Your mind is like a puppy.

Your mind is like a puppy.
If you take an untrained puppy on a walk- it's going to try to pull you in all different directions
It will roll in something dead and try to run out in front of traffic to chase a leaf that’s blowing across the road
It’s going to be scared of new situations and places it's never been
It might eat something it's not supposed to
It WILL act impulsively
That doesn’t mean you just let it do these things
You don’t just stand there are let it roll in shit and say “oh, thats just the way it is!”
You stop the puppy from doing those things, because YOU are holding the leash.
You direct it away from what it shouldn't do and you teach it what it CAN do

If there isn’t anyone around that knows how to train it, the puppy will keep practicing these chaotic behaviors and grow into a dog with behavioral issues
It might end up reactive, aggressive and fearful
It could even turn out the opposite- overly friendly, jumping up and licking everyone. Knocking people down and hurting them because they can’t control their excitement

Both outcomes suck. Both are unregulated dogs that don’t know how to properly behave
However, WITH the proper training and guidance- these problem behaviors usually won’t develop
Even if they are predisposed to behaviors due to breed or other genetics, the behaviors are usually able to be managed or channeled into other more productive outlets
The amazing thing about this is that YOU are the one holding the leash of your puppy-mind
As humans, we have access to higher thought
We have access to books, videos, skills, abstract thought & future planning.
We can literally train ourselves
We can even teach ourselves HOW to train ourselves- like I did by studying it all for the last decade
Nobody volunteered to teach me these things.
Every time you notice your mind chasing a leaf and running directly into a busy street, you can pull the leash back
You can direct your mind to something else
Go into it KNOWING that your mind WILL keep trying to chase the leaf
Especially if its practiced doing so for 30-50+ years. It's a habit.
Pull the focus back anyway
Remember that you are the one holding the leash
Over and over and over again
Until your mind learns not to.
Repetition. Repetition. Repetition
You formed the current habit by repeating it and you can literally form any other habit you want, by repeating it.
Don’t give up
You will fail at times
You will fall completely off course
You will sometimes not realize that you rolled in shit again until after its too late.
Go wash it off and try again.
It doesn't matter how many times it happens
It only matters that you try again
That you pick up the leash and decide where you want to go
The one holding the leash has alllll the power
If you ever decide that you want help figuring out how to pick up the leash to take your power back, and accountability to do so- book a private session with me or apply for one of my one-on-one programs on my website.
I live for these transformations