Sneaky Mindset Advice to My Daughter

I was flying home from a trip and I felt impressed to send my daughter a little text of advice. She was in the midst of making a very important decision and was neck deep in fear.

Disclaimer: this daughter hates advice. Maybe all young adults do. Sigh.

So, after I wrote the text (which took a solid two HOURS because I was trying to get it just right), I asked Chat GPT to make it sound less like advice and more like a friend sharing something she learned with another friend.

Here's what Chat came up with:

"Hey, I know I’m not always the person you turn to for advice, and I respect that. I just felt inspired to share something that’s been meaningful to me, and I wanted to offer it to you in case any part of it resonates.

Over the past few years, I’ve been thinking a lot about the different mindsets we move through in life. The way I see it, there are three that we tend to cycle between: victim, hero, and creator.

In a VICTIM mindset, it can feel like life is happening to us. There’s a lot of reacting, trying to avoid pain, and sometimes looking for something—or someone—to blame when things feel hard. It’s a place of survival, where fear tends to drive decisions.

In a HERO mindset, there’s more ownership. Instead of blaming, we step up. We face challenges, try to fix what’s broken, and do what we can to make things better. It’s active, capable, and strong—but still often centered on responding to problems.

The CREATOR mindset feels really different. It’s less about reacting or fixing, and more about intentionally shaping life. In that space, people aren’t problems to solve—they’re people to connect with, learn from, and enjoy. Challenges aren’t obstacles, but stepping stones on a bigger path that’s unfolding.

In that mindset, decisions come less from fear or pressure and more from a sense of purpose, possibility, and trust. There’s a focus on what is within our control, and a willingness to let go of what isn’t. For me, that’s also meant leaning into faith—trusting that I’m guided, known, and supported in ways I don’t always fully see.

It’s also about tapping into divinely-given desires and gifts; envisioning our future and everything we want to feel and experience there. Then choosing, little by little, to move in that direction.

I’ve definitely spent long stretches in both the victim and hero mindsets, and I still move in and out of them. But lately, I’ve been trying to spend more time in that creator space—approaching life with more intention, trust, and openness. I’m not perfect at it, but it’s been shifting things in a really positive way.

I just wanted to share this with you, not as advice, but as something that’s been helpful for me.

I love you so much. Truly and completely. I’m so grateful for you and for the light you bring into my life. I hope you feel supported, safe, and free to be fully yourself, and to explore whatever paths feel right to you. You have so many gifts, and it’s always inspiring to see you being you.

I hope you have the most amazing day!"

Maybe someone in your life needs to hear this mindset "advice" too. Share it with them!

Most of all, let's do all we can to stay in the driver's seat, always aware that we're the CREATORS of our lives.