Growing up in the 70s, there was a children’s book titled The Little Engine That Could. This train engine stretched himself a lot and got himself into trying situations that required his effort and energy to achieve difficult things. His mantra was, “I think I can, I think I can.” This powerful mantra reaffirms that with determination and perseverance, you have the power to do hard things. It’s not just mantras that drive our way of thinking and operating. The Default Mode Network (DMN) of your brain is at play here. DMN is your natural “go-to” when you are stressed, lack focus, or are not operating from conscious choice. A lot of what you think you can and cannot do lies in the power of the way you think.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
– Henry Ford

When the DMN is active, the brain is in a state of internally driven contemplation, reflecting on personal identity, past experiences, future plans, and the social world. This network is crucial for constructing an internal narrative and sense of self. Meaning what you think and how you feel is made up from past experiences, what someone has said about you, or a pattern ingrained in you. A lot of what lives in the DMN develops through childhood and adolescence, and includes experiences that shape our cognitive and emotional abilities.

The hippocampus, temporal lobes, and parietal lobes are all high-function areas of the brain that are potentially driving your DMN. Your memories of the past, along with the sensory associations linked to them, create internal connections and associations in the brain, thereby building importance and function around you. Your belief system and how you see your future all lie in these developing areas. Your future and how you operate are made up of the way your brain functions.

Self-awareness and self-management are key operating components for you and your DMN. The first part of the process involves becoming aware of and noticing the tendencies of your thoughts, as well as what the brain tends to cling to. Your sense of self, self-reference, mind wandering, and ability to daydream are all networks that drive the default. When we practice seeing ourselves and the world differently, we can bring into practice new ways of socially connecting. Thoughts and feelings can shift with practice. Empathy, in how we see others, can evolve so that we can grow simultaneously.

You influence your Default Mode Networks; they are not static. Your constant self-awareness, self-reflection, self-management, hope, and vision are all part of your journey forward. Hope is a valuable commodity, but it evolves with your cooperation and ability to create change. Affirming that change is hard and only becomes real once it’s practiced, it helps to strive forward and move past what is normal or feels usual. Your action is required to do so, but how?

Get clear about the change you desire. Align your thoughts and feelings around the change. Then set yourself up for success by journaling and practicing new patterns to support your growth. Eating and fueling yourself is what supports your immediate growth. Meditation and mindset affirm your capacity. Socializing, taking nature breaks, and limiting and censoring digital intake all contribute to this expansion of your DMN. Your evolution is in your brain, your mind, and your hands!