WHEN DARKNESS HITS | Mindset Mastery With A.Z. Araujo
Release Date: 07/07/2025
Do The Work | Mindset Mastery
In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I talk about what it really looks like when life starts to feel chaotic even when everything on the surface appears to be moving forward. I share how easy it is to drift off track without even realizing it, not because we lack discipline or desire, but because we allow unchecked thoughts, comparison, and distraction to slowly take control. This episode is about awareness, responsibility, and learning how to bring order back when everything inside feels like it is sitting at a ten. I start by reflecting on how common it is for people to...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I open up about something I wrestle with constantly and that is the tension between pressure and gratitude. Running a business, leading a household, being a husband and a father all come with responsibility. That responsibility can quietly turn into suffering if I am not careful about where my mind goes. I talk about how easy it is to get trapped in comparison, future goals, past mistakes, and the weight of everything I think I should be doing. My mind moves fast. Too fast at times. When I let it run unchecked, it creates pressure that...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I want to talk about something that weighs heavier than most people realize and that is the responsibility and guilt that can come with leadership advice and influence. There are moments where my mind feels full because leadership is not just about business decisions. It is about people. It is about hearing their struggles, their finances, their marriages, their health, and still being expected to show up strong. For years I tried to avoid leadership because I thought it was easier to just tell people what to do. What I learned is that...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I found myself slowing down and paying attention to something that has shaped every area of my life and business over the years. Self awareness. I walked into the studio a little wired, moving fast, thoughts racing, and it reminded me how easy it is to lose control when you are not grounded. That moment pulled me back to a principle I wrote down years ago. My responsibility is to lead myself, lead my family, lead my team, and lead my business. None of that happens without awareness. As I reflected on what I see every week inside the...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I came into the new year fired up because momentum does not magically appear on January first. Momentum is built by the hours you put in before anyone is watching, by the systems you commit to, and by the discipline to do the work even when it feels repetitive. I have spent decades learning this lesson the hard way, and I am more convinced than ever that systems and consistency are what separate real growth from wishful thinking. I talked about why I am so passionate about building plug and play systems for our agents and why I...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I want to slow things down and really take stock of what this past year has looked like. We are in the final stretch of 2025, and if you are anything like me, it feels like it flew by. A lot changed this year. Not just in business or the industry, but personally. Wins, losses, pressure, doubt, growth. Different stories, same emotions. That is the human experience, and it is something we all share whether we talk about it or not. What stood out to me most this year is how extreme the outcomes have been. I have seen people thrive in...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I talk about momentum, certainty, and why the next level of growth always demands a higher standard from us. As we head into a new year, I can feel it clearly. This organization is not slowing down. We are just getting started. After years of grit, hard decisions, and building when it was uncomfortable, everything is beginning to align. And that alignment comes from one thing above all else. Internal certainty. Over the last decade, I have learned that confidence does not come from positive thinking or hoping things work out. It comes...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I take a moment to reflect on the powerful lessons learned from witnessing a marathon a true test of endurance, not just physically but mentally and emotionally. This wasn’t just any marathon; it was a moment of transformation for so many people, a reminder that sometimes life requires us to push through pain and discomfort to discover what we’re truly capable of. Over the weekend, I had the privilege of seeing many of our agents and their loved ones cross the finish line of a 26-mile marathon. These individuals willingly chose to...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery I found myself reflecting on how much can shift in a single weekend. What started as a quick one day trip to see a UFC fight with my daughters turned into a reminder of why I do what I do and why the pressure I carry matters. Being in that arena, watching my girls take it all in, seeing their excitement, their curiosity, and their joy brought me right back to when they were little and would sit next to me watching fights on television. Those were our moments. And now to experience it at this level with them reminding me of our past and showing...
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In this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I walk through a simple weekend that turned into a powerful reminder about standards, responsibility, and what it really means to live with ethics in your business and in your life. I talk about family time, climbing Camelback, and getting invited into a world of supercar owners and high level business players. But the heart of the message is not the cars or the scenery. It is the internal battle we face when we know we are not living up to who we say we are. I tell a story about driving through winding mountain roads with people who had...
info_outlineIn this episode of Do The Work | Mindset Mastery, I dive into something we all face but rarely talk about openly—what happens when the darkness hits. When you’ve been betrayed, when things fall apart, when you feel like you’ve lost everything and the pain is just too much. It’s that quiet moment where negativity creeps in and starts to control your every thought, paralyzing you and making you forget how powerful you actually are.
I shared where I’ve been—flat on my back, both figuratively and literally, unable to get up because the weight of failure, financial struggle, and shame was too heavy. That energy is real. It strips you of your memory, your growth, your accomplishments. It makes you forget that you’ve already overcome so much. It turns every little thought into fear, every memory into regret.
But here’s the shift. That pain, that shame, those dark moments—those can be the fuel. I don’t try to erase them anymore. I tap into them. Not to wallow, not to relive the suffering, but to remember that if I got through that, I can get through anything. Every one of those painful moments gave me a skill set, a lesson, a mindset that made me who I am.
I use that memory now like a weapon. I remember how it felt to be broke, to feel like a failure, to be belittled. But now I say, let me show you what I’m made of. Let me show you that same energy can push me forward.
This episode is a reminder that you're not broken. You're battle tested. The power of negative energy is real, but so is your ability to flip it. You’ve already proven you can overcome. And if you can remember that—if you can tap into that place without drowning in it—you become unstoppable.
### Reflect on This:
- What is a painful memory you usually try to forget—but could actually use as fuel for your next move?
- Are you dwelling in your past pain or using it to push yourself forward?
- How can you remind yourself daily of how far you’ve already come?
### Quotes to Remember:
- “That negative energy is so strong that if it could break me, it can also make me.”
- “You are undefeated. You’re still here.”
- “If I can get through that, I can definitely get through this. Let me show you what I’m made of.”
Follow A.Z. Araujo on Social Media:
- Instagram: @azaraujo
- Facebook: A.Z. Araujo
- TikTok: A.Z. Araujo
- YouTube: Do The Work Podcast
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