Mindset is important, but it isn’t everything.

I consider myself a pretty spiritual person. In truth, discovering spirituality was a saving grace when I was lost, and on the edges of sadness I couldn’t describe–even to those closest to me. When I started exploring what it meant to be spiritual, it was before you could find crystals and smudging kits inside every mainstream store and before introducing yourself with your rising sign became the norm. My friends thought I was a little crazy at first, but, in reality, I was finally unraveling parts of myself I had ignored and felt saner than I had in a long time.

Still, I wouldn’t say that spirituality saved me. I would say that spirituality gave me an avenue to save myself. Spirituality gave me a framework to uncover what I needed to heal, boundaries I needed to create, and the stillness I desperately needed to hold for myself. For a long time, my happiness was dependent on the validation or satisfaction of other people. I felt like I was being judged. I feared missing out. I compared myself to others and criticized myself the harshest of all until I started to change my mindset through the tools spirituality often offers.

In scrutinizing my ego and reevaluating my fears, I was able to start seeing my reality differently. Even so, I learned over time that mindset is only one part of personal transformation. While I began to see the hope and joy blossom between the cracks I had to confront, I did my best not to look at life with just rose quartz colored glasses. I found so much about myself through spirituality, but the more I started to explore, the more I noticed it becoming overly commoditized and exaggerated.

That brings me back to the idea of mindset–which is a cornerstone of a lot of spiritual practices. Yes, affirmations are powerful. Yes, meditation can help you have a more positive outlook on your present moment. And, yes, having an abundance mindset can help magnetize opportunities rather than looking at your circumstances from a place of lack. All of that is really, genuinely helpful.

Where I think it becomes dangerous is giving people unrealistic expectations of spirituality. No, money does not magically appear in your pocket if you just think about it really hard. You still have to commit yourself to hard work. No, you do not heal all of your wounds from childhood from a single reiki session. You still need to work through your pain. No, you will not clear out all the bad energy in your apartment with sage. You eventually have to confront what’s causing the bad energy in the first place.

I recently started to find myself growing frustrated with the commoditization of spirituality, and I realized where I saw spirituality fit into my own life. To me, spirituality became a complement to life rather than the answer to everything. I see it as an avenue. A conduit. A strategy–not a one-stop solution. I’m confident that the key to life isn’t found in a $50 elixir that’s certified therapeutic grade and smells like bottled lavender.

I worry that we’re starting to trick ourselves as a culture into believing that suddenly happiness will be discovered at the end of a 10-minute meditation like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

In my own healing journey, here’s what I know to be true: healing and growth will always come down to you and it takes time as well as self-compassion. No Canva-designed quote, ritual, or sound bath will do the healing for you. I know, I know, I sound cynical and the opposite of what you usually hear when it comes to spiritual self-help advice. But, yeah, that’s kind of my point. To help yourself, you have to understand yourself. You can’t buy happiness or manifest confidence overnight. You need to pair all of them with mindful action and patience.

Mindset is important, but it isn’t everything. We still need to do the deep work. We still need to have tough conversations. We still need to put into motion the things we say and feel. Believe it or not, I do believe in magic–and I think magic lies in the combination of mindset and action.

If you want to invite love into your life, a crystal bracelet won’t do it all for you. You need to look at what’s gone wrong in the past and what is stopping you from letting your walls down (or causing you to let them down too soon). With that said, that crystal bracelet can serve as a beautiful reminder throughout the day to love yourself first in the process.

If you want to become more confident, journaling can be a fantastic tool to help you practice and see your greatness. Yet, you still have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations and go past your comfort zone to uncover that trust in yourself. You still have to stand in your power physically as much as you do spirituality. The key, you see, is all about balance.

Balancing action with mindset is the magical combo to authentic personal growth and transformation. Please, by all means, embrace and enjoy your spiritual awakening. But after? Please don’t fall back asleep. Stay awake, stay vibrant, and stay aware. Do the work. Do the hard things. Do the things you never imagined you could. Believe that you can, and then do it. Afraid? Do it anyway.

Something else I know to be true? Healing is possible. Growth is possible. Hope is all around you, and the love you seek is already within you–buried and ready to be discovered. Everything you’re looking for, you deserve. Everything you’re dreaming of, it’ll be yours. You are worthy, and you have always been enough. Once you convince yourself of that, then it’s time to show the world what you’re made of.

And you know what? I think your time is now.