Who looks back at you in the mirror?

Is it you? Are you sure? Today I want to go a bit deeper into this idea of what makes us who we are. And to start with some "bang,” let me tell you that science today estimates that 95% of your brain activity is unconscious. Like an iceberg, the majority of who we are lies beneath the ice; the small top, or that 5%, is our conscious mind. That top is the command center!

In other words, the majority of the actions you will take, the emotions you will feel, and the thoughts you will think all depend mostly on that 95% of the brain activity that is beyond your conscious awareness, your subconscious mind.

The amazing fact is that your subconscious mind accepts and believes anything; it cannot tell the difference between what is real or false, good or terrible. The great orchestra conductor is your conscious mind; there the “recipe” is written, and then your unconscious mind takes anything you feed it, “bakes it,” and forms 95% of who you are.

Now probably you are thinking, “How do I feed the command center (aka conscious mind)?” It seems that repetition is the primary action you can take. This is how you learn everything, think of driving, think of riding a bicycle; you first do actions conciously, and then your unconscious mind “takes over,” and you can proudly have everything on "autopilot.”

Let’s take a look at fitness as an example. When someone tells you that your genes, schedule, or past behaviour make it impossible for you to achieve your fitness goals, and you allow that thought to upset you and become emotionally invested in it, your subconscious mind begins to accept that you will never be able to achieve your fitness goals. As a result, you will unconsciously engage in self-defeating behaviour.

Just take a moment to think about all the things you believe about the world and yourself. Do you really hold those beliefs? Because the truth is that most of who you are right now is not even you. We are faced with a lot of changes, whether we want it or not. We need to align with the only constant, which, surprise, is change!

Our mind is the great architect; the processes that happen there are mostly on autopilot, and yet, all the power is in our hands with the information we are giving it. Breaking out toxic patterns and establishing new constructive routines is always a challenge. In our day-to-day lives, our digital presence is based on applications that have invested billions to "steal" our attention, making us think about how it would be to x, y, and z (add your own), robbining us of the one moment that truly matters: NOW!

We live in a constant "battle," and if we let our guard down, we risk becoming what others want from us, a product of the "system." Becoming aware that within us lies infinite power is the first step towards great change. Start refusing to absorb outside main stream messages and become a strong individual on the inside, motivating others to do the same.

Start by “Feeding” your mind with “healthy food” because, as you can see, you have no “default settings”; you can be whoever you want to be and break all your beliefs if they no longer serve you well. Your reality is simply a reflection of you; your subconscious mind listens and creates what you “instruct it” to create.

Remember, you hold the key, control your mind, and control your life!

Original version of this article was first published on Medium