Episode 118 – Retake Control of Your Mind with These 4 Simple Practices

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Note: This blog post serves as an accompaniment to the corresponding podcast episode of A Changed Mind, where we’ll distill down the core ideas of this week’s theme, along with additional distinctions and insights. If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, you can go here to do so.  Enjoy.

There’s one fundamental question that everyone on a personal growth journey wrestles with—whether they realize it or not:

How do I balance my plan with the divine plan?

How do I know when to take action and when to step back? When am I forcing, and when am I flowing? This isn’t just a philosophical question; it’s the key to whether your life feels like a constant grind or an unfolding miracle.

Most people think they just need to work harder, strategize better, or push through obstacles. But what if the real secret isn’t about doing more—but about knowing when to do what?

If you’ve ever felt like you’re putting in so much effort but still not getting anywhere, this is the shift in perspective that will finally make it all click.

Why High Achievers Struggle with This Balance

Just last weekend, I had the opportunity to speak to a room full of highly successful entrepreneurs—people running businesses from the million-dollar level to the hundred-million-dollar level. These were the top of the top, the kind of people that many look at and think, “They have it all figured out.”

But when I asked them a simple question, every single hand in the room went up. I asked: “How many of you feel like the very thing that made you successful is now suffocating you?”

Think about that for a second. These are people who seemingly have everything—the financial success, the accolades, the external proof that they’ve ‘made it.’ And yet, they were all experiencing a deep sense of exhaustion, burnout, or feeling trapped by their own success.

Maybe you built your success by managing chaos, solving problems, or being incredibly resourceful. But now, you’re attracting chaos. You’re overwhelmed. The very skills that got you here are now keeping you stuck.

Why does this happen?

It happens because we don’t realize how much of our energy is tied up in our thoughts, our overactive minds, and our constant need to strategize, analyze, and predict.

Are You Truly Living, or Are You Just Thinking About Living?

I’ll be honest—I’ve experienced this firsthand.

I live in what was once just a dream home—a 9,000-square-foot estate in the lush jungles of Puerto Rico, complete with a pool, a commercial gym, a podcast studio, and all the space I could ever want. And yet, for a long time, I wasn’t actually living there.

I was physically in the space, but mentally, I was somewhere else—thinking about work problems, replaying conversations, worrying about the future, strategizing the next move. I wasn’t seeing the beauty around me. I wasn’t feeling the dream I had manifested.

And when I asked those high-achieving entrepreneurs how much of their day was spent in this kind of mental space, their answer shocked me.

The average response was eight hours per day.

Eight hours a day lost in their heads. Eight hours a day disconnected from the present moment. Eight hours a day not actually living.

And the kicker? It’s not just the worries that keep us trapped. Even excitement can do the same. Anticipating future wins, visualizing upcoming achievements—if we’re not careful, even the positive mental states can become a form of disconnection from reality.

The Lies We’ve Been Taught About Success

We’ve been conditioned to believe that success comes from hustle, grind, and non-stop effort. We think that if we’re not constantly “on,” we’re falling behind. That if we aren’t actively pushing forward, we’ll lose momentum.

But here’s what I’ve discovered: That way of thinking is flawed.

The most powerful way to create success isn’t through endless hustle. It’s through understanding when to take action and when to let go. It’s about knowing that the universe, God, divine intelligence—whatever you believe in—is working alongside you, but only when you allow space for it.

When you operate purely from effort, you’re cutting off the flow of miracles that could be unfolding in your life.

The Equation for Effortless Success

Most people live by an equation that looks something like this:

Desire + Hustle = Burnout

Desire + Overthinking = Paralysis

Desire + Fear = Stagnation

But there’s a better equation. One that actually works. It goes like this:

Desire + Non-Resistance = Desired Result

When you remove resistance—the doubts, the fears, the constant need to figure out “how” everything will happen—you shift into a state of flow. This is where the right people, the right opportunities, and the right solutions come to you effortlessly.

This isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about taking inspired action instead of frantic action. It’s about learning to trust the process instead of trying to force it.

How to Shift From Forcing to Flowing

So how do you actually implement this? Here are three steps:

• Recognize when you’re in resistance. If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck, ask yourself: Am I trying to force an outcome? Am I obsessing over the ‘how’? Awareness is the first step to change.
• Practice being present. Start noticing when your mind is pulling you away from the present moment. Consciously bring yourself back—whether it’s through deep breathing, meditation, or simply looking around and appreciating where you are.

• Trust that the path is unfolding perfectly. Remind yourself daily: I don’t need to know how. I just need to stay aligned with the vision. When you make this your mindset, you’ll start noticing how much easier things become.

Final Thoughts: Let Go of the Battle

The life you want isn’t going to come through more struggle. It’s going to come when you learn to balance action with trust, effort with ease, and strategy with surrender.

The battle isn’t yours to fight. The universe already has the solutions lined up for you. Your job isn’t to force things—it’s to remove resistance so that what’s already meant for you can flow effortlessly into your life.

When you shift into this way of being, life stops feeling like a constant uphill climb. You start waking up with excitement instead of stress. You begin moving through challenges with grace instead of resistance. And most importantly, you start living in the present moment instead of constantly chasing a future one.

This is the path of effortless creation. And it’s available to you right now.