Meet our featured beauty with brains Katja Kempe, an entrepreneur based in Sydney, Australia. She is the CEO and Founder of Viveka (https://www.viveka.world) which is an online marketplace for coaches, mentors and speakers.

Viveka is a combination of Katja’s professional experience and personal passion. As a Strategy Manager and then COO of internationally leading law firms, Katja followed strategic, innovative and global industry trends whilst implementing new strategies to continuously up level efficiencies and processes. In addition, Katja always had a passion for personal growth and professional development and has been a coach and mentor for several years, parallel to her career in the legal industry.

Katja is internationally experienced, multilingual, inspired by innovation and a strong believer in creating positive and sustainable change.

Here is her story.

“The Catalyst.

‘The only constant in life is change.’- Heraclitus

Everything in life is in motion; we constantly evolve collectively and individually to form a new realm of consciousness. The notion to ‘arrive somewhere’ is an inaccurate belief and yet pursued by many in the hope of finding true fulfilment or happiness, once a particular milestone is achieved in life. Be it a promotion in your career, finding your life partner and getting married, reaching optimal fitness levels and participating in a competition or having a certain amount of money in your bank account, to name a few.

Yes, all these things satisfy us, give us a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of being ‘on track’, they may even ensure many thumbs up on your social media post. Reality is, these triumphs bring you happiness, but do these emotions last long-term?

How many times have you heard or even said to yourself ‘As soon as I DO X, I will HAVE Y and then I will BE happy, relaxed, able to enjoy life and be content with myself.’ We live in a ‘Do-Have-Be’ paradigm and have it all back to front.

You see, there is no single ‘summit’ when it comes to life. Life is an on-going personal growth voyage, so it’s best to experience this journey dancing to its rhythm or being ‘in flow’. Flow – the new buzzword featured in every modern development blog, magazine or professional development guide. But what exactly is ‘flow’ and how do we access it?

Generally speaking, there are three phases to personal change: the catalyst phase, the realization phase and the implementation phase. You are, consciously or not, in either one or multiple of these phases in every aspect of your life and every period of your lifespan. I would like to share a personal story with you. A story that had me question every aspect of my life. This story was my biggest catalyst in life and brought me on my path of purpose.

The difference between where you are and where you need to be is simple, yet it can be incredibly confronting. You need to fully surrender to your purpose, your passion, your magic in this world and step away from the status quo that sucks us into a place of complacency.

Just like you, I needed to surrender to something greater. You see, life was what I thought it was supposed to be. It was what the world had told me I was supposed to do and even though I wasn’t completely happy; I was ‘okay’.

My parents blessed me with an international upbringing and good education. In my mid-twenties, I graduated from a double master’s degree in business and then worked in the management of a big law firm. My career progressed quickly and after 8 years, I found myself in the C-Suite of one of the world’s largest legal firms.

I had a good salary, an amazing luxurious life, a beautiful view from my office over the Sydney harbour and the approval of all my family and friends. I thought I had ‘arrived’ and ‘made it’, yet I was living in a situation where intimidation, politics of the workplace and constant backstabbing was a day-to-day normality.

Some days, I could be oblivious to it and pretend to be completely happy and ‘in my element’, but even on those days when I told myself that it was alright, I knew deep down inside of my spirit, that something was profoundly misaligned within my being. More than anything, I wanted to get out. I bet you’ve been in that place.

You’re probably even there right now. But like you, I didn’t want to give up the luxurious life I had created for myself and take the bold step of surrender. And so, as Life, God, the Universe—or whatever you want to call it—often does, it stepped in and it forced me to make a choice. Was I going to choose to be the fullness of who I was?

Life offered me an opportunity. Most of the time, life’s gifts don’t always come as pretty bouquets, but blows. They come ‘wrapped in sandpaper’. I like to say, “life handed me a rose”. Sometimes you can see the rose for what it is, a beautifully created symbol of love and other times you are completely numbed by the pain of the thorns. And so, it was in my case.

I went into work one day and was retrenched. Sure, I knew there were expense issues and that politics had been at play and all the reasons why, but however you look at it, I was fired. My luxurious life had been yanked out from underneath me and all the blood, sweat and tears that I put in to my job didn’t matter at all. As if someone tore the carpet from underneath my feet. I fell, and I fell hard.

I was forced into that position and I chose to breathe through those endless moments of uncertainty and give myself the chance to unfold. I’m so blessed to say that I took time to travel, because it was in those travels, that I came to life.

When I did, I found my passion and my purpose. This was my realisation phase, my personal metamorphosis. Since then, I watched as one miracle unfolded after the next. The lessons I learned through my travels and of my new life journey, allowed me to see the tools which were placed into my life, to do that thing, that I was always called to do.

The intention of sharing this story with you, is to highlight the importance of a catalyst.

Now, let me share some of the best tools that my surrender taught me with you, so that you too, can take that leap of faith. Step out of the golden cage of safety and luxury and into the truly luxurious life that you’re really meant to live. I invite you to come with me as we both live a life of surrender. I did it, you can live through it, and I promise you, the other side is the place that you want to live.

Do you know someone, who suffered from a terrible illness and then once cured, completely reinvented their life? Or got retrenched from their job and then chose a completely different avenue, perhaps to contribute to the greater good and quite possibly even taking a pay cut into account.

Maybe you know someone who lost a loved one and as a result started to question their doing and value their time more. Perchance you can even recognise yourself in one of these people.

All these examples, whilst extreme, are catalysts. And if you give yourself the opportunity, you will start to see the blessings and collateral beauty of these perceived tragic, unfair and terrible challenges, that life throws at us. Catalysts are designed to shake you up, or better: wake you up!

All you need to do is persevere, open your heart and trust that the universe has your back.

Disrupt Yourself.

The beauty about a catalyst is that you needn’t wait until life seemingly conspires against you to put you on a different path. You can disrupt yourself to avoid the tragedy of severe events in your life, by being proactive. Believe it or not, the universe responds to change, it is a symbol of its abundance and ever flowing creativity. Change is the only language the universe understands.

The universal language of change is how the divine expresses its creative powers, its love for creation, its love for growth in possibilities and how It expands its own consciousness.

Ultimately, everything that happens to you in your life, happens for a reason.

Think Kodak, Borders, MSN Messenger, Pan American Airlines and General Motors, just to name a few. These once fortune powerhouses are no longer with us, with one common denominator cited by business experts as the reason: They did not change. They did not self-disrupt, and as a result, did not disrupt their respective markets with new innovations.

Yes, they relied on workmanship, competitive prices, PR, marketing and all the conventional ways associated with Big Business. Yet what was missing was self-disruption, to let go of the old and bring in the new, innovate existing trends, break the moulds and do things differently.

They stayed the same, and as a result, they were way-sided by inevitable progress.

So how do we self-disrupt? How do we merge with the universal language of ‘change’ to manifest greater success, greater love, greater wealth, greater health and happiness?

There are three key areas that need to be addressed, in order to shift the gears of their influence in your life.

Self-limiting patterns: This is perhaps the most important. Without this being shifted, nothing changes.

The human brain: This incredible organ is the determinant of our destiny, because we cannot coach ourselves based on what we want, but what we are.

Taking inspired action: Not all action-taking is created equal. Even some of what we think to be ‘inspired action’ can be counter-productive.

Undo self-limiting patterns and your destiny changes. Here’s how.

‘What are self-limiting patterns and why do they impact me in unforeseen ways?’

This is a question we get regularly at Viveka and rather than building self-trust through coaching or self-development and removing the weed of self-limiting patterns, an inordinate amount of trust is invested in forces outside ourselves, beyond our control. We blame and shame others or circumstances in our lives and even interpret life events as ‘a sign’ or karmic debt.

Right up until the consequences of these self-limiting patterns, from chronic procrastination to fear of starting new projects, rear their head and inevitably, ‘life happens’.

And some of the times when ‘life happens’, the universe itself feels like a hostile place, as though existence conspires to make one’s ability to move ahead in key life areas difficult. Yes, life can be a hard teacher. A lot of the hardest lessons we had to learn manifest not just once, but several times over an entire life-time.

Without eliminating limiting believes, you set yourself up for eroded courage. You set yourself up for diminishing hope, pave the way for self-doubt, self-sabotage and uncertainty in life. A pattern of ‘stumbling blocks’ that get in the way of obtaining your deepest wishes.

What’s tricky about these patterns is that, although they can often manifest externally in the form of ‘events’ that dishearten you or stall your progress, they actually start within us! Limiting beliefs manifest in your energetic frequency, as who you are; your buried traumas, your fears, your unsupportive behavioural patterns. They become the red lights along the road to your deepest fulfillments in life and some of these red lights feel like they take forever to change.

So how do you shift your Karma?

The human brain. Coach yourself out.

Fundamental to coaching is the ability to get deeply in touch with your emotions by creating a ‘structure’ that you are held accountable to, such as a time-table, a monthly ‘personal statement’ and so on. This then allows the negative behavioural patterns to be teased out from within the depths of your consciousness, brought up to the surface for examination and then let go of.

When you are no longer burdened by the negative emotions, something remarkable happens. The layers that obscured your authentic self; the real you that is naturally happy, carefree, heart-based and curious, will begin to replace any ‘pleasure’ you felt in the escapist activities and self-sabotage patterns of the outside world.

And this mode of being will feel so pleasurable –the changes that can manifest in your outside world, from more money to healed relationships, better networking gigs, more effortless learning and acquiring of hobbies and skills – so remarkable, that merely the very passing thought of even returning to your old patterns will bring about pain.

Before long, self-coaching will no longer be something you just do as a check-list. It will be something you will do as who you are.

Think of your brain’s cognitive capacity as you would of your laptop’s memory bank: It is a finite resource. When the laptop processes dozens upon dozens of operations at the same time, little processing power is left to tackle the important things, such as running programs smoothly.

In the same way, when the brain’s cognitive capacity is largely devoted to tackling the many stresses of everyday living, there is very little cognitive ‘bandwidth’ left to tackle the important, potentially life changing decision-making processes, such as those associated with setting and achieving new goals.

That is why, those who experience financial troubles instinctively resort to ‘comfort zone activities’ to stay ‘centred’ and grounded, to recoup and to survive. The only problem is, those ‘comfort zone’ activities often stifle one’s abilities to manifest a better life, as they keep one stuck in the old negative thought and behavioural patterns that manifested these financial problems to begin with and they enforce the brain’s old neural pathways and limit one’s potential.

You will notice that as you support yourself, no matter how great your problems, life will support you. Have faith, own your changes and recognize that staying the course of your new life literally changes your frequency from the inside-out.

Taking Inspired Action

Action-taking serves as an indicator, a self-diagnostic tool, that you accept the new limitation-eliminating, possibility-attracting frequencies inside you.

Your actions help anchor you in your new frequency and ground you. And by actions, I don’t mean actions on a checklist, but rather actions with self-awareness, where you embark on exactly why you are taking that action. Actions taken as a checklist can still have beneficial effects, but far less than when done ‘as who you are’.

Actions taken in combination with a structure such as a time-table, an ‘evidence board’ and introspective examinations of emotions that arise from within you, essentially communicate to the divine, to the universe, that you are sincere in your quest for fulfilment.

Taking action is crucial to self-disruption and is very powerful. With it, through the magic of neuroplasticity, the brain forms new neural pathways and with that, your self-identity changes. Your frequency changes.

What exactly is ‘inspired action’?

It is action that is based on an intuitive nudge.

But this leads to a new question: How do we know, that what we call an ‘intuitive nudge’ is not actually our ego trying to self-sabotage the whole operation of manifesting a new reality for yourself, so as not to get vulnerable to its own destruction through ‘positive change’?

Note: The ego will do whatever it can to thwart change, even if it is change for the better. This is because the ego can anticipate old patterns, but not new ones. To the ego-mind, change is tantamount to its own death!

Action taken with self-awareness, taken as though change is inevitable and taken with full vulnerability to the unknown, is heart-guided or inspired action. That is the hallmark of the sort of action you must take for your life to change: Action that leads to new growth, opposed to enforcing old comfort zones.

In other words, action taken from the heart is the action that leads you to new discoveries about yourself, knowing yourself and your capabilities in ways you never knew or anticipated before.

This mode of action-taking is always ‘the harder way’. Essentially, you kick your own butt and propel yourself to positive new directions in your life. Now, understandably, because this way essentially ventures into the ‘unknown’ of life, there is one emotion that daunts most on this path.

The Emotion of Worry.

Replace worry with curiosity and witness your life change. Worrying is easily one of the most self-sabotaging habits and one of the most malicious stumbling blocks to manifesting the life of your dreams.

Worry literally behaves like an internal parasite. It feeds on the psychic cord between us and our higher self until the cord atrophies and we feel a profound disconnect with who we really are. What’s more, it steeps one deep into a behavioural pattern of shut-down and into confusion, victimhood and resistance to the natural flow of the divine.

Our faith erodes, both in the divine and in ourselves and that in turn affects our neural pathways and our frequency. As a result, we attract even more of the experiences which stem from our limiting behavioural and thought patterns and on goes the vicious cycle.

The good news: Worry is a very malleable pattern that can be unlearned. Statistics show that about 99% of our worries never manifest and that only 1% of them do. Worry is a learned behaviour that can be unlearned.

The bad news: When it does become a behavioural pattern, it becomes a very powerful one, as it is highly pervasive and even addictive. Worry does affect neural pathways when it becomes a behavioural pattern and due to its low vibrational frequency, we attract harsh lessons that aren’t specifically based on our initial ‘worry’, but that nonetheless make life very challenging and unsupportive.

Worry erodes faith and disconnects us from the divine. This can have consequences.

Therefore, so much emphasis was made on taking heart-based action. Worry naturally atrophies when you take action with the full self-awareness, that you are doing this to internally change. The awareness that you’re growing into the best version of yourself, irrespective of external ‘success’ or ‘failure’, becomes its own reward.

The next time you worry, make a conscious effort to catch yourself and immediately replace your worry with ‘curiosity’ and the question: ‘How good can this get?’

Worry is based on limited thinking; a natural result of abiding by ‘neocortex thinking’. It is an effect of not trusting our spiritual connection to the universe, based on the assumption that we are powerless, alone and bereft of the divine spark that is unquestionable and that exists within each and every one of us.

The diametrical opposite to worry is curiosity. Curiosity in life’s infinite possibilities, in the divine will, in a conscious search for the answer: ‘How good can it get?’

This shift in thinking is fuelled by one thing: gratitude. The presence of gratitude is the demarcation between worry and curiosity.

With worry, we are victims to life. With curiosity, we recognize life’s events, real and imagined, as gifts here to teach us things about ourselves that we would not face otherwise. Vehicles for knowing our truth and our capabilities. And for that, we become grateful and we embrace life with full trust and faith in the divine. We know that the universe has our best interest at heart.

At Viveka, we introduce ways to let go of internal blockages. Let go of precisely those behavioural patterns, that stem from limiting beliefs and get in the way of you embracing your life at the magnitude, that you were destined to. Ultimately, you know that you were always meant to live in this greatness. Let us lift you up and guide you there. Visit Viveka http://www.viveka.world and find a coach, mentor or speaker tailored to your specific needs. We update human thoughtware.

‘Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.’ – Steve Jobs.”

Meet our featured beauty with brains Shipra Shah, an artist based in Sydney, Australia. She is a very creative soul whose extraordinary work is inspired by nature. Here is her story.

“I am Shipra. I believe that life surprises you if you follow your dreams and leads you to your true calling.

I am an ardent and passionate watercolour and botanical artist. I am fascinated by the tremendous variety on display of the exhilarating flora and fauna in this beautiful country. My eye for detail and my perseverance to translate that into my work has been consistent. My motto is ‘Simplicity breeds extraordinary work.’

I have followed this passion for over 20 years, starting with a 5 year degree in fine arts from a premier art institute. My strengths are watercolour, pencil sketching/shading and detailing in both the mediums. Over the years my works include illustration jobs for clothing brands, art workshops in corporate firms and detailed watercolour paintings.

In Queensland I lived in a splendid town-home surrounded with flora and fauna where I started enjoying gardening and collecting leaves and intriguing remains of plants. My inspiration and creativity is at its peak in the wee hours of the mornings when I’m out and about admiring nature. It is there that I developed a special affinity towards native Australian botanicals. This, combined with my passion for watercolour painting, gave me the fuel to start formal training in Watercolour and Botanical Art after which I never looked back. The journey wasn’t an easy one but I was resilient and kept moving forward without looking back.

I now reside in New South Wales. Being an animal lover, I own a lovely dog, who plays an important role in keeping up my interest in nature. Whenever I go for strolls with him, I love observing and admiring various leaves and flowers around.

Dry leaves and twigs or any plant remains around, always intrigue me and I collect them during my long walks as raw material for my artworks. Fresh vegetables and fruits from various farmers’ markets around the city is my latest passion. I am often awestruck by the colourful patterns and beautiful natural hues sprayed all across seasonal fresh produce pumpkins, various varieties of squash and pears and I plan to develop a detailed artwork with these subjects as an inspiration in this new year. I also like portraying various stages of fruits and vegetables ripening over time by rendering and water colour.

Showing and selling my artwork in various events and exhibitions have given me a lot of positive feedback and encouragement from art connoisseurs to motivate me in continuing to create art pieces inspired by nature. Also, teaching in various art institutes across Brisbane and Sydney has further enriched my experience and I’m now a well-recognized watercolour and botanical artist, tutor and illustrator.

Botanical art is my spirit’s true passion.”

We asked her some questions.

1. Do you think art can be therapeutic? If so, how can it be used as therapy?

Art has been used as a therapy for decades. It has a meditative effect and reduces stress to a great extent. Our watercolour workshops are always compared to meditation by our students since it completely involves the student in the techniques and beauty of watercolours and they always leave baggage-free, wanting more.

Shippi’s Art also conducts corporate workshops as a stress buster for busy companies.

2. What is your advice to women who want to explore art but feel they have no skill or time to do so?

Art does not need skill but I always tell my students that the first step in learning is the intention. You don’t need to give a lot of time to get refreshed by art. Just join a weekend workshop conducted by Shippi’s Art at Sydney Community College or Ku-ring-Gai Art Centre and get the taste of Art in a weekend!

3. Can you share some tips for budding artists.

As I mentioned before art needs an intention and so I would surely like to emphasise for all budding artists to do art regularly. Paint anything around you, a cup and saucer or a basket of fruits or sketch or paint the cityscape next time you stroll around the QVB (Queen Victoria Building) in Sydney city. It’s that simple and you’ll realise you are developing greatly as an artist. Being an artist is a long lonely road but perseverance always pays. Join art societies and enjoy discussions on art and develop new skills.

Feel free to check out her website http://shippisart.com.au

Meet our featured beauty with brains Sonia Kaur, a trainer and team leader based in Sydney, Australia. She is a strong, financially and emotionally independent woman, who has achieved a great work-life balance. Here is her story.

“My name is Sonia. I am a qualified trainer and assessor for ‘Early Childhood Education and Care’ and I also work as a team leader for a reputed RTO (Registered Training Organisation). I believe that life does not require us to be the best, but to only try our best. This lesson has been followed by me, both personally and professionally, throughout my life and I have achieved my goals through hard work. I am an ordinary working woman who has to maintain a good balance between work and family daily and I get my strength from my positive outlook towards life as well as from my family, who has always been with me, through thick and thin. People often ask how I balance between being a management team leader at work and doing household chores on a daily basis. The answer to this is that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations and I try to be a positive role model to my two beautiful daughters. I want them to be educated, independent and to be able to keep the love in their family alive.

Being a team leader and trainer assessor in a RTO teaches me to be a mentor as well as to be patient in various aspects and situations at my work. I apply this to my family life as well. I started my life as a new migrant just like many others. Being highly qualified overseas, I had to start from the base in Australia, but I strongly believe that no one can change my life, and no one can do it for me, so I did it for myself. To achieve this, I had to study continuously, and I must say that my husband was the one who had full faith in me and I cannot thank God enough for giving me what I have today.

I am very positive and optimistic and believe that whatever happens, happens for the best. You just have to face whatever comes your way and keep smiling. My parents always taught me to give my best and that being positive is the key to success.

I am very independent, not only financially but also emotionally.

‘A lot of people are afraid to say what they want, that’s why they don’t get what they want.’ – Madonna

I think I am very clear in this perspective as I know my goals and I will work hard to achieve my goals.

People often praise me for being elegantly dressed on a regular basis with a happy and smiling face. In reply to this, I would like to say that you need to learn to love yourself before loving others which I started by achieving my weight goal. It makes me emotional realising that I inspire students and friends unknowingly and they message me to continue spreading motivation around. If I can bring a smile on someone’s face it means that I’ve achieved something big.

I am generally the type of person who forgives people easily. I believe in quality not quantity, when it comes to how people interact with me, and support me through every phase. I am enthusiastic on going outside and being socially active, but I also balance the challenges at work and home, taking pride in everything I do, at all times.

There is no force more powerful than women who are determined to rise and I have proven that by achieving my weight goal and my ultimate work goal.

My message to all women is that a beautiful face and a perfect body will change with age but a beautiful and pure soul will always remain beautiful. By doing good for others you will have a positive outcome for yourself.”

Meet our featured beauty with brains Roxanne Wilkins Gately, an entrepreneur based in Sydney, Australia. She is a truly inspirational woman who refused to let adversity defeat her. Here is her story.

“I have never believed that having brains is always about being academic, as I was never academic, but I knew I could succeed in a way that was more creative and heart-felt.

Though my journey was one that I had not planned, it certainly took me on a path of learning, and educating my heart.

Being young (24), naïve and with little confidence, I met a man who adored me – with no idea he could be an alcoholic, not until we had our first child, did this come to light. I thought I could change him, support him and it would be ok, but it was hell. He slowly sucked away my energy, my confidence and my joy.

I had my beautiful baby girl (Holly) who filled my heart, and I nurtured her and protected her through it. There was no physical violence, it was anger, control and just words – but there is no ‘just words’. Words are powerful and bruise you on the inside.

Of course there were good times too, I would often see the man I fell in love with, and also see the broken man, that I wanted to help heal. We separated a few times, and I was on my own. It was peaceful and I gained strength and more confidence, but I always fell for the ‘I have changed’ line, and we were back together.

He tried to stop drinking, and I believed he had when we decided to have a second child, and our big girl, Holly, was now 4. I was two months pregnant when he walked in drunk with vodka, and told me he hadn’t stopped, he was just hiding it, and he couldn’t hide it anymore. He was crying and asking for help but the next day he forgot it all.

There came an afternoon, when I was 3 months pregnant, and took longer than he expected to pick up Holly from a friend’s house. He flew into a rage and told me to leave! I pulled all of what courage and dignity I had, together, to go to my parents’ house again.

This time, I stayed there. And yes, when you stand up, and leave, it makes them angrier. It was a horrible time between me and him. There were relentless phone calls, threats of him taking his own life, or mine, or our daughter’s, not much fun when you are going through the last part of your pregnancy, alone.

I soldiered on, supporting my daughter and her heart. I was looking at all the ways to help my child through this, and I did. She is so sweet and kind and emotionally intelligent. She saved money to buy things to make gift bags to hand out personally to the homeless!

When the time came, he wanted to be there for the birth, he was kind and gentle and supportive, as he can be, but it didn’t last, he didn’t visit often when I was in hospital. And I went back to my parents’ house with my new baby on my own, something I had never dreamt of.

The battles of being a single parent, both physical and psychological, are constant, and so hard. You can feel alone and isolated at times. But I honestly did an amazing job, I knew that my children needed and deserved a safe and happy place to grow and enjoy their childhood. I had so much love to give, and the girls lapped it up.

This is where I found myself, and my calling. I became a business woman, an entrepreneur!

I began designing my own unique product for children. Nurture Cards ~ Positive Thought Cards. I came up with 40 supportive and loving and positive quotes, drew the pictures to match the quotes, found a printer, and ordered 1000 boxes! I created a website and registered my business! The cards were designed to help children create an inner self-belief, self-worth and a positive way of thinking from a young age. Just what I needed when I was a child, and what I felt would help children going through a divorce, or bullying or any negative life situation.

I then put a lot of energy into somehow getting my new product ‘out there’, with little finance, working a job during the day, and working on my business after the girls were in bed. Finding avenues to advertise and sell my newly created product was hard work and I often second guessed myself, that if this was something that people would like or even understand. But I could see their value and it was my passion, I knew that they could really help young children in an important way, so I kept on going. If only I knew how exhausted my body was.

I crashed into depression, with anxiety, when my youngest daughter was about 5. My partner, who I had left, had gone into re-hab and was now 2 years sober, and going to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). He was changing into a better man. He was now in a place to support me, and he did.

I was so unwell, my whole body was physically exhausted, and I just cried for no reason. It took a hundred doctors and lots of medical tests to find the answer. It is an awful feeling when you don’t know why you are falling apart.

With medication, I did get better and found my feet again. The support of my loving family was amazing, and relentless. I was unwell for so long. What my husband would say, that really helped, was ‘It is not going to be forever, I know it feels like it, but it’s not forever.’ With this I could look forward to the future, I felt I had hope.

Ten years later, I was still struggling with my health, it turned to Chronic Fatigue so bad, that I slept most of the day and was too tired to think or feel. I would hug my girls and feel nothing. It was hell, a living coma.

I struggled to keep on top of my business, but somehow I did what I could to keep it going.

I have moved through that now, and doing better. My partner is now eleven years sober, such a fantastic effort and we married 4 years ago. Just to forgive and work through the past was something else! This ‘Happily Ever After’ is hard work!

My girls are so kind, loving, thoughtful, strong, independent, wise, fun and funny. I am so proud of them and myself.

My business is finally successful, I have sold 5,000 boxes of Nurture Cards, including international sales. The feedback I get is just so heart warming,so wonderful and means so much to me. My cards are being used by counsellors, teachers, refugee supporters and disability services.

I had a strong belief in myself, and what I had created. From a naïve young girl, I have come so far. It has certainly not been an easy journey, but I can see it has taught me so much, strengthened me, and helped me to find confidence in who I am and what I can achieve.”

Feel free to check out her website http://www.nurturecards.com.au

Meet our featured beauty with brains Simita Kapoor Sehgal, a dentist and business owner based in Sydney, Australia. She is truly inspirational as she has overcome many challenges to reach where she is today. She is the owner of a dental practice (https://www.winstonhillsdental.com.au) as well as the founder of a Ladies club (Dancing Moms Club). Here is her story.

“I moved to Australia from India eight years ago, after marriage. I left my nice job and chance to do postgraduation when I moved here. What lay ahead was a life of struggle.

I worked as a Dental assistant and did night shifts in Coles (supermarket) while I prepared for my exams. The exams are very expensive and also tough to clear. I worked day and night. I practiced on a mannequin for the practical exam.

I gained knowledge from another dentist who I used to work for. With God’s grace and my family’s support I cleared my exams. It was one of my biggest accomplishments and I was in seventh heaven.

But my struggle wasn’t over yet. As difficult as the exam was, it was even harder to get a job. I applied for many jobs but didn’t get any reply. I did not even get a chance to give an interview but I wasn’t disheartened.

I just told myself to try harder. I called up different surgeries and just walked into some, asking for any position they could offer me. I got lucky and two surgeries hired me. I also got a job at Westmead hospital. I gained a lot of experience while working at the hospital. Then I had my daughter. That was the best time of my life.

But the struggle to get a job started again and this time there was the added struggle of finding good childcare for my daughter. I got a few part time positions. My daughter was just six months old when I got a job in Goulburn (Regional city in New South Wales, Australia). My husband used to drive me half way and then I used to take the train but couldn’t do that for long. So I finally decided to move out of Sydney and started working in Nowra (Town in New South Wales, Australia). Every weekend I would drive back to Sydney as my husband was still here. Monday morning at 6 AM I would go back to Nowra to drop my daughter off at childcare and then go to work.

For two years we lived in two different houses and I traveled six hours up and down the highway and I enjoyed it. But finally I told myself I had enough and I am going to open my own practice and move back to Sydney.

So here I opened my practice in Winston Hills (a suburb of Sydney). I still have a lot of challenges to go through and still have a lot to learn but I am proud of my achievements. I also run a ladies club called ‘Dancing Mom’s Club’ where I help ladies who enjoy dancing to come together and form groups and we organise a party every year.

Life is a struggle for everyone but you should never give up. Every woman should have her own identity. She should fulfil her dreams and aspirations. She should convert every stone in her path to a stepping stone, and build a pathway to success using those stones. That’s my advice to all women.”

Meet our featured beauty with brains Ruchita Maheshwari, a dietitian based in Mumbai, India. She is the founder of Healthy Mantra (www.healthymantra.co) which is an online healthcare centre. She helps people lose weight in an easy, healthy and balanced way with the help of delicious diet plans. She doesn’t believe in starving, gadgets, weight loss pills or powders or a crash diet. She helps her clients lose weight naturally without any compulsory physical activity. Here is an interview with her.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and what did it take to reach where you are today?

I was born in a very simple family. I always wanted to do something innovative which would make me happy from inside. I always loved experimenting with food and make innovative and healthy dishes. So I decided to help people lose weight with healthy yummy diet plans which are unique. My journey has been bumpy from the beginning but good things never come to you easily anyway and you have to work hard to achieve them. I kept working hard and never gave up, even in tough situations, which made me stronger day by day. Hence I am where I am today.

2. How do you define healthy diet? What exactly is a healthy diet, according to you?

A healthy diet is a diet which will not only help you to lose/ maintain weight but it will also help in the improvement of your medical conditions and make you feel good from the inside. It should take into account your current lifestyle, ethics, medical conditions and nutritional needs. Most importantly it should be sustainable. It should include carbohydrates, fats and proteins. At Healthy Mantra, we teach you the art of an easy, healthy lifestyle. We also teach you how to eat the right way as well as how to control your portions.

3. What’s one piece of health advice you would give to our readers?

Don’t just sit and think about achieving a healthier lifestyle. Make up your mind and bring your thoughts to action!

4. How do we conquer unhealthy food cravings?

Well we at Healthy Mantra have a solution for that. We have designed more than a thousand healthy recipes including pasta, pizza, burgers etc, so that you can give in to your cravings and still stay healthy. Also one of the keys of our programs is that clients lose weight even when they eat out at restaurants, have alcohol, travel as well as if they have to attend parties, weddings etc as we have unique detailed guides to help everyone. We also have maintenance and cheat guides.

Meet our featured beauty with brains Palak Farah Gupta, a 20 year old model and accountant based in Sydney, Australia. She is also the reigning Miss India Global 2018 and Miss Talented 2018. Here is her story.

“I am not the prettiest girl out there, or the tallest, or the most talented, but I have learnt to be more confident in myself and trust that people have my back. Whether it be high school, family, work or university, I have built and found my support system that helps me get up every morning and achieve my best every day. I wasn’t always like this, but it only took one day to turn my life around from all the negativity I was attracting, the bullying, the crying, the fear and anger. The Art Of Living Foundation has been one of the best things to happen to my life, around ten years ago. Doing yoga and meditation every day keeps me sane and fit to conquer my professional and personal world. All it takes is for you to push things yourself, to give yourself a wake up call and say ‘This does not mean it’s the end of the world. Life goes on, people move on, rumours get forgotten. You change for the better as the world evolves.’

I am thankful to a number of people throughout my life for making me the young woman I am today (especially my parents). I could not have achieved being a law and accountancy student, an accountant by profession, a model, Miss India Global 2018 and Miss Talented 2018 if I didn’t have a positive outlook every time I faced a challenge. I really hope I can be a role model to young adults like myself and to motivate them to always keep trying, because if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.”

We asked her why does she think pageants are important in today’s society. Here is her answer.

“I believe pageants are not just about the beauty, height or weight of a woman but rather gives women of all ages a chance to showcase their talents, capabilities and confidence to the world. Thanks to the whole team of Miss/ Mrs. India Global 2018, we are all able to embrace womanhood starting from a young age. Pageants like these make us believe in ourselves. They give us the confidence of achieving more if we try. We don’t have to be just stuck in our duties as mothers, sisters, daughters etc, but we can also do something that we are passionate about.”

Meet our featured beauty with brains Julia Cartwright, a business stylist and mindset coach based in Sydney, Australia. She is a truly inspirational woman, who after being confused for a long time, finally realised what her true essence was. It took her years to give herself permission to be herself and to re-connect with who she really was. Here is her story.

“What does it mean to be open to being imperfect and why did I decide to make it my ‘Why’? We are all wonderfully imperfect, and, yet as hard as that is to believe we still spend most of our lives searching for perfection and acceptance.

‘You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.’ ~ Brene Brown

I know I am a perfectionist, and I can see the patterns that have existed in me from the time I was a little girl.

I was the little girl who used competition to determine her own self-worth and it led me on a continual path seeking perfectionism. I grew up with a stifled feeling of entrapment around being free to be fully me, and my only avenue for self-expression was through various sportsmand competitions, which subsequently became a way of life for me.

With every achievement, I internalised this as personal validation that I was good enough. So from then onwards sport became a big part of my life and my identity was wrapped up in it. My achievements gave me personal fulfilment, but with every knockdown my confidence would take a hit and my self worth would take a tumble, so I would search for ways to be better. But the victories became harder and harder to achieve, and quitting was never an option, as the victories were the only ways I had, to feel as if I had something to offer. The day I finished school, was the day I decided to leave home, and the day all the competing stopped. I was exhausted from the competition!

I then decided on my next step and it was not competing in sport. I had set my heart on becoming a Fashion designer. This was for me the ticket I needed to step into the label of “Designer”, and a pass to being as creative as I wanted, without the worry of being different. I wanted to explore who I was through art and design. Self-expression was encouraged, and the more different you were the more successful your designs became.

But sadly, the many years of trying to fit in earlier, had left me in a heap of confusion with not only how to be myself but how to be different. I was struggling to deeply and authentically connect with that part of me that had been lost. My designs were boxy and masculine! Sadly, my frustration ultimately kicked in and I quit.

It wasn’t until after I got married, and purchased our first home was I able to recognise that through creating and designing my home, I was able to freely express and surround myself with my own version of what I loved and what reflected a part of me. Through transforming my home, I encountered a lost part of myself. This led me on a new path into interior design.

Over the years to follow to feed my thirst for design and self-expression, I went on to complete numerous design courses and continued my design and styling jobs, but that need for validation was still with me! This led me to enter an international design competition, and although I won I was still having an inner struggle with who I was and what I wanted. I was still not giving myself the permission to be myself.

Five years ago, I eventually reached a turning point, and I decided no more! Every decision from then onwards was about reconnecting with who I was. I wanted more for myself! I wanted to feel fully expressed, more empowered and more aligned to be working in an area that I loved. I started visualising the person I wanted to become, I wanted to be fitter, healthier and have the beautiful home that reflected what I REALLY loved, and I wanted a wardrobe to reflect the more confident person I was becoming. Whilst on my journey of self- acceptance, what changed was me getting ultra-clear with who I was, what I wanted, what my version of success was and to give myself permission to go for it.

I de-cluttered my home and my life. I chose to be selective with how I would live my life and the choices I would make; I chose to only have things I truly and deeply loved, and I now finally feel free with how I present myself through my home, my wardrobe and my business. I am clearer with what my personal essence is. My business is moving closer to being in alignment with this and I am feeling more excited than ever to show others how it doesn’t have to be so hard. I am still on this journey and find that the awareness I have now, is making my decisions and choices so much easier to make. I now choose to show up with more energy and passion, as the alternative is not worth revisiting.

My years of experience and knowledge in design have helped me give back to others in ways I had been wanting for myself. I have created so many beautiful spaces and I have designed and dressed so many people. Looking back, I have given so many people the opportunity for self-expression I felt I never had, but in hindsight had always been there. Through my love of design and having my own business I now share my insights with how others can show up with more energy and passion to create the most aligned, heart centred brands. Just as a house can become a home through introducing the owner’s personality so can your business become a reflection of who you are.

Our minds are powerful! Our thoughts are powerful!

It is important to remember…

* That we are enough!

* Embrace your value!

* Your imperfections are loveable!

Every beautiful journey and inspiring transformation begins with an intention and a decision to move in the direction of where you hope to be.”

If you would like to know more about her please feel free to visit her webpage at http://www.Juliacartwright.com

Meet our featured beauty with brains Rowen Sydney Gallon, a 25 year old Filipino Australian student based in Sydney, Australia. She is a very strong woman who never gave up courage despite battling epilepsy, anxiety and depression for fourteen years! Here is her story.

“My name is Sydney and I am almost twenty five. I have four sisters who are free from allergies and disabilities. I was born in the Philippines and named Sydney because my father got his visa when I was born, to come to Sydney, Australia. My father always tells me that I am his lucky charm.

At the age of three, I was in a coma for three days because of Meningitis. My family took me to three hospitals and the staff at those three hospitals told my family that only a miracle could save me. I guess three is not my lucky number.

However, my family and I experienced a miracle. I woke up and I was completely fine. Doctors told my family that in ten years they will see the side effects of my illness. School in the Philippines was easy and I stayed at the top of the class until Grade Four.

In April 2004, I, my mother and four sisters flew here in Sydney to live. In June 2014, I woke up in the school’s First Aid room with different clothing including underwear. The teacher didn’t explain anything about what had happened. I was confused and questioned myself, asking, ‘Why do I have different clothing and underwear? Why am I here in the First Aid room?’

I walked out of the room and I saw a wet mark where I was standing. My General Practitioner referred me to a Neurologist at Westmead Children’s Hospital. I was diagnosed with Left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. I was prescribed Epilem, Tegretol and Frisium tablets. For almost a year I was seizure free.

When I entered High School, I made a couple of friends but never shared the fact that I had Epilepsy with anyone because I was afraid. But it happened again. I had different clothing including underwear again. I went back to Science class and everyone was looking at me while talking. It was traumatising. I was afraid of going to school the next day but I had to. It happened AGAIN. I lost a couple of “friends”. The story spread around the school and I was labelled as the girl who wet her pants. I was in so much pain. Countless nights of crying and countless days of having a fake smile on my lips.

My seizures continued to be uncontrolled, and I tried different medications. I started asking God, ‘Why me? How come my sisters don’t have allergies or disabilities? It’s unfair’. For years I continued to compare myself to my sisters. I used to be at the top of the class but now I was at the bottom. It turned into anxiety and depression. I would say that I was okay but deep inside I was not. I didn’t want people to look down on me. No one fully understood me.

I only opened up about my Epilepsy to my high school real friends but I never reminded them of Science class. I was ashamed.

At the age of fifteen, I was told not to get pregnant because my medicine will affect my child. I was young and never thought about it. But I knew I had to do something.

At the age of sixteen and a half I became a senior high student. A man I had a crush on was in Filipino class for one day. He was popular, tall, dark, handsome and a kickboxer. He asked a classmate how to say ‘You are beautiful’ and he told me ‘Maganda ka’. I felt myself blush. After class, we started talking. One of the first questions he asked me was, ‘Is it true you wet your pants?’ My heart stopped beating but I knew I had to tell him the truth. I told him and he said, ‘It’s okay. My aunty had Epilepsy but she is now Epilepsy-free.’ My hope of being Epilepsy-free became stronger and I realised how lucky I was to be alive and to be in Australia. We broke up, but I’m glad I had met him. He made me strong.

At the age of eighteen, I started dating a man I knew since 2005. No epilepsy secrets. He made me stronger. I had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital one day. I told my family not to tell him because I knew he would leave work. He got angry and said, ‘I can find another job but I can never find another you’. I guess that’s sweeter than I love you. He always reminded me to take my medicines even while working. With him, I felt normal, I felt beautiful before, during and after seizures, I felt so much love and I learnt how to laugh and joke after seizures. I never felt ashamed of my seizures in front of him.

I started seeing a psychologist and I shared everything that I had kept inside me. I wasn’t crazy. I was in pain. I needed someone to pull out the hundreds of needles piercing my heart. I shook, cried, mumbled and felt the room spinning. She said, ‘It’s okay’. It helped me but still not one hundred percent.

Last year on the 20th of November 2017, I had a brain surgery by one of the best neurosurgeons in New South Wales, Australia. IT WAS THE MOST EXCITING AND HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE! My surgeon told me the risks and side effects, but I just smiled. I was willing to take the risk. I was exhausted. I knew it will be healthier and safer for my future child and that’s important. I prayed and told God, ‘I’m giving up my Epilepsy, anxieties and depression. This is nothing compared to what you’ve been through to save me. Thank you’.

On December 20 2017, I had a check-up with my surgeon. I told him I hadn’t had Epileptic or non-Epileptic seizures since the surgery. Guess what he said? ‘You’re epilepsy free!’ I cried in front of everyone. I called my family and even my boyfriend’s grandma and mum. They all cried as well.

I now have two friends with Epilepsy. They understand everything I say and feel.

On 4th March 2018, I shared my story at my church. I didn’t expect so many people to wipe their eyes with tissues, especially guys.

Epilepsy isn’t so bad because it has made me strong. I found my real friends, family and a great boyfriend. If I could go back in time, I would still choose Epilepsy. It’s a big part of me. I’m not ashamed of it. If anyone’s got Epilepsy, anxiety or depression, speak to me. I will listen and I’ll understand you. You can email me at sydney.gallon@live.com.au Thanks.”

Meet our featured beauty with brains Malika Raina, a 24 year old Fijian Indian receptionist based in Sydney, Australia. She is a truly inspirational young lady who has overcome many setbacks in her life including bullying, parents’ divorce and losing a loved one to suicide, to become who she is today – a strong, independent woman. Here is an interview with her.

1. What forms do you think bullying can take and what is your advice to the parents of bullying victims?

Bullying can take many forms, some of
which are physical & psychological and
sometimes it’s not even a face to face
thing anymore, it may even be done online
or through word of mouth. My advice to
parents of bullying victims who are worried
and not sure what to do to help, is to
reassure your child that it is not any of
their own doing, also to be in contact with
the school about the matter. It’s best for
both parties, the parents of the bully as
well as the victim, to sit down and discuss
and work something out about the
behaviours displayed.

2. Have you ever been bullied? If so, please share your story and let us know how did the bullying affect you and how did you cope?

I have been bullied all through out my high
school years, a day in particular has
affected me the most. I wasn’t always
standing up to my bullies but this one day I
had decided to put my foot down. As a
result, I was attacked in class while all my
friends and teacher watched. My shoes
were taken off by a bigger girl and the two
who instigated this laughed and everyone
in the class was unsure of what to do. My
shoes were chucked out of class and I ran
to go get it but they took my shoe
elsewhere and I was left shoe less and got
kicked in the face after school. This
affected me tremendously and in a
negative way, because my family was not
understanding of the situation and my mum
blamed me for the incident, though my
father contacted the police and the school
also got the teacher who stood and did
nothing fired. I coped with self harm. Had I
gotten proper support things wouldn’t have
gone that way for me.

3. What are the emotional difficulties children experience when their parents divorce? Have you experienced it yourself? If so, how did you cope?

The emotional impact of divorce is harder
on kids than it is on the parents I believe.
Your parents are the only role models you
have known for a successful relationship
and when it doesn’t work out it leaves you
confused and shattered sometimes even
unable to trust. I have experienced it for
myself first hand. I ran away to friends for
hours, to be away from the chaos and
that’s how I coped but I was the back bone
of the family and I smartened up really
quick to be able to support my mother and
father emotionally during this time.

4. Research shows suicide rates among teenagers and young people is quite high. Has anyone close to you committed suicide? If so, did it cause you to have suicidal thoughts yourself?

It is indeed very high and I wish it wasn’t.
My cousin who lived in Fiji committed
suicide at the tender age of 16. She was a
bright girl and was at the top of all her
classes, not to mention beautiful as well
and an only child. Seeing the effects of her
suicide, how it hurt the whole family, I
stopped myself from having any suicidal
thoughts. All I had left was regret.

5. What is your advice to those, who has lost a loved one to suicide?

My advice to people who have lost loved
ones to suicide is to not hold any grudges
against them as you don’t know what your
loved one may have been feeling. Don’t
hold any regrets and think of the good
times. I want people to know that you are
not alone and there are ways to help
transition your life into a healing process
rather then holding it all inside by talking to
a psychologist and if you have suicidal
thoughts please call 13 11 14 for the suicide
helpline Australia.