All healing and growth starts and ends with the understanding the Conscious and Unconscious Mind.

Let me tell you a story...

Picture this: someone is sitting at a table with a jigsaw puzzle in front of them. They're trying to finish it, but they're super frustrated because, even when it seems almost done, the pieces just won't fit. They're giving it their all, using logic and effort, but nothing clicks. It always feels like something's not right. Then, someone hands them a pair of glasses. Suddenly, everything makes sense—not because the puzzle changed, but because now they can actually see what's been there all along.

In this story, the glasses symbolize understanding the importance of the Conscious and Unconscious mind. The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary describes the Conscious Mind as "Perceiving, apprehending, or noticing with a degree of controlled thought or observation; aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc."

This is the part of the mind responsible for active awareness—what you're deliberately thinking, perceiving, and deciding at any moment. It covers things like:

• Making decisions

• Solving problems

• Focusing attention

• Being aware of feelings or surroundings.

The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary defines the Unconscious Mind as "The part of mental life that is not ordinarily integrated into or accessible to the individual's conscious awareness but that may influence feelings, judgments, or behavior."

This part of the mind handles automatic processes—like suppressed memories, instincts, or unacknowledged emotions. It often affects behavior in ways we don't consciously notice, playing a big role in:

• Dream formation

• Emotional responses

• Implicit beliefs

• Slips of the tongue (Freudian slips)

So, if the Unconscious Mind deals with all those automatic reactions and processes that influence our feelings and emotions, does that mean we have no control? Nope, not at all.

If you're really after change, then just willpower and effort aren't enough. You need to understand how the Conscious and Unconscious Minds work. With this awareness, you can take control of your life. When those patterns of struggle and suffering pop back up, you can start to figure out what happened both consciously and unconsciously. This understanding gives you the inner wisdom to steer your life towards the future you deserve.