Cowgirl UP

In this wrap-up episode Laurie recaps Worry Week and delivers three practical tools you can use in the moment to break the worry loop: the Control Check, the WIN strategy (What's Important Now), and the ACT strategy applied directly to worry.    Cowgirl Up is a daily mindset elevation podcast hosted by Laurie Blickenstaff, Certified Mental Performance Coach at Mental Game 101. Short, powerful epis...

Worry isn't just a mental habit — it has a real, measurable cost on your body and your performance. In this episode Laurie breaks down the physiology of chronic worry: what cortisol does to your body over time, how sustained stress impairs the prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain you need most in competition), and why the emotional toll of worry often shows up as the slow loss of joy in the s...

What does God actually say about worry? In this episode Laurie bridges the gap between scripture and the mindset principles we practice every day. Faith and mental performance are not in competition. They are partners.   Cowgirl Up is a daily mindset elevation podcast hosted by Laurie Blickenstaff, Certified Mental Performance Coach at Mental Game 101. Short, powerful episodes drop Monday through...

Worry doesn't come from nowhere — it has a source. And that source is the ego. In this episode Laurie traces the worry spiral back to the false self that cannot live in the present moment, connecting the dots between competing from fear versus love, the inner critic, and why the ego's attempt to protect you is actually costing you your performance. Understanding where worry comes from gives you po...

Worry feels productive — like your brain is solving something. But here's the truth: 85% of what we worry about never happens, and the physical and mental cost of the loop is real. In this episode Laurie opens Worry Week by defining what worry actually is, how it differs from healthy concern, and why it is one of the most expensive habits a competitor can have.    Cowgirl Up is a daily mindset ele...

Jesus told a story about three servants — two who invested what they were given and one who buried his out of fear. In this wrap-up episode Laurie unpacks the Parable of the Talents, ties together every story from this week, and lands on one of the most powerful truths in the entire parable: you cannot lose what you use. A powerful, faith-filled close to an unforgettable week.     Cowgirl Up is a...

An ancient Chinese parable over 2,000 years old asks a question that will change how you see your next setback — good luck or bad luck, who knows? In this episode Laurie tells the story of the wise farmer whose quiet response to every twist of fortune holds one of the most powerful mindset lessons you'll ever hear, and connects it directly to the ego, outcomes, and the peace that comes from trusti...

A man finds a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon and decides to help — but his act of kindness leaves the butterfly unable to fly. In this episode Laurie shares the beautiful and profound parable of the butterfly, and unpacks why the struggle you're in right now might not be the obstacle to your breakthrough — it might be the breakthrough itself.     Cowgirl Up is a daily mindset eleva...

The Chinese bamboo tree shows no visible growth for four years — and then shoots up 80 feet in six weeks. But here's the question: did it really grow in six weeks? In this episode Laurie unpacks one of the most powerful stories about patience, daily practice, and unseen growth — and why the work you're doing right now is never wasted, even when it doesn't feel like anything is happening.     Cowgi...

You were not designed to scratch in the dirt. But if you've been surrounded by voices, environments, or experiences that told you otherwise — you may not know what you really are yet. In this episode Laurie opens a powerful week of timeless stories with the parable of the eagle raised among chickens, and asks the question that might just change everything: what barnyard have you been living in?  ...

The path to freedom in competition — and in life — is detaching your worth from your results and rooting your identity in something that doesn't change when the scoreboard does. In this wrap-up episode Laurie ties together everything from the ego week, sends listeners into the weekend with their power statement locked and loaded, and teases what's coming next week — a topic every single one of us...

The zone isn't a mystery — it's what happens when you compete from love instead of fear. In this episode Laurie unpacks the powerful connection between love, presence, and peak performance, and explains why the ego pulls us out of the zone by dragging our minds into past mistakes or future outcomes. When you're locked into your process, you're locked into the present — and that's exactly where you...

Inside every one of us lives an inner critic and an inner champion — and we get to choose which one gets stronger. In this episode Laurie explores why we freely give the inner critic free rein while feeling uncomfortable feeding the inner champion, and reminds us that nobody else is going to do that feeding for us. Every power statement, every redirected thought, every episode you press play on —...

In this episode Laurie unpacks the fear-of-fear loop that keeps our minds hypervigilant, obsessing over outcomes, and scanning for everything that could go wrong. The insight that changes everything — we don't fear failure, we fear what failure means about us. Cowgirl Up is a daily mindset elevation podcast hosted by Laurie Blickenstaff, Certified Mental Performance Coach at Mental Game 101. Short...

When most people hear the word "ego" they think arrogance — but that's not what we're talking about. In this episode Laurie reframes the ego as the false self that's constantly trying to protect, prove, and earn approval, and explains why understanding it is one of the most important things you can do for your mindset and your performance. Cowgirl Up is a daily mindset elevation podcast hosted by...

You were known before you were born, designed with intention, and called to something only you can fulfill. In this wrap-up episode Laurie ties the whole week together and sends you into the weekend with one powerful reminder — your purpose doesn't require perfection, just one intentional step at a time.

Talent, time, or money isn't what holds most people back from their purpose — it's what they believe about themselves. In this episode Laurie names the limiting beliefs that keep us stuck, where they really come from, and exactly how to start rewriting them.

Knowing your why is powerful — but letting it guide what you think, say, and do every single day is where everything changes. In this episode Laurie bridges purpose and daily mindset, and gives you three simple questions to run your life through starting today. Click here to receive your Purpose Statement Worksheet: mentalgame101.com/purpose

Your purpose is not accidental — it was authored. In this deeply personal episode, Laurie shares her own journey from burnout to calling, the moment God confirmed her purpose, and the powerful truth that you were uniquely and intentionally designed for something only you can fulfill.

Everyone knows what they do — but very few can articulate why they do it. In this episode Laurie introduces the week's powerful theme and challenges you to go deeper than your results, your rankings, and your roles, and start connecting to the purpose that drives everything.

The week's big idea lands here — you are not a passive bystander in your own mental game. In this wrap-up episode, Laurie ties together everything from the subconscious to the RAS to the science of repetition, and reminds you that every intentional thought is building the highway to what you want.

You've put in the work — but how long before you actually see a change? In this episode Laurie breaks down the real research on how long it takes to rewire your subconscious, why consistency matters more than the calendar, and the one finding from the research that will make you breathe a sigh of relief.

Your brain has a built-in filtering system called the RAS — and it's constantly scanning your world for whatever you're focused on. In this episode, Laurie explains why focusing on what you don't want is just as powerful as focusing on what you do, and how to redirect your self-talk toward what you actually want to happen.

Your subconscious has no filter for good or bad — it simply accepts what you repeatedly tell it and gets busy making your reality match. In this episode, Laurie explains why your daily self-talk is either building the highway toward what you want, or away from it.

Did you know that up to 95% of your brain activity happens outside of your conscious awareness? This week we're diving into your subconscious mind — the powerhouse behind your performance — and how understanding it will completely change the way you approach your mindset work. Get ready, because this one is a game changer.