Have you ever noticed how one thought can quickly lead to another — particularly when something goes wrong?

In this episode of Growing Plants, Growing People, Kristian and Daniel explore what happens when the messages we repeatedly give ourselves become familiar patterns, and how those patterns can influence the way we interpret situations, respond to experiences and ultimately behave.

Daniel introduces the memorable Golden Brain illustration to help explain how the programming we accumulate can influence the messages our brain feeds back to us. We also explore the extraordinary number of thoughts we may experience across a lifetime — and why the goal isn't to make every thought positive, but to become more aware of the messages we repeatedly reinforce.

In this episode you will discover:

• How repeated thoughts can become familiar patterns
• What the feedback loop is and why it matters
• How existing programming can influence the way we interpret new experiences
• The Golden Brain illustration and what it can teach us about the messages we repeatedly reinforce
• Why two people can experience a similar situation yet respond very differently
• The important difference between what happened and the story we tell ourselves about what happened
• Why Self-Talk isn't about pretending everything is wonderful or denying reality
• Why you don't need to control every thought to begin changing the patterns you reinforce
• How the brain's ability to learn and adapt gives us the opportunity to begin strengthening different patterns

The thoughts and messages you've repeated in the past may help explain some of the patterns you experience today — but they don't have to decide the patterns you create next.

And as we prepare for Episode 006, we'll begin connecting those patterns to something even bigger: how programming creates beliefs, beliefs create attitudes, attitudes create feelings, feelings determine actions, and actions create results.

Free Growing Plants, Growing People Reflective Worksheet

Want to take today's conversation a little further?

We've created a free Growing Plants, Growing People Reflective Worksheet to accompany this episode, helping you notice some of the messages you repeatedly give yourself and begin exploring the patterns behind your own Self-Talk.

Download your free Growing Plants, Growing People Reflective Worksheet here:

Episode 005 Reflective Worksheet

Episode 005 Bonus Reflective Worksheet

Because the most important conversation you'll ever have, is the one you have with yourself.

Make it count.