Pascale Dumbakly

Ready to embrace The 2024 Version of YOU? It’s a wonderful practice to reflect on the year’s journey as it comes to a close. As you navigate the milestones of 2023, you engage in a powerful form of self-awareness while you selectively choose to embrace the moments of joy, peace, and happiness you experienced thought the year, and choosing to gracefully to let go of other moments… Remembering the positive experiences can bring a sense of gratitude, while acknowledging and learning from the challenging moments contributes to personal growth and resilience. This reflective process allows you to carry forward the lessons and wisdom gained into the upcoming year. The end of the year is also a natural time for introspection and evaluation. Revisiting your relationships is a very valuable practice; the ones upgraded, the ones downgraded and the ones you broke free from, while rejoicing in the quality of what you choose to retain. Reflecting on habits and patterns is also very powerful, by choosing to keep the habits that align with your desired self, you’re actively shaping the path to personal transformation.In addition, this reflection allows you to consciously choose to break free from habits that are not serving you nor the people you love anymore to replace them with new ones resonating with ‘The Version’ you are becoming. Recall your lost battles, acknowledge your disappointments and frustrations. Choose to season them with hand-picked emotions of acceptance in order to forgive yourself and others to be better equipped for what’s coming. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the shoulder for your victories and achievements throughout the year no matter how small. Remember to celebrate each success as a step forward! Here is a sneak peek of the practices that I am keeping in 2024: Renew my vows and choose Lord Jesus to be my God, Savior and Master. Build a more intimate relationship with my Creator by meditating daily in His Word, The Bible. Practice gratefulness for the abundant blessings The Lord is showering me with for “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). What about you? Pascale Dumbakly Back

Spiritual Health Check The word ‘Health’ usually stimulates pictures in our brains related to exercise, healthy food, a balanced lifestyle, and sometimes tests and doctors. Yet health is not solely associated with our physical status, it encompasses a broader concept that includes mental and spiritual well-being.   In reality, the fundamental connection to be established lies between our spiritual, mental, and physical health; Having good spiritual health massively impacts our mental health and consequently our physical health positively. Being spiritually healthy requires being an Active Believer, this practice comprises of: Establishing a daily Divine Connection with The Lord by meditating on Scripture. Holding daily individual prayers. Attending church regularly. We nurture our spiritual health when we connect daily to The Lord Our Creator. This Divine Connection secures a deeper life meaning and a wider life purpose. At His Feet, we acquire a feeling of peace irrespective of outer circumstances to fill our reservoir of inner strength, resilience, and joy.   The Impact on Mental Health Many research studies have shown a strong connection between spiritual and mental health. Believers have reduced levels of stress and anxiety compared to others. They are more empowered to better cope with life challenges, knowing their true identity in Jesus Christ. Believers also experience emotional regulation and psychological well-being, by having a more positive outlook on life and a greater sense of happiness. This results from trusting The Living God being their Sheperd, Provider, Master, and Savior. In summary, believing in Jesus Christ sets the stage for a drastically empowering ripple effect throughout all life areas. Get healthy spiritually, mentally, and physically. Open your Bible, kneel on your knees, and embark on a unique and unparalleled journey! Pascale Dumbakly Back

Maturity and Vulnerability in Action: Seeking Support We are all inclined to show the world that we are ‘strong’ and that we don’t need support of any kind. We attempt to hide behind a fake façade projecting to the people around us that “we have it all under control”. The sincerity of the situation is much different; We have been programmed since childhood by the protagonists in the media and the various role models we had. They wired us from a young age to be the heroes of our own stories. From bedtime stories our parents told us before they bid us goodnight, to cartoon movies we watched, we were trained to believe that seeking support implies weakness and a lack of power while strength commands standing alone. Contrarily to what we have been taught, seeking professional and social support is in fact an act of vulnerability and maturity. Let us take this opportunity to expose all our limiting beliefs by redefining strength and weakness.  Instead, we need to embrace the factual truth that we are social beings who need each other every step of the way! Vulnerability and maturity are conscious choices where we disclose our intimate fears, admit our insecurities, and share our frustrations with the people we trust. We choose to be vulnerable and mature when we voice our thoughts and feelings, trusting that someone else is listening non-judgmentally and empathetically. The real power lies in choosing to be One with ourselves inside-out, admitting in total harmony and transparency that we are not okay, and showing all our colors to the people we trust. The real strength is admitting humbly that we need professional or social support and genuine partnerships for our journey. It is totally okay not to be okay for a while AND it is totally okay to reach out. Let us embrace those facts for a change! Pascale Dumbakly Back

The Chameleon Effect From an early age, I have watched self-development gurus highlight the importance of having role models in our lives, I have also read numerous articles on personal growth explaining the importance of looking up to someone who resonates with who we want to become.   I grew up watching Oprah and Dr. Phil shows, I followed celebrities and mentors on social platforms, and to tell you the truth, they were really motivating, so I aspired to become like them!   I realized years later, that no matter how many inspiring people I followed, no matter how many books I read and TV shows I watched, I was ultimately shaped by the true role models in my life, the people ‘around’ me. To mention a few, the ones in my family circle, teachers and classmates, and those in my social network, whether they were inspiring or uninspiring, whether they triggered or challenged me.     We don’t choose our role models, they choose us!   Our brain gets programmed and conditioned by the behaviors of those around us. Therefore, we start noticing ourselves copying some of those behaviors caught unconsciously, although we have consciously stated that their behaviors do not resonate with us. This phenomenon is known as “The Chameleon Effect”.   ‘The Chameleon Effect’ is a normal unconscious imitation of other people’s behaviors; when we engage with others for a prolonged period, we start picking up some of their behaviors, gestures, and even facial expressions.   Bottom line, we end up being influenced by the people closest to us, even if we disagree with them on every level possible, and still we find ourselves inspired by role models to break through and break FREE.   Change is possible Deprogramming is possibleReplacing our thoughts, words, and actions is possible.   The first step is to gain awareness of who you are and who you aspire to become, then start constructing yourself consistently, one thought at a time. Pascale Dumbakly Back

The Meaning of Forgiveness Forgiveness does not imply that what happened was appropriate and fair.   It does not imply that your boundaries weren’t crossed.   It does not imply that you are not hurting.   It does not imply that you will allow such behavior in the future.   It does not imply that you wish to stay in touch with this person.   It does not imply that you are asking for an apology, neither does it imply that you received one.   “Forgiveness is often thought of as an emotion”, writes Bradley Pearson. It is not that. It is rather a certain kind of cessation of emotion. One way to think of forgiveness is as the cessation of anger, resentment, or some other hostile emotion (1)   Gather the hurt, the brokenness, the anger, the resentment along with your shattered pieces and put them at the feet of Your Creator. Make your intention clear to God, and He shall strengthen you and make forgiveness possible for you.   Forgiveness implies that you will not return the hurt.It does imply strength, self-discipline and deep faith. It does imply that you trust Your Creator. It does imply that you rely on Divine Justice. It does imply that you are surrendering to God. It does imply that you are following The Lord Jesus as a role model of Forgiveness. It does imply you are abiding by His Word. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15) “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37) “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25) (1) Forgiveness without God? – Glen Pettigrove. Pascale Dumbakly Back

When I Hit Rock Bottom When I hit rock bottom years ago, I was in deep sorrow and agonizing pain. Brutally deceived, intensely and immensely hurting, and powerless.I felt as though I was all alone on planet Earth and its surrounding galaxies. I thought at that moment that it was the end of the world.   It was indeed the end of the world…as I knew it.   In the midst of utter despair and helplessness, where nothing and no one could have made a slight difference in what I was going through, I fell on my knees and started praying to God fervently in total surrender and obedience. In between my tears and my trembling voice … something has happened…HE was here!   I experienced an intense peace, a peace I never knew existed, a peace beyond description, a peace that defies all understanding. Although nothing has changed in my circumstances, I felt heard and consoled, and I stopped crying.   I finally got to meet HIM!!!I knew since I was a child that there was more to God than what I was told!I knew deep inside that God is not in faraway land disconnected from us.Our God is The Living God, The Creator of the Universe, The All Powerful and Almighty, The Alpha, and The Omega!   He was talking to me and lead me to read His Word, and since then, my brain food and daily spiritual bread became The Bible, The Living Word of God.   I started building my relationship with The Lord, by assigning a daily time to meditate in His Word. From Genesis to Revelation, I learned how to pray, I learned all His commandments, I joined a church that reflects The God of The Bible, The Lord of Lords, and The King of Kings.   The world as I knew it is dead to me, I am living a life full of intense joy, a joy I never imagined existed in the wildest of my dreams.Jesus Christ is the center of my universe,He is number one in my life,He is ALL I ever needed.   I regret every second I have wasted living without knowing Him, every lost day without being in His Presence and meditating in His Word.   Please don’t wait till you hit rock bottom like I did,Open the door for The Lord Now,Start building a relationship with Him Now,Open your heart and mind, start reading The Bible and get ready to meet Him as I did.   There is more to life than eating, sleeping, working, and paying the bills.God has a purpose for your life and a unique mission tailor-made for you!Are you ready for a whole new world? Pascale Dumbakly Back

Hack your brain before someone else does. I was planning to call my friend in the evening, then prepare a light meal and benefit from an early bedtime, only to find myself almost against my will scrolling endlessly on social media, wasting my time and attention on unplanned and unproductive activity… almost against my will. My brain was simply being… Hacked!Does this resonate with you?Technology companies are hacking your brain by developing addiction coding techniques on smartphones, apps, and social media platforms, engineered to create the need to check 24-7-365.One of the techniques consists in creating technological rewards aiming to replace social and natural rewards; online validation is manifested in the number of views, likes, shares and comments, which is deeply affecting your real relationships, the ones with family, friends and society. 
The Attention economy is also affecting your relationship with yourself by distracting you from your plans and goals, wasting your time, in addition to influencing your beliefs and inviting you to self-centeredness and self-obsession.Long story short, technology companies aim to get you ADDICTED; your attention, which is the end product, is being $OLD to their clients-advertisers. Start hacking your brain before someone else does! You can take the driver’s seat and get your time and attention back by choosing how you want to spend those currencies, you can opt to connect consciously by deciding in prior how much you want to $pend online.By shifting from unconsciousness to consciousness, from autopilot mode to awareness, by keeping your mind present, focused and alert, you can successfully build self-directed neuroplasticity. Many factors can contribute to an effective brain hacking, these include rebooting your circadian clock, new learning, in addition to reframing challenges and visualizing goals accomplishment, thus tweaking the technological reward system and creating your own.  Pascale Dumbakly Back

The Etiquette of Change Have you ever made a list of resolutions before the new year, only to find yourself going back to your “old ways” a few days later? We have all been there; we simply break our resolutions, play the blame & shame game then run back to being “our good old self” sitting comfortably “where we were”, doing what “we used to do”. Can you relate? Welcome to the comfort zone! The comfort zone supports the existing neuroplasticity and biochemistry makeup of the brain. A change, no matter how small, modifies this makeup by unfiring and unwiring existing neural pathways i.e., the old ways, while wiring and firing new ones i.e., the new ways. Change is possible but why is it hard to attain and keep a lasting one?The answer is simply because being who you are and staying where you are i.e., the comfort zone is an addiction.Yes…you are addicted to who you are! Hence, change is consequently the result of breaking free from this addiction, whether it is about breaking bad habits, establishing new behavioral patterns, etc. A good recipe for a lasting change includes many ingredients, among them: Gaining non-judgmental awareness of “what is” Acknowledging what needs “to be” Owning a purposeful motivation and vision Choosing to behave consciously Forging consistency, perseverance, and patience Holding accountability within a support system of reinforcement and maintenance Dr. Joe Dispenza – Breaking the habit of being you Duncan Banks – Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, The Open University The Neuroscience of Changing Your Behavior- The best brain possible Pascale Dumbakly Back