Train Your Brain

“Training your brain begins in the bathroom mirror every single morning.”

— Mel Robbins

You can listen to this AudioBlog or watch the animated episode on YouTube or Spotify.

How the Brain Filters Reality
Have you ever noticed that once you start thinking about something, you start seeing it everywhere? Like when you learn a new word and suddenly hear it in conversations, or when you start looking at a certain kind of car and now it seems to be on every street?

That’s not magic—it’s your Reticular Activating System (RAS) at work.

This tiny yet powerful part of your brain is constantly filtering what you pay attention to. And here’s the best part: You can actually train your RAS to help you focus on what matters most in your life.

This is closely connected to habit development, so it benefits us all to learn a little about the RAS.

Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense— plus real-life examples and strategies to make your brain work for you instead of against you.

What is the Reticular Activating System?
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves located in your brainstem, and its main job is to regulate what information gets through to your conscious mind. It also contributes to emotional regulation and stress management. Just a couple positive side effects of some simple priming efforts that link conscious input with unconscious output.

Neuroscientist Dr. Joe Dispenza explains that the RAS is the bridge between thought and reality— where the power of intention meets the science of the brain.

Your brain is hit with millions of bits of information every minute— sounds, sights, smells, feelings, thoughts— but you don’t notice all of them. Instead, your RAS acts like a filter, deciding what’s important and what to ignore.

Think of the RAS like a gatekeeper or security at any real-life event. It lets in VIP guests (the positive things your brain decides are important) and keeps the rest of the crowd out (the distracting stuff that can create mental chaos).

It does this by looking for patterns that match what you’re already thinking about. That’s why when you start focusing on something— whether it’s a goal, a worry, or an interest— your brain starts bringing related information to your attention.

In other words, we have primed our brain cells. This is a lot like clearing a path through deep snow or finding steady footing despite an uneven terrain. Priming makes things easier for any future messages to travel through the mind.

If the brain is primed, then that’s what it finds.

Ever woken up from a daydream to the sound of your name being called, even in a noisy room? That’s because your name is important to you, so your RAS is tuned in to hear it— even if busy and even while you sleep. A lifetime of priming makes this possible.

Your Brain in Everyday Life
The RAS explains a lot of things you experience without even realizing it.

• The New Car Effect
  You start thinking about a certain type of car, and now you see it everywhere.

• The Selective Hearing Effect
  You can ignore background noise but immediately notice when someone says something relevant to you.

• The Confidence Effect
  If you tell yourself, “I’m bad at math,” your RAS will highlight every struggle you have with numbers and filter out the wins. If you tell yourself, “I can get better at math,” your brain will start noticing progress and ways to improve.

• The Law of Attraction
  People talk about manifesting success, but the science behind it is really just the RAS at work. When you focus on positive opportunities, your brain starts noticing them more often.

Authors and speakers like Brian Tracy and Tony Robbins liken the Reticular Activating System to the compass of our consciousness. It filters the sensory noise— not just auditory but also the visual, olfactory, and emotional bombardment— allowing us to focus on what truly matters. The RAS is the key to creating the life we desire. It is the navigator of our destiny. Instead of negative self-degradation, we can find clarity in positive affirmations.

In short, the RAS controls what gets our attention. And what gets our attention shapes our reality.

Training Your RAS to Work for You
The coolest thing about the RAS? You can train it. Just like a muscle, your brain can be conditioned to focus on what you really want it to focus on.

• Set Clear Goals
  Your brain thrives on clarity. If you give it a clear direction, it will start filtering information that helps you reach your goal. Instead of saying, “I want to be healthier,” be specific:

  ✅ “I will drink 80 ounces of water per day.”
  ✅ “I will write in my journal for 15 minutes every other morning.”
  ✅ “I will practice my music scales in at least 2 starting keys each evening.”

  When your brain knows exactly what to look for, it will start spotting opportunities to take action.

• Use Positive Self-Talk
  Your brain believes what you tell it. If you constantly think, “I’ll never be good at this,” your RAS will highlight all the reasons why that’s true. But if you start saying, “I’m learning and getting better every day,” your RAS will pick up on progress and opportunities to grow.

  This applies to everything—sports, school, friendships, confidence. Your thoughts shape what your brain focuses on, and that focus shapes your reality.

  Try This: Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” reframe it as, “I can’t do this yet, but I’m learning.”

• Visualize Success
  Athletes and performers use visualization all the time. Before a big test, game, or event, picture yourself succeeding. Imagine yourself answering questions with confidence, nailing your performance, or crossing the finish line strong.

  Why does this work? Because your brain doesn’t always know the difference between real experiences and vividly imagined ones. Weird but true. When you repeatedly visualize success, your RAS starts aligning your thoughts and actions to make that success happen.

• Surround Yourself with What You Want to Become
  Your RAS is influenced by your environment. If you want to be more fit, follow fitness experts who inspire you. If you want to do better in school, hang out with people who value learning. If you want to be socially cheerful, limit time with negative influences and consume content that lifts you up.

  The more you expose yourself to positive input, the more your brain will pick up on it. Let’s be clear, however: toxic positivity is a real thing. Careful to be honest with your emotions; we’re all allowed to be down from time to time.

Focus on Success Through Habits
The Reticular Activating System is always working— it’s just a matter of what you’re training it to focus on. The good news? You’re in control.

In Health Class, we use the THINK acronym to analysis influences on our mental health and decide how to respond. Are the messages we consume and pass along true? Are the helpful? Inspiring? Necessary? Kind?

THINK. When we consume negativity, we tend to exude negativity.

If the brain is primed, then that’s what it finds.

• Want to see more good in your life? Start focusing on gratitude.

• Want to be more confident? Start noticing your small wins.

• Want to improve in school, sports, art, music, or other personal goals? Train your brain to look for opportunities, not obstacles.

When we think and speak about the RAS, we’re also talking about making habits that stick. And healthy habits require us to be aware of and purposeful in our thinking, feeling, and behaving. At least to start.

Once something becomes natural and second nature, we’ve established a new habit system for our brain to maintain neural pathways for continued success.

Remember, your reality is shaped by what you choose to focus on. So choose wisely.

Resources
For more motivation and learning, here are some resources on my AMAZON STOREFRONT I recommend checking out.

• The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins

• Imaginable by Jane McGonigal

• When by Daniel Pink

• Mindset by Carol Dweck

• And more…

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