The Self-Driving Brain, Habits and Personal Growth with Alan Bodnar

On The Elisha Show, host Amb. Elisha Arowojobe speaks with Alan Bodnar, author of The Self-Driving You, about neuroscience, mindfulness and human potential. The episode explores how automatic responses shape behavior, why unwanted habits can be hard to change, and how applying knowledge and directing attention may support better habits and personal growth.

Key takeaways

• Automatic brain patterns can influence decisions and behavior.
• The episode considers why changing unwanted habits can be difficult.
• It distinguishes automatic responses from conscious choices.
• Deliberate attention and repeated actions are presented as ways to shape behavioral patterns.
• Listeners are encouraged to consider how they define themselves in relation to habits they want to change.

How do automatic brain patterns shape behavior?

The show notes describe automatic responses as influences on behavior and decisions. That focus raises a useful distinction: some responses happen automatically, while other choices are made consciously. The episode examines how those patterns can affect what people do, making awareness of them relevant to anyone thinking about personal growth.

This is not presented as a simple claim that every action is automatic or that people have no choice. Rather, the topic is the relationship between automatic brain patterns and conscious choices. Recognizing that relationship can help frame the question of how someone might respond differently when an unwanted habit appears.

Why can unwanted habits be difficult to change?

Changing a habit is one of the central topics in the episode. The notes point to automatic responses as part of the discussion of why people may struggle to change unwanted habits. They also connect habit change with applying knowledge and directing attention, rather than treating personal growth as a matter of simply wanting a different outcome.

The episode’s focus is on understanding patterns and considering how to build better ones. It does not offer a specific method or guarantee that a habit will change. Instead, it invites listeners to think about the role of repeated behavior and conscious attention in the process.

How can attention and repetition support better habits?

Alan Bodnar and Amb. Elisha Arowojobe discuss deliberate attention as a way to help shape the brain, alongside the idea that repeated actions can rewire behavioral patterns. In the context of the show notes, these are presented as connected themes: what people direct their attention toward and what they do repeatedly can matter when they are working on habits.

The episode also emphasizes applying knowledge. Learning about a pattern is one part of the subject; directing attention and considering repeated actions are other parts. Together, these themes make the conversation relevant to listeners interested in mindfulness, behavior and human potential.

Can a habit define who you are?

The notes identify another personal-growth question: how to stop defining yourself by habits you want to change. This shifts the focus from a behavior alone to the way a person thinks about themselves in relation to that behavior. The episode raises the topic without suggesting a single answer or a guaranteed path to change.

For listeners, that distinction offers a way to reflect on habits without treating them as the whole story of who they are. It fits the episode’s broader interest in automatic responses, conscious choices and the possibility of building better patterns over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the guest on this episode?

The guest is Alan Bodnar, author of The Self-Driving You.

Who hosts The Elisha Show?

The show is hosted by Amb. Elisha Arowojobe.

What topics does the episode cover?

The episode covers neuroscience, mindfulness, human potential, automatic responses, habits, attention and personal growth.

Does the episode discuss changing unwanted habits?

Yes. The show notes say the episode explores why people struggle to change unwanted habits and how attention and repeated actions relate to behavioral patterns.