“I’m terrible with names.”
“I’ve never been good at math.”
“I’m just not creative.”
“I’m too old to learn that now.”
Have you ever stopped to listen to the things you casually say about your own mind? Most of us probably don’t give them a second thought. We tend to think they’re simply facts—or at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. But what if some of them aren’t facts at all?
When I Stopped Expecting More
Years ago, I became increasingly concerned about my own cognitive abilities. I would walk rapidly into a room only to forget why I was there. Names disappeared almost as soon as I heard them, my memory seemed less reliable, and my brain simply didn’t feel as sharp as it once had.
Mental arithmetic? I had given up on that decades earlier. Why struggle when calculators were so readily available?
Then I began working seriously on my cognitive abilities. I used a combination of InnerTalk programs aimed at memory, concentration, learning, creativity, and cognitive enhancement, along with programs designed to address stress and create a calmer internal environment. It was my usual “kitchen sink” approach. 😊 The combination eventually became our Maximizing Brain Power album.
And then something rather wonderful began to happen. Abilities I had quietly stopped expecting from my mind began showing up again.
Where Had They Been?
Old memories became easier to access. Sometimes it almost felt as though I could see a memory turning away from me, only to have it turn back and become available again.
Numbers became particularly fascinating. I sometimes began to see them almost as shapes that fit together, allowing me to “see” the answer to a simple calculation rather than laboriously work it out. Even obscure pieces of information would occasionally pop into my mind—including facts about football, a subject in which I have absolutely no interest!
Now, I can’t tell you exactly what was happening in my brain, but I became fascinated by the question: Where had those abilities been? Had I lost them and somehow regained them? Had the information always been there but become harder to access? Or had I simply stopped asking parts of my mind to show up because, somewhere along the way, I had decided those abilities were no longer available to me? I honestly don’t know. But isn’t it an interesting question?
When Expectations Begin Shaping Experience
One of the things I explore in Mind Training is the extraordinary influence our expectations can have on our experiences. We all know the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy. We expect something to happen and then, often without realizing it, our attention, choices, and behavior begin helping to create the very outcome we expected.
Think about remembering names. You forget someone’s name and think, I forgot his name. It happens again, and eventually the observation becomes, I’m terrible with names. Now you expect to forget names. Perhaps you pay a little less attention during introductions because, subconsciously, what’s the point? You won’t remember anyway. Then you forget the name and there it is: See? I told you. I’m terrible with names.
The belief may have begun as an observation, but somewhere along the way it quietly became part of what you expected from your mind.
Belief Isn’t Magic—But It Matters
I want to be careful here. Believing you’re a mathematical genius won’t suddenly give you an understanding of advanced calculus. Optimism doesn’t replace study, practice, or the work involved in developing a skill.
Belief may not give us an ability we don’t possess—but a limiting belief can stop us from fully using an ability we do.
Before you decide what your limitations are, perhaps it’s worth questioning whether you’ve been accurately measuring your abilities—or simply repeatedly confirming your expectations. After all, that’s the problem with a self-fulfilling prophecy. Every time it comes true, it gives us one more reason to believe it.
Try a Little Experiment
For one day, listen to the way you talk about your own mind. Don’t try to change anything yet. Just notice. How often do you say—or think—things such as:
- “I can’t remember…”
- “I’m terrible at…”
- “I’ve never understood…”
- “My brain doesn’t work that way…”
- “I’m too old to learn…”
- “I’m just not creative…”
Then, when you catch one, ask yourself one simple question: “Is this a fact—or a conclusion I reached somewhere along the way and subconsciously turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy?” You may discover absolutely nothing, or you may be surprised by how many assumptions about your mind you’ve quietly been reinforcing. Either way, awareness comes first.
Changing the Conversation
Of course, recognizing a limiting belief doesn’t automatically make it disappear. Some of these conclusions have been rehearsed for decades. We’ve repeated them, looked for evidence to support them, and perhaps even incorporated them into our sense of who we are.
That’s where InnerTalk can make the process easier. Simply recognizing a belief—or consciously telling yourself, I’m not going to think that anymore—doesn’t necessarily change the subconscious beliefs already operating in the background. InnerTalk is designed to work with those habitual inner messages that can quietly influence expectations and behavior.
This is precisely why I prefer the album approach when working on something as complex as brain power. Memory may not be the only issue. Stress can interfere. Concentration may wander. Perhaps we’ve stopped expecting ourselves to learn easily. Maybe we’ve decided creativity belongs to other people. Or perhaps we’re carrying mental blocks we don’t even recognize.
Maximizing Brain Power approaches cognitive performance from several different directions, with programs focused on memory, concentration, cognitive enhancement, accelerated learning, creativity, inner peace, and stress reduction. Because sometimes the problem isn’t simply what our mind can do. Sometimes it’s what we’ve stopped asking it to do.
A Special Opportunity
For a limited time, we’re offering Maximizing Brain Power at special savings, together with Releasing Mental Blocks as an added bonus.
Maximizing Brain Power includes four different technologies, with titles such as Genius Power, Accelerated Learning and Study, Powerful Memory, Concentration Is Easy, Creative Writing, and Cognitive Enhancement.
Regularly valued at $314.55, during this special offer you can get your copy for just $99 (MP3) or $119 (CDs).
Plus you get Releasing Mental Blocks (an additional $34.95 value) free!
If you’ve noticed changes in your memory or concentration, want to strengthen your ability to learn and think creatively, or simply wonder whether your mind is capable of more than you’ve been asking of it lately, perhaps this is a good time to find out.
You can learn more about Maximizing Brain Power here.
One Final Thought
We spend a great deal of time measuring intelligence. How quickly can I learn? How much can I remember? How good am I with numbers? How creative am I?
But perhaps the more interesting question isn’t, “How smart am I?” Perhaps it’s: “How much of my mind have I stopped asking to show up?” I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a question worth exploring.
Warmly,
Ravinder Taylor
*Please note: this is a limited time special offer that expires at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Monday, October 19, 2026.
“I used your memory recording for two or three weeks and one day it all clicked. Now I’m doing better in my classes and with less study time. I feel more confident about everything.”
~ S. M.