The Thinking of Tomorrow
Everyone’s talking about sleep, cancer prevention, diet, and physical fitness. And yes, those matter. But let’s be honest—they only scratch the surface. What about the 90% of your experience that’s happening psychologically?
Here’s the kicker: According to neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett in How Emotions Are Made, your brain is a prediction machine. It’s not passively taking in the world, it's actively guessing what’s happening based on your past. Your primary visual cortex (V1), the part of your brain responsible for creating your visual field, gets only 10% of its input from your eyes. The other 90%? It comes from inside your brain. Translation: most of what you're seeing—feeling, reacting to—is imagined.
Yeah, imagined. You read that right.
Think about that. Your brain is locked in a dark skull with zero direct access to the world. It doesn’t ask your eyes, “What’s out there?” It says, “Here’s what I think is out there based on what I already know.” You’re not just experiencing reality. You’re constructing it with your imagination. And your imagination loves to conjure up the worst-case scenario.
So, if your brain is making guesses based on old programming, outdated trauma, and deeply ingrained habits, what do you think is running the show?
Not your best self.
That’s where mental performance training comes in. Until you take control of the forecasting system in your head, you’ll keep repeating the same cycles, making the same choices, and feeling the same stress—no matter how many protein shakes you drink or how many workouts you crush, bro.
The fire service won’t evolve until we address the mind.
The suicide stats won’t drop until we address the mind.
Recruitment won’t improve. Retention won’t improve. Culture won’t shift—until we address the mind.
The next revolution in the fire service isn’t physical. It’s mental.
If you want real change, go to the source.
It’s not the gear.
It’s not the truck.
It’s not the badge.
It’s your mind.
Are you ready to integrate more forward-thinking strategies into your fire department culture? Connect with us for a free consultation to learn more about this critical skill.