Merry Christmas! Prepare for a Gift That Changes Your Mind!

What if the greatest Christmas gift you receive this year isn’t under the tree… but inside your head?

Not magic. Not wishful thinking. Real, science-backed tools from one of the world’s top neuroscientists that can literally change your brain to help you manifest the life you want.

Today’s Thirsty Thursday is a Christmas edition: we’re unwrapping a step-by-step, science-based guide to rewiring your brain for success, happiness, and better health—so next Christmas, you’re not wishing for change… you’re living it!

For the last few Christmases I've been saying I need to make a change, I haven't been home for Christmas for many years. Using these techniques I made it happen, and I am home for Christmas! WOOO HOOO!

The Christmas Morning That Changed Everything

Picture this.

It’s Christmas morning. The house smells like coffee and cinnamon. Wrapping paper is everywhere. You’re smiling, you’re grateful—but underneath, there’s that same quiet ache:

• “Why does nothing really change?”

• “Why am I still stuck in the same patterns?”

• “Why do my goals look the same as last year… and the year before that?”

You’ve read the books. You’ve tried affirmations. Maybe you’ve even made a vision board. But December rolls around, and it feels like Groundhog Day with tinsel.

Now imagine a different version of this same morning.

You wake up and notice:

• You’re calmer.

• You recover from stress faster.

• Your decisions are clearer.

• You’re taking small, steady actions toward what you actually want.

• You feel like your mind is finally working with you, not against you.

Same house. Same coffee. Same tree.

Different brain.

That’s the gift we’re unpacking today!

Your brain can literally be trained to help you manifest your goals—using neuroplasticity, nervous system regulation, and simple daily practices.

A Quote to Frame This Christmas Gift

“Every thought, every experience, and every action physically rewires your brain. You are not stuck with the brain you have.”
— Paraphrased from Dr. Tara Swart Bieber, MD, PhD

This isn’t just motivational fluff.

Dr. Tara Swart Bieber is a medical doctor from Oxford, a PhD from King’s College London, and a senior lecturer at MIT. In her conversation with Mel Robbins, she explains how your brain can literally be trained to help you manifest your goals—using neuroplasticity, nervous system regulation, and simple daily practices.

And yes, that vision board can be more than cardboard and glue… if you use it the right way.

Watch this full interview with Dr. Tara Swart Bieber and Mel Robbins to go deeper into the science of manifestation, stress, and brain rewiring. This is the conversation that inspired today’s Christmas Thirsty Thursday.

After you watch, come back to this guide. The steps below will help you turn the science from this episode into a simple, daily Christmas gift for your future self!

The Core Concept: How to Change Your Brain (So It Helps You Get What You Want)

Dr. Swart’s message can be boiled down to this:

Your brain is constantly changing. You can direct that change on purpose.

A few key ideas:

1. Neuroplasticity: Your Brain Is Moldable

Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to rewire itself based on what you:

• Pay attention to

• Repeat

• Emotionally care about

Every time you focus on a thought, image, or experience, you’re strengthening a pathway in your brain. Over time, that becomes:

• A belief

• A habit

• A default reaction

This is why you can train your brain to expect good things—or to sabotage you. The process is the same. The input is different.

2. Magnetic Desire: Why Some Goals Pull You In

“Manifestation” isn’t magic; it’s your brain’s filtering system at work.

Your brain uses a system called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). It decides:

• What you notice

• What you ignore

When you get very clear and emotionally connected to a goal (what Dr. Swart calls “magnetic desire”), your brain:

• Flags opportunities related to that goal

• Boosts your motivation

• Helps you override fear and resistance

Think of it as turning your goal into a magnet that your brain can’t stop tracking.

3. Your Nervous System: The Gatekeeper of Change

⚠️Stress changes your brain and body:

• It leaks through your skin (others can sense it)

• It’s contagious

• It makes belly fat more likely

• It shuts down creativity and big-picture thinking

If your nervous system is constantly fried, you can have the best vision board in the world—and your brain will still be locked in survival mode.

So we need both:

• Clear, emotionally charged goals

• A calmer nervous system that can support change

This emotional rehearsal builds new neural pathways that say, “This is familiar. This is possible. This is mine.”

How to Use This in Real Life: A Simple 4-Step Christmas Brain Reset

Here’s how to turn this Christmas into the day you start changing your brain on purpose.

Step 1: Get Clear on What You Really Want (Not What You “Should” Want)

Dr. Swart suggests a simple 3-step process:

1. Dump it: Write down everything you think you want—career, relationships, money, health, experiences.

2. Distill it: Circle the 3–5 things that feel most emotionally charged. The ones that make your chest feel warm, tight, or excited.

3. Define it: For each, answer:

   • What would this actually look like in my life?

   • How would I feel day-to-day if this were real?

You’re looking for magnetic desire—goals that light up your emotions, not just your résumé.

Step 2: Prime Your Brain with Daily Visualization

This is where vision boards and mental imagery come in.

But here’s the key: a vision board only changes your brain if you interact with itemotionally and repeatedly.

Try this:

• Place your vision board or written goals somewhere you see every morning.

• Take 60–90 seconds to:

  • Look at an image or phrase

  • Close your eyes

  • Imagine yourselfinsidethat scene:

    • What can you see, hear, smell?

    • How does your body feel?

This emotional rehearsal builds new neural pathways that say, “This is familiar. This is possible. This is mine.”

Step 3: Reset Your Nervous System (So Your Brain Can Actually Change)

Dr. Swart shares that stress:

• Makes it harder to be creative

• Sabotages decision-making

• Fuels fat storage (especially around the belly)

Two quick ways to reset, based on her work:

1. Physiological Sigh (2 breaths, 1 exhale)

   • Inhale through your nose.

   • Take a second, quicker inhale through your nose.

   • Long, slow exhale through your mouth.

   • Repeat 3–5 times.

2. Grounding through the senses

   • Name 5 things you can see

   • 4 things you can feel

   • 3 things you can hear

   • 2 things you can smell

   • 1 thing you can taste

Both signal to your brain: “I am safe.”
Safety unlocks creativity, possibility, and change.

Step 4: Feed Your Brain What It Needs

From the episode, Dr. Swart highlights four foods/nutrients that support brain health (always consult your doctor, especially if you’re on medication):

• Omega-3 fats (fatty fish, walnuts, flax)

• Leafy greens (spinach, kale)

• Magnesium-rich foods (pumpkin seeds, almonds, dark chocolate)

• Colorful fruits/veg (berries, peppers, etc.)

Think of this as the physical foundation for your mental transformation.

You’re not just “manifesting”—you’re fueling the machine that does the manifesting!

You don’t need hours. Start with five minutes today.

Your 5-Minute Christmas Action Plan

You don’t need hours. Start with five minutes today.

Minute 1–2: Brain Dump & Circle

• Grab paper.

• Write what you want for the next 12 months—no editing.

• Circle the 1–2 that feel the most emotionally charged.

Minute 3: Define the Feeling

• Pick one circled desire.

• Write: “If this were real, day to day I would feel…”

• List 3–5 feelings (peaceful, energized, proud, free, etc.).

Minute 4: 60-Second Visualization

• Close your eyes.

• See yourself living that life for just 60 seconds.

• Let the feelings wash through your body.

Minute 5: Nervous System Reset

• Do 3–5 rounds of the physiological sigh (double inhale, long exhale).

• End by asking yourself: “What isone tiny actionI can take today that my future self will thank me for?”

That’s it. You just gave your brain a new pattern to follow.

Repeat this five-minute routine daily, and you’re not just hoping for a better 2026—you’re wiring it in!!

Short FAQ: Christmas Manifestation, Brain-Style

Q1: Is manifestation just “thinking positive”?
No. From Dr. Swart’s perspective, manifestation is:

• Clear, emotionally charged goals

• Repeated visualization and focus

• Nervous system regulation

• Consistent, aligned action

Positive thinking helps, but it’s not enough on its own.

Q2: What if I don’t believe good things happen for me?
That’s a neural pathway—not your destiny.
Start with:

• Very small, believable affirmations (e.g., “It’s possible for things to improve a little for me.”)

• Tiny daily wins (one small action toward a goal)

  
  Each win is evidence. Evidence rewires belief.

Q3: Do vision boards really work?
They can—but only if you:

• Look at them often

• Engage emotionally with them

• Combine them with nervous system regulation and action

A vision board is a tool, not a magic spell. Your brain does the real work.

Think of this as the physical foundation for your mental transformation. You’re not just “manifesting”—you’re fueling the machine that does the manifesting!

This Christmas, Give Yourself the Gift of a Different Brain

One year from now, you will have a different brain.
The only question is: was it shaped by old habits and stress—or by your conscious intention?

This Christmas, don’t just unwrap gifts.
Unwrap the science.
Use it.
Repeat it.

Your future self is already raising a glass to you!!

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I’m just your motivational friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this blog is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll catch you tomorrow.

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~Brett
TheMorningMotivator.com · CompleteBusinessFitness.com

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