Introduction
I’ve written many drafts of the post I am going to publish for you today. Unfortunately, none of them ever made the cut. However, I think it is time to finally relay to you one of the most interesting things I have learned in this life, and assuredly among the most important. It is a simple way to change your life, discovered centuries ago and rediscovered time and time again. Earl Nightingale, the author of a record known as “The Strangest Secret In The World” went in depth into this very topic. His record solely focuses on one of the most simple, yet important principles that a person could adopt.
You Are What You Think…
Yes, this is the “strange” secret that Mr. Nightingale set before us. Our success is simply the aggregate of the thoughts we think. Many of us spend time dwelling on our failures. If you constantly dwell on what is wrong with the world, all you will see is what is wrong with the world. Our brain is specifically designed to do this. We have a biological component that scientist refer to as the Recticular Activating System (RAS).
When asked if the RAS can be indirectly affected by repetitive thoughts, Google’s AI Assistant Gemini responded with:
“Yes, repetitive thoughts can influence the RAS. When you focus on a specific detail, like counting red cars, your RAS becomes more attuned to that information. This is why you might suddenly notice something you’ve never noticed before, like a specific brand of car or a particular color.
This phenomenon is often referred to as “selective attention.” By repeatedly focusing on a particular thought or idea, you’re essentially training your RAS to filter out irrelevant information and prioritize what you’ve deemed important.”
When asked if the RAS can work in reverse and directly contribute to self-fufilling prophecies such as those experienced by individuals that subscribe to pessimism Gemini responded with:
“Yes, absolutely. The RAS can work in reverse. A person with a pessimistic mindset may have trained their RAS to focus on the negative aspects of situations. This can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where they only see the problems and challenges, filtering out the positive aspects of their life.
This is why changing one’s mindset and actively seeking out positive experiences is crucial for breaking out of this negative cycle. It’s about retraining your RAS to focus on the good, which can lead to a more optimistic and fulfilling outlook on life.”
Conclusion
There is growing evidence out there for the biological basis of this system. It is crazy to think that changing your life is as simple as the thoughts you think every day. Spend some time and develop goals for the intermediate term and then focus on trying to achieve those goals. Make the all that you think about day in and day out, given time, you will soon be where you want to be in life. Until next time!