Does this statement seem shocking to you? It may sound like an exaggeration, but it's absolutely real.
Our brain wants to keep us safe. It wants to protect us. And it does this by any means. Even by inventing all sorts of "stories" formulated so sophisticatedly that they seem perfectly real.
Stories that tell us:
- "Better not to risk it."
- "It's not the right time."
- "You're not good enough."
These stories aren't always reality. They are often mechanisms of protection.
A concern I constantly have is: how can I make my brain an ally, not an enemy? How do I translate that "NO" the brain tells me? How do I tell the difference between what it tells me that's real and what it tells me just to protect me?
The good part is that, over time, once you become aware of these things, "the brain starts to trust you." It understands you can handle it — you know and can manage more complex situations. If we personify the brain, it's as if we start functioning better together.
Scientifically speaking, our brain is built to favor safety, not happiness or evolution. It operates through cognitive distortions, biases and defense mechanisms that make us see the world through a filter.
- Negativity bias → we place more emphasis on bad things than good ones.
- Catastrophizing → we always anticipate the worst-case scenario.
- Illusion of control → we believe we can control more than we actually can.
All these help us avoid danger, but they can also limit and block us.
What we can do is stop and ask ourselves: "Is this real, or just a story my brain is telling me?"
From that moment, we start reclaiming our freedom. The freedom to try. The freedom to be wrong. But in the end, the freedom to succeed!
