The Power Within to Shape 2026
As 2026 approaches, there’s something worth understanding about how we create our experience. Not everything is within our control. But more than we might realize actually is. And it starts with something simple: where we place our attention. The Brain’s Hidden Filter Right now, your brain is filtering reality for you. There’s too much information coming in every moment for you to process it all. Millions of sensory inputs. Countless details. So your brain has a filter called the reticular activating system that decides what you notice and what you ignore. Here’s what makes this powerful: the filter shows you more of whatever you’re already focusing on. Focus on possibilities? Your brain starts highlighting opportunities. People who could help. Ideas that might work. Small steps that feel doable. Focus on fear? Your brain shows you obstacles. Reasons things won’t work. Stories of failure. Everything that could go wrong. Same world around you. Different filter inside you. Completely different experience. This is why two people can face the same situation and have totally opposite reactions. They’re literally seeing different things because their brains are filtering for different information. When Fear Takes Over Here’s what happens in your brain when fear or worry takes hold. The amygdala activates. That’s your threat-detection center. And it can’t tell the difference between real danger happening right now and imagined danger you’re thinking about for next month. Both trigger the same stress response. When that happens, your prefrontal cortex starts going offline. That’s the part responsible for creativity, problem-solving, and good decision-making. The exact things you need to move forward. So fear doesn’t just feel bad. It actually shuts down the part of your brain that could help you navigate through challenges. But there’s a way to shift this. How Breath Creates Space Take a slow, deep breath right now. Four counts in. Hold for four. Six counts out.