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Life from the Top of the Mind

This series of podcasts is based upon a system for success developed by psychologist, Dr. Bill Crawford, (Ph.D.). The basic premise of this philosophy is that the reason we are less than effective is that the problems in our life trigger the release of certain stress-related chemicals that engage the lower 20% of our brain which is incapable of creative thinking. This results in feelings of stress, frustration, and the desire to either lash out or escape. What makes Dr. Crawford's "Top of the Mind" system unique and powerful is that it shows us how to change the chemical make-up of our body and shift to the upper 80% of our brain where we can access the clarity, confidence, and creativity necessary to bring our best to all aspects of life.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Mar 30, 2026 · Source feed

  1. 603

    The Problem with "Constructive Criticism"

    “Criticism can be effective when there is something that must be destroyed or dissolved, but it is capable only of harm when there is something to be built.” ~ Carl Jung (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  2. 602

    The Power of Purposeful Attribution & Meaning

    “Meaning isn’t something we discover, it is what we bring to life, either by choice or by chance.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  3. 601

    The Power of Beliefs

    “Until we consciously choose the beliefs that affect our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, we will be driven by the unconscious, fear-based part of the brain.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  4. 600

    Change your Mind, Brain, & Your Life!

    “If you want to change your life, you must first change your mind and then change your brain… on purpose.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  5. 599

    Feeling Out of Control?

    "Never make your highest purpose, or the most important thing in your life something that is outside of your control." Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  6. 598

    The Key to Self-Worth

    “Until we make 'who we are' more important than just what we do, we will always be at risk for feeling like we are never enough.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  7. 597

    Trusting Your Strengths

    “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing that it is stupid.” ~ Albert Einstein (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  8. 596

    The Neuroscience of Our Advantages Over AI

    "Artificial Intelligence may shape more of what we do, but only our human integrity, wisdom, and character will shape who we are." ~ Daniel Pink (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  9. 595

    The Neuroscience of Creating New Habits

    "We are what we repeatedly do. Success, therefore, is not an act but a series of habits that define who we are and determine the course of our life." ~ Adapted from Aristotle (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  10. 594

    Are Students Today More Anxious?

    "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." ~ a Chinese Proverb - Our kids need us to act. Teach Mental Health Now! (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  11. 593

    The Fear of Trusting Our Own Judgement

    “Action without knowledge can be destructive, but knowledge without action can be demoralizing.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  12. 592

    The Psychology of Selves: Managing the Inner Critic, Pleaser, & Rebel

    ”To understand ourself, we must understand our “selves,” or the parts of us that motivate our thoughts, decisions, and behaviors.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD( https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  13. 591

    The Neuroscience of Anticipatory Anxiety

    “Anticipatory Anxiety is worrying about some future event that we can’t affect in the present. The Anxiety and Depression Association of American calls it “Bleeding before you are cut.” ~ Adapted from the AADA (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  14. 590

    The Neuroscience of Influence

    "You can’t get people to access their best by pointing out their worst." ~ Bill Crawford PhD( https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  15. 589

    Difference Between Self-Righteousness & Confidence

    "Self-righteousness isn't about confidence. It's a reaction designed to protect someone from the fear of what it would mean to be wrong." ~ Bill Crawford PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  16. 588

    Dr. Bill & The Little Drummer Boy

    “It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving." ~ Mother Teresa (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  17. 587

    Acting W/O Thinking - Thinking W/O Acting

    "Most of the problems in life are because of one two reasons - we act without thinking, or we just think (and think) without acting." ~ Unknown (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  18. 586

    How Giving Thanks Can Change the Future

    “Gratitude makes sense of the past, brings peace to the present, and creates a vision of the future.” ~ Melody Beattie (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  19. 585

    The Neuroscience of Being In Control!

    “Never make your highest purpose, or the most important thing in your life something that is outside of your control.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  20. 584

    The Power of Transitions

    "The most powerful times in our lives can be the time between times, or life's transitions that give us the opportunity to choose." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  21. 583

    The Neuroscience of Knowing What to Trust

    “When faced with conflicting thoughts and emotions, we must decide what to trust, what we fear, or what we know. What’s important is that this decision be made by the knowledgeable versus the anxious part of the brain.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/

  22. 582

    Procrastination & Avoidance

    “Procrastination or avoidance is just prolonged suffering disguised as safety.” ~ Whitney Goodman (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  23. 581

    The Solution for the Speed of Life!

    "We suffer from the illusion that the faster we run, the more likely we are to grasp happiness. The truth is that the velocity necessary for success rarely exceeds the rate of reflection." Sam Keen

  24. 580

    Why People Resist Accountability

    "The way to encourage people to be accountable is to change the meaning to "the ability to be counted upon." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  25. 579

    The Neuroscience of Living Without Regret

    "The #1 regret of those on their death bed: I wish I had the courage to live a life that was true to myself, versus the life that was expected of me." ~ Browny Ware (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  26. 578

    The Power of the Sponsoring Thought

    “It is often the thought behind the thought, or the sponsoring thought, that truly causes how we think feel and act.” Bill Crawford, PhD

  27. 577

    How to Avoid Being Affected by Difficult People

    "Problems occur when we tie our peace of mind to another's state of mind." ~ Bill Crawford, Ph.D. Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  28. 576

    The Neuroscience of Feelings That Don't Make Sense!

    "When our worries and fears just don’t make sense, it’s possible we are trusting the part of the brain that doesn’t make sense… it just reacts." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  29. 575

    Don't blame the clown for acting like a clown... Ask why we keep going back to the circus?

    "Don't blame the clown for acting like a clown... Ask why we keep going back to the circus?" ~ Unknown (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  30. 574

    The Neuroscience of Control!

    "Never make your highest purpose, or the most important thing in your life something that is outside of your control." Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  31. 573

    The Real Problem With Change

    "Change isn't the problem. People can deal with change, they just can't deal with being changed." ~ Adapted from Peter Senge (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  32. 572

    The Key to Great Solutions - That Most Never Understand

    "Great solutions include serenity and acceptance as the precursors to courage and change." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  33. 571

    Facing Our Fears

    "Each day befriend a single fear, and the miscellaneous terrors of being human will never join together to form such a morass of vague anxiety that it rules your life from the shadows of the unconscious. We learn to fly not by being fearless, but by the daily practice of courage." ~ Sam Keen (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  34. 570

    Words to Avoid!

    "Avoid the words "have to" it says we have no choice. There are only three things we 'have to' do in this world... we have to be born, we have to die, and we have to live until we die. Everything else is a choice!" ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  35. 569

    What It Means to "Age"

    "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?" ~ Satchel Paige (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  36. 568

    Perspective... Will Created by Choice or by Chance

    “Our perspective, or the meaning that we attach to our stories we tell ourselves makes us either bitter or better. I suggest we do this by choice, and not by chance.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  37. 567

    The Neuroscience of Responding Vs. Reacting

    "We don't have to learn to react…it happens automatically. We do, however, want to learn to respond in a way that we would recommend to someone we love." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  38. 566

    How to Use the Past to Change the Present & the Future!

    "The past doesn't exist as a factual recounting of what happened, but as an experience that we are constantly recreating in our mind… which means we can use the past to change the present and the future." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  39. 565

    The Neuroscience of Denial

    "A life of denial can often be a form of self-delusion. . .What are we pretending not to know?" ~ Ken Frogley (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  40. 564

    Training the Unconscious Brain

    "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will control your life!" ~ Carl Jung (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  41. 563

    The Neuroscience of Exhaustion!

    "Sustained exhaustion is not a sign of determination, it is a signal that we have depleted our resources, and are no longer able to function at our best." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  42. 562

    The Neuroscience of Avoidance

    "When our purpose becomes avoidance, our life becomes a void." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  43. 561

    The Neuroscience of Stressful Situations

    “Stress is a chemical reaction in our brain and body designed to prepare us for fight or flight. These chemicals do not exist in the situation but in us. No situation is “full of stress,” and therefore, there's no such thing as a stressful situation.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  44. 560

    Stop Asking For Permission!

    "Freedom isn't about having permission to do whatever we want...it's about having the courage to do whatever fills our life with meaning." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  45. 559

    The Problem with "Common Sense"

    “That’s just common sense” is used by many to justify their perspective. However, how we “sense” or understand life varies greatly from individual to individual. Therefore, rather than needing to justify our “sense” as “common,” how about we just ensure that our perceptions are purposeful, and congruent with what we would recommend to someone we love? ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  46. 558

    The Best Response To An Insult

    "The best response to any insult or unwarranted criticism is to ask a question. Curiosity and confidence always go hand in hand. It does, of course, have to be the right question." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  47. 557

    How to Make Sense of What Doesn't Make Sense

    "When our worries and fears just don't make sense, it's possible we are trusting the part of the brain that doesn't make sense… it just reacts." ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  48. 556

    The Best Gift of All?

    "Often, the best gift isn’t what we buy, but who we are, and what we say and do with those we love.” ~ Bill Crawford, PhD (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  49. 555

    The Neuroscience of Accomplishment

    "When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way." ~ Wayne Dyer (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

  50. 554

    The Neuroscience of People's Reactions

    “Often reactions to life aren’t the problem… it’s our reactions to our reactions that get in the way of our clarity, confidence, and creativity.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

This series of podcasts is based upon a system for success developed by psychologist, Dr. Bill Crawford, (Ph.D.). The basic premise of this philosophy is that the reason we are less than effective is that the problems in our life trigger the release of certain stress-related chemicals that engage the lower 20% of our brain which is incapable of creative thinking. This results in feelings of stress, frustration, and the desire to either lash out or escape. What makes Dr. Crawford's "Top of the Mind" system unique and powerful is that it shows us how to change the chemical make-up of our body and shift to the upper 80% of our brain where we can access the clarity, confidence, and creativity necessary to bring our best to all aspects of life.

HOSTED BY

Bill Crawford, Ph.D.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Life from the Top of the Mind have?

Life from the Top of the Mind currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Life from the Top of the Mind about?

This series of podcasts is based upon a system for success developed by psychologist, Dr. Bill Crawford, (Ph.D.). The basic premise of this philosophy is that the reason we are less than effective is that the problems in our life trigger the release of certain stress-related chemicals that engage...

How often does Life from the Top of the Mind release new episodes?

Life from the Top of the Mind has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Life from the Top of the Mind?

You can listen to Life from the Top of the Mind on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Life from the Top of the Mind?

Life from the Top of the Mind is created and hosted by Bill Crawford, Ph.D..
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