I’ve been studying the brain a lot lately.

And if there’s one thing the brain does not like, it’s conflict. Your brain has its very own conflict detector called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).

So when you consciously set a goal but at the same time have some unconscious (or even conscious) programming that is in conflict with that goal, your ACC sends a message to your brain’s fear center, which in turn tells your action centers to stop what you’re doing.

Example. Let’s say you set a financial goal. You want to make $100K this year. BUT you were raised in a particular church that told you that a rich person cannot get into heaven.

More specifically, “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Heard that one before? Yeah, me too.

So, if you truly believed in this biblical wisdom from a literal perspective, what do you imagine your brain would do when you set a financial goal? How long would it take for your conflict detector to kick in and lead you to believe that you’re going to hell for making more money?

I mean, it’s physically impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, right? Camel, big. Eye of needle, small. Real small. So it must be even more impossible for a rich man or woman to enter the kingdom.

At the same time, you’re broke as sh*t here on planet earth and dodging calls from the collections department.

Hey, at least you’re being “spiritual.”

But wait, that very same book with the camel passage also says that God wants you to “live abundantly.”

Wait, what? An abundance of bills? An abundance of stress over how to keep the lights on?

I feel a little conflicted just writing about it.

Here’s something else I like to study: the interpretation of Scripture. Because I want to know what those passages really mean.

So what if I told you that this “eye of a needle” thing doesn’t have anything to do with sewing?

What if I told you that during Biblical times, cities were surrounded by tall walls to keep invaders from storming in, and that there was a very narrow arclike entryway to these cities called the eye of the needle? Look it up.

What if this passage meant that the rich man or woman (probably riding on a camel) cannot possibly take all of his or her physical attachments through the eye of the needle? You can’t carry all of that stuff through such a narrow passageway. You have to let go. In order to enter the kingdom, the rich man or woman must be willing to detach from identifying with material possessions and understand that the kingdom is within.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

Would that make you feel a bit better about things? A little less conflicted and stuff?

Would the red light on your conflict detector stop blinking frenetically and let your brain do its job? Which is to lead you to where you want to go. Toward your hopes and dreams.

Today on The Quote of The Day Show, Steve Harvey is back to drop some Finance Friday knowledge about finding and living your gift. Plus, you’ll also hear about his own personal struggle with Scripture-based conflict and how he was able to move past it and “live abundantly.” Tap the PLAY button above to listen in.

Speaking of money, tomorrow’s Motivation Mix episode is all about money mindset, featuring Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor, Harv Eker, Dan Millman, and Dr. Demartini. Don’t miss it!

Happy Friday,

Enjoy today’s quote. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Sean