You Don't Have to Wait for Your Life to Fall Apart to Change

Last week, we talked about Joshua and what happens when life changes so dramatically that the identity you’ve been living from can no longer carry you forward. Moses died. Joshua became the leader. His circumstances changed before he had time to decide whether he was ready. That kind of disruption can create a powerful neuroplasticity window. But what happens when there is no crisis? Do you have to wait until something falls apart before your brain becomes available for meaningful change? No. Your brain also changes through repetition, and that means you can participate in shaping your identity before circumstances force you to. In Part 2 of this conversation, we explore the other side of neuroplasticity: how small, consistent experiences can teach your brain something new about who you are. Your brain learns patterns from what you repeatedly think, notice, interpret, and do. Over time, those experiences become familiar, and familiarity influences what your brain expects from you. This is why we always come back to the same principle inside The Resurrection Room: Identity shapes your perception. Your perception dictates your behavior. Your behavior drives your actions. And your actions produce your outcomes. If you keep trying to change the outcome without addressing the identity producing it, you can work incredibly hard and still find yourself recreating familiar patterns. In this episode, we talk about what happens when you move back to the beginning of the chain. You’ll learn why repetition is so important to neuroplasticity, why a changed circumstance doesn’t automatically create a changed identity, how Joshua experienced both disruption and repetition, and how small behaviors can become lived evidence that challenges an identity you have carried for years. Most importantly, I’m giving you one practice for the next seven days: Choose one small behavior that gives your brain evidence for the identity you are building. You aren't trying to overhaul your entire life this week. You're collecting evidence. Seven days. Seven experiences that give your brain another reason to consider: Maybe this is who we are now. Continue the Conversation If The Resurrection Room is helping you see yourself and your life differently, I would love for you to take a moment to rate the podcast and write a review. If you listen on Apple Podcasts, scroll down to the Ratings & Reviews section, choose your star rating, and tap Write a Review. Tell me what the show has meant to you or what you're learning from these conversations. Your ratings and reviews help more women discover The Resurrection Room and find these conversations when they need them. Get on the email list: https://kelli-shaw.kit.com/32980db5e9 The podcast may end each week, but the conversation doesn't. Join the email community for additional teaching, encouragement, resources, and ways to put what you're learning into practice. Join The Resurrection Room Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588999984832 Come connect with other women who are doing this work alongside you. This is where we can continue talking about identity, neuroplasticity, faith, behavior, and what it looks like to live what we're learning. And if someone came to mind while you were listening to this episode, send it to her. She may be waiting for something dramatic to happen before she gives herself permission to change. Maybe she needs to hear that she can begin now. You are loved. You are seen. You are not forgotten. And you are not too late. You can rise, and I believe you will.