Tag: mindset shift

“Do the difficult things when they are easy and do the great things when they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

What if “trying” doesn’t have to mean pushing harder?

I’ve been in a flow state often enough to know it exists but not so often to know how to reliably get there. Is it really possible to regularly create — to write, to connect with others, to co-author life in a way that doesn’t leave me sweaty and tired? My guest on this week’s podcast had some insight about finding flow. Even if it falls into the category of easier said than done, it’s the quietness of the approach that makes me think it’s possible

In this Life of Try episode, I talk with author and New York Insight Meditation Center co-founder Joseph Schmidt about The Torchbearer—a collection of short stories born from an unexpectedly effortless creative process. Together we explore the mindset shift from effort to openness: how letting go of the agenda can create space for insight, transformation, and a deeper, more alive way of meeting each moment.

• Try smarter, not harder: why forcing outcomes can block creativity—and what changes when you partner with the process instead.
• Mindset shift to “empty hands”: Joseph’s Zen chaplaincy training and the practice of entering a room (or a moment) without an agenda.
• Personal growth through discovery: how his characters—and we as readers—find the next move by noticing what’s already here.
• Feeling alive at the edge of the unknown: mindfulness as the place where consciousness meets what happens next.
• Belonging as a practice: building a bond of belonging by showing up with curiosity, care, and presence.

If you’ve been working hard but feeling flat, this conversation is an invitation to loosen your grip, step back into the present, and discover a more natural flow—one where growth comes from attention, not strain. Listen in for a gentler (and often more powerful) way to create, connect, and keep beginning again.

Here’s great clip of Joseph describing the lesson he learned from a Zen monk about a powerful mindset shift:

This is a great episode if you’re craving a mindset reset, rebuilding your creative confidence, deepening a mindfulness practice, or simply want to feel more awake and engaged in your everyday life.

Here are some ways you can listen and watch this inspiring episode:

• The podcast player embedded below
• Click this link to watch in a browser: The Quiet Transformation That Changes Everything
• Subscribe to The Life of Try on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
• Subscribing to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeoftry

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

The Art of Meaningful Conversations: Lessons from 200 podcast episodes – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What can 200 podcast episodes teach us about betterconversations, meaningful connection, and personal growth? In this milestone episode of The Life of Try, Dr. Vicki Atkinson turns the tables and interviews host Wynne Leon about nearly four years of podcasting—and the courage, creativity, and consistency it takes to keep going.Wynne shares why authentic conversations require bothpreparation and presence, how perfectionism can block openness, and why serving your audience matters more than simply publishing content. She and Vicki explore podcast audience growth, building trust over time, creating meaningful work in the age of AI, finding the right collaborators, and learning from the people who say yes.If you feel stuck, uncertain, or impatient with your progress, this encouraging conversation is a reminder that growth does not have to happen quickly. One thoughtful conversation, one genuine connection, and one brave try can move you forward.In this episode:·       How to have deeper, more authentic conversations·       Why preparation leads to better podcast interviews·       How to let go of perfectionism and stop editing yourself·       Why trust and audience growth take time·       How small acts of courage can help you get unstuckRelated themes: personal growth, authenticcommunication, podcasting lessons, creativity, overcoming perfectionism, getting unstuck, building an audience, courage, resilience, and human connection.

1. The Art of Meaningful Conversations: Lessons from 200 podcast episodes 30:59
2. The Power of Saying Yes 19:36
3. Growth Takes Energy| How Rest Helps Habits Stick 09:05
4. When You Know You're Not Going to Make It 09:26
5. Creating Lift: Leadership, Mentorship and the Courage to Keep Growing 25:00

Links for this episode:

The Transformation That Changes Everything transcript

The Torchbearer: and other Stories of Borderline Redemption by Joseph Schmidt on Amazon

Joseph Schmidt bio – New York Insight Meditation Center

(featured photo from Pexels)