I think a lot of people rarely take the time to really sit with themselves, to think about who they are, where their mind wanders, and why. The other day, I was paying attention to my thoughts, and it struck me how unusual that is. Most people do not really listen to their own mind.
As I started questioning my thoughts, one big question came to me: What does your brain do when you are not actively feeding it something to think about?
I call it a “prompt” because in today’s world we are used to prompting AI systems. But our brains work in a similar way. If you do not give your mind direction, your subconscious takes over, flashing reminders, images, and patterns from whatever you have previously exposed it to.
That got me wondering how many people truly pay attention to their subconscious. Because if you do, it reveals a lot about what you have been feeding your mind.
For me, I noticed flashes of scenes from Mr. Robot and A Different World. Then my mind jumped to work and ideas about making more money. That told me two things. First, I have been immersed in work and providing for my family. Second, when I want to escape, I turn to shows that distract me. For me, entertainment is really just another form of distraction.
That made me think about people from the past, someone like Isaac Newton. Newton did not have TV, TikTok, or endless notifications. His distractions were limited. He had books, curiosity, and the world itself. His brain was his ultimate tool, and he spent his idle moments immersed in thought experiments.
I wonder, is that still possible today? Can we still make our brains the ultimate tool? And if so, do people even choose to?
It feels like mental sharpness is no longer the hot commodity it once was. Today, society values social appeal, physical appearance, and charisma over deep thinking. Do not get me wrong. I still think there is great value in thinkers, and I consider myself one. But it is not what the world leads with anymore.
Now you can have someone who barely thinks deeply running a multibillion dollar company, powered by AI and good branding. So where does that leave those of us who still want to sharpen the mind? Do we fade into the background, or do we reshape the system and become something greater?
This line of thinking also ties back to knowing who you are. Recently, I drove past a neighborhood full of beautiful multimillion dollar homes. As I looked at them, I realized something about myself. I do not actually desire those homes just for the sake of saying I own one.
Yes, they are beautiful. But my first thought was not, “I want to live there.” It was, “I would rather build that house than live in it.”
That small realization told me a lot about how I see myself in society. Maybe it is my entrepreneurial spirit, maybe it is my mindset, but the act of building appeals to me more than simply enjoying what has been built.
And that is important. Because when you really examine your desires, you discover whether they are true or false. Some people chase things they do not actually care about such as luxury homes, titles, and lifestyles because they think they are supposed to want them. That is how people fall into imposter syndrome. They enter rooms, jobs, or roles that do not align with who they truly are, just to gain access to what they think will make them happy.
But if you know yourself, you can align your life with what really matters to you. If the house truly mattered to me, then I would be willing to justify the sacrifices needed to get it. And if it does not matter, I can free myself from wasting my life chasing it.
For me, building a lucrative business is not about materialism. It is about alignment. Yes, I want financial success, millions or maybe billions, but not just for the money itself. I care about my spiritual, physical, and mental well-being just as much, if not more. Still, I recognize that in this world financial health supports all those other areas.
That is why these thought exercises matter. By sitting with your thoughts, by listening to your subconscious, you learn what you actually want and what you have just been conditioned to desire. You expose the truth of who you are and uncover the false desires that do not belong to you.
And once you know that, you can live a life with fewer regrets, building a world that actually matches who you are.
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