If I told you that you are the creator of your experience, what would you say? Would you roll your eyes and write me off as another woo-woo merchant with a ropey understanding of physics? Please don’t – because that’s not the kind of creation I am talking about The kind of creation I’m referring to is grounded in the neuroscience of how your brain predicts and interprets the world around you and your place in it.
Here’s a simple example: You’re about to give a talk. You are prepared and you know your subject. Turning your attention to your body, you notice that your breathing is shallow and you have butterflies. Now, tell me, are you feeling anxious or excited? Physiologically, there is no difference. That surge in cortisol as you step up to the mic is simply your body readying for action – to provide your limbs and brain with the extra energy needed to perform. Whether you experience those sensations as anxiety or excitement is largely a matter of interpretation based on the concepts that are most readily available to you.