The Power of Mindset: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

Posted by

Ken Primus

December 21, 2025

On December 21, 2025

“The Power of Mindset: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs.” In this blog post, we’ll walk through the journey of Jennifer, a guest on the show, who grew up in Venezuela and eventually moved to the US, reshaping her own beliefs and pushing beyond the boundaries she once accepted. The conversation covers family, identity, overcoming constraints, and choosing growth—showing how mindset and belief systems shape everything we do.

This is your guide to recognizing your own stories and discovering the possibilities beyond your self-imposed limits. Whether you’re in a safe place looking to stretch or feeling stuck wondering what’s next, Jennifer’s path offers lessons and inspiration for all.

Honoring Time and the Journey

Before we jump into Jennifer’s story, let’s talk about two things the podcast host Ken Primus highlights at the very beginning:

Time: We’re all given the same 24 hours each day. Once it’s spent, it’s gone—precious and non-returnable.
The Journey: The experiences that shape and create who we are.

“Once it’s spent, it is spent. It is precious. Invite those that are listening to us to learn the value of time.”

By honoring the time and the journey of each guest, the show sets the stage for conversations that matter—not just on the surface, but deep where real change starts.

Serving Mankind: Challenging Limiting Beliefs

Ken’s first question to every guest is simple but revealing: How do you serve mankind?

Jennifer’s answer goes right to the heart of the episode:

She helps people identify their limiting beliefs.
She encourages taking small actions to prove those beliefs wrong.
She believes action builds self-belief and expands comfort zones.

What Are Limiting Beliefs?

Limiting beliefs are those stories we tell ourselves about what we can’t do—often rooted in fear of failure or worry about what others will think. These beliefs aren’t facts; they’re ideas that block us from trying new things or reaching for more.

“When we start taking action, we start to notice that we have more power than we give ourselves credit for.”

Jennifer’s approach is all about challenging those inner stories and showing that change is possible, step by step.

The Family Unit: Where the Stories Begin

The podcast dives into the earliest and most influential classroom: family.

It’s where we learn how to communicate, act, and operate in the world.
Family shapes the “modus operandi”—the way we do things.

Jennifer’s Experience Growing Up

Jennifer grew up in Venezuela in a close, safe family environment. Safety is valuable, but for her, it came with unexpected constraints.

She didn’t take many chances growing up because she felt so safe.
She noticed, as she got older, that this sense of security started feeling restricting.

“I always felt very safe, but I think part of what made me feel a little bit too constrained was I didn’t take chances growing up…”

Family Dynamics

Jennifer had an older sister who was outgoing and popular, and a younger brother who was funny and athletic. She created an identity for herself as the quiet, studious one—not because someone told her to, but because that’s the story she wrote for herself based on what she saw around her.

“I created those identities by myself. It was not like someone told me, but I created those identities and I started acting and taking actions in a way that fell with that script.”

The Impact of Childhood Stories

The episode offers a great reminder: even benign situations—like “growing up safe”—can create limiting beliefs or “trauma.” It’s all about how a young person interprets their circumstances.

Sometimes we feel isolated by stories we invent about ourselves.
These stories quietly affect our choices, relationships, and even our adult lives.

Jennifer didn’t go out much, only focused on academics. She recognized later this pattern was the result of her own self-created identity.

Stepping Out: From Venezuela to New York

Jennifer’s first big step toward challenging her story was leaving Venezuela for the United States.

She moved to New York in 2013 to study English.
Leaving her familiar environment was key to shaking up her realities and expanding her identity.

“Being in another culture… challenged my identity, my reality in ways I was not even thinking was going to.”

When you leave your comfort zone, you open up new possibilities—with all the excitement and challenge that brings.

College Choices: Listening to Intuition

Back in Venezuela, Jennifer always dreamed of studying medicine. But as the time approached, she realized her discomfort with hospitals and blood made that path impossible. She felt stuck—her country had limited career choices.

She tried engineering, thinking it was a safe business bet.
From the very first week, she knew it wasn’t for her.

The Programming We Inherit

Jennifer stayed in engineering for a year, pushing herself because of the common programming: “don’t give up, just hang in there.”

“I can probably say that year completely I didn’t enjoy at all… it was definitely not the career, not the university, not the space for me.”

The lesson? We often stick to paths out of inherited beliefs, not intuition. Real fulfillment only comes when we listen to ourselves.

Changing Direction: Business and Marketing

Eventually, Jennifer switched to business administration with a concentration in marketing. The difference was night and day.

She felt aligned, energized, and “in the right place.”
Depression faded; joy returned.

“This is what it feels like… this is what it’s supposed to feel like.”

Graduation and Early Career: The Myth of Fulfillment

Society tells us there’s a formula:

Grow up
Go to college
Get a job
Find happiness

But Jennifer’s experience showed that even after following this program, there was no guarantee of real happiness.

She worked in university student services.
Then, she interned at a car shop’s marketing department.
Later, she decided to move abroad and seek something new.

Each step was a move toward challenging her old identity and exploring new possibilities.

The Importance of Taking Small Actions

Once in New York, Jennifer confronted the “I am quiet/studious/ don’t go out” story directly.

How did she do it?

She started talking to new people.
She went out for lunch and dinner.
She even went to the movies alone.

These might seem like small things, but for someone breaking out of their script, they are profound steps.

She also took long walks across Manhattan, sometimes for three or four hours, discovering the city and herself.

“You start building that confidence… starting with the micro steps to get there.”

Building Confidence and Belief

Growth doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process—one small step, one little risk at a time.

Jennifer realized she had given herself very little credit for what she could do.
The more she tried, the more her self-belief grew.

“If you don’t like something about you, you can change it… We forget that we can always change them. We can always change ourselves too.”

She learned that nothing is fixed—change comes in small increments and anyone can make it happen.

Trying New Things: Yoga, Pilates, Running, and Beyond

Relocating to Miami after New York, Jennifer continued pushing her boundaries.

She signed up for yoga and pilates.
She started walking, then tried running.
Eventually, she ran a marathon.
She even joined CrossFit classes—activities she never thought she’d try!

This process of experimenting expanded her sense of what’s possible.

“We have so many preconceived notions about what things are and what we are. We don’t give ourselves the chance to try and to experiment more.”

Redefining Failure

Why do we hesitate? Because we fear failure and judgment.

“When you see failure as an opportunity to grow… you start to look for failure.”

Jennifer set the intention to fail more, deliberately stepping into situations with a high risk of failure. Why? To become comfortable with it.

Every successful person has more failures than successes.
We only see their highlights, not the struggles and repeated tries.

Approaching life from a place of possibility, rather than constraint, opens us up to learning, experimenting, and growing.

Mindset Coaching: The Transition

So, how did Jennifer go from marketing to mindset coaching?

After her master’s in human resources/business administration in Miami, she worked in sales, business development, and managing people.
2020 was a turning point: the pandemic shut down her workplace, creating a pause.
She began taking long walks, listening to podcasts (Tony Robbins, etc.), and connecting with motivational voices she never knew before.

“Just listening to someone else… creates this deeper connection. It’s inspiration to feel that you are not so alone…”

She discovered the power of sharing stories, expressing feelings, and connecting with others in authentic ways.

In 2022, Jennifer completed her life coaching certification.
In 2023, she started working with clients—helping them change their perspective, challenge their narratives, and build belief.

Coaching in Action: The Retired Teacher

One standout story Jennifer shares is about a retired teacher named Steven.

Steven’s Challenge

After 26 years, he was retiring and facing a new phase of life.
He was seeking a roadmap for creating a new identity, especially around how retirement would affect his relationships.

Jennifer helped Steven think ahead:

What new activities could he try with his wife now that weekends weren’t the only time together?
How could he create more fun in his daily life?

“How can you create more fun in your life? How can you schedule more fun?”

Steven started planning bike rides, cooking dinners, and even weekday date nights. Scheduling fun was a simple but powerful concept that changed his perspective about retirement. Life wasn’t ending—it was opening up.

The Power of Fun and Enjoyment

Work, relationships, and fulfillment matter—but so does fun. Planning for enjoyment and making space for pleasure makes us kinder, more open, and ultimately more fulfilled.

“If we can make sure to at least do something that is for us, for our enjoyment every week… that really creates a life that is worth living.”

Don’t wait for fun to happen; plan it. No matter your age or stage, make enjoyment a regular part of your life.

Key Takeaways: Mindset, Action, and Possibility

Let’s summarize Jennifer’s main lessons for us all:

1. Identify Your Limiting Beliefs

Listen to your stories. What do you tell yourself you can’t do?
Challenge those stories. Where did they come from?

2. Start Small

Take “micro steps”—any small action outside your comfort zone counts.
Success is built on tiny experiments, not huge leaps.

3. Reframe Failure

Failure is not the enemy; it’s a teacher.
Set an intention to fail more if you want to grow faster.

4. Choose Your Identity

You can change your mindset, behavior, even your interests.
Your identity is not set—it’s written by you.

5. Schedule Fun

Plan for enjoyment—don’t let life become all work and obligation.
Fun makes you happier, kinder, and more resilient.

Connect and Continue the Journey

Jennifer’s story isn’t just about overcoming limiting beliefs—it’s about discovering new paths at every step in life.

If you want to learn more about Jennifer’s work, mindset coaching, and her approach to building self-belief:

And remember, it all starts with believing that maybe you can do something new.

“Just that ‘maybe’ mentality opens you to start seeing a lot of things in your life.”

Final Thoughts: Enlighten Yourself

We hope Jennifer’s story inspires you to question your own scripts, step out, and experiment with life. Take time to connect with others, pursue enjoyment, and keep learning—there’s always a new chapter waiting if you’re willing to challenge your limits.

If you enjoyed this post, share it! Help empower friends and family to overcome their own limiting beliefs and create new possibilities. And don’t forget to subscribe to Threads of Enlightenment for more inspiring interviews and discussions.

“If we can take advantage of the time that we have—when we don’t, nobody knows exactly how much time we have left, right? If we can make sure to at least do something that is for us, for our enjoyment every week, I think that really creates a life that is worth living.”

Until next time, stay enlightened.