How to Feel Better Without Changing Your Circumstances (The Power of Mindset)
Newsletter | April 2026
Why am I sipping vegetable broth for lunch, you ask?
Well, as someone diagnosed with a digestive-related autoimmune condition in my 20's, I’m no stranger to colonoscopies.
And today?
It’s “liquid diet day.” 😝
Totally doable… but definitely disruptive.
→ Black coffee in the morning.
→ Broth for lunch.
→ Gatorade and tea as “snacks”…
🙄
This fasting day used to really bum me out.
I’d trudge through alllll the various beverages, constantly focused on what I couldn’t have.
And this morning, as I noticed my thoughts starting to veer down that familiar path, I paused... took a few deep breaths.
I did a quick gratitude practice, followed by a bit of journaling to set an intention for the day → tools I now keep close at hand in my “emergency mindset toolbox.” 🧰
And you know what!?
I’m still facing the same liquid sentence.
My plans for the day haven’t changed...
…but I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER.
🙌 🙌 🙌
That, my friend, is the power of mindset.
I’m sharing today not to brag, but to offer you a glimmer of hope:
Because for a long time, I was at the mercy of my habitual thought patterns.
Like a puppet on strings, I moved through life reacting to circumstances… riding the emotional rollercoaster without much say in the matter.
And I often found myself stuck in frustration, resentment, anxiety, even despair.
...I felt powerless.
And I was drinking every single day to cope.
🍷🍷🍷
If any of this resonates with you (colonoscopy or not), I want you to know:
You have more power than you know! 🙌
You can learn to notice your patterns of thought and instead of being the passenger → you can become the driver.
You can begin to choose how you want to show up in difficult moments… stressful moments… chaotic moments…
Even the small “inconvenience” moments of everyday life.
This brings me to one of the most powerful ideas I’ve encountered over the years:
“There is no path to happiness.
Happiness is the path.”
It’s so easy to attach our happiness to some future moment... that familiar “I’ll be happy when…” type thinking.
→ Once I get that job
→ Lose 20 pounds
→ Finally find love
→ Once I quit drinking, I’ll finally have everything figured out
These thoughts are totally human.
Totally normal.
…but not totally helpful.
This sort of thinking pulls us out of the present moment and we miss the opportunity to live our lives [and even IMPROVE our lives] in the here and now!
When you learn to bring your attention back to the present, you start to realize:
You don’t have to wait for happiness.
It’s already available to you.
Even before everything is figured out.
Even in the middle of a “liquid diet day.”
😜
"Mindset Work" 🧠
This is the underlying work I do with my clients: helping them find ways to lighten their loads, lessen their suffering, and increase their overall happiness in the here and now!
BEFORE they've reached their goals with drinking.
BEFORE they've got everything all figured out...
Because re-defining your relationship with alcohol [or food, or whatever you're using to "cope" in your life] is a process... a journey... and it takes a little bit of time.
So, we might as well enjoy the ride, don't you think?
Today’s gentle invitation 💌
No matter what’s going on for you right now, can you:
1. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
2. Think of two things you're grateful for – big or small.
3. And set a simple intention.
Example intentions:
I intend to stay connected to myself today, even amidst chaos.
I intend to move through today with patience and calm.
Today, I will honor my limits and ask for help when I need it.
I will remember to look for what's going 'right' in addition to the wrong.
You might be surprised by what shifts. 💛
TL; DR
The mindset tools I teach apply well beyond habits and drinking…
When you stop living in the future and learn how to step back into the driver’s seat of your own mind… you can dramatically shift your whole way of being.
Want to learn MORE about shifting habitual thinking? 👇👇👇
