Written by: Katie Stoddart, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you ever noticed that when you are obsessed with a project, it turns into reality? Maybe, you were dreaming about having your own business, or about buying a house or moving to another country, and then one day, you wake up and you have reached that goal! How does this work? Can we just wish ourselves into a new reality? Not quite. Yet somehow, our thoughts can become our reality. In this article, I will break it down into three key pillars: why we underestimate the power of our mind, the link between our thoughts and our goals, and how we can use this correlation to our advantage.
1. We underestimate the power of our mind
Today, we have learned to appreciate what we pay money for and take everything else for granted. Somehow, we appreciate something more because we pay for it. Yet, if we pause for a moment, we can quickly realize that all the best things in life are free: our mind, love, nature, and the sunshine… Along the way, we have taken them for granted.
So, if we are told that thinking about something and using our minds can get us to a goal, it seems too easy, it seems like the price to pay is not high enough and we underestimate how much our thoughts and patterns of thinking influence our results.
Aside from discounting it because we haven’t paid a price for it, we are also skeptical of solutions that are: A. too simple and B. not tangible. In this cartesian world, the power of thought and belief seems intangible, fluffy, and not concrete enough (I should know – I have an engineering background!).
If the solution to a problem is a high-end fee for a training program combined with a 50-page framework filled with details and statistics, we are more likely to trust it than if somebody tells us it is all in our thoughts. Quick note though: that program and 50-page framework may have an impact – because it will influence our thinking!
2. The link between our thoughts and our goals
So how does it work? How can our thoughts enable us to reach our goals? Firstly, we need to realize that we only perceive reality through the lens of thoughts – therefore, our mind is the connection between the outside world and our inner world. Everything we see, hear, and feel is filtered through our minds and this filtering process impacts us and our results.
When we think about something, this turns into feelings & emotions. And these feelings make us take a certain action (or not take action), then the combination of these actions leads to results.
Let’s take two concrete examples:
Amelia keeps thinking about writing a book. When she thinks about the book, other thoughts come in and she feels unworthy of the project, an impostor, and not good enough. This makes her feel disempowered and anxious. Therefore, she does not start to write. Days go by – years go by, and as a result, she had not written a single word. Her thoughts (not good enough as a writer) become the reality (no writing).
Anna, on the other hand, also wants to write a book. Whenever she thinks about it, she thinks that it would be a fun project. This makes her feel excited, energized and empowered. The more she thinks about it, the more excited she feels. One day, she begins to write. And after a few weeks, she builds the habit of writing. As a result, a year later, she has written a book. Her thoughts (want to write and this is fun) became the reality (the book is written).
These examples are a short form simplification of the mind’s processes but roughly illustrate how our thoughts become our reality.
Why do people struggle to reach a goal that they want? Because they have beliefs (that are also thoughts!) saying that they can’t/ are not worthy/ it is too tough etc. Wanting a goal or outcome is not enough. Thinking about it is not enough. What works is to think about the goal, believe that it is possible, and take action.
What’s interesting is the more obsessive a thought becomes, the more this ignites this fire in us to take action, and then this turns into our reality.
3. Make this work for you
How can you make it work for you? Most people underestimate the power of their minds and their thinking. By doing so, they are missing out on the greatest power they have. There is no greater force out there that can help you to achieve what you want in life. All the coaches and programs work because they shift your thinking – so it comes down to the power of the mind.
A few key aspects can help you to use this to your advantage:
Notice your thoughts: Start to pay attention to what is going on in your mind and what you are thinking. Do you blame others and circumstances, or do you feel empowered to create change in your life? Most self-leadership comes down to managing your thoughts.
Take control of your thinking. Many people believe they cannot change their thoughts ‒ that they are a victim of their thoughts. We can control our thinking. If you read now: ‘think of a pink elephant, you will see a pink elephant in your mind. If you read: ‘Think of your greatest goal,’ you will see your goal in your mind’s eye. Choose what you want to dedicate your thinking to and orient your thoughts in that direction (through auditive and visual prompts, for example).
Notice which thoughts hold you back. This is what ‘limiting beliefs’ is all about – realizing that some thought patterns are discouraging, disempowering, and prevent you from taking action. Work on these beliefs (through journaling, working with a coach, etc.) and notice how this affects the outside world too. As we are always seeking to confirm our own beliefs, when our beliefs shift, we notice different things around us.
Celebrate your manifesting. When you manage to manifest outcomes in your life ‒ think your way to a new reality ‒ take a moment to celebrate this. Notice what your initial thoughts were and how this led you to take action and then achieve the outcomes you desire.
Follow your intuition. Too often, we rely on our logical brains to figure things out in life for us. As such, we forget or underestimate the power of our intuition. Given that over 90% of our thoughts are subconscious, we have a lot more information stored in us than what is directly accessible to us through our conscious minds. Our intuition comes from some of this hidden information and is often far more powerful than our rational mind.
Nurture your thinking. Once you understand just how powerful thoughts are, you can nurture your thinking by feeding it what you want to think about. This means choosing podcasts, videos, books, and people around you that will shift your thinking towards a new way of thinking. This is what I love most about hosting my podcast, the conversations shift my view of business & life.
Train your perception. Start using stoicism, meditation, and reflection to change your perception of the world. As your perception (group of thoughts and beliefs) changes, this will also impact your reality. ‘Nothing is right or wrong, but thinking makes it so.’ (Shakespeare). I think about this quote daily to enable me to shift perception when needed.
Last Thoughts
Since I have raised my awareness of the power of thought, many things have changed in my life: from feeling more empowered to create transformation in my business; to moving to my dream town; and feeling more at peace and fulfilled in life. There is great strength in this message, and I sincerely feel that every single person in the world can benefit by shifting their thoughts and beliefs.
All our results come from somewhere – if not from our thoughts, then from where? It all comes back to our thinking, thought patterns, beliefs, and perception – to what goes on inside our heads. Once you take control of your mind and your thinking, there is no limit to the results you can obtain. As Napoleon Hill put it: ‘What you can believe, you can achieve.’
For more info, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and visit my website! Read more from Katie!
Katie Stoddart, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Katie Stoddart, founder of ‘The Focus Bee’ is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach, speaker and podcast host. Katie supports leaders and business owners to reach & sustain peak performance in their business.
For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews leading experts in high performance. Passionate about living intentionally; Katie challenges each and every person she works with to re-focus on what matters most. Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & workshops on: Focus, Leadership & Performance.
