Train your brain’s emotional intelligence with metacognition | Arthur Brooks

**🧠 Your Emotions Aren’t the Boss — *You* Are 🔥** Feelings come from your **limbic system** — the emotional engine of your brain. But here’s the kicker: it’s not smart. It just reacts. No logic. No filters. Just raw vibes 😤💥. If you let it run the show, guess what? You’ll be *owned* by your emotions 😬. But you don’t have to be. There’s a way to *take back control* — and it’s called **metacognition** 🧘‍♂️🔍. Metacognition = thinking about your thinking. It’s your **prefrontal cortex** (your rational brain 🧠) observing your emotional self 👀💭. You’re basically saying: “Okay, I’m feeling this… but *what does it mean?* And *what do I want to do about it?*” 🔄 Example: When a kid throws a tantrum, you say, “Use your words.” Translation? “Stop being limbic. Be conscious.” Now flip that advice on yourself. Every. Single. Time. Next time you're angry or anxious: 1. Don’t react immediately 🚫🗣️ 2. Count to **30** (not 10) ⏳ 3. Let your brain *catch up* with your feelings 4. Then respond — *on purpose*, not on impulse 🎯 💡 Pro tip: The more you practice this, the better you get. It’s a skill, not magic. And yeah, you’ll mess up sometimes. That’s part of it. Be kind to yourself 💛. But here’s the real win: ✅ You’ll feel more in control ✅ You’ll be *happier* ✅ People will *love* being around you more Because people who *respond* instead of *react*? They're the real emotional MVPs 🏆✨. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices