A friend recently wrote to me and asked why I’m always so “optimistic” in my posts. I wasn’t always, trust me. But then I learned more about how my mind works - and adjusted the algorithm.

Remember when you bought your new car and you began seeing the same model everywhere you went? And when you read something new and then started seeing it all over the web? It’s called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon - or “recency illusion” - and it’s because your mind loves to see patterns. What’s more, it likes to “agree with itself” that it’s seeing them more, too. That’s called confirmation bias - because your brain would rather have some “reason” to believe rather than believe in nothing.

And that, my friends, is why the real algorithm is always in your mind! It’s not computers that are fooling us: they’re relying on your brain to fool itself. What’s the solution? Simple!

Program your mind to focus on something good, worthwhile, positive every day and you’ll see more of that. A trick? Absolutely. And a worthwhile one. Because the opposite - programming your mind by posting something negative in which others jump on the bandwagon - will ensure you see that negativity for the rest of the day, too. Or longer.

Like the two people in this photo I took years ago, you can decide what you want to “see” into the world. Either you’re programming your mind or someone else is. Take charge and then take off!

#alwaysinspiring