Imagine looking at the world through colored glasses. If your glasses are tinted blue, everything you see takes on a blue hue. If they’re red, the world appears red. Now, what if I told you that these glasses aren’t made of glass at all but of your past experiences, habits, and beliefs?
The way we perceive the world is NOT an objective truth but a projection of our inner reality. And thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself, we have the power to change this projection.
What actually is neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize by forming new neural connections throughout life. Once believed to be static after childhood, we now know that the brain remains flexible and capable of change at any age – yeah, you're never too old to start seeing the world differently! This means that our thoughts, habits, and experiences shape our brains just as much as external reality does.
How do our minds shape our reality
Consider two people walking through the same park on the same sunny day. One person, feeling grateful and optimistic, notices the beauty of the trees, the warmth of the sun, and the laughter of children playing. The other, preoccupied with stress and worry, barely registers these details and instead focuses on the noise, the litter on the ground, or an unsettling memory from earlier in the day. Here, it becomes very clear that we can see the world as we want to see it. And, of course, we are all unique, so there'd infinite perspectives of how we see the same scenario.
The external world remains the same, yet their experiences of it are vastly different. Why? Because our brains are wired to filter reality in different ways. This is neuroplasticity in action. Our repeated thoughts and emotions strengthen neural pathways, reinforcing the way we interpret and interact with the world.
How can we re-wire our perspective?
Let's look at the science, this is where it gets really interesteing:
If you constantly focus on stress and negativity, your brain strengthens the pathways that make you more sensitive to those emotions. On the other hand, if you intentionally practice gratitude and mindfulness, your brain strengthens pathways that make it easier to see the good in life. In essence, you train your brain to notice and amplify certain aspects of reality.
This is why practices like mindfulness meditation, positive affirmations, and gratitude journaling are so powerful. They actively shift your brain’s default settings, allowing you to change the way you experience the world.
How to harness neuroplasticity for a more positive reality
Since our thoughts shape our brain structure, we can deliberately train our minds to see the world differently, this can take practice, but we can do it. Here are a few tips of how we can do it:
Mindfulness Meditation: Regular meditation helps break automatic thought patterns, allowing you to observe your thoughts rather than be controlled by them. Over time, it rewires the brain for greater calm and clarity. There are some great meditiation apps like 'calm' you could try to get you started.
Gratitude Practice: I love this one, simple to do for us all, build it into your daily things to do. Writing down three things you’re grateful for each day strengthens neural pathways that focus on the positive, or for a challenge, try 10 things you're grateful for.
Cognitive Reframing: When a challenging situation arises, practice looking at it from a different angle. Instead of “I failed,” try “I learned something valuable.”
Visualization: The brain doesn’t distinguish strongly between real and imagined experiences. By regularly visualizing success, joy, or confidence, you create new neural pathways that support these realities. You could try a vision board, assembling images that focus yorur mind.
Conscious Language: The words you use reinforce mental patterns. Instead of saying “I’m always stressed,” try “I’m learning to manage challenges with ease.” Keep checkcing your internal monologue throughout the day.
...changing the lens, changing your world
The beauty of neuroplasticity is that we are not trapped by our past perceptions. If our thoughts shape our brain and our brain shapes our reality, then by shifting our thoughts, we literally change the world we experience. So, what kind of world do you want to see? And what mental habits will help you build it?