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The Manifesting Mistake That Keeps You Stuck in the Hustle
How I learned to stop rearranging the furniture in a burning house and finally build a new foundation.
Let’s get straight to the heart of it.
The path to a life of freedom and abundance isn’t about doing more. In fact, that’s the very thing keeping most people stuck.
But something tells me you already sense that.
You’ve probably visualized, journaled, and set big goals… but the feeling of “hustle” is still there. The alignment you’re seeking feels just out of reach.
If that’s true, you might be making the same mistake I made for years.
You’re trying to manifest goals instead of shifting your identity.
I learned this the hard way. I was a six-figure freelancer, completely burned out. My calendar was packed, but my soul was empty.
I was, what I now call, “rearranging the furniture in a burning house.”
I was so focused on sending one more email, tweaking one more design — the actions — that I ignored the roaring flames of my own misalignment. The house (my old identity) was on fire, and I was worried about the couch.
My wake-up call came during Hurricane Helene. Being evacuated from my home made the metaphor devastatingly clear: you can’t save a house that’s being consumed. You have to get out and find a new foundation.
In that pause, a teaching from Neville Goddard’s book The Power of Awareness (affiliate link to book) finally clicked:
“Manifesting is experiencing the results of the concepts of yourself in the world.”
It’s not about getting things. It’s about becoming the person for whom those things are natural.
I had to step out of the smoke and into a new identity. I stopped asking, “How do I make more money?” and started asking:
“Who am I if I am already a financially abundant and generous teacher?”
This isn’t “acting as if.” It’s feeling as if.
And when I made that shift, everything changed. Opportunities aligned with that new identity started to appear — like teaching locally and building our free online community — without the exhausting chase.
If you’re ready to stop hustling and start being, the way out is simpler than you think.
Your first step is to ask yourself one powerful question:
“What is the feeling I am truly seeking from my goal? And who is the ‘I Am’ person that already embodies it?”
Find that feeling. Slip into that identity for just five minutes (or even just five seconds for beginners) today. Let it be your inner soundtrack.
The rest will begin to unfold, intuitively.
We built our free Skool community, Shift Your Identity (SYI), as a sanctuary for this exact work. A place to put out your fires and build a new foundation, together.
If you’re ready to step into your new identity, join us here.
→ simpleandaligned.com/syi
As always, remember:
You are the conscious creator of your reality. Now, let’s create from a place of being, not striving.
With love and alignment,
Sophia (and Cristof)
The Hustle-Free Way of Manifesting Goals
Stop rearranging the furniture in your burning house and learn to build from a new foundation instead.
Photo by Kareli Lizcano on Unsplash
I (Sophia) was a six-figure freelancer, and I was exhausted.
My calendar was a mosaic of client calls, project deadlines, and content to be created. I had hit the revenue goal so many solopreneurs dream of, but the cost was my sanity. My time for rest, for freedom, for inspiration, for simply taking a deep breath — was gone. I was constantly “doing,” but I felt completely empty.
I was, as I now see it, expertly rearranging the furniture in a burning house.
I was so focused on the actions — sending one more email, tweaking one more design, going on yet another client call — that I ignored the roaring flames of my own burnout and misalignment. The house was on fire, and I was worried about whether the couch was in the right spot.
If you’re a creator, a solopreneur, or anyone trying to build a better life, you might know this feeling. The frantic hustle. The feeling that if you just do more, you’ll be more. It’s a conditioned lie we’ve inherited from a world that prizes effort over alignment.
My wake-up call came in a double-whammy.
First, I hit a wall. Despite using spiritual teachings for inner-peace and manifestation techniques to “attract” more money, I was still burned out. I realized I was just manifesting goals, not changing my identity. I was trying to get a new sofa for the same burning house.
Then, life forced me to stop. Last year, during Hurricane Helene, we needed to evacuate. Standing there, with the literal world I knew potentially crumbling, the metaphor became devastatingly clear. You can’t control the storm, and you can’t save a house that’s being consumed. You have to get out. You have to find a new foundation.
In that forced pause, the teachings of Neville Goddard, which I had studied for years, finally clicked in my gut, not just my head. He wrote, in The Power of Awareness (affiliate link to the book),
“Manifesting is experiencing the results of the concepts of yourself in the world.”
It’s not about visualizing a thing. It’s about becoming the person for whom that thing is a natural reality.
The fire wasn’t my client load; it was my self-concept. I was operating as a “struggling freelancer” who had to hustle for every dollar. My identity was the burning house. No amount of rearranging — no new client, no higher rate — would put out that flame.
I had to step out of the smoke and into a new identity entirely.
The Shift: From Goal-Getter to Generous Teacher
I stopped asking, “How can I make $X?” and started asking, “Who am I if I am already a financially abundant entrepreneur?”
The answer wasn’t about having a fat bank account. It was about the feeling. The feeling of security, of generosity, of being a valuable teacher who helps others transform their lives. I defined my new identity:
“I am a financially abundant & generous teacher of identity shifting.”
This isn’t “acting as if.” It’s feeling as if. You honor your present 3D reality, but you consciously choose to generate the feeling you believe you’d have if your desire was already true.
And then, a funny thing happened. The opportunities that aligned with that person started to show up.
A local community center invited me to teach a workshop on identity shifting. Our free Skool community, SYI, began to grow with beautiful, like-minded souls who genuinely wanted to learn from us. We weren’t chasing; we were creating value from a state of abundance, and the means to create a livelihood from doing what we love naturally unfolded. The money started to follow the value, not the other way around.
Your Practical Takeaway: How to Step Into Your New Identity Today
You don’t need a hurricane to start this shift. You can start in the next five minutes.
The process is simple, but it requires courage to stop “doing” and start “being.”
Get Crystal Clear: What do you really want? And more importantly, why? Dig for the feeling. Do you want more money for the number in your account, or for the feeling of security and freedom it represents? Do you want a successful business for the status, or for the feeling of creative expression and impact?
Define the “I Am”: Complete this sentence from the end result: “I am a person who…” Not “I want to be,” but “I AM.”
→ Instead of “I want to be a successful writer,” try “I am a widely-read author whose words transform lives.”
→ Instead of “I want to be debt-free,” try “I am a financially abundant and secure person.”Slip Into the Feeling (The 5-Minute Practice): Close your eyes. For just five minutes, let go of your current reality. In your mind’s eye, slip into the identity of that “I Am” person you just defined. Don’t visualize objects; generate the feeling. What does it feel like in your body to be that person? Is it a lightness in your chest? A quiet confidence? A sense of expansive freedom? Let that feeling wash over you. Breathe into it.
Carry It With You: Open your eyes and go about your day. But let that feeling be your inner soundtrack. Let it infuse your decisions, your conversations, your work. Action will become intuitive, not forced. You’ll stop procrastinating and second-guessing because you’ll be moving from a place of alignment with your inner self.
Stop trying to save the burning house. The hustle, the exhaustion, the constant “doing” from a place of lack — it’s all smoke and mirrors.
Step out. Breathe the fresh air of a new identity. Build a new reality from the inside out.
Ready to stop hustling and start being?
This is the work we do every day in our free Skool community, Shift Your Identity (SYI). We host free calls where we practice these exact techniques together, support each other, and celebrate each other’s wins. It’s a safe space to put out your fires and build the identity you truly desire.
Join us for free at simpleandaligned.com/syi. We’d be honored to have you.
Have You Taken a Pause That Changed Everything?
Life doesn’t slow down just because you want it to.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Let’s be honest.
Life doesn’t slow down just because you want it to.
For years, I was racing. Twelve-hour days. Screens lighting my face. Chasing the next deal, the next project, the next “win.”
I thought that’s what success looked like.
But at some point… I realized I wasn’t living. I was hustling.
Then life made me stop.
Stage 1: You feel the shift coming, but don’t know how to pause.
For me, it was a hurricane. Hurricane Helene. We had to evacuate. Nature itself paused.
And suddenly… I heard it. That quiet whisper I’d been ignoring:
“What if you stopped?”
Not just for a moment. But deeply.
I had spent years defining myself by performance. By output. By doing.
But in that pause, I realized how empty all the chasing had become.
Stage 2: You try to pause, but old habits scream.
During evacuation, a friend offered me a trading project. My reflex said yes. My people-pleaser said yes.
But my heart whispered: no.
For the first time, I actually listened. Saying no wasn’t rejecting opportunity — it was reclaiming sanity.
That was the first sacred pause I ever took.
Stage 3: You’re ready to make the pause your practice.
After that, I began experimenting. Sometimes just three minutes a day. Breathing. Sitting. Listening.
Writing. Healing. Healing through writing.
And something shifted. My life reorganized itself.
I discovered: peace doesn’t come from controlling life. It comes from being fully present. It comes from uncovering layers of conditioned habits, one at a time.
Prayer is speaking. Meditation is listening. Why not do both?
Creation becomes a conversation — a two-way flow.
The Antidote to Hustle
Every morning, I ask myself:
“What is one thing that is sacred to me today?”
It rewired my life. Turned productivity into purpose. Made peace my portfolio.
I work differently now. I show up differently. I serve from overflow instead of stress.
Your turn
Pause isn’t about stopping the world. It’s about finding your center inside it.
Take a moment today. Breathe. Ask:
What is one thing that is sacred to me today? How can I honor or protect it?
Hold it. Breathe into it. Let it guide your actions today.
If this resonates… know you’re not alone.
We’re building a space called Shift Your Identity for people who want to live from peace, not pressure; from purpose, not hustle.
It’s where we explore, reflect, and support each other in creating lives that align with our deepest truth.
Because peace isn’t a luxury. It’s your birthright. And the pause? That’s how you reclaim it.
With alignment,
Cristof
I “Tricked” Myself Into Winning 3 Prizes in a Single Raffle
Here’s the simple identity shift I used — rooted in Neville Goddard’s teachings — that you can apply to manifest anything.
Photo by Jake Ingle on Unsplash
I (Cristof) sat on a hard gym bench, watching my chances of winning a raffle slip away.
The first prize was called. Not my number.
The second. Not my number.
The third and fourth. Nothing.
My shoulders began to slump. A familiar, apologetic story started playing in my mind: “It’s okay, you never win these things anyway. Just be happy for the others. Don’t get your hopes up.”
I was, in that moment, perfectly embodying the identity of Someone Who Doesn’t Win.
And the universe was complying.
But I’ve been doing this inner work for a while. I recognized the old story as it was happening. This wasn’t who I am anymore. So, right there in the noisy gym, I initiated a deliberate identity shift. I decided to step out of “Someone Who Doesn’t Win” and into “A Winner.”
I sat up straight. I put a genuine smile on my face. I started applauding the other winners with sincere joy, as if I were a champion who knew my turn was coming. I didn’t just act like a winner; I felt like one. I allowed myself to feel the satisfaction and excitement of having already won.
The very next drawing? My number was called.
I won a gift card. I was thrilled, but an old pattern emerged. When my number was called again in the next round, I felt a pang of hesitation. “Should I really be this happy? People might think I’m greedy.” The old identity was fighting to pull me back.
I consciously reaffirmed my new state. “I have shifted. I am a winner. Winners get to celebrate.” I stood up, raised my arms, and joyfully accepted my second prize.
By the end of the night, I had won three times.
Now, in the grand scheme, a few ice cream gift cards are trivial. But the lesson was profound: Your external world is nothing more than a lagging indicator of your internal identity. When I identified as a loser, I got loss. The moment I shifted to identifying as a winner, I started winning. It worked immediately.
This experience cemented a truth I knew from Neville Goddard. In his book, The Power of Awareness (affiliate link to book), he taught that:
“The truth that sets you free is that you can experience in imagination what you desire to experience in reality. And by maintaining this experience in imagination, your desire will become an actuality.”
But it was just yesterday that the final piece clicked into place. We were relaxing at home and watching the movie Coach Carter (affiliate link to movie). Samuel L. Jackson, as the coach, tells his team:
“The losing stops now. Starting today, you will play like winners, act like winners, and most importantly, you will be winners… winning in here is the key to winning out there.”
It hit me. That’s it. That’s the entire philosophy in one powerful, cinematic statement.
Most people hear that and think “in here” means the basketball court. But I finally saw it with perfect clarity.
“Winning in here” isn’t about a court. It’s about the inner court of your mind. It’s the identity you assume before the external result shows up. My gym story was a tiny, perfect example of winning in here (my mind) to win out there (the raffle).
The Simple Method for Shifting Your Identity
We spend so much time rearranging the furniture in a burning house — trying to fix external circumstances without addressing the internal fire of our own self-concept. The real work is within. If you want to create a lasting change, start by consciously shifting your identity. Here’s the practical, two-step method, that Sophia explains like this:
Step 1: Get Absurdly Clear on What You Want & Who You Must Be to Have It
You can’t build a house without a blueprint. Most people are vague. “I want more money.” “I want a better relationship.” This is useless to your subconscious mind.
Get specific. “I want to earn $10,000 per month from my creative work, with ease and joy.”
Now, here’s the crucial pivot most people miss: What is the identity of the person who already has that?
The person earning $10k/month with ease isn’t frantic or desperate. They are confident, focused, and see themselves as a high-value creator. They are a winner in their field.
Your desire isn’t just for the thing; it’s for the state of being that the thing implies. Define that state. Is it “a winner,” “a bestselling author,” “a magnetic partner,” “a debt-free person”?
Step 2: Make Your Future Dream a Present Fact Through Feeling
This is where you move from theory to practice. You must “assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled,” as Neville says.
The word “assumption” is key. The dictionary gives two definitions that are perfectly aligned for our purpose:
A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.
The action of taking on power or responsibility.
You must accept as true, without any proof from the 3D world, that you are already that person. And in doing so, you take on the power and responsibility of that new identity.
How do you do this? In your imagination.
Let’s say your desire is to be a bestselling author. Don’t just visualize holding the book. That’s a step, but it’s not the pinnacle.
Instead, enter a scene that would imply your desire is fulfilled. Imagine reading a heartfelt email from a reader, telling you how your book changed their life. Feel the warmth in your chest. See the words on the screen. Hear your own grateful, happy sigh. Live in that feeling.
Do this not as a daydream of the future, but as a reliving of a present fact. This isn’t “someday.” This is now.
As Neville puts it:
“By desiring to be other than what you are, you can create an ideal of the person you want to be and assume that you are already that person. If this assumption is persisted in until it becomes your dominant feeling, the attainment of your ideal is inevitable.”
Your only job is to persist. When the old reality (the “losing streak”) shows up, ignore it. It’s just echo. When doubt creeps in, gently return to the feeling of your wish fulfilled.
Stop trying to build a new you from the outside in. It’s exhausting. Instead, make the shift. Decide who you are now, and let your outer world catch up to that truth. “Win in here,” and watch, almost as a passive observer, as your reality has no choice but to reflect your new identity back to you.
Ready to make your shift? This is exactly what we explore in our free Skool community, Shift Your Identity (SYI). It’s a space where we dive deeper into these principles, support each other’s journeys, and practice the art of conscious creation together. If this article resonated with you, you already belong. Click here to join our free SYI community today.
The Sacred Pause
How slowing down became my greatest source of peace
Photo by Frames For Your Heart on Unsplash
It’s funny how easy it is to get caught up in speed — in the endless doing, the striving, the measuring. For years, my days started and ended with screens. Twelve hours of staring at glowing rectangles, chasing the next deal, the next trade, the next client project.
At some point, I wasn’t working anymore — I was spinning. I was the kind of tired that no nap can fix. That was my normal.
Then life decided to make me stop.
The Breaking Point
It wasn’t just burnout that broke me open — it was a hurricane. Hurricane Helene hit our region hard, and we had to evacuate. I remember packing up the essentials, stepping outside, and feeling this eerie stillness in the air. Nature had paused everything.
That week, the storm outside mirrored the one I had been ignoring inside.
When the power went out, when the water stopped flowing, when the internet went silent, something else came online — a whisper inside me asking,
“What if I stopped?”
Not just physically, but deeply.
I had spent years as an investment adviser and software engineer — always chasing, optimizing, producing. My identity was tied to performance. But in that pause, I started to see how empty that chase had become.
The First Real Pause
The first real pause came in a moment of temptation during the evacuation— a friend offered me an exciting trading project, something that would’ve reignited the hustle. My reflex said yes, the people-pleaser in me said yes, but my heart whispered no.
For the first time, I listened to the whisper.
Saying no to that project wasn’t about rejecting opportunity — it was about reclaiming sanity. It was the first sacred pause I ever took.
I didn’t have a name for it then, but it was the beginning of a new rhythm — one built around meditation, reflection, and daily stillness.
Let’s Pause Together
Before I tell you the rest of the story, let’s experience what I’m talking about.
Let’s take a few minutes to pause — not as an escape, but as a return.
I invite you to gently close your eyes if you feel comfortable. Take a deep breath in… and let it go.
Feel the weight of your body on the chair. Feel the floor beneath your feet.
Now, bring to mind something or someone that naturally opens your heart. It could be a loved one, a pet, a memory, or even a sense of divine presence.
As you breathe, imagine sending a gentle wish toward them:
“May you be happy. May you be peaceful. May you be joyful. May you be free from suffering.”
Take a few breaths in that space. Feel how your heart softens, how your breath steadies.
Now, let that same kindness turn inward.
May I be happy. May I be peaceful. May I be joyful. May I be free from suffering.
Just notice the shift.
That’s the power of a pause — it’s not about stopping time; it’s about touching eternity within time.
Take one more breath.
And when you’re ready, open your eyes.
What I Discovered in That Pause
When I first started practicing this — sometimes for just three minutes a day — my life began to reorganize itself.
I realized something profound:
What’s holy to me isn’t the output. It’s the process.
It’s the morning hours when I write, heal, and create. It’s journaling through the old stories that kept me small. It’s the moments when I listen — not to the world, but to that still, quiet voice inside.
That’s where sacredness lives.
And the more I paid attention, the more I noticed something beautiful — peace doesn’t come from controlling life; it comes from being fully present for it. It comes from uncovering habituated, conditioned, non-reflected ways of being, layer by layer.
As I often remind myself, prayer is speaking to God, and meditation is listening. Why not do both? Creation, after all, is a conversation — a two-way flow.
The Antidote to Hustle
Rainn Wilson once asked in his book Soul Boom (affiliate link):
“What is holy to you personally? […] Where does sacredness live? […] What should be sacred to all of humanity?”
That question hit me like truth does — quietly but deeply.
I started asking myself every morning,
“What is one thing that is sacred to me today?”
That one question rewired my life. It turned productivity into purpose. It made me realize that the real wealth I was seeking wasn’t financial — it was peace of mind.
Peace became my portfolio.
When I built my business around that truth, everything changed. I didn’t work less — I worked better. My energy felt sustainable. My creativity deepened. I couldn’t wait to start working each morning; I was serving from overflow.
Let’s Practice the Sacred Pause
Let’s take another few minutes together to feel what it means to make something sacred.
If you’d like, close your eyes again.
Take a few deep breaths.
Now bring to mind your day — everything that’s on your mind, all that’s waiting for you when you leave here.
And now ask yourself, quietly,
What is one thing that is sacred to me today?
Don’t overthink it. Just let the first thing that arises — a person, a value, a moment, a feeling — come forward.
Hold it in your awareness.
Breathe into it.
This is your sacred center. The place from which your best self acts and speaks.
Now, with one more deep breath, commit — even if silently — to honoring this sacred thing in some small way today.
Take your time. And when you’re ready, slowly open your eyes.
What We’ve Lost — and What We Can Reclaim
When we lose touch with what is sacred to us, we lose our peace. And peace, I’ve come to see, is the most precious wealth in the world.
Without it, we cannot serve others or ourselves in our highest way. We just spin — busy, exhausted, half-alive.
But when we pause, when we listen, everything changes. Even burnout becomes a teacher. Even emotional upheaval turns into a source of enlightenment. Even a hurricane becomes holy.
Because in the sunlight of awareness, as Thich Nhat Hanh said, everything becomes sacred.
A New Kind of Wealth
So here’s the paradox: When we stop chasing success and start cultivating stillness, success begins to find us — not as an achievement, but as alignment.
I have been building my business around that truth. I’ve been building my peace around that truth. Now I get to share it with you.
And the invitation I’ll leave you with is simple:
Pause daily. Reflect weekly. Retreat deeply.
And each time you do, ask yourself — What’s sacred to me today?
You’ll find that question alone is enough to change everything.
Closing Invitation
If this message resonated with you, I’d love for you to stay connected.
We’re building an online community called Shift Your Identity — a space for people who want to live, work, and create from peace, not pressure; who want to build a conscious life, not one shaped by adopted expectations.
You can join us online, continue exploring these and other practices, and share your reflections.
But most importantly — take this pause into your life. Protect it. Nurture it.
Because peace isn’t a luxury. It’s our birthright.
And the pause is how we come home to it.
With love and alignment,
Cristof Ensslin
Your Brain Is Angry. It’s Time to Feed It a Cookie.
How a bizarre lesson from Rainn Wilson and Gandhi is saving my creative soul.
Photo by Vyshnavi Bisani on Unsplash
You know the feeling.
You’re cruising along, your mind buzzing with a new article idea or a solution to a client’s problem. You’re happy. The creative flow is humming.
Then, it happens. Someone cuts you off in traffic, their middle finger a stark punctuation to their anger. Or, an email pings in — a terse, unkind message from a collaborator or client.
In a flash, the flow is gone. Replaced by a hot, sharp anger.
This was my (Cristof) default state. My internal monologue would kick in, a cocktail of self-righteous judgment and cynical ridicule: “I’m such a good driver. I went at the speed limit. What a jerk. And for what? We’re both just going to end up at the same red light anyway.”
It felt justified. It felt normal. But I never stopped to calculate the real cost.
That anger wasn’t just a passing emotion. It was a toxin. It would seep into my body, making my knees tense, my shoulders tight, and my stomach churn. With a sick body and a mind buzzing with negativity, I couldn’t create. I couldn’t write. I’d try to sit down at my desk, but the words wouldn’t come. If I had to produce work, it was subpar, forced, and misaligned. The entire cycle would then spiral into frustration and self-doubt.
It was costing me my peace, my productivity, and my power.
The turning point came from an unexpected place: Rainn Wilson’s book, Soul Boom (affiliate link). In it, he writes:
“We all know someone who is rude, selfish, unkind, toxic. We do our best to avoid people like this. But what if we tried instead to consciously find one good quality about that person? For instance, what if they are a total jerk in every way but have great hygiene and always smell like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies? When I’m able to consciously focus on the good quality of a person, not only is my day better but my relationship with that person improves. And eventually, other good qualities are revealed to me that I might not have taken the time to see previously.
In other words, focus on the cookies. and don’t focus on the negative.”
He then quotes Gandhi, one of the grand masters of humility:
“I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.”
“Focus on the cookies.” The phrase stopped me. It was so simple, so visual, so… absurd. But it pointed to a profound truth I had been missing.
For all my life, I thought the solution was to simply stop being angry. To suppress it. To let it go. But you can’t reliably power down a reaction with willpower alone. The real shift, I discovered, isn’t about managing your reactions.
It’s about shifting your identity.
The Person Who Finds the Cookies
I realized that “focusing on the cookies” wasn’t a behavior hack. It was an identity. I had to stop trying to be less angry and start becoming the kind of person who, by their very nature, doesn’t get derailed by external circumstances.
I asked myself: Who would I have to become for a rude driver or a difficult email to not be an issue at all?
The answer painted a clear picture. This version of me is:
Self-Reflecting: They look inward before casting outward judgment.
Unaffected by Circumstances: They don’t take their emotional cues from other people’s bad behavior.
Compassionate: They operate from a default assumption of goodness, or at the very least, a default assumption that everyone is fighting a hard battle.
This is the core of manifestation and identity shifting. You don’t wait until you feel like that person to act. You act as if you are that person, and the feelings follow.
When the world gets loud, this identity whispers:
“I am not taking my cues from current circumstances. These circumstances are only the result of my past mind states. My current mind state produces my future circumstances. And I’m not letting anybody decide over my mind states. Every thought counts. Every thought matters.”
Your 30-Second Identity Shift Drill
This isn’t just philosophy. It’s a practical drill you can use the very next time you’re triggered. It takes less than 30 seconds and has two simple steps.
The moment you feel that hot surge of judgmental anger, pause. Take one breath, and repeat this twofold mantra to yourself:
Step One: Detach. Say: “I do not take cues from my circumstances.”
This is the emergency brake. It stops the mental train from hurtling down the familiar track of rage and ridicule. It reclaims your sovereignty.Step Two: Shift. Ask: “Who do I have to become for whom this wouldn’t be an issue at all?”
This is the rocket fuel. It instantly moves you from a state of reaction to a state of creation. You are no longer a victim of the event; you are the conscious architect of your response. You are putting on the cloak of your highest self.
Then, and only then, look for the cookie. Maybe it’s the fact their car is impeccably clean. (And only decent people keep their cars clean, right?) Maybe it’s Sophia’s wonderful method of assuming their loved one is giving birth and they need to rush to the hospital. (Since we’re the ones dictating our mental narrative, we might as well make it a good one.)
The “cookie” is the proof that your identity shift is working.
The Ripple Effect on Your Creative Life
When you become the person who finds the cookies, you aren’t just being nice. You are engaging in the most strategic act of self-preservation a creator, solopreneur, freelancer, or really anyone can do.
You are protecting your most valuable asset: your aligned, creative energy. You are ensuring that a single moment of external chaos doesn’t derail your entire day’s work. You are, quite literally, building the future you want by consciously choosing the mind state that will create it.
Every thought counts. Every thought matters. So choose to find the cookie. Your peace, your power, and your next breakthrough depend on it.
Want a weekly dose of simple, aligned wisdom? Sophia and I explore powerful ideas like this every week to help you master your mind and manifest your vision. No fluff, just value. Join our Simple and Aligned newsletter here.
The Sacred Pause: The Solopreneur’s Antidote to Burnout
How a simple question from Rainn Wilson’s “Soul Boom” helped me replace hustle with holiness and build a business that doesn’t cost me my peace.
Photo by Frank Leuderalbert on Unsplash
You know the feeling. It’s 3:17 PM on a Tuesday. Your to-do list is a tyrant, your inbox is a bottomless pit, and the glow of your screen feels more like a prison spotlight than a gateway to freedom. You’re chasing client work, algorithm updates, and revenue goals with a frantic energy that, deep down, feels hollow.
You started this journey to build a life of purpose. But somewhere along the way, the purpose got buried under the productivity. The meaning got lost in the metrics.
I (Cristof) was deep in this exact grind. As a freelance programmer, my worth was measured in billable hours and completed projects. I stacked them high, convinced that maximizing my income potential was the ultimate goal. The result? I was a husk. Stressed, burned out, and painfully disconnected. The romantic dates with my wife? A forgotten concept. Quiet moments with my cats? A luxury. My morning meditation? The first thing sacrificed on the altar of "busyness."
I had traded my inner peace for outer progress, and it was the worst bargain I’d ever made. I was doing all this work for my family, but in the process, I had become completely absent from my family. I was building a business to create freedom, but I had become a slave to it.
Then, I read a paragraph in Rainn Wilson’s book, Soul Boom (affiliate-link), that stopped me cold. It was a simple invitation—a plea, really—amidst a chapter on meaning. He asks:
“Please take five minutes to consider… What is holy to you personally? Where does sacredness live? What should be sacred to all of humanity? What is most definitely not sacred? What have we lost by not having more ‘sacredness’ in our lives?”
His hope was to spark one action: a moment of pause.
Reading that, I felt a deep resonance. I had already stepped away from the 24/7 freelance grind, but the mental habits of hustle culture were stubborn ghosts. The frantic energy, the guilt for pausing — these were my default settings. The word ‘pause’ in Rainn’s passage wasn’t a life raft from a sinking ship, but a validation for the dry land I was already standing on. It was permission to make my new reality feel not just like a break, but like a sacred, permanent shift.
So I closed the book, set my phone aside, and applied this new lens of ‘sacredness’ to the peace I was trying to build.
Here’s what I discovered in that sacred pause:
What is holy to me is not the output; it’s the process. It’s the sacred act of healing, writing, and creating between 8 AM and noon each day. It’s the time I spend journaling to untangle childhood traumas and insecurities, not just to become a better businessman, but to become a whole man. This is the foundation upon which a meaningful life—and a sustainable business—is built.
Sacredness lives as a feeling in the heart of my being. It’s not an abstract concept; it’s a tangible energy I can locate in the center of my chest. It’s the universal love and joy I can access through a momentary pause, a deep breath, a conscious re-centering. It’s my internal home base, and I had been away from home for far too long.
What should be sacred to all of us is getting out of the hustle culture. It’s making non-negotiable pauses to reflect, realign, and simplify. The endless heist for money, fame, and power is a hollow game. The true spiritual journey is the one that leads to an inner happiness independent of outside factors—the kind of success that no market crash can ever take away.
That Tuesday afternoon grind? The constant busyness devoid of meaning? That is the opposite of sacred. It’s what leads us away from our true path. But here’s the beautiful paradox I learned: that feeling of emptiness, that volcanic pressure of dissatisfaction, is also what eventually forces us onto a spiritual quest. It’s the catalyst. As Thich Nhat Hanh said,
“in the sunlight of awareness, everything becomes sacred.”
Even our burnout can become a teacher if we pay attention.
So, what have we lost by not having more sacredness in our lives? We have lost our peace. And peace is the most precious wealth in the world. For this very reason, my current LinkedIn banner states:
“There is no greater wealth in this world than peace of mind.”
See it here and connect.
Without it, we cannot serve others or ourselves in our highest possible way. We just spin on the hamster wheel, wondering why we’re so tired but getting nowhere.
Your Practical Pause: A 5-Minute Business Strategy
This isn’t woo-woo; it’s the most practical productivity hack you’ll ever adopt. Your sacred pause is your strategic advantage. It’s what prevents burnout and fuels authentic creativity.
Here’s how to start, today:
Set a timer for 5 minutes. Do this before you check email or social media.
Ask yourself just one of Rainn’s questions: “What is holy to me personally in my work or life today?” or “Where can I find a pocket of the sacred in my schedule?”
Listen. Not with your brain, but with that feeling in the center of your chest. The first answer that arises without ego—that’s your truth.
Protect it. That thing that came up? That’s your new non-negotiable. It is more important than one more email.
When I started doing this, everything changed. I didn’t work less; I worked better. My creativity became more focused, my energy more sustainable, and my connection with my clients more genuine because I was no longer running on empty. I was serving from a place of overflow.
I regained my peace. And from that place of quiet wealth, everything else flows.
What is one thing that is sacred in your work and life? Share it in the comments below. Let’s create a living library of what truly matters.
If this piece resonated with you, you’ll love our weekly Simple and Aligned newsletter. Every week, we share one simple prompt, one insight, and one actionable tip to help you stay connected to what’s sacred in your work and life, so you can build a business that feels like a calling. Join us here and get free access to our ever-expanding library of PDF-guides for more conscious living and success.
With love and alignment,
Cristof (and Sophia)
How Stoplights Became My Spiritual Teachers (And What They’re Trying to Tell You)
I used to rage at red lights — until I discovered they were sacred mirrors. Here’s how to decode their messages and unlock your next evolution.
Photo by Oleksandr Danylchenko on Unsplash
I was late. Again. My fingers drummed the steering wheel as the red light mocked me.
“Hurry up. Change. Why does this always happen to ME?”
My chest tightened — until a whisper cut through my frustration:
“You’re not stuck. You’re being schooled.”
In that moment, I understood: Stoplights aren’t delays. They’re spiritual pop quizzes.
Every red light, every traffic jam, every “why is this taking so long?!” moment is a mirror held up by the universe. It asks:
Will you resist or receive?
Will you curse the pause or let it polish you?
Universal Truth:
“The universe doesn’t delay you — it prepares you.”
The Three Sacred Layers of Every Red Light
Layer 1: The Mirror
Your impatience isn’t about the light. It’s about where you’re resisting life itself.
🔍 Your Assignment next time impatience flares:
Name the sensation (“My jaw is clenched”).
Ask the mirror: “What ancient script am I replaying?” (Hint: It’s usually fear of being “behind”).
Layer 2: The Alchemy
Red lights force you into the one thing your soul craves: a moment of presence.
🌿 Try This:
Breathe in: “I accept this pause.”
Exhale: “I trust what’s unfolding.”
Notice: One beautiful detail (sunlight on asphalt, a child’s laugh from a nearby car).
Layer 3: The Upgrade
Every time you choose ease over urgency, you rewire your nervous system for divine timing.
✨ Soul Truth: “Delays are portals. Your calm is the key.”
The Sacred Mirror Worksheet: Your Personal Decoder
When I started tracking my reactions to “delays,” patterns emerged:
Monday’s traffic jam mirrored my dread of a meeting.
Thursday’s slow grocery line reflected my fear of “wasting time.”
That’s why I created the Self-Referential Reflection Worksheet — not as a to-do list, but as a sacred mirror to:
✔ Spot your soul’s recurring lessons (e.g., “Why does ‘waiting’ trigger me?”)
✔ Decode resistance into wisdom (Hint: Your triggers are portals)
✔ Witness your growth (Compare Week 1 to Week 4 — you’ll be shocked)
“The worksheet isn’t homework. It’s a love letter from your higher self.”
When You “Fail” (Which You Will)
Some days, you’ll still curse at stoplights. Good.
Here’s the magic:
Your frustration isn’t failure — it’s fuel. The moment you notice you’re impatient, you’ve already begun the shift.
“Falling back” is part of the path. Each “relapse” reveals a deeper layer to heal.
💡 Try This:
After a “failed” moment, ask:
“What if this frustration is the exact doorway I need?”
Beyond the Road: Alchemizing Life’s “Delays”
Stoplights are training wheels. Soon, you’ll start seeing all pauses as sacred:
A delayed flight? “What’s the gift in this extra hour?”
A slow-moving line? “What if this is protecting me from something?”
Shareable Truth:
“Tag someone who needs to hear: Your ‘red light’ is a love note from the universe.”
The Self-Referential Reflection Worksheet is your companion to:
✔ Catch soul lessons in real-time
✔ Transform triggers into treasure
✔ Proof of your evolution (Compare Week 1 to Week 4 — you’ll feel the shift)
Remember: Every “delay” is a whisper: “You’re not late. You may be behind schedule, but you’re exactly on time.”
From Frustration to Freedom: A Channeled Path to Inner Peace
Photo by Stepan Konev on Unsplash
Hello and welcome. This is Sophia.
I am opening up this space here for channeling a message that is relevant to the right person. So I invite you to come in, take a deep breath, and arrive fully into this moment. A message that's relevant to you will emerge. Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t.
Let's go on this channeling journey and see what amazing gifts and messages await us.
Close your eyes.
Get comfortable.
Completely relax.
Your mind and your body arriving in this moment, feeling awake, alert, and relaxed. For the next few minutes, set aside all your ideas and projects, anxiety and fears, memories, inhibitions, pain, and tightness. Anything that your mind is being drawn to, just let it be. Don't engage in it.
And know that in this moment, all is well.
Know that everything you're experiencing is happening for you. It's happening for your path forward. You are being supported. You're being guided, and you are being helped on every step. Every step of the way, there are guides—benevolent beings, life force energy, universal energy, the chi—moving in the direction of expansion and growth, healing, and transformation.
What lens you pick and choose for your life is all up to you. You can choose the lens of peace and brotherhood, optimism, pragmatism—or you can choose to stay in the lower energies of fear, distrust, anger, resentment, jealousy, envy, and even things like frustration and impatience. These pull you down.
And yes, there will be moments when you feel frustration, when you feel impatient. The task at hand is to not stay there—to help yourself with tools to come out of that state as fast as possible.
When impatience arises, you recognize it as impatience. And then ask yourself:
What is behind this impatience?
What is it here to teach me?
There's always a lesson. There's always a message behind everything.
Impatience is showing you that you're not at ease with what is. You're wanting to push through, speed up. You're rejecting the process as it appears.
Your task then is to take a deep breath and accept the process. Do what you can to speed it up, but be at ease with how things unfold.
There is divine timing. There's intelligence in how things develop. And anytime things take long, things get delayed—reflect back on the seeds that you have sown. Take responsibility and use events as a mirror, as a status report of how things are.
If you're getting delayed, then you may have sown very tiny seeds of delaying someone—just in a very small way.
If you're getting a lot of stoplights on your road and you're getting impatient, it's important—the combination. If you're at a red light and feeling impatient, then what have you done in the past? You don't have to know exactly, but know that you have sown seeds of obstruction and blocks for others.
However, if you're at a stoplight and you are at ease, then you've sown seeds of ease for yourself and others. The context is very important.
If you look at the red light and think:
"I'm being protected."
"I have a moment to take a deep breath."
"Oh, look how beautiful the trees are."
If you're in the present moment, then that red light is facilitating your enjoyment of this moment. You can pause and observe the beauty around you.
However, if you feel frustrated or impatient, then this red light is serving as a mirror—showing you your inner state, the state of your mind. And when you get that status report, your task is to take a deep breath and come back into wisdom.
Come back into the knowing that all is happening in its own time. Come back into the awareness that you can only focus on, do, and influence what is within your control. The red light operates on other factors, and it's there for your protection.
With this change in attitude, with this understanding of the process, you relieve yourself from low-energy states—frustration, impatience, anger—whatever pulls you down instead of uplifting you.
Your task is to help yourself come back into the wise state, which you already know you have. You're already wise. You already know that impatience and these low-level energies are not beneficial to your path, to your purpose here in life. To stay there is not beneficial. To move out of it is.
So don't be concerned if you do fall back into old ways of being. Just practice coming out of it. Recognize:
"Oh, there it is again."
"Ah, I'm throwing a tantrum again."
"Here it is."
And have this two-minds effect.
There’s the mind that is throwing a tantrum, being impatient.
And then there’s the mind that can watch you being that way and help you out of it—like a loving brother, sister, friend, or your future wise self.
Whatever identity feels good to you, use it. This observing self can recognize what's happening, acknowledge it, and guide you back onto the path of peace.
Every time you come out of those low-energy states, you are taking a stand for inner peace—for your own peace and, as a result, peace on this earth. That is where it begins—in these small micro-moments where you are able to take action.
This is your practice ground. And when you are a master, that is what leads to enlightenment. You can practice right now, in each moment.
Your best tool is the breath, the pause—that moment between the feeling, the impulse, and the action, so it's not a reaction but a response.
So, my friends, this is my message for you today. I hope you found it helpful. Again, as always, take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and make changes in your life bit by bit.
Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate your time and attention, and I'll see you next time. Bye.
Want to go deeper? Grab your free Self-Referential Reflection Worksheet—a tool to uncover the hidden lessons in delays, impatience, and life’s mirrors. Download here.
3 Lessons from Thich Nhat Hanh's You are Here
Here are some thoughts from the reading of You are Here written by the Zen Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh.
3 Lessons from Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddha Mind, Buddha Body
Enjoy this video book review of Buddha Mind, Buddha Body written by the Zen Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh.
3 Lessons from Eckhart Tolle's Practicing the Power of Now
Here is my Book Review of Eckhart's Book. Share your thoughts!
You Are Enough.
The Mind Chatter
The voices in the mind rage. Words strung into sentences float in the space of the mind. Words evoking emotions of imperfection, emotions of impatience, emotions of not having arrived. The deluge of these thoughts takes a toll. Waking up in the morning begins the flow. Going to bed at night pauses the flow. Then, you realise that this constant bombardment of notions is not really serving your highest good.
I remember times when the mental chatter was painful to the extent that it led to a consistent feeling of sadness, inner pain and lack of enthusiasm. For the smallest thing that I did or did not do, this strange inner voice would comment, criticise, complain and scold. Although, today the voice is not so loud and not so incessant, I still encounter moments where I am flashed with this bright stadium light of inner critique, harsh, cold and blinding light. Then it dissipates. I have then moments to breathe and live with a sense of relief.
I Am Enough
Today, I listened to a conversation by Hans King as he was being interviewed by Lisa Garr of The Aware Show. The conversation was full of highlights and insights that deeply resonated with me. Hans reminded us this undeniable truth: You are Enough. It resonated with my very core.
It resonated with me because to hear those words, "You are enough", felt like the chains had been dismantled, the pressure had been released and I was floating in a nebulous wave of relief and joy. He said, there is nothing you need to do, nowhere you need to go. When Lisa asked Hans, so how does our goal-setting and strategizing play into it, Hans replied that we can still do it all for the experience of it. Wow!!! We do all our goal setting, aiming for change, creating new things, making a difference, all for the EXPERIENCE of it. That feels really liberating. I don't have to do any of this. But I CHOOSE to do all of it; because I want to have the experience of the creating, transforming and changing. The pressure is off. The cage is open. The dams have been broken. The bird is set free. The river can flow freely.
Setting the Intention
Another insight that I take from the convesation is about setting Intention. Hans said that our intention matters the most, even more than our deeds. Each day, we can set an intention for ourselves, for our life and become clear about why we are doing something and for what purpose. Ultimately, he says our purpose is to be of service to one another. And that was so beautifully and profoundly said. I have often searched and enquired about my life's purpose. Through the introspection, I have become clear about my dream and my vision that I want to manifest in this lifetime. Yes, that is all there. Yet, when it comes down to it, the fundamental purpose of my life is to be of service. So there you have it. The confusion is dissolved. The mystery is demystified.
Ask and You Shall Receive
Many teachers of consciousness have spoken about this. When you need help, you ask for it. It is your responsibility to ask for guidance, to ask for help, says Hans. I know for myself that only recently have I come to understand this concept and I am learning to live it fully each day. To actively ask Life, the Universe, the Spirit Guides for help and guidance is something I have done only as a LAST RESORT! Yet, it is becoming more and more easy for me to ask, to request for help. This process of asking for help, also puts me in a state of gratitude. I become aware of the blessings that are in my life and how I am constantly being shown the path, and assisted along the way. The state of gratitude is what raises my vibration immediately. One of the most powerful ways of feeling good and living fully, for me, is to feel the emotion of gratitude and appreciation.
Thank you Hans King for so eloquently presenting these insights which have spoken straight to my heart. Your wisdom, your openness and your service to humanity is deeply appreciated. I thank you for taking the time and having the conversation with Lisa Garr.
I have been listening to Lisa Garr's show for some years now and I express my deep gratitude to her for her candid, authentic self as she poses the questions and shares her life on the show. She has a soothing, relaxing voice that reminds me of cozy afternoons with pillows and hot tea and loving friends chatting away about life and the Universe. Thank you for bringing to me rich, vibrant conversations with the Gurus and Teachers of our time who have committed their life to serving the expansion of human consciousness. Thank you, Lisa.
You can learn about Lisa's show here: The Aware Show. And you can learn about Hans King by exploring his website here.
Meditation Books I Love: Part 1
As you embark deeper on your journey to meditation, I would like to share with you a couple of books on mediation.
1. "Wherever you go, there you are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn: I recommend this book because it is composed of small chapters that you can read and incorporate the wisdom into your life bit by bit. The chapters are 2-3 pages long only with a practice at the end of the chapter that provokes your thinking. I also love the anecdotes that Kabat-Zinn shares in this book. Take a look and enjoy. Here is also a video review of the book that I did on the book.
2. "Turning the mind into an ally" by Sakyom Mipham: I have a special connection with this book. When I was living in New York, I visited many yoga centers and buddhist centers. One day, a friend of mine, Nancy and I walked into a meditation center in Manhattan. We began talking with one of the volunteers who was helping out the center in the daily running of the place. We chatted a little and I asked him about the book he was holding in this hand. It was this lovely book with a white cover that had an eloquent script for a title. He explained to me how this book was influencing him for being more in tune with his inner world. Then, as we were leaving, he said to me, "Here you go". He was handing me the book. I gave him a surprised, joyful glance. He said that this book belongs to me now. This kind gesture was truly heartwarming and even after so many years, this gift from a "stranger" is a source of warm feelings.
I have read this book with great gratitude and joy. In the reading of this book, I have gained a sense of peace. The author offers an intimate view of meditation and in the way he describes what happens to us when we are meditating, is simply eye-opening. He uses the analogy of a horse to describe our mind, an analogy that clearly brings to me the message that meditation needs to be a practice done daily. Only then can we train our mind to become our ally. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is serious about changing their habits, improving mental health, and refining their concentration and sharpening their sense of focus and clarity.
Mindfulness inspired by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Sophia talks about what she learnt from the book, "Wherever you go there you are."
A few moments of mindfulness make a world of difference. -Sue Patton Thoele
Thoele is referring to mindfulness in everyday life that brings us new perspectives on almost everything. Here, mindfulness can mean sitting in meditation with eyes closed, focusing on the movement of our breath, focusing on a mantra or simply witnessing what is. Yet, it can also mean bringing our attention to each moment in a new, refreshing and active way regardless of where we are and what we are doing or how we are being.
Thoele is referring to mindfulness in everyday life that brings us new perspectives on almost everything. Here, mindfulness can mean sitting in meditation with eyes closed, focusing on the movement of our breath, focusing on a mantra or simply witnessing what is. Yet, it can also mean bringing our attention to each moment in a new, refreshing and active way regardless of where we are and what we are doing or how we are being.
The ways to be mindful are plentiful. They are simultaneously simple while they are deep. We can bring mindfulness to practically everything we think, feel, believe and do. Let us take some activities from a morning routine for instance. After we wake up and walk out of the bed, we can be mindful with every step we take. We can bring attention to each moment as we pick up a cup or sip the first cup of morning tea or coffee. We can be mindful of each action we take while cutting fruits or preparing breakfast. Or we can become mindful of the moment when we look outside the window to welcome the new day. It can be in the way we land our first glance on the people and pets we love. It is the attention we give to receiving love from another being. It is the attention we give to experiencing the gentle sounds of birds outside our window. And so on...
Mindfully bringing attention to our thoughts and our words can be powerful and can mean a world of difference for ourselves and those we interact with. One of its functions is to bring our awareness away from our ego-mind and towards our spirit. Connecting to our spirit gives us a glimpse of the peace and unlimited potentiality that lies within each of us. In just a matter of seconds we feel a fresh energy that empowers and strengthens us. Just noticing the flow of our breath for a minute or two connects us with our spirit. It need not be hours of meditative practice; just a moment or two. Now you know some of the ways how to be mindful in any moment.
This practice of mindfulness can lead to tremendous change within ourselves. It is solid preparation for times when we are faced with huge challenges. Think of it this way, let us say I fall into deep water. Now would not be the best time to learn how to swim; although I could try. It may be difficult to recall all the under water olympics videos I have seen of how athletes swim and then trying to mimic them. It would help to have practiced swimming already before I fall in the water. Or in other words: let us say I need to take a written test or exam. When I enter the hall to take the test, it would be ideal that I come prepared rather than open my notes and start studying now. Similarly, practicing mindfulness for a moment here and moment there and gradually several moments throughout the day, helps to meet life with a sense of preparation. This gives us the strength, the faith and the courage to meet any moment with love and appreciation. It is then when we can meet the moment and say, "Hello, Moment. Thank you for being here. What are you here to teach me? What can I learn about myself from you? What do I need to master?" It is then we converse with life in a new language along with a renewed sense of reverence.
This is an invitation: Practice mindfulness a few moments a day. I have and it has changed my life.
Love and more love,
-Sophia Ojha