Written by: Jennifer McClendon , 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 word wellness is everywhere and in everything these days. But what does it mean? Is it just about our mental health? The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. Wellness is what we can achieve in all areas of our life to be our best selves. Margaret Swarbrick’s 8 Dimensions of Wellness is a framework we can use to concentrate our efforts: Emotional Spiritual Intellectual Physical Environmental Financial Occupational Social Life gets busy sometimes and our wellness efforts can suffer. When this happens, shifts in our performance, mood, and sleep alert us that something is different and requires our attention. This isn’t a sign of failure but an opportunity to acknowledge our humanity and get back on track. Positive benefits of regular wellness practices vary from positive self-image to better quality of life. Consider the following tips for managing your wellness practices: Examine each area regularly Identify areas needing improvement Decide the result you want to achieve Set specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic outcomes Take action to achieve the desired result Enlist the help of supportive others for accountability Assess if your connections and employer value wellness over high-performance Approach your wellness practices in a mindful manner to reduce self-criticism and avoidance Optimizing wellness may be challenging for people experiencing mental health conditions (i.e., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress). Wellness-centered counseling and other forms of support provide a safe space for people to actualize their needs and develop their wellness plans. Patience is a requirement. Remember you are a human being and not a piece of technology. Be sure to manage influences to accomplish everything right now. Our best selves are not built in one day! Follow me on Instagram for more info! Read more from Jennifer! Jennifer McClendon, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jennifer McClendon is a licensed professional counselor and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor with over twenty years of experience in the mental health field. Early childhood and young adult experiences led her to counseling for personal growth and created an opportunity for her to become a counselor helping others recover from similar challenges. She specializes in care for substance use, trauma, anxiety, stress, depression, and co-occurring conditions.

Written by: Jen Barnes , 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. I am a therapist and you’re likely a nurse, but if you’re reading this, we have at least one thing in common: We feel the weight of the past two years and don't know how to get out from under it without quitting our jobs or leaving a career we worked so hard to achieve. Worse yet, it feels like the system we're in — the U.S. healthcare system — doesn't care or isn’t doing enough. We can only change ourselves and how we show up in the world, so I'm here to share some ways you can help yourself feel good again — and maybe even regain your love of nursing. Maybe you… Collapse on the couch after shifts with no energy for anything except bringing on Netflix and scrolling through social media Know you need to exercise, sleep and eat well, but you just can't get yourself to doit A retired of people telling me to "just do more yoga" Forgot what it feels like to have fun Have stopped caring about patients like you did before Feel stuck in a job that you used to love In other words, you’re burned out. And maybe you've tried… Increasing your self-care Sleeping more Venting to other nurses, your partner, and/or friends Complaining about the messed-up system Leaving your job but found nothing really changed Here’s the thing… (This is, perhaps, a tough truth, but it’s a necessary one.) The problem isn't that you're exhausted, losing compassion and empathy, or hate your job. It’s not even the broken healthcare system, which is a problem but is out of your control and not likely to be fixed any time soon. The problem is a belief . It’s a deep-seated belief you likely hold that as a nurse, as a true caretaker, you need to put everyone else first before you and your own needs — and the system you work in is taking advantage of that belief. The truth is… You are not responsible for everyone and everything. The more you work extra shifts and the more you accept too many responsibilities, the longer it will take your organization to see the need for change. Your organization — not you —is responsible for appropriate staffing, treating nurses well, and optimizing patient outcomes as a whole. Hospital administrations consider documented metrics when making decisions. For example, if their data shows that all nursing shifts are covered, they will likely assume staffing is fine. So, when you take on too many extra shifts thinking it will help patients in the short term, it can actually exacerbate the problem in the long term for both you and your patients. You can only do what you can do in the system you're in. The situation you are in is not your fault. It is this unhealthy belief about putting yourself last that isn't working. For things to change — for you to feel better and perhaps even for hospitals to make changes — you need to try something different. It’s time to release false beliefs and get unstuck, free your heart, mind, and body, and build resilience. Before you can do that, you need to do the first crucial step in burnout recovery (AKA recovering from chronic stress) You need to release the stress that is stuck in your body. That’s the piece I can help you with today. I’m about to share with you the most crucial first step in recovering from chronic stress. Here’s what most people do Most people numb out on the couch, binge Netflix, scroll social media, and perhaps drink wine, OR they get like one massage a month and take the occasional bubble bath and expect to feel better. Here’s what happens when you do that. First of all, while not “bad,” those things often only help you feel better for a few hours or days -maybe only while you’re doing them. And then you’ll likely feel frustrated or even shame that nothing you do helps deal with the stress you face ‒ that nothing will help you feel better. That’s because there are actually four essential steps to recovering from chronic stress and building resilience so you can keep feeling better. Today I’m going to give you that first crucial step to help you get started. Without doing this first step, nothing else you do will work. So let’s dig in! As I said, I’m about to give you the crucial first step for recovering from chronic stress and burnout right now. I’m going to give you the first step and this alone will help you release stuck stress from the body so you can feel better. The biggest mistake people make is choosing recovery activities that are either one-time, short-term fixes ‒ like that one massage ‒ or things that don’t actually replenish your energy, like numbing out on the couch. So then you never really get to feeling better, at least not for more than a few hours or a couple of days. There are four essential steps to helping you feel better, but this first step is crucial and must be done first for anything else you do to work. So let’s dive into this first step, all about how to release stuck stress from your body. What does it mean to release stuck stress from the body? As a brief A&P review, when our fight or flight response is triggered (sympathetic nervous system), adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol flood our system to give us what we need to protect ourselves — to fight or flee. The thing is, often, we aren't actually fighting or fleeing, so the stress response is incomplete; that excess energy gets stuck in the body. This is part of why you feel so awful right now. The good news is that there are simple ways to complete the stress response and release that energy, so you feel good again. The most effective way to complete stress response is … MOVEMENT! Since the purpose of the flood of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol is to fight or flee — to move — movement is the most effective way to resolve the incomplete stress response and release stuck energy. It is essential to get in at least30 minutes of movement per day to prevent the build-up of stress in the body. These 30 minutes are over and above movement done at work. Movement could mean going for a walk or run, dancing in your kitchen, taking a Zumba or barre class, doing strength training, riding a bike, or even catching up on yard work. There are Six Activities to ReleaseThe Stress Response It is essential to move your body or do at least one of the following six activities each day to support the completion of the stress response and release of stuck stress from your body. Breathe with intention We’ve all heard this one before, but the reason we have is that breathing works. Try taking a slow breath in and a long breathe the way out until your abdominal muscles contract. Repeat this two more times and notice how you feel. Another breathing practice involves movement with the breath, called Volcano Breathing. You can access a video of this practice here. Note: If you have a history of complex trauma, one alternative option for working with the breath is to simply invite the breath in and notice it. No need to try to change or control the breath; just invite yourself to notice it. Positive Social Interaction As humans, we are wired to connect. When we are around other humans, particularly those with whom we feel safe — especially when they are relatively calm — we can co-regulate with them. That is, if they are calm, we can feel calm just by being around them. Whether it’s your kids, your pet, your partner, your parents, coworkers, or a local barista, strive to have daily positive social interaction —in person, not just online or texting — to complete the stress response and calm your body. Laughter Uncontrollable, ridiculous, full-bellied laughter (no fake laughter here) is one of the best stress relievers. Even reminiscing with someone about a time you laughed like that has a positive physical and psychological impact. Laughter is a great, fun way to complete the stress response and regulate your body. A Warm hug in a safe and trusting relationship Hugs are the best! This is what I call a decent hug: A 20-second-plus, no-holds-barred hug where you are both leaning into each other and breathing together. The oxytocin released will help calm your body while completing the stress response. A big cry Ever notice how much better you feel after a big cry? Especially if you pay attention to the crying itself versus thinking about things or focusing on the stress. It seriously works. If you’re not sure how to get started, consider free-association writing about whatever comes up. Your feelings will emerge and you will find yourself shedding healing tears. Creative expression Do something, anything, to express yourself creatively. This could be writing, drawing, singing, playing an instrument, painting, crafting, dancing, acting, woodworking, and more. When we give our creativity an outlet, it helps complete the stress response and allows positive emotions and energy to flow The Bottom Line … Releasing stuck stress by completing the stress response is very powerful when it is done correctly and daily. You’re actually rebooting your body through your nervous system every day. And this will help you feel better as you keep doing it over time. Okay, so now you know the first step in building resilience so you can feel better. But the problem is, there are still three more steps. Without them, you will still feel better each day, but your stress will continue to build up day after day, requiring you to work harder and hard to keep releasing the stress, so it doesn’t get stuck. Over time, it will be harder and harder to do that. This is why I created a free 20-minute video training for you to watch right now. Click the link here and watch this training to learn the next three steps. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Jen! Jen Barnes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jen Barnes is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in private practice in Minneapolis, MN. She specializes in complex trauma, PTSD, stress, and grief. The daughter and sister of nurses, she has a passion for empowering nurses to build resilience. She has worked with nurses 1:1 hoping to expand her reaching to a broader audience. In 2021 she completed the Dare to Lead certificate program in order to more effectively address organizational challenges in healthcare. Most recently, she spoke at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses’s 2022 NTI conference on Building Resilience in Nursing.

Written by: Elena Manole, 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. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a team player, or a stay-at-home parent, it’s important to have a vision you work towards on a daily basis in order to live a fulfilling life. If living with intention is something you are passionate about then, look no further. So, let’s dive deep into the five steps you need to take to shape your life vision. And remember, as always, being open to the unexpected is essential in living a satisfying life. 1. Create a value system that will guide you through the process. We all have ideas of what we like and what we don’t in life, what we stand for. We all believe in or have a certain idea of what life should look like (or even better, how people should behave). A great way of starting to define what you want to create in your life and work on is to start on drafting a value system. A value system is a system of established values, norms, or goals existing in your life. Your value system will help you when you’ll be in two minds about a decision to make, a “No” to say. It will help you define your priorities and guide you every time you embark on a project or enter a new relationship/friendship, etc. If you are short on ideas of values, you can grab my core values systems guide here. And here are some questions you can ask yourself: What do I deeply believe to be true? Which type of lifestyle brings the best out of me? What does it mean to live with intention? What makes my days joyful? When do I feel the most alive? How do I want to show up to my relationships, to myself, to the environment I live in, my country? What style of team dynamic do I work best in? 2. Tap into your intuition and ask yourself what will bring you the most joy? After having your core value system, you’ll have a compass upon which to draft your ideas of what a life lived with intention looks like. In order to be guided by the most powerful and pure thoughts, you’ll want to clear your mind of everyday problems and worries and enter a space of serenity and joy. For this, find a quiet space, turn all your notifications off (or even better, switch off your phone), do some deep breathing and relax. After you reach a certain level of relaxation, think of your values and what type of life you’d live if you’d let them guide your decision process. How would you spend your time? Who would be the people you’d like to interact with? What hobbies would you pursue? Where would you live? This process will get you in the mood of creating a vision for your life if only you trust your uniqueness and your inner voice. 3. Start concretising the vision with goals and end dates. Following step 2 will allow you to tap into a world of a stream of possibilities that will inform your vision. Once you feel satisfied and you have a clear picture of what your life would look like if you were to follow your value system, start putting thoughts into action. For this you’ll need pen and paper and a lot of trust :). Write down what you saw in your visualisation in terms of Hobbies/ Fun and recreation People to connect with (Friends and Family) Work/Career Romance Home/ Physical Environment Finances Health Personal Growth This is often known as the wheel of life. Use the graph below to assess where you are and where you would like to be. Write down goals connected with each area of your life. What does a 10 look like in your FInances area? What about hobbies? Friends and families? When doing this process it is a good practice to start putting down some specific goals you would like to achieve in order for that vision to materialise. It's a very typical reaction to say that one's only vision within life is to maintain enough work/life balance so as to not be totally miserable. Ask yourself this. What sense of broader scope can be achieved even in the smallest sense? What goals can be set in order to give certain people the feeling that they are doing something within their lives even with certain limitations in mind? Does one have a realistic target that is broadly achievable and realistic within a certain time frame? Then go for it. There is nothing stopping individuals from thinking this away beyond their preconceived mindset. 4. Put dates in your calendar, ask someone to keep you accountable and show up for yourself. At this point, the only thing that will hold you back is the resistance to change and to live a better life. For this we’ll have to use some tricks (trust me, they are all worth it). First of all, open your calendar and write down all the dates for events, things you want to do and things you want to achieve. Set soft deadlines for yourself and share them with a trusted friend. Don’t involve anyone who might crush your inspiration. Creating a strong network support is essential in realising your vision. And in this, keeping false cheerleaders aways is essential! Learn how to set priorities and respect them. Be ok with setbacks and find solace in sharing with friends and people who are on the same path. Having a coach is highly recommended, but I’m not the best one to suggest that (being a coach myself!). 5. Learn to say no Why should this be a step in shaping your vision? Because saying no to some opportunities from others means that you will say yes more often than not to your own life and vision. There is definite value in having a circle of friends and colleagues who know your skill sets well enough to have input on what might benefit individuals in their work life and career. That said individuals are ultimately the people that will have to live with the decisions within their lives. The power to say no and distance oneself from the power to make bad decisions one can't come back to or learn from is a hugely important life skill. Bonus step: Learn to stay in the present moment. Remember I mentioned the unexpected in the introduction? Well, living one’s life vision means that we will be focused most of the time. Being in the present moment will help us distinguish between distractions and great opportunities. There is nothing more frustrating than letting go of a great opportunity just because we were too busy executing our plan. And there is nothing worse than constantly being distracted by various opportunities. Learning how to stay in the present moment and distinguish between these two will be essential in living a life based on intention. I trust you can make the right call :) For additional support and guidance on living a life with intention, visit my website elenamanole.com or get in touch at hello@elenamanole.com Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Elena! Elena Manole, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Elena is a time management and productivity coach. She teaches female entrepreneurs how to bring more balance to their life and structure their days so that their priorities are on top of their list. Her clients thrive on accountability and clarity as well as compassion and gentleness. Elena is a hands-on productivity teacher passionate about all things done in a mindful way. She helps her clients fulfil their deepest visions and desires without sacrificing anything in their life. Today she lives her vision and makes a point to remind herself, and her clients, that living a life based on values means that we don't have to wait for the next goal to be reached in order to be happy and fulfilled.

Written by: Ben Warnes , 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. Having a personal leadership philosophy is essential, not only because it can help you lead more effectively but because having a personal philosophy can make you happier. In this article, we'll explore the importance of developing a Personal Leadership Philosophy and discuss the different factors that go into it. What is a Personal Leadership Philosophy? A personal leadership philosophy is the foundation of your success as a leader. The guiding principle helps you make decisions, take action , and achieve goals. It starts with understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and you can tailor your philosophy to suit specific situations. Why is it important to have a Personal Leadership Philosophy? Leadership is complex and challenging. But it can be made easier and more effective with the right personal philosophy. It helps you connect with others, set goals, and stay motivated. It’s possible to improve your interpersonal abilities, judgment, and decision-making, by having a personal leadership philosophy. What are the core elements of a Personal Leadership Philosophy? It's a set of core values, goals, standards, principles, and practices deeply rooted in your personality. They should guide your actions and be expressed in everything you do. By following it, you can lead with impact and take your team to new heights. Leadership is not an easy job. Being a great leader takes a lot of dedication, hard work, and personal growth. But the rewards are worth it. How to create a Personal Leadership Philosophy? Leadership isn't a position, it's a mindset . To get started, take the time to consider these questions: What Are Your Core Values? An excellent way to start with leadership is by understanding your core values. These are the things that motivate you and inspire others to follow you. They should be strong enough to withstand any challenge but also flexible enough so that they can change as needed. Leaders need to live by their principles – no matter what the situation may be. This will help them make smart decisions and stay true to themselves, even in difficult times. This makes followers feel safe letting go of personal reservations not to disrupt team morale or performance goals. As a leader, it's important to know your own values and share them publicly, too – especially if you want people around you to understand how you lead and why it matters to you personally. By doing so, everyone can develop a personal leadership philosophy based on these core values. What Are Your Most Deeply Rooted Beliefs? You need to know a few things to lead an organisation or achieve personal success effectively. Your deeply-rooted beliefs form the foundation of your actions and behaviours, so it's essential to identify them and live by them consistently. By doing this, you instil trust in others ‒ they know that if they stay true to themselves, then following you is also a surefire way of achieving long-term success. Furthermore, build a philosophy that will inspire people around you ‒ transmitting positive vibes creates good karma and attracts opportunities into your life. What Are the Metrics by Which You Measure Success? To know if an effort has been successful, there needs to be a way to measure it. This entails establishing goals for yourself and then tracking your progress over time. It is also important to have a clear vision of what you want your business to achieve in the long term ‒ and then put in the hard work necessary to make that happen. Reflecting on past successes and failures can help you learn from both experiences to move forward with renewed vigour. What Are Your Greatest Strengths? Developing a personal leadership philosophy isn't easy ‒ crafting the right words that reflect your true thoughts takes time, effort, and practice. Being honest with yourself is essential, allowing others into your innermost self. This way, you can make sound decisions in difficult situations while staying true to yourself. Take some time today to develop a personal leadership philosophy reflecting your strengths and weaknesses as an individual. If you lack the time or cannot find the starting point to develop your personal leadership philosophy, consider contacting a qualified life coach. Their knowledge and experience could be invaluable in helping you create the best version for maximum success. How do you stay motivated while leading a team or business unit when things get tough? You need emotional intelligence to stay motivated and effectively lead a team or business unit. Emotional intelligence means understanding yourself (your emotions, motives and values) and your team members individually. A personal leadership philosophy is the foundation of your success as a leader. This philosophy helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, set realistic goals, and develop strategies to achieve them. In addition, you must stay flexible to keep up with changes. A personal leadership philosophy is never static ‒ it constantly evolves to reflect the ever-changing trends and challenges of the business world. Conclusion A personal leadership philosophy is an essential part of any leader's toolkit. It helps you to set goals, prioritise your objectives, and stay motivated throughout your journey. By working through the points raised in this article, you can develop a personal philosophy to help you achieve your goals. Start building yours today. “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things ” ‒ Peter Drucker Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Ben! Ben Warnes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ben Warnes is a Transformational Leadership and Life Coach. He employs his signature LMA Coaching Framework with his clients to help them understand where they are and partners with them on their journey to where they want to be. He has an MBA in Leadership and Management and is a certified ICF and EMCC Transformational Coach. An advocate of Flow, Mindfulness and Positive Psychology he is dedicated to helping others find their Meaningfulness. He is the founder of the Listening Mindset Action (LMA) Framework, developing it to coach remarkable people to achieve incredible goals. He believes no goal is too small and no dream is too big. Having started his first business at the age of 14, he has worked for blue chip companies and started multiple successful businesses in London and New York. He still runs Westongate a successful high-end property development company in Surrey England. Ben knows from experience the path to success is littered with obstacles and believes the obstacle often is the way. He is currently working “Find your meaningfulness,” a framework for maximising potential life satisfaction and fulfilment.

Written by: Adrian Holguin, 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. It has been a while since I haven’t disconnected a little, and I have been focusing on some issues. Disconnecting to reconnect is true, as they say. These days, I have sought emotional and spiritual connection, and as a result, I have lived some experiences that have provided me with many good things. Over the past three weeks, I've finished three books, attended a Coldplay concert, and taken a trip with my life partner. As a result of all of this, I have taken away five things from these three weeks and the extraordinary experiences I had. 1. Keep your focus on yourself: There are a lot of things to do for everyone. Life is always busy with work, family, friends, and hobbies. Our desire to be and comply with everyone often results from fear of rejection or feeling excluded by the groups we belong to. There are times when we can overexert ourselves and commit to the calendar at impossible times, or we need to let go of more important things or people, such as ourselves, in order to do that. It is good to say no from time to time, especially if you feel stressed or overwhelmed with everything you have to do at the moment, especially if you're feeling overburdened. It is important that you take a break, and say no so that you can refocus on yourself again, rethink things, recharge your batteries, and move forward with your life. The most important person in your life is you, so you owe it to yourself to take care of yourself. 2. Embrace the experience of life: I intend not to go into too much detail on this point, because it is quite trite, and much has already been said about it, but my main point is to live the experience of life as fully as possible. At the end of the day, the sum total of your life can be summed up in 24 hours a day where you normally sleep for at least six to eight hours a night. These have been challenging and complex times for me personally and for the majority of people in general. Just when we thought that things were going to improve with the end of the pandemic, they just got worse, so it is not unusual for us to feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or even nostalgic, and in order to change perspective, we must do so. During this time, as I told you, I had a planned trip, which at times I hesitated to take because of the setbacks I was experiencing at work. There is no doubt that it would have been very easy to give up on that trip and stay in the country to sort things out, which would have taken me away from an experience that might have hardly been repeated in the future. As I considered the situation, I changed my perspective and decided that I would use it as an opportunity to disconnect and gain new energy, put a stop to my normal life, and take advantage of the opportunity. I am so glad I made the decision to do so. I reaffirmed this teaching at the Coldplay concert, Chris Martin asked the crowd to put down their cellphones and stop filming or taking photos so that we could live in the present moment and feel what was happening around us with the people we have around us. Embrace the experience you are having right now. 3. Discovered, change of perspective: I mentioned at the beginning that these three weeks were full of discoveries, including a wonderful phrase from Dr. Mario Alonso Puig. "The true act of discovery is not to find new lands, but to view the lands with new eyes." Change of perspective. As individuals, we have the option of seeing the glass as half full or half empty, or we can take action and utilize it to our advantage. It is up to us to determine how we will deal with the circumstances or the problems we encounter. The process must be trusted, work must be done, and sometimes it is necessary to let go. It is through the change of perspective that we are able to discover new ways to face our problems, but most importantly, to find solutions to them. 4. Communication at its best: A person's ability to communicate does not equate to their ability to communicate effectively. It is important to recognize that one communicates not only through words but also through body language. The posture you adopt, the way you use your hands, and the field of vision you have. Although you may believe that everything is fine, if you are walking hunched over or with your head down, you will not feel comfortable. The thoughts and feelings you have in your mind and inside sooner or later will be externalized. For this reason, if you are thinking of being happy, or feeling good, remember to reflect on it with your body. Keep your head high, your shoulders back, your chest up, and your step firm. If you are the first person to believe what you are thinking, then the rest will follow your lead. Everything is a means of communication. 5. Be Grateful: It is still one of the most valuable lessons I have learned in my life. This feeling is extremely useful in difficult times, and you should strengthen it more than ever before. The main reason to do it is it brings peace to your mind and heart, especially if you are having difficulties. When you are grateful for what you already have, the things that you do not have seem closer to your reach, or you can lose the anxiety about the things that you do not have. You may not have received a salary raise yet, but you should be grateful that you have a job, and the raise will take a little longer, but it will come if you maintain good behavior. Being able to wake up to a new day, watch the sunrise, and hear the voices of your loved ones should be enough to give thanks for. The fact that you can do this every day is really liberating. It helps you take a lot of weight off your shoulders. No matter what you are going through, all the lessons above can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Start doing them or keep doing them if you're going through a good period of your life or if you're going through a tough time. The important thing here is to take action. Don't settle down and not take anything for granted. It all starts in the mind and the incredible power that resides in your brain. "Change your thoughts, change your life.” Follow me on Instagram, and LinkedIn for more info! Adrian Holguin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Adrian Holguin is a leading industry executive and thought leader. Holguin has developed long-term growth strategies for companies in order to increase their revenue. Holguin has collaborated with top executives to understand their demands, develop practical solutions, implement procedures to address your problems, and develop innovations and transformation strategies that create value. Throughout his career, Holguin has worked for international corporations as well as small and medium-sized companies in the food industry. He is dedicated to helping individuals change their mindset so that they can achieve everything that they desire in life. "Change your thoughts, change your life" is his karma.

Written by: Joanne Kennedy, 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. “SIBO CAUSES 60-80% OF IBS CASES WORLDWIDE” Do healthy foods, including garlic, mushrooms, apples, pears, and yogurt, cause unwanted gastrointestinal symptoms – belching, heartburn, bloating, and/or abdominal pain? Do you feel tired after eating, experience brain fog, and/or have restless legs? Have you experienced adverse reactions to probiotics, fermented foods, and bone broths? If yes, then you may have SIBO. In fact, studies show that up to 80% of Irritable Bowel Syndrome cases worldwide are caused by SIBO. So, what is SIBO and how is it affecting your health? SIBO stands for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. SIBO occurs when there is an abnormal number or type of bacteria present in the small intestine. SIBO bacteria take starches and fibres from FODMAP foods (including those mentioned above) and ferment them into gases ‒ hydrogen, methane, or hydrogen sulfide. These gases damage the small intestine causing gastrointestinal symptoms. Furthermore, damage and inflammation resulting from SIBO can cause a cascade of problems, including: Impaired nutrient absorption: inflammation causes changes in mucosal epithelial cells at the predominant nutrient absorption sites resulting in impaired nutrient absorption. Common nutrient deficiencies include Vitamin B12, thiamine (B1), nicotinamide (B3), iron, magnesium folate, and iodine. Fat malabsorption: SIBO bacteria deconjugate (break apart) bile acids. The bile acids aid in the absorption of lipids (fats). Fat malabsorption can lead to deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Intestinal hyperpermeability (leaky gut): allows toxins, histamines, and food particles to cross into blood circulation, activating an immune response in the body that may lead to food intolerances and/or allergies and skin conditions. Histamine intolerance: SIBO is a major cause of histamine intolerance as the resulting inflammation increases histamine levels in the body. Signs and symptoms of histamine intolerance include eczema, acne, hives, chronic reflux, headaches, migraines, vertigo, anxiety and insomnia. SIBO and Histmanie Intolerance Histamine intolerance occurs when the accumulation of histamine is beyond the body’s capacity to break it down and excrete it. SIBO has a 4-fold effect on histamine levels in the body. 1. Inhibits DAO enzyme: the DAO enzyme breaks down histamine in the gut. Inflammation impairs the function of this enzyme, preventing the breakdown and excretion of histamine. 2. Intestinal hyperpermeability: triggers an inflammatory response from the immune system that releases histamine from cells. 3. Large bowel dysbiosis (imbalance of good to bad bacteria in the large bowel): can lead to an increase of histamine-producing bacteria that require the DAO enzyme for breakdown. 4. Nutrient deficiencies: the enzyme that breaks down histamine in the central nervous system (Histamine-N-Methyl-Transferase enzyme) requires Vitamin 12, zinc, and folate to function optimally. SIBO can cause a deficiency in these nutrients. Symptoms of SIBO Gastrointestinal symptoms: bloating, belching, flatulence, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation and/or diarrhea, nutrient deficiencies (particularly iron, B12, zinc), weight loss, fat malabsorption. Systemic symptoms: brain fog, fatigue, weakness, joint pain, fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis, restless legs. Histamine Symptoms: headaches, migraines, bladder irritation, anxiety, heart palpitations, vertigo, insomnia, PMS, PMDD, worsening of peri-menopause symptoms, skin issues including eczema, hives, acne and rosacea. Other clues pointing to SIBO Prebiotics/probiotics make your symptoms worse Symptoms temporarily improve on antibiotic therapy Symptom onset after food poisoning – immediately or months later Fibre makes constipation worse Xylitol and sugar alcohols exacerbate symptoms Celiac patients whose symptoms persist whilst on a gluten-free diet Causes of SIBO Structural: obstruction, migrating motor complex damage, ileocecal valve dysfunction. Surgery/injury: abdominal surgery, brain/spinal trauma – including whiplash, fistula, abdominal adhesions, endometriosis. Medications/drugs: Excessive use of antibiotics, excessive use of proton pump inhibitors, alcohol. Environmental: stress, mould illness Disease/disorders: food poisoning, Helicobacter pylori infection, hypochloridria, endometriosis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, gastroparesis, diabetes, liver disease, poor bile flow, pancreatic enzyme insufficiency. Migrating motor complex (MMC). The MMC Is a system of electrical waves that pulse through the small intestine propelling contents from the stomach to the end of the small intestine, cleansing the small intestine of remaining food and bacteria from a recent meal. Importantly, it’s only active in the fasting state – between meals and overnight. MMC deficiency causes SIBO as it limits bacterial clearance, while lack of pulses leads to stagnation in the small intestine and, like a swamp, creates a perfect breeding ground for bacterial growth. Stress, food poisoning, constant snacking, disease (hypothyroid, diabetes, Lyme’s), injury (brain/spinal, whiplash), and drugs (opiates, smooth muscle relaxants) have potential to cause MMC deficiency SIBO Testing SIBO testing is used to determine the type of SIBO. My clinic uses a non-invasive lactulose breath test for hydrogen or methane SIBO. The test is completed at home, requiring a preparation diet one day prior to testing and an overnight fast before waking to take a series of 6 breath tests over 3 hours. Hydrogen sulfide SIBO There is currently no available test in Australia to detect Hydrogen sulfide SIBO. An experienced practitioner, however, can ascertain levels of hydrogen and methane along with any adverse reactions to a low FODMAP if there is Hydrogen sulfide SIBO. Retesting Resting your SIBO levels after treatment (natural or allopathic) is important! Clinically we have found retesting reduces ‘SIBO relapse.’ This is because from retesting, we can determine the efficacy of treatment and if it is time to reintroduce FODMAPs foods. SIBO Treatment SIBO treatment involves: Eradication of the bacterial overgrowth via a low FODMAP/low resistant starch diet and a supplementation protocol pertinent to the SIBO type. Addressing the symptoms and complications of SIBO, including nutritional deficiencies. Reducing histamine levels. If you are exhibiting signs and symptoms of histamine intolerance, it’s important to get histamine levels down, not only to relieve histamine symptoms but to allow the body to break down histamine caused by SIBO. Determine/address underlying causes ‒ a fundamental principle of natural medicine. In identifying and treating the individual causes of SIBO the potential for SIBO relapse is greatly minimised. Due to the nature of SIBO, it’s recommended to work with a practitioner experienced in SIBO and the small intestine as treatment is often contradictory to standard gut protocols that often focuses on the large bowel. Furthermore, an experienced practitioner will not only guide you in treatment but will help determine the cause. Addressing the cause will give the best chance of avoiding relapse. Follow me on Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Joanne! Joanne Kennedy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Joanne Kennedy is a Naturopath and specialist in methylation, histamine intolerance, gut health, and women’s hormones. Joanne runs a successful clinical practice in Sydney, Australia and sees patients online worldwide. Joanne’s approach is to identify the root cause of illness. This is done by the use of functional pathology testing, assessing the biochemical individuality of each patient, assessing environmental exposures, as well as individual genetic testing if required.

Written by: Chandra Zas, 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 dear friend of mine, in a globally known tech company, revealed to me that she keeps getting promoted. At first, she didn’t know why. And then, she realized it was because of her psychological awareness. When everyone shows up to a meeting freaked out about the recession, the company’s future, and potential job loss, she is the boss in the room, regulating not only her stress but the groups stress . The boss in the room is the one who is best able to regulate the nervous system when a stressful situation arises. In a pack of animals, the alpha is the best regulated. In the entrepreneur world, stress seems to be in fashion, as if it is a sign of status to be stressed, too busy, hustling, and overworking. The unquestioned, unconscious belief in our brain that “stress leads to success” is the number one reason we are exhausted at the end of the day, not enjoying the journey, and lack the work success desire. Allowing our brains to believe “stress leads to success” drains our energy, time, health, and success. Other similar unconscious thoughts: “Stress is useful,” “Stress is necessary,” “Stress is cool” “Stress helps us get things done” Stress IS useful for survival, like when someone pulls a knife on us in a dark alley. The high-alert adrenal response is an evolutionary way of surviving. But day in and day out, for a to-do list, for a project deadline, for a hard conversation, stress not only drains our energy but also limits our access to our logical boss brain. Stress is the opposite of useful. What is normal in the entrepreneur world is that we're running on stress chronically; we're putting pressure, aka stress, on our teams and ourselves to perform better, meet deadlines, reach goals, and make clients happy. Health-wise? Stress creates inflammation and sickness in our bodies, which increases sick days and health costs. In other words, stress decreases performance and productivity. Being in a stressed state means we are in a reactive survival state, which lowers our brain function; because our survival brain is able to only think about right now. To be the boss means to have the skill to manage our survival brain and intentionally respond from our prefrontal cortex, which I like to call the CEO or the parent, the part of our brain. Performance Signs of Using our Boss Brain: The ability to think about the future, to be calm when plans don’t go as planned, to be able to see the zoomed-out perspective, to efficiently show up for the job at hand, to take care of a to-do item grounded and less likely to make a mistake, or to engage in a necessary hard conversation with a solution-oriented mind instead of a reactionary explosive manor. Health Signs of Using our Boss Brain: The cultivation of vitality from good sleep, home-cooked meals, and regulated stress is the sustainable energy source that compounds into energy and brain power. How do we regulate stress to be the boss? First, we need awareness of what stress feels like in our bodies. Second, to notice when it arises and to consciously choose to shift our brain mode into using mental and emotional management. (Yes, this is what I teach my clients in my program.) When we manage our mind and emotions, then we regulate our nervous system and we can think like a boss. It is very simple and unnoticeable to any observer, yet a powerful internal skill that helps us feel and show up like a boss. Parents do the same for kids by helping them regulate stress and calm us down through physical contact as well as phrases like, “It's ok,” “We will figure it out,” or “I’ve got you, I am here.” We can parent our inner kid, the reactionary survival part of our brain. The Benefits of Unquestioned Stress The practice of switching modes into the boss part of our brain empowers us to make higher quality decisions that are more effective, saving us time, money, and energy. Showing up in this higher-level thinking, this higher-level state, is really a game changer, not only for our productivity and our performance at work, but it also has a long-term positive effect on our health. When we're stress-free, we are less inflamed, which means our body is not having to repair itself, which means less need for sleep which means more energy and more actual time in the day. Think bonuses on all fronts, there's really no downside to regulating your stress both for our work-life and our personal life. This article is inspired by a free video, “The 3 Lies that Drain Entrepreneurs” click on the link to go check out my free video to learn more. From my personal and my client’s experience learning how to regulate stress to be the boss in the room is the most important skill we can learn for our own health and the health of our business. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Chandra! Chandra Zas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chandra Zas is helping entrepreneurs prioritize their health with the goal of super-athlete performance and presence, both in their business and their personal life. Her childhood lack of health made her realize at a very young age how crucial health is for being able to function fully and thrive. The same Food and Mood process that Chandra used to heal her health is the very process that her clients use to become their own body and brain expert, empowering them to perform at exceptional levels and achieve their dream work-life. The leader is the one who is able to regulate stress under pressure. A high-performing mind starts with a healthy gut.

Written by: Louise Siwicki, 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. Being supported along your fertility journey by the right Fertility Coach can be an essential part of helping move you forward along your journey towards your dreams of becoming a parent. With such low barriers to entry and no real industry regulation, it is easy to fall into the grasp of someone who is not qualified or possesses the right experience to help support you. You must know what to look for and what makes a Fertility Coach the right support for you. What is a fertility Coach? Fertility coaching is a form of support designed to help you manage stress, set the best foundations for conception and healthy pregnancy or alternative routes to parenthood, and find clarity for the hard questions. A fertility coach can help round out the medical treatment from your doctors with extra physical, mental, and emotional support while navigating fertility struggles. Trying to conceive, or trying to enhance future fertility, can feel like a hard journey emotionally and physically, and the situation can easily become isolating and overwhelming. While you turn to doctors and other medical staff for clinical care, a fertility coach's purpose is to be by your side as a partner for everything else. Coaching support during the process of pre-conception planning or fertility treatment can help you deal with the emotional effects of treatment and make beneficial lifestyle changes so you become healthier and feel emotionally stronger whilst trying to conceive or build your family in another way. It goes without saying that you must contact your medical specialist for any medical-related fertility issues. Fertility Coaches are not qualified to provide medical advice. 4 signs of effective Fertility Coaches 1. Qualifications and experience Fertility Coaches are most beneficial when they possess a combination of qualifications, professional experience, and personal understanding. When they have completed a certain level of study, you have to be assured they have the professional knowledge to support you. Are they certified and registered with an accredited body or reputable organisation? It is essential to make sure your coach is certified and registered with an accredited organisation and governing body. What other experience and knowledge does the coach have? Does the coach have a proven track record of success with their clients? Have they had personal experience with infertility? While this is not an essential requirement, it does help as they have also been in the trenches, so they can bring their personal understanding to your sessions. 2. They customize their services/packages/ sessions to each client This is a big one. As we all know, everyone’s journey through infertility, miscarriage, secondary infertility and while trying to conceive is different. So even though the basic ideas around support are the same, each program should be tailored to the individual client's circumstances. A successful Fertility Coach has the ability to understand each client’s individual needs and tailor their support accordingly. Your coach should get to know you and your situation in very good detail before putting together a plan for you. 3. They have a valuable network A professional Fertility Coach should have a strong network of other trusted professionals whom they can rely on. There are many instances when even the best coach will come across a client situation that can only be supported through expertise they don’t possess. If they have a strong network of support people, medical professionals, other coaches, etc., the best solution to the problem can be found for the client. 4. They get to know who you are and ask the right questions Do they provide the option of a complimentary chat beforehand? This is essential as not all coaches are going to be the right fit for you. Ask as many questions as you can, and be prepared. You need to understand if this person can really support you along your journey. Fertility Coaches are there to help answer the questions that feel impossible for you to answer alone. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Louise! Louise Siwicki, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Louise Siwicki is a specialist in the fields of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Time Line Therapy®, Hypnotherapy, and Fertility Coaching, expert. She offers specialized programs for both women and men suffering infertility issues through pregnancy and early parenthood. She uses different practical processes and techniques to rewire the brain of her clients and build new neural pathways. This eliminates and heals the root cause of stress and anxiety, the negative emotions and limiting beliefs holding them back from achieving the success and happiness they desire in life. After suffering through 6 years of infertility issues herself, she has since dedicated her life to supporting women and men through this very challenging time in their lives. She is the founder and CEO of “Louise Siwicki Coaching,” author of "The Secret to Getting Pregnant is not Just in Your Body but in Your Mind" and a public speaker. Her mission: To help everyone understand the importance of the mind and body connection. If you don’t master your mind, your mind will master you.

Written by: Marcella Friel, 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. Most of us, when we think of trauma, think of cataclysmic, “Capital-T” traumas, such as combat or physical assault. But “small-t” traumas show up all the time in everyday life. Trauma can be a look someone gives you. A casual remark they toss out. A stressful experience that continues to haunt you. Something you read or see in the media that causes you to freeze in shock, despair, or outrage. So if, for example, your mother put you on a diet when you were 12 years old, even though you weren’t fat … Or if you crash-dieted to look great in that dress just in time for your niece’s wedding, then gained all the weight back right afterward … Or if you’ve ever spent tons of bucks on gym memberships and meal-replacement bars, thinking, “This is gonna do it!” … Or if you just watched a social commentator lampoon large-size women and felt an irresistible urge to smash your fist through the screen… or just numb out and face-plant in a bag of chips… Chances are, you’ve got diet trauma. By this I mean … You had a big vision to lose weight and reclaim your health. Yet, despite your high hopes and diligent efforts, things didn’t work out. And now, even though you still want to find the body size that feels comfortable and congruent for you, the whole subject of weight loss brings up immense ambivalence and trepidation. You don’t want to step up to the plate and try again, lest you endure yet another crashing failure. So you procrastinate, you quit halfway, or you sabotage yourself just as you’re about to break through. You mean-talk yourself about how stupid you were ever to try in the first place. You trust yourself less, you trust the Universe less, and you feel condemned to a life of aching knees and hips, nasty stares, harangues from your doctor, and so on. Sometimes diet trauma comes through the generational line. If you grew up watching your mother or grandmother obsess over every pound she gained or lost, you might feel limited around how much success you’re allowed to have in this area of your life. The Good News About Diet Trauma For as horrific as diet trauma can be, here’s something I know for sure based on the work I’ve done with thousands of women just like you: Trauma is a catalyst of evolution. The real harm in trauma is less about what happened to us—or even what we did to ourselves—but rather the conclusions we draw, the decisions we make, and the beliefs we adopt in response to our experiences. In other words, it’s less about your history of diet failure than what you’ve made that failure mean about you, about other people, and about the world. When you really get this, you realize that the power to heal is right in your hands, because anything that you’ve decided you can un-decide and re-decide. With the right tools and support, you can leverage your weight-loss woes into stepping stones of forgiveness, acceptance, breakthrough, and success. Here’s how. Go Deeper Than Dieting As I’m sure you know by now, the key to healing diet trauma lies not in swapping one diet for another, nor in reaching that ideal number on the scale. The true, abiding healing lies in going deeper than dieting altogether to dowse the wreckage of that trauma and, from it unearth a generative perspective that catapults your journey forward. The best tool I know for doing just this is Emotional Freedom Techniques (a.k.a. EFT, or “Tapping”), a simple trauma-resolution tool that takes minutes to learn and is remarkably effective for resolving just about anything in the human experience that causes distress. EFT can work wonders when done with a skilled practitioner. It’s also something you can do on your own, with great results. In fact, let’s do a little exercise right now. Grab a journal or notepad if you want, and feel free to write as much as you like. I invite you to take a moment of pause, place one or both hands on your heart, and take three deep, conscious breaths. When you’re ready, reflect back and perhaps write a bit about your history of struggle with dieting and weight loss. Is there an experience that most stands out for you? If so, what happened that it didn’t work out? When that feels complete, project yourself into the vision of healing you hold for yourself. See yourself feeling happy and comfortable in your body, genuinely appreciating the woman looking back at you in the mirror. Imagine doing the things that you want to do when you drop the weight: getting back on horses, rolling around on the floor with your kids, mastering that yoga headstand. Then, say aloud to yourself, “I’ve failed so many times in the past, of course I expect to fail again!” How true does that statement feel to you on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the strongest? If it feels stronger than a 5, watch and tap along with this video from one of my online courses, where I guide women like you in using EFT to vanquish this expectation. (Because after all, what we expect is what we get.) After you’re done Tapping, revisit that statement: “I’ve failed so many times in the past, of course I expect to fail again!” How true does it feel now? Were there any insights or aha’s that bubbled up for you during the Tapping? (If this exercise has opened up a Pandora’s Box of difficult feelings, feel free to reach out for support. I’m here for you!) To go deeper using the Tapping, you can ask yourself, “What’s still left? What makes this not a zero?” Keep following the breadcrumb trail doing successive rounds of Tapping until that expectation feels completely neutralized. Keep Choosing Have you ever looked back on an earlier misfortune and thought, “Wow, if that terrible thing hadn’t happened, this amazing thing wouldn’t have happened”? This is what awaits you when you summon the courage to heal your diet trauma. Within the pain, there are gifts, blessings, and lessons that will guide you to the miracle of healing you desire, where the impossible becomes possible. While you might look back and bemoan the mistaken choices you made, the choosing itself was never a mistake at all. You were doing the best you could at that time to choose life. To choose health. To feel good in your body. So keep choosing. Keep refining your choices as you learn and grow. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, what you choose will inevitably, delightfully choose you. Follow me on Facebook and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marcella! Marcella Friel, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine MARCELLA FRIEL is a mindful eating mentor who helps health-conscious women love and forgive themselves, their food, and their figure. Marcella is author of "Tap, Taste, Heal: Use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Eat Joyfully and Love Your Body." In 2018 Marcella founded the Women, Food & Forgiveness Academy, an online transformational mentorship program to help health-conscious women heal the emotional and metabolic roots of yo-yo dieting, binge eating, sugar addiction, and chronic body shaming. Marcella draws on nearly 3 decades of 12-step recovery and 35 years’ practice of Tibetan Buddhism to help women heal the self-hatred traumas that lie at the very root of their nervous system. She passionately holds an unflinching faith in trauma as the catalyst of evolution and guides others in dowsing their life experiences to find the gold amidst the dross. Learn more about Marcella by visiting marcellafriel.com

Written by: Maureen Chiana, 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. Let's start with a story about Rose. Rose is a lady who has a such great love for people. They say roses have prickles to protect themselves but this sweet lady wouldn’t hurt a fly. “I Don’t Know the Key to Success, But the Key to Failure Is Trying to Please Everybody.” ‒ Unknown Rose worked as a supervisor in an IT company and became the go-to person for getting things done in her organization and many of her team got into the habit of going straight to Rose for help because they knew she was always so willing to help. She was loved by her colleagues and team because she was always available for everyone and wouldn’t say no to anyone’s request, even if it meant missing her son’s play at school to cover for a colleague who had got another doctor's appointment or a boss who needs to take his wife for an appointment. She knows she should say No but just can’t bring herself to, because she feels they will be disappointed in her and she just does not like upsetting people. She rose steadily in her career and was soon promoted to become a Project Manager in the same organization. This was a dream came through for her, and promotion well deserved. The question, though is; Was she actually ready and equipped for this promotion?’ “Do not confuse the command to love with the disease to please.” ‒ Lysa TerKeurst It wasn’t long before Rose began to struggle with the many responsibilities she had, the amount of work and the amount of people she was supporting. This led to her becoming resentful and unhappy with her work and her life generally. She always felt bad after agreeing to help a colleague, considering how full her plate was already, but she just couldn’t say ‘NO’ to anyone. Her attempts to please everyone were causing her a lot of stress, frustration and burnout but equally worse was that it was now affecting her performance, as she was missing many deadlines. She felt nothing she was doing was good enough. Can you relate to Rose? Do you find it difficult to say NO? Do you feel bad when you say NO to someone because you want to upset them or because you want to be seen to care? Constantly trying to please others is simply unsustainable if you want to achieve mental and emotional well-being and be able to achieve high performance. The disease to please is like the perfection trap. It is energy-sapping and unrealistic to believe that everyone will like you or agree with you. You’ve got to reframe your brain to understand that you can’t control what other people think and say about you. The disease to please everyone would cause you to stress as you are trying to meet everyone else’s expectations. If you want to rise higher in your career or business and excel in life, you must change this limiting mindset of being a people pleaser. Develop the confidence and discipline to say NO when you need to, establish boundaries, and discover that living life on your own terms is liberating. Join my next Masterclass ‒ Neuroscience: The Female Leaders Secret Weapon. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and visit my website and Academy for more info! Read more from Maureen! Maureen Chiana, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maureen is the CEO and founder of The Mindsight Academy and host of Lead To Excel Podcast. She leverages on brain-science insights of how the brain works to empower executives, leaders and business owners to unlock potential, maximise performance, accelerate and embed new behaviours to enable them transform how they lead, work and live. Maureen is passionate about helping people mitigate the biases that negatively affects them and their decisions, so that they can flourish, excel and become limitless.

Written by: Clive Jukes, 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 truth is, you are not broken and everything is working. With so many bad reports in the news and on social media, unless we are on guard, we can rapidly start to believe that life is impossible. Worse still, we could start to believe that we are broken and that we are not enough, the tide of negativity can appear too much to bear. The fact of the matter is the state of our financial affairs, and our health and relationships, are working perfectly, and whether the results we are seeing are what we want is entirely by our own design. But with a small amount of insight, the power of just how magnificent we are, just how powerful we are, can emerge from deep within our souls. We teach our children, and have done for generations, that if certain things are not achieved in an allowed timeframe, then that doom of failure will engulf us and take us to a place from which there is no return. I was told at school: "Unless you pull your socks up, you will amount to nothing." At that time, I did not pull my socks up, and yet I have managed to achieve some amazing things, to experience some fantastic things in life, things I was told would not be available unless said socks were pulled up. In an interview for Brainz Magazine Vincent Cheng explains similar ideas from his life journey. Click on the picture below or on the following link to read his article. There were times when I felt like giving up, and this resonates with many of our clients, the light at the end of the tunnel seemed non-existent, and the sense of brokenness hovers at the door ready to lead people on the path of rack and ruin. I was too tempted to think that I was broken and nothing I did was working. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Over time I realised the amazing truth that I was not broken and everything I was doing was working, despite the fact that the results I was seeing weren't what I wanted. This profound discovery was incredible and, more importantly, enabled me to take control and direct the power within me. For many, it is difficult to accept this truth that we are not broken and that everything is working. At the heart of most sales is the idea that we are missing something or are broken and that the service or product being sold to us will reverse the broken state that we are being told is the status quo. So, how do we get to the bottom of this? As with all life's journeys, there are some pivotal gems of knowledge that guide us to the next phase of the journey, and sometimes we may only uncover their power with hindsight. The destination may be different for each person, but there are some universal points that can help everyone. Initially, some may seem harsh, but once analysed the power these ideas hold is profound. Not in any particular order of importance, we have found that the following gems will change your life forever. It was Neville Goddard who said this: "Man's chief delusion is his conviction that there are causes other than his own state of consciousness. All that befalls a man, all that is done by him, all that comes from him, happens as a result of his state of consciousness". In modern terms, Goddard was saying that the results we see in our own lives are a direct result of our own state of consciousness. Consciousness here is loosely referring to what we are aware of and what we think. So, the results we are seeing, we have created. It sounds brutal and harsh – almost unfair. Yet if we stand back for a moment and are prepared to change our perspective, an amazing power unleashes itself in our lives. People often respond to the initial statement by saying things like: “So, you are saying all of the results I am seeing in my life are my fault.” And the truth is that you have some responsibility for those results. There were two things to note in what Goddard was saying: If we know results are a consequence of what we are thinking, then we know that the process works – that in some respects we are not broken. The results might not be what we want, but the process itself is working. In itself, that is amazing. We do not need to analyse the process, or the thing we are doing – we know it works. If it is working, then we can change our awareness and our thoughts and automatically change the results we are seeing. Can you see? You are not broken, what you are doing is working. What you are aware of and thinking about is showing up in your life. If you can grasp the idea that you have complete autonomy of your awareness and thought-life, everything changes in an instant. We don't allow others to rule our lives or results, we get to decide. So, the idea is this: if you don't like what you are seeing, then think about something that you do want. And, guess what? That is what you will see. Why? Because the thoughts you are thinking are producing the results you are seeing. It is a proven fact that 96%-97% of all results come as a consequence of the thoughts in the subconscious. Goddard is saying here that we can change the subconscious by taking responsibility for ourselves and thinking of what we want, not what we don't want. So many teachers are saying that the process we are doing is not working – that we are broken and need fixing. But what we are showing is that everything is working perfectly well, we just need to become aware of what we want. We talk in our courses about the direction of travel as being one of the keys to success. We can see here a difference in the direction of travel. Instead of thinking we are broken and nothing is working, we realise everything is working and we are whole. In our courses, we talk about the fact that we are a 'government of one' where we get to decide we are the masters of our destiny. If we can see Goddard's statement as a catalyst to release the power we have, then our lives automatically take a turn for the better. So much of life tries to rob us of our destiny, by simply removing the need for us to take responsibility. We are being conditioned that the woes we are experiencing are somehow the responsibility of others. But by taking responsibility, we take control. The even better news is that we are wired at a core DNA level to be in charge of our own destiny. We gain a sense of fulfilment when we use the power we have to control our own destiny. It's amazing and profoundly freeing. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Clive! Clive Jukes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Clive Jukes is a pioneer of the groundbreaking concept: the Law of Possession, which shows that no one is broken, and whatever it is you have been doing up to this point has actually been working and producing results; even if they are not the result you want. He has spent the last 30 years transforming the results of large corporate and government organizations, and individuals alike. The Law of Possession is the master law that, unleashes the power of the mind in a new and profound way, transforming those who apply its principles. Author, founder of Bitesize Motivation Radio and the Law of Possession course, Clive now shares these powerful, life-changing concepts with his clients all over the world.

Written by: Sallie Wagner, 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. Ready to land that big client? Or maybe disagreements with your kids, partner, or spouse? Then it’s time to boost your skills of persuasion with these 3 crucial insights. As with so many things in life, many people think that being persuasive is a character trait. You either have it, or you don’t. But that’s not the case at all. Anyone can learn to be more persuasive. All it takes to get started is to become aware of three basic concepts: Tailor your techniques Join the team Embrace and amplify Tailor Your Techniques First, you need to tailor your techniques to the person who is the object of your persuasive efforts. In order to do that, you need to take time to understand that person, which means you need to have a conversation, or several. Those conversations allow you to build a relationship, which allows you the opportunity to learn about their fears (concerns), biases (predispositions), goals, and objectives in life, or at least in this particular transaction. And by biases, I don’t mean prejudices that would unfairly impact any protected classes (under applicable statues) with regard to prohibited discriminatory activities, such as Fair Housing or employment laws. Rather, in this context, biases refer to the person’s predisposition or tendency to favor one thing over another (for example, ice cream v. gelato; pie v. cake). The reason it’s necessary to learn about the person you want to persuade is simple – the best persuasion happens when you focus on something that already matches the person’s fears, biases, goals, objectives, and so on. When you match the efforts of your persuasion with something they already want, or don’t want, you don’t need to move the needle very far – they’ve already half-persuaded themselves before you even start! So, as you listen, and engage with the other person, identify those things. Then, you can meaningfully tailor your persuasive techniques to match them. For example, and for the examples that follow, imagine you’re working as a real estate agent, helping a person find a new house. If you know the person has a bias toward tile floors, you can steer them in the right direction when you take them to view the houses they’re considering buying. Certainly more persuasive than taking them to houses with carpet, or hardwood floors. Join the Team Next, join their team or invite them to join your team, whatever team that may be in any given situation. We all know the power of being part of a team – just consider the camaraderie between fans of the same sports team – instant connection! Being part of the team helps to pre-persuade them, which means you’ll get better, easier, faster results. You may even create a special team for the situation, enlist them as a team member and an ally for the project at hand. The project team is especially effective when you’ve taken the time to build that relationship we talked about above. For example, remember the goal of the persuasion is to help them get a contract on the house, so recruit them to the House Team, and also recruit them as your ally for that critical mission. Then, when the negotiations get sticky over whether Great Aunt Martha’s chandelier stays in the foyer or goes with the sellers, you can call on their status as a team member to help de-escalate. You can enlist them as your ally to keep things more on the business transaction level, rather than making it highly personal. Embrace and Amplify Last, embrace and amplify. We’ve all heard about how to overcome objections, and you’ve probably even used scripts for overcoming common objections in your particular field. However, when you overcome an objection, at some level, you’re telling the person that they’re wrong to think or feel that particular way. And whenever somebody gets the message that they’re wrong about something, even if that message is subconscious, the conversation shuts down. And you lose your power to persuade. Instead of overcoming their objection, step into their reality, embrace their perspective and their position. Then, amplify it to the point where it becomes absurd and unworkable, even to them. For example, with the goal of helping the person find a new house, imagine that the house of their dreams has just gone under contract to another buyer, and they’re so discouraged, they don’t want to look at any other houses. Embrace that position by agreeing with them. Absolutely, I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t want to look at any other houses, either. In fact, I don’t think you should consider any other houses, ever. Once you’ve embraced their position, amplify it. Tell them, you might want to submit a contract on that house anyway, as a back up offer, in case the contract with the other buyer doesn’t work out. And if the contract with the other buyer does close, I could contact them on your behalf and ask if they would consider selling the house to you – at a premium, of course. Continue with the amplification. Tell them, in the meantime, you can continue to live where you are now, even though you’re not happy with the current situation. And you’ll be taking a risk on what market conditions will be like in a few weeks, after that contract with the other buyer closes, or maybe in a couple of years when we finally wear that new owner down and get them to agree to sell the house to you – at an even greater premium, of course. Another amplification. Tell them, and, in the meantime, you might also consider looking at these other houses that have the exact same features as the house that you love. You see how these techniques work? They’re not sales-y or pushing. They’re subtle, guiding the person to do what they really wanted to do all along, you just helped them discover that by listening to their concerns and predispositions, recruiting them to your team, and then embracing and amplifying their position when they encountered an obstacle. Easy skills that any one can deploy right away, in situations far more crucial and important than the mundane example used to illustrate the concepts. Skills that will help you in business and in life! So start using your new skills now to boost the power of YOUR persuasion! Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sallie! Sallie Wagner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sallie Wagner – speaker, author, lawyer, real estate broker, What’s Next Strategist, and Life Alchemist! Sallie employs Emotional Freedom Techniques, evolved Neurolinguistic Programming, and trauma-aware modalities, so clients launch into action for rapid, concrete results, as they ditch unwanted habits, behaviors, fears, phobias, limiting beliefs, and decisions. Sallie spent the majority of her law career in the corporate world. In addition to her other business initiatives, she currently provides broker and contracts compliance services to real estate brokerages throughout Florida. She also owns and operates a real estate school.