🧠 I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body.

Then I realised who was telling me this.

Your mind talks. Constantly.

It tells you what you can and cannot do, what you're capable of, what you're not.

The problem? It’s not always telling the truth.

This quote comes from Emo Philips, an American comedian. The first time I heard it, I laughed. It’s clever, witty, and layered with meaning. Of course, your brain is going to tell you it’s the best organ in your body.

But if the brain is the narrator of our reality, how often does it distort the story?

Photo by davisuko on Unsplash

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

In school, I was never a top student. My grades were average at best. In language classes, I was at the bottom.

Writing essays on topics I didn’t care about?
Torture.
I struggled, I scored low, and I convinced myself I wasn’t good enough.

I didn’t fight it. I just accepted the label.

Instead of writing what I had to, I went home and read what I wanted to. But even then, a voice in my head whispered: This doesn't count. You’re still bad at this.

Years later, I decided to improve my English. I spent years building my vocabulary, refining my grammar - determined to sound fluent. Just when I thought I was making progress, I met someone else, another non-native speaker, who was effortlessly articulate.

Back to square one.

The voice in my head was relentless:

"You’ll never be good enough."

"You’ll never reach the level you want."

I believed it. And because I believed it, I acted like it was true.

But can we always trust the stories our brain tells us?

Your Mind Is an Unreliable Narrator

Your beliefs - true or not - shape your actions.

If you believe you’re bad at discipline, you’ll act in ways that reinforce it.

If you believe you’re strong-willed, you’ll start behaving accordingly.

If you don’t believe you have willpower, you probably don’t.

This is the placebo effect of the mind.

Your brain, the so-called “most wonderful organ,” is also the biggest obstacle to seeing yourself clearly. It’s like a GPS that confidently gives you the wrong directions. But here’s the twist:

You can rewrite the map.

Reprogramming the Story

Reframing the narrative starts with inner dialogue.

Instead of saying, I have no willpower, say, I’m building discipline every day.

Instead of saying, I’m not good enough, say, I’m improving every day.

And here’s the key: Don’t just say it. Prove it to yourself.

Start small.

Commit to a habit.

Build momentum.

And it might be that woords alone aren’t enough - you need proof.

Write down one small win every day, even if it’s just showing up.

Compare yourself to your past self, not to others.

Track your progress - what gets measured, improves.

Because once you start gathering evidence that you can change, the voice in your head gets quieter.

So, Who’s in Control?

If we know our brain tricks us, then we can consciously reprogram it.

Your mind is talking.

The question is:

Are you going to listen? Or are you going to rewrite the script?