‘The most valuable skill or talent that you could ever develop is that of directing your thoughts toward what you want.’ – Abraham Hicks
Your brain has a Reticular Activating System (RAS) which is a network of neurons in your brainstem. It is a sophisticated filter system that allows certain information to enter your brain and filters out other information. Guess who programmed that filter? You did and so did the people around you.
The RAS seeks data that validates your beliefs. It screens the world through the parameters you give it and your beliefs form those parameters.
Everything in your life is a reflection of your inner state.
If you constantly feel unlovable or you think people don’t like you at school or work, your RAS is going to point out every single piece of evidence that confirms that negative belief all day long.
‘Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.’ – Napoleon Hill
Why do we have a RAS? If your brain lets in everything at equal value – 14,000,000 bits of information at any one time – your brain would go into melt down. The RAS protects your brain by filtering information and only lets in the stuff it agrees with – your confirmation bias.
This is the scientific reason and mandate for why you have to take control and reprogram your RAS to create what you want – through visualisation, affirmations, meditation, gratitude, and forgiveness.
‘The power of focusing on what you want.’ – Oprah Winfrey
Without clear goals, our Reticular Activating System is similar to a confused professional assistant with no clear instructions from the Boss – and that’s YOU.
‘The Law of Attraction is most understood when you see yourself as a magnet getting more and more of the way you feel.’ – Abraham Hicks
The mind believes what you tell it. So take charge of it.
The RAS supports you when you set goals.
Your mind needs these goals.
The RAS helps you see what you would like to see and by doing this, it influences your actions.
Your Reticular Activating System enables the Law of Attraction.
You are what you believe yourself to be.
This is very exciting because it means if you get your thinking correctly aligned, you are practically limitless.
‘Whatever good things we build end up building us.’ – Jim Rohn
Use visualisation in order to start to reprogram the RAS in your brain so that your brain starts to notice opportunity – your brain starts to notice evidence that things are working out. It starts to notice coincidences so you can build momentum.
Go to each one of your goals and do a visualisation exercise. This is a 2 step process based on science. Close your eyes and have a specific picture of what your life looks like when your self worth has improved. See yourself defining boundaries, consciously think of manifesting the life of your dreams and imagine the positive emotions you will feel.
If your goal is to improve your self worth – close your eyes and imagine what your life looks like and how you will feel about yourself when your self worth has improved. See yourself taking care of yourself. See others respecting your confidence.
I would also include your affirmations of ‘I am’ or ‘I have’ during the visualisation exercise to give this process an extra positive charge.
You must practice this visualisation process on a daily basis of 5/10 minutes a day. Repetition is the key to reprogramming your RAS for a positive outcome. This way you can train your RAS to have a totally different filter system.
Our brains don’t know the difference between the bad things that happen to us and an imagined experience that you are creating. So visualise yourself going to the gym and saying no to unhealthy processed foods if you would like to get in better shape and eat better. Visualising how happy you are now that things are working out for you.
Visualisation also helps you build skills. Simply visualising yourself creating a skill helps you develop that skill and helps you improve just as if you were actually doing it. It encodes the skill as a real memory which changes the filter system.
Repetition is the key because the more you visualise your future, the greater confidence and security you will have and the more you are going to create a happier life.
Be patient, however. This process takes time. You are reprogramming your brain to visualise and feel how it feels to have conquered your goals. When you believe that something is possible, you will see more opportunities in front of you.
If you relax and give yourself permission to improve 1% each day – then you can gradually create a wonderful and fulfilling life.
Have fun!
Namaste
‘If we did the things we are capable of we would astound ourselves,’ -Thomas Edison
About the Author: Jane FULLER is one of Your Monthly Mentors, a producer, writer, teacher, ambassador, blogger, interior designer, calligraphist and spiritual entrepreneur based in London, United Kingdom. From taking a Fine Arts course in Florence Italy, to running her own award winning film production company, Jane’s life has so far been a whirlwind of adversity, triumphs, challenges and truly inspiring moments. Read More…
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