Your unconscious won’t let you have something you resent

On Sunday mornings, early, after spending a while in the garden watching the flowers, butterflies, and little birds that come to visit, I usually do small things around the house—like hand-washing some clothes, organising drawers, or dusting a bit. I generally do this while listening to a podcast. That is, of course, if certain conditions allow—like having electricity, having a connection… Well, yesterday I had everything. So it was the sneakers’ turn for a bath, among other small tasks.

I was thinking about how white they turned out, considering the last time I wore them they got absolutely filthy. I decided to use them for a bike ride and halfway there we got caught in a downpour… The puddles around that area were massive—it looked like a flood had swept through. I never understood where all that water came from, because my friend and I took shelter under a long arcade lined with little shops—barbers, corner stores—and other cyclists and motorbike riders did the same. It wasn’t even raining that heavily… Maybe our brains were playing tricks on us.

And now that I’ve brought up the topic of the brain, I’ve actually been quite interested for a while in understanding how it works. I mean, we all carry one around in our heads, yet we understand so little about it… haha… it’s such a strange thing, isn’t it?

Well, the podcast I listened to yesterday was this one: Brain Expert — 'Stop talking to your subconscious like that! This kind of language will finally set you free.'

When she says that the subconscious governs most of our lives, and that up to 95% of our decisions and reactions come from there… it’s honestly quite shocking. And when she explains that, as we fall asleep, we enter certain brainwave states where—let’s say—the gates of our inner castle drop, and that we shouldn’t fall asleep with the TV or radio on because all that information, which we don’t even know the content of, slips easily into our minds… it could be stuff about death and destruction, frightening things… you know how the world is these days. Well then—hands up if you’ve ever fallen asleep like that! Many of us have, haven’t we? But the good news is that the brain can be reprogrammed, that all those neural pathways can be changed. Just leave the old roads behind and look for new ones… I found this podcast really powerful.

I was left with so many of her ideas swirling around in my head while I made lunch for myself and my little dog. Then I had a short nap and got ready to head out on my bike. I can honestly say that the whole ride to Nuevo Vedado, where this month’s Bicipiknic was taking place, I was thinking about all of it.

One part I recommend you watch closely is at minute 32:16 of the video, when the specialist explains that we need to educate our conscious mind so it can speak to the unconscious. And we must do it with great care, because that organ—the brain—which, in case you didn’t know, is the one that ages the slowest if kept active and stimulated, is there to protect us. Neuropsychologist Begoña del Campo says that neglect, chronic stress, and lack of stimulation can speed up its deterioration.

Your unconscious won’t let you have something you resent.

This phrase I used as the title of the post is hers, and it really got me thinking about how to integrate this knowledge into my daily life. It takes work. It’s about becoming aware of every thought that enters my mind and being able to change those that stem from false beliefs or limiting ideas.

What you see there on my cycle computer is the route I did yesterday: a round trip to Panorama Street, between 6 St. and Colón, where a group of cycling enthusiasts gathered to share stories, laughter, a few repair skills, music, dancing, some delicious little bites to eat, sports activities, and board games.

DJ Mazarick

We were on high ground, surrounded by a thin row of trees whose shade doesn’t quite reach the centre of the clearing, but the grass and its colours really catch the eye. The event started at 2 p.m., but I arrived around 4 because I’d gone for a wander through another neighbourhood—El Vedado—and stopped for an ice cream at the kiosk on H and 23. I had that classic Sunday craving… haha.

The temperature was quite cool, and by then the sun wasn’t very strong. Besides, since it gets dark earlier now, 4 p.m. already looks like this: a soft golden caress on the buildings that strike me as so anachronistic in this neighbourhood, which stands out for its layout of low-rise houses, mostly built in the 1950s.

I didn’t take many photos. I was with a friend who was quite worried because he hadn’t managed to make any deliveries yesterday. I believe it’s his main source of income, and I could tell his mind was a bit tormented by it. It happens to all of us—that feeling of being unsettled when things don’t go as we’d hoped… but sometimes you just have to take life slowly. It wasn’t something that could be fixed in that moment anyway. I was there to listen, to be with him, and to make him laugh. I told him to trust that today would bring more opportunities. Then my friend and bike mechanic showed up—the one I hadn’t seen in months. I had just been telling Azrael, right at that moment, how I’d been worried about his absence, that I hadn’t even been able to reach him by phone… and as things go, there he was. 😃

He also told us he’s working as a night guard at a school. I was glad for him. I imagine he’s combining that with bike repairs—something he doesn’t do professionally, but rather informally, whenever someone looks for him or calls because they need his help, just like I do.

We had an ejoyable time there until I noticed it was starting to get dark, so Azrael and I went off to find a place to have a beer. I owed him a birthday toast—his birthday was earlier this week and we hadn’t seen each other. I only had two small pints; we couldn’t stay out too long. I came home feeling joyful, of course. When I got in, I showered and ate heartily to replenish all the calories I’d burned pedalling. You know I’m always ravenous after a ride. Then I decided to sleep early, after a bit of wandering around Hive posts.

A hug and happy start to the week… I was thinking I should go out and do something fun in the next few hours. Let’s see what I come up with.

👋