Exclusive Interview with Theresa Byrne: Leading the Way in Mindset Transformation
Best Holistic Life: Tell us, what’s one thing that surprises people about you?
Theresa Byrne: My confidence! I didn’t start out being as confident as I am today. If you met me in a room or at a party today, you wouldn’t know I’ve struggled with doubt and had low self-esteem as a kid. Back then I set my mind to learn how people function and how to work with my issues so I could develop confidence and an inner sense of strength. I’ve had people tell me how confident and unstoppable I seem without realizing I had to work to get here. HOW I did it was methodical and practical, and that’s why I love teaching what I do: how to live IN YOUR POWER.
A huge part of my journey is teaching boundaries – which I learned out of necessity. Because of the things I faced and the way I grew up, I’m able to use my methodology and work to help others find their internal power. I had a childhood that required me to overcome challenges with anger, negativity, and my innate sensitivities. Most of us have challenges to overcome, but we can use them as springboards to what we want in life.
Best Holistic Life: What’s a life lesson you wish more people took to heart?
Theresa Byrne: I hear people say, “life is too short,” then do absolutely nothing to change it! The lesson is: DO SOMETHING. The trajectory of our lives is something we have the power to manage and control.
As far as we know, this life is it. Living a “less than” life sucks! If there’s something you want or dream about doing, and you’re not going after it, that means you’re doing “less than” you want. Or you feel “less than” enough compared to others. Within each of us are the seeds of our own greatness. I never thought I’d have 8 black belts, but I do.
Going after what you want can start with outlining what you don’t want; we learn through contrasts. You want to be wealthy because you’ve experienced lack; you want to be fit because you’ve been unwell or seen illness/health issues in your family.
When it comes to change work, there are two options: We can be our own support system (your own BFF and have our backs) OR we can be our own worst frenemy (and beat yourself up). It’s all a choice.
I’ve created systems of unlocking inner power, making it easier to understand the HOW’s and WHAT’s and even some of the WHY’s of change work.
Best Holistic Life: What are the most common blocks you see people struggling with when trying to create forward movement in their lives?
Theresa Byrne: Having worked directly with over 50,000 people, I’ve outlined negative patterning and constructs into a system of practical, applicable tools that can be applied to move forward more positively. InPower.
The most common ways I see people blocking their success are self-doubt (which manifests as negative self-talk/inner bully), lack of boundaries, self-sabotage, and fears (like fear of the unknown, uncertainty, or discomfort).
Did you know we fear discomfort more than we usually feel it? Ugh! We can build a challenge up in our head to be much harder and worry over what will never happen, like that new job posting or a conversation with a loved one. We fear it, but it hasn’t happened.
Best Holistic Life: Why do these blocks typically manifest?
Theresa Byrne: Most of our blocks (or blocked energy) come from beliefs or ideas that aren’t even ours from long ago. They drain our energy and our power, keeping us stuck or miserable. Then we complain about being stuck, busy, or exhausted, almost as though it’s a way of staying unhappy (but it’s not our fault)!
Any of these blocks can steal away our most valuable resources: time, energy, well-being, and joy.
Here’s the kicker: underneath blocks or limited beliefs is a form of magic. They each come from a specific, unique place inside of us built for self-preservation to show us perceived dangers. Usually, anything outside of our comfort zone! There are common blocks, but they all manifest in ways unique to us.
If you’re blocked around finances, working on it will allow you to reach levels of success never imagined. If you’re blocked around relationships, working on them will allow you to find new connections. Because our “work” can somehow be tied to our “worth” for ourselves.
Our inner work is often closely connected to our sense of self-worth and self-knowledge. In fact, blocks might reveal what you’re here to accomplish. When I dive into inner work with my clients, we uncover deeper layers of purpose, helping them thrive, succeed, and flourish. These blocks or challenges are opportunities to discover what truly matters and what we’re meant to contribute to the world.
Best Holistic Life: How do you know you’re “blocked”?
Theresa Byrne: It’s simple! You’re unhappy! You know you’re blocked when you feel anxious, upset, worried, angry, sad, or feel negative more often than you’d like. You might feel stuck, stopped, or held back. And you’re not achieving your goals.
Self-doubt is a sign driven by your Inner Bully, chipping away at your confidence and fueling imposter feelings such as, “Nah… you can’t do that!”.
Without clear boundaries, you become an Emotional Sherpa, carrying others’ burdens and burning out.
Fear of the unknown and perfectionism further scatter your focus, making it hard to protect your time, energy, and well-being.
Each of those feelings are natural and also signs and signals for introspection or action, not stop signs. You know you’re blocked when you’re not seeing results, you don’t have much energy, or you don’t feel how you want, all of which can be changed.
Best Holistic Life: What do you usually see happening with people before they work with you?
Theresa Byrne: When someone “finds” me, they are sick of being tired and sick. They are done with beating themselves up and feeling DOA—drained, Overwhelmed, and Anxious. That’s usually when I come into their lives. “When the student is ready… the teacher appears.”
I can’t work with someone who isn’t ready and open; otherwise, it’s like pulling a racehorse along the course, and we both end up exhausted.
My clients come to me saying, “I am so freakin’ exhausted,” “I have no idea what to do” (lacking clarity) and “Why can’t I (have what I want)” or even “I don’t know what I want, no one has ever asked!”
People I work with are typically already successful in some areas and know they need help in other areas that aren’t working but don’t know where to go or how to get support. That’s where I show up.
Most of the people I work with have self-sabotage in their relationships, at work, with their money, and their health, and are done with it. They’ve finally reached a breaking point where they’re willing to address what’s happening, and that’s where the fun begins!
Best Holistic Life: In your experience, what is the first thing someone must do on the path of change to create a more powerful life?
Theresa Byrne: The first thing ANY of us can (and need) to do to change is recognize a problem exists and be open to a solution. This starts a deeper dive into awareness. Being self-aware provides us clues to what we truly need, what to release, and where we can go. We start looking objectively at what works and what’s not working in our lives.
The next step is believing change is possible and finding the tools and methods to get there, along with the support of a mentor. We go further faster together, especially when someone has our back.
Best Holistic Life: What keeps people stuck?
Theresa Byrne: Lack of action or procrastination is a biggie! When someone realizes they’ve got issues or are sabotaging themselves but don’t take the steps to make changes, they end up beating themselves up over that, too!
If we don’t believe we can change, we give up. We get stuck, feel powerless, and complain or feel miserable without doing anything about it! We become the victims of our own circumstances. We create our own disempowering beliefs.
Our brains have neural pathways that are like “ruts” and follow the same paths UNTIL we create changes and adaptive reactions. It takes time, but I’ve seen it work for thousands of people.
Another is avoiding feelings. I say, “A feelings job is in its name.” We must learn how to deal with our feelings, both positive and negative, without letting them take over and run us. The good news is we can cultivate more positive feelings by learning this.
Best Holistic Life: What are some key mindset shifts people need to make in order to break through their blocks and achieve their goals?
Theresa Byrne: I get excited by the thing I call “mindshifting,” since it can change the trajectory of our lives – getting us closer to what we want in our lives. There are a few shifts that make all the difference.
Embrace imperfection and call it something else. I used to HATE making mistakes and being wrong because it felt like chaos would ensue and the world would fall apart! Once I stopped thinking of what I did as weakness or mistakes and owning them as my personally unique quirks instead, I was able to laugh at myself and BONUS: take myself less seriously.
Owning your quirks and shifting from the idea of perfection to progress moves you into your favorite version of yourself. Taking imperfect action beats analysis paralysis or inaction every time, reducing fear and keeping you moving forward.
Next, adopt a growth mindset. Seeing challenges as learning opportunities for personal growth. Embracing this mindset fosters resilience and a willingness to keep moving forward.
Next, cultivate your Inner Warrior. Silence your Inner Bully by noticing self-criticism and replacing it with self-power. Your Inner Warrior is confident, resilient, and has the courage to face challenges head-on.
Set healthy boundaries by learning the power of “not this” and by defining what does NOT work for you or what you don’t want. We often learn boundaries through contrast, by seeing what we don’t want. This shift helps you prioritize what truly matters, focusing your energy on goals that align with your values.
If you’ve been overly focused on others, become self-centric. Prioritize your own needs first, then consider others—remember, you can’t serve from an empty cup.
Best Holistic Life: What role does self-compassion and self-acceptance play in the process of overcoming blocks and creating forward movement?
Theresa Byrne: Change doesn’t have to suck!
Sustainable and positive change comes from being open to growing, learning, and changing; and no one does that without taking some missed steps along the way. If you beat yourself up for every single perceived mistake, you’ll stop trying. And you’ll stop growing.
When I train martial arts students for their first belts, I notice them getting upset at not being perfect. I’ve already explained the potential Dork Factor when we try something physical for the first few times. I ask them, “Hey, before you learned how to do a sidekick, did you know how to do a sidekick? Could you know how to be better without ever learning it? No! You had to learn, practice, and adjust!” Course correction!
We must be able to let go of our criticism of ourselves, honor where we’ve been, and make different choices. We can look at what might work and practice it; doing this can help regulate our emotional and nervous systems in a balanced way.
Being balanced allows us to go toward something we want versus running away out of fear of what we don’t want. Running away rarely produces good results.
Honoring our past and ourselves is self-compassion—being kind to yourself in the same way you’d treat a loved one.
Looking back on our lives with kindness also allows us to see where our blocks were created and why our systems made them, which allows us to put them to rest.
Best Holistic Life: How can we cultivate greater self-awareness and identify the root causes of our blocks?
Theresa Byrne: Without self-awareness, we’re stuck in a loop, doomed to repeat the same patterns. Think of self-awareness as turning on a light in a dark room — you suddenly see obstacles that have been tripping you up. The key to flipping that switch and cultivating awareness?
Mindful reflection. Get quiet and pay attention to what’s happening in your inner and outer world! Your mindset determines your momentum! Distractions keep us “busy” and not inwardly focused on our feelings.
Reflect and check out your thoughts, emotions, and reactions throughout the day. Especially when you feel upset, stuck, or triggered, ask yourself, “What’s really going on here? There’s something I don’t like—what is it?” I teach my clients “triggers are treasures” because they unearth something important TO you.
Negative feedback is INFORMATION that shows us the root cause of a block hidden beneath fears or limiting beliefs. The root cause is most often some belief in our subconscious mind tied to self-preservation, like a need to stay small and safe to keep us protected from potential harm.
Say you’re jealous of a co-worker’s success; underneath the feeling of jealousy could be a desire to do more and go after what you want. But that’s scary! You’d have to put yourself out there. The block “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t do it.” will keep you SAFE. And unhappy. By getting real with yourself, you can start focusing on not feeling like enough. But not from the POV of jealousy!
Best Holistic Life: What are some practical tools or techniques for breaking through limiting beliefs and creating new, empowering narratives?
Theresa Byrne: A narrative is a story with you as the main character. You can change the story by starting to look for good or positive in any situation. This perspective is based on a growth mindset where you can learn from anything happening. Even the ‘bad’ stuff can teach us. I love helping people change their stories!
When you feel bad, identify how you got there. (Stay away from “why,” as it can blame you.) Look at your actions and results. What created this? It might be time for new choices and a mindset shift through reflection. And create new habits.
Another effective way to break through limiting beliefs is to figure out what they are and question them. When a limiting belief pops up—say, “I’m not good enough”—ask yourself, “Is this really true? Am I really not able to do this?” Next, gather evidence to the contrary; there’s an empowering truth waiting to be discovered. You have done hard things. You can overcome them.
Affirmations are a great tool to help form new patterns and habits based on WHO you want to be. Craft statements reflecting who you want to be and repeat them daily until they become second nature, like, “I can do hard things. I’ve got this. I’ve made it through worse. I am someone who does what needs to be done.”
Journaling is an effective practice that can help you track patterns over time and make connections you might miss otherwise, like connecting dots. Meditation and mindfulness are also great tools, helping you create mental space and practice metacognition— observing yourself without judgment.
Best Holistic Life: How can we harness the power of visualization and manifestation to create the life we desire and overcome obstacles along the way?
Theresa Byrne: Our minds and subconscious respond in two ways—the pictures we create and the words we say to ourselves about ourselves and the world.
Visualization is purposeful mental picturing—a dress rehearsal for life. To help illustrate this, think of something you’re afraid of, like a snake or spider or heights. Your mind just created a picture, and often, your system generates a response to that picture. Now picture something wonderful and feel into it. There are many studies on peak performers using visualization to guide them to greatness.
When you visualize goals, create a vivid picture of what you want to achieve. It’s not wishful thinking—it’s a powerful way to align your subconscious with your conscious desires.
The key is to visualize with emotion—feel the excitement, pride, or joy that comes with success. Add sensory details. Manifestation works when you pair visualization with action. I like to think of the law of attraction as attrACTION.
Best Holistic Life: How can we stay motivated and resilient in the face of setbacks or challenges and keep moving forward toward our goals?
Theresa Byrne: Setbacks are inevitable and don’t have to derail us. The research shows that by not giving challenges or obstacles more power than they deserve, we get through them faster. “Oh wow, that sucks, but I’ll get through it.”
The key to staying motivated is keeping your inspiration front and center—why did you start this journey, and what are you hoping to achieve? When you’re clear on your purpose, it’s easier to push through the tough times.
Another strategy is to break goals into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate each small win along the way—it’ll keep your momentum going.
Embrace a growth mindset, and you’ll start to see setbacks as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. Lastly, ask for help when you need it—lean on your support network, get a coach, and take care of your mental and physical health.
Best Holistic Life: What advice would you give to someone who feels overwhelmed or discouraged by their blocks and doesn’t know where to start?
Theresa Byrne: If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start small. Do One Thing. And move your body! It’s easy to get paralyzed in your thinking when you’re starting to change. Your mind is affected by your body. So move!
Pick one thing you can do today, no matter how small, that will move you in the right direction. Maybe it’s writing down your thoughts, reaching out to a friend, getting a mentor/coach, or setting a simple goal for the week. Every small action you take builds momentum, so celebrate each step.
Remind yourself, “I’ve got this!” And I’m here to support you when you’re ready!
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