Thinking about what we think about

Like all living creatures, humans have a primitive part of the brain that is hard-wired to sense danger, seek comfort and be efficient. The primitive brain has just one job: to keep us alive.

Unlike other living creatures, we humans also have a prefrontal cortex – a different part of the brain that has a different agenda. It’s the epicenter of reasoning, judgment and impulse control.

Thanks to the prefrontal cortex, we have the ability to think about what we think about.

Which is great news because, friends, not everything we think is true. And not everything we think is useful. Some of what we think is both untrue and unhelpful. But here is the good news: thoughts are always 100% optional.

If we learn to observe our own thoughts objectively, then we can think about what we think about. We can decide which thoughts to continue believing on purpose, and which thoughts to stop believing on purpose.

Then we can think intentionally.

And when we think intentionally, then we feel intentionally. This means we can create any feeling.

Which is more good news because feelings drive action. And actions create results.

So, while there is much in the world that we can’t control or change, we can always choose thoughts that are true, and think them on purpose.

If you don’t feel any sense of control over your thoughts, I understand – neither did I. It’s a skill we can learn, and it’s the first thing I teach in my Life Reconstructed coaching program. If you’re ready to invest in yourself and start creating a life for yourself, click here and we’ll see if it’s a fit.