Did you know hiking trails and our brains are similar?

 

Most Hiking Trails are created by continually walking the same place over and over. The more foot traffic the trail gets the more worn in and visible the trail is. This is how our brain creates perception. The first time you experience something your brain forms a neural pathway with that perception. Then every time you experience it the pathway gets deeper and more formed. If you experience something similar your brain can easily use that pathway to create the perception, but if you want to change the perception you have to create a new pathway.

EXAMPLE: Every time you put on workout clothes you look in the mirror and think “I’m Fat” now working out, the idea of wearing those clothes, or the idea of any kind of exercise makes you think “I’m Fat” because this is the pathway you have created. In order to change this perception, you have to work at it and create a new neural pathway and keep going there to dig it deeper and let the old one get overgrown.

This is something you have to be purposeful about and practice. Put on those workout clothes and instead of allowing yourself to think “I’m Fat” think “I’m strong, I’m brave, I’m beautiful”.

You choose the statement. Make it positive and affirming. Make it simple. You can even write it on your mirror or on a sticky note you see all the time. Every time you think about exercising, purposefully think “I’m strong” this way that neural pathway can be more solidified.

Practice it over and over and over again until that pathway is so deep it’s the only one your brain wants to travel.

What things have you been telling yourself that you need a new pathway for?