The One Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

In this week’s installment of the Betting on Yourself series, I’m sitting down with Kyyah Abdul to talk about what it actually means to create your own luck — not in theory, but in practice. We get into the mindset behind “lucky” people, and how to increase your odds of luck through how you think, how you decide, and how willing you are to move forward even when you don’t have all the answers. Kyyaah brings such a powerful perspective to this conversation. From her background in neuroscience to her lived experiences with loss at a young age, she breaks down how resilience, decisiveness, and self-trust are all things that can be built — not traits you’re just born with. We talk about decision-making as a muscle, why so many of us are stuck in analysis paralysis, and how social media has made us way too concerned with optics. We also talk about boundaries (and why most people misunderstand them), the pressure of being perceived, and how to stop treating your life like a group project. This conversation is a reminder that luck isn’t something you wait for, it’s something you build, decision by decision. This episode is for you if… You keep overthinking your next move and feel stuck waiting for clarity You want to be more confident but don’t trust your own decisions yet You’re navigating a transition (career, identity, relationships) and feel uncertain You struggle with boundaries — especially with family, friends, or people you love You feel held back by fear of judgment You’re trying to “do the right thing” instead of doing what actually feels aligned You know you’re capable of more, but something is keeping you playing small Chapters: 00:00 Neuroscience and success strategies 07:06 Finding your passion and focus 13:24 How Kyyah got into content creation 20:47 Setting boundaries with family 26:28 Importance of self-reflection 31:00 Ad Break 32:31 Ad Break 40:44 Navigating difficult conversations 43:17 Feeling safe in relationships 50:50 Supportive boss and law school plans 57:33 Balancing multiple interests 01:00:33 Closing Episode Links: Follow Kyyah on Instragram: instagram.com/kyyahabdul Follow Kyyah on TikTok: tiktok.com/kyyahabdul Read The Prepared Graduate, a non-fiction career guide written by Kyyah: https://amzn.to/4thGgIP To learn even more, visit Kyyah’s website: www.thekyyahabdul.com Sponsors: Cotton: Learn more at TheFabricOfOurLives.com, and follow along at @discovercotton using #ShopCotton. Monarch Money: Use code LUCKY at monarch.com to get your first year half off at just $50. Nutrafol: For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you visit nutrafol.com and enter promo code BALANCEDLES Keep in Touch with Les: Subscribe to the She’s So Lucky Newsletter to get weekly episode guides and journal prompts: https://shessolucky.kit.com/newsletter Subscribe to The Lucky Playbook on Substack: https://lesalfred.substack.com/ Follow Les on IG:   / lesalfred   Follow She’s So Lucky on IG:   / shessoluckypod   Follow Les on TikTok:   / theluckyles   Follow She’s So Lucky on TikTok:   / shessoluckypod   Visit our website at http://shessoluckypodcast.com Music License: MB01LEOMOQYQA4Z