>That part of my brain that constantly shits on all my ideas & plans still thinks it does it to cushion myself from inevitable let down.
>If I stop & think about what goes on in my mind,
Realize, that this whole exercise of Awakening is comprised of learning to control your thoughts.
Most often this amounts to not letting your brain listen to 'the programming" of what you have been told and taught your whole life.
When you control your thinking, your thinking will Expand with little to no effort required on your part.
It all starts with controlling your thoughts, and forever gets easier the longer you do it. Much like anything that is 'force of habit'.