When it comes to making a decision to go after a dream for our lives, there is an amazing phenomenon that takes place.
Our brains go into over-drive in an attempt to keep us “safe”.
What do I mean by safe?
Well, the brain considers the familiar safe and the unfamiliar dangerous.
So, if change brings what is unfamiliar, the brain will do whatever it can to keep us from what it perceives as dangerous. It will do everything to keep us and our lives exactly as they are right now.
So, just what does the brain do to keep us ‘safe’?
Well, let’s start with what it doesn’t do. It doesn’t say “I’m going to keep you from achieving your dream”. No. It produces thoughts like “I won’t let you get hurt again.” “I won’t let you get embarrassed or humiliated.” “I won’t let anyone take advantage of you.” Or “I won’t let you make any mistakes.”
The brain uses 4 effective techniques to keep us just the way we are. And I’ll be exploring each of these over the next 4 weeks.
Today we start with the first D.
Derail.
Derailing us is the brain’s first port of call. This is where all the “DANGER! DANGER!” messages launch big time. It’s where we imagine all the worst case scenarios.
It’s also where the ‘what ifs’ live.
“What if I screw up?”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“What if I lose my money?”
“What if the business fails?”
“What if my friends don’t like me anymore?”
It’s all the scary stuff. And it’s these messages that can stop us dead in our tracks – where we won’t even contemplate trying to take a step in the direction of our dreams.
Derail at all costs. Stay safe. Stay familiar.
And if that doesn’t work, it will go to technique #2 – and we’ll explore that next.
