How Does Our Mind Understand Instructions?

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Don’t Think About an Elephant!

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And the first thing you do?

You think about an elephant! Maybe you even saw one clearly in your mind - a big grey body, flapping ears, maybe even a trunk swinging gently.

Strange, isn’t it? Especially since the instruction was not to think about one. This simple mental exercise reveals something powerful about how our minds truly work.

The unconscious mind - the part responsible for most of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors -doesn’t understand negative forms. In order not to do something, it has to imagine doing it first.

So, when you say, “Don’t be nervous,” your brain hears “Be nervous.” When you repeat, “I don’t want to fail,” your mind focuses on “fail.”

This is something I see all the time in the people I work with. They often have a clear idea of what they don’t want in life but struggle to define what they do want instead.

You might tell yourself, “I don’t want to be anxious,” “I don’t want to get it wrong,” or “I don’t want to be rejected.” And by doing so, you're actually giving instructions to your unconscious mind to focus on the very things you're trying to avoid. And without realizing it, you begin creating more of exactly that in your life.

What if we flipped the script now? Instead of focusing on what you don’t want, try directing your attention toward what you do want, with clarity and intention.

Start saying,

“I want to feel calm,” and truly feel the calm;

“I want to succeed,” and see yourself succeeding the way you want;

“I want to feel accepted,” and visualize what that means for you.

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This simple shift changes the direction of your thoughts and gradually, the direction of your life.

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Each word is an invitation – to go further in, and further up – to awaken.