Ep 534: The $11 Billion Self-Help Lie That Keeps You Trapped

Do you finish your days mentally and emotionally exhausted? Does life wear you out? Do you feel like you have nothing left to give? If so, you’re probably expending way too much energy in life and expanding it on things that do not matter. Let me ask you this: what if you turned on every single light and electrical appliance in your house and you left it on for a month; what would your bill be? It would be outrageous, right? Well, metaphorically, that’s what many people do with both their mental energy….they expend all their energy, akin to leaving every light in the house on, and they wear themselves out. And, how do they do this, easy…they “entangle” in the energy of others, and they make a great deal of what “does not pertain to them, pertain to them,” and it’s taxing. In this episode, I talk about being selective in what you make pertain to you, and I talk about choosing to conserve your energy, your peace of mind, and your mental sanity. Listen, apply, & enjoy! Transformational Takeaway What pertains to you is what you make pertain to you. Mentioned Resources: Episode 9: How The Law Of Attraction Repels The Money And Abundance You Want Let's Connect:  ⁠Instagram⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠  LIKED THE EPISODE?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ so we can reach more people.  Listening on⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify⁠? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude, Jim 

In this episode of The Jim Fortin Podcast, Jim makes a bold statement about the self-help industry: It’s built to keep you coming back, not to set you free. While personal development should be the goal, Jim explains that sometimes other things take precedence. One thing in particular is boosting the ego. He explains that instead of helping you work through your issues, some programmes focus on short-lived joy.  To illustrate this, Jim draws on Plato's allegory of the cave, in which people chained to the wall began to believe their shadows were real. He explains that constantly trying to fix yourself has a similar effect. However, in this case, the idea that you’re broken becomes the reality. To help listeners break free, he offers a simple mantra stating that true freedom comes from understanding that you’re not trapped and recognising the power of your own consciousness.  What You'll Discover in This Episode:  (00:36) The self-help trap — Jim explains why an industry built on feeling good rarely leads to deep, lasting healing.  (05:49) Jim shares how a friend's response revealed that the industry thrives on repeat customers, and why his own measure of success is clients who never need to come back.  (14:11) Jim uses Plato's allegory to show how most personal development simply rearranges chairs on the Titanic of the human ego.  (16:20) The self-improvement paradox — Jim reveals how wanting to fix yourself telegraphs lack, prompting the universe to keep reflecting it back.  (22:38) Jim explains that recognizing yourself as the awareness observing the human identity is where true power begins.  (27:53) Jim invites listeners to stop fixing a story that was never theirs and simply learn to be.  Listen, apply, and enjoy!  Transformational Takeaway  You are not your past, your trauma, your bank account, or even your name. Those are labels you learned, and every one of them keeps you searching for the next fix. The moment you stop trying to repair a story that isn't truly you, it loses its grip. There is nothing left to fix because nothing was ever broken. Today, pause and ask yourself what would change if nothing were wrong with you right now, and let that question open the door out of the cave.  Let's Connect:  Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn  LIKED THE EPISODE?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more people.  Listening on Spotify? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude, Jim 

This episode today is really relevant to what's going on in the world right now. And it's relevant to many of you listening. This episode is about how to stop fear and worry. So if you've gotten into any fear and worry in the past week, make sure that you've listened to this episode, and you share it with your friends and family. In this episode I talk about: [7:36] How fear is the idleness of will [14:47] Why most people are terrified of Death [15:48] How everything happening in this world is temporary [20:40] What is fear? [21:58] What is worry? And, of course, a lot more, and you know that. So the way to stop fear and worry is to recognize that you're not fear and worry, and move your attention. Listen, apply, and enjoy!  Transformational Takeaway  You are a human being who has worrisome thoughts. You are the thinker of fear and worry. Mentioned Resources Master Thought Formula Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Let's Connect:  ⁠Instagram⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠  Liked The Episode?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ so we can reach more people.  Listening on⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify⁠? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude, Jim 

In this episode of The Jim Fortin Podcast, Jim examines the quest for freedom and what it means to embark on that journey. He opens the discussion with a familiar story about a bishop in the deli. It was at this moment when Jim first realized how deeply people can become attached to a role or narrative. It showed him how human experiences are often confused with cosmic truth, causing people to adopt roles instead of stepping into their autonomy.   Jim explains that real freedom cannot exist inside the container of the 3D ego, adding that doing so only forces you to inherit all the 3D ego’s limitations. Instead, he suggests two simple steps to determine your attachments. The first requires you to identify your fears by naming your three greatest obstacles. The second is to determine what you’re fighting to defend. The exercise reveals how attached you can be to your human identity. Its purpose is to help listeners step into their authenticity as a spiritual being. Along the way, Jim recounts his studies with the being Kyron and shares the daily practice he uses to shift his mindset from being a body trying to fix its circumstances to seeing himself as divine consciousness.  For anyone ready to move beyond fixing their life and into truly knowing who they are, this episode offers a clear and challenging place to begin.  What You'll Discover in This Episode:  (00:11) The bishop story — Jim recalls a moment in 2017 that revealed how deeply people identify with inherited roles.  (04:31) The container concept — Drawing on material from the channeled being Kyron, Jim explains that every person lives boxed in by assumptions, fears, and routines.  (10:43) Religion, control, and the allegory of the cave — Jim connects Plato's allegory of the cave to organized religion and dogma.  (19:49) Two questions worth asking yourself — Jim leads listeners through a short exercise naming their biggest fears and what they fight to defend.  (25:40) A daily practice for transcending the container — Jim shares the exact thought he holds each morning to shift from managing his life to witnessing it as divine consciousness.  (28:15) A listener's transformation — Jim reads an email from a listener whose life shifted after applying these teachings, and reflects on how many people will recognize themselves in her story.  Listen, apply, and enjoy!  Transformational Takeaway  You are not the container you live in, and you are not the story you were taught. Every fear you carry and everything you fight to defend is simply evidence of how attached you are to a role that was never your truth. Real freedom comes from stepping back from the role and remembering that you are the consciousness witnessing it. The moment you stop trying to fix the container and begin to understand yourself as a soul, the very limitations you believed were permanent will start to fall away.  Let’s Connect:  Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn  LIKED THE EPISODE?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more people.  Listening on Spotify? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude, Jim 

What I talk about in this episode I’ve mentioned before but I talk about it here with a metaphor that hits home for everyone. Honestly, many years ago I used to read tons of books, think positively and thought that I was a good manager of my thinking, but that was far from the truth – despite my belief that it was so. In this episode I talk about: [3:16] The metaphor for the mind and thought management [4:13] The correlation between thinking and outcomes in life [5:09] Why it’s important to be careful with your thoughts [7:08] Why just “thinking positive” is not the answer [9:54] How the universe shows no mercy upon our thoughts [20:11] And, why it’s essential that you become aware of your skill to manage your thoughts. Listen, apply, and enjoy! Transformational Takeaway You’re the “foreman” of your mind, and your life is a reflection of how good of a foreman you are. Mentioned Resources Master Thought Formula Episode 9: How The Law Of Attraction Repels The Money And Abundance You Want Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Let's Connect:  ⁠Instagram⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠  Liked The Episode?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ so we can reach more people.  Listening on⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify⁠? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude, Jim 

In this episode of The Jim Fortin Podcast, Jim challenges listeners to stop fighting their circumstances and instead question complacency. “Look at your life and pick something that you would like to change.” It’s a simple but heavy statement. Jim explains that it’s also the sole reason why we resist change. His argument hinges on the fact that most people’s thoughts and actions are misaligned, causing them to constantly “do more” to fix their problems. However, what it boils down to is a lack of awareness of consciousness.  Life doesn’t have to look a certain way, and Jim uses the metaphor of two parallel train tracks to illustrate. One track represents all the work you have to do to reach your goal, while the other represents the person you have to be to do the work. The analysis reveals that being and doing are not the same thing. More importantly, it shows how our consciousness can quietly sabotage our efforts even when we're taking all the right actions. To drive the point home, Jim refers to the classic self-help book by James Allen and a personal story from his own mentor. He uses both to explain that there is power in learning to manage your mind over your behavior.  Listen in to discover why your results depend less on what you do and more on who you're being while you do it.  What You'll Discover in This Episode:  (00:10) The opening question — Jim asks listeners to look at something they want to change.   (04:10) Fighting our circumstances — Jim breaks down why fighting without understanding life's mechanisms and a lack of conscious awareness makes change difficult.  (06:28) Be, do, have — Jim revisits this foundational framework, explaining why most people skip straight to doing without ever addressing the being.  (08:24) The two train tracks — Jim introduces a metaphor of two parallel tracks, one for doing and one for being, that both lead to the same desired outcome.  (13:41) When being sabotages doing — Jim explains how frustration, impatience, and resentment on the "being" track can quietly undo all the progress made on the "doing" track.  (17:37) Mind is the master power — Jim references James Allen's As a Man Thinketh to make the case that consciousness, not activity, is what truly shapes results.  (24:31) The mentor's wisdom — Jim shares a lesson from his mentor Barry: your doing is only ever as effective as the being doing the doing.  Listen, apply, and enjoy!  Transformational Takeaway  Most of us have learned to be excellent doers while ignoring who we are being while we do it. But activity alone cannot outrun a consciousness that is impatient or convinced something is always wrong. The moment you stop collapsing “being” and “doing” into one track, you can start managing your mind and your emotions with the same intention you bring to your to-do list. Your outer results have always been a reflection of your inner state, not the other way around. So the next time you catch yourself pushing harder without progress, pause and ask who says it has to be this way, then check which track you're actually running on.  Mentioned Resources As a Man Thinketh The Kybalion Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Let's Connect:  Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn  Liked The Episode?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more people.  Listening on Spotify? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude, Jim 

I wonder if you’ve noticed how much of your peace you give up and give away? Seemingly not a big deal but what you’re really giving up is your peace-of-mind, which is something you’ve been chasing most of your life. Pretty much everything you want in life you want it because you think it’s going to bring you peace-of-mind. The best example is money. Most likely you don’t want it just to want it, you want it because it’s going to “give” you something: security, social status, freedom and such.When you quiet your mind you become the highest version of your BEing. A quiet mind is your unlimited potential expressing itself. Transformational Takeaway  You can’t do anything well without peace-of-mind. Let's Connect:  ⁠Instagram⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠  LIKED THE EPISODE?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ so we can reach more people.  Listening on⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify⁠? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude,  Jim 

Start Your Transformation Now  In this episode of The Jim Fortin Podcast, Jim explores the limitations people experience, focusing on the belief that life must be constantly managed, monitored, and controlled to keep it from falling apart. He explains that control is rarely the answer, and that forcing it only brings the kind of exhaustion most people are trying to escape.  Jim describes the idea of the "invisible contract,” and how it controls most entrepreneurs and professionals. He draws on his own experience, running a company with a full staff, to break down how constant control leads to catastrophic collapse. Instead, he offers listeners a different approach, dismantling the illusion piece by piece. He asks listeners what they actually control and reveals that the universe and every living thing in it has always existed without their permission.  If pedaling the bike of life has left you worn out, this episode offers a way off the bike entirely.  What You'll Discover in This Episode:  (03:29) The invisible contract — Jim names the unconscious agreement most high achievers live by. It explains that everything will fall apart if they stop managing everything.  (11:42) The hustle culture trap — Jim explains why the belief that success requires constant struggle is backwards and how it violates the “be, do, have” model.  (12:44) The cause of exhaustion — Jim explains why the effort to control life is the root of the very exhaustion people are trying to escape.  (16:19) What you actually control — Jim walks listeners through the realization that they control neither the economy, the weather, their bodily processes, nor even their own thoughts.  (22:31) The failure of mind management — Jim reveals how trying to fix "bad weather" in life validates the illusion of things being broken, and why spirituality is just ego in disguise.  (26:08) The unmanaged life experiment — Jim offers listeners a 24-hour assignment and urges them to adopt the phrase, "I am not the manager of this moment."  Listen, apply, and enjoy!  Transformational Takeaway  Exhaustion doesn't come from life being heavy. The real cause is the constant, low-grade effort to govern a life that was never yours to direct. Set down the role of middle manager for a day and see what happens. Use the day to observe your thoughts instead of reframing them. Observe the sensation instead of solving it, and let the universe do what it has always done. You are not the manager of this moment. Just be.  Let's Connect:  Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn  LIKED THE EPISODE?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more people.  Listening on Spotify? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!  With gratitude,  Jim 

How often do we find ourselves ensnared by the very things we cling to for comfort and security? This episode peels back the layers of the false illusions we often find comfort in - our careers, relationships, and the societal roles we play. It challenges us to question the very fabric of our existence and what it means to live a life where we aren't imprisoned by external validations. I share stories from my own life, including lessons learned from facing heart failure and a stroke, to highlight the freedom that comes when we detach from the material and societal measures of success. These experiences have taught me that true liberation is found not in the accumulation of achievements, but in understanding and embracing the essence of our soul's journey. Join me as we explore how to navigate the illusions of life that bind us, aiming for a state of BEing that transcends the material and the mundane. We'll examine the traps of defining ourselves by our possessions, our jobs, and even our relationships, and how these attachments can lead to a life constrained by the very things we thought would free us. Listen, apply, enjoy. Transformational Takeaway Learn how to achieve true freedom through detachment from societal success measures. Let's Connect:  ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠YouTube⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠  LIKED THE EPISODE?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ so we can reach more people.  Listening on ⁠Spotify⁠? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!    With gratitude, Jim 

Start Your Transformation Now    In this episode of The Jim Fortin Podcast, Jim Fortin unpacks what he calls “the life paradox,” the trap so many people fall into when they try to fix problems in their lives, such as physical conditions, lack of money, or a broken relationship. Jim uses his own 2020 health crisis, a near-fatal heart failure and stroke, as an example. With the wisdom gained from his shaman Don Javier and renowned author Anita Moorjani, he explains how personal struggle can reinforce the very brokenness you’re trying to escape.  He also breaks down the frequency of perpetuating deficiency. Jim notes that desperately trying to fix the body, finances, or a relationship actually keeps people stuck in a loop. His solution for listeners is a practical three-step shift and simple technique he calls the three-minute circuit breaker. When paired, he says they will help you step out of that identity and into genuine healing.  This episode is a must-listen for anyone caught in the cycle of striving, whether it's around health, money, or love, and ready to understand why letting go is often the real path forward.  What You'll Discover in This Episode:  (00:15) Jim introduces the life and health paradox, the idea that trying to fix the body only reinforces the belief that it's broken.  (02:47) The game-changing quote from Jim's friend AJ explaining the principle that to need nothing is to have everything.  (07:43) Why, as a culture, we are obsessed with fixing everything   (08:57) Why desperately trying to heal, attract money, or fix a relationship actually projects lack into consciousness and keeps people stuck.  (21:31) Anita Moorjani's insight that true healing means stepping completely outside the identity of the one who needs to be healed.  (27:18) Jim's three-step shift: separating sensation from story, releasing the need to check for progress, and treating discomfort as background noise.  (33:42) Jim’s three-minute circuit breaker: a simple practice for interrupting the fear loop and resting in stillness   Listen, apply, and enjoy!  Transformational Takeaway  Healing rarely comes from fighting harder. It comes from stepping out of the identity of being broken. After Jim's stroke, he didn't force anything. Instead, he trusted the process and sat in silence. His story is a perfect example of how peace often arrives when we stop chasing it. We all experience moments of fear. But forcing change isn't always the answer. As Jim notes, a simple pause and reset can do wonders. You may find that what you were struggling to fix simply needs room to heal itself.    Let's Connect:  Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn  LIKED THE EPISODE?  If you're the kind of person who likes to help others, then share this with your friends and family. If you have found value, they will too. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more people.  Listening on Spotify? Please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!    With gratitude, Jim