What Are You Creating? The Instructions You're Giving Your Brain

Dr. Maria returns from a brief hiatus with a powerful look at the language we use every day, and how it shapes our brain's response to the world. Drawing on cognitive linguistics research from George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, she explores how common phrases like "I'm stuck," "I'm overwhelmed," and "I have baggage" aren't just harmless expressions. They're instructions our brain treats as literal reality.

The heart of the episode is an invitation to notice the metaphors we default to, and to ask a better question than "what's wrong with me?" Instead: "what am I creating with the language I'm using?" Dr. Maria offers a simple practice, taking one small step forward, as a way to interrupt language that's quietly keeping us in place.