Out and About Magazine Issue 6 Vol. 2 by Out and About Mag

Issue 6 Volume 2

July 2020

S1 THE MIDDLE EAST’S VERY OWN

KING OF POP

THE ABAYA ORIGINS AND FASHION INSPIRATION FOR SUMMER

VOICES:

RABEAH RAHIMI

A Refugee’s Story of Her Path to Success and Inner Peace

8 MUST-VISIT UAE CULTURAL SITES

BEHIND THE BRAND WITH

GARFIELD KERR

Owner and Entrepreneur, Mokha 1450 Coffee Boutique

WHY YOU SHOULD PRACTISE

SELF-CARE

AS A LEADER 1

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Aristotle

Editorial

Editor in chief

Marsha Fry

marsha@outandaboutmag.com

Editor

Shella landayan

info@outandaboutmag.com

art

Art director

nakul thanekar

nakul.thanekar89@gmail.com

advertising

sales & marketing director

Andre Marshal

+971 50 127 8820 sales@outandaboutmag.com

general enquiries

On this month's cover Interview: S1, The Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Very Own King of Pop

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Photographer: TG Media Styling: S1

Published by Out and About Style FZE (Registered at Fujairah Creative City)

Editor’s

Welcome Starting over requires no explanation to anyone, requires no specific date, requires nothing more than you saying, ‘It’s time’.

~Anna Pereira

Most of us experienced rebirth and a period of reinvention at one point in our lives. You might have asked yourself many times, “Can I carry on?” or “How can I begin again?” Continue, even though the road is difficult and treacherous. Rainbows are a testament to a new beginning after torrential rains, and so is a sunrise after a long night. To give birth to a new you means being open to a whole new world of possibilities and positive changes. Get up and work hard again, and be a better you! With resilience, faith, and courage, you can go through everything! A brief announcement to all our valued readers: starting this issue, we are now Out and About Magazine—and we still carry with us the vision to spread inspiration, encouragement, knowledge, and positivity wherever you are out and about!

Features and Highlights In our Fashion feature, we researched for the wonderful history of the ubiquitous abaya, adding styling tips as well to slay the summer with it. Check out The Abaya: Origins and Fashion Inspiration for Summer. Perseverance, creativity and authenticity: Dominique Devereaux Bedford reveals her story and passion as a stylist and designer. Read her interview and be inspired! We are all beautiful and unique, a fact that we should be proud of. Love your skin inside and out through Understanding Shades and Undertones and Picking the Right Foundation for your Undertone! Do you want to save the planet while staying clean and glowing? Read on Reusable Makeup Removers: 7 Recommended Products to learn how. Find these articles in our Beauty section. Gracing our Behind the Brand feature is a passionate face of entrepreneurship: Garfield Kerr, CEO of Mokha 1450 Coffee Boutique. He generously shared with us his love for coffee, to ‘always do what you love and never be afraid to fail’. We listened to his personal thoughts and insightful perspectives on success, failure and entrepreneurship. Reaching your dreams is not an easy journey. Actress Rabeah Rahimi fought her way to achieve her goals in life. Find her story in I brought My Dreams From Afghanistan To Berlin in Voices. In Taking Lessons, we meet the transformational CEO and entrepreneur, Asil Attar, who believes that “each one of us is unique and has something special to offer”. She shares that one of her passions is enabling others to follow their dreams— to inspire, motivate and empower them. Feed your mind and soul with Rabeah and Asil’s stories of inspiration and success. Working hard and reinventing one’s self from time to time: The Middle East’s Very own King of Pop, S1, says that this is the key to staying relevant and interesting. Meet S1 in our Talent Pool feature and find out more about his passion for music and journey in the entertainment industry. Understanding our personalities is important to assess our own behaviour and emotional responses. Do You

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Know Your Attachment Style? If you want to know, read on about this informative article in our Lifestyle feature. Learn new ways of dealing with anxiety and stress through Neuro-Linguistic Programming. To improve your leadership skills and gain productive habits, we’re here to tell you Why You Should Practise Self-Care as a Leader. If you want to make healthy and delicious food that you can easily store in the fridge, we’ve got you! Read our 5 Mason Jar Recipes in our Food section. At this time, we all know that exercising in gyms is still not the best option to pursue your fitness goals. In our Fitness feature, we listed Absolute Home Fitness Essentials so you can stay fit in the comfort of your own home. You can plan your travel bucket list in advance, so if you’re looking for places to go where you can learn the UAE’s rich and beautiful culture, we recommend 8 Must-Visit UAE Cultural Sites in our Travel section. To continue to enrich your knowledge and build confidence, read our articles in For the Culture section. Check out Leisa Grace Wilson’s tips for aspiring and bustling entrepreneurs in The Number One Reason Most Startups Fail and learn how to avoid the pitfalls. Yvonne Mtengwa’s regular column in The Reinvented Chronicles features 8 Hacks to Invoking Courage in Difficult Times, which is exactly what we need during these trying times. Jerome Douglas, on the other hand, encourages us to raise our own flags, to Be Proud of the Truth About You. Finally, we feature Atomic Habits by James Clear in our Book Review feature. Atomic Habits discusses the power of letting go of old habits, developing new and productive ones, and maintaining them on a regular basis. A Better You is a Happier You Remember not to be afraid to start again. This is your own fight and no one else can control it but you. The world welcomes and encourages those who wish and aim to be better and stronger. Know this: a better you is a happier you. Out and About Magazine, with the team that made this Edition possible, would like to send you an infinite amount of encouragement and positivity to continue your journey to success and inner peace!

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CONTENTS JULY 2 02 0

SECTION 1

11 FASHION

• Dominique Devereaux Bedford, Designer and Stylist, House of Devereaux • The Abaya: Origins and Fashion Inspiration for Summer

SECTION 2

33 BEAUTY

• M akeup Madness with Liv: Understanding Shades and Undertones • B eauty Recommendations: Picking the Right Foundation for your Undertone! • Reusable Makeup Removers: 7 Recommended Products

SECTION 3

51 BEHIND THE BRAND

• G arfield Kerr, Owner and Entrepreneur, Mokha 1450 Coffee Boutique

SECTION 4

61 VOICES

• R abeah Rahimi, Actress

SECTION 5

68 TAKING LESSONS

SECTION 8

109 TRAVEL

• 8 Must-Visit UAE Cultural Sites

• Asil Attar, CEO and Entrepreneur

SECTION 6

76 TALENT POOL

• S1, The Middle East’s Very Own

THE CULTURE 114 FOR • The Number One Reason Most

King of Pop

SECTION 7

90 LIFESTYLE

• D o You Know Your Attachment Style? The Psychology Behind Attachment Styles and their Associated Behaviours • N euro Linguistic Programming: The Smart Way To Deal With Anxiety And Stress • W hy You Should Practise Self-Care as a Leader

102 FOOD

• 5 Mason Jar Recipe Ideas

106 FITNESS

• Absolute Home Fitness Essentials

SECTION 9

Out and About Magazine tasks no responsibility for unsolicited photographs or material. The photographs in this publication are for illustration purposes, unless otherwise specified.

Startups Fail • The Reinvented Chronicles with Yvonne C. Mtengwa: 8 Hacks To Invoking Courage in Difficult Times • Be Proud of the Truth About You • Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear

FASHION FEATURE

DOMINIQUE DEVEREAUX BEDFORD DESIGNER AND STYLIST, HOUSE OF DEVEREAUX HOUSE OF DEVEREAUX/ DEVEREAUX LLC @houseofdevereaux @Devereaux LLC

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

I was born and raised in Texas. I have been a lover of fashion since I was a little girl. From paper dolls to designing and recreating my clothing in high school, fashion and I have always shared a connection. My educational background includes both a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Business. I have worked in almost every facet of the industry from interning in TV, film, fashion event production and sourcing, marketing, product development and retail operations.

2. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AS A CUSTOM FASHION DESIGNER? I truly began to take my craft seriously in college, creating collections of dresses and showcasing them in local pageants and on-campus programmes. I even started an on-campus organisation called FashioNation geared towards assisting students of all majors in their exploration of different industry avenues from makeup to photography to marketing andâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; of courseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;my speciality, design. Designing has always been an outlet for me, and I was fortunate to have a support system of family, friends, and colleagues who believed in my abilities early on.

WHAT DOES STYLE MEAN TO YOU?

Style is an outward reflection of inward confidence. It allows you to show up in the world and visually present yourself in the way you want people to perceive you. As a custom designer and a fashion stylist, I believe that style speaks volumes about who you are and who you want to become without having to say a word.

WHAT/WHO INSPIRES YOUR DESIGNS?

I love this question—as I am inspired by powerful and influential women, both famous and those living their everyday lives. Influential women are not only icons like Josephine Baker and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who serve as my muses but the kind of women whose outlook on life has inspired and continues to inspire me to create, like my grandmother and sister. I am especially inspired by TV and film, and many of the collections pay homage to dynamic women of the silver screen like the original Dominique Deveraux portrayed by Diahann Carroll and Alexis Carrington played by Joan Collins of the 1980s hit show Dynasty. I love this era because it represents a time where high glamour, style, power dressing and opulence were celebrated. Strength, courage, resilience and sheer determination are what these women represent and I am inspired by their journey. My pieces are used as storytelling platforms in which to share a bit of their history— both good and bad with the world.

5. WHAT MAKES HOUSE OF THE DEVEREAUX’S CLOTHES DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FASHION DESIGNERS? The House of Devereaux specialises in power suiting but with a twist that I like to call the new classic. We take classic blazers and suiting silhouettes and turn them on their heads by paying attention to details. The mantra of the House is #ItsAllInTheDetails. Therefore, we utilise luxury fabrics like velvets, silks, satins and crepes with a smooth hand, in rich colours or tones like emerald green, cobalt blue and metallics and then add texture with accents of fringe, leather and other trims. That’s just the bodice—the defining piece de resistance is the interior of each Devereaux design as they are specially lined with our

signature leopard print pattern made of 100% genuine Italian silk. Every piece that comes from The House will have an accent of leopard print throughout no matter what. For us, leopard print is not a trend or fading fad. One of my previous employers, Reginald, would wear a sport coat or blazer to work almost every day and tell us, “When you look good, you feel good—” and that’s so very true. I think my passion for wanting to make my clients feel good is what makes me different, as well. I live for the reaction of when someone first tries on one of my pieces and feels the silk lining against their skin. The House of Devereaux specialises in elegantly emotive fashion and that’s what differentiates us.

6. WHO WEARS HOUSE OF DEVEREAUX?

This brand is created for the bold professional and I think that the term professional has been redefined. A modern-day professional is not just your typical 9 to 5 working woman, but also the entrepreneur looking to make waves in her industry, or the woman who wears many hats such as wife, mother and classroom volunteer at her kid’s school. However, she still understands the importance of carving out time to take care of herself. She appreciates being the only person wearing something in the room and people take notice. She values quality, luxury clothing with attention to detail that not only properly fits but can be transitional throughout her wardrobe. He is someone who is self-assured and likes for his personal style to be reflective of that. He takes pride in his appearance and also appreciates brands that take pride in what they create as well. I say he, because The House has now branched into designing for men and we are so excited.

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT BEING A DESIGNER? That’s a two-part answer: the first is when someone audibly gasps when they see or feel what I have created. That moment when they are left speechless is everything to me. It’s the feeling of knowing that some really appreciates and sees my hard work as beautiful that makes this profession great.

Secondly, having full creative control over what I make. If something is too extra, as I call it, or not enough, I have the full power to alter, change and execute it in whichever way I wish, as long as the client and I are happy and that is an incredible feeling. My clients trust my ability to deliver beautiful and original pieces and that trust is truly valued.

8. DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

While creating for The House is fun, it’s still a business and so I have to treat it as such. I can’t just grab any kind of fabric and I have to remind myself that when creating for my brand—it’s not strictly based around my singular sense of style. Therefore, it cannot be one-note, and I must create a plan. When coming up with a piece for a collection, I first create a mood or inspiration board. This includes imagery, words, sketches, ideas as well as the muses that I am inspired by. My mood boards serve as a plan or road map by assisting me in my vision for what direction I see the collection taking. I began selecting the fabric, notions and trim that fit the look I am trying to achieve and then methodically add and subtract from the board. Anything that seems forced is taken away until the board is complete. I liken it to being a puzzle— every piece must perfectly fit in order for the collection to create the perfect picture and tell a story. Then comes the sourcing of the materials, keeping in mind that not all pieces are created equal when it comes to cost, creation, and execution. The selection of fabric is probably the most important aspect because I want my clients to feel like they are receiving quality, and so that means that every dollar or dirham matters. When a fabric is right, I can’t contain my excitement because at that moment just from feeling that tiny swatch of fabric, I can envision a piece coming together.

9. WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS A DESIGNER? I decided to step out on faith and become a full-time designer and stylist when I was struggling to find local employment

here in the UAE. I had spent my first two years pounding the online pavement and searching for a position where I felt my expertise would best be utilised and it was crickets. Pair that with the fact that I was an expat woman, newly married to an incredibly encouraging husband and now embarking on a journey to entrepreneurship in an entirely different country with different laws and regulations. At that time, everything in my life was new and so needless to say it required a lot of research and patience. With that research came learning about the trade licensing process, which can be costly. However, I want to be acknowledged, and respected as a legal entity and I understood that necessary investments had to be made. The most recent challenge has been the pandemic and having to conduct business virtually when I am accustomed to offering in-person consultations. There is no greater joy than spending an afternoon with a client in their home or on a personal shopping excursion and getting to learn more about each other while grooming their confidence. There are just some things that virtual communication can’t capture or replicate. Now I am completely relegated to conducting business through virtual interfaces. Additionally, there were several in-person showcases I was set to participate in as well that have been cancelled and fabric vendors who have temporarily closed. My business is international and maintaining proper communication with clients and vendors or logistics across time zones can also prove challenging. These unplanned circumstances have caused disruptions to my business operations, but there is nothing Devereaux can’t handle.

10. TELL US ABOUT A PROJECT OR COLLECTION YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR.

First, one of my greatest achievements is starting a business internationally— growing my support from a trunk show of 15 women in my apartment in 2018—to being the featured designer at a showcase at Hakkasan Emirates Palace in November 2019. Finally, hosting a virtual trunk show in June 2020, while not being the most technologically savvy has been my most recent success. The outpouring of support I have received from all over has been incredible. Secondly, both of my collections are amazing achievements because I completed them under two years of being in business, and they not only represent parts of me but the women who inspire me. They are constant reminders of the sweat equity and the not so glamorous days when things aren’t going as planned and yet the satisfaction of how it all comes together so beautifully in the end. Each piece and every detail is a personal achievement that has allowed my creativity to be found and my confidence to flourish.

11. WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? The best advice to date comes from a fellow creative, Melarie Odelusi who often says, “If it’s not a hell yes, then hell no.” What I interpreted from that is everything I create and every decision I make regarding my business should speak to the soul and voice of my brand, and that which doesn’t serve me must go. This really helps me trust my intuition and go with my gut.

12. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT IN FASHION DESIGNING? No idea is a bad idea unless it’s prohibited by the law. Trust your instinct, carve out your own way and your own lane and once

you are in cruise control, stay in your lane. Don’t try to be anything that you aren’t because authenticity is key to maintaining creative control. Identify your niche, really work on it and through it, and don’t be afraid to ask for help because you can’t do it all by yourself—trust me I have tried. Lastly, a support team or system is more than necessary: it’s invaluable.

13. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF FASHION?

Sleep. Exercise. Laugh. I love a good belly laugh, and I love to play games. I especially love to travel or go on an adventure. There is nothing like visiting a cool museum or exploring a cool piece of architecture to get my creative juices flowing. I love to eat hence why I mentioned exercise. Trying new foods, watching shows about exotic foods and restaurants or cultures is my thing. When I first moved to the UAE, I would watch Chopped marathons all day long. I also love dancing alone at home when no one’s watching—it’s good calorie burning and good for the soul.

14. WHAT’S THAT ONE QUOTE YOU LIVE BY?

Allow me to share three quotes instead of one: “Sometimes, God will break your heart to save your life.” -Pastor Kevin Brown

“Experience is a hard teacher-because it gives you the test first and the lesson after.” - Unknown

“Today you are you-that is truer than true. There is no one alive more ‘youer’ than you.” - Dr. Seuss

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THE ABAYA:

ORIGINS AND FASHION INSPIRATION FOR SUMMER Abaya is a flowing garment that reaches the feet and has long, loose sleeves. It’s loosely fitted to wear over regular clothes for complete body coverage. Abaya is an ancient garment dating 4,000 years back. Like most fashion garments, it carries an indistinct history in the pre-Islam era before it became synonymous with Islam and Muslim women, taking a more vivid proper body-concealing form followed with a niqab or burka to conceal the hair and face, except the eyes. You may have a typical image of abaya in your mind: all black, loose and shapeless, but due to modern fashion and intervention from various designers all over the world, abayas have become available in a variety of colours and styles. The concept of full body covering is the same, only the styles have changed with more focus on different fabric weights and adornment techniques. Abayas have seen modernisation on a larger scale and aren’t much similar to those of the yesteryears. Today, we’ll unravel the history and the evolution of abaya.

AMINA ALBAHRI @amina.albahri.beauty 26

BEFORE ISLAM It is alleged that Mesopotamians wore a loose garment, pretty much similar in style and length to an abaya, though it wasn’t termed as one before. Also, it came as a thought that pre-Islam abaya was not as skin-covering as the abaya that appeared in light of the rise in Islam and sketched a greater strict body-concealing image. Some scholars also put forward that during the pre-Islam era, abayas carried a status symbol and not simply a symbolic religious practice. Wealthy women would differentiate themselves from the women of the working class who couldn’t afford something as extravagant as a veil covering the face.

THE ADVENT OF ISLAM The arrival of Islam in the 7th century cemented the idea that women should clothe themselves from head to toes, masking the face and concealing most of the skin. Such was not only to abide by the faith Muslim women belonged to, but part of it was for one’s own good to protect themselves from becoming the subject of lewd behaviour. Therefore, abaya earned an important reputation; it came to symbolise Arabic and Muslim culture, just as how the kimono is a cultural object and symbol to the Japanese and the saris to the Hindus. Today, nonMuslims, wear abayas to blend in with the Arabic community, considering the act as an indication of cultural and religious respect.

THE PRE-OIL ERA The typical bedouin abaya displayed a square-necked form with a gold-trimmed neckline and two holes meant for the arms. This was worn by the upper-class

Arab women and those not belonging to a prestigious background opted for a simple abaya to cover their bodies. Black was the colour of choice. Today, the abaya has been reshaped into a fashionable guise offered in various styles and assortment of colours than we can possibly imagine.

DISCOVERY OF OIL After oil was discovered in the Arab world, abaya experienced a transition, suddenly transforming from shapeless to shapely, wool to silk, and even the length has been adjusted to reach a little above the feet. As the 1970s drew to a close, abaya became more glamourous and was definitely made more obliging to one’s preferences.

THE 1980S This was the period of the shoulder abaya taking the form of a long cloak-like robe with full proper sleeves and a complementing, shorter shayla as the head cover. Different fabrics, embroidery and ornamental decorations were put to test. The abaya became airier and more flowy owing to the use of georgettes, silks, crepes, and similar wispy materials. OMANIYAH ABAYA In the 1990s, omaniyah abaya was introduced, with its name inspired by the country it came from—Oman. This abaya style is closed in the front as opposed to the open-front version of the past. It also featured an opening for the head for ease of wear. During this time, experimentation was still on the rage and varieties of laces, ironedon stones and sparkles were brought to the picture. Now, the markets and souks sell sets of abaya and shayla pairings and matchings in a variety of sartorial embellishment.

THE 20TH CENTURY In the 20th century, experimentation with the abaya reached new heights— from beautiful cuts to gorgeous emblazonment, sparkly lines of work to flamboyant statements, and even those simply verging on the strange side of things. At this point, abaya was becoming a fashion statement in every form. The abaya is slowly drifting away from its original image and the message it portrayed. Many incoming abaya styles convey a narrower or a wider belt to enhance and promote waistlines. Today, the abaya has undergone a turn of events and experiments, more as a sign of functionality as it births one’s individualism. It’s not necessary that only a practicising Muslim woman can wear an abaya; there are those who wear it because they like it and will continue to do so. Just like any other traditional garment, it’s a garment for defining Muslims and thanks to the bevy of fashion designers in the world, they’ve globalised this ubiquitous piece to bring a change and awareness to those with conflicting mindsets in the world.

SUMMER FASHION ABAYA LOOKS

HIND AL MADANI @HINDALMADANI

ROUA ALMAWALLY @ROUA_ALMAWALLY

Light and pastel shades feel cooler on the skin. They throw off heat and keep the body well-ventilated to keep you dry and provide maximum comfort. If you want to opt for darker shades, find pieces that are lightweight and allow air ventilation like cotton and chiffon.

NOURHAN ELGOUHARY @NOURHANELGOUHARY

@MODESTLYWRAPPED 29

OPT FOR PRINTS Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no compulsion on picking solids all the time, change up the typical look with floral-printed abayas or those with stripes for a summerappropriate look. Experiment with different fabrics and invest in lightweight materials to keep you breezy under the sweltering heat. There are even cottonmade abayas available that look like the modest version of summer dresses.

FINCHITUA BY FEIRUZA @FINCHITUA

CREATE A STATEMENT You can get more worth out of your abaya if you create a statement. In this case, neutrals are your best friend for a monotone or a monochrome approach. This is totally an eyecatching take on the abayas and causes head-turning attention. Plus, we find this approach best for summer, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appropriate for daytime and perfect for attending parties. Make the most of this season by choosing the best weather appropriate abaya for you!. 30

ZAINAB ISKANDER @ZOZOKAHRAMANA

ROUA ALMAWALLY @ROUA_ALMAWALLY

CHERRY BLOSSOM Model: Lili Nagy Hair and makeup: Liv Rideg Headpiece: Milla Sonja Couture - Eva Kelemen Photo: Jozsef Balogh Retouch: Anna Petrova Location: Studio Madison, Budapest, Hungary 31

FLORAL BEAUTY Model: Tatyana Gonzalez Photo: Jozsef Balogh Retouch: Anna Petrova Makeup: Liv Rideg Headpiece: Milla Sonja Couture - Eva Kelemen Assistant: Szabo Pal Location: Studio Madison, Budapest, Hungary 32

BEAUTY

M A K E U P M A D N E S S W I T H

UNDERSTANDING SHADES AND UNDERTONES 33

NEUTRAL UNDERTONE

WARM UNDERTONE 34

COOL UNDERTONE

Finding your perfect shade of foundation, knowing your skin tone, understanding what your undertone is, and what kind of makeup works for you are mostly every makeup users struggle, especially for those who are in the beginning of their makeup journey. For 21 years working in the makeup and fashion industry, I noticed that these are the things that people are having a hard time with. In this article we will give you very useful tips and tricks on how to understand your skin tone, undertone and what makeup works for you.

IDENTIFYING YOUR SKIN TONE Skin tone is the colour of your skin. The ranges vary: light, medium, dark. Choosing the right and exact shade of your foundation that is not lighter or darker than your skin will give you a fresh, beautiful look all day long. Your skin tone can change during summer and winter, it can go lighter or darker depending on the actual season. UNDERSTANDING AN UNDERTONE Undertone is the underlying hue of your skin. Knowing your undertone will make your life much easier when it comes to choosing the correct foundation shades. Your skin tone may change but your undertone will always be the same during all the seasons. There are three different undertones: warm, cool and neutral. • For people with WARM UNDERTONES, the underlying colours of their skin are peach, gold or yellow. • COOL UNDERTONE means the underneath colour of your skin is reddish and bluish. • People with NEUTRAL SKIN UNDERTONES have the mixture of both cool and warm tones.

KNOWING YOUR UNDERTONE Grab a piece of silver and gold jewellery. Take a look at what looks good on you. If silver looks amazing on you, then you have a cool undertone. If gold looks better, then you have a warm undertone. If both look good on you, then you have a neutral undertone. MAKEUP BASICS When it comes to makeup application, I always advise my students to look at the face. Check out the skin, eye, hair, eyebrow and lip colour and apply the same colours on the face. When you do this, you will get beautiful and naturallooking makeup. If you want to go for a dramatic look, apply the darker shades of the colours you see on the face. If you want to go for a soft look, go with the lighter shades. Remember, if you are playing around with the same colours as you can see on the face, you can’t go wrong with it. Applying a beige, bronze, brown, taupe, and peach shades will always give you a lovely look. Every colour has its warm and cool tones. If you would like to add colours, like rose, pink, red, purple, green or blue to your eye makeup, the same rule applies. All you will need to do is to choose the right tones of colours and you will 35

WARM UNDERTONE have your beautiful makeup done. Experimenting and practising is the key. Of course, don’t forget to have fun while trying out these easy tips. HOW CAN WE KNOW WHEN WE ARE NOT USING THE RIGHT COLOURS, TONES OR TEXTURES?

• You have a feeling that you are wearing a mask. Inappropriate texture of the foundation for your skin type or too much foundation and powder can give you a caked up look.

• You’re not using the right shade when your visage looks older in the mirror. This problem appears really often because of wrong shade and tone of the foundation, too much or wrong colour of the blush, heavy contours, wrong tones on the eyes, or using wrong colour of the lipstick

• Your skin looks greyish or has an ashy colour. This is a nightmare for people who have bronze and darker skin tones. It happens if you choose a lighter and light coverage foundation for deeper skin tones. There are some occasions when we have to give the skin a lighter colour, but in this case we have to choose a full coverage foundation to make sure it will give a healthy glowing beautiful skin colour and not an ashy look.

• You look tired. Too much texture on the skin and excessive makeup under the eyes gives you a tired and gloomy look.

Makeup enhances our confidence and natural beauty. Keep in mind that we are all equally amazing and beautiful people

Liv Rideg is an award-winning professional makeup artist and hairstylist with 21 years of experience in the beauty industry. She is currently based in Europe but has worked across the globe, including a spell in Dubai. Liv specialises in bridal, beauty, glamour, creative and fantasy makeup. She has also been teaching makeup techniques and different styles since 2010.

BEAUTY RECOMMENDATIONS: PICKING

THE RIGHT FOUNDATION FOR YOUR UNDERTONE! We celebrate beauty in diversity! Love your skin by picking the right foundation for your skin undertone. The perfect shade will reveal your skin’s natural beauty, and by staying true to your hue, your best self is going to shine through!

the latter is the range of darkness to lightness of the skin itself. Most people fall into one of the three undertones:

Picking the Ideal Shade Sometimes, picking the ideal foundation shade is a tricky ordeal. The shade might look suitable at first glance or even on initial application. The mismatch is identified once it becomes apparent that your face is not giving that natural glow—either the shade is too pale or too dark, or even lifeless and boring!

• Warm, which means your skin is more golden, yellow, or peach.

Hence, it is essential to identify your natural colour before splurging your cash in the nearest beauty bar. To accomplish this, determine your undertone. Your skin undertone is different from your skin tone as the former is the underlying hue or colour that your skin casts, while

• Cool, which means your skin is more blue, red, or pink.

• Neutral, which means your skin will have a combination of cool and warm colours. The classic rule applies: a warm undertone looks best with gold or yellow-based foundations, while shades with rose, red, or blue bases are suitable for those with a cool undertone. We listed different foundations for the three types of undertones—from lightweight foundations that will give you a natural, no-makeup look to full coverage ones for a longer staying, glam look!

FOUNDATIONS FOR WARM UNDERTONES

1. NARS ALL DAY LUMINOUS WEIGHTLESS FOUNDATION A light foundation that can give you full coverage up to 16 hours. One drop goes a long way. A good shade for warm undertones is Barcelona, perfect for medium to medium-deep skin with a peachy undertone.

3. BOBBI BROWN SKIN WEIGHTLESS LONG WEAR FOUNDATION SPF15 This product is formulated with SPF 15 to give you additional protection from the sun. It feels light and airy but sports a medium to full coverage. Golden Beige is for people with light to medium skin with a gold undertone.

2. FENTY BEAUTY PRO FILTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;R HYDRATING LONG WEAR FOUNDATION This foundation is cruelty-free and will give you a natural finish with instant hydration. It has 50 shades you can choose from. Shade No. 240 is perfect for people with medium skin with a yellow undertone.

4. L.A. GIRL PRO COVERAGE LIQUID FOUNDATION This is a lightweight foundation perfect for all-day wear. It is a full coverage foundation formulated without parabens, ideal for those who want to avoid synthetic chemicals in their cosmetics. Soft Honey is for medium skin suitable for warm undertones. 5. MAYBELLINE NEW YORK SUPER STAY FULL COVERAGE LIQUID FOUNDATION Looking for a long-lasting foundation? This is perfect for you! Formulated to last for 24 hours to give you a full coverage finish without the worry of pore clogging. Golden is a perfect shade for medium skin with warm undertones.

FOUNDATIONS FOR COOL UNDERTONES

1. TOO FACED BORN THIS WAY FOUNDATION A flawless and natural finish foundation that can easily give you a no-makeup look, this foundation can give you a natural medium to full coverage. Golden is for medium skin with a rosy undertone.

3. ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR STAY IN PLACE MAKEUP A matte foundation that will last for 24 hours, waterproof and can withstand heat, Estee Lauder Double Wear is just perfect for any season. Auburn is a suitable shade for people with cool undertones.

2. DIOR BACKSTAGE LIQUID FOUNDATION Dior Backstage promises a glowing look and perfect blending with the skin. You can sport a natural look with this foundation or you can opt to get full coverage. 3 Cool is for light to medium skin with cool undertones.

4. GIORGIO ARMANI LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION Many MUAs swear by Giorgio Armani for a lush, medium coverage that dramatically hides skin imperfections. It also applies easily and will give you a flawless and natural glow from within. Shade No. 8.25 will suit people with cool undertones. 5. MAKEUP FOREVER REBOOT FOUNDATION Looking for a foundation that has a satin finish? This is the right one for you. It reduces the look of wrinkles, giving you a hydrated and glowing complexion. If you have medium skin with a red undertone, shade R370 will suit you.

FOUNDATIONS FOR NEUTRAL UNDERTONES

1. CHARLOTTE TILBURY AIRBRUSH FLAWLESS FOUNDATION A lightweight and long lasting foundation that has heat-proof and waterproof formula. This foundation is promoted as crueltyfree and vegan. 5.5 Neutral will suit people with medium skin with olive neutral undertones.

3. AQUA NUDE WATERINFUSED PERFECTING FLUID GUERLAIN This foundation will give you hydrated and perfect skin. It contains SPF 20 for additional sun protection. 03N Natural is perfect for medium skin with neutral undertones.

2. MARC JACOBS REMARKABLE FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION This foundation is perfect for people with oily and combination skin types and provides longlasting wear up to 24 hours. Bisque Medium 26 is for fair with neutral undertones.

4. PAT MCGRATH SKIN FETISH SUBLIME PERFECTION FOUNDATION A liquid foundation that will give you a smooth-looking skin and medium coverage, this product is suitable for dry, combination, oily and normal skin types. If you have medium skin with olive and neutral undertones, Medium 21 is for you.

5. NAKED SKIN WEIGHTLESS ULTRA DEFINITION LIQUID MAKEUP Naked Skin promises a radiant, glowing look and long wear for up to 24 hours. This foundation will also help reduce wrinkles and blurs skin imperfections. 6 Warm/ Medium is for medium skin with olive undertone.

REUSABLE MAKEUP REMOVERS:

7 RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS Cotton pads and face wipes are one of the most popular options when it comes to cleaning our faces and removing makeup. However, these products are not good for our environment. Disposable wipes and pads are filling our landfills, clogging our sewers and even polluting our oceans. Imagine if all of us use disposable pads and wipes: where do all the garbage go? Change starts with the small things that we are able to do. Purchasing biodegradable products and minimising the consumption of disposable products can definitely help the environment. Reusable makeup removers, as an eco-friendly alternative to disposable makeup removers, can massage your face and also remove dead skin cells, resulting in glowing and healthy skin. Most of these reusable removers are super absorbent and can remove your makeup using warm water, cleanser or your favourite makeup remover liquid or balm. We listed seven reusable makeup removers that are definitely worth adding to your beauty essentials!

1. NUGILLA MAKEUP REMOVER CLOTHS This eco-friendly makeup remover is made from finely woven fibre that is very gentle on the skin. It can be rewashed easily with warm water or you can just pop it in your washing machine.

2. ORIGINAL PINK MAKEUP ERASER Waterproof mascara? Matte lipstick? These hardto-remove cosmetics can be easily removed with this cute, pink cloth using just plain water. This brand claims that one of this product is equal to 3,600 face wipes!

3. FACE HALO REUSABLE MAKEUP REMOVER PAD A product that is PETA Approved and 100 % cruelty-free: this tiny pad can easily fit your makeup bag and is perfect for your travel needs.

4. JANE IREDALE MAGIC MITT MAKEUP REMOVER Jane Iredale created a makeup remover mitt that you can easily slide in your hands and easily remove makeup even in those hard to reach areas.

5. ODOXIA REUSABLE MAKEUP REMOVER PADS This product is ideal for people with sensitive skin. These are natural bamboo pads which also makes it organic and super eco-friendly!

7. BLOOMING BEE CHARCOAL BAMBOO REUSABLE MAKEUP REMOVER PADS This product is made from 100% plant material and one pad can be used 1000 times. It is made from natural bamboo cotton that cleans the face gently and naturally.

6. DANIELLE MAKEUP REMOVING CLOTHS These colourful reusable makeup remover cloths can be washed up to 500 times. The material gives you that fresh and clean feeling after a makeup removal session.

Opting for reusable products will help the environment and save money spent on disposable face wipes and cotton pads. Since these products can be used with warm water, you will also be able to cut down the cost of purchasing makeup remover liquids or balms. These are only product recommendations, and you know what is best for your skin. Stay pretty and healthy while taking good care of nature with these amazing and helpful products!

COLOUR SHINE Model: Lili Labodi - White Model Management Photo: Jozsef Balogh Retouch: Anna Petrova Hair and makeup: Liv Rideg Location: Studio Madison, Budapest. Hungary 47

BRONZY GODDESS 48

Model: Eleni Balogh Photo, hair and makeup: Liv Rideg Retouch: Anna Petrova Location: Studio Madison, Budapest, Hungary

GARFIELD KERR CEO of Mokha 1450 Coffee Boutique

@mokha1450 www.mokha1450.com

Tell us a bit about yourself. I have lived in Dubai for over five years. I had a career on Wall Street in corporate law before transitioning to working in private equity, which led me to the coffee industry. I enjoy working out and I’m very active in sports. How did you get started in business? I have always worked at varied business ventures throughout my undergraduate and postgraduate schooling and absorbed everything I could along the way. I have also been fortunate to have some amazing mentors early in my life from whom I learned as much as I could about corporate governance and leadership. Tell us about your business ventures to date Most of my business ventures involved executing the dreams of others—such is the life of a corporate lawyer or having a career in finance and private equity. My own business, Mokha 1450 Coffee Boutique, is the first step forward to execute a vision that is my own. What is your vision for yourself as a brand? Mokha 1450 is a lifestyle brand that aims to be a leader in coffee culture. We actively nurture and cultivate longterm relationships that incorporate ethical, fair practices, which in turn, empower the farmers we work with to deliver exceptional coffee consistently. From sourcing and roasting rarefied single-origin coffees to pouring the

ultimate cup, our expertise delivers a personal touch throughout the process to incorporate ‘The Heart of Coffee’ in everything we do. Mokha 1450 is committed to serving exceptionally rare and superior speciality coffee that remains faithful to the very origin of coffee culture. As connoisseurs, it is our obligation to deliver the finest coffee—from the most gifted growers from every part of the world. We achieve this through our dedication to echo the sincere traditions of early coffee culture and build long-standing relationships to help support the communities involved. What are your success habits? My successful habits involve always attempting to do things to the highest degree possible without settling. I try not to be average in pursuing and executing my endeavours, and while I will often fail, at least I will have tried and given my best efforts to succeed at the highest level. I also try to be as inclusive as possible, to empower others, as well as interact with others with a strong moral code as my baseline. What are you passionate about? Coffee! I am very passionate about coffee and sharing the incredible sensory experience of drinking great coffee with others. I am also passionate about Mokha 1450’s incredible team and the pride they take in delivering a one-of-a-kind experience.

How do you determine if a business idea is going to be successful? There is really no way of telling if a business idea will be successful. Many times, you will have a brilliant idea that is not scalable and there is no way of knowing that prior to executing the business model. However, I will say that if you identify a product or service that meets a need, then this will more likely than not be successful if executed properly. As an old axiom goes, “There are no new ideas, just proper execution.” Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur? I think true entrepreneurship has a small element of innateness to it. The kids that ran lemonade stands, or did other things to raise money as kids, are generally on the fast track to being true entrepreneurs. However, for the rest of us, there are two worn-out clichés that have an element of truth to them, though not necessarily how they are meant. The first is that you should always do what you love—but what if I like eating chocolate cake and sitting on the

couch? I can’t see how one could generate a steady revenue stream from doing that thing that I truly love. However, the element of truth to that cliché is that if a venture is truly interesting to you, then you will apply yourself more earnestly and enjoy working at it much more than attempting a project that you find uninteresting or are merely engaged in because others advised it as worthwhile or profitable. The second is that you should never be afraid to fail. I understand what this is meant to get at, but I think you should be very afraid of failure. If you are not afraid to fail, then you will not commit maximally to anything. The fear of falling on your face makes for better decisionmaking and a higher level of concentration and execution. People who are fine with failure generally fail at things. I think the more accurate advice is that you should never let failure weigh too much on your self-esteem or be the sum value of your efforts. You should attempt to learn from your failures and try very hard not to make the same mistakes again, knowing well that you will fail at some point in the future but doing everything in your power to avoid it.

Tell us about a time you had to deal with failure and how you dealt with it. I once had to restructure a company whose business model I did not fully support. I worked hard at it as the delivery manager but failed at coming close to the desired end result. The more I failed, the more I blamed the business model instead of my efforts. I dealt with this initial failure by taking a step back and looking at the fact that the many hours I spent working on the matter at hand was not yielding anything close to the desired effect. I then asked for help and brought in a few experts in the field and only later realised that I never really understood the business model as well as I had assumed. It was only after being humbled and admitting my shortcomings that I was able to delegate to the right individuals and get the project back on track, but the entire experience was quite harrowing. If you could start all over again, what would you do differently? I would be much nicer to people. What advice would you give to someone starting out on their entrepreneurial journey? I would say be prepared to work harder than you would work for someone else; be driven by data and do your homework. Many ideas that seem brilliant on paper fall apart very soon once it makes contact with the real world. Know what the points of failure are and have a solution before moving forward. Any business plan that requires luck as a matter of necessity may not be the best plan. Know when to call it a day and try something else, especially when there is

time and money involved. Many times, people believe they have put too much time, effort and money into an idea to give up, but putting even more time, effort and money into a failing venture makes you feel even worse when you have to pull the plug much later. Furthermore, it violates the eternal law of the universe that says when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? Always do what you love and never be afraid to fail. The ability to be self-aware, humble, and read people well are skill sets that complement each other, and when combined and practised frequently, it can take you far in life. If you were to write a book about yourself, how would you name it? When I die, people will all look back and say, “He’s dead now.” How do you look after your mental health? I run a lot. Research shows that running and exercising makes you smarter. Studies also show that daily exercise improves life expectancy regardless of past activity levels. It is also a smart thing to run and exercise with the people you love, in order to really enjoy the activity. What’s that one quote you live by? Generally, I'm not too fond of quotes as they encourage daydreaming more than doing. However, when I am stuck, I always tell myself that there is no problem in the universe that time and hard work can't solve. Even the most intractable problem will lose its hold over you with the passage of enough time.

VOICES I BROUGHT MY DREAMS FROM AFGHANISTAN TO BERLIN

A Refugeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Story of Her Path to Success and Inner Peace

Rabeah RAHIMI

ACTRESS

@rabeah_r

Success means having inner satisfaction and pure calmness. You will know that you achieve it once you have peace in your heart and mind. Inner peace is important to me as much as it is to everyone else. I’m proud of what I have accomplished through the years, despite the hardships and pain I sadly experienced. Hopefully, my work in the entertainment industry will give pleasure to others when they see it. Like everyone else, my life towards success isn't easy. I was a refugee from Afghanistan, and I was ten years old when I moved to Germany. It was a big culture shock for me. The people, their behaviour and everything were very different from what I knew and what I experienced. I had to learn to adapt. Berlin has a great culture—it's very green everywhere—parks are everywhere. I'm very grateful for the chance to have a new life here. Girls can go to school, enjoy free education, and achieve everything they dream of. I was traumatised because of the war in Afghanistan. If I don’t have a fundamentally positive attitude towards life and without the necessary support from people around me, I would certainly not achieve this point in my life. I can’t imagine my life without my friends and they make me very happy. Even though I have a dark past, I’m still a dreamer. I often lie in the grass with my dog, gaze at the blue, sunny sky and think of happy thoughts. I love cycling and discovering new streets, seeing beautiful and colourful buildings and meeting new people. I’m a happy-go-lucky person and I love everything about my life. I discovered that I love acting. I find it incredibly exciting to slip into different roles with different lives and characters. I feel alive through acting and it gives me great pleasure. Sometimes, when I’m sad and the haunting memories come back, acting helps me to process them and eventually calm me down.

So far, the biggest achievement in my life happened when I got a role in a film called ‘Twins’. I was with Gérard Depardieu who is incredibly talented and gave me important tips. He always reminds me with the words: “Don't play it—feel it.” In addition to my acting career, I’m currently studying directing at the film school in Berlin. I find it very exciting to get professional knowledge about film-making. My dream is to create my own film in which I can tell my personal story. I would like the film to encourage others to start a new, meaningful life: far from home, despite all the adversities. Sometime in the near future, I also believe it is wonderful to have my own family—a loving family to whom I can share my love, full support and happiness. We all know that life is a series of ups and downs. Expect hardships and remember to learn from it. A painful past isn’t a great memory, and it is something that we can’t change. We can get courage from our darkest memories to continue life and make sure to do everything better for our own selves, our families and the world’s future. The most important thing we need to learn is to follow our hearts, try to realise your dreams, and most of all, to be proud of yourself.

TAKING LESSONS Asil Attar

CEO AND ENTREPRENEUR

www.asilattar.com www.turban-thinker.com www.salt-fashion.com @asil_attar @turbanthinker @saltfashionltd

Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born in Iraq and of mixed heritage: Iraqi and Indian. I left Iraq when I was about two years old and was brought up between the UK and the US. My parents left the Middle East in the 1950s and moved to the US. They later returned briefly at the time when I was born and eventually settled in the UK. I attended American curriculum schools in the UK and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design. I’m proud to have built a successful career in fashion, luxury, retail, and business—working incredibly hard throughout my 30-year journey. I'm known as the Hybrid. The first half of my career was spent working in creative roles—as a buyer, creative director, and brand director. I worked the second half of my career as a transformational leader in senior executive roles, for the later 11 years as CEO of fashion groups in the Middle East. My role as CEO has gained me a reputation for turning businesses around and restructuring them, introducing new visionary strategies and bringing positive change. I would describe my leadership style as transformational and people-centred. I focus on my teams and engage my business emotionally on the journey, leaving a lifetime impact. What does success mean to you? Success is reaching a position with positive influence—leaving a legacy through transferring knowledge to other people and creating social impact. What is your secret sauce? Hard work, passion, humility—leading and driving everything through my ethics and values: this is uncompromisable and must be with me all the time. What are you passionate about? I'm definitely passionate about making a difference to people's lives, knowing that with the roles that I have gained come with a huge responsibility. I ensure that I'm mindful of each and every decision that I make, which affects other people; therefore, people are always on top of my mind.

Another passion of mine is to enable others to follow their dreams—to inspire, motivate and empower them. Each one of us is unique and has something special to offer. You just have to bring their confidence to the forefront for them to realise that and in turn, this will eventually bring out their passion. You have had a lot of firsts, but what does it mean to be the first female CEO of Damas Jewellery in over 100 years? I'm very proud of my achievements, especially as a female, championing empowerment and representing the potential of women. Having said that, I am passionate about empowering men and women as we all serve an example for each other. My achievements are the outcome of my hard work, passion, drive and continually being aware that we are constantly learning no matter what position we reach, which pushes me to keep going. Despite their potential, many women don’t see themselves as future CEOs. Why do you think this is so? The fact that a small single-digit representation of women in senior roles or on the board is a key factor; this, however, should motivate women more. It is up to us to change the mindset that we can't do it. We must see ourselves as capable of achieving anything we set our minds to. Without women driving this mindset, change will not happen. There are thousands of women that will follow, and it's up to us to unite and empower them to do so. What would you say are some of the best strategies to promote diversity in the workplace? I always had a diverse workplace and I have hired people with different ethnicities and cultures. I represented a mini melting pot. It isn't something that is a strategy. It is part of who I am, how I was raised, my respect for humanity, and my stance that we are all capable no matter what. Promoting diversity in the workplace is an innate part of my leadership style and is definitely natural.

What is your advice to the next generation of female CEOs? Remember that it took you hard work and a great deal of effort to reach the position that you are in. Stay true to yourself, be humble and understand that you are an example which everyone is looking up to. Ensure that you use your status to promote positive change and impact, as well as inspire others, especially women. You have given a lot of years to the fashion industry and seen its growth over time. How would you describe the future of fashion? Fashion is an evolving field. I have been fortunate enough to survive three recessions and four amazing decades. Experiencing recession has taught me so much. One thing I do know that whilst we are currently going through an unusual and unprecedented global impact, this will bring many innovative and creative thinkers to the table, as well as gamechangers that will question the past and look for a brighter, optimistic future. I believe that with so many people's priorities and focuses on reshifting, consumers are looking for unique, relatable, ethical, well-made products, and not simply fast fashion. They want the story-tellingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the experienceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to know who made the products and how they are made. This means that there will be a great shift towards ethical and sustainable products. This pandemic has propelled this trend to the forefront; whilst in the past, getting companies to champion sustainability in fashion churned slowly. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? I know its clichĂŠ, but cherish every moment. It goes by as fast as a flash. Remember, even though you think you know everything, you actually don't.

Name 2 books you recommend and why I don't read much 'cause I literally don't have the time. The only book I read is the Quran, that is what I make time for. My religion is the most important thing to me, grounding me and directing me. Who inspires you with awe and why? My mother and father inspire me so much. They were teenagers when they took a decision to leave Iraq and venture into the big wide world. My father worked incredibly hard and was a pioneer of solar energy in the 1970s. We grew up understanding the importance of the environment and respect for nature. He was so humble, charitable, uncompromisable in his ethics, and he never accepted wrongâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;no matter who or what. He taught me to stand up for my beliefs and support others that were less fortunate, to do good and live a life of integrity. My mother was beautiful and creative. She taught me everything about fashion, colour, and art. She ensured that I would learn to read and write Arabic, even though we lived away from our home country. She was an empowered, strong woman, hardworking while taking care of her family. My parents were both unwell from an early age and I never quite got to see them in their prime state. Despite that, they remained passionate, beautiful, and strongâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;inspiring and helping others. May they rest in peace. What are your top two strategies for dealing with difficult situations? For many years, working with thousands of people and being responsible for many, I have learned that you must think before you react. You must never handle situations when you are in the heat of the moment. Stay calm, be open-minded and be honest. My style is holding brutal but positive conversations, focusing on the solution instead of the problem itself. How do you look after your mental health? I am also known as the Turban Thinker because of the different heads that they claim I have under my turban. I have a blessed ability to multi-task and think in many different ways. However, this is mentally challenging for me: controlling my thoughts and managing the speed of my work. My faith is the foundation of my mental wellbeing. I pray, read the Quran, and ensure that a couple of hours at the start and end of the day is for some alone time. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that one quote you live by? My greatest gift is possessing the ability to see the spark of potential in everything and everyone, and to inspire others to see it too. This is a paradigm I live by.

TALENT POOL

THE MIDDLE EASTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VERY OWN

KING OF POP Official_S1 Official_S1 Uncut with S1 S1

Being amongst the most successful English artists to come out of the region and making it internationally, what was the biggest challenge you faced? The biggest challenge was to get recognised in the industry internationally without staying in the US. It took a lot of proving my skills and collaborating with many international artists, producers, and songwriters. I had to show that I was capable of creating hit records. You have been a Recording Academy Member for the past 5 years and have attended several Grammy Award shows, how was that experience? A lot of people underestimate the importance of the Recording Academy, thinking it is just about awards. Definitely, the Grammys is an important show and awarding body, having a long history of recognising music and artists’ successes, but the Academy plays an even bigger role behind the scenes. They fight for the rights and protection of musicians, producers, and writers. The Recording Academy also supports Musicares Foundation, which provides money and services to musicians in emergencies and crises. I have attended many award shows, but the times I attended the Grammys were all great experiences on another level. It is an unreal experience to see all the glamour, the talent, the variety of artists, the people behind the scenes of the biggest records and legends all under one roof. I was incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to see Prince take the stage one of the times I attended. I am always proud to attend the Grammys and represent the Middle East and Germany. How would you describe your musical style? I consider my style unique. It’s a combination of Pop and RnB, with a twist. It’s the S1 sound. You will always recognise the S1 sound because it is so different. I love exploring and experimenting so I don’t limit myself to sounding one particular way. What are you passionate about and why? My biggest passion is making music, whether it be a song for myself or for another artist. I love the entire process from finding a beat to creating a melody, writing the lyrics, and making a hit that will impact people in so many different ways. Once I start on new music, I get lost in that world and my creativity begins to flow. There is no greater feeling than hearing feedback from fans about a new song that I’ve released. They share their personal connection to my songs and how it either got them through a tough situation or that their kids memorised all the lyrics, or even that they danced to it at their parties! I have always been an entertainer and live for good vibes. After making a song in the studio, it is amazing to bring it to life on stage.

What do you do outside of music? I have a podcast called Uncut with S1. I have several businesses, my biggest being in entertainment, and at the moment I am working on a project. I can’t reveal too many details just yet, but it is a new show that I’m filming and it’s going to be big and super entertaining! Tell us about Young Millionaire Entertainment and why you started it Young Millionaire Entertainment has been my baby for almost 10 years. We’ve grown so much and I am so proud of our team and what we have accomplished. I

started the company because I felt like my team and I could bring so much more creativity and quality to the market. Coming from the entertainment industry, I experienced going on tour and performing on so many different platforms all over the world, and so I wanted to bring back my expertise, share it with people in the region, and perfect all the missing pieces. How has social media impacted your career? This is a great question because when I had my first big break at 16 years old, the whole social media game wasn’t as relevant as it is today. When I would run

into fans, they would tell me that they saw me on MTV, or that they heard my song on the radio, or saw my album in Virgin and my face in magazines and newspapers—whereas now it’s all about Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, Snapchat or any other platform. With time, I adapted. To answer your question, I think it has made a lot of things much easier and quicker to get things out there. Back then, it was mandatory to get your song on MTV heavy rotation to get any kind of exposure, but now, people themselves can just upload on YouTube and it is guaranteed to get some kind of exposure.

How do you see music events evolving as a result of the current situation with Covid-19? I see a current trend going around in Europe and the States where drive-thru cinemas are being converted into drive-thru music events or stand-up comedy events. Obviously, such experiences are only temporary as they are nowhere near as thrilling and exciting as a typical event; therefore, they aren’t a threat. Eventually, once a vaccine will be widely available, things will go back to normal. You started your music career at an early age, what advice would you give to young aspiring artists? My advice would simply be to believe in yourself, to set a goal, to chase that goal until you achieve it, despite what others may think or say. Always remember that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. You should look at things like a muscle: the more you keep working on it, the stronger it gets. People like Walt Disney, Oprah, Elvis, Lady Gaga, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Michael Jordan, though from different industries, all have something in common—they all got rejected before they made it big! Keep in mind, rejection should fuel your motivation. Why Dubai as a base? Dubai is the greatest city in the world. The food here is amazing and you have the perfect combination of city and beach. You have all the moods in one place. For my career, Dubai is well-situated geographically, making travel to most countries convenient. The service and hospitality in the UAE is unmatched and I realise that every time I leave. A major factor is that security is paramount here. I was born in beautiful Germany and moved to Dubai when I was 8 years old. I have since then created such beautiful and memorable memories with my family, friends, and fans. Every time I fly back into Dubai, I feel like I missed it so much.

Who do you admire with awe and why? I admire all the strong, determined and hardworking women out there. Whether they leave the house to work or stay at home to care for their children, or even do both, women are to be praised, respected, and treasured worldwide. Having said that, I love my mom and appreciate everything she has done and is doing for me, my siblings, and family. Since you were one of the first Teen Stars in the Middle East and continue to stay on top of the game, how have you managed to stay so relevant? I think the quality of your work will always speak for itself. If you work hard, provide amazing content, and reinvent yourself from time to time, I would say that’s the key to staying relevant and interesting. Always stay true to yourself and be honest with your fans and followers. What’s next for S1? New music and a new show coming soon too! Make sure you all follow me on my social media to stay updated and hear it first. What’s that one quote you live by? “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” –Albert Einstein

LIFESTYLE

DO YOU KNOW YOUR ATTACHMENT STYLE?

THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND ATTACHMENT STYLES AND THEIR ASSOCIATED BEHAVIOURS What Are Attachment Styles? Attachment styles are the different ways we interact and behave in relationships. During early childhood, the interaction between the parent and child defines the child’s attachment style. While attachment styles can shift throughout the years, research shows that patterns established in childhood have a strong impact on adulthood relationships. Nevertheless, it is also common for adults to adopt a combination of traits as they go through different life experiences and relationships. History These attachment styles are based on the attachment theory and research in the 1960s to 70s. John Bowlby did extensive research on the concept of attachment. His work was expanded by psychologist Mary Ainsworth who identified three attachment styles: secure, anxious, and avoidant. Later on, researchers Main and Solomon added a fourth style—the disorganised style.

THE 4 ATTACHMENT STYLES • Secure A secure attachment is developed in childhood when the child’s needs are regularly met. Children exhibiting a secure attachment style feel comfortable around their parents. They don’t feel separation anxiety when the parent leaves and they’re happy when they return. The child feels safe, nurtured, and in touch with their parents. They seek comfort from parents when frightened and have an easy time expressing emotions. Adults with a secure attachment style have low avoidance and low anxiety when dealing with social interactions. They feel comfortable with their emotions and relationships. They know how to draw boundaries, express their emotions in a healthy manner, and feel secure, trusting, and connected to their partners. Overall, individuals with a secure attachment tend to have a positive view of self and others and form trusting and long-lasting relationships. • Anxious An anxious attachment style is developed in childhood when the child receives an inconsistent amount of love and care. Children who are anxiously attached tend to be apprehensive of strangers. They display considerable distress when separated from a parent or caregiver and do not seem reassured or comforted by their return. Adults with this attachment have low avoidance but high anxiety with social interactions. They are very concerned with what others feel about them, and because of this concern, they are dependent on others for feelings of validation and approval. They need constant reassurance and communication. In relationships, they want to feel a secure, safe, and loving bond with their partners but because of their desire for excessive intimacy, oftentimes they can become overly involved, clingy, and possessive. They tend to have a lack of trust and they have a difficult time believing that their partners actually love them. Overall, individuals with an anxious attachment style tend to idealise their relationships but live in constant fear of abandonment and rejection.

• Avoidant An avoidant attachment style is developed in childhood when only a portion of the child’s needs are met. For instance, the child may not be left hungry but are left emotionally dismissed. The parent may not give the child permission to cry or have little to no response when the child is hurting. This attachment style is almost the opposite of a preoccupied or anxious style. People in this category have high avoidance but low anxiety with social interactions. They are uncomfortable with intimacy, affection, and love. They generally feel that they are independent of everybody else and think that they do not need relationships. They do not invest much emotion in relationships and experience little sadness when a relationship ends. They can often appear distant as they do not share their feelings often. They tend to rationalise their emotions and deny their own feelings to avoid confrontation. 91

• Fearful/Disorganised A fearful or disorganised attachment is developed in childhood when the primary caregiver offers inconsistent emotional support and/or abuse or neglect. This attachment style is more of a combination of preoccupied and dismissive styles. Main and Solomon proposed that inconsistent behaviour on the part of parents might be a contributing factor. They also argued that parents who act as figures of both fear and reassurance to a child contribute to a disorganised attachment style. When the child feels both comforted and frightened by the parent, confusion results. Despite craving intimacy, people with disorganised attachment style have a difficult time connecting with others while simultaneously wanting to remain independent and distant. These individuals

TANNAZ HOSSEINPOUR

usually get into very dysfunctional and unstable relationships. They have high avoidance along with high anxiety in social interactions. They generally see themselves as flawed and not worthy of loving and caring relationships. Overall, these individuals tend to have a “push-pull’’ dynamic where they want to feel close and loved but since they expect to get hurt, they want to avoid any feelings of intimacy at the same time. By understanding our attachment styles, we can shed more awareness on our thoughts and actions in our relationships. Furthermore, by understanding our partner’s attachment style, we can better understand why they too act or think a certain way. Enhanced understanding and awareness can help partners have more compassion and better communicate with one another as they navigate through the ups and downs that come their way.

About the author Tannaz Hosseinpour, founder of Minutes on Growth Coaching, is a Dubaibased certified life coach specialising in mindset and relationships. She helps millennials manifest and cultivate empowered lives through oneon-one coaching, online programs, podcast episodes and social media content. She is the host of her self-improvement podcast, Minutes on Growth, available on Spotify, Apple and Google Podcast. She holds a Masters of Law degree in alternative dispute resolution, specialising in family mediation. Since 2017, she is also the CEO and founder of TP Education Consultants, an educational consultancy firm based in Toronto, Tehran and Dubai. Website: www.minutesongrowth.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/minutesongrowth

NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING:

THE SMART WAY TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY AND STRESS Nowadays, adapting to the new circumstances of life compels your brain to think and behave similarly to a first day at school scenario where you don’t know what to expect. You enter a new world with different sets of rules and guidelines that provoke naturally high levels of stress. I fell in love with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a psychological methodology, when I was heartbroken and couldn’t deal with the emotional toll for over a year. I felt so emotional yet so angry for the fact that I have been left alone after years of promises for a lifetime commitment. Anxiety took over my health, and day after day, I got worse. I remember my NLP teacher inviting me to do a technique on a broken heart cure that I jumped into passionately as I was sick of being depressed. The technique we did on emotional freedom tapping enabled me to create a healthier and better-looking image of myself. It took me exactly 24 hours to throw away all the stuff I kept devotedly for over a year. I have reframed my statement from being left and lonely to living free and independent, and actually starting to enjoy it. It seemed a logically reasonable solution to stop the

vicious and purposeless cycle of making the same mistakes in life over and over again and not being able to interpret the pattern. I guess the NLP course found me and offered itself to me as an instant gratification of my desire to get out of my painful body. NLP teaches us how to programme our linguistics aiming to change our neuronal network and communication. As my NLP teacher said: “Think of your mind as a flexible tool and not a fixed one; instead of a mindset, think of it as a mindflex.” Start looking at unconventional and outof-the-box ideas that are feasible now and implement them at the earliest rather than going through regrets over the lost reality. What she uses as an example is a jelly that adapts to the shape of the mould. Similarly, through powerful NLP techniques, you can shape your mind into a form to suit your desired outcomes. The basic internal protective mechanism of our brain is called the ‘fight-flight-freeze’: the response to threat, anxiety and fear. Dissect fear to understand that it is not real and accept stress as a good stimulus in your life to promote growth, resilience, and strength of mind. Since you love your life, choose and work towards a flexible mind and learn new ways to move ahead on your journey. 93

Three Powerful Techniques to Deal with Anxiety and Stress Circle of Excellence This is an easy yet very powerful NLP technique that can help in times of inability to move ahead in life or when you’re missing a sense of direction. Think of the time when you felt best as an individual or a leader, or when you felt great at anything you do. Analyse the circumstances where and when you felt it, the colours associated with the scenario, the intensity of the achievement, the words that you remember, or even the taste or smell connected to that experience. Get all of your senses involved in that memory. All the collective experiences of these memories are what we are going to call your ‘excellent state’. Set up a ‘circle’ on the floor, one big enough where you can stand. Associate the

experiences of excellence with standing on this circle: this is what you’re going to call your ‘circle of excellence’. Focus and let your senses flood your mind to effectively anchor the ‘excellent state’ to your circle. Imagine stepping inside your circle of excellence. Go back and forth and make observations. Evaluate all the feelings and senses you had. The ‘excellent state’ should return whenever you go step into the circle. You can decide to put that ‘circle of excellence’ in the chair where you study, work, or in the bed where you sleep. You will have a more productive or more tranquil state of mind. The Spinning Feeling This technique allows you to locate and reshape a bodily feeling of stress and anxiety and give it a different positive sensation. This method works by lending a sense of direction and speed to negative feelings, such as

mentally ‘reversing’ the direction and spin of these feelings in the mind will also change or divert the negative feeling into positive ones. Think of a situation that caused you anxiety. Think about the feeling: what triggers it and what result it yields. Close your eyes and immerse yourself in that situation. Observe your own bodily responses: do your eyes go up and then down, or both ways? Where does the feeling originate—right, left, or centre of the body? Does your body clench or vibrate? Follow the path of the feeling in your mind and notice its size: does it start small and grow big? Is it within the body or beyond the body? Track the path of the feeling as it enters and exits through the same points, making a ‘disk’ as it ‘spins’. Note the direction: is it clockwise or counterclockwise? You may even see that this ‘disk’ has a colour. To reshape the negative feeling into a positive one, the trick happens in the mind: this time, reverse the direction of the spin and change the colour of the ‘disk’ to a pleasant one, add some sparkles to it, and make it fun and amusing! Put yourself back in another situation where you most likely have the old response and see if you can get the old response again using the ‘spinning feeling’. You can try this method whenever you’re experiencing a stressful and anxiety-laden situation. Time Line Therapy® The Time Line Therapy® is anchored on the concept that memories are stored in a linear or chronistic manner in our brains. With this therapy, you will reframe your perspectives about an upcoming challenge and prepare yourself to perform at your best. An individual’s ‘timeline’ is the result of the unconscious process of storing his or her memories, as well as how he or she unconsciously distinguishes the difference between a past memory and a future projection. To apply this technique, imagine a timeline of your past, present and future. You should be able to point your past, present and future to any direction from your body. Visualise your timeline clearly. Think about an event that is causing you stress. Close your eyes and visualise that future situation playing out. Where do you feel that nervousness in your body? Rate the strength of the feeling from one to ten. Open your eyes and take a deep breath. 95

Take a moment to close your eyes and ask yourself for the opportunities of this future event that can benefit you. If things went better than you can ever imagine, what are the benefits of taking on this challenge and what could make you excited about this opportunity? See what you like to see, hear what you like to hear, and feel it.

subconscious mind made all the adjustments you need for this event to happen with all its success. Take another deep breath in and all the way down to your belly and wake up. Try to think about that event again. You might even realise that the anxious feeling has become more elusive.

With your eyes closed, go back on your timeline. You are in the present moment of your timeline, facing the future. Imagine floating above the timeline until you are on a comfortable height looking from above. Gently turn into the direction of your future as far as you need to go.

NLP to combat stress and anxiety Many recent studies suggest that NLP has potential as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies also show that individuals who work with NLP experts experience a dramatic improvement in their emotional states.

Float all the way in the future and go even further until you are an hour past the successful completion of that event. The event is completely over, and you made it through; you realise that everything turned out even better than you imagined. Gently turn and look back towards the now, from a safe place in your future back to your present moment. Notice that the anxiety you had before is completely gone. At the moment, you will come back to the present to prepare yourself for the success of that event. Your

Much of our modern anxiety is based on the fear that we are not in control of our own minds. NLP takes a different approach to treating anxiety as it taps the power of the subconscious mind to make big changes within our consciousness. NLP also utilises the power of language to bridge our conscious and subconscious mind, using techniques that may help us feel better, be more resourceful, and be more empowered to live a life we appreciate and desire.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VYARA TOSHEVA Wellness, Spa and Retreats Business Consultant In over 19 years, Vyara Tosheva has gained professional experience in hospitality, leisure and wellbeing. Vyara graduated in Tourism Management and holds a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Psychology and Sociology. She also holds a Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Tourism, as well as internationallyaccredited certification courses in Hospitality and Spa Management. She travels the world to enhance her expertise through further certifications in Ayurveda, Wellness and Fitness Consultancy, Coaching and Psychology. She is a certified NLP and EFT master coach and Reiki practitioner. She also led the opening of The Retreat Palm Dubai, the first wellness retreat resort in the UAE and GCC, as well as the Rayya Wellness and Poli-clinic Centre. She created and managed the first holistic 96

retreats in a hotel environment where in-house and visiting master practitioners, energy workers and doctors combine their knowledge with fitness, spa and beauty professionals to deliver transformational retreats. As a consultant, she advises and consults hospitality and spa executives on the creation of wellness projects and their execution. Vyaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to empower busy executives to create or enhance their business models geared toward a wellness lifestyle on both professional and personal levels. Her vision, on the other hand, is to create worldwide wellness and health retreat centres that provide premium services for its employees, guests and visitors.

WHY YOU SHOULD

PRACTISE SELF-CARE AS A LEADER Effective leaders are those who understand the importance of their wellbeing and find ways to live a healthy, balanced life. It is important to point out that work-life balance does not exist as we imagine it. This I know as a senior leader: in most cases, it is impossible to balance work and life perfectly. The reality is that there will be days when you need to focus solely on work while personal time with family and loved ones take a backseat. Then, there are days when you must focus on family, and your work is likely to be on the sidelines. It is about prioritising each day, week, and month, and recognising when it is time to give for work and when it is time to give for family life and personal activities. So, let us call it prioritisation instead. Having the right partner by your side also makes a huge difference for many leaders, as leaders need support and understanding when they need to take time away from family commitments. Stress is one of the common symptoms of not practising self-care. When stress sweeps in, one is bound to fall sick. Being sick will not help you nor

your team. If you are to get one takeaway from this article, I hope it is the following statement: Ignoring self-care will send a message across your team that everything else is important other than you, and they will be influenced to follow your example. Imagine the kind of loss an organisation can face when a leader’s productivity decreases, which is followed by a decrease in the productivity of his or her team members. In addition, this situation creates a company culture where it is a norm to work long hours, take little leave time, work on weekends, not take time for self-care, poor health habits, or whatever other trends that a leader may be setting for the organisation. Surely, there are times or ‘seasons’ in every business where the team members have to work late hours, but that should not be the norm. A leader’s job is to lead by example, by creating a productive and positive environment, as well as practise and promote self-care and wellbeing around them. The success of a team starts with a leader. A leader’s path to success starts with self-care. When you, as a leader, take care of your own self, you will have the energy and right frame of mind to support 98

and help others. As a leader, you are the role model for others. When you take care of yourself, others will do the same. By taking care of yourself, you are letting the world know that personal health is more important than continuous work and must be followed by everyone. As a result, positivity and overall performance are bound to increase. A leader who prioritises self-care and personal downtime can be noticed to have enhanced wellbeing and performance in multiple areas of professional and personal life.

ultimately affecting your productivity. You must make time for yourself and not feel guilty about it. A few ways leaders can include self-care in their daily lives are the following: practising meditation, exercising, getting quality sleep, planning a fun activity together with family, taking family vacations, implementing healthy eating habits, spending time with loved ones, creating a peaceful home atmosphere, maintaining a gratitude journal and surrounding yourself with a positive environment at work and at home.

Leadership truly requires continuous effort and long working hours, but relaxation and rest are equally important. Leaders need to understand that every minute is crucial, but working every minute of each day can take a toll on your body,

As long as your body and mind are healthy, the rest of the things can be sorted equally in work and in life. Make time to take care of yourself so that you can be a better you, a better family member, and a better leader.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ELENA AGARAGIMOVA

Managing Partner at Bessern and Talent Development Specialist Elena is an entrepreneur, talent development specialist, and education advocate with a deep interest in neuro and behavioural sciences. She is known for her ability to drive change within individuals and organisations that are looking to reach their potential and maintain their competitive edge in the business world. She has started her career in higher education, having worked across various institutions, departments and regions. In her recent years, she dove into business and joined Bessern, as well as founded a learning and developing consultancy, as well as several other projects within the talent development arena. She is an engaging skilled trainer and talent development specialist, credited with combining operations, education, and international expertise to design and deliver programs for diverse audiences. Elena has a strong passion for L&D, promoting creative and engaging workplaces and all about optimising performance through the development of others. As a career coach, Elena has over ten years of experience working individuals across different generations, supporting them in achieving their professional and personal goals. 99

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FOOD

5 MASON JAR RECIPE IDEAS Summer is finally here! Aside from the sultry summer mornings, another thing to look forward to is the variety of food and drink that you can prepare and enjoy with your loved ones. Jumping on the recent trends, mason jar recipes are perfect for trying this summer. Not only are they chic and beautiful to look at, but these recipes are also quite convenient and easy to make. Here are five amazing and delicious mason jar recipes that you can easily try at home!

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1. Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Parfait What better way to start your morning than having a mouthwatering breakfast parfait? This easy-to-make, gluten-free breakfast provides more than enough fuel to start your day. To make this delightful treat, follow the steps below: • For the ingredients, you’ll be needing the following:

• 170 grams of creamy Greek yoghurt

• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds

• ⅓ cup of oats

• 2 tablespoons of milk

• Preferred mixture of fruits and berries

• Using a bowl, mix Greek yoghurt with oats, chia seeds and milk, and then stir it together. •

Place your yoghurt mixture in the mason jar.

Add a half cup of your chosen fruit-and-berries mix. It’s recommended that you • use frozen fruits and berries since they produce berry sauce that spreads in your parfait. • Place the remaining yoghurt mixture and stack it with the remaining berries and fruits, then chill it overnight. In the next morning after waking up, you can enjoy a yummy and healthy breakfast-on-the-go.

2. Oriental Chicken Pak Choi Mason Jar Salad For lunch or dinner, this oriental chicken pak choi salad recipe will make a big hit on the dining table. It is easy to make and is the perfect way to use leftover vegetables and stir-fried or grilled chicken. •

Ingredients:

• 170 - 220 grams sliced chicken breast

• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon of tamari soy sauce

• 1 - 2 tablespoon of sesame seed

• 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds

• 1 teaspoon of honey

• 1 teaspoon of chilli pepper flakes

• 1 - 2 cups of chopped cabbage

• 1 cup of shredded carrots

• 1 small baby pak choi bunch

• 1 small oriental or portabella mushroom

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

• In a skillet, grill your chicken slices and season it with sesame oil, tamari, chilli flakes, honey and sesame seed. Set this aside in a bowl once cooked. • Mix the remaining sesame oil and tamari with mushrooms and then toss it to cook. If there’s any excess oil or tamari, set it aside in a bowl. • After cleaning and slicing the pak choi in half, lightly steam in a microwave for it to soften. Do this for about 30 seconds to a minute. • Next, you’ll have to layer the ingredients in the jar. Start by placing the cabbage, then mushrooms and some chicken. Wrap the sliced pak choi around the jar and then add your carrots. If you want, you can pour the leftover oil and/or tamari you used earlier. • To top it off, sprinkle the almonds and the sesame seeds. You can then seal and store it for later.

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3. Vegan Red Curry Cup o’ Noodles

•

A healthy alternative to a college favourite,

this DIY ramen-in-a-jar packs a lot of flavour and is perfect for lunch.

4. PB & J Mug Cake

Ingredients: • 2 teaspoons of red curry paste • 1 teaspoon of brown sugar • 1 teaspoon of soy sauce • 1 teaspoon of chilli-garlic sauce • ½ teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste • 1 cup of cooked ramen (or any noodle of your choice) • ½ cup of sliced spinach leaves • ½ cup of mixed frozen vegetables • ⅓ cup of coconut milk • 2 tablespoons of chopped scallions • Lime wedge and sesame seeds to taste • Optional: ⅓ cup of baked tofu for more flavour. • In a bowl, mix and whisk both the curry and bouillon paste as well as the chilli-garlic sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and coconut milk. Then, pour this mixture into your jar. • Next, you’ll have to layer your noodles, vegetables, tofu and spinach. Make sure to leave spaces for the water. • Place the scallions and lime wedge in a tiny plastic bag and squeeze out the air. Place the plastic into the jar and seal it. • When ready to serve, remove the plastic bag and add boiling water. Seal the jar once again and let it sit for about 2 minutes. • After that, add in the lime and scallions.

•

Ingredients:

Of course, summer is not summer without

• 130 grams of plain all-purpose flour

desserts. This quick and easy recipe will surely

• 110 grams of light brown muscovado sugar

satisfy your sweet tooth.

• 90 grams of unsalted butter

• 60 grams of peanut butter

• 3 small eggs

• 90 ml of milk

• 6 tablespoons of the jelly of your choice

• 1 tablespoon of baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon of salt

• ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

• To start, melt your butter in the microwave. Once melted, slowly add the peanut butter until it forms into a smooth mixture. • Then, add in the jam as well as baking powder, flour, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla extract and eggs into the mixture. Mix well. • Next, pour this mixture into the mason jars. This recipe can make 3 servings. Add ½ tablespoon of jam on each jar. • After this, microwave the jar until the cake rises over their rims. Let it sink for a moment before quickly microwaving it again. Repeat this process until the cake is thoroughly baked. • Once out of the microwave, let the mugs cool for a few minutes. When you are serving the mug cake, make sure to have 1 tablespoon of chopped skinless peanuts (preferably unsalted) and 1 teaspoon of sifted confectioners’ or icing sugar to sprinkle on top.

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5. Summer Tiramisu Another dessert that you can enjoy, this sweet tiramisu will leave you wanting more. Summer ain’t summer without tasting this classic dessert. This recipe makes 4 servings you can enjoy with your family and friends.

ingredients combine. • In another bowl, mix the cold coffee and

Kahlua. • Grabbing your ladyfingers, cut the biscuit

• To start, mix your cream and sugar and whip

into 2.5 cm pieces then dip it in the coffeeKahlua mixture Then, place all of the pieces into each of the mason jars. • Add in a spoonful of the cream-mascarpone mixture into each biscuit layer. Layer it once again with another round of biscuits, followed by another layer of cream. Repeat until you’re satisfied. For the final touch, add in a generous amount of shaved chocolate. • It’s best to refrigerate the tiramisu for a few hours to allow the ingredients to mix and settle fully.

this combination until you see soft peaks. Add in the mascarpone cheese (make sure that it’s soft and has room temperature) and gently fold it in the mixture until these

Which among these mason jar recipes would you try first? Undoubtedly, summer is one of the most exciting seasons to try and enjoy different treats!

•

Ingredients: • 12 pieces of dried ladyfinger cookies • 1 cup of cold heavy cream • 1 cup of mascarpone cheese • 1 cup of cold, strong coffee • 1/3 cup of powdered sugar • 6 teaspoons of Kahlua (optional) • 1-2 ounces of dark chocolate.

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FITNESS

Being home for longer periods of time can make you feel lethargic and bored. Exercise makes your body work, and it activates all your senses. It also releases dopamine and adrenaline, both of which elevate your moods and add to your physical strength.

ABSOLUTE HOME FITNESS ESSENTIALS

You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always need fancy and high-tech gym equipment to be on top of your fitness game. Few people realise that a fit and strong body can be created and maintained with just a few essentials. We have crafted for you a list of essential home exercise equipment that you need. They are easy to find, store, and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take much space in your home!

1. Resistance Bands If you only ever purchase one piece of exercise gear in your life, let it be a pack of resistance bands. They practically take up no space and are literally weightless. When you push against a resistance band, your muscles must engage in fighting the tension. You have to press your legs against the band even when you are standing just for doing a simple squat. This means that your muscles are almost constantly at work when a resistance band is involved in your workout. They are highly versatile and you can use them for an upper body or a lower body workout without ever touching a dumbbell.

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2. Medicine Ball Medicine balls are an extremely efficient and fun tool for building your core strength. It is simply a ball with added weight ranging from 1 to 10 kgs. Not only is a medicine ball perfect for powering up your lower limbs, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also great for your abdominals. Medicine balls are used for a variety of movements ranging from squats to lunges with chest twists and can improve your response time and response intensity. Make sure you choose the right weight when picking a medicine ball.

3. Skipping Rope The skipping rope is an evergreen piece of fitness equipment that is recommended by fitness gurus for conditioning and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). They are extremely affordable, and you need only a small space for jumping rope. It is a great way to get your heart pumping and ready for a hard-core workout!

4. Exercise Mat Add an exercise mat to your home workout routine and feel the difference. A mat will give you a comfortable personal space to do your exercises. A mat stays put and allows you to do push-ups, planks, sit-ups, without the risk of your hands or feet slipping away during a session. When you pick an exercise mat, make sure to check the material, so it is leak-free and easy to wipe down. Look for a length that is at least 15 cm longer than your height. Usually, exercise mats are about 1.2 cm in thickness, which helps shield your body from the hard floor. 5. Kettlebell These heavy-duty tools are perfect for functional exercises that combine cardio and strength exercises. Kettlebells are more preferred than barbells or dumbbells as they are off-centred in weight. Exercises done with kettlebells fix misalignments, asymmetries and weaknesses in the body. Kettlebells help build endurance. Some well-known exercises you can do with a kettlebell are the sumo squat, the kettlebell swing, the single-arm kettlebell row and the kettlebell windmill. 107

6. Foam Roller Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release technique. These amazing rollers made of foam help you cool down after a heavy-duty workout, relax the tension in your muscles and improve flexibility. A foam roller is lightweight and is a great addition to your home workouts. You can literally store it along with your rolled-up exercise mat in the corner of your room. Foam rollers are known for the treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms and also assist in reducing inflammation. 7. Pull-up Bar Pull-up bars are the most effective exercise for toning your upper body. It is quite possibly also the hardest bodyweight exercise that you can do. It is easy to install bars that leverage on the doorframe. From there, you can do several exercises like the simple body pull up, a chin-up, a mixed grip pull up which uses an upper hand grip, and an underhand grip, among others. It tremendously strengthens your back muscles, your core power and helps target muscles from a different angle.

8. Step Platform Step platforms are simply stepping stools that allow you to get all the benefits of a high-intensity cardio workout with less stress on your joints. It is ideal for burning those calories and reducing fat. Step aerobics performed on a step platform can also boost your mood and energy levels. People struggling with osteoporosis can enjoy step aerobics and find that it improves bone strength. There are several variations of exercises that you can try on the step platform like a simple right, a simple left, an A-step, a turnstep move and an across the top move. A step platform is easily available, budget-friendly and can be stored in limited spaces, like under your bed! 9. Dumbbells Definitely one of the most commonly found exercise equipment, dumbbells are certainly a home fitness essential. Most of us grew up watching our older brothers flex those triceps with an heirloom dumbbell that belonged to our dads. Dumbbell exercises create both intra- and inter-muscular coordination that leads to greater levels of muscle activation. Whether you own one or a pair, dumbbells can be used to focus singularly at one set of muscles at a time. Reverse lunges and rotational presses are the most widely performed workout moves with dumbbells.

No matter what your home workout routine is, or how much equipment you have with you, long term results only come with consistency and dedication. Watch your posture while you exercise and remember to have fun! 108

TRAVEL

8 MUST-VISIT UAE CULTURAL SITES Well-known for its modern skyscrapers, luxury hotels, and fabulous beaches, UAE boasts a variety of must-visit cultural sites firmly rooted in Arab-Islamic traditions. While blending international influences and a strong dedication to local heritage, UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural sites provide visitors with an interesting look into the past, present, and future of this magnificent country.

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Heritage Village, Abu Dhabi Heritage Village, which was built in 1997, takes you back in time to relive Abu Dhabi’s history. Visitors are given a historical view of old traditions and customs, complete with photos and displays. During your visit to Heritage Village, you will have the opportunity to experience the traditional desert way of life with the simulation of an old souk, a mosque, and a pre-modernised Abu Dhabi. Featuring public workshops where craftsmen show traditional skills such as metalwork, pottery, weaving, and spinning, Heritage Village provides an interesting glimpse into the Emirate’s past. The craftsmen at Heritage Village often interact with visitors, sharing their vast knowledge of the history of traditional Arab craftsmanship. The spice shop within the village offers a range of dried herbs, handmade soaps, and plenty of souvenirs to collect.

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Qasr Al Muwaiji Home to generations of the Al Nahyan family and the birthplace of Sheikh Khalifa in 1948, Qasr Al Muwaiji is one of the most prestigious historical places in the country. It is preserved by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and built in the early years of the 20th. Qasr Al Muwaiji, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, gives a picture of the lifestyle of the ruling family before the country became what it is today. The magnificent site functioned as both the home to an oasis in the desert, as well as a place of authority and focus for the community. Providing visitors with a variety of historical and traditional experiences, this architectural treasure includes oral narrations of important moments in Sheikh Khalifa’s life, from his early childhood to his leadership and achievements. The museum located inside the property provides the public with the chronology of the members of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family connected to Qasr Al Muwaiji and the Al Nahyan Family.

Sharjah Art Museum Sharjah Art Museum offers art lovers a unique opportunity to admire the variety of collections and temporary installations in one of the largest art exhibitions in the Gulf region. Visitors can explore fascinating masterpieces of local painters and wellknown Arab artists who have contributed to the vast history of the Arab art world. Showcasing artistic creations and collections of more than 500 artworks of various mediums and techniques, this three-level museum holds a variety of temporary exhibitions and art events throughout the year. The Art Library consists of over 4,000 titles in Arabic, English, and other languages, along with visual and audio materials.

Umm Al Quwain Museum Built inside a fort that was once home to the Emirateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruling family, UAQ Museum is home to artefacts unearthed at Ed Duris. Known as one of the largest archaeological sites in the UAE, Ed Duris is slated among the most important lost cities of Arabia. At Umm Al Quwain Museum, you will also find exhibits showcasing the history of the war in the region and several artefacts from the excavated site Al Dur, a coastal city from 200 BCE to the third century CE. The museum is still one of the bestmaintained structures located in the old souk area of the Emirate known as Madeena Al Qadeema. With buildings over 150 years old, the area has the traditional look and feel of the city.

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Al Qattara Arts Centre Al Qattara Arts Centre has been developed around the earlier Bayt Bin Ati Al-Darmaki and was opened in 2011. A traditional mud-brick tower and house located on a mound overlooking the date-palm gardens of Qattara Oasis, the Centre offers a variety of cultural and artistic programmes on local artistic traditions and practices. Al Qattara Arts Centre also offers a dry studio for a variety of activities such as music classes and art crafting, and a wet studio available for drawing and painting classes. The Centre contains a fully equipped pottery studio, a digital room for photography and computer classes, a spacious calligraphy studio, an exhibition hall, and a café. Additionally, it includes a gallery, library, and a visitor’s reception area.

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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque The iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is known as one of the world’s largest, most gorgeous mosques. Conceived from the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s first president and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was created to celebrate cultural diversity while merging architectural styles from different Muslim civilisations. The mosque’s architects are British, Italian, and Emirati, and design inspirations were borrowed from other Islamic countries like Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan, and Egypt. This magnificent architectural monument with a capacity of 40,000 worshippers has an open-door policy that invites tourists and worshippers from all around the world to witness the spectacular onion-top domes, the reflective pools throughout the courtyard and the renowned prayer hall, that not only overflows with blissful sunlight but also houses the world’s biggest handmade chandelier and carpet.

Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace The newest cultural landmark in Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Watan opened its doors to the public as an invitation to discover the exquisitely crafted tribute to the Arabian heritage and artistry through architecture and design. Visitors will see examples of Arabian craftsmanship and art as well as create traditional calligraphy on interactive screens and explore centuries of knowledge in books focusing on the UAE in the Qasr Al Watan library. In addition, Qasr Al Watan invites visitors to learn about the cultural traditions and values as well as explore a historical legacy of knowledge and understanding of the UAE. Those visiting at night will enjoy the light and sound show told in three acts covering the past, present, and future vision of the country.

Louvre Abu Dhabi Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art lovers dream! The first museum of its kind in the Arab World, Louvre Abu Dhabi displays works of historical, cultural, and sociological importance from ancient times to the contemporary era. Comprising 9,200 sq m of galleries including the Permanent Gallery and the Temporary Gallery, the Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel. Nouvel designed a falaj-inspired water system running through the museum, inspired by ancient Arabian engineering, while the dome borrows inspiration from the palm leaves traditionally used as roofing material in many parts of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;thus recreating parts of UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integral cultural elements.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MONIQUE L. SPEARMAN is a freelance multi-faceted writer, curator and creator. Blending a passion for content creating, social media marketing, photography and travel, Monique created her blog website RaineyAmore.com in the spring of 2017 as a hobby. Raineyamore.com is a lifestyle, fashion, beauty and travel brand that encourages men and women from around the world to live their best lives, out-loud. Inspired by the aesthetics of different cultures, Monique wants to show the world, "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it!" 113

FOR THE CULTURE

THE NUMBER ONE REASON MOST STARTUPS FAIL You may be new to business or have the greatest business idea that you are about to launch. Before you launch your business or even continue, take some time to read this article. It may save you a lot of time, money and heartache. In this article, I will outline some of the major reasons why many startups fail and what you can do to mitigate them. In a recent article by Denise Lee Yohn, an admired brand leadership expert, she outlined what she believes are the top reasons startups fail. She noted that many people get caught up with the well-publicised success stories of startups, especially tech startups. They will usually raise huge amounts of money and believe that they can become socalled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unicornsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. There is nothing wrong with being optimistic when going into business, but the reality is that in the long run, about 97% of new businesses fail within the first five years.

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GOING INTO BUSINESS FOR THE WRONG REASONS

Why do you really want to start or run a business? Taking time to ask and answer this question could be the difference between success and failure. Business is hard, and many of us do not have the temperament to handle the highs and lows. We hardly hear of the struggles involved in starting and running a successful business. When the rose-coloured glasses are yanked from our faces, and we see the reality, many of us run for the hills. To be able to avoid this pitfall, take time to carefully examine your motives and resolve before going into business. Speak with other business owners. Get a mentor, if you can; this does not have to be a physical mentor, but it can be someone you admire in business whose story you can follow closely online. Learn from their mistakes and seek guidance.

LACK OF FUNDING

Not having enough capital will derail any good business or business idea. Although I am not a massive fan of going after venture capital funding immediately, you have to ensure that you have some capital to see you through the initial startup phase. Getting investments from family and close friends might be the best option to start with if you do not have savings of your own. Now here is the clincher: don’t take other people’s money if you are not willing to invest your own. To help make the most of your funds, start small and test often. The advice given in The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, one of my favourite books, is to test, test, and test. Do not add features or services without knowing if they will add value or revenue. Ensure that the money you are spending will yield the best results for your business. This will help you to conserve on your spending.

NOT MEETING CUSTOMER’S NEEDS

The customers you start with, or the ones you have, will change over time. They mature and their needs change so your company must keep up with them. Not staying abreast with your customer’s needs will cause you to go out of business faster. To mitigate this common mistake, make sure you communicate constantly with your customers, not just to tell them what you are offering, but to genuinely find

out what they want from your business or company. The big mistake many companies make is not listening to what their customers are telling them. Sometimes, your customers will not verbalise what they want, but they will leave clues by showing you where they have moved to and what they are now doing or buying. If you see that your customers are moving to another business or service for something that you do not offer, pay attention. This might be a sign for you to add or subtract from what you are currently doing.

THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY STARTUPS FAIL

According to Denise Lee Yohn, the number one reason why most startups fail is there is no market need. Yes, you read that right. We often have great ideas, enough money, did lots of market research, hired the best team and did the work but our businesses fail because not enough people are willing to pay for what we are offering. She said that startups fail when they are not solving a market problem. You may be wondering how this could happen if you have done good market research. Many people will give you buying intentions or show buying indications, but when it is time for them to part with their cash, they are no longer interested. The best way to test a product is to launch it and see if you get enough buyers on a consistent basis to support or even grow the business. Create shortages on purpose. Do people ring and ask when it will be available? Can you generate serious enquiries or even a waiting list? Can you get advanced orders? These are sure-fire ways of knowing whether or not you are on to success. Examine where your product or service lies in the order of needs. Is it considered a need or a want? Companies or services that fall into the ‘wants’ category may struggle when people are forced to make tough choices on how they spend their money. This is true, especially nowadays. If you have just started or about to start on the road to being a business owner, ask yourself which of these categories does your product or service fall in. Although many startups fail, many succeed, and you can be one of the success stories if you just take the time to do the necessary work. Good luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR LEISA GRACE WILSON is an educator, entrepreneur and

blogger. She currently lives in Abu Dhabi with her seven-yearold twin boys and husband. Leisa is passionate about personal development, entrepreneurship, finances and the world of education. You can connect with Leisa by visiting her blog www. leisagrace.com or connect with her on Linkedin https://www. linkedin.com/in/leisagrace/ 115

THE REINVENTED CHRONICLES BY YVONNE MTENGWA:

8 HACKS TO INVOKING COURAGE IN DIFFICULT TIMES You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve been tuned in to news report after news report and opened just about every video that appears on your feed. Perhaps things haven’t been all that bad for you as much as they have been for others over the past few weeks, but still, your mind is clouded, and it almost feels like you are drowning under the weight of what’s going on outside your walls. Your family members, friends and coworkers have been affected by the perils of our times in one way or the other. There are so many things to say yet many in our midst are silent. Or are they? Maybe it’s us who are silent. What part can we play in being the change our world so desperately needs? What can one do to muster courage during difficult times? Courage is defined as the “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty”, according to the Merriam-Webster 116

dictionary. The past few weeks have presented us all seemingly unending moments of reflection and introspection. Courage, to me, has been something a little less bravado in definition, as I have come to view it as merely pushing through the pains and frustrations of difficult times. To be bold enough for change, either in our lives and for the sake of others, requires us to stand when others are running, to stare at fear in the face, or to choose to remain steadfast in your ethically and morally acceptable beliefs. Having courage simply means going for it, or trying something different, when everything is telling you to quit or challenging you to do things the way you’ve always done them. If you are reading this and are struggling to figure out how to pick up the pieces during, or in the aftermath of troubled times, keep reading. I hope that as you do, you’ll find a few words to give you the courage to keep going.

1. LET YOUR FAITH GUIDE YOU.

I am a God-fearing woman who believes that there is nothing I could ever experience that God hasn’t already equipped me for. It is part of His plan, and only He can give me the strength needed to push through the dark tunnels of life. In moments of weakness, I choose to believe that God is all-knowing; and because I was brought into this world by Him, He will be faithful to watch after all that concerns me. We’ve all experienced some loss–a loved one, a job or hard-earned money, opportunities and so on. But the truth of the matter is as long as we have breath in our being, we are to keep going for this thing called life to be worth our while. Turning to some form of inspiration in helping us do so is a must. Now, there are some in our midst that do not believe in religion or spirituality and that is a reality we must accept and live with. I am of the belief that times will arise when we’ll need inspiration from a higher power than ourselves.

2. CHANNEL YOUR ENERGIES TOWARDS THE POSITIVE.

We hear this so much that sometimes we skate right past this unshakeable truth. Trying times require us to fight the struggle by shining light on it. Open those books that inspire positivity and listen to those sermons or messages. Find and focus on pursuits that inspire positive outcomes. What’s that one thing you’ve always known you needed to do, but you blamed limited time for not doing? Could it be becoming a part of initiatives to build your community, volunteering with the nearest charitable organisation, or starting an exercise regime so you can feel better about your body? Maybe it’s just being more thankful for the

things you do have because let’s face it, gratitude is an incredible ray of light on dark situations.

3. THERE’S ALWAYS A LESSON IN THE MADNESS.

It’s often when things go wrong that we learn how to be and do better. Recurring bouts of sickness led me to be more disciplined about what foods I ate, and that exercise and an apple a day would not simply keep the doctor away. Enduring copious amounts of stress at a job I didn’t enjoy but stayed at because I needed the salary taught me that there is more to developing a passion-filled career than money. Experiencing culture shock as a young immigrant living in America made me realise how culturally sheltered I was, and just how much I needed to learn how to foster friendships with people who I viewed to be far different from me. The lessons we learn during difficult seasons really do equip us for bigger and better. In the words of the great motivator Zig Ziglar, “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. The best is yet to come.”

4. HARD TIMES INSPIRE CREATIVITY— AND CHANGE.

There were times I had to figure out how to make a whole new meal out of a few dollars or leftovers. A life of gratitude is often inspired by having gone without. When we focus on what we have as opposed to what we do not, while still finding a way to communicate or activate the steps towards the change we need to see, we can usher in a new tide with time. You’ve heard the adage that nothing changes until we do, and oftentimes we need to be more creative in getting our point across or solving problems. Can you think of a time wherein you had to channel your inner creativity to keep things moving along?

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5. THE GREAT QUESTION: WHAT’S WITHIN YOUR CONTROL?

Being an adult will teach you this: there are many things we can control but there are also just as many we cannot. People are complicated. Hectic situations arise and some have nothing to do with human behaviour at all. A global pandemic at the onset of this decade is teaching us where to focus our energies, how to adapt to today’s norms, and what to do to keep from falling sick or putting ourselves at risk. Some have lost their jobs and are looking for a way out or into a whole new situation. Knowing what you can control is a good start towards appreciating the power you have to keep pressing in. Do what you can with what you have— materially and skillfully—and put all the other things aside. There are no spoils to concerning yourself with things that no strength or intellectual contribution of yours can change.

6. REMEMBER THAT YOU’VE PROBABLY BEEN HERE BEFORE.

No one’s life is void of drama. The challenges will come, and they come packaged differently for each person. And you know what? You’ve gone through some hard times before but you are still here. When you believe that you will get through this too, it shifts your perspective and ramps up your emotional intelligence to the levels needed to help you overcome the challenges you face.

7. DON’T STAY IN THE CAVE.

It’s very easy to close the world off when things go wrong. Somehow, we think we are the only ones going through hard times and no one gets our pain and frustrations. Friends or community circles are very important. Don’t let the devil have a party out of your thoughts. Rather, seek counsel from your relationship and social circles and talk to people you know you can trust to give you a needed word of encouragement and practical support when you need it. No man is an island and believe me when I say this: being vulnerable isn’t a weakness.

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8. FORGIVE YOURSELF, THE SITUATION AND OTHERS.

We have a tendency to blame ourselves or others when things go south. Sometimes it’s not us but them. They say bad things happen to good people, but then we still need to make peace with what is and not focus on what could have been. You are hurt and your feelings are valid, but real courage is acknowledging that sometimes life doesn’t work out as we thought it would and we are still required to move on because the world doesn’t stop for us to gather ourselves. Forgiving oneself and the situation wipes out the negative emotions that deter us from moving on. Don’t add internal luggage to an already heavy situation. Courage requires us to not only confront situations but accept the need to make or support changes. Difficult situations present an opportunity for us to dissect, discern, activate, and create, not only within ourselves alongside others. And so while it remains to be seen what the rest of this year will bring forth, I like to stand on the words of Joseph Fort Newton’s take, wherein he states: “We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life. But we can decide what happens in us, how we can take it, what we do with it—and that is what really counts in the end.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Yvonne Chiedza Mtengwa is the author of “Reinvented: Challenging insecurity to live authentically through faith”, a book encouraging women to confront their issues with relationships, insecurities and self-fulfilling prophesies, in an effort to truly discover who they were created to be. It’s available for download on https://payhip.com/b/Oi7Y#! She is also a co-author of Amazon Bestseller “Dear Fear Volume 2: 18 Powerful Lessons on Living your best life on the other side of Fear”- a compilation

of short stories by American visionary author Tiana Patrice. Passionate about travelling, writing about and experiencing leisure and lifestyle brands, Yvonne is a marketing and communications strategist, is the Cofounder of www.Quintessentialf.com, a Christian lifestyle movement for women, and also runs www.yournarratives.com, a boutique communications agency specialising in entrepreneurial design and shaping the narrative of women-led lifestyle and social development brands.

Check her out on IG on @quintessentially_yvonne or visit and subscribe to her website on www.ReinventedToday.com for more tips on everyday reinvention.

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BE PROUD OF THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU The world is our biggest classroom, and there are so many lessons to learn around us, inside us, and about us. Most of the time, other people’s perceptions about ourselves often depict the truth about our lives. We often see celebrities with their beautiful and inspiring stories and personalities, but what if those stories are not true? Should we learn how to balance living up to people’s expectations and sticking to the true version of ourselves?

BE PROUD OF THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU.

The truth is, whatever you believe is what makes you. ‘Belief kills and belief cures’ is a well-known Jamaican saying which promotes the fact that the truth lives in your mind. Consider the inspiring life story of Barack Obama, 120

the former President of the United States of America. He believed he could be the first African-American to be elected in the office; however, he also knew that it would not be an easy journey. He believed in his desire to to help others, and eventually, he became a community organiser. He was proud of what he is and where he came from. It was the same belief in himself that helped him to grow into a figure he dreamed of being. We all have our own origins, backgrounds and beliefs, which collectively make us all unique. Be delighted by what you can bring to the table. Share everything that made you with confidence and smile. Cultivate that self-confidence and walk with the assurance that you are what you believe.

MANAGE SOCIETY’S EXPECTATIONS.

Keep in mind that whatever people might think of you; it should bother them more than it should you. Never allow their opinions to dictate how you lead your life and express who you are. These should not distract you from sticking to the values and principles. However, keep in mind that the opinions and expectations of others can be a gold mine for self-improvement: you can learn new lessons, perspectives, or hidden talents based on other people’s observations. Your values are constantly developing, and you may add or shed some of those as you move closer to reality. Society’s expectations are giving us so much pressure, and because of that, many people tend to lose their identities. Most of us want to satisfy what others want to see. We must learn how to draw the

line between our own values and the desire to satisfy other people. As humans, we often need to go with the flow, but still, we need to keep our individuality and respect diversity and personal differences. Our main goal is to enjoy life while carrying our own unique selves.

WHAT THE WORLD STATES AS TRUE IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE.

What might be true is not true until you believe it. Subjective truths result from our personal perceptions and observations. In considering what others think about our lives, shield yourself from their version of truths that you honestly know to be untrue, and keep your head held high. We must strive to stand out and be proud of ourselves and our own values. Be proud of what you believe in, and dare to be proud of your own truth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JEROME DOUGLAS Jerome Douglas is a 27-year old trained teacher, poet and writer from the beautiful island of Jamaica. His personal philosophy is “If it is for me to be, then it is up to me.” He attended the Catholic College of Mandeville in Jamaica. Additionally, he is a community builder and humanitarian who volunteers his time to help with the academic and social well-being of people in his Central Jamaica community and surrounding areas.

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BOOK REVIEW ATOMIC HABITS BY JAMES CLEAR In this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s review, we dive into a book that talks about the power of letting go of old habits, developing new and productive ones, and maintaining them on a regular basis.

James Clear is a stellar writer who tells us that improvements of a slight degree, which may not always be visible, show significant results in the long run. He terms this concept as the Law of 1%. Atomic Habits is about making atomic or minuscule changes for the better. The essence of the book is captured in the eight major questions that it poses to the reader.

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1. WHAT ARE HABITS? A habit is essentially a routine or practise that is performed regularly. It’s an automatic response to a specific situation. Each habit can be broken down into a cue, a craving, a response, and a reward. With repetition, the responses that reap the maximum rewards tend to become habits.

6. HOW TO BECOME AWARE OF YOUR HABITS? If you are a person who is habituated with picking on a pimple, you will be unaware of doing it unless somebody specifically points it out to you. The more you repeat this pattern, the less likely you are to ask yourself what you are doing or stop yourself from doing it.

2. WHY IS HABIT BUILDING IMPORTANT? Firstly, the way we respond to our situations is a powerful method to change the outcomes. Habits make the process of taking action consistent and automatic. By building a healthy habit pattern, we will ultimately reach our goals. The thing about goals is that they are shared by winners and losers alike. While goals are about the destination, habits are what make the journey enjoyable. The writer believes that changing one’s habits can ultimately change a belief or beliefs, which consequently, will end up changing future outcomes.

Over time, the cues that trigger our habits become so common that they begin to disappear; for example, the candy on the table or the remote on the couch. To tackle this, we must first begin the process towards habitual change by developing our awareness.

3. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF GOOD HABITS? While the writer doesn’t list out a page of good habits anywhere in the book, the examples of good habits scattered through the chapters are: • Healthy habits on health and fitness: eating healthy, cooking at home, drinking enough water regularly, exercising, sleeping early Habits to nurture the mind and promote relaxation: • Journaling, meditating, relaxing, sending thank you notes • Habits to stimulate the mind: Learning or practising a skill, decluttering • The habit of promoting financial independence: Saving money 4. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF BAD HABITS? Atomic Habits talks about several bad habits that we struggle with, and how bad habits draw more energy from ourselves and can require extra efforts to get rid of. Some examples of bad habits mentioned in the book are: • Smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, eating junk food • Negative thinking, having a short temper, stressing • Procrastination, watching too much TV, playing too many video games • Overworking or underworking • Overspending 5. WHAT HABITS SHOULD I BUILD? The best approach to build a sustainable lifestyle is to accept who you are and what you love. Don’t fight your unique personality but leverage it to your advantage. Explore approaches and try to analyse what fits perfectly for you. Ask yourself: • What feels fun? • What gets you engrossed? • What comes naturally? • What gives more than average returns? Focus your efforts on habits that excite and engage you while being aligned with your personality and core strengths. You will still need to put in the hard work, but it’ll be much easier to build habits that are more enjoyable. This will also increase your odds of success.

7. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A NEW HABIT? Every habit is different, but all of them depend on repetitive behaviours which grow progressively stronger with practice. It can take thousands of repetitions to build a habit. The quality of behaviours may also affect the duration of building a habit. Take note that simple behaviours, which are easy to pick, remember and repeat, as well as connected behaviours which have a clear and quick cause and effect relationship with the reward, are easier to stick to and become habits. Strongly emotional behaviours trigger bigger and satisfying rewards which also require fewer repetitions until they become a habit. 8. HOW CAN I BUILD AND BREAK HABITS EFFECTIVELY? To be able to change habits successfully, you must identify the wrong or unproductive habits and ought to change them the right way. To change the right habits, focus on: • • •

What kind of outcomes do you want? What kind of person are you aiming to become? What quick habits can you work on to get to your goals?

The writer goes on to explain how building a scorecard which lists one’s own habits makes one more self-aware. Write down a list of your daily habits. Label each habit as good, bad, or neutral. Lastly, rearrange the habits, and then add and design new habits you wish to develop. Set clear and doable implementation guides. Say, “I will go for a run on Sunday at 6 in the morning”. Stack your habits, such as, “After a run, I will have a glass of green juice”. Make your new habits as specific as possible as vague ideas will lead to procrastination. James Clear also encourages you to proactively join groups where your desired behaviour is already a norm, and you also have something common with the group. Since we have a strong natural desire to conform with the people around us, it is important to associate with people who already possess your goal habits. Atomic Habits is a book well worth a read, as it is written in a clear and encouraging way to influence readers. Since our habits reflect our inner personalities and eventually, our lives, it is necessary to have them aligned in the right direction.

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DISCLAIMER: The information presented in Out and About Magazine does not constitute a replacement for financial, health, legal, or other professional advice and is instead general in its nature. We do not take into account your specific needs or circumstance and you should not act upon any advice without fully understanding your current legal, health, financial or other situations. Although we always do our best to bring high-quality information to our readers, we reserve the right to augment or delete information in any way and at any time. Out and About Magazine accepts no liability for any loss or damage that may arise from the use of any element of our website or magazine.

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