One morning, my husband and I slept in a little longer than usual—understandable after the long, jam-packed day we'd had preparing for an event we were about to lead.

Still tired but knowing we had more to do, we grabbed our laptops and got back to work right there in bed, pajamas and all. I was finishing up files for the printer, and Trevan was deep in troubleshooting some online system bugs.

Not long after, our daughters Bethany (7) and Sarah (4) came looking for us. We invited them to the master bath where they could play with toys in the tub and be close by while we worked.

As they splashed and played, their giggles turned into theatrical role-playing—louder and louder—until Trevan finally called out, “Hey girls, I realize this is a play area for you, but it’s a work area for us. We need you to settle down!”

Bethany replied obediently, “O-kaay.”
Sarah, always the one to speak her truth, said simply, “But we’re having a lot of fun…”

We chuckled and went back to work. Sarah has always been wildly quotable.

Before we knew it, two hours had passed. The girls were still in the water, still giggling, still singing. Eventually I stepped in and said, “Okay girls, time to get out!”

Bethany hopped out and headed downstairs. But Sarah lingered. “Mom, could I just please stay a little longer?” she asked.

I looked over. “Well, you’re being really quiet now... so okay, just a little longer.”

She went back to her toys, now talking quietly to herself—singing about princesses, mommies, and made-up stories. It was sweet. Peaceful, even. Her soft chatter faded into the background as I focused on my work, genuinely enjoying the occasional high-pitched note or whimsical line.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Trevan burst out: “Argh! I need a tranquilizer gun!”

I whipped my head toward him, wide-eyed. Was he serious?

Assuming he was just making a dark joke, I gave him a deadpan reply to match:
“Don’t... you think... we’d need to... at least... drain the water... first??”

His face twisted in confusion, then his eyes lit up with horror. “I was talking about the dogs!”

Dogs??

That’s when I heard them—barking like mad just outside the window. I'd completely tuned them out. Trevan, on the other hand, had been silently battling the noise while trying to solve a tough technical problem. His exasperation had reached its peak, and the “tranquilizer gun” line was him channeling that frustration into humor.

Once he realized how it sounded to me—and I realized what he really meant—we both erupted into laughter. It became an inside joke we still laugh about to this day.

What struck me was this:
Same environment.
Two people.
Completely different experiences.

Why? Because our attention was focused on different things. I had tuned in to the sweet sounds of a four-year-old playing. Trevan had tuned in to the maddening sound of barking dogs. And that’s where the Reticular Activating System comes in.

Your RAS is the filter in your brain that determines what you notice in your environment. It draws from your past experiences and emotional attachments to determine what deserves your attention. It’s why two people can be in the same place at the same time and have completely different experiences.

But here's the cool part: when you set your goals properly—clearly and with purpose—your RAS becomes a powerful ally. It starts to notice and bring into focus the resources, people, and ideas you need to accomplish those goals. Those resources may have always been there, but without the right mental filter, you never saw them.

That’s why I teach what I teach.

That’s why I don’t want you to stop here.

Your next breakthrough—your next step toward clarity and purpose—is probably already within reach. You just need the tools to recognize it. So keep reading. Dive into the resources I’ve created. Let the gaps in your understanding be filled.

So you can move forward—equipped, confident, and ready to catch every genius idea that’s been waiting for you to see it.

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