The Reticular Activating System

The Filter of the Mind

Have you ever been heard your name said from across a crowded room?

Despite the background noise, commotion, and conversation you were in the middle of, the sound of your name immediately caught your attention

If you’ve ever purchased a car, did you suddenly start to see that same model everywhere?

Has it ever felt like your phone vibrated in your pocket, but when you look for the notification, you find that you must have imagined the feeling?

Each of these reactions can be attributed to our RAS – the Reticular Activating System

It is a part of our brain that acts like a filter, like a funnel, helping us focus in on certain aspects of our environment

What is fascinates me is that the RAS is working whether we realize it or not

Our subconscious and conscious are constantly determining what we see as meaningful ?

While we may not even be aware of it, it is affecting how we perceive reality

The RAS is a significant component of how you see the world

It is a major force in shaping your Personal Matrix, and how you see yourself in it

Think of the phrase, “You see what you are looking for”

That is how the RAS functions

It creates a heightened sense of awareness for what is important

And it helps us reduce the attention our brains allocate to that which is non-important

I believe there is a direct connection between this and Giving Kindness

When we begin to look for opportunities to compliment others, we start noticing different things

The situation may be exactly the same, but how we perceive it, and what the RAS brings into focus changes

Instead of immediately finding a reason to judge someone, we look for something nice about them

And we begin to notice all sorts of aspects that were previously invisible to us

Sure our eyes could see them, but our brains didn’t deem that information important

We can SEE the same SITUATION differently as a result of how our RAS functions

Most of the time our RAS continues to run on auto-pilot

What was previously important, remains important

What is unimportant, stays unimportant

Until we decide that we’d like to Rewire our Matrix, it will continue as is

But it can be Rewired, the RAS does change…

?

Let’s return to the example of your new car

All of a sudden, it seems like the same make and model is everywhere

But that car didn’t suddenly just start showing up

You gave yourself a reason to look for it

The make and model of your new car created meaning, it now has significance

Without realizing it, you restructured what your brain saw as important

You adjusted your Reticular Activating System

You Rewired Your Matrix

I talk a lot about previous scripting

The subconscious habits, reactions, and tendencies we’ve picked up externally

90% of the time, we find ourselves on auto-pilot,

Living out these scripts without even realizing it

This is where you can use your RAS to your advantage

Start to look for your auto-pilot habits

Which ones do you have that serve you?

Start slowly if you need to

Maybe it’s just brushing your teeth before bed, or putting your keys in the same place each night

But when you start to examine yourself, you’ll find a lot of beneficial things you do daily without even thinking about

Some of them may be from positive scripts we learned growing up

And some of them may be intentional habits you scripted yourself

You are capable of scripting yourself in positive ways

Now let’s examine the other side of the coin

What are some subconscious habits that may not serve you?

Maybe it’s looking at your phone first thing in the morning

Or turning on the TV each time you sit down to eat?

Perhaps your-self talk is far more negative than you realized

Are you multitasking without even noticing it?

No one is perfect, and we all have areas for improvement

Identifying our opportunities for growth isn’t easy, but it allows us to unlock our potential

By understanding the power of your RAS, you can begin to change what you look for

And by changing what you look for, you’ll begin to change what you see

When we intentionally take control of what we see, we put ourselves in the best position for success

As you go about the rest of your week, as yourself:

“What is my Reticular Activating System focused on?”

If you’ve found this perspective helpful, please share it with a friend

PS: This is the 30th edition of the Thought of the Day to hit LinkedIn!

I want to say thank you to all those who have read, supported, and encouraged my work

Hearing about the impact it has made brings me great joy

I look forward to sharing continued thoughts, writing, and perspectives

Sincerely yours,

Jack Crabtree