How To Change Your Mind and The World
Table of Contents
Intro
From Loss to Leadership: Theresa Agostinelli’s Story
The Power of Mindset: How Thoughts Shape Reality
Turning Trauma into a Turning Point
Purpose and Profits: Building a Life That Aligns with Meaning
5 Practical Ways to Start Changing Your Mind Today
Conclusion
How To Change Your Mind and The World
Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try, life just won’t shift? You keep putting in the effort, showing up, doing everything you’re supposed to, yet things still look and feel the same. It’s as if the world around you is mirroring your frustration and refusing to move forward.
We’ve all had moments like that, moments where we start to wonder if change is even possible. Maybe it’s in your career, your relationships, or the quiet spaces of your heart where no one else can see. You want something different, something better, but everything feels stuck in place.
Here’s the truth that most of us learn the hard way: real change doesn’t start outside of you. It doesn’t begin when your situation finally improves or when other people start acting differently. Real change starts inside your mind.
On the Spectrum Empowerment Stories, we explore what it truly means to change your mind and, in doing so, change your world.
From Loss to Leadership: Theresa Agostinelli’s Story
Sometimes life throws us into moments we never expected and didn’t ask for. For Theresa Agostinelli, that moment came when she became a widow at just 26 years old. One day, she was building a life with her husband. The next, she was facing the unimaginable — raising her child alone and trying to figure out how to keep going when everything had fallen apart.
In the middle of her pain, Theresa found herself standing at a crossroads. She could let grief define her, or she could allow it to shape her into something new. It wasn’t easy. There were days filled with fear, uncertainty, and questions that had no clear answers. But instead of letting her story end in loss, she made a choice — a quiet, powerful choice — to see her pain differently.
Theresa decided that what happened to her would not be the end of her story. It would be the beginning of her transformation. She began to reframe her thinking, one step at a time. Instead of asking “Why did this happen to me?” she started asking “What can I learn from this?” That shift changed everything.
Over time, she went back to school, studied human behavior, and became a licensed psychotherapist. She turned her personal experience with grief into a passion for helping others heal and grow. Today, she’s not just surviving, she’s thriving as the CEO of Profits with Purpose.
Theresa’s story reminds us that transformation doesn’t begin when life finally gets better. It begins when you decide to think differently about what’s in front of you. Your mindset is the starting point of every new chapter.
Want to hear how Theresa made that shift and what kept her moving forward? Listen to her full story on the On the Spectrum Empowerment Stories podcast: Change Your Mind, Change Your World.
The Power of Mindset: How Thoughts Shape Reality
Have you ever noticed how two people can go through the same experience but walk away with completely different attitudes? One person feels defeated, while the other somehow finds a reason to grow. The difference isn’t usually what happened, it’s how each person thinks about what happened. That’s the power of mindset.
Our minds are like filters. Every thought, emotion, and decision we make passes through what we believe about ourselves and the world. If your inner filter is filled with fear, doubt, or “I can’t,” then even good opportunities can look impossible. But when your filter is built on hope, resilience, and possibility, you start to notice chances to grow, even in hard situations.
This is what Theresa Agostinelli discovered. After her loss, she realized that she couldn’t control everything happening around her — but she could control what she believed about herself and her future. And that shift changed everything. She often says that when you change your mind, your world changes with it. It’s not just a nice quote; it’s a reality backed by how our brains actually work.
When you choose a growth mindset, your brain begins to create new pathways — new ways of seeing, responding, and coping. You move from “this is the end” to “this could be the start of something new.” That single shift in thought can change how your body reacts to stress, how your emotions settle after disappointment, and how confident you feel about taking your next step.
Think about it.
When you lose a job, a fixed mindset says, “I failed, and I’ll never get another chance.” A growth mindset says, “Maybe this door closed so I can find the one meant for me.”
When you face rejection, a fixed mindset says, “I’m not good enough.” A growth mindset asks, “What can I learn from this?”
Even in burnout, when everything feels heavy, a growth mindset whispers, “I can rest, reset, and rise again.”
Changing your mindset doesn’t magically erase challenges. It just gives you the strength and perspective to face them differently. It helps you see that setbacks aren’t final — they’re feedback.
Theresa’s story shows that when you shift your thinking, you don’t just change your mood or your motivation. You change your whole reality — the way you see yourself, what you believe is possible, and how you move through the world.
Turning Trauma into a Turning Point
Pain has a way of changing us. It can leave us feeling stuck, angry, or afraid to hope again. But it can also become the very thing that shapes us into stronger, wiser, and more compassionate people. The difference lies in how we respond to it.
Theresa Agostinelli is a living example of this truth. She could have let her trauma define her. She could have let the loss, loneliness, and fear become her identity. But she didn’t. Instead, she chose to let her pain teach her. Every tear, every setback, every lonely night became a lesson in resilience.
Rather than running from her grief, she leaned into it — not to stay stuck there, but to understand it. Through that process, she discovered something powerful: pain can be a teacher if you let it. It can show you what truly matters, strip away what doesn’t, and lead you toward a version of yourself you never knew existed.
Theresa often talks about how her healing journey didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow, intentional process of rebuilding her life and mindset piece by piece. She found meaning in helping others who were struggling, and through that, her own healing deepened. What once broke her became the foundation of her purpose.
That’s the beauty of transformation. It’s not about pretending the hurt never happened. It’s about refusing to let it be the final chapter of your story. Your trauma doesn’t have to define you — it can refine you. It can make you wiser, more grounded, and more empathetic toward others who are still finding their way.
So, take a moment to think about your own journey. Maybe there’s something in your past that still hurts or feels unresolved. What if that experience isn’t just something you need to get over, but something you can grow through?
Purpose and Profits: Building a Life That Aligns with Meaning
When Theresa Agostinelli began to rebuild her life, she knew she didn’t just want to survive — she wanted her life to mean something. The lessons she learned through loss and healing weren’t meant to stay hidden; they were meant to help others grow, too. Out of that desire, she founded Profits with Purpose, a company built on the idea that success and meaning can work hand in hand.
For Theresa, business isn’t just about making money. It’s about making an impact. She believes that when your work reflects your values, it not only transforms your career — it transforms your life. That’s what Profits with Purpose represents: the courage to build something that aligns with who you are, not just what you do.
So many people chase success without ever asking themselves why. They reach their goals, but still feel unfulfilled. Theresa teaches that true success starts from the inside. When your heart and your purpose guide your path, your work becomes more than a job — it becomes an extension of your mission.
5 Practical Ways to Start Changing Your Mind Today
Changing your mindset might sound like a big, abstract idea, but it really starts with small, everyday choices. It’s not about flipping a magic switch, it’s about paying attention to how you think and learning to guide those thoughts in a new direction. Here are five simple ways to begin that process today:
1. Catch your thoughts
Pay attention to the stories you tell yourself. Are they filled with hope or with fear? Do they lift you up or hold you back? Most of us run on mental autopilot, repeating the same thoughts without realizing how much power they have. The first step to change is awareness. Start noticing your inner dialogue. When you catch a negative or limiting thought, pause and ask yourself if it’s helping you grow.
2. Challenge negative beliefs
Once you’ve caught a negative thought, question it. Ask yourself, “Is this true, or just familiar?” Sometimes our minds replay old patterns from past experiences — not because they’re accurate, but because they’re comfortable. Learning to challenge those old stories allows you to create space for new ones. You can’t build a new life with outdated beliefs.
3. Speak life into yourself
Words matter, especially the ones you say to yourself. Every time you replace self-criticism with affirming words, you’re retraining your brain to think differently. Instead of saying, “I’ll never get this right,” try, “I’m learning and getting stronger every day.” Instead of “I can’t,” try “I’m figuring it out.” You’ll be amazed at how your energy and confidence shift when your self-talk becomes kinder and more hopeful.
4. Surround yourself with growth-minded people
The people around you shape your mindset more than you might realize. If you spend time with people who complain, doubt, or stay stuck, it’s easy to fall into that same pattern. Seek out people who challenge you, encourage you, and remind you of what’s possible. Growth-minded people don’t just lift your mood, they lift your vision.
5. Take small steps aligned with your new mindset
Mindset work isn’t just about thinking differently; it’s about acting differently, too.
Each time you take a small, positive step that aligns with your new beliefs, you’re proving to yourself that change is real. Maybe that means setting a new boundary, applying for a new role, or starting that project you’ve been putting off. Every small step builds momentum.
Changing your mind doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen one thought, one choice, and one brave step at a time. Be patient with yourself. The work you do inside will slowly begin to show on the outside — in your confidence, your peace, and your results.
Want more encouragement and real-life examples of how to put these steps into practice? Listen to Change Your Mind, Change Your World on the On the Spectrum Empowerment Stories podcast.
Conclusion
Every real transformation begins in the same place, the mind. It’s easy to think that change will come when our circumstances improve, when people treat us differently, or when life finally slows down. But the truth is, change starts inside of us.
Your mind is where new beginnings are born. When you start thinking differently, you begin to see possibilities where there used to be walls. You start responding to challenges with hope instead of fear. The world around you starts to shift because you have shifted.
Theresa Agostinelli’s story is a powerful reminder that your situation doesn’t have to define your future. The moment you decide to renew your mind, you open the door to healing, purpose, and growth. You don’t have to wait for the perfect time or the perfect plan, you can start right where you are, with one small thought that says, “I can change.”
To hear Theresa share how her mindset shift turned tragedy into transformation, tune in to the full episode of Change Your Mind, Change Your World on the On the Spectrum Empowerment Stories podcast.
