Day 18 Message: Thinking About Your Thinking

Today we’re going to talk about something that sounds complicated but is actually pretty simple and very practical: thinking about your thinking. We’ve touched on this in previous days, but today we’re going to dig a little deeper.

Neurosurgeon and author, Dr. Lee Warren, teaches that our thoughts don’t just happen to us. We can notice them, question them, and choose how we respond. He emphasizes that what we think shapes how we feel, and how we feel shapes what we do. When we don’t pay attention to our thoughts, they can begin to run the show, for better or for worse.

That awareness is called metacognition. It simply means becoming aware of the thoughts that are driving your choices.

There is another layer that is especially helpful for habit building called anticipatory metacognition. This means thinking ahead of time about how your brain is likely to respond in certain situations.

For example, you might notice:

• When I’m stressed, I reach for food that doesn’t actually help me feel better.
• When progress feels slow, I tell myself this isn’t working and want to quit.
• When I feel distant from God, I assume He has pulled away from me, and I feel discouraged.

The power comes when you notice these patterns before they happen and decide in advance how you want to respond. Dr. Warren often encourages people to pause and ask, “Is this thought helpful? Is it true? Is it loving?” That pause alone can change the direction of your day. Instead of reacting on autopilot, you can begin to choose intentionally.

Take a few minutes and ask yourself:

• When does my thinking usually get off track?


• What story do I tend to tell myself in those moments?


• What would I like to say to myself instead?

Healthy habits are not built with your body alone. They are also built in your mind. When you learn to guide your thoughts, you create space to make better choices. Not always perfect ones. Just wiser ones.