For nearly two decades, Deanna Phelps (my life partner and co-creator of brain-based human development products) and I have been bringing neuroscience-based solutions to business world problems like employee engagement, productivity, communication effectiveness, sales success, risk management, team development and organizational learning. In 2010, we launched our 18-year-old dream to bring practical neuroscience into the lives of the general public. Practical neuroscience for better daily living touches virtually all aspects of life with special emphasis on relationships, performance excellence, careers, personal growth and the “stress-distress-disease connection.”
Working with brain-based human development technology is a humbling and rewarding experience. We compiled the following reasons why we’re thankful for our miraculous brains, thinking our reasons may help you leap-frog forward in creating a better life with less stress.
1. The human brain is totally unique. Our ability to join “minds” (brains) may be the most powerful force on earth. We are grateful for this potential and hold the thought that more people will combine their brainpower to make good and positive changes in their lives and the world in which we live. We are thankful that people can combine their knowledge, life experiences and brain strengths with one another. Our brains are exquisitely designed for full-spectrum relationships, thus amplifying the infinite potential of human experience.
2. The brain is the only known organism capable of analyzing itself and weighs about a whopping 3 pounds. Whether you’re Albert Einstein or Joe Schmo, your brain boasts roughly 100 billion neurons. It’s not how many neurons you have, but how you use them. You can change and reinvent yourself and the world you live in each and every day by what you choose to think about and engage with. We are all creators of our experiences by virtue of our miraculous brains. For this truth, we are particularly thankful.
3. The brain is naturally curious and has infinite capacity to learn and grow. The greater the challenge, the stronger our brains become. It’s like exercising muscles. We can keep our current abilities polished by using them; established neuronal networks stay strong and fire, like spark plugs, on demand. We can also step outside our comfort zones and build new abilities. Repetition and persistent focus expand our neuronal networks like building a giant root system in a redwood forest. The strength and the stability of the redwood forest is the interconnecting root system. This is a good analogy for joining minds.
4. We are all smarter than we think, despite society’s labels for intelligence. Howard Gardner, Harvard psychologist, has shown you have multiple intelligences and particular learning talents that are uniquely yours. He has identified nine intelligences or ways of expressing your intelligence. They are: Auditory (word smart), Visual (picture smart), Kinesthetic (body smart), Sequential-Mathematical (number and reasoning smart), Musical (music smart), Intrapersonal (self smart), Interpersonal (people smart), Naturalist (nature smart), and Spiritual (consciousness smart). The question is not “How smart are you?” but “How are you smart? We think the list is much larger and complex than it seems and for this, too, we are thankful.
5. Dr. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” This 1937 landmark book contained all the basic principles of manifesting through brainpower well before The Secret and The Law of Attraction became popular. You can trust your brain to learn, solve problems, make decisions and perform with excellence. The power of joining like minds with trusted advisors for noble purposes creates greatness with a multiplying effect. This is like the majestic redwood forests mentioned earlier.
In conclusion, we hope these grateful thoughts spark your brain’s natural curiosity to learn more about itself and how it’s possible to live the life of your dreams.
Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
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