Your brain is a meaning-making machine. It labels your experiences with silent sentences we call thoughts.
These thoughts act as instructions to your mind, shaping your reality.
You’ve heard this before, but how exactly do thoughts create reality? Here’s how:
Left unchecked, your subconscious mind defaults to negative thoughts due to humanity’s built-in negativity bias—always scanning for danger and problems:
- It won’t work.
- I don’t know how.
- There’s not enough time.
You might not notice these thoughts, but you’ll feel the emotions they trigger, like doubt, anxiety, and overwhelm.
These feelings drive actions (or inaction) that create the very negative results you fear. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy:
- “It won’t work” causes doubt, so you hesitate to launch a new product—and it doesn’t work.
- “I don’t know how” creates anxiety, slowing your brain under stress, leaving you unable to prepare for a presentation.
- “There’s not enough time” leads to overwhelm, making you rush and create errors, reinforcing the belief that time is running out.
To break this cycle, become the Observer of your thoughts:
- Notice your thoughts. When you feel a negative emotion, pause and ask, “What am I thinking right now?”
- Question your thoughts. Ask, “Is this thought true? Could I prove it in court, or is it just negative self-talk?”
- Align your thoughts. Ask, “What thought supports the outcome I want?”
Negative thoughts don’t align with positive results.
Choose thoughts that generate determination, confidence, and energy. These feelings fuel action and lead to better outcomes:
- I’ll find a way to make it work.
- I know I can figure this out.
- There’s enough time.
Your thoughts are instructions to your subconscious.
Take control of your mind by noticing what you’re thinking and choosing thoughts intentionally.
This one habit will completely change your life.