What we bring forth in to the World

We are all creators.

Not only painters, musicians, or poets — all of us. The mind itself is a creative force. Even in silence, it is busy shaping inner worlds: memories, possibilities, worries, judgments, and dreams. If you sit still for a moment and observe, you’ll notice this creative stream unfolding on its own. Neuroscientists call this activity the default mode network, a system in the brain that continues generating thoughts even when we are not consciously trying to think. Psychologists likewise describe much of our behavior as shaped by unconscious processes.

The Nature of Our Inner Creativity

In other words, a great portion of what we bring forth into the world — our moods, reactions, impulses, and interpretations — is created automatically. This is neither good nor bad. It simply means that we participate in our lives far more through unconscious creation than we often realize.

Yet many of us have encountered a painful side of this natural creativity: the repetition of inner patterns that keep us stuck. We all know that familiar sentence inside the mind, often spoken with resignation:

“This is just how I am.”

A thought repeated so often that it begins to feel like an inner law. A story so old that it becomes a kind of identity.

Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs

But here is the turning point: just because a thought feels true does not mean it is destiny. The brain is designed to repeat whatever has been rehearsed — including self-talk. Neural pathways strengthen through use (“neurons that fire together wire together”), which is why old emotional habits feel natural even when they limit us. This is not a personal flaw. This is biology.

The mind prefers the familiar, even when the familiar brings suffering. Change feels difficult because it requires moving against well-established pathways — not because we lack discipline or character. Understanding this can be profoundly liberating. Resistance is not a sign of failure; it is simply the nervous system doing what it knows.

And yet, another truth stands beside it:

The brain can change. At any age. Across a lifetime.

This capacity is called neuroplasticity, and it means we are not merely the sum of our past patterns. We are also the sum of the choices we practice in the present. When we repeat a new way of thinking or acting — especially when it is meaningful to us — new pathways form. Over time, repetition becomes familiarity, familiarity becomes ease, and ease becomes identity.

The Miracle of Being Human

This is the quiet miracle of being human:

We are both the creation and the creator.

Some years ago, I went through a period of depression. I had little motivation to do anything. In hindsight, I can see that it was triggered by the death of my mother. Caring for her had quietly become one of my main motivators in life.

This pattern began early. As a child, after my parents’ divorce, I watched my mother struggle to take care of us. Without fully realizing it, I took on the role of protector and supporter — perhaps in an attempt to create emotional stability in an environment where I felt very little. Over time, a deep, unconscious purpose formed: to be okay, to be well, I had to take care of her.

When she died, it wasn’t only her absence that I felt. It was as if a deeper foundation had disappeared. A core sense of purpose — one that had shaped my identity for decades — was suddenly gone. I didn’t consciously understand this at the time. It was buried deep inside, woven into how I had learned to make sense of the world and my place in it.

The Journey of Healing

Emerging from that depression took years — years of grieving, but also years of letting go of an old idea of who I was. Through meditation, self-reflection, and therapy, I slowly regained a sense of purpose and energy, but only by allowing the old version of myself to dissolve and making space for something new.

Not everyone has access to the tools or support I had. Many people stop trying to change because resignation feels easier than wrestling with old patterns. But resignation slowly tightens around the heart. It dims vitality and shrinks our sense of possibility. Human beings are not meant to live with the belief that nothing can change. Our spirit withers under that weight.

So I invite you to listen closely to your emotions, moods, and inner states. They reveal the places you have grown accustomed to inhabiting. And when life changes — as it inevitably does — continuing to live requires adaptation.

Within feelings lies pain.

Within pain lies belief.

And by becoming aware of that belief, transformation begins.

The Power of Sankalpa

In the yoga tradition, there is a practice designed to consciously work with this creative power of the mind. It is called sankalpa, a Sanskrit word meaning:

“A resolve formed when mind, heart, and will come together.”

A sankalpa is not a casual wish or a positive affirmation. It is a deep intention that arises when we are aligned with our genuine desire to thrive as human beings. It grows from self-reflection, compassion toward ourselves, and contact with an inner sense of peace that allows us to see with greater clarity.

Here is a simple way to begin working with this:

Ask yourself: In what area of my life do I feel unease? See if you can connect with the underlying feeling. Then ask: When I feel this way, what am I believing about myself and about life?

Write freely, without editing, until you feel complete. Read what you’ve written and identify the core pain beneath the words. Within that pain lies the belief that wants to be released. Then ask: How would my life feel if I let go of this belief? Write again from that place. Read it. Notice the feeling that emerges.

From there, form a short sentence — a sankalpa — that expresses this new inner state.

Embracing Change

So, what voice will you choose to create yourself with this year? Instead of the old self-talk — “This is just how I am” — a new voice may begin in a softer place:

“I am learning. I am practicing. I am becoming someone new, one choice at a time.”

Each time you choose this new voice, you strengthen a different neural pathway. Each time you act from it, even imperfectly, you bring forth a new possibility. This is how human beings truly transform — not through dramatic breakthroughs, but through steady, intentional creation.

At the beginning of 2026, consider this gentle invitation:

Choose one small way of being that feels more aligned with who you want to become. Practice it with patience. Let resistance be part of the path, not a verdict against you. Notice every moment of progress — because each one is evidence of the brain, and the self, rewiring.