There are two main brain regions that work consistently when pursuing goals. They are the reticular activation system of the thalamus and the prefrontal cortex.
The thalamus’ reticular activation system (RAS) is the brain’s portal to the outside world.
Whenever any sense other than any of our senses (smell) (smell) can pick up some external environment input, that input is filtered through RAS. RAS determines whether external data is important or not.
If important, RAS will allow sensory information to reach the brain CEO, the prefrontal cortex (also the location of consciousness).
If the information is not important, then the prefrontal lobe will never realize it – it will never enter our consciousness.
What types of information are passed on to the prefrontal cortex?
- Anything related to your name.
- Anything related to family, friends you know.
- Anything considered a threat.
- Anything considered a top priority – this includes anything related to your ability to work, career, make money, health, neighborhood, finance, your home, property
- Anything related to any dream, the goal you pursue. When you pursue your dreams or set goals, RAS will be highly alert to any environmental information that will help advance your dreams and goals, turning it into reality.
Any environmental information selected by your senses will be transferred to any of the above switches and will be forwarded to your prefrontal cortex for further processing.
That’s why pursuing dreams and setting goals is so important.
When you pursue your dreams and set goals, RAS will become your personal private investigator, ruthlessly searching for information about external environments that can help you achieve your dreams and goals.
You can see many famous historical figures in the form of RA, Ahha or Eureka Moment.
Einstein’s theory of special relativity was passed to him as his train passed through the bell tower. Thomas Edison’s Aha moment often comes to him immediately after his famous cat nap. James Watson (one of the duo who discovered the double helix of DNA) came to him in his dream. Sir Isaac Newton came to him after being hit by a fallen apple from a tree.
These guys have Eureka moments because they are pursuing something important and their Russ notices.
When you pursue your dreams and goals, you switch on RAS – it starts working behind the scenes, trying to identify anything in the environment to help you achieve those dreams and goals.
