Confidence Classic: Why Your Faith Must Be Bigger Than Your Fear with Heather

Faith Overcomes Fear

Heather Monahan reflects on the transformative power of faith in facing fear. As a child, she hid from frightening things, but as an adult, she's learned to see fear differently. She describes a pivotal mindset shift: instead of letting fear dominate, she chooses to let faith be bigger than fear. By "flipping to faith," she finds fear is overcome immediately. She now views fear as a green light—a signal to run into challenges head-on and emerge stronger. Reframing fear in this way helps build resilience and a deep inner confidence in one's ability to overcome obstacles. Her pastor's message that "faith has to be greater than fear" resonates with her daily: choosing faith over fear brings courage and eases anxiety about the unknown.

Trust in God Offers Comfort and Stability Beyond Logic

Trust becomes the next crucial principle in Heather's growth journey. She shares her pastor’s message, "trust over explanation," acknowledging that trust was difficult at first due to past wounds from childhood and relationships. However, she insists, "you can always trust in God." This unwavering trust offers comfort and a sense of power, knowing that God is forever faithful. Heather regularly prays for guidance, asking God to "close the doors on that which is not meant for me and open the doors to that which is." She sees evidence of divine orchestration in serendipitous moments and the arrival of trustworthy people and new opportunities. The more she trusts in God, the more positive energy she emits and attracts people who align with her values. Trusting a higher power means releasing the compulsive need to understand or control everything, and instead, relying on divine timing and guidance.

Surrender and Allowing Triumph Over Forcing Success

Surrender is a principle that Heather has come to practice more intentionally. Inspired by Dr. Joe Dispenza’s teachings and echoed by her church, Heather commits to surrendering daily—even though it feels counterintuitive after a lifetime of "white knuckling" and forcing outcomes. She reads surrender statements each morning to rewire her brain toward allowing i ...

Heather Monahan’s experience illustrates the intersection of belief, intentional action, serendipity, and the power of supportive relationships in manifesting dreams and attracting opportunities.

Manifest Desires By Believing to Attract Opportunities and Blessings

Monahan emphasizes the necessity of believing in your goals to attract blessings and opportunities. She recounts leaving the Dr. Phil show and immediately telling the producer, “If I need to come back on this show again—like, let’s go, right? Get me in front of some more producers.” The producer responds affirmatively, promising to bring it up at the next meeting. Monahan underscores the importance of “planting the seed”—that whatever you want, you need to speak it into existence and communicate it openly, as the worst outcome is simply a “no.”

Her friend advocates by directly telling Dr. Phil, “You need to have her back on again. She’s really good,” and referencing her other show appearances. These acts of clear communication and advocacy motivate others to support your goals and can open doors that may otherwise remain closed.

Monahan also highlights that success is often a result of hard work whose fruits become clear only in retrospect. She describes the extensive effort she put into landing and delivering her TEDx talk. Years later, that same talk was discovered by a producer from Dr. Phil, leading to an unexpected major opportunity. The talk was promoted to TED, translated into six languages, and widely transcribed, creating a domino effect. Monahan explains, “we can only connect the dots looking back,” recognizing that hard work and intention may lead to breakthroughs long after the initial effort.

Serendipity and Divine Timing Guide Your Life When You Surrender Control and Stay Open

Monahan describes the “blessing” and “gift” of being recruited for the Dr. Phil show three years after giving her TEDx talk—a result she could never have predicted. She shares her gratitude and excitement at how things unfolded and describes embracing the uncertainty as exhilarating.

A particularly serendipitous moment arises when she unexpectedly runs into Dr. Phil at her hotel after appearing on his show and after her friend had advocated for her. She reflects, “It was just one of those, yet again, serendipitous moments, right? Like what you put out there, you could be speaking into existence. You’ve got to start believing it to receive it.” She stresses that to receive the blessing or gift you are hoping for, you must believe in its inevitability and trust that it is already yours.

Monahan encourages openness to unknown possibilities and the magic of life, emphasizing that sometimes things come together naturally when you surrender control and allow a higher power to arrange opportunities, people, and circumstances. “You don’t have to white knuckle them. You can allow for them. You can surrender to something so much greater than you that could be orchestrating everything for the life that you’re meant to have.” Her friend’s words reinforce thi ...

Heather Monahan shares insights from a week defined by transformative change, professional opportunity, and the necessity of embracing imperfection to move forward with authenticity and impact.

Major Life Changes Like Moving Homes or Appearing On Tv Require Embracing "Done Is Better Than Perfect."

Monahan sits in her brand new home, describing the space as “so incredible” and expressing her gratitude for the blessing. Although surrounded by unpacked boxes after just a week in the space, she has spent days in Los Angeles to appear on Dr. Phil, navigating the logistical and emotional chaos of moving, purging possessions, and leaping into a new chapter. She recounts the challenge of submitting a video for the show while in the thick of packing and immediately after a workout, unfiltered and unpolished in a baseball cap and with no makeup. Seeing this video featured on the Dr. Phil set leads her to reflect on her choice and reaffirm her philosophy—"done will always be better than perfect." Monahan highlights how her week, marked by turbulent logistics and mounting to-dos, required bold, imperfect action in pursuit of opportunity. Appearing on national TV in such raw, real conditions might not be ideal, but she purposefully chooses authenticity and progress over appearance and perfection. She is proud that despite disorder and imperfection, she took action rather than hesitating for the "perfect" moment.

Opportunities Demand Sacrifice, Exhaustion, but Offer Fulfillment and Impact

Monahan describes the exhaustion and sacrifices attached to these opportunities. Amid unfinished move-related tasks—being behind on everything, not even changing her mailing address, or handling utilities—she receives the offer for a high-visibility appearance on Dr. Phil. Despite being tired and overwhelmed, she says “yes,” recognizing the immense potential impact and choosing to move forward in faith. The appearance involves last-minute travel, sitting in the last seat on a cold six-hour flight, arriving at an unfamiliar hotel, and functioning on three hours of sleep for a 6 a.m. call time after two weeks of insomnia. The day includes further discomforts: standing in the rain waiting for COVID test results, the onset of a cold, and enduring long, tiring hours on set. Still, Monahan emphasizes gratitude for the unexpected but pivotal opportunity, describing it as “a blessing, a gift.” She trusts that “elevat[ing] and impact[ing] others in a positive way” justifies the risk, discomfort, and exhaustion. Already, she receives positive feedback from viewers who were helped by her message, reinforcing that the discomfort cre ...

Heather Monahan shares a candid exploration of what it means to outgrow relationships and why it’s essential to prioritize supportive people as you evolve. She uses the metaphor of her moving purge—discarding items, especially every vase from ex-boyfriends, fiancés, or her former husband—to illustrate how removing possessions that no longer represent her allows new, positive energy into her life. This same principle applies to relationships: clearing space is necessary for growth and authentic connection.

Outgrow Misaligned Relationships as You Evolve

Recognizing When Friends Impede Your Growth Is Self-Preservation, Not Egotism

Heather addresses the criticism that distancing oneself from unsupportive friends is egotistical. She disagrees, affirming that taking pride in your progress and maintaining high self-worth is an act of self-preservation, not arrogance. She explains that some friends may feel threatened when they see her joyful and striving for more because they lack the same self-assurance. As she puts it, sometimes you simply outgrow people as your lives and mindsets shift in different directions.

Distance From Those Threatened by Your Growth to Make Space For Supportive Relationships

She adds that distancing herself from those who feel threatened by her transformation is not just natural but necessary. When she’s around people who remain stagnant, she feels stress and disconnect, despite caring for them. Maintaining boundaries and recognizing that her aspirations have changed—embodying a “sky’s the limit” perspective—allows her to make space for those who genuinely contribute to her joy and goals.

Losing Friendships During Personal Transformation Reveals Who Was Invested In You Versus Who Was Attached To a Past Version of You

Heather describes how personal transformation can expose which relationships were authentic versus those based on superficial attachment. After being fired at age 43, she experienced her community and professional network disappearing overnight, revealing that many were invested in her title and status rather than her as a person. Initially saddened, she came to see it as a blessing that illuminated who genuinely cared.

Superficial Connections Fade When Your Circumstances Change

This process clarified which connections were shallow. She observed that these superficial relationships faded as her circumstances changed, much like how children naturally outgrow friendships as they mature—something she finds should be equally accepted for adults. As her life shifted, it became clear who was invested in her growth versus who preferred a static, familiar version.

Clear Inauthentic Relationships to Attract Those Who Love and Support Your Evolved Self

By intentionally clearing space—ending an engagement that held her back, letting go of people attached to her former self, and discarding lingering connections—Heather created space for healthy, supportive relationships to enter. She encourages showing up as one’s true, powerful self, knowing this authenticity repels those mismatched but draws in people ready and willing to support, challenge, and love you for who you are now.

Creating ...

Heather emphasizes the crucial role of reminders in helping individuals retain valuable information and internalize personal truths amid the overwhelming influx of external messages in daily life.

Humans Forget Information Quickly Unless Repeatedly Exposed

Heather shares advice she’s received: people tend to forget information unless they’re exposed to it repeatedly. To retain something important, one must purposefully revisit it, as the average person is regularly bombarded by messages—many of which they haven’t intentionally chosen—from billboards, audio ads, television, social media, and beyond.

Home Reminders: Books, Candles, and Pictures for Positive Affirmations and Spiritual Truths

Heather describes her own environment as filled with reminders—books focused on positive affirmations, candles inscribed with uplifting messages about being loved and special, and picture frames containing powerful, affirming phrases. She brings intentional messaging into her home and life as a way to keep life-affirming and spiritual truths top of mind.

Setting Calendar Notifications for Weekly Church Creates Reminders Of What Matters Most

Heather suggests leveraging technology, such as calendar notifications, as another tool for reminders. For example, she sets weekly reminders for church attendance, noting how such repetition keeps spiritual priorities prominent. She encourages scheduling reminders for important habits, such as working out or engaging in meaningful study, to consistently bring desired emotions and priorities to the forefront.

Rewire Your Brain to Internalize Unnatural Beliefs and Perspectives

Heather credits Dr. Joe Dispenza’s teachings with helping her “rewire her brain” and adopt new ways of thinking, making it possible to slowly but continually shift mental frameworks and internal beliefs.

Daily Surrender Statements Gradually Shift Mindset Toward Acceptance

Heather practices exposing herself to positive, transformative messaging daily—through reading, affirmations, and spiritual texts. This exposure fosters gradual but significant change. While acknowledging she isn’t “there yet,” she recognizes that with frequency and daily investment, these beliefs increasingly become second nature.

Hearing a Consistent Spiritual Message From Various Sources Strengthens Conviction and Offers Diverse Angles

Consistent exposure to a spiritual message through different channels ...