Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility in shaping one's destiny through the power of the mind, while also acknowledging the impact of individual circumstances.

Abstract

The text discusses the role of the brain in creating our thoughts, emotions, and aspirations, which in turn influence our interactions with the world and shape our fate. It critiques the misuse of Nelson Mandela's quote by self-help gurus, clarifying that Mandela's message was not about everyone achieving extraordinary wealth or fame, but rather about personal growth and overcoming one's unique challenges. The article encourages readers to set achievable goals based on a realistic assessment of their circumstances, stressing that while we are responsible for our thoughts and actions, we must also recognize our limitations and the influence of external factors. It suggests that by focusing on attainable objectives and committing to them passionately, individuals can rise above their circumstances and take control of their lives.

Opinions

The author believes that it is dishonest for privileged individuals to blame the underprivileged for their suffering, suggesting that society plays a significant role in determining one's starting point in life.
The misinterpretation of Nelson Mandela's quote by self-help gurus to push a narrative of personal fault for not achieving success is seen as misguided and unrealistic.
The author argues that personal growth and success are relative and should be measured against one's own potential and circumstances, not against external benchmarks like wealth or fame.
There is an emphasis on the idea that individuals have the power to change their self-image and overcome fears, which is crucial for personal development and achieving goals.
The author posits that while we are not entirely in control of our circumstances, we are responsible for how we respond to them, and this response is shaped by our brain and mindset.
The article suggests that setting realistic goals is the first step towards progress, and that achieving these goals leads to a sense of freedom and empowerment.
The author encourages self-reflection to identify personal obstacles and take responsibility for overcoming them, rather than making excuses or succumbing to societal pressures.

It’s Just You And Your Brain

Our thoughts, feelings, fears, plans, and dreams all have one thing in common: They originate in your brain. These products of your mind determine how you interact with the world and, therefore, determine your fate. Use this knowledge.

“ Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do. “

Nelson Mandela

This sentence is often quoted by self-help gurus to make people feel guilty. No matter how poor, underprivileged, oppressed, or sick you are, you would still have no excuse for not being successful.

It’s dishonest. Privileged people should not point the finger at the underprivileged and tell them that it is their own fault that they suffer.

Telling people that anyone can be an Elon Musk if you just change your attitude is bullshit. I don’t think that’s what Nelson Mandela had in mind when he said that sentence that I quote above.

He is clearly not saying that anyone can become rich and famous, as many self-help gurus promise their readers. Mandela talks about how anyone can rise above the circumstances in which he or she lives. This is about a better life than what society wants to grant a person.

Mandela himself has gone from a prisoner to head of state, but he doesn’t expect everyone to make the same leap.

To rise above, one’s circumstances can be done on a much smaller scale. Being the first in your family to go to university can be such a step.

Each of us lives in different circumstances, so the leaps we can make are also different in size.

So let’s take Mandela’s quote and think about its meaning for us personally. What circumstances can you rise above, and what goals can you achieve if you work passionately and devotedly for them?

Only when we have made this clear, are we really free in our decisions. From now on, we can make progress without having to justify to ourselves why we are not even more ambitious and courageous.

So that’s settled. Now we know the target area. We are not trying to target goals that are far out of our reach, but goals that we think are a little out of our reach. So, instead of becoming the wealthiest person in the world, we might want to become economically more successful than our parents.

So we must indeed make every effort, but we do not have to overtax ourselves hopelessly if we realistically assess our initial situation.

There is no reason we should not set ourselves more ambitious goals later, once we have completed this significant first step. We should just not start with the step after next in our minds.

Let us return to the title of this article. There is only you and your brain. After we have realistically assessed our starting position, this sentence is true. We now know what is just beyond our reach, and we can target it.

This is the point where excuses no longer apply. Since we determine what we think, feel, fear, dream, and plan, we also have full responsibility for each of these points.

A working-class child who wants to go to university may feel inferior, fear rejection, and not know how to design a strategic plan. But all of these difficulties can be overcome to the extent necessary for the specific goal being pursued.

You don’t suddenly have to believe that you can achieve everything, but you can convince yourself that you can accomplish this one goal precisely.

If you do not know how to overcome fear, read about it, do therapy, or confront that fear.

If you notice that a negative self-image is standing in your way, correct it. It may be difficult, but you know it is possible. How many times in life have you changed your self-image? Everyone was a beginner at something and is now a professional. Remember the beginnings when you felt very insecure in one area and compare it to today. You feel that you can easily cope with the thing that once intimidated you, today.

Recognize that this is a universal principle and realize that you will do the same with your ambitious goal if you only make every effort and trust the process.

There is only you and your brain. Who really put the most obstacles in your way in the past? Most likely, you yourself. Friends, society, the economy, and politics all may have tried to force you in a particular direction or to leave a path you have chosen. But in the end, it was you who decided to give in to the pressure.

You use your brain to decide what to do and what not to do. When your brain tells your legs to run, they run. If your brain tells you to give up, you give up. But you are not your brain. You are you plus your brain.

No matter how we explain this duality philosophically or neuroscientifically, we know from our own experience that it is a real duality. We can say that our brain can think about itself, or we can say that our self, which lives in the brain, thinks about the brain.

In the end, there is only you and your brain. Your life is as you decide it, together with your brain.

René Junge a published author writing on ILLUMINATION.

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