Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina

In this new episode of Becoming Me, I talk about the integration of spirituality, psychology, neuroscience, and other fields as essential in the journey of self-discovery. Using metaphors and reflecting on my own experiences, I emphasise the role of contemplation in managing life's paradoxes and challenges. I explain how contemplation, or being with God, serves as a foundational point, helping us embrace our complexities and live out our faith deeply. I offer assurance that, despite the complexities of the interior integration journey, finding stability in contemplation can bring peace and grace into our lives. I also suggest ways to cultivate awareness to recognise contemplative moments daily, guiding listeners towards profound self-understanding and a closer relationship with the divine. I invite you to listen to EP 121 | The Contemplative Heart of Interior Integration. https://lnkd.in/gPgZv8BP

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Learning Without Lessons: How Kids Figure Things Out on Their Own I think I enjoyed the talk in London with Jonathan Haidt but I’m not sure as the interviewer Sarah Montegue from BBC Radio 4 ‘World at One’ seemed rather disgruntled & not really on board with Jonathan’s findings or maybe her look of constant consternation was due to lights in her eyes on the stage. The debate never really seemed to get going between them but the questions from the audience were interesting. I understood her job was was to question, provoke & challenge his findings & his suggestions but it all felt rather disconnected somehow I feel we are all part of the jigsaw 🧩 in trying to find ⚖️ in this smartphone, social media world - and all part of the conversation as well as part of the solution - from parents, schools, governments to Big Tech themselves. Part of the solution I think is to move away consciously from a ‘phone based childhood’ to a ‘play - full’ childhood. Jonathan is part of the Let Grow movement suggesting lots of straightforward ideas for parents & schools around play. Part of the next thing I’ll start pondering & writing about is the role helicopter parenting has played in this change in raising confident iCan Kids exploring the world a little more independently Here’s Let Grow’s latest article that I thought I’d share. Kids were learning long before school existed. David Lancy is an Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Utah State University who has written several books, including The Anthropology of Childhood, and Raising Children. He also co-authored this piece with Let Grow Co-Founder Peter Gray in The Journal of Pediatrics, “Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Well-Being.” Oxford has published his latest work, Learning Without Lessons: Pedagogy in Indigenous Communities, which inspired this essay: A thread running through the Free-Range Kids / Let Grow movement is that much of what we currently consider “proper” child-rearing may actually be harmful (Gray et al 2023). Ethnographic accounts of child-rearing among indigenous peoples support this claim. Let’s focus on what anthropologists have learned about how kids learn, from 150 years of fieldwork around the globe. Our intensive parenting culture says kids need adults teaching them ALL THE TIME--as if they have no curiosity or ability to figure things out on their own. This is the opposite of ALL of human history, says anthropologist David Lancy:

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LI Community, Mucho, mega, tremendous thanks to all who have commented or given me feedback on my Fabulous Female Founder stories and advice. What topics would you like me to cover? What challenges are you facing? What issues keep coming up for you as you lead and grow your businesses and organizations? Please DM me with your questions or throw them in the comments. Here's the list of pieces so far - all can be found on my substack page. On Appreciation On Letting Go On Cultivating Creative Balance On Combatting Founder Loneliness Picking Up the Pieces of a Shattered Dream Relationships, relationships, relationships Good Intentions vs. Business Reality The Only Woman in the Room When Media Attention Becomes Toxic My Fabulous Founder Dad Mistakes I'd Make Again Digging out of a Costly Finance Situation Ex-Husband/Biz Partner Out of Control - What to Do? Does Guilt Ever Go Away? On Success and the Value of Time On Getting in Sync with Business Partners My Fabulous Founder Mom Biz Dev in a Lull: On Flipping Negative Scripts & Leaning into Superpowers Book Tour + Business: Opportunity Knocks! Mission + Money: On Motivation On Graceful Exits On Disastrous Hiring & Blown Boundaries On Learning from Losing Picking Up the Pieces of a Shattered Dream

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Myth: Book writing requires too much work to do Fact: You only need 'six and six' I cleared up some misconceptions about book writing in my latest blog here: https://lnkd.in/ecw9Chcw #timemanagement #bookwriting #writingcommunity

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I have recently done many posts on what you will get if you do the Neurostarter™ Discovery Training, This one is about what you won't get if you do miss the Neurostarter™ Discovery Training A Missed Opportunity: Unlocking the Full Potential of Your Team In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape, teams and leaders need to be adaptable, innovative, and resilient to stay ahead of the curve. However, without the right tools and knowledge, teams can struggle to reach their full potential, leading to stagnation and decreased productivity. By not attending the Neurostarter™ Discovery Training, teams and leaders will miss out on the opportunity to: 1. Unlock the power of neuroplasticity and its impact on team performance 2. Learn how to harness the brain's ability to adapt and change to drive innovation and growth 3. Discover practical strategies to improve cognitive and social flexibility, enhancing team collaboration and problem-solving 4. Understand how to create a culture of continuous learning and skill acquisition, leading to improved team performance and success 5. Develop the skills and knowledge needed to stay ahead of the competition to achieve their goals The Cost of Not Attending By not attending the Neurostarter™ Discovery Training, teams and leaders will continue to struggle with: 1. Communication and collaboration 2. Problem-solving and decision-making 3. Innovation and creativity 4. Productivity and motivation 5. Stagnation and decreased competitiveness Don't Miss Out Don't let your team miss out on the opportunity to unlock their full potential. Attend the Neurostarter™ Discovery Training and discover the power of neuroplasticity for yourself. With this training, you'll gain the knowledge and skills needed to drive innovation, growth, and success, and stay ahead of the competition. Don't wait – sign up for the Neurostarter™ Discovery Training today and start unlocking the full potential of you, your team and leadership!

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Liudmyla Beraud asked a brilliant question today: What if we ditched pathways? Here’s a link to the post: https://lnkd.in/eVdTsJUC It made me think. There are a couple of messages I think are really important to share, so I have blutacked them to the career meeting room door. My reason for quote 1: Careers are not predictable or linear, there’s no one path. Even if (and that’s a big if) the building blocks like qualifications and training and job titles are the same, what you bring to it is unique and that makes your journey and impact unique. So: Don’t worry if your stones are not the same as someone else’s, your path is your own. My reason for quote 2: We draw ideas from the world around us, which is great, but we’ve only seen so much of the world. There are more opportunities out there that remain unseen. And there are more opportunities out there that we can imagine and bring to reality. With more experience and insight, new opportunities will emerge. What messages do you think are important to share? What messages are on your wall in the hope they get noticed? PS I sound very serious in this video! 😂

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I recently co-authored a thought-provoking article for the online magazine InHerSight with Jasmine Matthews, titled The Opposite of ‘Main Character Energy’: 5 Signs You Feel Disempowered at Work. In this piece, we contrast the confident "main character energy" with the challenges faced by those feeling disempowered, marked by low morale, lack of accountability, and anxiety in their roles. I encourage you to read the article and reflect on its insights. Consider how these signs of disempowerment might be present in your workplace and explore the strategies we discuss to inspire and reinvigorate your team. Read article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eh2t6RkG Are you looking to elevate your team's performance? At Tirza Motivates, we provide training, coaching and consulting services that inspire and motivate. Whether for a staff retreat or ongoing technical assistance, we are equipped to help. Let’s schedule a time to discuss how we can support your goals. Schedule a meeting 👉 https://lnkd.in/eebJVutK #article #empowerment #professional #work

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I mean, how exciting is this? Amazing women, authors & thought leaders I hugely admire - all said YES to joining an online series I'll be co-hosting with Pooja S.. Our ask: 🌍 What does a #culturally-#inclusive #DEI practice look like?  🌎 We believe that we need to ‘expand’ our understanding of DE&I  - by looking at how it translates across #cultures. 🌏 By seeing ourselves better through a truly #global lens, we hope to help us see our #interconnectedness across geographies.  So ⚡ SAVE THE DATES ⚡ people! 🌟 25 Sept: 'UNDERSTANDING #DEI ACROSS CULTURES' with Ruchika T. Malhotra (4:30 PM GMT) 🌟 17 Oct: '#FEMINISM ACROSS CULTURES' with Rafia Zakaria (4.30pm GMT)    🌟 13 Nov: '#BIAS ACROSS CULTURES' with Dr. Poornima Luthra (She/ Her) (3pm GMT) Tickets are by donation of your choice and all proceeds for each session will go to our guest's charity of choice. 👉 2 ACTIONS WE NEED FROM YOU: 1) Register for our kick off session on 25th September with Ruchika T. Malhotra - link in comments section below! 👇 (Space is limited so register asap!) 2) Share this with anyone you know who'd be interested! Can't wait for you to join us! #ExpandingNarratives #ExpandingConversations #CulturalIntelligence #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #CulturalHumility #GlobalMindset #Humanity

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Might doctors start prescribing AI companions to those struggling with loneliness? I've spent the morning deeply engrossed in the research Julian De Freitas and Stefano Puntoni are doing, and for peers interested in conversations about identity and what we mean when we say 'human,' I'd recommend their work. Their work tells us that what we once thought of as 'philosophical' questions are now necessary, practical questions. Does someone have the right to build a clone of you without your consent? Are you responsible for your digital twin? Are your friends expected to treat your digital twin with respect? Coming back to the original question--the research is pretty compelling: people struggling with loneliness experience real benefits when engaging with Companion AI. What I appreciate about the researchers further, is that they ask us to move beyond just asking questions about what we think of technology. Instead they show us that we need to ask more questions about how we understand ourselves as this technology continues to evolve. If you aren't familiar with them yet, I absolutely think you'd love their work Kathleen Naglee, Robert Landau, Juan Jacobs Sheblak, Jason Gulya, Dr. Dayamudra Dennehy, Malur Narayan, Lucy M. Gowdie, Tonia Whyte Potter-Mäl

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Do you have high status networks? If not, it's time to focus on creating them... whilst being aware of some of the gendered challenges. This article (and its research) both infuriate me and give me hope! Why? I can't help but feel my anger rise when I read data like women are 40% less likely than a man to form a tie with a senior leader through face to face time... because 'assertiveness and self-confidence are associated with masculine behaviour'. I'll let you read the rest of the examples that bring this to life. If you read them thinking, but that's just anecdotal, I can tell you that everytime we cover 'informal influencing, political savvy and visibility' in our gender equity leadership programmes, these experiences are the dominant norm for the group. What gives me hope? That practical strategies (such as creating sponsorship programmes, forming strong peer and mentor networks for women, trans and non-binary), DO make a difference. We've seen it with our clients - interrupt the hidden cultural norms and suddenly what seemed impossible to change, (such as % of women in senior roles or rate of promotion), changes fairly quickly. I would add to some of the strategies that are suggested, and not agree entirely with some of the suggestions, for instance; 🚺 'female triplet effect' - yes networks work AND where we can include all genders here with the foregrounding of gender intelligence development for all, we create the same result for the individual leader AND shift the cultural norms underpinning exclusion creating a wider ripple of change. Sponsors at intermediate positions... uhmm, I get the bridging to senior leaders, it's important, but I worry that then those not excluded because of gender continue to get the effective facetime with senior leaders and others have a longer, more labour intensive path to the top. Why not make allyship a key measured quality of all mid level leaders, educate on gender intelligence, and do BOTH mentors at mid level and sponsors at senior level? I do however agree 100% with the following: 🔗 Leverage shared connections: Women are 33% more likely than men to form high-status connections through third-party ties. These act as powerful endorsements and amplify credibility. 🗺️ Map informal networks: Women excel at understanding informal networks. Use this skill to build authentic, trust-based relationships that transcend mere career advancement. 🌎 Combine local contact with global reach. By understanding these dynamics, women can navigate around systemic biases and forge valuable professional ties, and for organisations committed to gender equality, implementing well-designed network sponsor programmes is key. What are your thoughts on these strategies? Have you experienced or witnessed the power of network connections in your career? #WomensLeadership #CareerAdvancement #ProfessionalNetworking #GenderEquality

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It seems I'm entering my 'poet phase' and placing more importance on turtlenecks, long pauses, and active listening. I was fortunate to attend a brilliant comms workshop a few weeks ago hosted by Adriana Morvaiová at Space NI. The workshop was titled 'Speak Your Mind & Be Kind'. I'd highly recommended it for anyone, individual or organisation, that would like to improve their communication skills and in particular their ability to have difficult, and often crucial, conversations. As a young person I was more of a people pleaser than an outspoken contrarian. Oftentimes I would bury my perspective, keeping quiet when I felt I should've spoken. As an adult, I learned to speak my truth and create the space for others to do the same. My golden rule is: "It's better to poorly and thoughtfully articulate your perspective, than to stay quiet and let resentment build." On the occasions where I struggle to find the correct words, I am lucky to have people around me that challenge me and help me find the correct words, people who help me get to the truth of what I am attempting to say, and likewise I help them to do the same. The poorly articulated perspective should be seen as the beginning of a conversation, a puzzle to untangle, rather than a statement to be judged. On the other side of a difficult conversation is progress, often in the form of results, often getting us closer to the truth, often getting us closer to our goal. The art of thoughtful disagreement, of speaking your mind and being kind, of giving and receiving feedback well, it's the secret superpower of the happy and the successful. It's the key trait of a great collaborator. I'm still working on it, still figuring it out, if anyone solves it please let me know... Ps. Twas great to meet Laureen Cuckson, Niraj Kapur, Michelle Cassidy, Claire Auchmuty, Sonya McAleer, Jo Rose, Rachel Doherty, and Julianne Skillen at the workshop, all doing amazing stuff. 🙌

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Thank you, JJ (Projjal) Ghatak for your contributions to the Balancing Act Podcast. Listen in as JJ helps us understand the difference between "improve feedback," and "celebrate feedback" and which type of feedback leads to better results. #BalancingActPodcast #Feedback #EmployeeEngagement

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By now you've probably tasted the rainbow. Organisations trying to reinvent the wheel with Pride marketing and branding. Logos awash with rainbows. Graphics and content being shared with insufficient colour contrast. Messages of inclusion, but in realit, inaccessible for many Disabled People. Whilst it’s important to show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community, as a Disabled, Neurodivergent Gay man, I just can't get behind your inaccessible Pride-washed branding and marketing. When your content isn't inaccessible, you're excluding LGBTQIA+ individuals who are also Disabled. You are excluding us during a time that is meant to be about inclusion, solidarity, acceptance, equality and of course, commemoration of the Stonewall riots. We are being Disabled by your inaccessible Pride marketing and branding. For the love of inclusion, make your branding and marketing accessible during Pride Month and every month thereafter. And please go beyond merely updating your branding/marketing. We want to know, what are you doing to support your LGBTQIA+ colleagues? What are you doing to create safe spaces? How are you educating colleagues? What policies are you implementing? How are you supporting LGBTQIA+ communities outside of your workplace? How are you actually creating sustainable change this Pride Month? Reach out to discuss how Disabled By Society can support your organisation. Calendly: https://lnkd.in/e-mccuaw Email: [email protected] Image Description: Disabled by Society graphic. Text reads, “LGBTQIA+ individuals can also be Disabled”. Below 6 are six colourful stick people representing visible and non-visible disabilities. Text continues, “When your Pride branding and marketing isn't accessible”. Below are two professional stick people talking. What will we do for Pride Month this year? The other replies, Same thing we always do, just more inaccessible! The text concludes, “You're disabling us during a month that's meant to include us”.

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I am saddened, and I am frustrated but I am not surprised….😢😞😫 That 51% feel they can’t or shouldn't disclose their neurodiversity due to the stigma, according to the New research1 released today by Zurich UK. (https://lnkd.in/erDedyda) As someone who is neurodivergent with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, this doesn’t surprise me one bit! In 2022, I ran a project called Neurodiversity in Focus, my goal was to advocate for more neuroinclusion and support workplaces to have tools for managers and individuals to support more inclusion in the workplace. Here are a couple of examples of the challenges I found when doing that research: 📍 A gap in knowledge and important for Managers and Middle Managers to have the knowledge, tools, resources or support to give support to neurodiverse team members 📍Neurodiversity discloure being “weaponized” against individuals and leading to discrimination and poor outcomes for individuals   📍Having to manage their manager up-wards in relation to putting in place reasonable adjustments and or implementing right to work under Access to Work (UK Government policy and guidance) Noted below are the key high-level themes for improvement my research found: 🎉Being an active participant in a Neurodiversity network at the individual level is helpful and supportive 🎉As an individual sharing your story for some was felt to be empowering and supportive to others knowing they are not alone, but also in terms of networking with like-minded people 🎉Having a Neurodiversity Buddy at work to speak with and find out how to navigate the systems and opportunities for support - This article explains the benefits of a Buddy System: https://lnkd.in/eiAEwWMJ 🎉At the organizational level being intentional, coherent and consistent making access to support simple and easy to access in addition to investing resources in that support The Research from Zurich Insurance for good practice includes: 🎯 Created sensory maps of the UK workplaces to help neurodivergent employees find the best location to work depending on levels of temperature, noise, smells and traffic. 🎯 Removed subjective language and unnecessary qualifications from job descriptions. Whilst I opened with it’s not hard to believe some of the negative challenges remain when it comes to job seeking and neurodivergent people being supported in the workplace, progress is being made. I’d recommend these advocates and practitioners if you’d like to know more: Frances Akinde, Marcia Brissett-Bailey BSc, PG Dip (QCG), MA,IPSEA, Zoe-Jane Littlewood , Tumi Sotire, Keisha Adair Swaby(BSc First Class Hon) MSc, Vivienne Isebor, Akua Opong CITP MBCS FRSA, Samantha Hiew, PhD and so many more. 👏🏾🎉👏🏾🎉👏🏾🎉👏🏾🎉 How do you think organisations can do more to support neurodiverse employees? #neurodiversity #inclusion #workplaceculture  #thelinkedincheerleader

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Unlocking Potential: NLP's Role in Empowering Neurodiversity We're on a mission to revolutionise how we support neurodivergent individuals through the power of Neuro-Linguist Programming(NLP). Here's why it matters and how you can join us in making a difference! 👇 Neurodiversity isn't just a concept—it's the realisation of the variations in how our brains work. But with these differences come unique challenges, especially in communication and information processing. That's where NLP steps in as a game-changer! 💡 By harnessing the capabilities of NLP, we're unlocking new avenues for inclusive communication and support for neurodivergent individuals. Here's what you need to know: 🔍 Customized Communication: NLP allows us to analyze linguistic patterns and tailor communication styles to suit diverse cognitive preferences. Let's make every message resonate with its audience! 🌈 Sensory Sensitivity Solutions: Heightened sensory sensitivity is common among neurodivergent individuals. With NLP, we can identify and mitigate potential triggers, creating a more comfortable experience for all. 🚀 Accessibility Enhancement: NLP technology enables us to develop accessible content formats, ensuring information is readily available to everyone. Let's break down barriers together! 💪 Individualized Support: Neurodivergent is a spectrum, and one size definitely does not fit all. NLP insights empower us to provide personalized support tailored to each individual's unique needs and preferences. Ready to join the movement? Use these hashtags to spread the word and amplify our impact: #NeurodiversityChampions #InclusiveCommunication #NLPInnovation #UnlockPotential

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