Adapt Your Way to Success
Julie Murphy • January 6, 2021
Whenever I happen to catch a nature program on TV, it always strikes me how the animals that are the most successful in their natural habitats are the ones that are the best at adapting – oftentimes at a moment’s notice – and it’s a brilliant reminder that the same is true for humans. I see, time and time again – through my own experiences as well as those of my children and coaching clients – that the more adaptable we can be, the better we’re able to navigate through whatever challenges might come our way. The messages are all around us on a regular basis encouraging us to: “expand,” “get in the flow of life,” “detach from outcomes” – all just slightly more “woo-woo,” esoteric ways of asking us to be more adaptable to our current situations, so that we can feel more success and joy in life.
So much of our ability to adapt and go with the flow, however, depends on letting go of all the should’s in our lives: “I should be farther along in my career by now,” “I should have more money in the bank,” “I shouldn’t be in debt ” This type of self-talk just ends up keeping us stuck, not to mention, down in the dumps. If the shoulds are bogging you down – well it’s time to kick ‘em to the curb!
It All Begins With Acceptance
When it comes to lifting our blocks to money, and creating a richer, fuller life in general, the ability to let go of expectation, and accept the reality of a situation, warts and all, is key in developing our adaptability quotient. Interestingly enough, this point is driven home every time my kids and I read one of their favorite storybooks, You Get What You Get by Julie Gassman. The best line in the whole story, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!” is something we love saying together. It’s like a family mantra. This darling story has driven home the importance of being adaptable for my kids and for me, and we can all take a page from this book when it comes to accepting the way things are – even if the situation is not to our liking or what we expect.
Bend With the Wind
When it comes down to it, it’s all about how we deal with change which, there’s no doubt, can be challenging. I like to think of adaptability and accepting change as a kind of dance. We can fight the change – which can cause us to trip and fall – or we can glide in one direction and then twirl in another. As the classic Tanzanian proverb says, “The wind does not break the tree that bends.” The more we can “go with the flow” – gracefully responding to the variable winds as they blow through our lives – the more we can maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.
A great “accepting what is” tool to help you go with the flow is “the 17 second” method. Studies have found that it takes 17 seconds to shift our emotions from negative to positive. So now, when my kids are in a frustrating situation, I ask them to pause for 17 seconds to take a few breaths and just observe their feelings before reacting. I encourage you to try it as well if you feel like your cage is being rattled. Hitting the 17-second pause button does wonders to bring you back to your center and adapt to a situation.
Keep in mind, accepting the reality of a situation doesn’t mean staying in it if it’s unhealthy. What it does mean is that you’re no longer in denial about where you stand in life, and that acknowledgment frees you up to align with next, more positive steps forward.
Listen To Your Own “GPS”
A way to spark that forward momentum is by taking the “17-second” method a step farther to conduct an emotional inventory. It’s amazing the degree to which so many of us are out of touch with our emotions – numb to the fact we’re suffering and paddling against the currents of our lives – simply to avoid change. By getting in touch with your emotions, you connect up with your gut…your “internal GPS” that can guide you out of a stuck place, and ultimately to positive change. Your GPS may be telling you it’s time to take steps towards a change in career or relationship, or make changes in a myriad other ways. The important thing is to listen to and honor your emotions.
Follow Your Inner Road Map
In partnership with your inner GPS, you can start creating a list of intentions in order to take action and move forward on your path. I encourage you to start brainstorming steps you can take – adding only the ones that truly feel good to your intentions list. Creating your intentions based on what feels good and what you truly want will help you feel more aligned with a new, more authentic direction.
Have Courage
As creatures of habit, we don’t love making changes. It’s amazing how much we’re willing to live in painful situations in order to avoid facing them. It may sound cliché, but it really comes down to loving yourself… loving yourself enough to take risks towards something better, and having the courage to allow yourself to adapt to the new life those changes may bring. Some changes will be easy and some will be difficult, but they will be authentic to you and the life God/ The Universe intended for you.
There’s no denying that change can be scary and, at times, painful, however, the more we can have the courage to swim with the changing currents – setting our intentions and adapting to any given circumstances that come up along the road toward our goals – the more resilient and successful we can be!
Share Blog On Social
Recent Blogs
Reset Your Money Energy for 2026 Every December, we all feel that pull, the desire to “be better with money next year.” But here’s the secret I’ve seen again and again after nearly three decades of walking alongside people from all walks of life: Financially wealthy people don’t just plan their next year — they energetically complete the one they’re leaving. They close loops. They clear emotional residue. They realign their energy field before they set a single goal. And you can absolutely do the same. As I share in The Emotion Behind Money , wealth is never created by logic alone. It comes from managing the emotions behind your money and understanding that money itself is energy. And in Awaken Your Wealth , I remind readers that energetic shifts begin when you consciously picture yourself stepping into a new reality, while compassionately acknowledging the one you’re standing in now. So let’s walk through the simple year-end process I teach my clients — one that spiritually, emotionally, and financially resets your money field for a powerful 2026. 1. Review Your 2025 Wins & Losses With Compassion Before you step into the new year, look back with the most loving, nonjudgmental eyes possible. I call it neutral observation . Wealthy people don’t spiral into shame when something didn’t go perfectly. They get curious. Ask yourself: Where did I expand financially this year? Where did I contract emotionally or economically? What choices were truly aligned with my values? Which ones came from fear, scarcity, or old patterns? In Awaken Your Wealth , the “Accepting Reality and Awakening” step of PACT teaches that awareness without judgment is how we break old money patterns for good. So breathe. Notice. Write it down. No shame. No spiral. Just truth. 2. Forgive Any Money Mistakes Here’s a truth most people never consider: Every financial mistake carries emotional weight and emotional weight blocks money flow. From my work in The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money , we know that your heart’s energy is more powerful than your brain’s logic, and intention is what redirects energy back into alignment. Forgiveness, of yourself, your past self, or others involved, releases stagnant money energy. Try this: Write down any money decisions from 2025 that still feel heavy. Place your hand on your heart. Say: "I forgive the version of me who made this choice. She/he did the best they could with what they knew at the time.” Forgiveness isn’t about letting mistakes slide. It’s about resetting your emotional money field so you can co-create something new. 3. Create an Energetic Closing Ceremony for the Year This is where wealthy people truly separate themselves; they honor the transition. You can create your own year-end ceremony using whatever resonates from your spiritual toolkit. Here are a few ideas inspired by the intention-setting and clearing practices throughout my work: Light a candle Symbolize releasing the old year and calling in the new. Write a “completion list” Include everything you’re ready to release: debts you’re no longer carrying shame over, relationships you’re energetically cutting cords from, patterns you’re finished reenacting. Burn or bury the list This physical act tells the Universe: “I’m done living from this version of myself.” In The Emotion Behind Money , we explore how inherited beliefs and emotional patterns repeat until they are consciously released. This ceremony is your line in the sand. End with intention Close with one powerful intention for 2026, aligned from your heart: “I choose a new flow of abundance.” “I trust that money comes to me with ease.” “I allow myself to receive the wealth I’ve been working toward.” As The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money reminds us: “The Universe responds to action.” Your ceremony is your spiritual action. Ready to Step Into 2026 Aligned, Clear & Empowered? If you’re craving deeper support with your financial reset, join me for my Emotions Behind Money Workshop in January. If you’ve been feeling the nudge to recalibrate your relationship with money, this is your moment. Let’s make 2026 the year your inner wealth and your financial reality finally match. You deserve abundance and you’re closer than you think. With love, alignment & a whole lot of possibility, Julie ✨
Gratitude isn’t just about listing what you’re thankful for. It’s a frequency: an energetic vibration that aligns you with more of what you love.
The way you end your year sets the energetic tone for how you’ll begin the next one.
Similar Blogs
Reset Your Money Energy for 2026 Every December, we all feel that pull, the desire to “be better with money next year.” But here’s the secret I’ve seen again and again after nearly three decades of walking alongside people from all walks of life: Financially wealthy people don’t just plan their next year — they energetically complete the one they’re leaving. They close loops. They clear emotional residue. They realign their energy field before they set a single goal. And you can absolutely do the same. As I share in The Emotion Behind Money , wealth is never created by logic alone. It comes from managing the emotions behind your money and understanding that money itself is energy. And in Awaken Your Wealth , I remind readers that energetic shifts begin when you consciously picture yourself stepping into a new reality, while compassionately acknowledging the one you’re standing in now. So let’s walk through the simple year-end process I teach my clients — one that spiritually, emotionally, and financially resets your money field for a powerful 2026. 1. Review Your 2025 Wins & Losses With Compassion Before you step into the new year, look back with the most loving, nonjudgmental eyes possible. I call it neutral observation . Wealthy people don’t spiral into shame when something didn’t go perfectly. They get curious. Ask yourself: Where did I expand financially this year? Where did I contract emotionally or economically? What choices were truly aligned with my values? Which ones came from fear, scarcity, or old patterns? In Awaken Your Wealth , the “Accepting Reality and Awakening” step of PACT teaches that awareness without judgment is how we break old money patterns for good. So breathe. Notice. Write it down. No shame. No spiral. Just truth. 2. Forgive Any Money Mistakes Here’s a truth most people never consider: Every financial mistake carries emotional weight and emotional weight blocks money flow. From my work in The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money , we know that your heart’s energy is more powerful than your brain’s logic, and intention is what redirects energy back into alignment. Forgiveness, of yourself, your past self, or others involved, releases stagnant money energy. Try this: Write down any money decisions from 2025 that still feel heavy. Place your hand on your heart. Say: "I forgive the version of me who made this choice. She/he did the best they could with what they knew at the time.” Forgiveness isn’t about letting mistakes slide. It’s about resetting your emotional money field so you can co-create something new. 3. Create an Energetic Closing Ceremony for the Year This is where wealthy people truly separate themselves; they honor the transition. You can create your own year-end ceremony using whatever resonates from your spiritual toolkit. Here are a few ideas inspired by the intention-setting and clearing practices throughout my work: Light a candle Symbolize releasing the old year and calling in the new. Write a “completion list” Include everything you’re ready to release: debts you’re no longer carrying shame over, relationships you’re energetically cutting cords from, patterns you’re finished reenacting. Burn or bury the list This physical act tells the Universe: “I’m done living from this version of myself.” In The Emotion Behind Money , we explore how inherited beliefs and emotional patterns repeat until they are consciously released. This ceremony is your line in the sand. End with intention Close with one powerful intention for 2026, aligned from your heart: “I choose a new flow of abundance.” “I trust that money comes to me with ease.” “I allow myself to receive the wealth I’ve been working toward.” As The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money reminds us: “The Universe responds to action.” Your ceremony is your spiritual action. Ready to Step Into 2026 Aligned, Clear & Empowered? If you’re craving deeper support with your financial reset, join me for my Emotions Behind Money Workshop in January. If you’ve been feeling the nudge to recalibrate your relationship with money, this is your moment. Let’s make 2026 the year your inner wealth and your financial reality finally match. You deserve abundance and you’re closer than you think. With love, alignment & a whole lot of possibility, Julie ✨
Gratitude isn’t just about listing what you’re thankful for. It’s a frequency: an energetic vibration that aligns you with more of what you love.
The way you end your year sets the energetic tone for how you’ll begin the next one.
When most people come to me for financial advice, they expect me to talk about budgets, investments, and strategies for building wealth.