Zoilita Grant was sixteen and weighed 265 pounds when she discovered self-hypnosis, she writes, and it helped her release more than 150 pounds. That experience became the foundation of her lifelong exploration of the mind, she says, and it is the starting point of Change Your Mind and Change Your Life, her guide to releasing the past, changing limiting patterns and consciously creating a more fulfilling life.
The self-publishing company AuthorHouse published the book in April 2024 under the subtitle A Step-by-Step Guide to Letting Go of Your Past, according to the publisher's bookstore listing. It runs 144 pages in paperback and is also sold as an e-book. In the answers she sent us, Grant gave the subtitle as Create by Design Not by Default!, a phrase she returns to in her last answer.
On her website, Grant says she earned a degree in clinical psychology at UC Berkeley and later a master's in social work, and worked as a psychotherapist before turning to coaching. She calls her approach Hypnotic Coaching.
This is the first of three conversations with Grant about her books. The others cover The Menopause Mind-Body Connection and The Secret Life of Your Dreams. RedSquibble sent Grant our standard questions for authors. Her answers were provided in writing and appear below as she wrote them, with only minor typographical corrections.
The Book
What is the book about? Please provide a brief synopsis without major spoilers.
This is a deeply personal and practical guide to releasing the past, changing limiting patterns, and consciously creating a more fulfilling life. I weave my own experiences of transformation, loss, and recovery together with tools drawn from hypnosis and Hypnotic Coaching. The book invites readers to rediscover their personal power and take meaningful steps toward the life they want. Your past is a chapter of your story; it does not have to determine how the rest of your story unfolds.
What inspired you to write this particular book?
I wanted to share the understanding that has shaped both my life and my work: when we change our thinking, we open new possibilities for how we live. Over decades of helping people make changes, I have seen how easily we can mistake old beliefs for permanent truths. I wrote this book to help readers recognize those patterns, release what no longer serves them, and begin creating their lives with greater intention.
Was there a specific event, experience, person, or idea that sparked the story?
The earliest spark came when I was sixteen and weighed 265 pounds. Discovering self-hypnosis helped me release more than 150 pounds and changed my understanding of what was possible. That experience became the foundation of my lifelong exploration of the mind. Later experiences, including losing my beloved husband and rebuilding my mobility after brain surgery and a spinal cord injury, gave that understanding greater depth and personal meaning.
Who are the main characters or central figures, and what makes them compelling?
Because this is nonfiction, my own journey provides a central thread, while the reader’s life is the true focus. I share myself as someone who has faced fear, grief, uncertainty, and the challenge of beginning again. What makes these experiences meaningful is the human struggle within them: learning to move forward when life changes unexpectedly. I want readers to recognize something of themselves and discover possibilities within their own stories.
What central themes, questions, or conflicts does the book explore?
The book explores the influence of the past, subconscious patterns, self-worth, resilience, and intentional life design. It asks readers to consider which beliefs still support them and which have become obstacles. A central tension is between repeating familiar patterns and choosing a new direction. What would you create if you stopped allowing an old experience to define your possibilities? What small choice could begin that change today?
"Your past is a chapter of your story; it does not have to determine how the rest of your story unfolds."
Writing It
What research, personal experience, or preparation went into writing it?
I bring my education in psychology, my background as a psychotherapist, and decades of teaching and practicing hypnosis and Hypnotic Coaching to this book. My personal experiences also inform its message, from discovering self-hypnosis as a teenager to navigating bereavement and rehabilitation. The book brings together professional understanding and lived experience, translating what I have learned into practical ways readers can explore change in their own lives.
What was the most challenging part of developing this book?
One of the greatest challenges was deciding how to share deeply personal experiences in ways that would serve the reader. I wanted to honor the reality of grief, fear, and recovery while offering practical encouragement. It was also important to make ideas about the subconscious mind understandable and useful, so readers could move beyond inspiration and begin applying what they learned.
What makes this book different from other books in its genre?
This book combines personal storytelling with practical tools from hypnosis and Hypnotic Coaching. Its message is grounded in a lifetime of helping others and facing my own difficult transitions. I invite readers to look beneath their conscious intentions and explore the patterns that influence their choices. The emphasis is on creating lasting change through awareness, compassion, and purposeful action.
For the Reader
Who is the ideal reader for this book?
The ideal reader is someone who feels held back by the past, is navigating a major life change, or senses that there is more they want to experience. It is for people facing loss, fear, self-doubt, or patterns they are ready to change. It is also for anyone seeking greater clarity and purpose. Whatever your age or circumstances, you can begin taking steps toward a life that more fully reflects who you are.
What do you hope readers think about or do differently after reading it?
I hope readers become more aware of the stories they tell themselves and more compassionate about how those stories developed. I want them to recognize that an old belief can be questioned and a familiar pattern can be changed. Most of all, I hope they choose one meaningful action and begin. You do not need to have every answer before taking your next step. Your next chapter is yours to write—create it by design, not by default.
Change Your Mind and Change Your Life: A Step-by-Step Guide to Letting Go of Your Past by Zoilita Grant (AuthorHouse, 144 pages, $16.99 paperback, $3.99 e-book) is out now. The answers above were provided in writing by the author. Cover image courtesy of AuthorHouse.
Interviews by the RedSquibble books desk. The author's answers were provided in writing.
