In this short coaching video, Dr. Rachel Knotts, a veteran higher‑education educator and Maxwell Certified Leadership Speaker, introduces the powerful link between our thoughts and our actions. She explains that the very first thought of the day sets the emotional tone for everything that follows, citing research that suggests we generate around 6,000 thoughts daily, many of which repeat in loops. The concept of neuroplasticity is presented as the scientific basis for mindset change: the brain can rewire itself in response to repeated thoughts, habits, and experiences. Listeners are guided through a practical reframing exercise—identifying a persistent negative thought, converting it into a growth‑oriented statement, and repeatedly choosing the positive version to strengthen new neural pathways. The video emphasizes that intentional, frequent positive thinking reshapes the brain, leading to altered perceptions and ultimately different behaviors. The overall message is a call to be deliberate about our internal dialogue, because our dominant thoughts drive our behavior.
Chapters
Hi everyone, my name is Dr. Rachel Knotts. I am a higher ed educator for over 23 years and a Maxwell Certified Leadership Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Maxwell DiSC Consultant. I help teams turn friction into flow. I help individuals and teams identify communication gaps and barriers and turn that friction into flow, into effective ways to communicate, and into effective ways to lead. At the heart of it all is my heart and my passion for serving others and for adding value to others while helping them with their personal growth.
I want you to think about the first thought that you had this morning. Was it positive or negative? The first thought you had before your feet hit the floor, before you got your day started. Because believe it or not, that first thought set the tone for your entire day. Have you ever tried to talk yourself out of something before you even tried it? Maybe you said, "I would never be good at that," or "That's just not me." Funny thing is, our brains believe what we tell them, and pretty soon our thoughts start running the show. The number of thoughts a person can have a day vary. Some studies say it's around 6,000 thoughts a day, and many of those thoughts are repeated over and over, almost like a thought loop. In comes neuroplasticity. It's a fancy word, isn't it? Neuroplasticity is the backbone of why mindset matters. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change shape. Based on our thoughts, our habits, and our experiences. Our thoughts are not wired to stay fixed. In fact, they are wired for growth, for change. With neuroplasticity, we can literally create new neural pathways. We can either strengthen or weaken former ones just on our repeated behavior. So every time we choose a positive thought instead of a limiting one, we are rewiring our brain for a different behavior. Let's try something together. Think about that one negative or nagging thought that constantly pops up for you. Something that no longer serves you, but you can't seem to shake it. We're going to try to reframe that. Do you have it? Great. What would that thought look like if you shifted from fear to a focused or growth mindset? Let me give you an example. I want to reframe this thought: I am not ever going to get this public speaking thing down. Everybody else around me seems to be a wonderful public speaker. The reframe might look something like this: Everyone had to start somewhere. With practice and intention, I can become great at public speaking. Each time you reframe a fearful or limiting thought into a positive or growth-focused one, you are literally telling your brain, "I can handle this." So what happens when you start doing this intentionally? Be intentional with your thoughts, do it often, and the brain begins to favor the positive growth-focused thought. You begin to think differently, and then you begin to act differently. Remember, your behavior will always follow your most dominant thoughts, so be careful what you're thinking about.
