The Most Empowering and Disempowering States of Mind – By Dr. Maya
In the world of medicine—especially functional medicine—things are, for the most part, straightforward. It’s diagnostic-based. We have biomarkers, symptoms, and patterns. In holistic medicine, however, the landscape is more complex. You’re treated as a whole person—body, mind, and spirit. The more skilled you become as a diagnostician in both worlds, the clearer your treatment plan becomes—and the sooner you get better.
When it comes to emotional health, things become even more nuanced and deeply intertwined with physical health. This is where the most remarkable features of the human mind come into play: imagination and creativity. These can be your greatest allies—or your worst enemies. There’s no limit to what we can imagine. That imagination is shaped only by our knowledge, sensory acuity, and power of observation. The good news? These are skills. They can be learned, developed, and mastered—by anyone with enough desire and discipline.
True mastery is when you begin to harness these innate abilities to intentionally create a better life for yourself. But in my experience working with many highly successful individuals—people with abundant imagination and creativity—I often witness a puzzling pattern: dissatisfaction, drama, broken relationships, and low self-esteem.
How can that be?
The missing piece is this: there’s one critical, often overlooked step between having these powerful abilities and actually living a fulfilled life.
That step is the ability to create resourceful states of mind—and the mastery of accessing them when you need them most, depending on the context you’re in.
And here’s more good news: this ability can also be developed. It happens to be one of my favorite areas to work with people on. Because once you master it, the sky is no longer the limit. You simply choose what you want in life—and move toward it.
Notice I didn’t say it’s easy. It takes willingness and introspection. It means doing an honest inventory of your conscious and subconscious habits, reactions, belief systems, values—many of which are imprinted early in life and buried in your subconscious.
Even more so, these subconscious states migrate into your physical body, creating automatic reactions—physically, mentally, emotionally. When these reactions are chronically unresourceful, they eventually manifest as chronic physical ailments.
When I work with patients through the lens of holistic medicine, I frequently find that unresourceful states of mind create blockages in the natural flow of energy. This impacts metabolism, digestion, the nervous system, hormones, and more. If I don’t address these mental-emotional patterns early on, even the best treatment won’t hold. Patients often come to me after being treated by highly skilled and even well-known doctors—both functional and holistic—but their healing doesn’t last.
Why?
Because what’s missing is the work with states of mind—the ability to identify, shift, modify, and even design them.
Once a person learns how to do this—and applies it consistently—healing happens. Chronic issues dissolve. It’s almost as if the disease itself was a signal: a call to examine your worldview, your mental and emotional posture, and to step into a greater version of yourself.
Over the years, I’ve identified patterns—what I believe are the most empowering and most disempowering states of mind. This isn’t just opinion. It’s observation, rooted in how quickly people heal—emotionally and physically.
#1 Disempowering State:
Feeling offended—for more than a few seconds.
Some people live here—offended and victimized. It becomes so habitual they don’t even recognize it (and surprisingly, this includes highly successful people). But when we dig a little deeper, they always do—and are often horrified to see it.
It’s not about suppressing your response. A few seconds of feeling offended gives you space to assess, clarify your values, and get into a more appropriate state for the situation. But living in offense corrodes your energy.
#1 Empowering State:
Love, kindness, and compassion—toward yourself and others.
This state allows you to be confident, effective, and healthy.
⚠️ A warning: This state doesn’t just appear because you read about it. It must be cultivated—practiced daily, especially when life tests you.
Immediate Strategy:
Identify the disempowered state as quickly as possible, and begin replacing it. You might not jump straight to empowerment—that’s okay. Take steps. It’s a journey. Your job is to make that journey meaningful.
Call to Introspection:
- What offends you? Past memories, real people, imagined scenarios, politics, economics?
- What percentage of your mental space is occupied by chronically victimized thoughts?
You might think: None! But that’s rarely accurate…We all slip into it.
Try this: Make a list of “I feel like a victim of ___” thoughts.
Look at the list. Choose to disengage. Make a promise to yourself: I don’t live there anymore.
Let me know if you want practical techniques to break free. I’m here to help.
Life goes on.
Everything is in motion.
When we get stuck in thought patterns, we miss the invitation to be joyful—regardless of circumstance.
Let’s flow with life. Let’s help each other rise—again and again—into deeper empowerment.
Dr. Maya Sarkisyan
Stay tuned and discover “The True Story About Your Health”.
