What if you could create your reality with your imagination? What would your life look like if you’d have the power to affect the world around you with your own mind?
While this may sound like a science-fiction script, it’s not far away from the truth as we know it today.
Eastern spiritual traditions have acknowledged the correlation between thoughts and reality since ancient times, and a growing amount of scientific evidence now starts to back this realisation.
And before you ask — I’m not talking about affirming your way into unlimited abundance with only wishful thinking.
And although I’ve never excluded the possibility of universal magic playing its part in our lives, I will focus on more tangible parts of the connection between the mind and reality.
Thoughts as creators of your reality
Our brains are power vessels that tirelessly fire thoughts, emotions and feelings inside of us.
An unimaginable amount of reactions are happening in your brain this very second, with billions of nerve cells or neurons interconnected trough trillions of gateways called synapses.
Whenever you have a thought, such as “These neuroscience facts are boring”, there’s an electrochemical occurrence happening in your brain. Your thought is then followed by a corresponding chemical reaction in your brain.
To understand this reaction, think of the last time you did something satisfactory, like treating yourself with chocolate cookies or having great sex.
The pleasant feeling that followed was caused by chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. They make it possible for the brain to communicate with the body and the nervous system. In this case, it was the feel-good neurotransmitter called dopamine that boosted your mood.
The role of neuroplasticity
When you have a thought, the brain starts to strengthen the existing neural connections and forming new ones. The more activity there is present in the concerned parts of the brain, the stronger the neural pathways in question become.
Put simply, the more you think of something, the more that thought-pattern is imprinted in your brain.
For instance, if you believe that you can’t do something, this negative thought is fortified in your brain. A corresponding chemical message is then transported throughout your body. That’s because our thoughts affect neurotransmitters.
The same goes for all your limiting beliefs.
If you think that you are unattractive, unworthy of love or a failure, you will reinforce this message in your brain and consequently, these qualities and feelings.
Thus, your limiting factor is that you think that you are limited.
Are you getting excited yet?
Your mind is a miracle performer
Your thoughts influence your body in several ways. For instance, you’re probably no stranger to the cascade of physical symptoms that may emerge when you are stressing yourself out due to your work.
But your mind also plays a vital role in a range of other areas like healing the body and curing illnesses. The placebo effect is probably one of the most interesting examples of this phenomenon.
Its underlying mechanisms are still being studied, but it is known that the effect is triggered by our psychological response to the placebo treatment.
Our mindset affects our health in a myriad of other ways, too. For instance, studies show that our beliefs help us improve our fitness and lose weight.
And if we can heal and rebuild ourselves with only our thoughts, it is getting clearer that you possess an inherent superpower for building a life that you want.
From self-sabotage to creating a life you love
Naturally, there is more to your success than your thoughts. Money, power and luck are all important when it comes to succeeding in life.
But if you don’t believe in yourself, you will sabotage your potential future success from the get-go. No money in the world will change that.
That’s why you must start thinking differently — like the person you want to become.
Let’s say you want to start your own thriving business. However, you believe that you don’t have it in you, that you’ll probably fail anyway and that you are not smart enough.
What do you think will happen?
As we’ve discussed, your brain believes your thoughts. It will start reinforcing the “not good enough” pathways and as a result, you will become more incapable of realising your dream.
You will likely start behaving in accordance with your beliefs and you’ll have a hard time seeing all the opportunities that surround you.
You will also look for evidence that further reinforce your initial negative beliefs of yourself. You’ll probably blame yourself for your failures without understanding that you are self-sabotaging your success.
The new YOU awaits
To become something more than what you are today, you must shift your mindset towards a more positive direction.
Positive thinking affects your brain by enhancing your mental functions such as creativity and cognitive performance. Negative thinking does the opposite by making it harder for your brain to function properly and by making your mood and memory worse.
Negativity also affects your reality through your limiting beliefs as explained above. The more you focus on them, the more powerful they become.
Sounds like a recipe for disaster if you aim to be the next Elon Musk (or even if you just want to perform at your best at work), right?
Pay attention to your thoughts and make subtle changes whenever you notice a negative thought. Do this even if you have to force yourself at first.
For instance, if you want to start acting courageously, you must first think courageously. Don’t think: “I can’t do this”. Change it to “I will do my best” or “I will do this anyway because I’m capable of doing it”.
Practising gratitude may help as it has been shown to lead to clarity and positivity due to the release of rewarding neurotransmitters.
At first, this practice might feel unintuitive, but it will get easier with time once your mind starts reprogramming itself.
Your new thoughts will eventually create an emerging truth: I can do it. I am good enough. I will succeed.
We never know what’s going to happen in life and everything is not in our hands.
However, we can make sure that we have the best prerequisites for success by harnessing our inner strength — our thoughts.
If you believe in yourself, you will make progress.
And if you possess the mindset of the person you want to become, you’ll start noticing infinite opportunities around you. Before you know it, they will take you to places that you can’t even imagine.