Your Brain Is Always Listening

1. Recognize and tame your Dragons from the Past to control your happiness

Dragons from the Past that are still breathing fire on our emotional centers, driving anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions.

Identify your dragons. There are 13 types of Dragons from the Past, including Abandoned, Anxious, Wounded, and Angry Dragons. These dragons are formed by past experiences and can significantly impact your current behavior and emotions.

Tame your dragons. Use strategies like:

• Finding the upside of your dragons
• Knowing your life's purpose
• Practicing forgiveness
• Reframing past experiences

By recognizing and taming these dragons, you can gain control over your emotional reactions and improve your overall happiness and well-being.

2. Be aware of how other people's dragons influence your thoughts and behaviors

Your brain is always listening to the words and actions of other people (They, Them, and Other Dragons), both alive and dead, who each have their own Dragons from the Past.

Understand external influences. Your thoughts and behaviors are constantly shaped by the dragons of others, including parents, siblings, friends, lovers, and even internet trolls. These influences can be both positive and negative.

Manage relationships consciously. To protect yourself from negative influences:

• Recognize how different relationships affect you
• Set boundaries with toxic people
• Cultivate relationships that support your growth
• Be mindful of the impact of social media and online interactions

By being aware of these external dragons, you can make conscious choices about who and what you allow to influence your thoughts and behaviors.

3. Challenge and reframe automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) to improve mental health

Thoughts are also automatic. They just happen.

Identify ANTs. Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) are unconscious thought patterns that can fuel anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Common types include:

• All-or-Nothing ANTs
• Fortune-Telling ANTs
• Mind-Reading ANTs
• Blaming ANTs

Challenge and reframe ANTs. Use a five-step process to question and reframe negative thoughts:

1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know it's true?
3. How do you feel when you have the thought?
4. Who would you be without the thought?
5. Turn the thought around to its opposite.

By consistently challenging and reframing ANTs, you can significantly improve your mental health and emotional well-being.

4. Identify and eliminate bad habits that undermine your well-being

Habits are behaviors that have been automated, so we barely need to think about them.

Recognize bad habits. Common Bad Habit Dragons include:

• Saying Yes, When You Should Say No
• Procrastinating
• Overeating
• Being Oblivious to health consequences

Break bad habits. Use a five-step process to eliminate harmful habits:

1. Identify the habit and track it
2. Identify cues or triggers
3. Understand the rewards or benefits
4. Find alternative ways to get the same benefits
5. Build a new routine

By consciously addressing and replacing bad habits, you can significantly improve your overall well-being and quality of life.

5. Protect yourself from manipulative external influences and "Scheming Dragons"

Scheming Dragons hook you into habits and addictions that will make them rich while doing you harm.

Identify Scheming Dragons. These include:

• Food Pusher Dragons
• Substance and Toxin Pusher Dragons
• Digital Dragons
• Contact Sports Dragons
• Holiday Dragons

Protect yourself. Use these strategies to outfox Scheming Dragons:

1. Recognize their tactics
2. Look past the messenger
3. Get the whole picture before acting
4. Don't make it easier for them to hook you
5. Limit exposure to their influence

By being aware of these external manipulations and taking steps to protect yourself, you can maintain better control over your choices and well-being.

6. Overcome addictions by addressing biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors

Slaying Addicted Dragons is complicated, and it requires more than an alert and healthy PFC (prefrontal cortex).

Understand addiction complexity. Addiction involves multiple factors:

• Biological (brain health, genetics)
• Psychological (past trauma, thought patterns)
• Social (relationships, environment)
• Spiritual (sense of purpose, connection)

Use a comprehensive approach. The 12-step Addicted Dragon Recovery Program includes:

1. Know what you want in life
2. Recognize when addiction has taken control
3. Care for and repair your brain
4. Practice forgiveness
5. Understand your brain type
6. Control cravings
7. Protect your pleasure centers
8. Eliminate negative influences
9. Address past traumas and negative thoughts
10. Seek support from others in recovery
11. Make amends for past harms
12. Strengthen your prefrontal cortex

By addressing all aspects of addiction and following a comprehensive recovery program, you can overcome addictive behaviors and regain control of your life.

7. Strengthen your "Dragon Tamer" (prefrontal cortex) for better decision-making and control

When the PFC (prefrontal cortex) is healthy and strong, it can help direct and supervise the addition of healthy habits. When it is weak, you are more easily influenced by untamed dragons, and your impulses can take over, causing many bad habits to form.

Understand the Dragon Tamer. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for executive functions like decision-making, impulse control, and planning. A strong PFC helps you manage dragons and make better choices.

Strengthen your Dragon Tamer. Use these strategies to improve PFC function:

• Get adequate sleep
• Eat a brain-healthy diet
• Exercise regularly
• Practice mindfulness and meditation
• Engage in challenging mental activities
• Limit stress and manage it effectively
• Avoid substances that impair PFC function (e.g., alcohol, drugs)

By consistently working to strengthen your Dragon Tamer, you can improve your ability to manage dragons, make better decisions, and maintain control over your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Last updated: August 21, 2024