Understanding Your Mind: An Invitation to Greater Self-Awareness

Hello and welcome! I’m Mary Clavieres, and if you’re reading this, you’re probably on a journey to rediscover yourself and become the leader of your own life—however you decide to define that.

Today, I want to talk about something fundamental to personal growth: understanding your mind. This is a topic I’m deeply passionate about because our minds can play incredible tricks on us, keeping us stuck in unhelpful cycles and patterns. By really diving into understanding your mind, you can learn to interrupt these cycles, reframe your beliefs, and start moving toward new milestones and goals.

understanding your mind statistics from national science foundation

The Mind and Its Patterns - Understanding Your Mind

A fun and eye-opening fact to kick things off: according to a National Science Foundation article from 2005, the average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. What’s more astonishing is that 95% of those thoughts are repetitive—yes, you’re telling yourself the same stories every day! And around 80% of those thoughts are negative.

When I first learned this statistic, I was astonished. Even now, it still surprises me. It’s easy to forget how much our minds run on autopilot—comfortable patterns, beliefs that feel safe but don’t actually serve us. Understanding your mind means waking up to these patterns, seeing how they might be both protecting and holding you back. Most importantly, it means realizing that you can change the stories your mind repeats.

Connecting Mind and Body - Understanding Your Mind

One of the most powerful ways to break through these old thought cycles is by reconnecting to your body. For me, understanding your mind is synonymous with connecting deeply to your internal self—the true, pure you that lives inside. That space within is where creativity, flow, and alignment reside.

However, to access it, you have to step outside the mind’s default patterns. You have to rewire negative stories and reconnect with your body—a process I explore even deeper in my new book, The Mind Body Connection Unlocked. If you’re interested, I encourage you to check it out (link in the show notes!) for more tools and practices to help you on your journey.

Recognizing Your Own Patterns - Understanding Your Mind

Understanding your mind is not something you’ll figure out in a day. It’s a process and a practice. In my workshops and human design readings, I ask clients to reflect on their recurring thought patterns—the personal stories that keep them stuck. Common themes include feelings of unworthiness, all-or-nothing thinking (“I always mess up,” “I never get it right”), comparison with others, and self-doubt.

These thoughts often stem from childhood experiences or beliefs we picked up at an early age. We tuck them into mental “pockets” and carry them into adulthood, letting them dictate our choices and behavior. Understanding your mind means noticing these recurring stories and being willing to interrupt and rewrite them.

The Sneaky Nature of the Mind - Understanding Your Mind

As you start doing this work, you’ll notice your mind gets sneakier about hiding those unhelpful beliefs. All-or-nothing thinking, comparisons, and self-criticism can show up in new ways, even after you’ve addressed them once. But don’t be discouraged—this is all part of the process. Some days you’ll catch the patterns and make a change, other days your mind gets the best of you. That’s okay. Personal growth is all about practice.

Simple Steps to Start Understanding Your Mind

Here’s an invitation: over the next few days, keep a notebook or notes app handy. Notice your thoughts and jot down the ones you hear most often, especially those that feel repetitive or trigger strong emotions. Start with the clearest, most persistent thought as your focus.

Once you identify a recurring negative thought, practice interrupting it. Replace it with something positive and supportive, or simply call it out as untrue. Understanding your mind begins with awareness—seeing what’s on repeat, so you can consciously choose a different script.

reflection questions for understanding your mind

Tools to Support Your Journey with Understanding Your Mind

If you’d like more concrete support, The Mind Body Connection Unlocked and its companion workbook provide tons of reflection questions, journaling prompts, and activities to help you get below the surface of your thoughts. I can’t recommend journaling enough—it’s transformational to see your thoughts written out, rather than just letting them swirl inside your head.

Your Invitation & Final Thoughts on Understanding Your Mind

I encourage you, as you explore understanding your mind, to bring curiosity and compassion. If you’re struggling with deeper mental health issues or trauma, please reach out to a qualified professional; my resources are intended to support self-awareness and empowerment, not substitute for therapy.

If you have questions, feedback, or topics you’d like me to cover on the podcast, please get in touch. You can find me on LinkedIn and Instagram @maryclavieres, or check out my website for resources, book info, and human design readings.

Thank you so much for being part of this community. Remember, understanding your mind is an ongoing practice—and every step you take brings you closer to greater self-awareness, alignment, and fulfillment. I’m honored to walk this journey with you.

If you’d like to connect further about your unique human design blueprint, you’re invited to learn more and book a reading here.

Questions? Please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or Instagram. I'm also on Voxer at @MaryClavieres.

mind body connection unlocked book for understanding your mind

Thank you so much for being here, for listening, and for taking these steps on your own journey. Until next week!

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Mind-Body Connection Unlocked Book:

My new book, Mind Body Connection Unlocked, is now officially out in the world! Order your copy and dive into how mind and body alignment can support lasting change in your life.

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