Trisha Britton is an Applied Neuroregulation & Integrative Health Practitioner who helps people restore stability, clarity, and sustainable capacity when effort stops working. Her work integrates nervous system regulation, cellular health, and whole-person wellness practices and restorative travel to address overload at both the biological and lifestyle level. Trisha Britton, RN, Neuroregulation & Integrative Health Practitioner Who is Trisha Britton? Tell us about your background, your passion for nervous system regulation, and how your work extends beyond wellness travel to include human performance and cellular resilience. I’m a Registered Nurse and Applied Neuroregulation & Integrative Health Practitioner who helps people restore stability, clarity, and sustainable capacity when effort stops working. My work is rooted in the understanding that many high-functioning individuals are not lacking discipline or motivation, but are operating within systems that have become chronically overloaded. My background spans healthcare, nutrition, and applied neuroscience, which shaped a systems-based approach that looks beyond surface symptoms to identify patterns of dysregulation across the nervous system, physiology, environment, and daily life. Rather than focusing on isolated interventions, I work at both the biological and lifestyle level, integrating nervous system regulation, cellular health, and whole-person wellness practices to support recovery and long-term resilience. Travel is one expression of this work, but not the entirety of it. I use restorative travel and curated environments as intentional tools within a broader framework for human performance and nervous system regulation. Alongside environmental design and biological insight, these experiences support nervous system reset, integration, and coherence, allowing people to think clearly, act decisively, and sustain capacity over time. The goal is not optimization for its own sake, but restoring stability so performance can emerge naturally and be maintained without burnout. What inspired you to pursue a career focused on nervous system regulation and human performance? How did your nursing background influence your approach? My interest in nervous system regulation grew from both professional observation and lived experience. Over time, I experienced the effects of prolonged stress firsthand and came to understand how deeply it alters perception, decision-making, energy, and capacity. Moving out of survival mode required more than mindset shifts or effort. It required restoring safety and regulation at the nervous system level, then rebuilding from there. That process became embodied, not theoretical, and it fundamentally shaped how I work with others. Nursing gave me a practical lens to recognize the same pattern in many individuals I worked with. I saw capable, motivated people struggling not because they lacked discipline, but because their systems were overloaded for too long. Stress was treated as a secondary issue, while its biological and environmental impact was left unaddressed. That gap stood out clearly. As a result, my approach is grounded and systems-based. I look at physiology, environment, behavior, and daily demands together rather than in isolation. Regulation isn’t a mindset or a trend. It’s a biological state that determines how well someone can think, adapt, and perform. When the nervous system stabilizes, clarity and performance return naturally. When it doesn’t, no amount of effort can compensate. This combination of lived experience and clinical perspective is what drew me toward human performance and systems-level work rather than surface-level wellness solutions. Can you explain the concept of systems intelligence and how it informs your approach to wellness and human performance? Systems intelligence is the ability to perceive how multiple systems interact in real time and respond accordingly. Humans are not isolated parts. We are nervous systems embedded inside environments, relationships, identities, and biological feedback loops. In my work, systems intelligence means identifying where overload is occurring, how signals are being distorted, and which variables need to change first. Rather than asking people to do more, I help them reduce internal contradiction. Once coherence is restored across the system, capacity returns without force. This approach allows people to regain clarity, make better decisions, and operate with less friction and fatigue. How do you help high-functioning individuals recognize when their systems are overloaded and identify the steps to restore stability and capacity? High-functioning individuals often normalize overload. They adapt so well that they don’t recognize the cost until something breaks. I help clients identify subtle markers such as diminished clarity, emotional compression, decision fatigue, chronic tension, or a sense of operating in containment mode. From there, we map their systems: nervous system load, environmental inputs, biological stressors, and identity-level expectations. The work is sequential, not overwhelming. Regulation comes first, followed by strategic adjustments that restore stability and expand capacity over time. This is the foundation of my Coherence Systems Audit™, which provides a structured diagnostic and roadmap without adding pressure. In what ways does applied neuroscience play a role in your work, and how do you integrate this with environmental design to support your clients? Applied neuroscience shapes how I understand regulation, perception, and behavior at a systems level. The nervous system functions as a predictive and adaptive system, constantly scanning for safety, threat, and efficiency. When it is chronically dysregulated, perception narrows, threat bias increases, and decision-making becomes reactive. People often mistake this state for personal failure or lack of discipline, when it is actually a biological response to sustained load. When the nervous system is regulated, the opposite occurs. Cognitive flexibility expands, timing improves, and people gain access to a wider range of behavioral and creative options. This is where performance, clarity, and resilience naturally return. Rather than trying to override dysregulation through effort or mindset, my work focuses on changing the conditions that the nervous system is responding to. Environmental design is one of the most powerful levers in that process. Physical spaces, sensory input, daily rhythm, geography, and even social context all shape nervous system signaling. I help clients identify which elements of their environment are amplifying stress or fragmentation and which can be adjusted to support regulation. This may involve restructuring daily routines, modifying workspaces, simplifying sensory load, or intentionally introducing environments that promote downshifting and integration. Restorative travel is an extension of this approach, not an escape from daily life. When used intentionally, immersive environments can interrupt maladaptive patterns, reduce cognitive and physiological load, and give the nervous system a direct experience of safety and coherence. That experience becomes a reference point clients can integrate back into their everyday lives through practical changes in structure and environment. The goal is not to create ideal conditions permanently, but to place the nervous system in environments where regulation is supported rather than constantly challenged. From that foundation, people regain clarity, adaptive capacity, and sustainable performance without forcing outcomes. How does travel fit into the larger context of your work in nervous system regulation and human performance? Environment plays a central role in my work because the nervous system is constantly shaped by the conditions it operates within. Most people focus on internal strategies to manage stress, but overlook how much their physical surroundings, sensory input, pace, and daily structure are continuously signaling safety or threat. Over time, environments that are noisy, fragmented, or chronically demanding can keep the nervous system in a heightened state, even when nothing is overtly “wrong.” A core part of my work involves helping clients assess and adjust their everyday environments so regulation is supported rather than undermined. This includes changes to home and workspaces, sensory load, lighting, visual complexity, digital exposure, and daily rhythm. Often, meaningful improvements in clarity and capacity come from simplifying and stabilizing these inputs rather than adding more practices or interventions. Travel fits into this framework as a temporary but powerful environmental shift. When used intentionally, it allows the nervous system to experience a different set of conditions with less cognitive and sensory demand. This contrast can reveal how much the previous environment was contributing to overload and provide a direct reference point for what regulation feels like. I integrate travel with preparation and post-travel integration so it informs lasting environmental changes at home and work. Rather than functioning as an escape, travel becomes a diagnostic and recalibration tool. The goal is not to rely on being away to feel regulated, but to translate those conditions into everyday environments that support nervous system stability, clarity, and sustainable performance. What makes a truly restorative travel experience different from a typical vacation, and how can travel be a powerful tool for systems-level healing? A typical vacation often changes the scenery without changing the conditions the nervous system is responding to. The same pace, stimulation, and internal patterns are simply carried into a new location. While this can offer temporary relief, it rarely creates meaningful or lasting regulation. I focus on healing and restorative retreats because they are designed with the nervous system in mind. A restorative experience intentionally reduces demand rather than adding stimulation. This includes thoughtful pacing, supportive environments, sensory simplicity, and psychological safety. When these conditions are present, the nervous system can downshift without effort or force. Clarity, intuition, and capacity return not because something new is added, but because chronic strain is removed. At a systems level, this matters because regulation is the foundation for integration. When the nervous system stabilizes, people gain access to insight, adaptability, and self-trust that were already present but inaccessible under prolonged overload. A restorative retreat provides a direct, embodied experience of that state, which becomes a reference point rather than a fleeting moment. Lasting change comes from integration. Without it, even the most beautiful experience fades quickly. With preparation before the retreat and intentional integration afterward, the nervous system learns how to carry regulation back into daily life. This is why I view restorative travel not as an escape or luxury, but as a structured intervention that supports systems-level healing, clarity, and sustainable performance. Can you share an example of how wellness and performance can improve through a holistic, systems-based approach that includes environmental design? In my work, improvement begins by identifying patterns rather than focusing on isolated symptoms. Many people are operating within environments and routines that continuously place load on the nervous system without being obvious or acute. This can show up as cognitive fatigue, emotional compression, reduced clarity, or difficulty sustaining momentum despite continued effort. By mapping where someone’s system is getting stuck, we can identify which conditions are reinforcing dysregulation. Small but intentional changes are then implemented to support the nervous system more effectively. These adjustments often involve daily rhythm, sensory input, physical spaces, and how demands are structured and sequenced. As regulation improves, people commonly experience clearer thinking, steadier energy, and more adaptive decision-making without needing to push harder. Occasionally, a restorative environment outside of daily life can be used to help the nervous system experience contrast and recalibration, but the core work is always focused on what can be carried forward. The goal is for individuals to learn how to recognize patterns of overload and implement supportive changes wherever they are. Over time, this builds practical nervous-system awareness that allows improvements in wellness and performance to be sustained across different environments and phases of life. What are the most common misconceptions people have about nervous system regulation, and how do you address these in your work? One of the most common misconceptions is that nervous system regulation is primarily about calming down, relaxing, or applying techniques like breathing exercises in moments of stress. While those tools can be incredibly supportive, regulation itself is not a technique. It is a state of biological capacity. A regulated nervous system is able to process intensity, uncertainty, responsibility, and complexity without collapsing, fragmenting, or becoming rigid. Another misconception is that dysregulation only shows up as anxiety or emotional reactivity. In reality, many people adapt to chronic stress by becoming highly functional, contained, and efficient. Their nervous system remains in a survival-oriented state, but because they are still performing, the cost often goes unnoticed. Over time, this can narrow perception, reduce flexibility, and create a sense of being stuck even when effort continues to increase. There is also a tendency to view regulation as passive or inward-focused. In practice, regulation supports stronger action, clearer boundaries, and more precise decision-making. It allows people to respond rather than react, to move with better timing, and to sustain effort without burnout. Regulation does not remove intensity from life; it increases the system’s ability to hold it. In my work, I address these misconceptions by grounding nervous system regulation in biology, environment, and lived outcomes rather than abstract language or isolated tools. Instead of asking people to manage stress moment by moment, I help them identify the conditions that their nervous system is responding to and adjust those conditions at a systems level. When regulation is supported consistently, changes in clarity, capacity, and performance emerge naturally and are maintained over time. What trends in performance and wellness are you currently seeing, and why should people be paying attention to these shifts? There’s a growing recognition that performance is limited by nervous system capacity, not motivation. Burnout, cognitive fatigue, and emotional compression are becoming normalized, especially among high performers. At the same time, there’s increased interest in measurement and data-informed decisions. I see a shift toward using biological feedback and systems-level analysis to reduce guesswork. This is where cellular resilience, environmental design, and applied neuroscience intersect. People who understand and adapt to these shifts will sustain performance long-term instead of cycling through exhaustion and recovery. How do you support clients before, during, and after their experience, both in terms of wellness travel and integrating broader performance and regulation strategies into their everyday lives? My work is structured around coherence rather than isolated experiences. Support begins with helping individuals understand how their nervous system is currently operating and where patterns of overload, fragmentation, or rigidity are present. Before any intervention, we identify the primary constraints in their system and establish conditions that allow regulation to occur rather than be resisted. This preparation is critical because a dysregulated system will often override even well-intentioned experiences. During periods of change, whether that involves an environmental shift, focused work, or a restorative experience, the emphasis is on simplicity, pacing, and awareness. Rather than introducing more techniques, the focus is on reducing unnecessary demand and observing how the nervous system responds when conditions are supportive. This allows regulation to emerge naturally instead of being forced. Afterward, integration is where coherence is built. I help clients translate what regulation feels like into everyday structure, decision-making, and environment. This includes adjusting daily rhythm, sensory input, boundaries, and expectations so the nervous system can maintain stability over time. Without integration, insight remains temporary. With it, regulation becomes embodied and transferable across different environments and phases of life. While travel can sometimes be used as a supportive context, the core of my work is teaching people how to recognize patterns and maintain coherence wherever they are. The goal is not dependence on specific experiences, but the ability to support nervous system regulation consistently, leading to sustained clarity, capacity, and performance. What advice would you give to someone feeling overwhelmed by the process of restoring their system’s balance and performance, especially when it comes to integrating environmental factors like travel? Start smaller than you think you need to. When someone is overwhelmed, the nervous system is already operating under excessive load, and trying to change everything at once often reinforces that state rather than resolving it. Regulation is not achieved through overhauls or discipline. It comes from reducing pressure at the right point in the system. The first step is identifying the primary source of overload, not all of them. There is usually one dominant pattern or condition that is keeping the nervous system in a heightened or constrained state. Addressing that single constraint often creates enough stability for other changes to unfold naturally. Environment matters more than effort. Before asking yourself to think differently, perform better, or manage stress more effectively, look at what you are living inside of. Physical space, sensory input, pace, digital demand, and daily structure are constantly shaping nervous system signaling. Small environmental adjustments, such as simplifying inputs, slowing rhythm, or creating clearer boundaries around time and attention, can significantly reduce strain without requiring willpower. When it comes to travel or environmental shifts, they are most helpful when they are integrated rather than used as escapes. The value is not in going somewhere different, but in noticing what conditions allow your system to settle and what conditions disrupt it. That awareness can then be translated back into everyday life through practical changes in how you structure your environment and demands. Most importantly, restoring balance is not about becoming calm all the time. It’s about building a system that can hold intensity without collapse. When the nervous system feels supported and safe enough, clarity returns, capacity expands, and progress accelerates on its own. The work becomes less about fixing yourself and more about creating conditions where your system can function as it was designed to. Why should someone contact you today to restore their nervous system balance, enhance their performance, and unlock sustainable capacity? Most people don’t need more information, tools, or strategies. They need clarity. When capacity is compromised, adding effort often deepens the problem rather than resolving it. My work provides structured, grounded insight into what is actually limiting someone’s system and the precise sequence required to restore stability without burnout or force. I bridge medicine, applied neuroscience, environment, and lived experience to address overload at its root. Rather than focusing on symptoms or short-term relief, I help people identify where their system is constrained and change the conditions that are reinforcing that state. This allows regulation, clarity, and performance to return naturally instead of being constantly managed. Whether through systems audits, consulting, or carefully designed restorative experiences, the focus remains the same: stabilizing the nervous system so people can operate with integrity, clear judgment, and sustainable energy over time. The goal is not optimization or intensity, but coherence – a state where effort is no longer required to hold everything together, and capacity becomes reliable again. Follow me on  Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more fr om Trisha Britton, RN

Stephanie Smit (artist name: Giek) is a multidisciplinary artist and reincarnation researcher whose work explores identity, memory, and creative transformation across time. She is the founder of Reality Cult , a platform where artistic practice and structured spiritual inquiry meet through performance, music, costume, writing, and one-on-one sessions focused on past-life imprint integration. Known for her distinctive approach to "creative rebirth," Stephanie works with clients and audiences who feel their blocks run deeper than conventional self-development can reach. Her research combines intuitive methods with modern tools and documentation frameworks, creating an archive that maps repeating themes, archetypes, and "soul constellations" across lifetimes. She is also the creator of art and performance projects such as A Soul’s Journey, KYBALION the Musical , and the satirical-yet-serious research portal IWasJimMorrison.com , each translating reincarnation and consciousness into accessible formats for a contemporary audience. Through Reality Cult, Stephanie aims to normalize deep inner knowing without turning it into dogma, inviting people to remember who they are, reclaim their creative power, and live with greater self-trust and clarity. Stephanie Smit, Visionary Artist & Reincarnation Researcher Who is Stephanie Smit? Introduce yourself, your hobbies, your favourites, you at home and in business. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I’m a multidisciplinary artist, reincarnation researcher, and the founder of Reality Cult. My work sits at the intersection of performance and transformation: I create stage works, music, poetry, ritual garments, and research-based projects, while also guiding people through past-life imprint readings and integration processes. Outside of formal work, I’m happiest in deep research mode – reading biographies, tracing cultural and artistic lineages, mapping creative movements, and writing. While I’ve lived nomadically for a long time, I’m currently entering a phase of greater stability, creating a grounded home base to deepen my artistic practice. I especially enjoy slow, meditative processes such as crafting costumes with full attention and presence, where making becomes a form of embodied reflection. Once I identify a past-life connection – whether in my own research or through working with a client – I tend to dive very deeply into the historical figures involved. I become almost geekily immersed: studying their lives, cultural context, relationships, and creative output. In a way, this has become how I’m learning history now. I was quite dissociated during much of my secondary school years, and later lost myself for a long time in heavy partying and substance use, leaving little space for formal learning. Returning to history through lived resonance and curiosity now feels both grounding and deeply reparative. I value deep, meaningful conversations about soul growth with my partner and close friends, and I’m very active online, connecting with specific communities I feel closely aligned with. Exploring how past-life influences shape our creativity and relationships is a recurring theme in those exchanges. In business, I’m more structured than people often expect. Although my work is intuitive in nature, it’s supported by methodical research, documentation, and clear frameworks. I approach creativity and research as disciplines – requiring both freedom and rigor. Something that defines my approach is that I don’t separate art and inner transformation. For me, art functions as a technology for integration – capable of holding nuance, memory, and meaning in ways the rational mind alone cannot access. What inspired the creation of Reality Cult, and how did your personal journey lead you to merge art, reincarnation research, and transformation? Reality Cult began as a small philosophical art project, but over time it became the umbrella for everything I do – my multidisciplinary performances, my research practice, and the spiritual guidance work I offer through one-on-one sessions. Each year, the work became more specific, because my personal questions became more specific. One question kept returning: Why do some patterns repeat even after you understand them? I had done years of inner work, yet certain themes – around visibility, freedom, love, identity, and creative expression – kept resurfacing in ways that felt bigger than personal psychology. At some point I realized that my most powerful turning points didn’t happen through explanation alone. They happened through recognition – through symbols, archetypes, embodiment, memory, and story. Performance, in particular, became a way of actively rewriting my relationship to fear. A large part of my own pattern was the fear of fully showing my authentic self. I didn’t overcome that through one big breakthrough, but through repetition: show by show, step by step, choosing visibility again and again. An early example was my performance project Own Reality, where I spoke openly about my long-term drug addiction and the ways I used parties and intensity to escape. Creating and performing that work didn’t just express something – it helped transform it. It became a pivot point: instead of chasing “highs” through substances and chaos, I began channeling that same intensity into art, meaning, and presence – something I gradually recognized as rooted in a deeper layer of memory, connected to themes that extend beyond this lifetime. As my work continued to deepen, this recognition expanded. I began to notice recurring themes – addiction, escape, reinvention – not only within my own history, but as patterns that seemed to move across time and relationships. The people around me often felt familiar in a way that went beyond coincidence, as if we were re-entering shared dynamics in new forms. This realization reframed my path: it was no longer only about personal growth, but about investigating how memory, creativity, and evolution travel across lifetimes. That’s where Reality Cult truly took shape: a space where artistic intelligence and intuitive research can exist together. Not as a belief system, but as a practice – where people can explore how the past echoes through the present, and how creativity becomes a way to reclaim authorship over your life. Today, it continues to evolve into a research platform: a living archive of patterns, stories, and methods that support both artistic work and real transformation. How did exploring your past lives influence your healing process and shape your creative path? Exploring my past lives didn’t just give me “stories.” It gave me context. Suddenly, certain fears and recurring patterns made sense – not as random flaws, but as unfinished chapters. That shift changed my relationship with myself: there was less shame, more clarity, more compassion, and, most importantly, far more creative permission. A large part of this process was learning to become more whole within myself, something that was often triggered through very intense soul connections. These connections confronted me deeply and repeatedly, forcing me to face parts of myself I might otherwise have avoided. Creativity became my way of working through that intensity. I used art, music, and performance to express what couldn’t yet be spoken directly – to communicate on a subconscious level, both with others and with myself. As I began exploring past-life themes, this process offered a new lens through which to understand those dynamics. It helped me recognize why certain relationships felt obsessive, magnetic, or destabilizing, and how they related to longer karmic patterns. I explore this further in my upcoming article How Twin Flames & Soulmates Activate Past Life Memory (And Reveal the Karmic Patterns You’re Here to Heal). Artistically, this work made everything sharper and more embodied. I stopped trying to make my work understandable in a purely linear way and started creating from resonance – what feels true in the body, what keeps returning, what wants completion. Art and performance became ways for me to express myself unapologetically, which is deeply connected to one of my core karmic lessons. It shaped narratives, characters, costumes, music, and poetry – everything. Rather than pulling me away from reality, past-life exploration made me more present. It helped me trust my creative instincts and take my own intensity seriously as a form of intelligence. Over time, this integration became a foundation for believing in myself and my work more fully. It’s a process so profound that I still feel emotional when I reflect on how much it has shaped the person and artist I am today. Can you explain how your concept of “creative rebirth” helps people reconnect with their purpose and multidimensional nature? “Creative rebirth” is the moment someone stops forcing themselves to become “better,” and starts remembering what’s already there – beneath conditioning and survival strategies. Many people feel creatively blocked not because they lack talent, but because their nervous system associates visibility, love, power, or success with danger. Sometimes those associations began early in this life. Sometimes they feel older – like inherited or karmic memory carried forward without conscious awareness. Through my work, I help people reconnect with their innate sense of worth, agency, and creative power. As those deeper layers come into view, people often begin to understand that they are here for a reason – and that their purpose frequently involves translating lived knowledge or wisdom into some form of expression. Creative rebirth is not about adding something new; it’s about shedding very old skins, layer by layer, memory by memory, until the core of who someone truly is can emerge. This process is practical as much as it is profound. You don’t just understand your patterns – you reclaim your voice, your direction, and your ability to choose differently. When the deeper origin of a block is recognized, it often loosens quickly. What once felt like self-sabotage reveals itself as a protective response that no longer needs to be in charge. In many ways, this work aligns with a broader cultural shift toward authenticity and self-definition – where uniqueness is not something to hide, but something to embody. The talent is almost always already there; creative rebirth simply creates the conditions for it to come forward without fear. What is the mission behind Reality Cult, and how do you hope it impacts those who engage with your work? Reality Cult exists as a living field where art, research, and remembrance meet. Its mission is to create spaces – through performance, storytelling, and guided inquiry – where people can recognize the deeper patterns shaping their identity, creativity, and life direction. Rather than offering answers or beliefs, Reality Cult invites recognition. It treats intuition, symbolism, and soul memory as forms of intelligence that can be explored with both rigor and imagination. Through living art and structured research, it translates ancient archetypes and recurring human themes into contemporary experiences that feel embodied, personal, and relevant. I hope that people who encounter Reality Cult leave with a stronger sense of self-trust and creative agency – not because they followed a prescribed path, but because something familiar within them was activated. When people recognize their own resonance in myth, art, or memory, purpose stops feeling imposed and starts feeling remembered. In that sense, Reality Cult is less about teaching and more about creating the conditions for remembrance – where creativity becomes a doorway back to one’s own inner authority. How do your projects like A Soul’s Journey, IWasJimMorrison.com , and KYBALION the Musical contribute to your overall vision? They are different doors into the same field. A Soul’s Journey is experiential and embodied, unfolding as a collage of short scenes, musical passages, videomemes, and shifting characters across different eras. Experimental classical music and sudden transitions keep the audience alert, mirroring the process of remembrance itself. Through performance, emotion, and symbolic storytelling, the work invites audiences into states of recognition rather than explanation. The work can trigger a wide range of emotions – release, grief, recognition, intimacy – often touching on themes associated with earlier collective eras, while also exploring queer love and intense soul bonds, including twin-flame-like dynamics. At its core, the piece centers on continuity, reincarnation, and the persistence of soul memory. KYBALION the Musical translates esoteric philosophy into narrative, dialogue, and lived experience. The work unfolds through story, character, and a series of richly layered musical passages that function almost like invocations – drawing on mythic, pre-rational sensibilities rather than linear explanation. The songs deepen immersion and embodiment, allowing ideas to be felt and remembered rather than understood all at once. Even when the audience doesn’t consciously grasp every layer, the material tends to register on a deeper level, activating familiarity and recognition through experience. IWasJimMorrison.com  takes a more provocative and research-based approach. It functions as both a cultural mirror and an inquiry into identity resonance, archetypal projection, and why certain figures continue to echo so strongly across time. By focusing on one recognizable example, the project encourages people to reflect on how memory, identification, and meaning operate in their own lives. Across these works, audiences and organizers frequently report deep emotional engagement – moments of recognition, release, connection, and renewed motivation. Together, these projects demonstrate that reincarnation research is not only spiritual in nature, but also cultural, psychological, artistic, and fundamentally human. How do you bridge esoteric science and intuitive insight with modern tools in your reincarnation research? I treat intuition as a starting signal, not the final conclusion. My process blends intuitive reading and channeling with symbolic analysis and pattern recognition, supported by structure: timelines, databases, cross-referencing, historical research, and careful documentation across many sessions. For me, the bridge is pattern-tracking. I’m drawn to the moment where an intuitive “hit” finds resonance through multiple lenses – whether that’s karmic astrology, recurring life themes, or what I call facial echoes when visual similarities appear across portraits and lineages. I’m not interested in turning this into proof per se, but I do value these layered points of correspondence because they help people trust what they already sense and work with it more concretely. Modern tools – especially AI – support this process in two ways. First, they help me gather and organize contextual information about historical figures and eras that align with the intuitive and astrological reading, making the research more precise. Second, they help me synthesize complex material into clear, structured guidance: translating patterns across current-life dynamics and past-life themes into actionable integration steps. The aim is always practical – supporting clients in moving through subconscious blocks, reclaiming self-trust, and aligning more fully with their direction and purpose. Integrity is the key: separating insight from assumption, and helping people translate resonance into grounded action. Many people struggle with emotional or karmic patterns – how does your work help them identify and transform these subconscious blocks? We usually begin with the pattern itself: what keeps repeating? This might show up as a relationship dynamic, a fear of visibility, chronic self-sabotage, creative paralysis, money stress, or a persistent sense of being “trapped” in an identity that no longer fits. Sometimes it begins more quietly, as a deep curiosity or an inner knowing that one has “been here before” and carries a memory of meaningful or unfinished work. From there, we explore what the pattern is protecting and what it is trying to prevent. When the root becomes clear – whether it stems from early-life imprinting, ancestral narratives, or deeper karmic memory – the nervous system often softens. People stop fighting themselves and start understanding the internal logic behind their behavior. A distinctive aspect of my work is that, in many cases, I research specific past-life narratives and identities connected to these patterns. I tend to work with highly creative, gifted, or driven individuals, where strong talents are often accompanied by unresolved histories of visibility, leadership, devotion, or collapse. When a past-life trajectory is identified – especially one that can be contextualized historically – it becomes possible to examine what actually happened and how that experience shaped the subconscious blueprint carried into this lifetime. Using a combination of karmic astrology, tarot, symbolic analysis, and AI-supported historical research, I map how belief systems, fears, and compensatory strategies formed – and how they continue to influence confidence, success, and self-expression today. This makes the work tangible and precise rather than abstract. Transformation, then, becomes less about “fixing” oneself and more about completing what was never resolved. When that completion occurs, energy often returns naturally – bringing clarity, direction, and a renewed sense of agency. What role do art and storytelling play in awakening people to their higher consciousness and soul memory? Art bypasses the intellect and speaks directly to the symbolic mind – the part of us that remembers through feeling, image, rhythm, and archetype. Storytelling gives people a mirror the rational world often can’t offer, allowing recognition to happen before explanation. That’s why art is central to my work. It’s not decoration around inner transformation; it’s a method of awakening. Through symbol, narrative, and embodied experience, art creates spaces where memory can surface organically – without being forced or explained away. In Reality Cult, art functions as a living language: one that gathers fragments of personal and collective memory and returns them to the present in forms people can feel and integrate. In that sense, art becomes a technology of remembrance – reconnecting individuals to meaning, continuity, and a deeper sense of self. What are some of the most profound discoveries or breakthroughs you’ve had in your reincarnation research? One of the most striking discoveries has been that reincarnation often unfolds in soul groups rather than in isolation. People tend to return together, lifetime after lifetime, across entire epochs – appearing in different roles within what feels like an unfolding theater of consciousness. These recurring group dynamics are not random, but patterned, shaped by archetypal roles and the underlying laws that structure creative evolution. I’ve also observed how memory carries itself through form. Individuals often hold subtle continuities from other lifetimes – not as replicas, but as recurring expressions, gestures, facial structures, or a recognizable presence. These facial echoes are not meant as proof, but as moments of recognition that add an embodied dimension to the research. Another insight is how strongly talent and orientation persist. Creative ability, leadership, or spiritual sensitivity often reappear as unfinished potential. When these echoes are recognized and embodied, confidence and direction can return naturally. Finally, unresolved experiences can echo forward as subconscious beliefs. When left unseen, they tend to recreate familiar situations. When recognized, repetition gives way to choice, allowing the larger pattern to evolve rather than repeat. What advice would you give to someone who feels disconnected from their creative essence or spiritual purpose? Don’t try to invent a new self. Instead, ask what part of you has been waiting to return. Purpose rarely arrives all at once. It reveals itself through small, sincere acts: one honest expression, one truthful boundary, one creative choice that actually feels like you. Over time, those repetitions create alignment. Not through perfection, but through presence. If you feel blocked, treat that block as meaningful information rather than a personal failure. Often, it’s a layer of protection formed around unresolved experience – sometimes from early life, often echoing from much earlier. Creative and spiritual disconnection is often less about lack and more about density: layers that haven’t yet been seen, named, or released. Your task isn’t to force your way through those layers, but to listen to them. When what’s been carried is finally acknowledged, energy naturally begins to move again, and what felt lost starts to feel remembered. How can people connect with you, explore Reality Cult, or take part in your upcoming projects and experiences? The best place to start is my website, reality-cult.com , where I share my projects, research, and offerings. There, people can explore past-life imprint sessions, read my articles and publications, and follow the development of performances, art projects, talks, residencies, and future retreats connected to Reality Cult. For those who want to stay connected more deeply, I encourage signing up for the Reality Cult newsletter. It’s where I share new work, reflections, research updates, and upcoming events in a more direct and considered way than social media allows. It’s also where projects often appear first. If this interview resonates, I invite readers to begin with curiosity: explore the platform, read an article, and notice which themes keep returning for you. That recurring thread is often the doorway to your next creative rebirth. Follow me on  Facebook , Instagram , and visit my LinkedIn for more info! Read more fr om Stephanie Smit

Written by Barbara Basia Siwik, Personal Coach & Nutrition Advisor Barbara Basia-Siwik is a certified personal coach, holistic fitness coach, and nutrition advisor using sports psychology and neuroscience to elevate wellbeing worldwide. She authored a practical e-book and leads transformation bootcamps and holistic programs for lasting change. Cortisol is often blamed for stress, weight gain, burnout, and poor sleep. But from a neuroscience and physiological perspective, cortisol is not something to fear. In fact, without cortisol, you wouldn’t wake up in the morning, feel alert, focused, or energized. It plays a vital role in keeping us awake, alive, and capable of handling daily demands. Cortisol itself is not the enemy; it becomes problematic only when it remains elevated for too long throughout the day, and the body no longer knows how to regulate it. The key is not eliminating cortisol, it’s restoring its natural rhythm. Your body is designed to experience a cortisol spike in the morning, shortly after waking. This response helps you feel awake, improves concentration, mobilizes energy, regulates blood sugar, and prepares muscles and joints for movement. When this morning rise happens properly, cortisol gradually decreases as the day goes on, allowing relaxation and sleep in the evening. When this rhythm is disrupted, often due to stress, poor sleep, lack of light exposure, or constant stimulation, cortisol can stay high into the evening. This is why many people feel tired in the morning but wired at night. The goal is to work with cortisol, not fight it. Supporting healthy morning cortisol (holistic approach) One of the strongest signals for cortisol regulation is light. Natural sunlight in the morning tells the brain the day has started and triggers a healthy cortisol rise, even on cloudy days. Ideally, stepping outside shortly after waking is best. But when that’s not realistic: Turn on artificial lights Gently move your body (stretching, mobility, short walk) Drink water (a small pinch of salt can support hydration) Once the sun is up, sit near a window, go on a balcony, or walk for a few minutes You can also naturally boost cortisol and energy with short, dynamic movements such as push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, or a quick mobility flow. Elevating your heart rate for even two to five minutes helps wake up the nervous system and prepare the body for the day. Even enjoying your morning coffee near natural light supports this rhythm. Training and cortisol: Why timing matters Exercise naturally raises cortisol, and this is a healthy response. Morning training works in harmony with your body’s rhythm and can: Boost energy and focus Improve mood Support metabolism Help cortisol decrease naturally later in the day Many people who train in the morning notice steadier energy and better sleep. However, not everyone can train early, and that’s completely fine. Evening training: Still effective (with smart regulation) Evening workouts can absolutely be effective for strength, fitness, and progress. The key is being mindful that training later in the day raises cortisol closer to bedtime. To support recovery and sleep, it’s important to actively lower cortisol afterward through: Slow breathing or breathwork Stretching and mobility Calm walking Reducing screen stimulation Creating a relaxing wind-down routine Nutrition plays a powerful role in calming the nervous system and supporting sleep. Including carbohydrates in the evening helps boost serotonin and tryptophan, neurotransmitters linked to relaxation and quality sleep, especially when paired with protein for muscle recovery. Lighter options closer to bedtime: Warm oats with banana Protein shake blended with banana, oats, or granola Greek yogurt with honey and berries Kiwi or prunes Balanced post-workout meals (2-3 hours before sleep): Sweet potatoes with chicken or salmon Rice or quinoa with vegetables and lean protein Whole-grain pasta with protein and olive oil Roasted vegetables with tofu or eggs Oatmeal with nut butter and protein Natural calming foods: Sour cherries or tart cherry juice Bananas (rich in magnesium and tryptophan) And as a simple nightly ritual: Warm chamomile tea with a teaspoon of honey, a gentle but effective way to calm the nervous system and prepare the body for rest. A note on cortisol health These strategies support healthy cortisol rhythms for most people. However, when cortisol has been chronically elevated due to long-term stress, burnout, illness, or hormonal imbalance, structured training, recovery, nutrition, and personalized guidance become essential. In these situations, pushing harder without regulation can increase fatigue and imbalance. Balance always comes before intensity. The takeaway Cortisol keeps you awake, alert, focused, and energized. It’s a hormone designed to support life, not sabotage it. Problems arise only when cortisol remains elevated all day without proper regulation. Morning light, gentle and dynamic movement, smart training timing, supportive nutrition, and nervous system recovery help restore balance naturally. Instead of blaming stress hormones, learning to work with your biology creates sustainable health. Often, the biggest breakthroughs come not from doing more, but from understanding the body better. In my coaching system and structured programs, we work around each person’s lifestyle, training load, recovery, nutrition, and individual cortisol patterns to stabilize energy, improve sleep, and support long-term health. I’ve seen consistent improvements with my clients by applying neuroscience-based strategies in a practical and sustainable way. If cortisol imbalance, stress, or low energy resonate with you, you’re welcome to connect through my social media or website to explore how we can work on this together. Follow me on Facebook ,  Instagram , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Barbara Basia Siwik Barbara Basia Siwik, Personal Coach & Nutrition Advisor Barbara Basia-Siwik is a personal coach and holistic fitness & nutrition advisor who blends physical training with mind–body science for lasting transformation. She applies sports psychology and neuroscience to help clients create sustainable change from within. After starting her career in England, she built a successful practice in Spain, coaching clients in Barcelona and worldwide online. Barbara has developed holistic programs, authored a practical e-book for busy individuals, and leads transformation bootcamp events across Spain. Her mission is to inspire long-term change through holistic fitness, evidence-based methods, and habits that strengthen both body and mind.

Written by Simone Jennings, Spiritual Business and Lifestyle Coach Simone Jennings is a spiritual business and lifestyle coach with 15+ years of coaching experience and over a dozen certifications spanning spirituality, wellness, marketing, design, and business. As founder of The Lightworking Group, she helps women build soul-aligned businesses that honor both purpose and pace, without burnout. There is a specific kind of silence that exists in the hallway of a corporate office when you realize you no longer belong there. It isn't a loud or dramatic realization. Instead, it is a slow, steady cooling of the heart toward a life that once made sense. We hear a great deal about the glory of the "leap" and the hustle of the startup phase. However, we rarely discuss the messy season that precedes the printing of business cards. This is the liminal zone. It is the gap between the person you were taught to be and the soul-led leader you are becoming. This period is full of doubt, desire, discomfort, and deep inner questioning. It is also where the most powerful shifts happen. My intention here is to shed light on what really happens emotionally and spiritually during this transition, validating the experience of those currently standing on the threshold. The first signs: When success starts to feel like misalignment For many high achievers, the path to entrepreneurship begins with a confusing sense of guilt. You have checked all the traditional boxes: salary, title, and benefits. On paper, you have arrived. Yet, there is a persistent Sunday night dread that no amount of weekend rest seems to fix. You find yourself daydreaming about ideas that have nothing to do with your quarterly goals or professional KPIs. You might ask yourself, "Is this it?" while staring at a spreadsheet. Many people feel shame during this phase, thinking they are being ungrateful because they aren't satisfied with a "good" job. In reality, these symptoms are signs of an internal evolution. Your current container has simply become too small for the person you are growing into. What keeps us stuck: The pull of security and the fear of the unknown The primary reason we linger in the space between is the perceived safety of a steady paycheck. We stay because we fear financial instability, worry about what it means to start over from scratch, or even what our peers and family will think if we walk away from a "secure" career. The question of "What if I fail?" becomes a constant background noise. Most people do not hesitate because they are lazy or afraid of hard work. They stay because the identity shift hasn't fully landed yet. We are often more attached to our professional titles than we realize. Leaving that identity feels like stepping into a void where our worth is no longer defined by an organization. I was already working as a spiritual coach while finishing college, but as my career evolved, I leaned into marketing and design for my 9-to-5. I told myself it was the responsible choice and stayed because corporate life felt like the safer option. After adopting my children, I experienced multiple corporate layoffs. The illusion of security cracked wide open when I realized that no matter how loyal or skilled I was, stability was never actually guaranteed by an employer. There was going to be a risk either way. The soul’s quiet whispers: What really pushes people forward What actually causes someone to finally take action? It is rarely a single dramatic external push. Instead, it is a culmination of inner nudges that become louder with time. You might reach an energetic breaking point where the cost of staying becomes higher than the cost of leaving. Sometimes, the final push comes from the support of a coach, friend, family member, or an aligned community that helps you see that your "impossible" dream is actually a viable path. The spiritual perspective: You’re not lost, you’re between stories This season of transition isn't a sign of failure or confusion. It is a necessary evolution. Think of it as the cocoon phase between the caterpillar and the butterfly. You are in the soft inhale before the leap. You are in a sacred pause. In spiritual terms, this is often an energetic mismatch. Your frequency has changed, and you can no longer resonate with the structures of your old life. Using language like alignment, inner wisdom, and divine timing helps to reframe this period as a purposeful journey rather than a period of being "stuck." You are letting go of an old story so a new one can begin. Navigating the space between (without losing your mind) If you are currently in this in-between phase, you can honor your process with grounded tools rather than rushing to escape it: Practice journaling for clarity: Ask yourself what you would do if the money were guaranteed, or what parts of your current day feel most like your true self. Build energetic capacity: This is the time to prioritize rest and nervous system care. Transitioning into entrepreneurship requires a high tolerance for uncertainty, so creating a stable internal environment is vital. Explore while employed: You do not have to quit tomorrow to be an entrepreneur. Use your current job as a "venture capitalist" for your soul-work. Test your ideas, build your foundation, and listen to your inner "yes" more than outside approval. Find your community: Surround yourself with people who understand that purpose is as important as profit. When you are in the space between, the opinions of those who value traditional security can be loud and discouraging. You don’t just quit your job, you step into a new identity Becoming an entrepreneur is a spiritual and emotional transformation. You are moving from a life dictated by external expectations to a life led by internal alignment. The space between is where you develop the courage required to lead and trust yourself. Most importantly, it is where you realize that your value isn't tied to a job title. If you feel the pull toward something deeper, you are invited to explore In[Her] Soul Return , a coaching program designed to help you navigate this very transition. This journey is about coming home to the work you were always meant to do. You are not stuck. You are preparing to lead your life from a deeper truth. Trust the process, trust your timing, and know that you are simply preparing for the most honest version of your life. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Simone Jennings Simone Jennings, Spiritual Business and Lifestyle Coach Simone Jennings is a spiritual business & lifestyle coach helping holistic, wellness, and spiritual entrepreneurs, as well as high-functioning women in demanding roles, build businesses that honor both their purpose & pace. After adopting her children, Simone transformed her in-person spiritual coaching practice into a thriving & scalable online transformation business. She blends her corporate background in marketing & design with years of experience as a Reiki Master, somatic coach, & spiritual life coach to create a unique balance of strategy, embodiment, and intuition. As the founder of The Lightworking Group, LLC, she helps women rise into leadership with clarity, confidence, & authenticity, without burnout or losing themselves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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