So how did I go from openly mocking my own sister, to running a website about mindset and manifestation and the power of our thoughts? Well, it took a while, and it all started at a business conference.

As a speaker, I was invited to attend a session hosted by mindset coach and author Belanie Dishong. There were 15 or so people in the room, and Belanie began to speak about her theory of “the shelf of everything,” where one could just choose anything you wanted in life and simply think it into existence.

Yes, I rolled my eyes. I also listened, and as I did, a tiny crack began to form in the foundation of my skepticism. What she was saying made some sense, even though I couldn’t yet point to why.

Years later, that tiny crack would widen when I discovered The Life Coach School Podcast, hosted by Brooke Castillo. She introduced me to what she calls “The Model,” and it was as if a switch flipped in my brain.

I could see, for the first time, how my thoughts do control my feelings, and my feelings control my actions, and my actions drive my results. As any grade school student can tell you, if A = B and B = C, then surely A = C.

Therefore, my thoughts really do lead to my results. If I could control one, I could have reasonable control over the other.

If you know me, then you know I’m a data-loving science geek at heart. I don’t easily believe what others tell me just because they said so. I want to see proof. Show me the peer reviewed studies, the meta analyses, the randomized controlled trials. That’s what it will take to convince me your method is viable.

So I went digging, and I found what I needed. Study after study, MRI imaging, systematic reviews, and more books than I can read in several lifetimes all point to the same conclusion: Mindset matters. It’s not just some nonsense made up to sell expensive coaching programs.

That doesn’t mean everything we read is fact, of course. There is still a lot of nonsense in the world, and in more realms than just mindset work. Mindset Curious is my way of cutting through the baloney and finding real, actionable ideas you can use.

Each week, I share what I’m learning, how I’m putting it to work in my own life, and how you can as well. If that interests you, I hope you’ll join me.