The Hidden Script: Why We Know Better But Don’t Do Better (RIJ #2)

We know better, don’t we?

Nourish your body with whole foods. Move your body. Leave the relationship that drains your soul.

Stick to your New Year’s resolution. Choose peace over chaos. We hear it, we say it, and we even write it down in our journals.

But if we’re honest, many of us still don’t follow through. Why?

This question used to sit heavy on my chest, especially when I saw myself, an intelligent, kind-hearted, capable woman, repeating habits I swore I’d outgrown. I wasn’t a stranger to wisdom.

I’d listened to the podcasts. Read the books. Attended the workshops.

But despite all I knew, I’d catch myself on autopilot: pouring from an empty cup, neglecting my boundaries, avoiding the gym again, or staying silent when I should have spoken up.

At some point, I realized I wasn’t just living life, I was being lived by something deeper.

That’s when I met the real author behind the scenes: my subconscious mind.

We Are Habitual Beings

If you’ve ever driven home and couldn’t remember a single turn you made, you’ve already witnessed how powerful your subconscious mind is.

Every morning, I follow a sequence: brush my teeth, clean my system, take my shower, get dressed.

Most days, my body completes the entire routine while my mind is already a mile ahead, thinking about what I need to cook, a deadline, or a conversation from the day before.

These actions aren’t powered by intention. They’re powered by habit. And habit, my friend, is the language of the subconscious.

Your Conscious Mind Thinks.

Your Subconscious Mind Believes.

Here’s something I wish they taught in school: your subconscious doesn’t reason, debate, or reject. It doesn’t fact-check or analyze.

It simply accepts and executes what has been repeated, especially if it’s been paired with strong emotion.

So even when your conscious mind says: “I want to change,” your subconscious whispers back: “But this is who we are.”

And it wins. Every time. Unless… we become aware.

Fear on the Bridge: A Personal Glimpse

Let me take you into one of my lived examples. Bridges. Not the metaphorical kind, though I’ve crossed a few of those too.

I’m talking about real, high, nerve-wracking bridges that make your stomach lurch.

When I know we’re approaching one, I brace myself. I speak to myself. “It’s fine, I’m fine, it’s just a bridge.”

But then we hit the incline, and suddenly I’m sweating, trembling, short of breath.

My conscious mind is trying to convince me everything’s okay. But my subconscious? It’s screaming danger.

That visceral reaction? That’s programming. It doesn’t matter what I know, it matters what I’ve absorbed.

Just like when we jump during a horror movie. You know it’s a screen. You know it’s fiction. But your body responds like it’s real.

Because in that moment, your conscious mind isn’t in charge.

Why We Repeat What Hurts Us

You may know that toxic relationship isn’t good for you. You may recognize your habit of overspending, procrastinating, or self-sabotaging.

But if those actions are rooted in subconscious beliefs like “I’m not worthy,” “Love equals sacrifice,” or “I have to save everyone,” then no matter what logic you apply, your body and actions will default to the deeper programming.

And that programming? It was written in childhood, in trauma, in culture, in repetition.

It runs silently, like background music in a movie. Until you start to listen.

Awareness is the First Rewrite

When I began the work of self-awareness, I didn’t try to change everything at once. I just started noticing.

I tracked my energy. I paid attention to when I over-gave. I sat with uncomfortable feelings and asked:

Where did this come from? Who taught me this? What is this habit protecting me from?

The answers didn’t always come right away. But the questions? They opened the door to healing.

Try This: A Gentle Daily Rewiring Ritual

Here’s a simple awareness practice I use:

1. Start your day in silence (before the world gets loud).

2. Ask one question: “What do I want to feel today?”

3. Notice your body’s first reaction. Tension? Doubt? Peace? Curiosity?

4. Affirm what you desire: “Today, I choose ease.” “Today, I remember I matter.”

5. Repeat. Daily. The subconscious needs repetition to reprogram.

Even five minutes a day of intentional awareness can redirect your entire life.

You Are Not Alone

The beautiful thing is, none of us are alone in this. We’re all learning how to live more consciously, love more wisely, and shed what no longer serves.

You’re not late to your transformation. You’re right on time.

And every time you choose awareness over autopilot, you are rewriting the future, not just for yourself, but for everyone who watches you rise.

So let’s keep rising.

Together.