Your Brain is Like a Laptop—and It’s Time for an Upgrade

You know that moment when your laptop slows down for no reason?

You’re clicking, waiting, getting frustrated… and it’s lagging like it’s stuck in 2005.

So you check Task Manager, and boom—a ton of background apps running. Things you didn’t even open. Things you forgot were there. And now? They’re draining all your power.

Well...your brain is doing the exact same thing.

• Your power source is the energy that keeps you alive and thinking.
• Your screen is how you experience life—your perception.
• The programs that are running in the background are all your thoughts and beliefs, all of which are shaping the way you see the world.

And here’s the game-changer:

We live in the feeling of our thinking, not our circumstances.

Most people believe that their emotions stem directly from what’s happening around them—their job, their relationships, their bank account, the economy. However, the truth is that our thoughts, not our circumstances, shape our emotions.

Two people can experience the exact same situation, yet one feels empowered while the other feels defeated. Why is this? Because their thoughts about the situation are completely different.

Our minds are constantly interpreting events, filtering reality through the lens of our beliefs, fears, and expectations. This means that your experience of life is NOT dictated by what happens—it’s shaped by the thoughts you entertain about the"what's happening."

Change the way you think, and you change the way you feel. Change the way you feel, and suddenly, your world looks completely different.

That means it’s not your job, your relationships, or your bank account that make you feel the way you do.

It’s your thoughts about those things that shape your reality.

Let’s break this down.

Your Power Source: The Energy That Runs Everything

A laptop without power? Useless.

Even the best software and brightest screen won’t work if they’re not plugged in or charged.

Our minds are the same. The energy that powers it—call it life force, awareness, or consciousness"—is always running.

BUT HERE'S THE TWIST: that energy doesn’t control what’s on your screen.

That’s up to you.

It's like right now in your bathroom, you can plug in your blowdryer, or your electric toothbrush or your shaver or your phone. Which ever appliance you plug in gets the energy. Energy flows to where your attention goes.

Your Screen: How You See the World

So, picture this: You open your laptop, and the screen displays a beautiful, sunny forest. Everything looks peaceful. Calm. Safe.

So, what if you change the settings?

Suddenly, the same forest takes on a dark, stormy appearance. The trees seem threatening. The wind howls. The whole vibe shifts.

Did the forest actually change? No.

What changed was how the screen displayed it.

That’s how your thoughts work.

If you focus on gratitude, your “screen” makes the world look brighter. If you focus on stress, fear, or doubt, your “screen” makes everything feel harder than it really is.

This is why we say, "We don’t live in our circumstances—we live in the feeling of our thinking.

Your Programs: Thoughts and Beliefs Running in the Background

Every new laptop comes with pre-installed software. Some of it is useful. Some? Not so much.

Your brain comes with mental programs installed by:

• Parents & teachers, shaping your idea of right and wrong.
• School & society, influencing how you see yourself.
• Past experiences, reinforcing what you believe to be true.

Some of these beliefs empower us, like, “I can figure things out.”

Others hold us back, like: “I’m just not good enough.”

But here’s the good news—just like on a laptop, one can delete old programs and install newer and better ones.

If your “mental screen” is showing a reality you don’t like… it’s time for an upgrade.

The Background Apps: When Thoughts Won’t Stop Running

Ever had a laptop slow down because too many apps are running at once?

Even the ones you’re not using still drain power in the background.

Our brain does the same thing:

• Replays past mistakes.
• Worries about the future.
• Loops in negative thoughts.

This is called rumination, and it’s like having 37 browser tabs open, all playing videos at full volume. (BTW: The neuroscience term for this is our brains Default Mode Network.). DMN

As an example, here’s how it happens:

Let's say you get an email about a missed deadline.

• That reminds you of a past failure.
• That failure reminds you of a time you felt embarrassed.
• Suddenly, a tiny thought turns into a massive emotional spiral.

A single thought can hijack your entire mental system.

So what’s the fix?

Close the background apps.

? Notice when you’re stuck in a thought loop.

? Ask yourself, “Do I really need to keep running this program?”

? Shift your focus to something else.

When you clear out mental clutter, your brain runs smoother and faster—just like a well-optimized laptop.

How to Upgrade Your Mental Laptop

Most people don’t realize they’re running on outdated mental software. But you have the power to:

1) Check Your Apps (Beliefs)

• Are your beliefs helping you or slowing you down?
• If a belief is negative, replace it with a better one.

2) Close Background Apps (Stop Overthinking)

• Catch yourself when a negative thought loops.
• Ask, “Is this thought useful?”
• Choose a different focus.

3) Update Your Browser (Change Perspective)

• If you don’t like what you’re seeing in life, change the search query.
• Instead of “Why am I failing?”, try “What can I learn from this?”

4) Upgrade Your Operating System (Expand Awareness)

• Pay attention to the mental programs running.
• Realize that thoughts are just thoughts—you don’t have to believe all of them.
• Your experience comes from the thoughts you engage with—not the outside world.

Final Takeaway: You Control the System

• A laptop doesn’t decide what apps to run.

You do.

• Your brain doesn’t decide what thoughts to focus on.

You do.

If you don’t like the mental programs running in the background, you can change them.

Ask yourself:

• Am I running on old software I didn’t choose?
• Do I have background thoughts draining my energy?
• What new “apps” (beliefs) do I want to install?

Because once you take control of your mental laptop, you can design any reality you choose.

#Mindset #Neuroscience #EmotionalIntelligence #UpgradeYourMind #SelfLeadership