The monkeys in my mind have been a bit quiet lately, probably because I’ve been putting in more time calming them and listening to them. But I’ve lately been taking some big personal and emotional risks, and they’ve been joined by their cousins, the Brain Rats. Brain Rats show up just at the point that I’m taking a step that shifts the world as I have known it. Some call it resistance, some call it the blowback effect , others call it the change back attack.
Brain Rats show up to to maintain the equilibrium by pulling out all the old beliefs that have kept things going so smoothly all these years. Thoughts like “I’ll fail anyway, so why try?” Thoughts like “I’m not good enough, smart enough, ENOUGH enough.” They have a way of finding the little corners of evidence that supports their desire to impede change, too. Remember last time you tried this? How did that work out? What follows is often an edited YouTube video of your last attempt to change. Proof that it’s impossible.
The term Brain Rats was coined by Barbara McAfee, voice coach and writer. Her blog (and catchy song) pretty much summarizes the Brain Rat phenomena. I found myself humming along with the song and repeating the refrain when I catch my own “pestilential blight upon my soul.”
Ah yes, I’m quite familiar with those Brain Rats. It really resonated with me when you mentioned the “evidence” they tend to find. Now that you’ve called them out, I join you in reminding these Brain Rats that they have to contend with our quieted minds and solid resolve, just as much as we have to contend with them (the Rats). Let’s get exterminating… 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing Barbara’s work. And yours!
Akilah, I love your comments. Solid resolve and quieter mind is always on my wish list. I’m not so sure about exterminating, though. I was thinking of taming them because they might have some other advice that I would be missing. It’s all about the speed and the way I believe them and forget to ask for all the times they have lied. Evidence of the lies and what’s truer can tame them, when I look there.