You have neuropathways in your brain that are like trees. Caroline Leaf, a congnitive nueroscientist, explains that fear filled thoughts are like a tree with no leaves, gnarly and dead looking. And a faith-filled (think; trust, hope and positivity- not spirituality so much) tree looks lush and alive. Isn’t that crazy?
So 20 years ago they thought if you had a fearful personality, or anxiety or any emotional issues, that was it. Your tree was just dead looking and always would be. And if you were positive, you were just lucky.
Now scientist can stick brain-measuring devices up to our heads and measure and study what’s going on in there. They found out these trees can change! You can bring a dead tree to life! This is good news. This means anxiety, depression, out of control anger, and a fear filled life, are not a life sentence.
So how do you get from fear to faith? From gnarly to thriving? You must understand the Rules of The Mind as Marisa Peer discovered that make Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) so effective.
The mind loves what is familiar. We are wired to stay safe and alive on the planet. We used to be tribal people. There was strength in numbers, and danger in the unfamiliar. So our minds want to keep the status quo in order to feel safe.
The mind moves toward pleasure and away from pain. This seems super obvious and it is. But if your mind has linked pain to success you won’t succeed. If you have thoughts like “That’s so hard!” or “I’ll be all alone if I succeed. I might make people hate me.” Then your mind will move you away from the “pain” of reaching your goals.
Your mind responds to the words you tell it and the pictures you give it. What kinds of dialogue are you having in your mind each day? There’s a proverb that says “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Think about your inner conversations. As well as pictures you’re giving yourself. Are you seeing yourself being “pulled” in so many directions? Are you seeing yourself “stuck” in this situation? Are you seeing yourself “beat up” or “running on empty”? These pictures and words will fee the trees in your mind. Either with faith or fear.
You get to choose! This is my favorite part of all the cutting-edge brain science. We have control over each Rule of the Mind! So if you want create thriving trees in your mind- thriving thought patterns- try this:
Make faith familiar. Your mind loves what’s familiar. So make success familiar.
Begin to hang out with people who live by faith and not fear- in real life or online
Begin to make it familiar in little steps. Or a big leap!
Read books or listen to a podcast or watch videos with people who are doing similar things to your goals.
Google organizations doing what you’d love to be doing. If your dream is to live sustainably, go visit people doing it already. We live in a day and age where there’s no limit to the information we can find in about thirty seconds with google and YouTube. This week I learned that you can do henna on cancer patients’ heads once they’ve lost their hair due to chemo. This is absolutely beautiful- and proves anything is possible! Just google it.
Side note here- there will be a short time when the old fear-filled familiar will become unfamiliar. And the new faith-filled familiar will not quite be 100% familiar. Don’t quit, keep going and you’ll be good to go! It’s a short time. And a million times worth it.
Link tons of pleasure to your goal. And pain to not reaching it. Is your goal to start a new business? Or write a book? Or clean the garage? Make it fun! And doable. After making it familiar by studying others who have done it, then figure out ways to link pleasure to it. As you sit with your goal, you’ll come up with ideas. Brainstorm.
Can you order pizza and ask some friends to help clean the garage?
Can you celebrate each chapter in your book by going to coffee with a friend?
Can you write down everyday the freedom you’ll be creating with your new business and the lives you’ll impact with this business?
Could you write down and imagine how good it would feel to give money to those in need?
Rachel Hollis is an author of the books Girl Wash Your Face and Girls Stop Apologizing. She wrote down everyday for over 10 years, “I am a New York Times bestseller’, before she made it. She imagined how amazing it would feel to have her name there. She did this 3, 650 times!
Be on purpose with the pictures you give yourself. I’m breaking this one in to two parts. What are you picturing?
Start right now by giving yourself some great images.
Picture yourself loving your life as you reach your goals and along the way.
Picture yourself feeling good, having energy, being supported.
Picture yourself sitting down to write each day if your goal is to write a book.
Picture yourself on the plane to the place you want to go if your goal is to travel.
Be on purpose with the words you tell yourself. The second part is to use fabulous words to feed your faith. Here are some great statements to use.
I am enough
I love the process of reaching my goal
I will never have to have regrets on my deathbed
I can change the cycle of pain in my family and leave a better place for my kids
I’m right where I need to be right now
I was created to do this
I have everything I need to do this goal and I know how to find any info I need.
People need this thing I’m creating
I will have lots of friends and amazing connections as I grow
The answers I need will show up as I need them
And of course my favorite. You got this! Please let me know in the comments what your dream is and how you’re rethinking it to have more pleasure and less pain. Also please share any resources you might need. There is an amazing community here that may have the answer you need!
If you need any help along the way to change these thought processes quickly and effectively, check out www.cyrinatalbott.com