Sometimes, we forget that our minds aren’t just one voice. There’s the part of us that chooses, decides, and speaks with intention, and then there’s the quieter, deeper current that hums beneath it all. The conscious mind is the captain at the wheel, steering the ship. The subconscious mind is the ocean, vast, powerful, and often invisible.
The two are always in conversation, shaping the way we see ourselves, others, and the possibilities ahead of us. When we start to understand how they work together, we create space for more choice, more compassion, and more alignment with who we truly want to be.
The Conscious Mind
The conscious mind is like the captain of the ship. It makes decisions, evaluates information, and steers in the direction it chooses. It represents about 10% of our brain activity, and it holds the power of choice, logic, and free will.
The conscious mind can decide whether to express or suppress a thought before it sinks deeper. It’s the part of you that pauses before speaking, that chooses a kind word instead of a reactive one, that notices a thought and says, “I don’t have to believe this.” But always roiling beneath the conscious mind is a deeper force that quietly shapes our reality. Meet the subconscious mind.
The Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind is vast, quiet, and deeply powerful. It accounts for about 90% of your brain activity. It doesn’t question; instead, it records and plays back the thoughts, beliefs, and patterns the conscious mind feeds it. It works in literal thinking, holding onto habits, emotions, feelings, imagination, and deeply rooted beliefs.
Your subconscious is where “I can’t” becomes the default, where “It’s too hard” echoes from old experiences, and where fear hides beneath the surface. But it is also where you can plant new truths, new beliefs, and new patterns that open the door to growth.
When you bring awareness to your subconscious, you create a moment of choice. That is where reframing begins, where you replace an old, limiting thought with something that supports the life you truly want. And while the mind is powerful, it’s not the only force shaping us. The heart has its own deep conversation with the brain.
The Heart-Brain Connection
Science has taught us something profound: the heart sends more messages to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. These messages shape our emotions, our perceptions, and even our worldview.
When the heart communicates calm and safety, the mind responds with clarity and creativity. When the heart signals stress or fear, the mind mirrors it with anxious, looping thoughts. The conversation between the heart and brain is constant, and it means that tending to your emotional and physical state is as important as tending to your thoughts. When we bring both mind and heart into the process, we can start to name and soften the specific patterns that hold us back.
Core Language: Red Light and Green Light
The words we speak, and especially the words we speak to ourselves, can either block our growth or open new possibilities.
Red Light Language
- I can’t
- I want (without action)
- It’s too hard
- I don’t know how
- I don’t understand
Green Light Language
- I can
- I choose
- I will
- I have
- I am open to learning
- I choose to gain clarity
When you notice you’ve thought or spoken a red light statement, pause. Ask yourself: “How can I turn this into a green light?” This is not about denying how you feel. It’s about giving yourself a new road to walk, one that leads somewhere better. When your language, mind, and heart work in harmony, you create a powerful foundation for change and resilience.
The Takeaway:
Speak what you choose to happen. Your conscious mind is the director, your subconscious is the stage crew, and your heart is the rhythm that guides them both. When you work with all three, you can begin to build a reality that feels like it belongs to you. And that is where deep resilience begins.