Cultivating Courage and Self-Trust for Sustainable Change by Stephanie Lewis

Stephanie Lewis is the founder of LiveWellFlow and an attorney. She helps leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs improve their lifestyles by teaching them mindfulness practices that help them reduce stress, improve their health, better manage their time, and live in greater alignment with their values.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, out of balance, or unsure about how to create lasting changes in your life, you’re not alone. The journey toward a healthier, more mindful lifestyle takes courage, self-trust, and patience—qualities we often need to nurture intentionally.

Courage: Advocating for Yourself

Much like advocates speak truth to power, mindfulness is a practice of advocating for yourself—of speaking truth to yourself with soft, gentle curiosity. It’s about noticing how you might be getting in your own way and exploring shifts in your mindset, habits, and routines around areas like eating, movement, stress, and boundaries.

This isn’t easy work, but it’s essential. These small shifts are the building blocks of your well-being. If you’re reading this article, it’s likely because you’ve already decided to take responsibility for honoring yourself and creating a life that aligns with your values. That takes courage.

Self-Trust: Believing in the Possibility of Change

Creating sustainable change also requires self-trust—trusting that change is possible and that you can make it happen.

• Trust that you can build healthier eating habits that nourish you.
• Trust that you can set boundaries and still show up for what matters most.
• Trust that you can manage stress more effectively without losing momentum in your life.

Self-trust also means recognizing and honoring your limits. It’s about pacing yourself, gradually making changes, and being kind to yourself.

Why Patience Matters

One of the biggest challenges to forming lasting habits is the temptation to do too much too quickly. I’ve seen so many people stay stuck because they feel the need to be “hard” on themselves to make progress. But lasting change comes from self-compassion and a patient, step-by-step approach.

When you cultivate courage, self-trust, and patience, you’ll not only move closer to your goals but also notice these qualities enriching other areas of your life.

Grab our three free meditations designed to help you create space for calm, balance, and self-care in your day-to-day life. Whether new to mindfulness or looking to refresh your practice, these short meditations are the perfect way to relieve stress and find clarity. You can access them HERE.

For more information on contemplative meditation practices to help you cultivate patience and live an aligned life personally and professionally, visit https://livewellflow.com