I felt lost. The hallways were confusing, and the logistics seemed off. I finally stopped an attendant and admitted, “I feel like I’m going the right way, but I’m also doubting myself. Can you confirm?” He looked at me with a calm, no-nonsense look and said, “Why are you doubting yourself? You’re going the right way. Keep going. That’s the path.” That was my lightbulb moment. The path was clear, but the noise in my head, the internal loop of "am I missing something?" was slowing me down. How many times in life do we know the path we’re on is right, but we let doubt creep in and slow us down? We waste time second-guessing ourselves instead of trusting the direction we’ve already worked so hard to build. That wasted time is more costly than any actual mistake we might make. It’s the cost of letting internal drama run the show.   Confidence is just moving What I’ve learned as a business owner and a leader is that confidence isn’t the absence of doubt. It’s the decision to keep moving even when the doubt is loud. It's the Do It & Prove It™ mindset in action. Here’s the reality:   Doubt is normal, paralysis is a choice: Don't try to eliminate doubt. Just make sure it doesn't stop you. Use the fear as a signal to review your plan, not to stop the car. Planning and process matter: They give you the foundation to trust your own judgment. If your process is sound, trust the process. Find your confirmation: Sometimes, all we need is a simple reminder from a friend, a mentor, or even a stranger at a loading dock that we’re already on the right path. As the current President of NSA Houston, and as someone who runs a moving company built on creating stress-free experiences, I’ve learned that confidence comes from clarity. Clarity in your values, your direction, and the intention behind every choice you make. So the next time you find yourself doubting your steps, pause. Ask yourself: Am I really lost, or am I just afraid of trusting myself? Chances are, you’re already on the right path. You just need to keep going. Trust the direction you set. Trust the work you put in. That is your proof.   Beth Rohani is the President and CEO of Ameritex Dallas Movers and Ameritex Houston Movers. A first-generation Iranian American and resilient entrepreneur, Beth has built thriving businesses in a male-dominated industry while navigating profound personal and professional transformation. Her unique ability to recognize what no longer serves, whether in business or in life, enables her to declutter, reorganize, and strategically move forward. Through navigating death, divorce, and moving, Beth has learned that true growth is built on accountability, mindset, and intentional living.   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.

Carla Madeleine Kupe, a transformational leader and "Transition Midwife," shares insights into her unique approach to guiding organizations and leaders through times of change. With a background in law and extensive experience in leadership, Carla discusses how true transformation emerges when leaders embrace uncertainty, slow down, and focus on responsibility. In this interview, she emphasizes the importance of presence and authenticity in leadership, especially during complex transitions. Carla Madeleine Kupe, Executive Leadership Advisor How do you describe your work and way of being in the world today – and what life experiences most shaped how you lead, guide, and serve? I describe my work as guiding people and systems through moments of transition – especially when something familiar is ending and something unnamed is trying to emerge. At its core, my work is about helping leaders and organizations stay present with complexity, responsibility, and change without collapsing into fear, control, or denial. My path here has been shaped by standing at the intersection of law and leadership, structure and soul, power and humanity. I’ve worked inside institutions of various sizes, held formal authority, and seen firsthand how decisions ripple through people’s lives. I’ve also spent years observing, listening deeply, identifying patterns – to what isn’t being said, to what is being carried quietly, and to what breaks open when truth is finally named. I don’t approach leadership as a performance or a set of competencies. I approach it as a practice of presence: how we hold power, how we relate to others, and how willing we are to be changed by what we are responsible for. What moments or reckonings – personal, professional, or societal – most influenced the path you’ve taken into leadership and transformational work? My work has been shaped less by a single defining moment and more by a series of reckonings – moments when I could no longer unsee the gap between how institutions say they operate and how power is actually experienced by people. Working in law, philanthropy, higher education, and government exposed me to both the promises and the limits of formal systems. I saw how good intentions can coexist with harm, and how change efforts fail when they bypass truth, history, or lived experience. Personally, I’ve also navigated my own thresholds – times when identities I had built no longer fit who I was becoming. Those experiences taught me that transformation isn’t something you impose. It’s something you accompany. That realization continues to guide how I work with leaders today. You describe yourself as a “Transition Midwife” and “Possibilities Anchor.” What do these roles mean in practice, and why are they especially relevant for leaders and organizations right now? I use the language of “Transition Midwife” because much of the work I do involves accompanying people through endings – of identities, roles, strategies, or ways of operating – that can no longer hold what’s being asked of them. Like any true transition, these moments are rarely clean or linear. They involve uncertainty, grief, resistance, and often a profound loss of certainty. Being a “Possibilities Anchor” means I help leaders stay grounded while moving through that uncertainty. I don’t rush people toward solutions or premature optimism. Instead, I help them remain steady enough to listen to inner wisdom and prompts, to tell the truth to themselves about what’s no longer working, and to sense what wants to be born next. Right now, many leaders are being asked to navigate change at a pace and scale they were never trained or prepared for. Old maps no longer apply. My roles are about helping leaders meet this moment without bypassing it – so that what emerges is not just new, but more honest, authentic, and sustainable. In this current moment of uncertainty and rapid change, where do you see leaders and organizations struggling most in how they hold authority and responsibility? What I see most often is not a lack of intelligence or effort, but a lack of capacity to stay present with discomfort. Many leaders are under immense pressure to move quickly, appear certain, and avoid mistakes. In that environment, authority easily becomes defensive rather than responsive. Leaders struggle most when they feel they must choose between control and care – between decisiveness and humanity. This false and binary framework leads to either overreach or paralysis. Important conversations get delayed. Harms go unaddressed. Change is announced without being metabolized. Holding authority well and authentically in this moment requires something different: the ability to slow down internally even when things are moving fast externally; the willingness to acknowledge what has ended; and the courage to lead without having all the answers. That kind of leadership isn’t about certainty – it’s about responsibility. When leaders or organizations engage your work sincerely, what kinds of internal shifts and structural changes tend to emerge over time? The first shifts are usually internal. Leaders begin to notice how their own fear, urgency, or unexamined assumptions shape their decisions. There’s often a softening – an increased tolerance for complexity and a greater willingness to listen rather than react. Over time, this internal work shows up structurally. Communication becomes clearer. Accountability becomes more relational and less punitive. Decisions are made with a deeper awareness of impact, not just intention. Trust by employees in leadership expands. The transformation I witness is less about dramatic overhauls and more about alignment – between values and actions, authority and care, responsibility and humility. What principles or ways of working guide your approach to leadership and organizational transformation, particularly in moments of transition or disruption? I work from the belief that what is unacknowledged will eventually surface – often in more disruptive ways. So I prioritize honesty, pacing, and presence over quick fixes. I also believe that transformation requires containers that are both structured and humane. People need clarity, but they also need space to feel, reflect, and make meaning of what’s changing. Finally, I center responsibility – not blame. My work helps leaders see where they have agency, where repair is needed, and where courage is required to act differently. How do you support leaders and organizations in letting go of identities, roles, or ways of operating – without bypassing grief or causing harm – so something new can emerge? I help leaders slow down long enough to recognize what is actually ending. Often, harm occurs not because something ends, but because it ends without acknowledgment. We name losses explicitly – of certainty, status, belonging, or legacy. We make space for grief and resistance without letting them stall movement entirely. When endings are honored, renewal becomes possible. New ways of leading and relating can emerge that are grounded in truth rather than avoidance or control. For leaders or organizations sensing the need for change but unsure where to begin, what is the first internal shift that makes meaningful transformation possible? The first shift is moving from performance to presence. Before strategies or initiatives, leaders must be willing to examine how they personally relate to power, difference, and responsibility. Without that internal reckoning, change efforts tend to replicate the very dynamics they’re trying to undo. With it, even small actions can begin to create meaningful movement. How has your legal background shaped your understanding of power, accountability, and responsibility within leadership and organizational systems? Legal training sharpened my understanding of how power operates – who holds it, how it’s exercised, and how harm is addressed or ignored. It taught me the importance of clarity, due process, and accountability. At the same time, I saw the limits of purely legal solutions. Compliance alone cannot create trust or repair harm. That realization is what led me to focus on the human and relational dimensions of leadership alongside structural accountability. What is one reflection or practice you invite leaders to sit with right now that could fundamentally change how they relate to authority, change, and responsibility? I invite leaders to ask themselves: “What am I protecting – and at what cost?”Sitting honestly with that question can reveal where fear is driving decisions, where truth is being avoided, and where courage is needed. From there, leadership becomes less about image and more about integrity. Follow me on LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Carla Madeleine Kupe