Written by: Atul Mehra, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Everyone in the world has felt loneliness at least more than once in their life. People are afraid to be lonely and do everything they can, just not feel lonely in their lives. Some of these may include harboring harmful ideas, thoughts, and actions. The feeling of loneliness can be a type of sadness because you have no friends or company. It can also be an unpleasant emotional response to isolation, a lack of connection or communication with others, as well as to yourself. My research shows that not only adults feel lonely but also babies in the womb can create memories connected with loneliness and isolation. Loneliness is a state of mind that is caused by several physical factors such as a disease or some other health problem that prevents you from living a normal, healthy life; psychological factors such as separation, divorce, death, moving residences, desire to please others, or feeling unworthy, and spiritual factors such as activities that create guilt and conflicts. Loneliness can trigger depression, suicide ideation, addictions, lack of confidence, mental disorders and may even lead to heart problems. I believe that loneliness is not as bad as you have imagined it to be. In my 20+ years of research, I have been able to assess it very closely and deeply. I have found the astonishing opportunities hidden under loneliness to discover you. Let me explain. Firstly, loneliness is natural. Everybody feels alone. You come alone, live alone, and go alone. It is a natural state so, please do not fight it; by just accepting it, you will remove an inner conflict that will help to open a pathway to inner peace. Secondly, you feel lonely when you are alone, but you have also felt lonely when you are with others. This means that being in other people’s company is also a kind of temporary relief. Now we pose the question, “what should I do?” You feel lonely because there is a lack of complete self-love. Loving yourself is different than being egotistical. Loving yourself meaning that you do things you like to do, you accept your weaknesses as well as your strengths, you learn to say no, you communicate openly and express what you feel inside with confidence, your desire to please others or looking for approval diminishes, you take out time to do things for yourself and by yourself, and you start living more “here and now” rather than repenting about your past or worrying about the future. It is from this moment on that you start living a real, authentic life. Every time you think that you lack something inside and try to fill it from the outside, regardless of what it is, you are more likely to feel lonely, incomplete, or separated from your inner-self, and the consequences can be disastrous. Have you ever realized that? Loneliness does not cause pain and sadness, but rather it is a symptom of pain and sadness that is already within you. The secret cure lies in Aloneness. Aloneness meaning that you decide to be in your own company, and you are complete within you, and nothing else is needed. You enjoy your own company within you when you are by yourself, and you also enjoy the company of others when you are not alone. It is the mental state of being alone in your own company. It is your true connection with your inner self. It is something you have chosen without any pressure, and you enjoy your complete freedom to feel the sensation of oneness. This is the spiritual quest in life that comes a full circle in the state where you recognize yourself. You are the chauffeur of your life’s vehicle, and you must always remain in the driver’s seat. However, if you find that you have rented your “life’s car” or let others drive it for a while, then please send me a message to give you an advanced driving course. LOL. Follow Atul on Facebook and Instagram! Read more from Atul! Atul Mehra, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Atul Kumar Mehra is an Author, International Speaker, and Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario, Canada. He participated in panel discussions with Dr. John Gray, spoken at an international event headlined by Dr. Deepak Chopra, and a guest speaker on hundreds of TV & Radio shows. He published his International Best Selling book on Amazon, "The Unseen Wisdom of the Unborn," and the second one is under editing "The Need for Disease." He is currently working on two others, "Addiction is Survival and not Guilt" and "My Unconscious Self," to share his experience and wisdom from more than 20 years of working with the unconscious mind. Since childhood, he was intrigued by the mind's power, which led him to start meditating at the age of four years with guidance from his father. From that age, his dream was to connect with the Source, which was finally realized when he accessed and experienced the deepest human conscious form as sperm consciousness.

Written by: Ailsa Keppie , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Wondering what goes on behind the closed doors of my bedroom? Does more knowledge and experience really lead to better sex? Keep reading to hear my latest aha’s about how to create more fulfillment in your sexual encounters. Most of my adult years, my sex life consisted of wanting sex, having sex, and then wanting it again. It wasn’t until recently that my partner (also a sex educator) and I began to explore what sexual union might be like if we took the ‘wanting’ out of the picture. I know, I know, you’re thinking, ‘take the wanting out of the picture? That sounds like a recipe for boooooring’ but hear me out on this. There are many ancient sexual practices where both partners engage in the act of sex to reach some higher energy level or spiritual insight. This type of practice has often been reserved for the few people who were willing to go through all sorts of rites and initiations to do this, and that is assuming you have a partner who can also commit to this type of training. I have to admit I wasn’t that optimistic when my partner suggested we work on ‘Sex Magik’ in this way. I thought it would be too hard, too esoteric, and take away all the fun of just getting it on in the bedroom. I won’t claim that I have achieved any sort of mastery at this yet, but I have begun to see some reasons why I might continue to practice this Sex Magik. Initially, my partner and I practiced some breathing techniques together and on our own. We had learned some of these with a Tantra teacher and some from books on the subject. Practicing the breathing and the concentration without the sex at first was foundational and something we both realize we could keep practicing even now. After a few months of preparation, we began to incorporate breathing into our lovemaking with stunning results! Not only did my partner last longer (he is cis-gendered male), but we both began to feel the circulation of energy throughout our bodies. This felt different from the usual genital focussed orgasm and more like a delicious infusion of ecstatic life force. Those words don’t really describe it well, but it’s hard to find words for ecstatic experiences that do any kind of justice to the actual event. At any rate, I continued my deep and even breathing as I moved in rhythm with my partner. I used my breath to raise my energy slightly but didn’t let myself go into my usual ‘clench and gasp’ kind of reaction. I moved my pelvis in a sort of dance and kept breathing, in and out. It was a very relaxing feeling, in contrast to how I usually feel during sex. I didn’t have any thoughts of ‘oh, I hope he does this or that thing’ or ‘I hope I can cum before he does.’ I kept my mind purely on circulating the energy between us and letting it flow all the way to my head and back down to my genitals. My partner was able to get into this rhythm as well and relax into the motion of thrusting without it becoming a frantic race towards the finish line. Definitely a fresh perspective on the act! So in response to my initial question about whether more knowledge and experience can lead to better sex, I’d say yes, it definitely adds variety and depth. I’m excited to see where my partner and I can get to with our continuing practice, assuming there is anywhere to ‘get to’ at all. I am hooked on the idea of less wanting or desire and more flow and energy in my lovemaking though. I find myself musing on the memory of our latest connection quite often and enjoying the pleasant hum of my body as I remember the feeling of ecstatic energy and union. Perhaps there is something that will pique your interest here and offer you a different experience of sex. More of the Mmmm… feeling and less of the ‘end goal.’ Want to learn more from Ailsa? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Youtub e , and visit her website. Ailsa Keppie, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ailsa is a trained intimacy Educator and Somatic Therapist and has been working in hands-on bodywork, somatic coaching, and healing for over a decade. Ailsa Keppie brings aspects from her background in circus arts, physical theatre, music, dance, myofascial release, bioenergetic processes, archetypes, and spirituality to her work with clients. She is a published author of her compelling memoir entitled "By the Light of the Crescent Moon," which describes her incredible journey into Islam and polygamy and how it lead to her awakening and reclamation of her own Eros and power. Ailsa works with individuals, couples, and groups both online and in-person at her retreat center, Our Celtic Hearth, in Nova Scotia, Canada, where she resides with her current life partner.

Written by: Renate Prandl, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Stress, inflammation, degenerative or traumatic changes to the discs and facet joints, overweight, heavy lifting, or poor posture are amongst the root causes of back pain. Some estimate up to 95% of adults will experience it at some point in their life, and five out of 10 adults have it every year. Probably you know what I am talking about. I am very passionate to help people manage and probably even get rid of back pain in a doable, holistic, and sustainable way. Pairing the concepts of the Feldenkrais® Method with High-Performance Coaching™ tools is one of the secrets to living a more active, healthier, and potentially wealthier Life by Design. What is The Feldenkrais Method®? The Feldenkrais® Method is an educational approach based on neuroscience, physics, and sensory-motor learning that cultivates a better body awareness and helps you find new ways to move as effortlessly as possible. Feldenkrais involves learning, which is different than mere training, exercising, or practicing. Dr.Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984), an engineer and founder of the Feldenkrais Method, martial artist, and pioneer in neuroscience, was adamant about it. He felt that exercising for the sake of exercising had very little value if it did not engage the brain. He developed a system that used movement and perception while heightening awareness to help develop higher levels of skills. There are 2 modalities: Functional Integration (FI) is a one-on-one hands-on approach. Awareness Through Movement (ATM) is for group settings. Why use the Feldenkrais® Method, and what distinguishes it from traditional physical therapy? Although there are many similarities between Feldenkrais® and PT with regards to motor learning, the difference is that the Feldenkrais® teacher does not direct the client’s learning by addressing a “correct” form or modeling a preferred way of doing a movement. Instead, we set up conditions for the student/client to learn by developing a better way to discriminate for themselves what is the best movement CHOICE. This allows the student to refer to their own sense of judgment and decide what is needed in times when there is no instructor. A common feature of the Feldenkrais® Method is to REDUCE EFFORT or stress since this interferes in the learning process. Also, for learning something new, we need to proceed at our own speed. Feldenkrais® sessions introduce us to non-intuitive understandings to improve by guiding one’s attention to small movements and to the subtle details of a movement. We are often lead to believe that if, at first, you don’t succeed, try harder. Force and effort can be added later on once the skill is acquired but can run interference when addressing new strategies that are different from our HABITS. 3 specific ways in which the Feldenkrais® Method can help people with back pain: Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor nor a medical practitioner, so these are guidelines based on my own research, training, and working with clients dealing with back pain. They should not in any way be seen as medical advice or a substitute for medical care or treatment. First and foremost, I strongly believe that back pain has to be seen in the context of a daily healthy lifestyle routine. If you add Feldenkrais® exercises to your routine and if you do them consistently during the day – whilst in the office, in a meeting, on a plane – the pain will go away (unless you have a trauma and need specific Feldenkrais® moves) For a quick “rescue” fix (if you have NO other option), you can do small movements with the pelvis, watch your breathing and your posture. Download the free PDF of how to deal with back pain in an “emergency” situation. Here’s the link. The Feldenkrais® Method does not “fix” the issue but helps you find better ways of everyday movement. Once you know what you are doing, you can change. What do I mean by that? If in a session you find out that your habitual posture is sitting and standing with more weight on one leg or one side of your butt, this side of the spine will get compressed over time, pinching nerves or letting disks bulge. A chiropractor can ease the pain, but if you don’t change your posture in sitting or standing, the back pain will come back. If you refine your symmetry (“neutral”), your muscle tone will change, the space between the vertebrae will even out, and you will have more freedom of movement with less or no pain J Sitting with ease, turning with ease. We are interested in improved function. In the Feldenkrais® Method, we do not teach isolated stretches (muscular). The most recent studies do not show benefits with stretching for injury prevention, better performance, etc. We teach full body lengthening movements (skeletal). Create more space between the vertebrae, make vertebrae move (!), and make movements like turning or bending – which seem to get avoided when people experience back pain – more congruent and fluid. Case study 1: Helen D. Scenario: severe backache after years of poor posture, too much stress, the birth of triplets Feldenkrais work (weekly): lots of small moves, lots of “rolling on the floor,” lengthening the spine, doing movements in a non-habitual way Result: moved better, run better, and finished a SINGAPORE MARATHON (I did run with her to support her during the race, and we both finished without any injuries or back issues!!) Case study 2: Siobhan D.A Scenario: severe backache and very restricted movement after training too hard for triathlon Feldenkrais work (weekly): starting with micro moves, going slow, resting in between to let the brain absorb and “download” new movement pattern (all traits of the Feldenkrais® Method), reversing some movements, doing some activities in imagination only Result: competed in several TRIATHLONS without any problems and also improved her overall time due to better form in swimming and running J Case study 3: Duncan J. Scenario: low back pain was a concern as my client was to take part in a celebrity dancing on ice show in the UK. Feldenkrais work (week intensive and homework): small moves, lots of rolling and turning, added ROLLERS for more special awareness and balance Results: Made it to the grand final and came third in the contest. Has since been on stage again as a singer, as a lead in musicals on Broadway and London’s West End Get your free pdf “Emergency Back Pain Survival Kit” here as my gift to you. Make a healthy back a lifestyle choice! For more info, follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and visit my website. Read more from Renate! Renate Prandl, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Renate Prandl is Asia's Premier Sustainable Life Mastery Strategist, Certified Feldenkrais® Expert, sports coach, mentor, and Certified High Performance™ coach. With over 40 years of combined experience as a Professor in a business school and entrepreneur, Renate uses a variety of proven techniques and applications to help you reach your highest potential, get to the Next Level, and potentially live your Life by Design - in a holistic, doable and sustainable way. Her "Power of 3" systems help you turn obstacles into stepping stones and build Physical, Emotional, Financial Resilience. Renate is the CEO of Body & Brain, Founder of Body And Brain Mastery, International Bestselling Author of 3 books, and has lived on 3 continents. Her mission: Anything is possible.

Written by: Jody Kennett, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The greatest asset we all have in building our business, career, and income is often underutilized and untrained, but it is the key to happiness and success; it is our mind and mindset. If you are an entrepreneur or leader, you have an even greater need to train your brain and thoughts due to the challenges you face with growing a business, developing people, leading teams, and navigating conflict or change. Yet, so few of us have been prepared with how we need to think or what mindsets will support us with the agility required to grow and thrive. Today, you will be prepared and your mind primed with 5 top mindset shifts that will lead you to be adaptable, resilient, confident, unlimited, and elevated! The following mindsets I am about to share with you come from both my experience as a leadership coach coaching hundreds of leaders and also my own journey as an entrepreneur and woman in business. They have been compiled from the reoccurring themes that so many of us face, whether we are male/female, young or old, and highlight the human experience we all share when we are in an uncomfortable space; when we are shifting from one place to another, something is new, or we are striving to go where we have never been before. These mindsets will help you to step into an elevated space where possibilities abound, where you feel empowered and capable, and where breakthroughs to your next leadership, career, or income level will happen. Let’s jump into these powerful mindset shifts that, if you practice daily, will transform you and your life. 1. Shift to Being the CEO of Your Business and Career It is easy to skim over the word CEO and just conceptualize it in a minimized sense of being the leader of your business or career, but if you examine what it means to be a CEO, this is where you will have a transformation. A CEO is focused on forwarding progress, profit, vision beyond this year, expansion, new opportunities, monthly accountability, marketplace positioning, and hiring top talent who can get them to where they are going. Just last week, I had the realization that I have been a business owner and entrepreneur, but with my new vision of where I am taking it, I now needed to step into being the CEO. Ask yourself, ‘Am I being the CEO of my business or career?’ What would need to change for you to shift into this mindset and become the CEO? If we were to truly be the CEO of our careers, we would not be waiting for a promotion or an opportunity to land in our lap. We would be creating and leading it. We would not wait for someone to notice us. We would stand out, speak up, and share it. The mindset shift happens when you start to think like a CEO, act like a CEO, make decisions like a CEO and lead from a proactive place instead of a reactionary space. What is one step you will take to make this mindset shift to becoming the CEO of your business or career? 2. Shift from Expert to Leader or Employee to Entrepreneur The majority of leaders, managers and supervisors advanced to those titles from first being an expert or a great technician in their specific skill set. In addition, most of these leaders had no training on how to lead, and from coaching many new and promoted leaders, they often feel ill-prepared to lead, leaving them not feeling confident in their new leadership role. The first mindset shift that will support you here is that being new does not mean you are not capable or competent. You have already become a master at what you do, and just as you most likely learned those skills on the job, you will also learn to lead. However, the biggest mindset shift you will need to make, which actually must also be demonstrated in your actions too is shifting your focus from being an expert to now focusing on being a leader. This transition from expert to leader in a company has similarities to the mindset shift one has to make when they go from employee to entrepreneur. As an employee, your work is provided for you, you are usually managed, and without fail, every 2 weeks, you get a paycheque. Everything from expectations to your schedule and your pay is all regulated for you. In contrast, when you shift to becoming an entrepreneur, there is no accountability to anyone else. There is no volume of work other than what you create yourself, and your paycheque is solely determined by your performance week to week. The shift of mindset one needs when they become an entrepreneur is one of 100% accountability and commitment to creating and leading the growth of the business where every outcome, including your income, is attributable to your consistent action. It is a shift from focusing on one aspect of the wheel of a business to overseeing every aspect of your business. When you become an entrepreneur, the biggest mindset shift is going from being the person who does the work to understanding you now have to create the work and do your work. In essence, when you say yes to entrepreneurship, you say yes to the marketing and business building required to do the work you love. 3. Shift from Current Circumstances to a What’s Possible Mindset The circumstances we find ourselves in can leave us feeling drained, limited, defeated, and stuck. This can lead us to negative thinking or the dreaded loop thinking where we cannot get off the track of thinking that is unable to see any other options outside of what we have already considered. This is a very confining and destructive mindset to be in, and it can happen to the best of us due to the environment, culture, or circumstances that many have endured for far too long. If you are here or know someone who is, this is a great time to get help because you or they will need a coach or counselor to guide them gently off the loop track of thinking and inspire a space where fresh, new perspectives can be explored. One of the coaching methods I use with people is what I call ‘Possibility Thinking,’ and it is where we expand our mind and thoughts beyond today, beyond what has been, and even beyond what we think could happen to what could be possible. It is exciting, energizing, and a creative process that often leads to options, solutions, and happiness. The mindset shift one needs here is to go beyond the circumstances of today and live and play in the space of what is possible because when you do, it will lead you out of negative circumstances and into an exciting life you love. When we combine the ‘Possibility Thinking’ coaching with Cognitive Behavioral Coaching, it uproots any self-limiting beliefs so that you become empowered to perhaps do what you once thought was not possible and make it so. 4. Shift from Feeling Less Than to Feeling Deserving Well, this one feels a little too familiar for me. How about for you? This may just be a universal human experience at some or one point in our lives. It often occurs when we compare or when we do not feel worthy internally for one reason or another. No matter how someone treats us or what arena we find ourselves in, no human being is more worthy or deserving than another, not due to their possessions, their beauty, their talents, or any other identifying factor used to build one’s ego. Every one of you is deserving; deserving of joy, respect, love, abundance, freedom, and equality. When you are able to shift your mindset to one of feeling deserving to stand side by side with people you may have idolized, deserving to be treated with respect, deserving of wealth, deserving to be seen and heard, deserving to claim and own your leadership space, and deserving to be paid your worth, you will have arrived at a great place to be. This mindset shift requires letting go of indoctrinated beliefs that keep us small and instead embracing the thoughts and feelings of being as worthy and deserving as any other human being. We must give this feeling to ourselves and not depend on it from anyone else or make it dependent upon anything external to us. This transformative mindset shift can only happen if you practice it. How will you shift from feeling less than to feeling deserving? And how will you practice it daily until…? 5. Shifting from One Money Bracket Mindset to the Next Level Have you noticed a theme yet in these mindsets? At the root of many of these ways of thinking are our beliefs, and this mindset shift of going from one income level to a higher one not only requires an up-leveling of your mindset but also a possible upgrade of your identity too. Your identity is what you believe about yourself or who you think you are in this moment. This mindset shift requires you to adopt thoughts that up-leveling your bank account is not going to be about working harder. It is going to be about working smarter with systems, strategies, and scaling in place. To go from 5 figures to 6 or from 6 to 7 figures of income will demand you become someone different; someone who is going to play bigger, someone who gives more value, someone who takes the actions of a leader playing in the big field. What do you believe about yourself? It is possible that your identity is getting in the way of your income. The mindset shift you may need is in upgrading your identity to being a six or seven-figure earner. It does not matter if you have never done this before; it is a way of thinking, and thinking leads to emotions which lead to actions. Write down 3 thoughts or the identity you will embrace to take you to your next income bracket. The power of your mind cannot be underestimated; it also can be the creator of your reality. We have the ability to transform our thoughts, manage our mindset, become our beliefs, and influence our identity. Then it is undeniable that our mindset matters not just for our wellbeing but also for our growth as leaders and entrepreneurs. Yet how many of us are cultivating and practicing the shifts of mindset we need to be at our best, breakthrough limitations, and become all we are capable of being? Let these mindset shifts be your practice to elevating and energizing yourself beyond today to where you are leading and to who you are becoming. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Jody Kennett, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jody Kennett elevates leaders with leadership, communication, and peak energy performance as an ICF-certified coach. She is impacting women in business globally and empowering them to own their power as a leader by combining women's leadership, confidence, and communication coaching. Her specialized training as a certified C-IQ (Conversational Intelligence) coach is transforming conversations, communication, and culture to foster positive relationships and a thriving workplace. As a co-author of The Winning Mindset book, she is inspiring and training people to master their inner-leader and mindset so they can have peak performance. She created Peak Energy 4 Performance to highlight the importance of energy input into not only our bodies, but also our mind, emotions, and environment. Jody is uniquely certified as a leadership, life, and health coach bringing 20 years of health and wellbeing expertise to energize leaders and entrepreneurs. She is the coach who will help you 'Lead Your Life', career, and business so you will, 'Lead it, Live it, and Love it!'.

Written by: Kamil Shah, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Paolo Coelho has to be one of the authors that have made an impact in my journey to self-discovery. Ever since I came across his works, I have been hooked. Truth be told, I had never heard about Paolo or his writings before until a friend of mine mentioned his bestselling book, The Alchemist. This was many years ago, but it was a moment that has defined my personal growth. Paolo has also authored countless other books, including The Archer. A conversation between a master archer and an apprentice, the Archery-related teachings contained in this book are actually more universal. In fact, you do not need to know much about archery to be able to relate to them. There are several key takeaways in the form of life lessons that can be found when you ‘listen’ in on this conversation. Here, I share some of the ones, which resonate with me when it comes to reflecting on personal and professional success. Lesson 1 The archer cannot always choose the battlefield, so start your training again and be prepared for unfavorable situations.’ The economic landscape is ever fluctuating and changing. What seems to be a ‘favorable wind’ blowing will not always remain so. If you’ve been through several economic cycles, you’ll know what I’m talking about. One key thing that I’ve learned throughout the years is the significance of developing the skill of adaptability. Recent global events have emphasized this even more so. The linear method of thinking and operating just cannot survive the unexpected changes that lie ahead. Developing an adaptable mindset allows us to be open to changes by way of controlling how we respond to them. The same goes for leadership. The true test of a leader is not when things are easy to manage or ‘plain sailing.’ A true test of leadership comes in times of crises when composure and resolve are challenged. Leaders step up in times of adversity. Lesson 2 ‘We should never judge people without first learning to hear and to respect them.’ When dealing with competition (especially in business), learning from and having respect for your competitors is probably one of the most significant things you can do when starting out. Yes, we do need to focus on our own journey, but we also need to understand what others are doing. Over the years, we’ve seen business giants who once seemed immovable almost disappear overnight when their competitor releases a new product. We later find that the ‘giant’ had ignored what the competition was doing and had a false sense of security all along. Learn from and respect the competition. Lesson 3 ‘Join with all those who experiment, take risks, fall, get hurt, and then take more risks.’ Surround yourself with like-minded people. This is not to say that they necessarily need to have the same interest. It is more about those who share similar values in pursuing personal and professional growth. I’m talking about those who aren’t afraid to take risks, as facing challenges head-on is a means to growth itself. I’m talking about those who understand that the ‘end’ is as important as the ‘journey’ itself. Lesson 4 ‘In order to understand your bow, it must become part of your arm and an extension of your thoughts.’ Become at one with whatever you decide to pursue. Be it your business, a new career, relationship, project, whatever it is that you intend to devote your life to. Unless it becomes part of your life, it will always be an appendage that is secondary to everything else. It will always be something that you just happen to do, not something that you live by. In this sense, it can easily be retired and left behind when things aren’t going so well. However, embrace it wholeheartedly, and it will become a powerful extension of your life. Lesson 5 ‘Each arrow leaves a memory in your heart, and it is the sum of those memories that will make you shoot better and better.’ Fear of failure has to be one of the most common human experiences known. As much as we try to control the desired outcome or result through meticulous planning and execution, sometimes, life gets in the way, and things do go ‘pear-shaped.’ It is this fear of not getting the desired result that stops people from trying. However, understanding that each ‘failure’ is another chance to learn and improve can only make you better at what you do. Lesson 6 ‘The target exists only if the archer exists.’ Whether in business or in personal life, a goal set to achieve a certain ‘something’ in the future can only be fully realized when one thing is present, us. What I mean by being present is not only in physical form but, more importantly, in the mind. All things begin to materialize first in the mind and then in physical form. A mind focused on a specific goal or target to be achieved will, almost magically, begin to anchor in all the necessary tools, skills, and resources needed to achieve that goal. Lesson 7 ‘Elegance is not the most comfortable of postures, but it is the best posture if the shot is to be perfect.’ Most of the time, we look at the success of others and only see the end result, the final destination, the complete picture. However, unless we look back and follow their journey, we may never fully comprehend that the ‘picture perfect’ end product had endured times of discomfort, unnerving moments, and even sacrifices. However, through it all, they have come through. The key here is to understand that the path to the desired goal may be uncomfortable and confused at times. Reminding oneself that growth lies in these moments and that the focus is still fixed on the desired goal will help carry you through those times. Lesson 8 ‘To hold the arrow is to be in touch with your own intention.’ From time to time, it is worth checking in on ‘why we do what we do.’ Re-engage with the initial intention that had set us off on our current journey. Remind ourselves again of where we've come from, where we are now, and more importantly, where we are headed. Being in touch again with our intention helps re-frame our mind and actions such that any action which does not contribute towards our intended goal should be avoided or discarded, whilst those that do should be embraced. Lesson 9 ‘Keep calm and breathe deeply.’ The way we create, use, and conserve our energy can profoundly affect our performance. The journey towards our destination may not always be plain sailing. Life is never linear. In fact, we will be challenged from time to time. We will experience intense moments where we are required to devote large amounts of mental, emotional, and physical energy. Unfortunately, this is part of the process for growth. Be reminded to breathe. Breathe deeply. Especially throughout these intense moments. It will allow us to step back, re-focus, re-energize and bring a degree of calmness amidst the storm. Lesson 10 ‘...at any given moment, your hand will have to open and allow your intention to follow its destiny.’ This is one of the most important lessons, and that is to understand that as much as we try to plan and shape things the way we see and intend them to be, life can sometimes take its own course, and we may find that the very thing we were working towards has a ‘life of its own.’ Be it a relationship, career, or even business. That’s why it is useful to be reminded that the journey is as important as (if not more important than) the destination itself. At some point, we will need to let go and allow it to follow its own course and destiny. In this short article, I have shared 10 key teachings which immediately connected with me. There are many more lessons that can be extracted from The Archer, but these are the ones that connected with me instantaneously when reflecting on the idea of success and my own journey. As with great works of literature, each reader will extract a different meaning from the work and relate to it differently. If you get the chance, grab yourself a copy and as you follow the story, reflect on the significance of each portion and how it can be used to change your life. I hope it will make an impression on you as it did on me. For more details, follow me on Facebook or Instagram and visit my website. Read more from Kamil! Kamil Shah, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Coming from a professional background in design, Kamil previously practiced in both the Education & Corporate Sectors. One life-changing event in his 20s saw Kamil's life plummet from having a progressing career in design to living on $2 a day virtually overnight. This painful experience has taught him valuable lessons in Life, which he has used advantageously in regaining his feet and ultimately achieving Personal and Professional Success. He now shares his experience and knowledge in helping others achieve their own success through bringing on their own Personal Genius.

Written by: Claire A tyeo , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. If your open to or practicing spirituality, then this may seem like a weird title! But stay with me, and all will be revealed. Within this article, I’m going to challenge mainstream societal covert actions which demonstrate spirituality, aka individuality , is being actively discouraged by our governments. First, let us focus on intuition. As it is the catalyst from where we all start our spiritual journey. What is intuition? It’s an emotional response or sensation of knowing to external or internal variables, a tuning into our bodies rather than our minds which allows us to decide if something feels good or bad, right or wrong. An inner compass set to our individual true north and situated in the vortex center of our energetic physical being, the base, sacral, and solar plexus chakras. The I am … of our individuality within the collective. Sounds a little complex and far-out, right? And it’s for this reason that conventional science has until recent years metaphorically parked it on the self and denied or belittled its existence, working from the premise that if it can’t be measured or seen, it can’t exist. But over the generations, as the greater population of humanity became better educated, that hypothesis has been challenged. Honestly, I question if the metaphorical parking was instigated by the scientists or if there was a third-party insistence that it be parked, but that’s a whole different article! Anyway, in recent years scientists have discovered that the gut effectively is a brain and can store and retrieve memories. Studies are showing that people who use and make decisions from their intuition (gut) rather than intellect alone make better choices for themselves and, in most cases, are more successful in life. Science is also proving that our DNA not only carries genetic traits such as body structure, facial appearance, etc., but it also carries ancestral memories. Most of the public known studies at present have concentrated on phobias, fears, and trauma due to its relative ease to quantify. But it’s a logical assumption to say that through our DNA, we can tap into the diverse knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors. My question at this point is, are these ancestral wisdom the trigger of our intuition? I believe so, but we each must look within and decide for ourselves. As a Female Empowerment Coach One of the first activities I encourage with my clients is to connect with their intuition on a deeper level. Both men and women are intuitive, but women overall tend to naturally be more highly attuned with theirs. This probably is due to the differences in which men's and women’s brains are wired, and again the societal influences (boys perceived soft if they openly show emotion). During my time as a coach, I have observed repetitive themes from our societal structure globally that appear designed to remove individualism from the individual. As I said previously, intuition facilitates the ability to make better choices for self, a scientific fact! Which innately creates a strong bond of individualism within the individual. Where the threat comes into play If we express ourselves through our individualism, we are much more difficult to control. And please, I am not an anarchist, but I am calling for people to lift their heads, open their eyes and see what is covertly happening within society today. Great examples of this are parents, and I am focusing on parents of young families because they are the next generation. They are the ones who have been and are still being directly affected by this current culture of almost total control. What concerns me is that parents are openly discouraged from using their innate gifts of intuition and nurturing in a way that feels correct for them. They are no longer allowed to feed their babies solids when they innately know the baby is ready. They are viewed with suspicion or deemed neglectful if they make the difficult decision not to have their babies fully immunized. Children are forced into separation from their parents at the tender age of 4 years old and placed into a system that has been structured in such a way there are little to no resources to accommodate the individual expression, the main component to healthy growth and learning. Families are no longer permitted to raise their children in a way that is aligned with their beliefs, their individuality, and their ancestral heritage. And instead are directed to follow protocols and procedures designed for the masses with no room for personal thought or creativity. Questions we need to be asking? How is it advantageous to have generations so stifled and conditioned to follow that they are incapable of decision making without first checking it's ok? Who are incapable because unaccustomed to feeling and acting on what’s right for them and having the independence to speak up? To never have experienced the freedom of free play, imagination, and expression, which leads to the healthy well-being of mind, body, and soul? Is this an intentional plan? To create generations so dependent on the state that they look to governments for guidance instead of themselves. That becomes so disconnected from their individuality they become reliant on pharmaceuticals to stabilize their minds. When we look at ourselves... When we start to learn, understand, and take ownership of the fact we are each unique and should live our lives by our own moral compass and in doing so then take complete responsibility that those actions create a cause and effect for which we also take responsibility for, we then ascend from the I to we, becoming a collective of individuals fully aware of our interconnectedness, potential, and power. Is this the reason spirituality/ intuition poses such a threat, and are we currently experiencing a re-enacting of the dark ages witch hunt, but with greater sophistication? In my opinion, the younger generation is not only losing the right to choose but are slowly losing the ability to know how to choose for themselves! If you have taken the time to read this article, then thank you, I know it’s been a long one! I now encourage you to sit quietly and review all the decisions you have taken in the past week and ask yourself, how many stemmed from your own free-thinking beliefs and values and how many were directed from outside influences? If you feel drawn to work with me, then hop over to my site and check out my awesome events and 1:1 programs. Want to learn more from Claire? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Claire! Claire Atyeo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Claire Atyeo is a Female Empowerment Coach & Shamanic Practitioner whose motivation is to inspire and guide women to create realistic, actionable solutions to life’s problems and challenges. Claire supports women globally to reacquaint themselves with their true essence, realign and rebalance their energies to become unstoppable in their passions, goals, and life desires. As a Certified Life Coach, Reiki Master, Shamanic practitioner, EFT, Inner child, and Ho’oponopono practitioner, she has many tools to help. Spiritually based, she may be, but gentle persistence is a strength, a power, and a much-underestimated force. She believes that once women step into their goddess self, un-apologetically on mass, the world will once again restore to balance. In her desire to reach out and affect greater positive change, she opened Athena Academy in 2020.

Written by: Magnus Ernegård , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Customers have gradually started to show an interest in your Startup, and you need capital to get the business going and grow further. You have come to the point where you have used most of your savings, perhaps also taken a bank loan, and by, and largely lived frugally with "bootstrapping" as far as possible. Maybe you also got some capital from some well-to-do relatives, friends, and other acquaintances? They may not be so familiar with your business concept and your developed product/service, but they support you because they believe in you as a person with your winning and energetic drive. But the question you ponder and ask yourself is: Do I really want external financing with all that it entails? You know that this requires you to give up part of the company and dilute the ownership in exchange for financing. The angel investor will probably want to decide some of the operational issues regarding your Startup and perhaps its vision, which may not be the same as you originally had as an idea with your venture when you founded it. On the other hand, the business angels are professional, have an extensive and knowledgeable network, industry knowledge, and experience that provides a valuable asset for the Startup. You both work towards the same or similar goal to make the company successful and profitable. But what you see as the big stumbling block, how will you keep up with all the work it means to get the venture investment-ready. Many of the Startup founders we have been in contact with say that it took about half of their time at the first round of fundraising. If it now takes 6-9 months and maybe even longer to get the money into the venture from the time you pitched, it will be quite a few hours. And this is when it gave a positive response and outcome from the investor and interest to invest! So, raising capital is often an extremely frustrating experience for the new entrepreneur because they have a fundamental disadvantage as the Startup founder knows relatively little about the whole process compared to investors who have much experience. In addition, having external owners usually requires more administration, reporting, and discussions about what the strategic plan should be and how to implement it, which means the founders must also spend their resources and time on this. But there has never been so much capital to invest in Startup companies as today. However, this does not mean that your Startup will easily, quickly, and smoothly attract investors. So, how can you, as a new entrepreneur, increase the likelihood that your newly started venture will be funded the way you want? 1. Do it "all-in" or not at all. As I mentioned earlier, it takes a lot of resources, time, and patience to raise capital, and this is what you as a Startup Founder should do a little besides the work to actually starting up the business, develop the product or service, build the team, check out competitors, have control and order of all documentation, legal requirements including any IP, shape the company culture, understand and discuss all the terminology and meaning like term-sheet, cap-tables, company valuation issues, etc. With the attitude "we take it as it comes," this most likely means that the company will be short-lived if it will even start. If you are a founder of a venture or a new entrepreneur for the first time, you must know your business, the financials, and the entire process like the back of your hand when you have a dialogue with prospective investors. You are probably entirely new to these business angels and VC companies who naturally are a little unsure of you. If you cannot clearly show that they can believe in you or that you can convey a solid trust, the investor will probably notice this and most likely choose another more prepared entrepreneur and Startup company. Of course, a wholly perfect and robust preparation does not necessarily mean that you as an entrepreneur will succeed with the capital round, but the probability increases considerably. 2. Shape your vision. Investors always think big. They need to get the impression early in the process that your business can grow at least ten times over the next few years. You must formulate and explain your vision and mission about the company. In preparation for your meeting with investors, first answer the question: What will the company look like in 3, 5, and 10 years? Your vision must be a mixture of ambition and realism. It should not seem completely impossible, but it should undoubtedly be quite challenging. Explain how you will scale up and how you will keep your customers and show how other companies have already succeeded with a similar concept. Your big vision will then be more credible. What will the team look like? What profiles, experiences, and competencies should these people have? Does everyone work full-time at your new company? Should they get paid a monthly salary or an hourly rate, or is a stock option scheme more interesting? 3. Define when and for what you need the capital. Do not specify the capital requirement you need in intervals, such as: I need between 5 to 8 million. Instead, show an exact amount and when you need it, and how the money will be used? The capital injection should also align with your financial plan, growth strategy, marketing and selling expenses, and the plan to build your team. Are there certain milestones you must achieve that trigger a need for capital for your company to move on and grow? Present what the risks are of not reaching the milestones in time. Be very transparent and honest. 4. Do due diligence of the investor. Investigate what their investment focus and portfolio look like. You will probably work closely with each other for 3, 5, or 10 years and in ups and downs, so check and feel. Where has the investor previously invested? Examine which industries, ticket sizes, business models, investment stages, and geographical areas the investor has had. Does the investor have an extensive, competent, and solid network of contacts in your industry and is willing to support and spend much of the time at the company? Does the investor only see this as a purely promising financial investment, or will they contribute more operationally with know-how and a network of contacts? Also, check if your company is potentially competing with something or someone the investor now has shares or engagement with. If the investor is someone you can go out and have a beer with after a long and challenging week and have fun together, the chance increases that it will be a good fit. 5. Prepare the numbers and documentation. Probably one of the most critical factors for the preparations is calculations and risk analysis. Investors love data, facts, and figures. Develop KPIs and make different scenarios, know the figures, how they are calculated, and the basis for the assumptions and prerequisites. 6. Start building a personal relationship between you and the investors. Even if you can show all the numbers, calculations, assumptions and that you have "everything under control and that all paperwork is in order," investors want to know you before they open their wallets. This is, of course, especially important when it is your first company for which you are applying for capital. So, more crucial for the investor is to know more about you, why you are passionate about this, have perseverance, radiate commitment, do not give up so quickly, and what the team behind the company looks like. What are the team's background and strengths? The investor thus wants to understand how you and your co-founders deal with complex issues, crises, how they think and react in different situations, what their leadership style is, their area of ​​expertise, and what personal interests they have. The team and its composition are usually crucial in the decision-making process of the investors, so it is essential for you also to create a relationship between the team members and the potential investor/-s. To build this personal relationship and trust, you should provide a due diligence data room in the early stages of the capital rounds and have all the necessary documents prepared so that they can be delivered immediately at the request of the investor. This helps to maintain regular and high interactivity between the entrepreneur and the investor. Several players help with automated due diligence with virtual data space that BridgeToAngels collaborates with and can recommend. High commitment and fast deliveries strengthen confidence and increase the chances of a "term-sheet." 7. Practice your pitch. When you stand there in front of the investors, in addition to all facts, they want to get to know the founders and the team personally and look at their soft skills and personalities. You can compare it to a crucial meeting with a customer. The investor is interested in your team's sales and presentation skills to understanding how your team interacts and how you handle issues. As described in the previous point, your team plays a crucial role, which is why this meeting is one of the most critical activities in your funding round. We, therefore, recommend training this meeting both internally and with the help of external parties. You should define a clear division of roles and topics so that the discussion section does not just rest on one person. Consultants, existing investors, or other entrepreneurs can give you valuable advice and tips on the content or methodological focus during a so-called "dry run." There are also plenty of examples of questions and pitch decks online that you can prepare for and use. As for the actual performance in front of the investor audience, we at BridgeToAngels collaborate with a selected pitch presentation trainer who adapts individually depending on who the audience is. What step in the company's capital journey is in, and whether it is a physical meeting, online meeting, or a video demo like at many Hackathons and Virtual Demo Days. So now you are finally standing there in front of the investors and have prepared yourself for all possible issues, including similar ones we see on Dragon's Den and similar pitch events. These are questions that we mentioned above, for example, regarding your team, competitors, market segments, financial plans, the vision, the exit strategy, all types of calculations, assumptions and risks, etc. But in addition, there may be questions and statements that may be a bit odd and may be asked more to see your reaction and that you can then show a sense of security, clarity, and honesty. What happens, and what do you do if you do not get all the money you ask for? Why are you the right person to invest in to achieve this? What mistakes have you made so far in this industry, and what have you learned? How do you research trends in this market? How did you arrive at your pre-money valuation? Why is this the right time for this product or service? What are your weaknesses or disadvantages compared to your competitors? Why do you choose this method of raising capital? What is your plan B? Can you tell a story about one or more customers who use your product, and how can I get in touch with them? Which entrepreneurs do you admire and why? In summary: So, preparation is (almost) everything! All successful capital rounds have in common that founders and their teams take their time and prepare carefully. Also, make it clear that your problem solving with your Startup is a significant major problem for many potential customers and has very high scalability. Get evidence and some examples. Suppose you are carefully preparing and perhaps follow some of the lessons above and the experiences we have had or feel that you want support structuring and going through all the steps in the process. In that case, I am sure you will nail your Startup company's first capital round. Good luck! Follow me on LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Magnus! Magnus Ernegård, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Magnus Ernegård has over 30 years of senior management experience from different industries in multinational industrial companies in various countries. Background in CEO positions, CFO, management consultant, production, business development, innovation, corporate governance, and entrepreneurship. Further, he has, over the years, gained Board and Chairman experiences from Boards within the Automotive, Logistics, IT Consulting, and Textile industries . Today, he is the owner and founder of the Startup support provider company BridgeToAngels based in Sweden and Denmark. Magnus has a proven track record in starting/developing businesses, company split, corporate exits, and organizational effectiveness. Magnus also serves as Advisory Council Member of Gerson Lehrman Group. He holds an MSc from the University of Lund, Sweden.

Written by: Ceza Ouzounian , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. You know you are ready for a relationship with someone who is everything you desire in a partner. A relationship that lights you up, that makes you happy, and where you respect and support each other. A partner who adores you and you are a perfect fit for each other. But it isn’t happening. You are frustrated with dating. It’s like that person you want to find is not out there, and you are wondering if it is worth even dating. Limiting beliefs Sometimes we sabotage ourselves by letting our limiting beliefs get in the way. Our beliefs affect our thoughts, which affect our emotions, which affect our actions. Quite often, this happens on autopilot. We aren’t aware of all our negative beliefs getting in the way of what we want. Let me give you an example. A client of mine wanted a serious relationship, but she kept saying she wasn’t ready. On further exploration, it was because she believed she needed to lose some weight before she could go on dates. Delving a little deeper, this thought that she needed to lose weight was linked to the belief that she wasn’t good enough. Not being good enough is a limiting belief that comes up A LOT in sessions (and I have worked on this belief too). It is a big one. For the client mentioned above, this meant that belief led to her thinking she needed to lose weight, which made her feel unsexy, unworthy, and unable to attract the kind of man she wanted. This led to her not taking steps to go on dates or take further steps when a man she was attracted to wanted to go out with her. She pulled away. This belief of not being good enough stopped her from getting anywhere close to what she wanted, which was a relationship. For her, it meant exploring why she didn’t feel good enough and what experiences in her life this belief was linked to. It was identifying how this belief showed up in her life, not just in dating but in every area of life. How do you know what limiting beliefs you have? In my client sessions, I use the Energy Alignment Method to identify and clear these limiting beliefs (which is too big to explain here), but you can identify and clear them in many different ways. Journaling is a great way, and you can do it right now with a pen and paper or even opening up a document on the computer. Ask yourself how you feel about dating and write whatever comes to mind. No thinking about what you are writing, no judgment, just let it flow out. Once you have finished, go back and read over what you wrote. What negative thoughts are there? Doing this exercise can reveal some of the thoughts you may be saying to yourself as a result of limiting beliefs, which are impacting your behavior. And you can do it multiple times, or on different questions, as each time you may discover new things. Paying attention to your thoughts is a great way to start identifying your beliefs. If you keep telling yourself no one will ever find you attractive, something else is going on beneath that, and that’s what we want to get to start changing those limiting beliefs, so they aren’t negatively impacting you. What next? What do you do once you start noticing these limiting beliefs and negative thoughts? Awareness is key and vital to change. When you notice that a negative thought is being triggered, instead of reacting in the way you normally would take a moment to stop and breathe and decide how you want to feel and react. You can choose how to react to a situation. If you stop yourself from dating because you believe you will never find a suitable partner. That belief has been triggered in a moment when you felt excited about going on a dating app, and you’ve actually noticed getting triggered, stop and take a deep breath. Ask yourself, is that belief true? Decide how you want to feel? Decide what your next steps are? Will you let that belief stop you from going after what you want? Or will you take the steps regardless of what might be coming up internally for you at that moment? Breaking that automatic pattern means noticing and deciding to do something different. It isn’t always easy. Sometimes you’ll give in to it. Sometimes you’ll win. But each time, it gets easier. Over time you’ll start creating positive patterns. Looking at what is going on for you internally makes such a massive difference to dating, as it affects everything externally. So, if your dating isn’t going well, look inwards. What limiting beliefs may be holding you back? If you need support to work on your limiting beliefs or want to know how the Energy Alignment Method can help you, please do reach out to me. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and visit my we bsite ! Read more from Ceza! Ceza Ouzounian, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ceza Ouzounian is a Relationship Coach, an Energy Alignment Method Mentor, Fitness Instructor, best-selling author, and speaker. She helps successful entrepreneurial women have the relationship they desire. Ceza knows exactly what is required to have a relationship you love that is full of support, passion, and love and has helped many women reach their desired relationship. She shares the valuable lessons from her own journey and what she has learned from work with clients and those around her to support her clients to have their dream relationship.

Written by: Ilham N. Musayev, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Based on my conversation with many people over the last 2-3 years and my personal observations, I observe that there is a need for solid improvement in Personal Effectiveness and Efficiency for many people. People I spoke with also admitted that they need to get on top of these skills or habits and asked for some support. Today I will try to uncover this subject, share some examples from my personal experience , and refer or navigate to modern tools and solutions which could be very helpful to resolve this puzzle. Let’s start by exploring definitions of Personal Effectiveness and Personal Efficiency and understand what they mean in simple terms? I decided to refer to some external resources available on the Internet to keep these definitions as objective as possible and not as my personal view. I liked how Personal Effectiveness was simply and accurately covered by Virtual College © (VC) and decided to share. Let’s see below how VC covers it: What Does Personal Effectiveness Mean? "In short, personal effectiveness means getting the best out of yourself. It’s an approach to success that involves utilizing all of your energy, skill, and motivation to develop and reach the goals you set for yourself. Individuals with good personal effectiveness tend to constantly strive to achieve more, advance their careers, and grow in both a personal and professional sense.” I trust that this is simple enough and easy to understand the definition of Personal Effectiveness is helpful and draws some good picture in our minds. And now a question: "How are you Personally Effective?" Have you ever tried to ask this question to yourself? If you try to answer it, then please be honest with yourself! This is the best gift you can ever give to your best self. The good news is that it is never too late to ask that questions and start making improvements. Where to start? Well, we’ll cover the details in a little while during this conversation. Now, let’s try to uncover what does Personal Efficiency means. I found information from kanbanize.com very helpful: “A truly efficient worker is the one who invests their time, efforts and other available resources into value-generating activities. The measure of the efficiency of a person can be expressed through the relationship between the lead and cycle times of their tasks.” To put it simply (according to zippia.com ): Efficiency is doing things the right way, while effectiveness is doing the right things. Something is effective if it produces the intended result, whereas it is efficient if it functions with the least use of resources. It is possible to be effective without being efficient and vice versa. Now, let’s dive into the characteristics of these 2 magic areas and see what qualities they hold so that we can easily identify them: Efficiency: Process-oriented (best possible methods with least wasted resources) Improves current workflow (present-oriented) Measurable using predefined metrics Time-sensitive Input/output ratio matters Primarily concerned with internal mechanisms (using minimal resources for maximum payoff) Effectiveness Goal-oriented (best possible result, regardless of resources used) Improves quality of work (future-oriented) Difficult to measure Not time sensitive Input/output ratio is not important Primarily concerned with external results (competitive position in the market) Right, we now know enough about these two areas so that we are in a position to evaluate ourselves and understand if we are Effective or Efficient and maybe even both or none of them. As I mentioned above, people I interact with frequently ask if I can share recipes of how I manage my time, as they know I have too much on my plate (work, development, family, personal business) to handle. I always ask the same question in exchange: “What tells you that I am good at managing my time and priorities”? Is it really so obvious to you? I wouldn’t say I am good at it.” The thing is that we are as human beings, tend to underestimate our capabilities and skills and never pay attention to some important details unless receiving feedback. So, the answer to my question I ask in exchange on average comes like “We know how busy you are, you keep producing results, and the things you talk about keep moving and completed.” If I get these or similar comments, I usually agree. But, I know personally that there is a big clash in my priorities and these priorities are not only work or development related. Many dimensions of priorities exist as life is happening now, and we cannot put things in a box! So, we must think from the “there is no box” paradigm to be fully on top of all priorities coming our way to be genuinely Efficient and Effective. And that was my caveat when I said above. I am not considering myself completely Effective and Efficient until I have been introduced to Personal Agility System and start implementing it in daily life. I have always been structured and running things based on priorities. However, I knew that I need a well-structured solution, which helps me bring things together and help me see the bigger picture not only for the work or life priorities but also for all together. That would really help me to answer my main question, “What really matters?” Because this system was not available, sometimes I was focusing on areas which require less attention and effort. PAS system and framework really helped me get all the puzzle pieces together and visualized my priorities on various levels. It is now much easier to see “What really matters” and focus on the right work/life activities, which eventually make life much easier and less painful. My main objective was to understand the areas of importance for me to focus on in terms of impact and deal with those activities in the first instance. Focusing on wrong activities equals wasting productive time, and hence unwanted surprises pop up later when I was not ready. I have achieved my bigger goal of bringing all priorities together by using the Personal Agility System and identifying how those activities fit into my busy schedule. There actually were some activities that required a stop rather than a start. However, it is very individual and personal, and I needed to tailor my priority list to serve my specific mission and create the desired balance. Balance is the keyword here! There are many wonderful PAS tools, which helped me get laser focus on “What Really Matters” for me. In Priorities Map mapping activities by personal/work/development & others helped a lot. Also, marking activities with Urgency status helps as well; I can decide which of the activities make me happy, and most importantly, it is possible to visualize and celebrate little successes and see how they are growing up. Celebrate is another keyword here! This is something that most people do not do . And it is wrong. It brings so many happy moments when we celebrate daily . I also liked the Bread Come trailer tool, which helps to see cumulative progress of Done & Completed activities weekly, which boosts up confidence and positivity levels massively. Overall, I liked the philosophy of the PAS. You first help yourself become organized and effective/efficient, and then you help others achieve the same. As they say, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” The more candles we light, the brighter the environment around us, and smarter and happier people will be serving our society. This is a great contribution to growing a healthier, self-confident, and sustained future. Isn’t that beautiful? I now want to recognize the advantage of the “Forces Map.” It is an amazing tool that lets you visualize what is on the horizon for the period beyond 2 weeks and keeps you awake and alert. That way, it becomes possible to link near and long-term priorities and apply the “inspect and adapt” approach as more information becomes available. I personally think that PAS is a great tool for business people, senior managers, and those who have a lot on the plate to handle; this system definitely helps to boost personal effectiveness and efficiency (we now know what they mean 😊) and get on top of the priorities people have on agenda. Either personally or via recognized practitioner training in just within 4-8 weeks , people can change their lives dramatically by learning PAS and how it helps to point laser focus on “What’s really matter” for them. I am very happy and open to connect and guide on this journey those who really want to move from Personal Effectiveness & Efficiency basics straight to Athletics! It is the right time now to ask yourself a question “What Really Matter?” And remember it is never late! For more info, follow Ilham on LinkedIn & Instagram ! Ilham N. Musayev, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ilham N Musayev is a mentor and coach (outside of the company he works for) who helps people unlock their potential in career and personal development. He also helps in the area of personal effectiveness, setting realistic goals, and becoming organized and structured. Ilham also helps to re-gain the [lost] confidence and look to issues and problems from a different perspective. Another area of his support is helping to cultivate servant leadership via coaching and mentoring technics. Overall, he is an energy sector professional with 23 years of the practical experience obtained by working in one of the leader companies in this sector. Ilham’s experience is very multilayered. He worked and gained his experience from the following functions: Wells, PSCM, Operations, Global Projects, by mainly providing project controls support. For the last three years, he worked in Modernization and Transformation and Agile Design Teams and helped his company transform into new working ways . He currently is a part of the Agility team and, as an agile coach, supports the company by implementing agile ways of working. Ilham holds the following professional certifications and accreditations: EMBA, PMP®, ICP-ATF; ICP-ACC; PSPO I; PAL I. He also is a Professional Life Coach and ICF Professional (Member). Ilham’s position is that staying open for support, serving people as a leader, and helping people to grow is what wins hearts and minds and is the only answer to all questions. His mission: “Aspire to inspire before we expire.”

Written by: Patricia Faust , MGS, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. A few years ago, I wrote about the dilemma of money and dementia. The boomers had not moved into the older years of old age just yet. Most of them who heard my message were taking care of their parents and didn’t consider that they would be a high-risk group in the near future. However, the future is here! Boomers are now between the ages of 57 – 75. In the next 10 years, nearly half of the oldest boomers face the likelihood of some cognitive impairment. The rates for mild cognitive impairment and dementia rise from a combined 12% for ages 70 – 74 to 45% for those 80 – 84, according to a 2017 report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Even a mild decline “can erode financial capacity,” the center said. Big Money at Stake Boomers own more than half the estimated $50 trillion in total U.S. household financial assets. Of that $26 trillion, roughly a quarter, or $6.5 trillion, is invested on a do-it-yourself basis. A big majority of that DIY total resides at Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab. The challenging math of asset allocation and withdrawal rates from 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts creates “an enormous problem that we are only vaguely aware of,” says David Laibson, an economics professor at Harvard University who co-wrote a study that found financial skills peak at age 53. Without mechanisms in place to delegate such decisions, investors with cognitive decline may “hold on to the reins even more tightly and steer the horse over the cliff.” Do–It–Yourself Boomers Boomers who are calling the shots without help from wealth advisors are more vulnerable to making bad investment decisions. Unaware of the risks aging brains impose on good financial decision-making, boomers may veer from some “set it and forget it” stock and bond allocation into risky margin debt. They are then unlikely to tell anyone of their mistake because they are embarrassed that they made such a miscalculation. Or it may be that they have a stack of unpaid bills that they lose track of, and somebody has to intervene to sort things out. Or it may be that their finances are a chaotic mess. Meredith Stoddard, Fidelity’s vice president of life events planning, says she knew of one investor who died holding “56 accounts at different firms.” Financial groups around the country are aware of these risks and have taken some steps to protect their clients and protect themselves. Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all solution to deal with cognitive decline. People’s family situations and estate size, and complexity vary. Some people may distrust their own children, complicating a power of attorney designation. Since February 2018, brokerage firms have been required to ask customers to designate a ‘trusted contact’ who can be notified of possible problems. But a survey that was released last October indicated that less than 25% of firms’ clients had provided a name. Another rule that was instituted gives firms greater power to step in and temporarily halt disbursements when fraud is suspected. The Dark Cloud Baby boomers themselves have some responsibility to take steps to prepare for a possible future with cognitive decline. A 2014 survey co-sponsored by Merrill Lynch unit of Bank America found that fears about dementia outweighed all other possible illnesses combined. Fear can’t win in this scenario. Developing a plan for the future is a necessity. One key element of a plan is identifying a person or service provider who can help manage one’s financial affairs, preferably under the kind of legal authority embodied in a power-of-attorney or trust. Another idea is collecting for that person – either in a binder or an internet vault – a list of goals and all of the relevant financial account numbers and passwords, as well as regular monthly bills and important records. In the event that you notice that financial skills are declining in yourself or a loved one – get a cognitive assessment and find out what you are dealing with. Preplanning will make the transition go a whole lot smoother. Denial of cognitive decline puts you at risk of financial scams and exploitation. Not acknowledging this situation only results in bigger losses and greater heartache. For more info, follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter , and visit my web site ! Read more from Patricia! Patricia Faust, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Patricia Faust is a gerontologist specializing in the issues of brain aging, brain health, brain function, and dementia. She has a Masters in Gerontological Studies degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Patricia is certified as a brain health coach and received a certification in Neuroscience and Wellness through Dr. Sarah McKay and the Neuroscience Academy. My Boomer Brain, founded in 2015, is the vehicle that Patricia utilizes to teach, coach, and consult about brain aging, brain health, and brain function. Her newsletter, My Boomer Brain, has international readers from South Africa, Australia, throughout Europe, and Canada. Patricia’s speaking experience spans the spectrum of audiences as she addresses corporate executives on brain function, regional financial professionals on client diminished capacity, and various senior venues concerning issues around brain aging and brain health.

Written by: Gina Redzanic, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. With no previous network marketing or sales experience, I built a 7 Figure Business. Today I want to share what I call my “Five to Thrive.” I stand behind these 5 areas of focus! On April 26th, 2021, my company recognized me as their 345th Millionaire. This journey has been one of growth. I have maintained growth year over year, and today I am sharing some key factors to my business growth. Implement and practice your VISION. It is not simply enough to set your vision with goals, fancy vision boards, and a mission statement then set it aside only to remind yourself of it occasionally. You must implement it into your daily work. Over time your vision may change, you may be striving or working for new outcomes as you grow, nevertheless keep that vision as the forefront of your business. It will be what drives you on the down days. I have a daily practice of focusing on this every morning, then set my intentions for the day. I also recommend creating a business plan with a 1-, 5- and a 10-year vision. Stamina in your Business. Set a pace in your business that will work for you! I compare it to running a marathon. If you sprint and take off from the get-go, what can happen? You can pull a muscle, lose steam, even quit…why? Because you didn’t pace yourself. I love momentum, and pushing hard in your business is great, but be sure you find the pace you can stick to in order to avoid massive burnout. If you run the marathon too slow and get distracted by everything, what can happen? You won’t have a great result. Same for your business. You can’t be too lackadaisical and distracted. Stamina in your pace at which you work your business is crucial. For me personally, I typically have 1 week in a month I push super hard, then the rest of the 3 weeks I still focus and work, but I make it a work pace that is comfortable and enjoyable. This practice has allowed me to maintain momentum and a healthy balance of work/life (and avoid burnout!) Be BOLD & Intentional : Step into your greatness and show up with certainty. Drop the “I worry about the opinions of others.” Often, we shrink back out of fear of rejection or judgment. Our brains are designed to keep us comfortable. And I am sure you have heard the saying, “Results are found outside of your comfort zone.” Well, I can testify to this… It is true. My growth came each time I stepped out of that comfort zone and acted boldly in my belief. Over time this developed my confidence and posture, and guess what… Now it is not so uncomfortable anymore! I am also very intentional about my habits and also about who I want to attract into my business. Crystal clear intention has been a practice that has definitely benefited my business. Know your Numbers. If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business. With a small business and network marketing, people often are forgetting the importance of treating this as a solid income-producing business. And in doing so, you track your numbers. You track numbers with connections, conversations, new customers, retention, and paychecks! I have found this truly positions a network marketer as a serious professional, rather than just a “side hustle.” Commit to Personal Development: By improving your own unique skills, you and those involved in your organization can create far more value, both personally and professionally. Take the initiative by encouraging opportunities for development within your organization as well as for yourself. Talk about setting goals and putting strategies in place to accomplish them, and always be ready and willing to listen and encourage others along the way. Your leadership in your organization can encourage a personal development mindset by supporting opportunities for development. If you are someone looking for leveraged income online and to be a part of a strong network marketing organization with strong mentorship and leadership, I would love to connect. Visit www.ginaredzanic.com . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from G ina ! Gina Redzanic, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Gina Redzanic is a self-made network marketing millionaire, Success Coach, and John Maxwell Certified Speaker and Trainer specializing in Leadership Development. As a busy mom of 2 daughters, Gina balances motherhood and her career through many of the habits and practices she teaches her clients and team. Gina has been featured on Yahoo! Finance, named Top 10 Leadership Coaches in Influencive, and is a contributing author in the best-selling network marketing book series, Momentum Makers. Gina is God-driven and Goal-driven and uses personal development techniques to help others break down their business blocks, take control of their future, and reach success without the presence of "burnout."

Jane Christine is a certified NLP Master Practitioner and Mindset Coach. Originally from Australia, she was working her way up the corporate ladder as a Project Manager, until she questioned her life's purpose. Jane believed there had to be more to life, so she sold everything she owned and set off for a nomadic lifestyle traveling around the world searching for answers and a place to call home, which she finally found in Valencia, Spain. Her search and transformation took her to over 40+ countries. Through incredible life experiences and her own personal growth journey, this guided her to help other women live their dream life with confidence, abundance, and mindfulness. Her travels inspired her quest to learn about the world around us and why we do what we do. Jane Christine, Top Mindset Coach for Highly Sensitive Female Entrepreneurs Since 2012, Jane Christine has been studying the link between our thoughts and behaviors, how our pasts shape us, the stories we tell ourselves, the effects of societal standards, mental strategies with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and the impact of your mindset. Jane believes we are all unique and so are each of our paths to follow. She is dedicated to her clients and supporting their growth and journey. Her motto: Design your life, don't just live it! Tell us a little about your coaching business to help female entrepreneurs grow their confidence, business, and income. Sure, well I help female entrepreneurs, specifically highly sensitive people, scale their business with confidence, alignment & freedom without the grind, second-guessing & uncertainty. I teach mental strategies to help my clients reach their goals with a fearless mindset which allows them to be confident while making aligned decisions that enhance their lives not only their business. Some of the main themes that I guide my clients through are overcome limiting beliefs, perfectionism, procrastination, self-sabotage, overthinking, imposter syndrome, feeling overwhelmed, and to expand their comfort zone not to “step of out” it in order to succeed. I understand that every action starts with a thought. And I believe that behind every action is a positive intention. It’s amazing that our unconscious mind makes 16,000 decisions for us a day, this is great but we can only change that which is in our conscious mind. So shining a light onto our unconscious is where true transformation is at. Not many know but we all have our internal maps of reality, and this is made up of everything we consume, through personal vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and societal standards. So, this is projected externally and these are the perceptual filters we see our world through. If it’s no longer serving you then you have the opportunity to change these filters, and the way you view the world and this will create the experience you want to live in. You know by having your mindset aligned it actually projects into the world and this is what grows my clients' businesses and scales their income as they feel confident internally and in complete harmony within. Mindset is key to everything including wealth, happiness, and confidence. How did you originally get into your coaching business, and what made you inspired to leave your corporate job for the entrepreneur life? Well, I was working up the corporate ladder as a Project Manager in Australia, but it wasn’t completely satisfied. I mean I loved my job and felt so lucky to have that position at such a young age, that was until I questioned my life's purpose. I was actually on a holiday in Egypt when I realized that there had to be more to life than a 9-5 job and waiting until the weekend to truly live. Also, I’d always been interested in psychology and why we do what we do, my curious nature kept me always searching for answers. So, in 2012 when I returned to Australia, I sold everything I owned and set off for a nomadic lifestyle traveling around the world searching for answers and a place to call home, which I finally found in Valencia, Spain. Since then, I’ve been studying all things mindset, neuroscience, behaviors, and the links to thoughts. Actually, my search and transformation took me to over 40+ countries. Through all these incredible life experiences and my own personal growth journey, this guided me to help others live their dream life with confidence, abundance, and mindfulness. Not thinking they have to conform the societal standards and live life unsatisfied. I’ve always had a calling to help and serve others, people have always opened up to me and asked for advice, so it was a natural fit to start my coaching business. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, live by my own values, and not compromise for another. I wanted freedom, travel, limitless income, to decide who I work with, you know I’ve always been motivated but working for a company I had my ideas held back, now I get to play and be creative, I have the full responsibility for each step and so many amazing lessons learnt along the way. Did you initially go it alone or did you receive the support of a coach? I knew it was important to have support from the start, and from different sides of the entrepreneurial life; from a business coach, NLP mentors, group programs for like-minded people in a community, to my own personal healing and growth through therapy. Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) myself I understand the importance of support and guidance especially the responsibility of being your own boss. Of course, you can get there on your own but why not get there faster with guidance and a cheerleader cheering you on, celebrating your successes, the small ones not only big ones. And especially when it comes to mindset work, understanding and learning about the way the mind works is crucial for awareness as this is where true change happens. When you pair that with learning mental strategy techniques to truly transform and stop unproductive and unresourceful patterns from continuing. Breaking those cycles from the root cause is key. But using your intuition is so important as a feminine entrepreneur. It’s also important to “stay in your lane” to not follow how others gained their success as they too had their own limiting beliefs, so you could be holding yourself back by following them. For those who are still in their 9-5 job explain to our readers how it felt to land your first client? Absolutely, I understand the fear and concern when you have that secure monthly income and thinking about taking that leap of faith into your dream job. But when you are in alignment with your purpose, the thing that you are most passionate about, and what gives you energy, your life takes on a new meaning. Honestly, my first client felt like coming home, like I’d finally reached the place I was searching for. And I landed her by talking authentically and connecting in a real and non-salesy way. When you are passionate about your programs, they sell themselves, as people feel your energy and the confidence you have in them. For example, my high-ticket programs are an investment not only in the program but within yourself, you’re telling yourself you are worthy, ready, and dedicated to your evolution. For this reason, I offer a complimentary NLP session to discover if we are a right fit, as I’m very particular with who I work with and for this reason, we both have to feel that connection, trust, and authentic soul to soul understanding. I’m so excited for all the growth and self-realizations my clients are about to discover to live the life they so desired and deserved. That’s why I created my signature FEARLESS FEMALE. program because we all deserve to live a life that is filled with joy, purpose, abundance, love (of self and of others), and the unlimited possibilities to try new things, to view failure not as something negative but as a tool for growth and expansion. I also specifically work with Highly Sensitive People (HSP) as this has been a part of my journey and I believe that our sensitivity is a gift. Even though the entrepreneur industry claims you need to be strong and resilient, I know that by being sensitive you can connect on a deeper level with your clients. It’s all about managing your energy level and boundaries. As HSP can become more overwhelmed than others due to our abilities to notice everything, all the subtleties. This means we can pick up on more things and this is an asset when you can embrace and harness this skill. You know it’s possible to take that leap of faith confidently and fearlessly knowing that you have the skills to learn everything you need in order to reach your goals and desires. Why do you feel that mindset coaching is so crucial to people who want to live the entrepreneurial life? Well specifically with mindset coaching it is the only thing holding you back from truly living the life of your dreams. You can learn all the business strategies and blueprints and still not have the success you see others having using the same strategies. Why is that? Mindset is the key. We all do the best with what we currently have but saying “either you have it or you don’t” come from a fixed mindset. Working with a mindset coach can help you retrain your mental strategies, you can learn how you make choices unconsciously, how to overcome fear, and what’s holding you back. This mindfulness allows you to step into your growth mindset, which is filled with abundance, confidence, a beginner’s mind that is open to all possibilities fearlessly. Every action starts with a thought, and I have noticed an increase in other coaches adding in mindset modules in their programs as they see the worth and need for mindset work, to have an empire that is sustainable and enjoyable. How would you describe the life of an entrepreneur to our readers? Well, it depends on what path you take. You could take the usual path, following blueprints, courses, and copying others that came before you, and by consuming social media and focusing on what others are doing. Or you could choose to follow your own unique path and really uncover your harmony within. Allowing your intuition to guide you and ensuring your both your values and actions are in alignment. For example, my clients' lives after working with me are filled with the heart and mind connection, this attracts abundance and wealth, but it’s more than just the expansion of income, which is a by-product of the deep inner work. It’s actually priceless how their mindset has opened them up to a world filled with fun, and pleasure without the need to grind or feeling they have to struggle their way to the top. They are confident within themselves, they have a clear understanding of how their emotions manifest in their bodily response and being able to read their feeling indicators and use the NLP tools they’ve learnt to consciously course correct. They have aligned their unconscious goals with their new conscious goals to there is no longer internal conflict. And they have freedom of time for family, friends, travel, and creating special moments with loved ones, which is a huge reason why my clients want to be their own CEO along with wanting to make a positive impact on the world and sharing their unique gifts because they know it is united with their life’s purpose. They have freedom in all aspects of their lives. But most importantly they are no longer held back from limiting beliefs and fear. This is how I would describe the life of being a fearless female entrepreneur. What has been the most invaluable life lessons you've learnt from building your own business? Trust yourself! It sounds so simple but listen to your intuition. I know most associate our intuitions with our guts, that spiritual knowing, however from a neuroscience and NLP perspective this is a collection of experiences, data, knowledge in our unconscious that makes risk assessment decisions faster than you could ever process consciously. It’s because of this we don’t know why we feel something we just “know” it feels right because our mind is so powerful and our unconscious mind will always win against our conscious mind. And getting to know how your mind works and the strategies it uses to behaviour and take action is life-changing. I’ve also learnt to lean into “failure” which I don’t like to use this word, I prefer to say “moments of learning”. I believe that rejection is the universes protection, and this allows me to reflect and realign with my goals and come back to my fundamental motivation and values. It’s so easy to get swept up in the masculine energy of strategies, struggle, hustle, grind but that is a form of pushing and you could be pushing away soul clients. It’s true that I’ve been conditioned by the corporate world that the only way to succeed is by acting from the masculine energy – I disagree wholeheartedly! I’ve learnt to lean into my feminine energy, go with the flow of my 4 phases in each month and use them to my advantage. I no longer fit into my schedule but I create my schedule around my natural energy phases. Being an HSP it’s imperative to honour your energy boundaries and to go slow to prevent the burnout and overwhelm associated with the hustle and grind mentality. I also have learnt to not consume things that doesn’t align with where I am going, and including who you surround yourself with, as this has a direct influence on how you show up in the world and use your perceptual filters we spoke about earlier. So, when you’re not building your female empire where do you like to spend most of your time? It’s so important for that work/life balance, actually no, it’s more life than work! Of course, in the beginning, most entrepreneurs get caught in the trap of spending every waking moment in that grind getting their business off the ground, but usually, they are focused on the wrong aspects. I fell into that trap also because I was following the strategies that say you need a website and all the backend stuff that none of your clients really care about. They just want results. But isn’t that why we all wanted this entrepreneurial life, to really live it?! So, you can usually find me in nature with my husband and dog hiking mountains, or at the beach. Luckily, we live in Spain, so we have the best of both worlds! I love breathwork and yoga to manage my energy levels and ensure I stay grounded and do not get overwhelmed, and I love running by the lake, playing tennis, and working out. We are a very active family! I love to flex my mind and body to see the limits they have, it is incredible what our bodies will do with the right mindset. We also are motorcycle lovers, so we are often on the open road having adventures or traveling to see new places, cultures, people, and food. We love trying new cuisines! Where can people find you online? The best place to catch me is on Instagram, @hijanechristine, or directly on my website. Can’t wait to meet my Highly Sensitivity People wanting to live their dream life effortlessly and in alignment, see you soon. You may also connect with Jane on her LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Jane!