The human brain is a powerhouse, taking in around 11 million bits of information per second through the senses. But here’s the catch: your conscious mind can only handle about 50 to 100 bits at a time. That means the vast majority of what’s happening around you never even reaches your awareness.
So how does your brain decide what to show you?
It shows you what it thinks is important to you.
Ever notice how, when you’re thinking about buying a red car, you suddenly start seeing red cars everywhere? That’s not magic. That’s your brain doing its job. It’s saying, “Ah, red cars matter to you; I’ll make sure you notice them.”
This is thanks to a part of your brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). It acts like a filter between the billions of sensory inputs and the handful your conscious mind can focus on.
“The Reticular Activating System is the gatekeeper of information between your conscious and subconscious mind. It responds to what you repeatedly think about.”
— Dr. Tara Swart, neuroscientist and author of The Source
This is one of the simplest explanations behind the idea that we “create our own reality.” It’s not that the red cars just showed up. It’s that your brain filtered them in, because you trained it to do so.
Now, here’s where it gets powerful, and personal.
If you constantly think about worst-case scenarios, self-doubt, or what’s lacking, your brain will highlight more of that. It will put on your radar the things that confirm your fears or limitations. Not because it’s trying to sabotage you, but because you’re signaling: “This is what matters.”
But you can choose differently.
If you train your brain to focus on solutions, gratitude, opportunity, or compassion, it will start bringing those things forward. Not because the world has changed, but because you’re noticing a different slice of it. A better one.
This is why focusing on elevated emotions, like curiosity, appreciation, or courage, doesn’t just “feel good.” It literally rewires what your brain believes is important, and therefore what it lets through the filter into your conscious experience.
You always have more input than you know. But the brain is a gatekeeper. If you want to see a better version of reality, you don’t have to change everything. You just have to start changing what you focus on.
Try this:
Each morning this week, write down three things you want to notice more of: like opportunities, kind people, creative solutions, or moments of calm.
You’ll be surprised how often your brain starts surfacing them, just because you told it to.