Written by: Dávid Jakus , 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. Almost every month, a new diet comes out and tells you what you should eat to get your best shape and live a healthy life. Maybe you have already heard that you should eat superfoods, more protein, or whole grains. Where should we focus? What is the real key to getting in shape and being healthy? How can we get more energy and power? Well, the answer is not that easy. There is no best diet, there is no superfood, and there is no magic pill that can provide you a good shape or health. If we approach it from the point of view of nutrition, then I genuinely believe the most important is the food quality. The food we eat must be full of micronutrients and low in chemicals. Not every tomato delivers the same amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and pesticides. Yes, the last one has a massive impact on your health and your shape too. Remember, if you are not healthy, you can't have a good shape in the long term. There are two types of foods: group: Helping the body to work properly group: Damaging the proper body working I know, I know calorie intake matters, but I never heard that "I got fat because I ate too many avocados." People get most of their calories from highly processed food. Highly processed food usually means empty calories. They are low in fiber and micronutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. And they are high in artificial ingredients and pesticides. Hunger is tricky. Every woman knows what comes when they wish for chocolate. That usually means the body needs more magnesium because of the period, and chocolate is a good source of magnesium. There is a big difference in the quantity or quality of starvation. Quantitative starvation means the body needs more calories. Usually, quantitative starvation isn't a problem in developed countries. We need more micronutrients and water-soluble fiber to thrive. When we go back a few decades, we can see people were lean and had a long life. There weren't weight loss products or artificial ingredients to consume fewer calories, just real food. It is what we need. "There is no best diet if you can't get good quality ingredients." ‒ Dávid Jakus I think there isn't any diet camp that doesn't agree that we should eat better quality and reduce artificial ingredients. You can be on keto, paleo, vegan, or any diet; food quality has to be a high priority. Bio or organic products may sound fancy, but not at all. Perhaps they are not the shiniest products on the shelves, but they have a better impact on our health. My recommendation is the following: Step 1. Add more fiber to your diet and feed your microbiome! We could get many health benefits if we feed our "good" bacteria with fiber. They produce vitamins such as cobalamin (B12), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), thiamin (B1), and vitamin K. There are more types of fiber, and the best you will get from fruits and vegetables. Step 2. Try to buy local foods I love cherry tomatoes, but I buy them when it comes from my country. They deliver the product when it is already ripe. We get more nutrients and better taste. Did you know that with a transport distance of 1,000 km, tomatoes are picked unripe and still green? Step 3. Visit the food market We can find almost everything that we need at the food market. We can have more options from more producers. I believe that smaller producers make the best quality. Food isn't just a business for them; it's a passion. The food that we eat builds up our every cell. We need the best quality to bring out the best performance. Step 4. Avoid highly processed foods! Highly processed foods may pleasure your taste buds, but this is temporary. Our GI (gastrointestinal) tract won't enjoy these types of food. It will give some hard time to the gut fight against the artificial ingredients. Fiber gives us real happiness, so much so that more than 90% of the "happiness hormone" – called serotonin ‒ is produced in the intestinal tract. Don't forget, real food usually doesn't come in a plastic bag! Step 5. Make it simple! We don't need the overpriced superfoods. We need just the basic but in good quality. Eat what you like; just buy the right ingredients. Also, a hamburger cannot be bad if you eat at the right place or make it yourself. You are closer to being healthy and fit if you eat extra veggies instead of the deep-fried potato. Make it simple, eat real food, consume more veggies, and feel the power of good nutrition! Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Dávid Jakus, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dávid Jakus is a Nutritionist, Sports Instructor, Lecturer, and Writer. Sport has always been important in his life. Therefore, he went to the faculty of Physical Education at the University of Szeged to learn more about this topic and become a Sports Instructor. Then he studied more about nutrition and got certification at Precision Nutrition. Dávid works with elite athletes and helps them to achieve their best performance. He also created a 5-month-long lifestyle-changing program. He was invited to health events related to a healthy lifestyle as a lecturer. After more than a decade, he can show that a healthy lifestyle, good performance, and body composition change can be easy and manageable. His motto: "It doesn't matter what you know; it matters what you are able to!" Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7055242/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872783/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33960869/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09637486.2020.1852537

Gianfranco Lopane is the President of Smarterverse, Inc., and serves as Head of Business Development in charge of the team responsible for revenue growth enablement within DatChat’s Social Network+, Metaverse, NFT, and blockchain initiatives. In his 20 years of experience, he has worked with startups as well as Fortune-500 companies like Nestle, Hertz, and XPO Logistics in different senior-level positions. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? I will answer that question with another question: “which is the target of the internet?”. Women, men, kids, business owners, actors, teachers, dancers, everybody is a target for the Metaverse. What are your current goals for your business? My main goal is to define the Metaverse in a way that the average person can easily comprehend. I’m working hard to make people understand all the benefits and solutions it can bring to their daily lives, making it easier, faster, and better. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be? My daughter Could you tell us about your greatest career achievement so far? My greatest career achievement is, without a doubt, being an early mover in the blockchain space, which led me to become the president of a company that will change how people live their lives. If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? I want people who work in the industry to understand that we need to create a bridge between the average person and the web3. We need to bring them to the space without them knowing they are there. Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. In 2017, I had the idea that I wanted to run ads in the Metaverse, but it wasn’t until early 2022 that it became a reality. While running the ads, I realized there was nobody in there. The Metaverse was reserved for wealthy people willing to pay thousands of dollars for virtual land. It was not user-friendly for the average person and looked so cartoony, so I pivoted to co-found Smarterverse to make the Metaverse simple, fun, and accessible for all. Visit Gianfranco Lopane at glopane@smarterverse.com for more info!

Written by: JL Keez, 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. Trauma is understood to be a deeply distressing experience that disturbs the mind, body and soul. Trauma can result from many different scenarios in life. Trauma debilitates, hold’s its victim to ransom and, left untreated, takes its owner into a world of unexplained health characteristics until in recovery, the story elements of the trauma surface to inform. It will eventually be these story elements that guide the healing process. Not all trauma-related health characteristics are initially diagnosed as such. In many presenting cases medical practitioners will initially connect suffering to a suitable medication designed to holt the pain. When the medication does not do its job, further explanation is explored. Where trauma is not considered, trial and error may well result; and around the mulberry bush we go! The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare identifies several mental illnesses that develop due to the experience of trauma. Eating disorders, depression, anxiety, self-harm and PTSD are a few on their list. With an estimated 75% of Australians experiencing trauma during their life time, the need to understand this area in terms of developing health is high on the agenda of requirements! Childhood trauma can be difficult to identify as a causative factor. Where diagnosis is not undertaken until well down the track in a person’s life, the impact of trauma can be missed, especially where the trauma is deeply buried OR occurred away from the prying eyes of adults. Locked away in the mind, shielded by fear, the information required may well decide to remain in this position. Oftentimes, the full impact of trauma may not be immediately evident. Health characteristics may be slow in initiating a response. This too can result in misdiagnosis when assistance is sought. This was my case. Childhood trauma of sexual abuse buried itself deep and first presented through an eating disorder. Missed in diagnosis, the associated mental illnesses formed. All formal methods for healing were explored; to no avail. Not surprising – a wrong diagnosis will never result in recovery! My lived experience demonstrates the need to consider trauma as part of the diagnosis when traditional methods deliver no joy. An eating disorder, chronic fatigue, migraines, depersonalisation, OCD and suicidal depression had all joined me on my quest to heal. Eating disorder recovery was undertaken with weight restored, however, due to the core reason not being known until my mid-thirties, the additional co-morbidities replaced it. The important clues had been overlooked, the claws of trauma lived on and my body folded. Where, then, are clues to be found? Clues are embedded in each of the presenting illnesses AND the story we carry. The reason I endured a collection was due to the mis-diagnosis when I first entered the corridors of recommended psychiatrists. The longevity of suffering reflected missing the mark. My body continued to break down – or how I came to understand this – my body was shouting louder and louder in an attempt to open up the discussion which would see clues identified and recovery a possibility. Meeting the psychologist who FINALLY asked the right questions I FINALLY discovered my clues. Trauma elements turned up in spades! Identification delivered understanding. Understanding encouraged and designed my recovery. And … just when I thought I had arrived, elements of the trauma returned with new pieces showing themselves. Disappointed, I was guided to understand that this was what I now call, ‘fine-tuning’ my recovery. Recovery unfolds as we strengthen. At times we may feel we have dealt with the trauma, but out of the blue, up pops more pain. I encourage readers to not be dismayed. This is your body and soul knowing you are ready to face another level; you have the strength. Finding oneself in this position has the opportunity to take us down that slippery slide of, “Get me out of here” coupled with anger, tears and rage at needing to face more. This was my response! However, once I realised this was for the benefit of releasing more of the trauma impact, I embraced the pain, identified the cause and resolved the presenting element. Gosh, that sounds easy; it is not! Hence the purpose of this article: 8 Steps For Embracing The Slippery Slide Acknowledge this moment in time as ‘fine-tuning’ Sit quietly, breathe, accept, embrace Recall the last time this occurred – it DID pass – be patient Discuss what is happening for you with your trusted counsellor/psychologist/friend Step through the process of challenging the clues/messages being shared Resolve Let this go Give thanks/gratitude The slippery slide of the recovery process is yet an extension of the door you opened when in pain you called out for healing. Once the door opens trauma elements turn up, some in isolation, some in unison. Like the initial trauma they can tear us apart – we wish we never started! Do understand, that in order to recover, we need to fully experience the original impact. Giving ourselves the time to endure this is paramount. Pencil into the diary rest time. Pencil into the diary sleep time. Pencil in social time. Pencil in acceptance that this too shall pass. It is that last suggestion that carries the most weight. Acceptance, not rejection or fighting, will see you emerge. You are working toward a new life, one without suffering. As bazaar as it may sound, to release the suffering one first needs to suffer. This is why it is so important to embrace everything that comes your way, to be gentle with yourself, and nurture you throughout the process. Adopting tools and skills to meet your elements front on will empower. As important as acceptance, giving thanks, or as we often hear today, expressing gratitude, is extremely beneficial to closing the door of healing. Our bodies are wonderful places we inhabit. Without us needing to do much it works away in the background supporting our day to day existence so we may enjoy our earthly time. In the absence of trauma it will happily provide us with health. In the presence of trauma it may well become agitated, yelling out through illness for us to acknowledge what the heck is going on. It has the capacity to hold us together through adversity. It has the capacity to restore after tremendous folding and debilitation has occurred. It makes complete sense then to thank both our bodies for enduring and holding on, and the information, born from questioning, for revealing the required knowledge necessary for recovery. Gratitude may be as simple as saying, “Thank you for supporting my healing” or, sitting in the silence to mindfully express gratitude through visualising those areas of your body or life that were involved in the latest round of resolution. Gratitude concludes a step in the process, allowing more to appear; we are signalling readiness to move toward the next layer. And this is the final acknowledgement for this article – understanding that trauma leaves layers. Each layer represents an aspect of the trauma. In recovery, the layers demonstrate their intelligence. The intelligence initially to protect the carrier through remaining hidden, out of reach. Then the intelligence to know the order in which to disclose the layers and their attached information so the carrier can learn the embedded truths. When the layers turn up follow the ‘8 steps for embracing the slippery slide’. Remember, when trauma comes knocking again, hold onto your hat, adopt the 8 steps, accept the experience, express gratitude and know that another layer is wishing to inform you and then happily leave! Trauma recovery is a challenge worth pursuing … and conquering … Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from JL! JL Keez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine J.L Keez survived a nine-year struggle with anorexia nervosa. She endured years of mental illness, including suicidal depression, OCD and depersonalisation. Today, she is the Director of JL Keez Anorexia Unlocked, a passionate speaker, author and Thought Leader in her field. In her role as a Reality Therapy Coach and influential teacher she empowers others to heal their lives through delivering the understanding required to do so.

Written by: Eleanor Oliver-Edmonds, Senior Level 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 worked as a creative in the advertising and marketing industries for over 20 years, there’s a highly valuable skill most people in the industry take for granted: creative problem-solving. In the creative world, every problem has a solution. Even the non-viable solutions (some would call these failures) offer beneficial clues and insights if you’re paying attention. At the start of a project a creative team receives a strategic briefing which may outline the company’s or client’s objectives: increase sales, attract new customers, promote an event, develop new product concepts, or deliver a campaign that outshines the competition. Included with the brief are a budget and due date. Everyone in the room understands the assignment: deliver the goods in a compelling manner that exceeds expectations. The gauntlet has been thrown down; challenge accepted. The extraordinary thing about being in a room full of creatives is how every mind is racing full speed ahead in search of the perfect outcome. There are no excuses and no one saying it’s impossible. There is one unspoken understanding: not solving the problem is not an option. What follows is ideation, implementation, and execution. While attending a writer’s conference years ago, keynote speaker and film director Garry Marshall, had the best analogy for this. He explained in his early days as a comedy writer he worked in a club owned by a rather cantankerous man who valued his daily late afternoon naps. He admonished the writers to not disturb him until their jokes were funny. The team spent hours refining their jokes until they knew the punchline was wake-up worthy. Most people become stuck when facing a challenge because they tend to fixate on the problem and only the problem. They may consider a solution or two but give up before thoroughly exploring all their options. This is not effective nor efficient. Creatives understand while the problem represents the what, the process of solving the problem reveals the how and why and is ripe with possibilities. Once you begin to shift your focus squarely on finding a solution, your way of thinking expands into the field of potentiality. Try applying one or more of the following 5 techniques to help you enhance your problem-solving abilities. 1. 360 POV Imagine attacking your problem with the same tenacity, persistence, and determination you would apply to solving a cubed, brain teaser puzzle. What new possibilities will be revealed with each flip, twist, and turn? Challenge yourself to resist the urge to settle on the first favorable result, continue ideating until you have several strong options. Look for every possible angle, see things from another person’s person, dig deeper until the abstract becomes tangible. The longer you persist with this approach you will reach a breakthrough point where good becomes great and great becomes excellent. This technique is an effective method for solving people-related problems. Shift from your perspective to the other person’s, look for potential blind spots, communication gaps and opportunities for mutual resolutions. 2. What If/Why Not Asking "what if or why not” as opposed to simply “why” alone allows you to dig deeper into emerging possibilities. Why begs a cause-and-effect response while “what if/why not” entertains exploration, a change of direction and allows space for the creation of new concept and ideas. In a team setting, the group can riff and ideate off one another’s “what if/why not” responses. Gamify this approach for an impromptu brainstorm either on your own or in a group. You may be surprised of the number of new ideas that surface as a result. Another additional way to apply this technique is when you believe you have exhausted all viable ideas, see if you can push through to a deeper level. 3. Begin with the End Reverse engineering is an excellent method to apply when you don’t know how to get started. Seeing the project or task in its early conceptual stages can be overwhelming for individuals who are not yet strong at visualizing. Creative teams seeking early concept buy-in from cross functional partners will use mock-ups to present their ideas. It’s easier for some to understand the steps and processes necessary when they see a visual of the proposed finished product. Now it becomes easier to identify the steps, systems, processes, and support necessary to then move you forward. This technique works equally well for goalsetting as it does for chunking down larger projects. One of the reasons I enjoy applying this method with my coaching clients is when they fully see the big picture overview of their stretch goal, they immediately see themselves as having accomplished it. It’s no longer feels like a formidable task in the distant future. A shift in perspective can do wonders for motivation and confidence. 4. Brainstorm This is one of the fastest ways to generate ideas either in a group or individually. Once you have identified your problem or challenge, without judgment or justification write down as many solutions as you can. If helpful set a timer. Throughout this brain dump process avoid over-thinking or analyzing. Allow the answers to bubble up and put them on paper. Circle your top three to five solutions or results. When working in a group, allow each team member to select their top 3 options. You can apply these options if applicable or use them as a starting point to build upon. 5. Be Curious Curiosity sparks exploration which ignites inspiration. Be open to looking at the world around you with fresh eyes. Creative problem-solving involves looking for solutions in unusual or unexpected places. Allow the process and yourself to get messy. Try new foods, listen to different music artists, read a new genre of books. Study trends. Creativity is about applying or juxtaposing similar concepts with an innovative or unexpected twist. The more you expand your horizons, you increase your awareness and ability to ideate and innovate. There’s an NLP saying that say, “what you focus on increases.” People who focus on problems will only see, more problems. The same is true for those who choose to focus on solutions. Allow yourself to think like a creative and toss the word impossible from your vocabulary. See your world through a lens of potentiality, in doing so you create a space for something new and better to come into existence. For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website! Read more from Eleanor! Eleanor Oliver-Edmonds, Senior Level Brainz Magazine Executive Contributor Elle (Eleanor) Oliver-Edmonds is a writer, speaker, and certified virtual coach. She pivoted from her advertising/marketing career as a creative strategist crafting consumer-directed messaging for top household brands and applied her creative problem-solving expertise to coaching individuals. She’s the founder and creator of the S.H.I.F.T. Factor, an online transformational space where Elle empowers women over 40 to reconnect with their dreams, overcome barriers, and strategize a path to success. The five-part inside-out process is based on the guiding principles, tools, and resources Elle successfully used to reimagine and redesign her own life after losing of job, marriage, home, and business. She now lives a life where every day looks like a vacation. She relocated from hectic city life in Los Angeles to the Palm Desert area where she lives with her husband and is affectionately referred to as “Coach Elle in Coachella” by her clients. Elle is the proud mom of two entrepreneurs who inspire her to follow her passion of living with intention and creating a ripple effect.

Written by: Jennifer Sharp, 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. Living with gratitude can be, at times, very challenging. As leaders, we are under scrutiny 24/7; particularly now all is online. It’s human nature for us to occasionally have a bad day due to a personal crisis, for example, and I am guilty of having many bad days, particularly this year. But when we are in that negative place, it’s really difficult to be grateful. How can we live in gratitude when we are not feeling it? It’s not easy to switch from a negative mindset to an intentional mindset of gratitude. Before making decisions for positive outcomes, we need to learn to be reflective rather than reactive, particularly when our emotions aren’t in check. Whilst we all have negative emotions and reactive moments which can and do leave us feeling ungrateful, understanding how to place ourselves back in the centre of gratitude is paramount. We can all site peers, colleagues, and many others who always seem to live within a negative mindset thereby living their lives ungrateful, always finding something to complain about. They appear bitter and angry and when around them your energy lowers – you have no influence over them. Because they haven’t learnt nor practice the art of gratitude, it is really difficult for them to motivate and inspire not only themselves but their teams. The first step to living in gratitude is to simply use manners that we learned as children. By this I mean the way we meet and great people – are you smiling or frowning? Think about how you express “thank you” in a genuine manner. Social graces go a long way when working with a team of colleagues – “please” may be one simple word, but its also monumental. If we can’t be respectful of each other then the relationship will not be fruitful but rather challenging making it difficult to lead in an empowering manner. Equally important is respecting yourself. If you don’t respect yourself, you most likely don’t fully believe in yourself. If you one hundred percent believed in the character, values, ethics you strive to embody; you would not allow yourself to be disrespectful towards others. How often do you appreciate, express gratitude for the special moments that happen in life? We are learning, post-COVID to appreciate all that nature offers – walks on the beach, in a nature reserve, a simple walk around the block with the dogs greeting the neighbors as we pass by. When we are young, we want the money, the life style, the house – and there is nothing wrong with this, but growing older allows us to appreciate that we have, in actual fact, grown older – not everyone has that privilege, and we appreciate the friendships along with all that natures beauty offers us. We also become more appreciative of our coworkers. The ability to reflect and learn from these special moments creates an awareness that allows us as leaders to empower our teams and individuals within them. We are all unique – my weakness may be your strength, but together with mutual respect and gratitude, we make a formidable, strong team. When was the last time you gave without expecting anything back? Generosity is gratitude in its highest form. When we are in a negative mindset, when all appears tumultuous, it is difficult to find the silver lining and live in the present. As a leader, the more you serve, the more you place the needs of others before your own, you are able to achieve greater levels of success not only for yourself but be influential to others so they can achieve the same. If you can learn to intentionally focus your mind towards full gratitude each day, you will be working from not only the heart space but a place of mutual respect, appreciation and generosity which in turn, allows other to see your working authentically and transparently as a leader. How do you empower others as leader? Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Daisy Lane Publishing, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Jennifer! Jennifer Sharp, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jennifer Sharp is a leader in the publishing industry, having founded international award-winning publishing presses. She has assisted many with telling their success stories globally, whether it be in business or life and has created coaching and mentoring programs that develop the writer's confidence in themselves and strategies that help them stay confident within themselves in all areas of their lives authentically. Jennifer is the founder of Soul Essence International Publishing Press which holds two exclusive, retreats each year for those in leadership. The leadership retreat encompasses a three day elitist, luxury event at an exclusive location that incorporates keynote speakers, and the celebration of a collaborative book written by leaders for leaders. Each author also has access to being in a documentary. Jennifer is also the founder of Daisy Lane Publishing – a multi award winning publishing press dedicated to and for inspirational, educational books that celebrate diversity and inclusion. She also successfully executes a book coaching program ‒ Breakthrough:6 Steps to Successfully Publish Your Story coaching program. Jennifer is on a mission to support as many as she can with living their life fully with positive intentions and to assist them with publishing their story along the way. Jennifer is passionate about bringing to life stories that show how women and men have risen above the naysayers in leadership and everyday life to be who they are today, having stepped up regardless of obstacles to pave the way forward for others whilst working from their soul and heart space. Jennifer is an international keynote speaker and awards presenter and has been seen in YMag, ROAR Awards, Brainz Magazine, Mo2vate Magazine, CEO, 28COE, The OTEL Universe, Ausmumpreneur and is also a multi published author having published 5-star children’s books, self-help, and authorship books amongst others. When not at her desk she is often found with coffee in hand, cat on knee or with her besties on the beach.

Written by: David Campbell, 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. In July of 2017, I travelled on a family holiday to Canada. It was a wonderful time of creating memories and experiencing so many new things. One thing in particular that struck me was in the locale of Nova Scotia. I came across a schooner named the ‘Blue Nose’. It was one of the most beautiful vessels I had ever seen and I knew immediately that I had to purchase a model of it. Then of course I had to transport it from Canada to Australia. Suffice to say that I now have a 4-foot scale model sitting on the sideboard in my office. To this day, every time I walk past it, I have to smile. One day as I was reflecting on growing my business and the ways in which I could better help my clients achieve their goals, I glanced over to the Blue Nose model and thought of the original vessel. How many storms had she survived? How many crews had she carried over the years? How much happiness had been enjoyed aboard? How much sadness and tragedy had she endured? And yet here she was, magnificent and awe-inspiring. Was it a representation of business ownership – absolutely. If the Blue Nose had not adhered to the principles and strengths of nautical custom, then destruction would have been a very real alternative. So too with business., The more I thought about it, the more potent were the analogies and I knew that this was something that most business owners could identify with. From there the analogy has grown and developed into the coaching framework that I utilise with my clients. So, my Navy background, my business and government employment have led me to a deeper understanding of business which can be related back to the analogy of sailing a ship. You may think of the ship analogy as a safe one, where protected and secure in a sheltered harbor, it’s easy to be extraordinary. But, as has often been said, that’s not what ships are built for – they are created specifically to be out on the sea, embracing the waves, the wind, the torrential weather. This is when they are at their best. This is the thrill of sailing. This is what creates the obsession for more. I have vivid memories of times at sea where we were faced with 50-foot (15m) seas. Where non-essential personnel were confined to their bunks. The feel of exhilaration and euphoria. This is what the infatuation is born of. This is the compulsion that leaves ordinary folk in the wake and in awe of those who are out there doing it. This is what business owners feel. The reality is that if you build a ship, you're going to take it to sea. You’re going to expose it to the reality of the waters. And so it is with your business. You’re building it strong so that you can go out into the market-place and stand strong amidst the others and be admired by them because despite it all, you have sailed forward magnificently. Others may gasp and wonder how you did this, but you know the secret to it all. Join me over my next few articles as I share the four pillars to business success. You built it to actually get dirty and, as you do that, as you go out through the heads, you're going to strike storms, you're going to strike times when there's no wind and you can't go forward. You’re stuck and don’t know what to do – but the experienced sailor knows, the experienced business owner knows. The ones who have taken the time to become trained, disciplined and experienced – they know exactly what to do and that is part of the thrill of it. That is part of the grand adventure of business. The storm will come regardless. It's whether you have the strength, to withstand it and then know what to do in order to make wins happen. When you realise that, you’ll be thinking... ‘That's what excited me about wanting to read this book. That’s what inspired me to want to know more.’ One of the things that really gelled with me today as I was talking to a client, was the strength of the maritime analogy as it related to his business. He really had run out of puff in his business – he just could not see, hear, feel or anticipate any wind in his sails. This prompted my questions of ‘what are you doing to generate the energy, to move along easily with the wind in your sails? His response was one of frustration verging on despair. ‘I’m on the verge of jumping overboard and swimming for shore!’ The problem with this solution is that firstly, it’s all too common. Secondly, it’s hard to get back to sailing on with your business and thirdly, it involves the input of others to help you out – which is something you don’t really want to do. It's too late to jump overboard and swim for shore. So many do and that's why businesses flounder and eventually sink – the captain has abandoned the ship and it's not just in calm waters that this happens, it's also in the storms. When the storm is raging around you, you don't throw yourself over the side; you tie yourself to the wheel and keep going. I believe that you will be able to take the stories and the analogy of the ship and apply them directly to your life and business. The weathering of the storm, the clear sailing with the wind and the joyous results are absolutely to be applied to your business, your life, your future. I believe that my whole approach to coaching is totally different. So many are just hanging out that shingle and professing ‘I can coach.’ And, I’m not saying that intentions and skills are not good. What I am saying is that my coaching is absolutely unique in that my emphasis is on thought and motivational change. I look at business and I think, ‘You know, you can't go forward and achieve different results if you keep thinking the way you currently think.’ You might be doing well with your current thinking and that's good. It’s got you to where you're at. However, if you want to do better you have to change the way you think and, that’s what has become my by-line, my motto and my mantra – ‘transforming your business by changing your thinking.’ My business is all about transforming businesses by helping the business owner renew the way they think and that then gives them the freedom to actually succeed. And so, I want to play in that space. That’s where I meet and connect with clients who know what they want but are unsure about the directions to take, the actions to adopt. This is where impetus, motivation, inspiration and determination are born and fostered. By giving you a new analogy to think about in terms of a ship it becomes clearer, easier and more achievable. You get to think, ‘Yep, I get it now and that’s how I can move forward, each and every time.’ Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from David! David Campbell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine David is an exceptionally experienced executive coach. He is an exceptional public speaker who challenges the way organisations and individuals think in relation to business and life. has led reform within a number of organisations and brings a unique understanding of the pressures in both the public and private sectors. He understands the changing requirements and time frames within the business environment and has considerable experience in leading, managing and coaching geographically dispersed (remote) teams. David brings a new insight into the way we think into our success in business to realise exceptional results.

Written by: Mark Hoogewerf Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Once upon a time, there was an organization on a quest with its people and resources. The tide of the turbulent outside world pushed and pulled, while the inner world scintillated with character. Sometimes it seemed like everything was creaking at the seams, like a three-master ship weathering the storm. But adventure beckoned. And success was within reach. And then… Here’s the second installment of the trilogy. Connecting the fascinating concepts of strategy and storytelling, providing a pragmatic approach for boosting your strategic narrative – the inspiring high-level story about the essence and impact of your organization. The golden triangle In abstraction, an organization is a triangle of strategy (the course), structure (its design and resources) and culture (the people and their behavior). A triangle is one of the strongest structures in nature, as long as the sides remain connected. The art, the profession and the challenge of every leader or entrepreneur is to keep this “golden triangle” – this Strategy/Structure/Culture Trilemma©, as I like to call it – in balance during the lifecycle of the organization. While dealing with the forces of the inner and outer context. A strategic narrative is a powerful tool for this. Like I said before, you can see a strategic narrative as The Hero's Journey (more or less the archetypal story structure) of your company (or yourself, but that's a different story). So, this is your assignment: write the story, and live it. That's not always easy, but the great and convenient thing is that these two interact. Storytelling and storydoing – round and round it goes. How strategic essentials come together Before you can make the strategic story tellable, you must first get the essence clear. For this, I’d like to use a combination of Simon Sinek's Golden Circle and a concept called the Vision Four-part (with thanks to Hans van der Loo & Jeroen Geelhoed and their Dutch book "Awake the vision with a kiss”). Let's call my slightly retouched version the Vision Matrix. The Vision Matrix The strategic narrative of your organization has two cornerstones: meaning and destination. Why do we exist? And where are we going? There’s conscience and dream. Identity and intention. The why and the cloud (avoid “dot” as that's unreal) on the horizon. They are connected, cleansing and invigorating each other. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, management guru Peter Drucker quite rightly said. Because there’s no soul without people. No result without implementation. No change without accomplices. Effective strategy is living strategy. Enter the human factor. What do we stand for? What do we find most important in our heart, head and hands? What does our conscience say? In other words, what are our core values? Not too many, five as a maximum, or else they won’t be remembered. Since our organization is driven to make an impact and create value, we’re of course very good at something. So, when are we in the zone? How do we do things our way, a way that’s not so easy to copy? What makes us idiosyncratic, peculiar, extraordinary? These characteristics indicate our core qualities. Now you have compiled the strategic essentials, the raw material for your strategic narrative. So how do you start writing the story? As I stated earlier, identity is the story between then and now. Vision is the story about later. Strategy is the story between now and later. And change brings the adventures in every story. You already have a lot in da house to grasp your strategic essences. For starters, the biography of your organization. How it once started. Moments of hard-hitting truth or awesomeness – of customer bliss, when employees went beyond, or when things turned completely south. Successes, setbacks and life lessons. Draw on this wealth. And there is that dream. Sometimes subdued, sometimes dormant, sometimes very much alive in the company. The BHAG, “big hairy audacious goal”, moonshot (or Marsshot these days) or whatever it may be called. Define it, or look around for inspiration. Better stolen well than badly conceived. “You don't need to have a vision as long as you find a vision”, to quote Simon Sinek loosely. And dare to ask for help, that is also leadership. When you have filled the matrix, you can start writing the history of your future. Already available strategies and plans will come in handy. You can evaluate and map them, recalibrate or develop them when necessary. Make sure you don't go through this process alone. Because engagement is critical. Write, share and structure those braindumps. Apply story principles. And the tale will gradually take shape. And in practice? Take Nike (yeah, I know, a usual suspect, but it's just a good example). “Our Purpose is to move the world forward. We take action by building community, protecting our planet and increasing access to sport.” The version before said: “Our purpose is to unite the world through sport to create a healthy planet, active communities and an equal playing field for all.” See, it evolves. This purpose statement overarches a story that unfolds in many facets. From social responsibility to products to related business processes. The catchphrase "Just Do It" is an element in the story. Nike actively encourages people to inspire each other and gives them a role in the narrative. “Nike exists to progress sports. But in recent years, we also face a broader challenge: to protect sport itself.” And so, the customer, together with the brand, contributes to something much bigger – something legendary. Isn't that what we all want? >> The end of this episode. Next time: how to approach the development process. << Mark Hoogewerf loves stories. To him, the ultimate story is the legend: a time-traveling tale that connects dream and reality. What makes him professionally happy, is working on building those living legends: kick-ass stories about people and brands that create memories and movement. Mark combines passion with strategy and idealism with results. He’s also an inspiration junkie. Inspired by the people he meets, the organizations he works with, and science (and) fiction. Despite – or because of – 25 years of expertise in communication, marketing and management, Mark is still learning every day. While he helps clients write – and authentically present – the history of the future. Follow Noblahblah on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit their website for more info! Read more from Noblahblah! Noblahblah, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine We are on a mission to save the world from blah blah blah. Noblahblah was founded in 2018 as a training company to support better public speaking. Today we offer a broad range of trainings and coaching that help our customers develop their full potential by communicating with more confidence and more fun, on stage, online and in person. Noblahblah trainings provide professionals with new skills to present more persuasively, to define and communicate their unique personal brand with more impact, and to literally shine online by building and engaging their LinkedIn network. A special focal point is harnessing the power of diversity and inclusion by cross-cultural trainings and through our Women Shine with Personal Branding workshops and our Women Raising Women interviews. Our customers include Fortune 500 companies, universities, start-ups and scale-ups. Based in the Netherlands, our five executive trainers, from the United States, the Netherlands and Germany, bring a diversity of skills and experience. While our core activity is communication trainings, we offer a range of related services, from speechwriting and copywriting to executive speaker coaching to corporate events design and moderation.

Written by: Dávid Jakus, 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. Would you like to change your lifestyle and be fit and healthy? Did you get a diet plan, or are you considering having one? The most important question is: do you want to count everything you eat? Do you want to write every bite in an application? Feel free to do it, but most of the time, people fail this way. I am going to tell you why. Counting calories is not a "changing my lifestyle" or "I want to look better" task. First, people have to master the fundamentals. How to eat, what to eat, and when. Also, with athletes, we can improve so much before we start to count calories, like better food choices, sleep quality, proper hydration, and so on. I'm not saying calorie counting cannot work; I'm just saying it's possibly unnecessary for you, or there is another way to reach a fit body. Calorie counting steal the focus from the critical part of healthy eating. Think about food, like information for the body. I'm sure you have already heard this sentence: "You are what you eat." Let's dive into it a little bit more. With every food choice, you decide between helping or damaging your body. Don't get stressed! You can still eat your pizza or hamburger. I explain this part more in my other article. Healthy eating isn't about eating a few types of food. It rather means choosing quality ingredients. If you give up your favorite food just because it is out of the food plan, you won't enjoy it. And you have to enjoy your food. It has to make us happy. Counting calories can be helpful for athletes, but it isn't an essential skill for regular people. Overeating happens because of wrong food choices, feelings, and sleep deprivation. Usually, we feed our souls with tasty, unhealthy foods. Our body needs happiness hormones, and taste isn't the only way to get it. The 6 most significant issues to counting calories to get your dream shape: 1. Calories aren't equal Did you know that? Different foods have different effects on our bodies. The most important thing is how the ingested nutrients affect the hormonal system. 200 kcal from dates aren't equal 200 kcal from gummy bears. Dates are high-density food and a good source of fiber. Well, gummy bears aren't on the same page in this comparison. However, gummy bears are high in artificial ingredients and low in fiber and nutrient density. Both are high in carbs, but gummy bears also have a higher glycemic index, which means they will spike our blood sugar levels. Food density is more important than calories! 2. Easy to make a counting mistake What does it mean medium size banana!? Does every tomato contain the same amount of calories? Do we consume more calories from processed foods? Cooking and heating make our food easier absorbable. Blending and cutting make food more digestible, and we will consume more calories. Did you know that food label isn't 100% precise? That detail is just an average value. 3. Easy to give up It's fun to count calories for a week. Then an event comes, for example, a birthday party or a date, and you are off of the wagon. You need a solid goal to keep measuring your food. Using the kitchen scale can be easy, but how can you do it when you have a family? I'm sure this is the last thing you want to do. Also, in a relationship, you must cook separately, which requires extra time. And you know it, there is no spare time for it. Easy to follow a strict plan when looking better and better, but the real hard time comes when we don't get the expected result. It is time when we lose our motivation and say: "This diet sucks!" Or maybe it was too far from our comfort zone. Better to change a small detail at once and follow a diet plan later. 4. Using artificial ingredients to reduce calories There are two types of people: one who checks the "Nutrition Facts" and the other who checks the "Ingredients." Actually, there is the third one, who doesn't care about nutrition details, but if you are reading this article, you are not in this group. Nutrition Facts tells you how much protein, carbs, sugars, fats, and calories the product contains. A few years ago, I only checked this part, and nowadays, I rarely do it. I prefer to read the ingredients. It is the part where it is decided that it is a healthy product or better put it back on the shelf. Artificial ingredients have a significant impact on our health. It can modify our hormone system's proper working. You can gain weight in caloric deficit if your insulin level is high too often. Usually, people think artificial sweetener is a better choice than sugar. We believe that we can get a sweet taste with impunity without calories. Sounds too good to be true, right!? Artificial sweeteners may not increase your blood glucose but increase your insulin level. You are not using your stored fat when your insulin level is high. 5. Gaining back most of the lost weights You follow a strict meal plan for 3 months and get a good result. What's next? Usually, people feel: " I didn't get any delicious taste in the last period. I want a hamburger on a family pizza." It is when we constantly start overeating and get back our lost kilos. It is called the yo-yo effect. We have to fix our microbiome if we want permanent results. Our microbiome composition determines what we crave, how many calories we consume, and how we feel in our bodies. It takes time to have a healthy microbiome composition; give yourself time. 6. Stress Don't get stressed, but I'll remind you that a strict food plan can be stressful. I remember when I wrote every piece of almond into the application. Everything looked fine, but I was starving after the meal. We didn't get along with my body. I wanted good shape, but my body wanted more food. It can be frustrating. Summary Calorie counting could work, but mostly when we mastered the fundamentals, like better food choices, quality sleep, and proper hydration. Better to change small things at once, like eating more fiber, reducing caffeine, or starting the morning with a glass of water. Don't underestimate the small changes! Small changes give big results! Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Dávid Jakus, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dávid Jakus is a Nutritionist, Sports Instructor, Lecturer, and Writer. Sport has always been important in his life. Therefore, he went to the faculty of Physical Education at the University of Szeged to learn more about this topic and become a Sports Instructor. Then he studied more about nutrition and got certification at Precision Nutrition. Dávid works with elite athletes and helps them to achieve their best performance. He also created a 5-month-long lifestyle-changing program. He was invited to health events related to a healthy lifestyle as a lecturer. After more than a decade, he can show that a healthy lifestyle, good performance, and body composition change can be easy and manageable. His motto: "It doesn't matter what you know; it matters what you are able to!" Sources: https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/food_composition/images/FCD.pdf https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidancedocuments/guidance-industry-guide-developing-and-using-data-bases-nutritionlabeling#chapter_3 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/145228795.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22065771/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21543530/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29159583/ https://examine.com/outcomes/insulin/

Written by: Dr. Adriana Popescu, Senior Level 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. They are at the very root of every painful or difficult situation in life. They keep us stuck and limited, mired in a reality of less-than and failure. What are they? Core false beliefs. In my work as an Energy Psychologist, Addiction and Trauma Specialist, Author, Speaker and Empowerment Coach, I see people every day who are looking to change their lives and the things that are not working for them. Where we always look first at the points of view or beliefs that they have about themselves and the world. Our beliefs shape how this world shows up for us; in other words, your point of view is what creates your reality. It becomes the lens (often distorted) through which you see yourself and others. For example, if you believe that you are a bad person and that no one likes you, everything in your life will reflect that. You will attract the boss who sees you as incompetent, a partner who is unkind or critical of you, and you will find yourself in all kinds of situations that prove to you the rightness of this deeply-held belief that you have of yourself. Where do these beliefs come from? Our belief systems, or as my friend and colleague TJ Woodward calls them, our B.S. systems, come from early childhood, often before the age of two. In this developmentally critical period of time we are like little sponges, absorbing the thoughts, feelings, emotions and points of view of those around us. Studies have shown that at this stage, we actually don’t perceive the difference between ourselves and those around us. Our brainwaves are primarily in the theta state, or that of hypnosis, which makes us especially susceptible to believing that which is said or shown to us. We take in and formulate these beliefs and then concretize or cement them into the framework of our world. We then begin to create our lives, relationships, and future through these beliefs. This concept may seem daunting but there is good news. What if we can change these beliefs and limiting points of view? This is the work I do with clients each day. It is simple to identify and have clarity about the core false beliefs that limit us. Take an area of your life that is not working the way you would like it right now and ask yourself…What is my core false belief in this area of my life? Let’s say you have a pattern of choosing unfulfilling relationships which don’t last or in which you are not treated in the way in which you’d like. The core false belief driving this pattern could be “I am not lovable,” or “I don’t deserve to be happy,” or “Everyone always leaves me.” Once we have an idea of what the limiting point of view is, next we can ask more questions. Is this belief actually true? What makes you think this is true? What evidence do you have that supports the belief, and what evidence do you have that doesn’t? Is it actually even your belief? Many of us are so sensitive and aware that we pull in the thoughts and beliefs of others and adopt them as our own without recognizing what is actually true for us. The energy of these beliefs can actually be cleared using some powerful holistic techniques. Some that I use and recommend in my private practice are tapping/EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), Brainspotting, NET (Neuro Emotional Technique), BSFF (Be Set Free Fast™) or Access Consciousness®. In my new book, What If You’re Not As F**ked Up As You Think You Are? I explore this topic in great depth and walk you through some dynamic exercises and tools to clear and eliminate these beliefs. Our core false beliefs impact every area of our life. The good news is that identifying them and working through them can provide enormous freedom to you personally and professionally and open the gateway to the success, freedom and happiness you truly desire. For more information on my book being released Dec. 15th, please visit here. To watch a Facebook live where I recently explored core false beliefs please visit here. And if you want to find out more about how you can change your core false beliefs so you can be successful with your goals, join me and TJ Woodward for a free Zoom on Jan 31 st called New Year Realizations – Why Resolutions Don’t Always Work. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Adriana! Dr. Adriana Popescu, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Adriana Popescu is a licensed clinical psychologist and empowerment coach with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. She specializes in treating addiction, co-occurring disorders, and trauma, and has directed a number of treatment programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Adriana has a private practice in San Francisco and travels around the world coaching and facilitating transformational and empowering workshops. She coauthored the Conscious Being, Conscious Recovery, and Conscious Creation Workbooks, and she hosts a fascinating podcast called Kaleidoscope of Possibilities – Alternative Perspectives on Mental Health. She loves to empower people to overcome their imagined limitations, release their self-judgments, and discover the brilliance within – creating a life of infinite possibilities.

Written by: Ajani Inez, 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. What is rebirth? Rebirth is a potent and powerful healing process that we all will experience numerous times in different stages of our life. You may know it as the "dark night of the soul" or a "spiritual awakening." All in all, it’s the process of purification where we are returned to our spiritual roots, essence, and identity. This transformative experience can feel chaotic, confusing, and triggering as we are brought face-to-face with our current reality, old wounds, and parts of ourselves that no longer serve who we’re becoming and the life we are meant to lead. Here we are given the intuitions and choices to facilitate the changes that will need to be made within our minds, bodies, spirit, and emotions. Although each element of rebirth is unique to each individual, one aspect remains constant in each case, and that is the process of dissolving the ego into a more authentic, natural way of living. When we are amid a rebirth, there are uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and sensations within our body that stimulate the very essence of our being. This causes us to feel as if we are losing our sense of self, direction, and or purpose. It’s a helpless situation that can feel as if we are being punished by the universe. But this is not the case... This is meant to be a moment of faith and surrender. A moment of observation. A soul retrieval and a homecoming. As uncomfortable as it may seem, the true mechanism of rebirth is that it evolves us from one chapter of our lives to the next. It allows us to heal old wounds while discovering and integrating newer aspects of ourselves. It gives us the opportunity to refine what we truly expect from ourselves and from life. Understanding the cycle of rebirth. Navigating these portals of transformation can be difficult without awareness. Understanding each phase of rebirth helps you to keep your eye on the bigger picture and not fight against changes that may feel unfamiliar, intense, or uncomfortable. This is radical acceptance. You understand that these situations show up in your life because they are needed to shift the state of your well-being. You allow the divine to take over instead of the ego. You allow love to take over and fill your heart instead of allowing the codependency of your comfortability to continue leading you down a path that no longer supports you. I’m always entering new cycles of transformation and by now I understand how the cycle of rebirth works. However, my level of awareness hasn’t always been this way. I didn’t always understand why I would experience certain feelings, thoughts, and situations that would take me out of my elemental self. At times, I’d become very erratic and suicidal. I didn’t recognize that during these transformative moments, I was looking back in the mirror at myself, wanting to kill off versions of me that I no longer associated with. These experiences brought forth the realization that it was time to leave my comfort zone so that I could begin to walk on the path of my truest potential and highest purpose. I had to shift my perspective to see that everything I've been experiencing was happening for me and not to me. It took many cycles of confusion, heartbreak, anger, and disappointment to grasp what was truly happening. What is alchemy? I see the cycle of rebirth as an alchemical process in that it’s a seemingly magical and multidimensional process of transformation and creation. Alchemy was an occult science that sought to transmute base metals, such as lead, into gold. Metaphorically speaking, the transmutation of lead into gold relates to the process of self-actualization and spiritual rebirth. Seven distinct spiritual phases make up the alchemical process. Calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, distillation, and coagulation. Each phase is focused on spiritual development, gaining a higher state of awareness, integration, and harmony. Calcination is the first phase of the alchemical process of rebirth. Think of this phase as a towering moment where everything in your world will seem to come crashing down. Things that were once tied to your identity-people, jobs, material items, habits, old narratives, limiting beliefs-are being stripped away because they no longer resonate with who you’re about to become. The more baggage that you carried with you up until this point will determine the intensity that you feel in this phase. This is a freedom tactic from the universe. Calcination is your wake-up call. Surrender with ease. Next is dissolution. I like to think of this phase as a reflection period. We are brought to the depths of our subconscious where we face our thoughts, feelings, unconscious drives, and the systems we let define our perceptions of ourselves. Here, you will learn to accept the aspects of yourself that you may not like and get ready to let them go with love. This can sometimes manifest as depression as you grieve these aspects. Separation is the third part of the process where we begin to filter through the aspects of our subconscious selves that we witnessed during the dissolution phase. It’s a conscious decision to release the parts of your identity and perspectives about the world that have been conditioned by your environments, friends, family, and social structures. We trade these parts of ourselves for more authentic and valuable aspects. This means embracing the parts of yourself that you may have been rejecting. You begin awakening to what is real within you, and you rediscover your true essence. You may initially feel that you are not worthy to embody such powerful aspects, but this is your truth. Take back your power and own it. Conjunction is where you begin to reclaim the relinquished parts of yourself. You become whole and balance is restored within. You take the valuable aspects of yourself that remain after separation and combine these elements to form your authentic self. As you step into this genuine energy, conscious awareness is naturally instilled, setting boundaries becomes a healthy habit and detachment becomes a necessity. In this phase, you become aware of how important it is to focus on self-mastery so the higher aspects of yourself feel safe to express themselves in the world. Here you remember how powerful you are. Fermentation is the fifth phase of spiritual alchemy where you experience the physical stage of rebirth. You are the phoenix rising from the ashes. Everything that you have been working through thus far will begin to actualize. In this stage, you experience your more refined self, while the last four phases involve working through your old personality. During the fermentation phase, as you rise from the ashes, you may feel a sense of lethargy or even depression as the old aspects of you are burning away for good. This too shall pass. Allow yourself to rest and regenerate. Fermentation is the perfect stage to learn how to cultivate peace and inner stillness. Distillation gives us the time and space to integrate our newer selves and practices. To invite peace and harmony into our lives. Maybe you feel the need to adopt a daily yoga practice or maybe you feel called to eat healthier. The goal is to find ways to ingrain your new patterns, behaviors, and realizations into your life so that you don’t fall back into old beliefs, habits, and cycles from your pre-transformed self. In this phase, it’s important that you are patient with yourself being that you’re beginning a new life contrary to the old, and things may take some time to get used to. Coagulation is the seventh and final phase of the spiritual alchemy process. Here we are solidified in mind, body, and spirit. Unified in the masculine and feminine energy. We feel more independent and complete. We feel more than ever that we are ready to go after our dreams and goals and obtain our desires. We feel powerful and stable. Intuitive and creative. You feel that you can take on anything that comes your way. I mean, once you reach this phase of the alchemical process, technically you did just take on everything the universe brought your way. Good for you! The time spent in each phase—days, months, or years—will depend on your ability to surrender deeper into the process. Expect to be broken, rebuilt, tested, and tried over and over until you are reborn again. This is nothing your human spirit can’t handle. However, let it be known that you must work through each stage before moving onto the next. Before writing this article… I had a tarot therapy session with a client who was experiencing lower-than-normal energy and pains throughout her body that couldn’t be medically explained. After pulling some cards, I immediately realized that she was in the first phase of the alchemical process. Things that no longer served her were being stripped away so that she could begin to align herself with the magical outcomes she had been manifesting in her life. When we are dealing with energetic transformation, I want you to note that unusual symptoms may occur for periods of time throughout each phase. These symptoms are undiagnosable and caused by the movement of energy that’s rearranging and opening pathways within your body. I am not a medical professional so do not take this as medical advice. It's always a good idea to check in with your primary care provider if you are experiencing any pain or discomfort within your body. I hope that this alchemical manual serves you well as you continue your journey in life. Remain compassionate with yourself. Take care. Ajani Inez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ajani Inez is a multidisciplinary healer and guide teaching individuals how to heal from the lasting effects of trauma. During prominent years of healing from adverse primal wounding, she obtained tools, knowledge, and wisdom that have assisted her in moving past her difficult upbringing. She sees the critical value in sharing what she has learned and enjoys providing fact-based knowledge and intuitive wisdom on an array of multidimensional wellness aspects, encouraging individuals to recognize and or restore healthy physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual factors within themselves.

Written by: Trudy Bateman, 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. We’ve all been there, there’s less than a month to go until Christmas and you haven’t progressed far with your shopping, let alone sorted the kid’s Christmas jumpers and somehow, you’ve been roped into cooking dinner for a small army. Christmas is a magical time of year, but it’s also perhaps one of the most stressful times for planning and organising yourself and your family. If a planner or organiser isn’t among your strengths, it can become an ever more daunting task. Here are my top 5 tips for planning a Christmas to enjoy and remember: 1. Write a list and take everything in bitesize chunks There may be less than a month to go, but that’s still enough time to get organised. Write down everything you have to do and tick each thing off the list as you do it. Seeing the list gradually reduce as you progress will help to spur you on. 2. Use the strengths you do have You’re bound to have other strengths that can help to shape your festive plans. Action will come in handy for moving things along quickly, and Creativity could help you to tackle tasks differently, finding creative ways for other family members to get involved. My daughter isn’t very organised with her friends, but she loves to wrap and bake! Others include Humour for when things don’t go according to the plan, Optimism and Authenticity to dial up what’s important to you. 3. Get help from those that love planning Planner may not be your strength, but perhaps you have someone close to you who loves it. Ask for their help in organising yourself to get your jobs done. Give them specific tasks or lists of their own to motivate them and be clear on the help you need, don’t leave it and hope they recognise you are struggling. 4. Make memories Making memories isn’t just about the day itself, it’s spending time with your loved ones in the run up to it too. It’s also about having the energy to enjoy time together afterwards, rather than wanting to sleep! This doesn’t have to involve lots of planning, just being in the moment when spending time with family and friends is really all you need. Try asking those closest to you “What one thing do you need to make Christmas special,” so you aren’t focused on “everything”. 5. Have a rest That’s right. There is a lot to get done, but Christmas is supposed to be a time to kick back, reflect and enjoy a time when most of the world is also taking a break from work. If getting things ready is becoming overwhelming, take a step back, reassess and come back to it when you’re ready. Ask others what they do or get a balanced view on whether you are being realistic. Christmas should be a fun time of year, but if your festive planning is getting on top of you, take a moment to reflect, and ensure you’re using your strengths and less of your Learned Behaviours to help you do things with more energy. If you don’t know what your strengths are, you can take a free Strengths Profile to find out. Your strengths benefit you all year round so, take a look at our Expert Profile to get started on your new year resolutions early. It’s packed full of resources to help you to take action, including an interactive Goals Planner and an optional Career Guide. Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Trudy! Trudy Bateman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Trudy Bateman is an expert in strengths and their applications. As Director of Strengths Profile, Trudy works with coaches, organizations, and universities to help them understand the strengths of their people, so they can develop them – ensuring not just a successful career, but one they love. Having led the team responsible for the implementation of successful product strategy and delivery of strengths-based assessments for over 13 years, Trudy has delivered thousands of strengths solutions through coaching, facilitating, and consulting, including the accreditation of over 3,000 Strengths Profile practitioners. She is a key speaker, author of The Strengths Profile Book, and resident expert in strengths.

Dr. Charryse Johnson is an author, speaker, and mental health consultant whose work focuses on the intersection of integrative wellness, neuroscience, and mental health. She is the founder of Jade Integrative Counseling and Wellness, an integrative therapy practice where personal values, the search for meaning, and the power of choice are the central focus. Dr.Johnson works with clients and organizations across the nation and has an extensive background and training in education, crisis and trauma, neuroscience, and identity development. Dr. Charryse Johnson, Expert Mental Health Consultant Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better. Dr. Charryse Johnson is an author, keynote speaker, and veteran psychotherapist whose work focuses on the intersection of integrative wellness, neuroscience, and mental health. She is the founder of Jade Integrative Counseling and Wellness where personal values, the search for meaning, and the power of choice are the central focus. As a clinician, she has worked with individuals, couples and families across the lifespan and is adept at helping individuals navigate challenging life transitions and identity development. Dr. Johnson holds a B.A. in both Vocal Music and Human Development and Family Studies, an M.A. in Professional Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, with a focus on crisis and trauma. As an executive wellness consultant, she supports non-profits, educational institutions, and corporations looking to develop strategic initiatives that center leadership, inclusivity, and emotional well-being. She is a registered yoga teacher (RYT) and has extensive training in trauma, eating disorders, spirituality, and neurorelational approaches such as Brainspotting. In August 2021, she released her first book, Expired Mindsets, and was later identified as “10 Authors to Watch in 2022” by The American Reporter. In June 2022, she published Mindset Matters, a guided journal that helps individuals create neural pathways that help reinforce new habit development. Dr. Johnson also serves as a keynote speaker and panelist at summits around the world. She presents on topics such as corporate wellness, mental health, and interpersonal effectiveness. The unique combination of her education and lived experiences allows Dr.Johnson to tailor and customize her approach while maintaining effectiveness. As a mental health expert, Dr.Johnson is a frequent advocate and advisor for news stations in Charlotte, NC and the surrounding community. She and her husband Randy were college sweethearts and have been married for twenty-four years. They have two amazing young adult children who Dr.Johnson will unashamedly mention at every opportunity she gets. Her favorite hobbies include shopping (yes that’s a hobby,lol), yoga, and spending time with family. Fun fact If Dr.Johnson wasn’t a therapist, she would be a global humanitarian. What kind of audience do you target your business towards? The resources I support are targeted toward people. While that may seem obvious or cliché, it’s my way of helping individuals abandon the process of compartmentalizing their challenges. As humans, the unresolved and unaddressed issues in our lives will show up both personally and professionally. Thus, one of my primary goals is to help educate individuals and organizations on the value of comprehensive mental health integration. In my work with individuals and families this exists through offerings such as one on one support, exploration of self limiting beliefs, and teaching skills to help shift towards value-aligned living. On an organizational and corporate level this may come through keynote speaking, participating in summits, assisting with strategic wellnesself-limitings implementation, or developing products or programming to help improve mental health and mindset. What are your current goals for your business? Mental health stigma in the workplace is steeped in the reality that most people don’t want to sit around and talk about their problems. Being asked or forced to do so can create resistance, shame and often requires too much vulnerability in a work setting. I believe it is time to make a shift towards implementing MENTAL FITNESS. Mental fitness allows everyone equal opportunity for personal development and growth. It holds space for various dichotomies of identity, offering each person the ability to choose where and how they apply the new perspectives they glean. As an expert mental health consultant, keynote, and entrepreneur, I aim to highlight the value of this shift in perspective on mental health. The mental fitness paradigm opens the door for powerful and productive conversations that can teach teams how to operate from a higher place of potential. Learning then becomes more about who you are and how you respond, while working to see yourself through a lens of curiosity and non-judgment. This reduces the need to defend and empowers individuals and organizations to create the change they desire by moving from thought to action. In a culture of well-being centered on mental fitness, growth is no longer reserved for leaders or managers. It shifts away from being a privilege based on productivity and politics. Each individual has a chance to take an open and honest look at the quality of their life, the hidden messages in their responses, and the presence or absence of their values on a personal and professional level. Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far? And what’s next? There are many days I wake up and say to myself, “I can’t believe I get to do this”. It takes great courage for people to work towards healing and I count it an honor to be entrusted with their stories. My greatest achievements are every moment I have the chance to encourage others to believe “better is possible”. For example, I provide mental fitness coaching for members of Eager 2 Motivate (E2M), an online fitness community with participants located around the world. Engaging with this group allows me to help individuals better understand the intersection of their mental and physical health. The mind and body are often viewed as separate entities, but research clearly demonstrates good mental health can have a positive impact on physical health and conversely, poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical conditions. Moving forward, I want to expand the reach and mission of integrative well-being by facilitating international personal growth retreats, developing additional resources for corporate wellness, and creating a hub of online courses and webinars that provide expert mental health resources that can be accessed at any time. I would also plan to develop training resources to equip athletic trainers, coaches and staff on improving mental fitness and resilience in student-athletes. Many of these next steps are in progress and will launch January 2023! Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today. The loss of my mother was one of the most pivotal moments of my life and it continues to play a significant role in where I am today. I had only been married for a few years, I was a new parent, and my whole world was shattered. My mother was a very giving and caring person who ran a non-profit focused on supporting families. Watching her battle cancer and the way she seized each moment gave me a new perspective on the priority of presence. Experiencing life and living with loss has taught me how to grow and learn while working through my own healing. The power of my own story allows me to look beyond a person’s pain and support them in powerful and unique ways. From the classroom to the board room, I connect and stay mindful that there can always be pain hiding behind a smile. Today, my passion is rooted in the belief that our past only holds the power we have relinquished— it is only meant to be a place of reference and not a place of residence. One person, one organization at a time, I will continue to help others honor the space they were designed to occupy. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Charryse!