You Could Be Sabotaging Yourself and Not Know It

Your thoughts are powerful.

Do you believe that your thoughts actually become your reality? Whether you do or don’t, you need to read this. 

I will show you how your thoughts become results! Often we go into auto pilot mode where we are unaware of our thoughts or feelings and the outcomes they are creating in our lives.

“I fear my thoughts will become my reality.”

These are the words of a leader I was coaching just last week. A successful senior executive who is loved by her employees, she explained that often she is attacked by the mind pirates of self doubt and imposter syndrome. She continued, “Most of the time I am completely unaware I am thinking this way (autopilot) until it’s too late. It is exhausting.”

She is spot on with her statement: “I fear my thoughts will become my reality.”  

What you think about will come about.  

Why? Because your thoughts color or magnify the lens you look at the world through. The way you look at the world will determine your results. 

At a base level, your brain does two things with your thoughts:

1.Your dominant thoughts become your goals. 

Yes, your brain listens to what you are saying to yourself and wants to make it happen. Your brain is a “goal creation machine.” This is particularly true when there is high emotion attached to the thought.  

The more intense the emotion connected to a thought, the higher the priority. It’s like a screaming child who instantly gets the attention of mom. Intense emotion gets the full attention of the brain. 

What you think and feel about, the brain wants to bring about. For example, “I am hungry” leads to finding food, or “I need to get my son a birthday gift,”  leads to going to the store getting a gift.

2.Your brain will find evidence to support your goals.

Let’s say you buy a new Honda Pilot. You have never noticed Honda Pilots before, but when you pull out of the car lot all you see is Honda Pilots. They are everywhere. Why? Because you purchased a Pilot (goal) and your brain is looking for evidence to back the goal up.

So how can this help you?

Invitation:

1. Become aware of your thoughts–particularly the ones driven by emotion.  Your thoughts determine the direction you are headed (goal) and the brain is now searching for evidence to prove your reality (your thoughts).  Set your phone alarm to remind you to pause and check in with your thinking.  Awareness is the beginning of change.

2. Pause and evaluate if you are on autopilot (unaware of your thoughts and emotions).  Ask, “Is this thought and emotion leading me to where I truly want to go?” If not, slow down, take 3 deep breaths and find a thought that will produce the emotion you want to feel. Now feel that emotion. 

3. From this new emotion, identify a small action (mentally or physically) that you can take immediately and do it.   

This is a deceptively simple idea, but when you grasp the power that this mind hack can have, it will transform your life.  When you tap into how your brain operates naturally, amazing things happen. You are able to live “Core-ragously”–living from the core of who you are and doing so outrageously from a place of freedom, love, and courage.  

Keep looking up and keep looking forward,

Doug Nielsen