August 06, 2025

Ep. 188: Deciding to Rewire Your Mind: How Conscious Choices Change Your Brain with Dr. Caroline Leaf

1 hour 5 minutes

What if changing your life didn’t start with habits, but with rewiring how you think?

In this episode of Decidedly, we sit down with Dr. Caroline Leaf – cognitive neuroscientist, bestselling author, and pioneer in the field of neuroplasticity – to explore how conscious choices reshape your brain, your beliefs, and your entire reality.

From the power of family business to the neuroscience of decision-making, Dr. Leaf shares powerful stories, from working with traumatic brain injury survivors to teaching hope in apartheid-era South Africa. Her research proves what many only suspect: your brain can change, but it starts with you choosing to.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in patterns, frustrated by self-doubt, or wondered if you really have control over your thoughts, this one’s for you.

KEY TOPICS

The difference between the conscious and unconscious mind
How to rewire your brain through intentional thought
What most people misunderstand about neuroplasticity
Decision-making and belief formation
Working with family and navigating tough dynamics
Stories of healing from traumatic brain injury
Balancing hope with realistic expectations
The surprising science behind mindset and change
How your environment impacts your mental health
Practical tools to start changing your thoughts today

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

03:27 Introducing Dr. Caroline Leaf: A Neuropsychology Pioneer
04:43 Family Business Dynamics: Working with Loved Ones
12:00 Navigating Nepotism in Family Businesses
16:58 Dr. Leaf's Early Career and Neuroplasticity Research
26:12 Transformative Stories from South Africa
29:55 Balancing Hope and Reality in Healing
32:24 Understanding Hope and Change
32:59 The Science of Habit Formation
33:57 Balancing Possibilities and Probabilities
35:15 The Power of a Positive Mindset
38:00 Embracing Parenthood with Gratitude
41:29 The Mind-Brain Connection
58:11 The Neuro Cycle for Decision Making
01:04:02 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

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At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy.

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CONNECT WITH DR. CAROLINE LEAF

Website: https://drleaf.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drcarolineleaf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcarolineleaf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drleaf/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarolineleaf/

Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Ph.D. in Communication Pathology and a BSc in Logopaedics, specializing in psychoneurobiology and metacognitive neuropsychology. Since the early 1980s, she has been a pioneer in neuroplasticity research, focusing on the mind-brain connection, mental health, and memory formation. Her decades-long career spans clinical therapy, education, field research, and government contracts, during which she developed the scientifically validated Neurocycle® and Leaf Mind Management Scale (LMM)™. An internationally recognized author of over 18 books in 22 languages, Dr. Leaf continues to publish peer-reviewed research while collaborating with neurologists to demonstrate the measurable mental health benefits of her work.

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