Practical Guide: 25 Ways to Reclaim Your Identity
My book, You vs. Your Brain – Reclaiming Your Identity – is about learning how your subconsciously-embedded, self-defeating messages in your brain are sabotaging your beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The focus is on overcoming these deceptive brain messages to get in touch with your authentic story and reclaim your identity. This is essential if you want to live a joyous, healthy, meaningful and fulfilled life where you maximize your potential.
Here are 25 suggestions on how to start reclaiming your identity. These 25 practices are more than a checklist — they’re essential first steps to reclaiming your identity. Each one is a simple but powerful way to shift from living on autopilot to leading yourself with clarity and purpose. Don’t try them all at once. Start by choosing just 2 or 3 that resonate with you and put them into action. Small, consistent steps are how transformation begins.
Check off as you practice each step toward leading yourself — not your brain.
🔹 Awareness & Identity
☐ Pause before reacting — notice the impulse, then choose your response.
☐ Name the voice — ask: “Is this me, or just my brain?”
☐ Spot the pattern — track one recurring brain-driven habit.
☐ Keep a “Brain vs. Me” journal with two columns.
☐ Cross-examine one thought as if it were on trial.
🔹 Rewiring & Practices
☐ Take 3 deep breaths before important actions.
☐ Visualize yourself living your authentic story daily.
☐ Write 3 gratitudes each evening.
☐ Carry a word, object, or symbol that anchors your identity.
☐ Use movement (walk, stretch, breathe) to reset when stuck.
🔹 Emotions & Authenticity
☐ Do a daily body scan to locate emotions in your body.
☐ Name & claim feelings: “I feel ___, and that’s okay.”
☐ Share openly with a trusted person once a week.
☐ Write a short paragraph from your authentic story weekly.
☐ Write down a deceptive message and destroy it.
🔹 Beliefs & Perspective
☐ Audit limiting beliefs and rewrite them as empowering truths.
☐ Spend 1 hour weekly exploring something new with curiosity.
☐ Practice empathy: imagine life in someone else’s shoes daily.
☐ Reframe setbacks by asking how they could serve growth.
☐ Ask your Soul Counsel: “What do you see in me that I may not see?”
🔹 Leadership & Community
☐ Apply one insight from global thought leaders each week.
☐ Teach one principle from this book to someone else.
☐ Reflect weekly: “Did I act in alignment with my true self?”
☐ Write a one-sentence Identity Statement and display it.
☐ Celebrate one win each week where you led yourself.
✅ Tip: Start small. Pick 2–3 actions that feel natural, and add more over time. Leading yourself is a daily practice, not a one-time decision.
Your brain will keep pulling you into old patterns unless you lead yourself. The 25 steps are your starting point. Choose 2 or 3, commit to practicing them this week, and notice how your story begins to shift.