Walk Through Open Doors with James Henson

James Henson
  • 5.0 (27)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Walk Through Open Doors is a podcast about recognizing real opportunities, making better decisions, and moving through life with clarity and purpose. James is a former therapist turned executive coach. Each episode is grounded in the belief that good things happen when we pay attention, take ownership, and act on what matters. Topics range from leadership and mindset to resilience, identity, and the small shifts that create lasting change. This isn’t about hustle. It’s about doing the work that works, and learning to walk through the doors that are already open.

  1. 4H AGO

    Mindfulness Is Not a Magic Bullet (But It Can Change Your Life)

    Mindfulness has been sold to us as a magic bullet. Do this one practice, download this one app, and your anxiety, sadness, and stress will disappear. That’s not how it works—and it’s not what I’m talking about here.In this video, I walk through what mindfulness actually is as a deep, life-changing practice, not a quick fix. We start with a simple exercise: noticing what it’s like to be you, right where you are. From there, I talk about how the mind constantly judges, labels, and comments on everything, and how that creates a lot of unnecessary suffering.You’ll learn:• A clear, simple definition of mindfulness • Why “non-judgmental awareness” and “friendly curiosity” matter • How mindfulness helps with anxiety, depression, and hard seasons of life • What it looks like to stay present when your mind is yelling at you• How mindfulness changed my relationship with addiction, relationships, and stress • Why mindfulness is not about becoming passive or accepting everythingI also share real examples from my own life: running in the cold and dark, dealing with health issues and depression, navigating other people’s stress, and even the anxiety that comes from YouTube comments. Throughout, I come back to one core idea: mindfulness doesn’t erase difficulty, but it radically changes your relationship to it.If you’re tired of shallow mindfulness tips and want a grounded, realistic way to practice in daily life, this is for you.If you find this helpful, you might also like:• My episode on meditation and training your attention • Guided mindfulness practices and meditations on this channelSubscribe if you want more calm, clear, practical content on mindfulness, meditation, and living with intention.

    19 min

  2. 3D AGO

    You’re Not Starting Over: How to Bounce Back After You Slip Up

    A setback doesn’t erase your progress. This video is about the mindset shift that makes goals, habits, and recovery sustainable—when you mess up, you don’t go back to zero. You start again from where you are. What you’ll learn: Why “starting over” is a mentally brutal (and usually false) storyHow perfectionism turns one slip into a full collapseWhat you keep even after a relapse, missed workout, or broken streakA simple way to restart immediately without shame or spiralingHow failure can become useful feedback instead of a verdict I talk about how the “back to day one” idea hit me growing up around 12-step language—and how it created a hopeless loop: do well for a while, slip up, then stay down because it felt like everything was ruined. The problem isn’t taking relapse seriously. The problem is believing that one mistake cancels the work you’ve already done. Because it doesn’t. You still learned your triggers. You still built some habits. You still got a real glimpse of a different life. That counts. And when you treat it that way, you stop wasting time at the bottom of the hill and you climb again faster. Real progress is built by restarting quickly, not by never failing. Subscribe for more practical tools and honest conversations about growth, clarity, and momentum.

    9 min

  3. JAN 9

    How to Meditate | One Breath at a Time

    Most of us breathe all day without ever really noticing a single breath. Learning to pay attention to just one changes everything.In this episode, I walk through what meditation actually is, why it changed my life, and how you can start with something as simple as following a single breath. No incense, no beach photos, no magic bullet—just a practical way to teach your mind to stay in one place.What you’ll learn:•Why learning to meditate became one of the most pivotal changes in my life •How a single breath can become your whole focus (and why that matters) •The real goal of meditation (hint: it’s not “clearing your mind”) •What to do when you get distracted—without judgment or criticism •How meditation helps with addiction, overthinking, and everyday stress •A simple way to start a daily practice in just five minutesI came into meditation from a pretty rough place—fresh out of jail, addicted, and making life hard for myself and everyone around me. Over time, meditation helped me recognize my mind, focus it, and stop letting it run my life. It’s not instant peace and it’s not easy, but it is simple and it is worth it.Try this:Set a timer for five minutes. Follow one breath from the moment it hits your nose until the moment it leaves. When (not if) you get distracted, just notice it and come back to the breath. No drama, no judgment.Guided Meditation: https://youtu.be/rJYwcwS1_oI If you give this a shot, let me know how it went in the comments. If you’d like a deeper dive or a new guided version, tell me what would be most helpful and I can build more around it. Subscribe for more on meditation, mindfulness, and building a life that’s actually workable in the real world.

    17 min

  4. JAN 7

    New Year Goals: Look Back Before You Look Forward

    New year goals matter.Your reference point matters more.What you’ll learn• Why looking forward all the time makes you forget your progress.• How comparison steals perspective, even when your life is working.• A simple way to measure against your past self, not an ideal you have not reached.• How to review the last year with honesty and grace.• How to set goals for 2026 without turning self-criticism into fuel.Most people start January with plans and pressure.In this episode, I talk about why you need to look back before you look forward. I share a story from my own life, including the version of me that showed up in West Texas after jail and a wreck, and why I still need to remember that starting point. Then I give you a quick progress review you can use this week to anchor yourself in what you’ve built, the skills you’ve earned, and the ground you’ve covered.You can chase growth without hating yourself.Subscribe for more practical tools and honest conversations about growth, clarity, and momentum.Keywordsnew year goals, goal setting, progress review, the gap and the gain, self criticism, comparison, negativity bias, hedonic treadmill, perspective, gratitude, resilience, personal growth, executive coaching

    15 min

  5. JAN 6

    The Rogue AI Inside Your Head | How to Keep Your Mind From Working Against You

    Your mind isn't giving you reality—it's filtering, twisting, and often working against you.In this episode, I break down why your thoughts aren't actually "you" and how your mind operates more like a rogue AI that creates problems instead of solving them. If you've ever felt like you can't shut your brain off, or your thoughts make everything harder than it needs to be, this is for you.What you'll learn:• Why you are not your thoughts (and what that actually means)• How your mind tints reality and creates unnecessary suffering• The simple practice of observing your thoughts without judgment• Why questioning your thoughts changes everything• How to recognize when your mind is stirring up troubleI spent over a decade as a therapist and years teaching meditation. One of the most shocking realizations people have is that their thoughts aren't them—and they don't even really "think" their thoughts. Once you understand this, you can stop giving your mind a free pass to run your life.This is the first in a trilogy on understanding your mind. Next, we'll dive into meditation and mindfulness as tools to observe and work with your thoughts.Start this week: Notice what your mind is telling you. No judgment, no criticism—just observe. That simple act changes your relationship with everything.If this resonates, let me know in the comments. And if you want to go deeper, stick around for the next two episodes. Subscribe for more on meditation, mindfulness, and building a life that actually works.

    15 min

  6. 11/06/2025

    Stop Treating Your Opinions Like Facts - It's Keeping You Stuck

    Treating your opinions like facts keeps you stuck, fuels unnecessary conflict, and makes it impossible to grow. In this episode, I explain why being too attached to your opinions is dangerous - and how to hold your views more loosely.What you'll learn: • Why tying opinions to your identity makes every disagreement feel like a personal attack • How to tell when you're too attached to your beliefs (hint: watch how you react to criticism) • Why being "right" all the time actually prevents you from learning anything new • How opinion-as-fact thinking turns normal conversations into arguments you can't win • Why people who can't adapt their views get left behind and become bitter • The difference between core principles and opinions you should hold loosely • How to challenge your own beliefs without losing yourself in the processWe see this everywhere - sports fans who get angry when you criticize their team, political tribes where disagreement feels like betrayal, fandoms that can't handle different perspectives. When you make your opinions part of who you are, you can't change, adapt, or grow. You just get defensive and stuck.Reality doesn't bend to our opinions. Our opinions have to bend to reality. The people who refuse to do that become angry and rigid. The people who stay curious and challenge their own beliefs keep growing.I've had terrible opinions my whole life - as a kid, in my 20s, in my 30s. Some of my opinions will end up being wrong too, so I'm not tying my identity to them. Learn to separate what you believe from who you are. Stay curious. Let reality win.Subscribe for more practical advice on clarity, growth, and getting unstuck.#opinions #criticalthinking #personalgrowth #openmindedness #selfawareness #identity #growthmindset #conflictresolution #adaptability #mentalhealth #changeyourmind #stuckinthepast #rigidthinking #personaldevelopment #philosophy

    16 min

  7. 11/04/2025

    Travis Turner | Building a Real Estate Business: Investing, Flipping, and Daily Habits That Work

    Travis Turner didn't just stumble into success—he built it through intentional daily habits, strategic partnerships, and knowing when to walk away. In this episode of Walk Through Open Doors, I sit down with Travis Turner, co-owner of Brick and Loft Realty and multiple real estate businesses in Lubbock, Texas. Travis does it all: property investing, house flipping, private lending, construction, property management, and real estate brokerage.What you'll learn:• How to recognize when a business partnership isn't working (and why most people wait too long)• The "hell yes or no" decision-making framework that saves time and money• Why successful people make decisions quickly—and how to develop that skill• Daily habits that create resilience and long-term success• How to avoid the sunk cost fallacy in business and relationships• The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people• Time-blocking strategies to stay productive without burnout• Why inner peace is your best business advisorKey Takeaways:Travis shares the hard lessons he learned from failed partnerships, including a bread company venture and a car rental business. He explains how each failure taught him to vet people better, trust his gut, and focus on what actually works.This conversation is for founders, business owners, real estate investors, and anyone building something meaningful. Travis proves that success isn't about doing more—it's about doing the right things consistently.Connect with Travis Turner: Brick and Loft Realty (www.brickandloftrealty.com) More from Walk Through Open Doors: Subscribe for weekly conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and people who've transformed their lives through intentional action.🌐 Website: www.jamesscotthenson.com #RealEstateInvesting #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPartnerships #PropertyInvesting #DailyHabits #Mindset #RealEstateBusiness #HouseFlipping #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment

    44 min

  8. 11/02/2025

    From Ivy League to Prison to Millionaire – Ken Miller’s Story of Radical Change

    From Ivy League to Prison to Millionaire – Ken Miller’s Story of Radical ChangeKen Miller went from Dartmouth graduate to homeless crack addict to convicted felon - then built himself into a millionaire business owner. In this conversation, he shares what actually changed and how he did it.What you'll learn: • The difference between reaction and action - and how to create the gap that changes everything• How to stop working on yourself endlessly and start giving out instead • The power of secrets and why sharing them takes away their control over you • How shame says "I am" but guilt says "I did" and why that distinction matters • How to identify your core issue and work with it instead of being controlled by it • The truth about accountability and why doing things for others works when doing them for yourself failsKen spent 21 years homeless, cycling between shelters, treatment centers, jail, and prison. He was released in 2007 with $22 and nothing else. Today he owns five businesses and mentors men coming out of similar situations, but this isn't a motivational story about willpower - it's an honest conversation about fear, pride, self-talk, and the hard work of actually changing.He talks about the moment in prison when he heard God say "we can do this," working through his secrets with a counselor, learning to create space between stimulus and response, and why being "well" means you're not in battle with yourself anymore.This is a conversation about truth, accountability, and what it actually takes to become a different person.Subscribe for more conversations about clarity, growth, and getting unstuck.#recovery #addiction #personaltransformation #prison #redemption #sobriety #mentalhealth #accountability #selfawareness #personalgrowth #businessowner #secondchances #changeyourlife #overcomingadversity #realstories

    1h 22m
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5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Walk Through Open Doors is a podcast about recognizing real opportunities, making better decisions, and moving through life with clarity and purpose. James is a former therapist turned executive coach. Each episode is grounded in the belief that good things happen when we pay attention, take ownership, and act on what matters. Topics range from leadership and mindset to resilience, identity, and the small shifts that create lasting change. This isn’t about hustle. It’s about doing the work that works, and learning to walk through the doors that are already open.

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