Your mindset plays a crucial role in how you perceive and navigate the world, and by focusing on positive thoughts and beliefs, you can train your brain to filter the world in a way that reinforces those positive experiences.
The brain has a filter called the reticular activating system (RAS) that determines what information enters your conscious mind, and by consciously directing your attention and intention, you can reprogram the RAS to focus on what is important to you.
Training your mindset requires intentional effort and daily practice, and incorporating a gratitude practice, engaging in a brain training exercise of finding hearts, and practicing thought substitution can all help reframe your mindset and lead to greater peace of mind and fulfillment.
Deep dives
The Power of Exercise and the Peloton Treadmill
Exercise is an important habit that can be difficult to start, but the five-second rule and using the Peloton treadmill have been game-changers for the podcast host. The Peloton treadmill offers inspiration, motivation, and world-class coaching on demand, creating a positive and empowering exercise experience. The accountability, community, and supportive instructors make exercising enjoyable and effective.
The Importance of Mindset and Its Impact on Your Life
Your mindset, defined as your beliefs and opinions about the world, acts as a filter that shapes how you perceive and think about things. A pessimistic mindset focuses on the negative, limiting your actions and perspectives, while an optimistic mindset opens up possibilities and encourages positive actions. The ability to reprogram your mind and develop a more empowering mindset is crucial in achieving your goals and facing life's challenges with resilience and resourcefulness.
Understanding the Reticular Activating System and Changing Your Brain's Filter
The brain has a filter called the reticular activating system (RAS) that determines what information enters your conscious mind. By consciously directing your attention and intention, you can reprogram the RAS to focus on what is important to you. The exercise of finding heart shapes in your daily life serves as a training tool to make your mind more flexible and attentive to positive experiences. This exercise demonstrates that your brain can change and adapt, providing evidence that you have the power to change your mindset and train your mind to work for you.
The Power of Mindset and the Reticular Activating System
Your mindset plays a crucial role in how you perceive and navigate the world. By focusing on positive thoughts and beliefs about yourself and the situations you're in, you can train your brain to filter the world in a way that reinforces those positive experiences. Conversely, negative thoughts and self-doubt can lead to a pessimistic mindset that filters out the positive aspects of your life. This is where the reticular activating system (RAS) comes into play. The RAS is a filter in your brain that pays attention to what you deem important. By intentionally looking for and acknowledging the small wins, the moments of gratitude, and the positive aspects of your life, you can reprogram your RAS to see more of those positive experiences. Thought substitution is another powerful tool that can help you combat negative thinking. By consciously replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones, such as "What if it all works out?", you can shift your mindset and create a more optimistic outlook. This mindset reset requires consistent practice, but it can ultimately lead to greater peace of mind and a more fulfilling life.
The Importance of Training Your Mindset
Training your mindset is a process that requires intentional effort and daily practice. One effective way to train your mind is by incorporating a gratitude practice into your routine. By taking time each day to appreciate and savor the positive moments and accomplishments, you are teaching your RAS to prioritize and seek out these experiences. Additionally, finding hearts can serve as a tangible reminder that your brain has the capacity to filter the world in a positive way. By actively searching for hearts in your surroundings, you are engaging in a powerful brain training exercise. Another helpful tool is thought substitution, which involves consciously replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones. This cognitive bias modification can help shift your perspective and reframe your mindset. By consistently working on your mindset and challenging negative thoughts, you can experience greater peace of mind and live a more fulfilling life.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to use simple neuroscience to train your mind to start working for you.
The research, tools, and strategies you’ll learn in this episode are from an experience I created and taught to more than 250,000 students called “Mindset Reset.”
The fact is, your mindset is critical to your happiness, success, relationships, and fulfillment.
Listen to today’s episode and you’ll learn how to train your mind using this easy, science-backed method.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to use an amazing filter in your brain to reset your mindset.
This episode is also packed with takeaways and insights you can apply to your life and one surprisingly fun “brain game” you can play every day (even with your kids) to actively program a more powerful mindset.
I can’t wait to share this with you and for you to apply it to your life and share it with the people who matter to you most.
Xo Mel
For full show notes, including all research mentioned in the episode, go to melrobbins.com/podcast.
This episode, you’ll learn:
4:15: What does “mindset” even mean?
9:00: The truth about why mindset matters.
10:00: Is this just toxic positivity?
16:30: Your brain has a filter. And if you’re not programming it, it’s probably working against you.
26:00: How to beat self-doubt.
31:00: Why you’re not meeting that special someone.
37:00: The fun and simple brain game I play with my daughters.
47:45: What to do when your thoughts and mindset spiral into the negative.
