This month’s Nudge is a gentle reminder of something we often overlook in the busyness of life: the incredible brilliance that’s already within us.

That’s what The Nudge is all about—pausing, reflecting, and reconnecting with the simple truths that make life flow more effortlessly. It’s not about learning something new or adding more to your plate. It’s about noticing what’s already there. 

This month, we’re exploring the theme of Built-In Brilliance—the idea that you already have everything you need to navigate life’s challenges. No fixing. No effort. Just noticing the vast potential and creativity that’s always been within you. 

Let me share a story to illustrate what I mean. 

Recently, I spoke with a client who was navigating life well—mostly. He’d experienced fewer moments of stress and reactivity, but every now and then, something would snag him and he'd caught stressing and overthinking. He’d try to “do something” to shake it off—distract himself or change his focus—but his usual approaches just weren’t working. 

Sound familiar?

As we spoke, I noticed something that sparked a shift for both of us. Over time, he’d built a personal toolkit—his “go-to” strategies for handling life’s ups and downs. These tools worked often enough that he relied on them exclusively. They’d become his only way of solving problems, so when the situation called for something different, he felt stuck. 

It reminded me of the toolkit my dad gave me when I first moved out. It had almost everything I could need—and it became my go-to. But when I hit a problem that required a tool I didn’t have, I was stumped. 

Our minds work much the same way. They’re brilliant at creating solutions and bringing the right tools forward for the job. But sometimes, we forget that we don’t just have one set of tools—we have a master toolkit filled with endless possibilities. 

Here’s the thing: Your mind is more than just a single toolkit. It’s like a virtual hardware store, a custom toolmaker, and an instant problem-solver all rolled into one. Every successful strategy you’ve ever used came from this larger capacity.

But we often get so attached to the tools we’ve already created that we forget about the immense potential we’re carrying. My client realised this too—and he laughed. He saw that while his strategies were helpful, he’d been relying on them so much that he’d overlooked the vast resource within him. 

And when he remembered he had access to more, something amazing happened: He relaxed. He gave himself a break, and in that space, fresh insights naturally arose.