Welcome back. In this episode, I'm going to tell you how the mind works. So you can begin to do more of what you're doing right and less of what you're doing wrong. So the brain hasn't actually changed much for thousands of years. In fact, it shrunk about 10%, which really can't be good for our mental health. I mean, sure, comparing us to caveman might seem like apples and oranges.

But just to give you a better perspective on this survival machine. Just 150 years ago, wolves were a common problem for people living in the United States, wolves jumping in through window openings and gobbling up families. I mean, how far detached from survival instincts Can we really be these instincts? This is very, very much a part of our natural mindset. So there are a few key elements about the brain and the nervous system that will be very helpful for you on your journey. First, the brain is an absorption machine.

It only takes in information, no delete button up here. This means that everything you expose yourself to the music you listen to the shows you binge watch the movies you see the books you read the conversations, fights and arguments you have, even the thoughts that you think and the words that you say are being hardwired into your mind. See, this is especially important as it relates to your fears. If you go to the grocery store or the mall and cringe fearfully throughout the entire experience, you are hardwiring this horrible experience and you will surely suffer as much if not more next time. Your brain is relating this experience to danger how you experience is of utmost importance. As I mentioned in the last video, the mind is hardwired for survival, but better put for our purposes.

The mind is really wired for negativity. We are wired to seek out everything that is wrong. It is why we have a new iPhone every year that it's just slightly better than last year's model. It is why technology grows exponentially And it is also why we're living in the most depressed and anxious time in human history yet at the same time, it's technically the safest time in human history. See, the mind is not wired for inner peace. I mean, imagine thousands of years ago being grateful for everything whistling through the jungle with a big dumb smile on your face.

You might as well douse yourself in steak sauce and sing lion mating calls but a beautiful term I want to drop in here is neuro plasticity. This is the minds ability to change physical shape, not just teaching an old dog new tricks, not just changing the chemical imbalances in our heads, but actual physical shape of the brain. So one of my favorite studies is from Harvard, it's on the effects of breathing and mindfulness practices on traumatic football injuries, they've repaired physical brain damage with the right thoughts and practices. So tell me is your anxiety really worse than a traumatic injury brought on by a 250 pound linebacker? Don't actually answer that question just yet. As you Continue to digest this course and practice these tools, you will prove to yourself just how powerful this stuff really is.

So to sum up the first point, if the mind can only take in information and can't remove any information, the quality and the quantity of your thoughts and experiences are very important. A major concept to understand is this. Stop talking about anxiety, quit focusing on what you hate talking about anxiety, just hardwiring your subconscious mind to experience more of it. Don't complain about it, leave the support groups that only ever talk about their fears and the medications and the horror stories and experiences that they've had. This will only promote your experience for more of these things. No longer define yourself as socially awkward or anything like that.

Don't label yourself anymore with your fears and your worries. But this is only half the battle you see when climbing the ladder of life. The best way to let go of the rung beneath you is to reach for the rung above, you must start to focus on what you actually want. What you wish to experience and what you would like to be capable of. If you hate it, you will forever be imprisoned by it. Love your journey.

I'd like to give you an amazing analogy to help you understand how your mind is wired and how you become you. It is a famous Cherokee tale that goes a little something like this inside of us their lives two wolves one good and one evil, and we feed these wolves our thoughts so the good wolf feeds on positivity, on hope on faith, on love and on growth. The Bad Wolf feeds on fear, worry what ifs and negativity. At the end of every day these wolves go to war. The wolf you feed the most the thoughts you have the experiences you're involved in all play a huge role in creating the person you believe yourself to be every single day that wolf you feed the most will ultimately win. So ask yourself, what wolf Am I feeding right now with this situation with this conversation with how I'm talking to myself to some of the second point With our focus being geared towards negativity, our minds and our upbringing may have set the stage for us to think fear, stress and anxiety.

But the mind is the most powerful tool in the entire universe and it can be wired for any experience. The last important detail about your mind and your nervous system is that they're wired for optimization with every thought and behavior that you repeat. your entire being gets better at it. How often do you need to concentrate on driving? Ever just get home and realize that you don't even remember the trip? What about brushing your teeth?

If I threw something right now at your face, would you flinch or maybe even dodge it all without even consciously thinking like this any symptom you feel related to anxiety that's striking fear in your belly, your heart palpitations, the way you sweat, it becomes a practiced behavior in the body. The body gets good at this anxious cascade and I'm going to teach you how to make a calming cascade. Your next assignment is to use this analogy of the wolves. define some of the struggles in your life. Listen to and analyze your self talk and ask yourself what is the quality of my thoughts right now make a list of bad wolf food. This will help you understand yourself more.

Now make an opposing list of good wolf food. What can you focus on that will feed into the good the strong positivity you're trying to grow and cultivate? As an example, you may often say I'm afraid of what others are thinking about me. A good wolf statement would sound more like people find me interesting and can't wait to hear what I have to say. So this may sound a little forced, but you need to understand that the energy you carry into a conversation is much more important than the words you're actually saying. Understanding this and applying the tools I'm about to give you will teach you how to hardwire yourself for calm for confidence and enjoyment, leaving behind this useless social anxiety.

Until the next video. Don't take life too seriously.