Mind Games: How to Debunk the Negative Programming Streaming in your Head
Illustration: Alicia Tatone
Everything in the universe is energy. Each thought we think, emotion we feel, and action we take sends energetic waves into the world, creating endless potential experiences. These vibrations are not just abstract concepts; they profoundly shape our reality.
We attract or repel every person, place, or thing based on the frequency or quality of our energy. When we feel good, optimistic, and vibrating with the resonance of love, we magnetize that energy into our lives. We are in coherence with acceptance, possibility, and connection. Opportunities open, and things that seemed impossible are now reality. We are in the flow state, in harmony with body, mind, and soul, creating a veritable playground of infinite potential. Conversely, negative thoughts and emotions bring lower vibrational energy and experiences back at us.
Your thoughts and feelings create your reality
Think of your mind as a network of stations or streaming platforms, each broadcasting different programs. Some shows illicit laughter and love, while others stir darkness and angst. For example, if you frequently tune into a scary program, your thoughts and feelings will begin to resonate with the energy of fear.
What’s really frightening is that our minds are not as clever as we think; they play reruns. We have over 70,000 thoughts daily, and many are repetitive and negative when we examine them. In fact, according to the National Science Foundation, 80 percent of our thoughts are negative, and 95 percent are repetitive.
As our mind endlessly streams the fear program, dense particles accumulate in our energy field. The fear signal repeats, grows stronger, and triggers the adrenal glands to release the stress hormone cortisol, the leading cause of disease. Prolonged exposure to stress creates imbalances in cell walls, leaving cells exposed and helpless against invaders.
Science tells us that the neural pathways we use frequently are reinforced. Neurons that fire together wire together, so before too long, our outer world reflects the horror show inside our heads. Our energy field magnetizes low-vibrational experiences, hard-wiring our beliefs and shaping our realities. We feel, see, and experience fear everywhere. The world is now a dangerous place, a self-fulfilled prophecy.
Our greatest threat isn’t external; it is our mind. The brain controls and clouds our perception, spinning tall tales and stoking primitive responses designed to keep us safe, separate, and small. Most of us don’t want to believe we create our experiences. We feel more comfortable playing the part of the tragic victim or martyred hero. The identity and feelings of these personas create safety and familiarity and attract attention, which prohibits us from changing the hostile program we are running.
When misery becomes your comfort zone
In my mid-30s, I remember everything was a disaster. My father died suddenly; 6 months later, my sister and I had to relocate our mother to an Alzheimer’s care facility. I was recently divorced, lost my job, and flat broke with 4-year-old twins to support. Every evening, I threw myself a glorious pity party. I didn’t send invitations; I was the guest of honor and sole partygoer. With a tall glass of red wine in hand, I played sad songs repeatedly, lamenting how unfair life was. What did I do to deserve this?
I secretly loved the story I was bringing to life. A young mother alone in the world struggling to survive. I relished the pain, the feeling of being helpless, a victim. I felt strangely energized by this character I was playing. She was just and honorable, fighting the good fight, working hard, and doing her best. How tragic that the dark forces of nature were out to get her.
My pitiful persona and Lifetime TV movie ran for way longer than I care to admit. My world was a soap opera full of endless drama and mayhem until I became so sick of the stories that I changed the station.
I was down to my last pennies in the bank and about to sell my home when I consciously chose to create a new character and write a better script for the life I wanted to lead. This new protagonist was optimistic; she recognized the beauty in the little things around her instead of wallowing in the darkness. Instead of listening to the old defeatist program playing in my head, I wrote a new script for my mind to try out, one that aligned with my most coveted dreams. I changed my thinking and my life forever by shifting my perspective to see beyond my stories and self-limiting beliefs.
Little by little, I adopted the habits and attitudes of my new persona. When faced with a challenge, I tuned into the frequency of empowerment and opportunity instead of letting my mind play depressing reruns. I set my intentions for how I wanted to feel and think and what I wanted to accomplish each day. How would I feel if I got this job or that one? I pictured myself working at the organizations I applied for as if I already had the job. I had to embody the characteristics of abundance and confidence before it was my reality.
Six months later, I landed a job making double what I had before doing what I loved. I became the character I wanted to be: powerful, grateful, and loving.
You are your reality show’s writer, director, and actor.
Which words do you repeat in your head or aloud to describe yourself, your body, and your life? What is the quality of your energy? Do you frequently dread the start of a new day, or do you feel excited to explore and create?
Like attracts like, so if your thoughts and beliefs are limiting and negative, that will show up. When you habitually focus on what’s wrong or missing, you emit a vibrational frequency of lack, not having what you want. Conversely, telling your brain to feel peace, joy, and love strengthens those neural highways.
The wonderful thing about our minds is that we are constantly creating new neural pathways, which can be trained to work for us instead of against us. MRI research shows that your brain will rewire to higher-vibrational feelings within four weeks of starting a mindfulness meditative practice. When you can think better than you feel, you change your life. Match your vibration to that which you seek, and it is yours.
You are a powerful conscious creator of your experience. Don’t let your mind stream damaging programs or reruns. Develop a new script. Be the writer, director, and lead actor of your story. Make your tale an epic masterpiece, one that serves as the tipping point to create a reality where we all want to be.
Activity: Change your thoughts, change your life
The goal of this practice is to become aware of your inner dialogue so you can flip the negative belief into a new, positive one. This exercise is not about burying your pain with toxic positivity. The goal is to notice the quality of your thoughts without judgment.
Set a reminder on your phone to bring awareness to your thoughts a few times a day at random times.
Immediately write down your thoughts and feelings when you get the alert. Notice how you feel in your body. What were you doing at the time, and how did you feel? Resist the urge to judge the feeling or thought. Instead, be the casual observer of your thoughts and feelings.
Repeat daily for six weeks, and then review your journal entries. The words you capture will tell you which emotions need processing and releasing.
What words were repeated? Are they positive or negative?
What themes do you see?
How do you know these thoughts are true?
When you feel anxious or fearful, stop and notice the sensations in your body.
Where do you feel the emotion in your body?
What were you doing or thinking when the sensation came in?
What is the source of this feeling? Is it internal or external?
Give yourself time to shift your mindset. When you make yourself a priority, you will see change. Don’t worry. The world will respond in kind! Need some guidance to get started? Book a discovery call with me to explore how my transformational coaching and healing program can help you become the conscious creator of your life experience.