Understanding how your mind works is one of the key secrets to wealth because your mind is – quite literally – in charge. It can either run you – or ruin you. Do you work it – or does it work you? More than likely – it is currently running you because it knows how to manipulate you… But if you know how your mind works, you can use this information to wilfully influence your behaviour in the way that you choose! In the last article, we showed you how your mind works logically. This article will focus on how your mind works biologically, or chemically.

One specific thing that your mind handles is the selective release of chemicals. These chemicals are released in order to influence your behaviour. Your mind will basically trick you into repeating a specific behaviour because it wants you to do it again. Your mind tricks you because the trick will help it to survive. It tricks you because it wants to thrive.  It tricks you because it wants to grow better! This trick is useful to the mind, and could be useful to you too – but only if you know how your mind works.

Think of a dog that wants a treat. It will stare at you in order to convince you that it deserves the treat. It will stare at you until it gets the treat, or you chase it away. It literally affects your behaviour. Your mind basically wants to do the same thing, but since it cannot stare at you like the dog, it will instead trick you! It tricks you by “rewarding” you. It rewards you by releasing a specific chemical.

If you know what this chemical is and how and when it is released, you can use this trick to wilfully create the situations which will help you to flourish!

The chemical which your mind releases to influence your behaviour is called “dopamine.”

Dopamine is the “feel good” drug. Dopamine is your minds very powerful chemical trick. But it releases dopamine very selectively.  It is very stingy if you will about the release of dopamine…

It releases dopamine for mainly 3 reasons:

1. Pro-creation. When you have sex, your brain thinks that there is a possibility of you “creating another brain.” This satisfies it’s built in need to survive, so it releases dopamine to reward you.

2. Sustenance. If you don’t eat you will die. If you die your mind will die too. It does not want that. So it encourages you to eat by realising dopamine to make you feel good. [Caution: This is also why some people over-eat. They think it makes them feel better – which is true. Unfortunately they don’t know that their mind is tricking them and they also don’t know about the third reason. The third reason is not harmful, is also a trick and is actually helpful. Some suggestions http://christovanzyl.com/physical-health-maintaining-a-healthy-body/]

3. Progress. The third reason your mind rewards you is when you make progress. When you achieve something, your mind triggers the release of dopamine so that you will feel better, and will want to repeat the behaviour. It also does this because it wants you to make things easier. When you make things easier for your mind, your mind loves you by releasing dopamine! Your mind knows that when things are easier it has grown.

Making progress is likely the most powerful tool for creating wealth. It literally feels good because your mind released the dopamine! When you want to feel good – just do something. When you want to feel better – just do something. In fact, any kind of achievement or accomplishment will make your feel better – instantly. Read something. Complete a course. Clean your room. Write an article. Visit a dear friend. Go for a jog. Complete a puzzle. Fix something. Build something. Whatever you do to create a better you will trigger your mind to release the dopamine – to encourage you to do it again. It’s simple:

When you do good, you feel good!

When you feel good, you do good!

So why is this relevant to creating wealth? Your mind is basically programmed to literally reward you with dopamine for things that keep you alive; helps you to re-produce; helps you to become better – or have a better environment to live in. Use this to your advantage to either make you better, make your life better – or simply just to feel better.

What you can do:

- Read this article again so that you understand how your mind works – biologically.
- Read the article about how your mind works – logically.
- Do something. Anything. Challenge yourself and complete an overdue task.
- Join The Secrets to Wealth on Facebook – we learn new things each day.
- Follow me on Twitter – you will see when I have posted something new.
- Subscribe to this blog – you will be emailed new articles as they come out.
- Article by Christo van Zyl
- Write a comment below if this helped you. I appreciate and evaluate all feedback.