Clearing the Mess to Reveal the Masterpiece
- Nov 12
- 3 min read
By Erica Elliott, MS
Brain Code Strategist, Counselor, Speaker, Mental Health Advocate, WarriorHeart Healing Hearts, LLC
What if your life wasn’t broken—but buried? What if the struggles, fears, and reactive patterns weren’t proof that something was wrong with you, but instead, reflections of how your brain was programmed from the very beginning?
As a counselor and brain health coach with over three decades of experience, I’ve walked with countless individuals who felt stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from their true selves. I myself had to rewire the programs. And I want you to hear this: you are not too late, too damaged, or too far gone. You were always a Masterpiece—sometimes just hidden beneath the mess of old wiring.
You Were Programmed... But You Can Rewire
From the moment you were conceived, your brain began wiring itself based on experience. We often talk about “Tabula Rasa,” Latin for “blank slate,” but it turns out the slate starts filling up earlier than we think. Even in the womb, your brain records signals of stress, love, fear, and connection. Your mother’s voice, and emotional states, plus the environment in which she was in set the tone for your first beliefs about safety and worthiness.
Then came early childhood—those deeply absorbent years when your brain operated in a theta brainwave state, like a sponge. You absorbed messages from your family, school, religion, culture, and society. You were taught who to be, what to fear, how to behave, and what to hide. These patterns got wired in without your permission.
But here’s the miracle: Neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change. That means no matter your past, you can create new neural pathways. You can literally rewire your brain to reflect who you’re becoming—not who you were programmed to be.
Why You React the Way You Do
Let’s break this down:
Your amygdala (your brain’s alarm system) stores emotional memories. When triggered, it activates fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses—even if the danger isn’t real today.
Your Reticular Activating System (RAS) filters what you focus on. If your early belief was “I’m not safe” or “I’m not good enough,” your RAS will constantly scan for proof of that—even when it’s not true.
Your prefrontal cortex helps you pause and choose wisely—but only when it’s online. Under stress, the amygdala hijacks it.
And your vagus nerve, the highway between your brain and body, reflects your emotional state. Chronic stress dysregulates it—creating anxiety, digestive issues, fatigue, or even panic.
But these systems can be healed. Through simple tools like breathwork, gratitude, prayer, somatic movement, and visualization, you can begin sending your nervous system a new message:
“It’s safe now. I can heal. I can soar.”
From Surviving to Thriving
Survival patterns—like people-pleasing, overthinking, numbing, or staying small—once protected you. But now they hold you back. Healing begins when you notice those patterns without judgment. You breathe. You pause. You choose again. And then again.
I teach a simple tool called the “16 Positives”: when you’re stuck, write out 16 things you appreciate—about yourself, a person, or even a hard situation. It takes about 16 seconds of focused attention on something positive to start shifting from a negative state.
The key is consistency. You don’t need to change everything overnight. Healing happens in micro-shifts. A breath. A prayer. A kind word to yourself. A new habit practiced with compassion.
The Masterpiece Was Always There
Romans 12:2 (NIV) tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
That’s not just spiritual truth—it’s brain science. Every time you choose healing, you’re literally rewiring your mind toward joy, peace, and abundance. You’re clearing the mess, not to become someone new—but to return to the truth of who God always created you to be.
You are the masterpiece. And today is a beautiful day to begin again.
You can find deeper guidance, more steps to clearing blocks to blessings, and discover the hidden patterns that keep us stuck in various areas of life—mind, body, spirit, relationships, and finances—in my book “Breath of Heaven – Manifesting God’s Way.” In it, I combine neuroscience, scripture, and healing practices that have helped thousands move from fear to freedom, from stuck to soaring. You can find your copy at any online retailer like Barnes and Noble, Target, Wal Mart or on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1968061371
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