Episode 011 – Rewire your brain for superhuman clarity (WORKS INSTANTLY)

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Note: This blog post serves as an accompaniment to the corresponding podcast episode of A Changed Mind, where we’ll distill down the core ideas of this week’s theme, along with additional distinctions and insights. If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, you can go here to do so.  Enjoy.

Rewire Your Brain For Superhuman Clarity

Clarity might not initially strike you as an exciting topic, but reflecting upon my myriad coaching conversations, live events, and daily interactions, it’s evident how deeply people crave clarity. They seek clarity about their life’s vision, purpose, desired relationships, and business aspirations.

And it’s not just about the what – what do I want to create – it’s also about the how – how do I get there. People desire not only a clear vision of their end goal but also a defined path to achieve it. This concept of clarity is central to creating meaningful change in one’s life. It underpins the teachings of great masters, principles of neuroscience, and tenets of behavioral psychology.

The Path To Obtaining Clarity 

Many times, when we feel trapped or stuck, the underlying cause is a lack of clarity. If you’ve ever felt directionless regarding your ambitions, relationships, or business goals, it often boils down to not having a clear vision or plan.

That’s precisely why clarity is so important – it’s the fuel for our creativity. It parallels the notion of having a clear vision and direction you want to go. Whether it’s about your personal life, relationships, or family dynamics, clarity defines your future aspirations. It’s foundational to creation and akin to imagination. When you possess clarity, you begin constructing neural networks in your brain, essentially crafting memories of a yet-to-happen future. This clarity kickstarts the entire creative process, aligning us with the right thoughts and ideas.

Now, it’s important to understand that the pursuit of unlocking more clarity is a transformative journey. A common mistake many people make when seeking clarity is the assumption that they must actively chase it down. We often believe we need to hustle, grind, or discover some magic formula. This quest often leads to comparison, where we mirror others’ paths, mistakenly adopting their goals as our own. This approach forms a false image of what our life should resemble, borrowing from mere observations.

However, the essence of achieving clarity isn’t about figuring things out. Instead, it’s about recognizing the barriers within us that impede the natural flow of clarity we inherently possess. But the key to a clearer vision lies in identifying and eliminating these obstacles and understanding that clarity itself is always within us, just waiting to be tapped into.

A lot of people have this misconception that they should inherently possess more clarity than they currently do. But true clarity comes from creating internal space, enabling us to fully grasp and understand our vision. Historically, our perspective is reminiscent of the geocentric model of the universe, where Earth was seen as the center. This flawed perception mirrors our belief that we must seek external solutions for our internal blockages.

However, just as Copernicus shifted our cosmic perspective by placing the Sun at the center, we need to adjust our personal models. It isn’t about seeking external validation but recognizing that internal barriers hinder our clarity. By addressing this internal resistance, we pave the way to achieving genuine clarity in our lives.

Understanding the Dual Facets Of Clarity

Typically, people seek two distinct forms of clarity. The first pertains to defining what we truly desire. In the hustle of our daily lives, marked by dissatisfaction with jobs, relationships, finances, or health, we often find ourselves engrossed in what we don’t want. This fixation can overshadow our understanding of our genuine desires, especially when it comes to profound topics like life’s purpose or spiritual vision.

The second clarity revolves around the pathway to achieve these desires—the ‘how’. People wish not only to determine their aspirations but also to map out a strategy to realize them. A lack of clarity in either realm results in a feeling of stagnation.

To illustrate this, consider the pursuit of experiencing more joy in your life. Many yearn for a more joyful life experience, recognizing their current unhappiness, anxiety, or sense of overwhelm. However, if they cannot articulate what this joy looks like, their chances of achieving it remain slim. This vagueness often traps them in the status quo—enduring the same stress, dissatisfaction, and unfulfilling circumstances.  Similarly, in the context of relationships, while many wish to meet their soulmate, they might not have a clear vision of their ideal partner. 

To put this into context: In December 2012, I decided I would meet a beautiful, intelligent, entrepreneurial Colombian woman and make her my wife. Ten days later, I met Carol Gutierrez Bayer, who is now my wife and partner in all things life and business. I had clear intentions, but the path to achieving it was unknown. This highlights two primary facets of clarity: knowing what you desire and understanding the means to achieve it.

A lot of people falter at the first step because of a prevailing limiting belief: “I have no idea.” When faced with the question of what they truly want, most respond with uncertainty, as if absolute, detailed clarity is a prerequisite to wanting change.

As you know if you’ve been following along in this community – our beliefs wield immense power. If you’re convinced that you’re clueless, then even the insights within your reach remain obscured. Like Henry Ford once said, “The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.” So if you’re convinced of your lack of clarity, you block out potential ideas from your consciousness.

Breaking Free From The “I Have No Idea” Trap

The reality is, we always possess some semblance of an idea about the changes we wish for. This initial spark of insight or desire is, in itself, an indicator of some level of clarity. Recognizing and affirming this insight can pave the way to more profound understanding.

But a common roadblock preventing most of us from achieving greater clarity in our aspirations to realize them is this persistent belief that we need 100% clarity from the outset – this is a myth. Success often requires a leap of faith, navigating through the unknown, and gaining clarity progressively, over time.

The first crucial step to harnessing clarity and eradicating barriers is to break free from the self-limiting belief of “I have no idea.” By doing so, you open doors to envisioning the next chapters of your life with greater lucidity and conviction.

So how do you do that?  Start by shift your mindset from “I have no idea” to “Here’s an idea I have.” Once we shed the limitations of believing we must be entirely clear from the outset, we open doors to deeper understanding.

To gain clarity on what you truly desire, you must revisit and exercise your latent abilities of discernment and curiosity. Over time, many of us lose touch with these innate capacities. This loss often begins in childhood when we misinterpret the instructions and intentions of our parents, which begin the installation of our core limiting beliefs. This is  suppressed further by industrialized education systems and traditional workforce structures, which lead us to believe we’re all just these cogs in a machine deprived of free will or thought.

Life’s routine often stifles our ability to discern what we genuinely want and we lose the ability to flex this muscle. Just think about it and you might come to realize that it’s been a while since you genuinely contemplated your desires.

Deciding What You DON’T Want To Get Clear On What You DO Want

A helpful technique is using current life circumstances as a reference point. Reflect on past moments when you felt unsure about your choices or made a decision with a less-than-favorable outcome. Use these instances, even those of discomfort, as catalysts to clarify your aspirations. In other words = take inventory of what you’re experiencing in your life now that you don’t like. Typically, the opposite of those things is what you truly do want. This introspection can serve as a powerful springboard for gaining clarity. For instance:

• If you’re on medications due to anxiety, you might seek to develop an innate calmness and centeredness free of medication.
• If you’re unhappy with the cycle of toxic relationships you’ve been in, you might desire a harmonious partnership based on mutual values and personal growth.
• If you’re struggling financially every month, your desire is most likely one of financial abundance, new income sources, or a career change.

Look at the life you have and the things you don’t like about it, identify the natural contrast of those things, and those opposites become your desires.

The clarity about what you want sets your destination, allowing you to plan your journey. Recognizing and pinpointing these desires is crucial, as you can’t navigate towards an unclear destination. With the ‘what’ established, the ‘how’ follows naturally. But it’s important to understand that gaining clarity, whether about what you want or how to achieve it, is a gradual process. After all, your desires will evolve over time, so it’s pivotal to continuously reassess and align with your current goals.

The Power of Questions in Gaining Clarity

A crucial tool in this quest for gaining clarity is asking powerful questions. For instance, when I sought out to attract my soulmate (Carol), I asked myself, “Who do I need to be to attract the partner I desire?” And I literally sat down and wrote out who I needed to be in order to attract her – selfless, compassionate, goal-oriented, ambitious, well-presented, and so on.

Questions are super powerful because the brain operates much like a search engine, sifting through your experiences to provide answers. The nature of the question you pose significantly influences the response you’ll get. Asking, “Why can’t I achieve what others have?” might yield negative results, perpetuating feelings of inadequacy. But asking quality, constructive questions can begin to unlock additional clarity on the ‘how’ and help you to bridge the gap between the desires you have right now and the materialization of that desire into your life.

Navigating The Path To Clarity 

It’s essential to understand that clarity might not always be immediate. It can often feel elusive, like navigating through fog. Instead of pressuring yourself to have instant clarity, focus on what’s apparent. Just as when driving in foggy conditions, you rely on the immediate visibility before you; in life, work with the clarity you have, knowing more will unveil itself in time.

One of the things that I encourage people to not do is pressure yourself to have clarity that doesn’t exist for you right now. Instead, be willing to establish the clarity that does. This requires some patience, as you must give the opportunity for the vision to unfold for you in order for clarity to occur.

So, rather than forcing the issue, pose questions. Ask for guidance, much like a prayer. For example, in moments of ambiguity about our business strategy, Carol and I would earnestly seek clarity. We’d express our openness to insights on our next steps or ways to achieve our objectives.

This shouldn’t be misconstrued as passive ‘waiting’ or doing nothing at all. But when you exercise the right level of patience and more thoughts and ideas begin to unfold, it’s your responsibility to be a steward of the clarity that unfolds before you and take the right actions to materialize it.

Achieving Superhuman Clarity 

To achieve unparalleled, superhuman levels of clarity, it’s essential to revisit these core principles: 

Relax.
Enjoy.
Have a clear vision.
Be open and make space.
Avoid rushing the process.
Ask intentional questions.
Remain open to evolution.

Remember, clarity is your innate birthright. You don’t need to seek it externally; all the answers reside within you. To harness this superhuman level of clarity, focus on identifying and eliminating the internal resistance standing in your way of knowing what you want and the steps to achieving it.

Regardless of what you desire – a more fulfilling life, advancing in your health, nurturing relationships, enhancing wealth, growing your business, refining your emotional experiences, deepening your spiritual journey, or discovering your purpose – the clarity you seek is both within you and right in front of you.