Posts tagged ‘personal’

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October 12, 2011

X-Ray Vision? No, but Try These Tips to Strengthen Your Real Visual Pathway Powers

X-Ray Vision

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What would it be like if you could tap into and leverage your visual powers to improve performance in any area of your life, see what other people may miss and create innovative solutions to life challenges? This is not science fiction; it’s practical neuroscience that can be accomplished by anyone with an open and willing mind.

Your visual cortex is the largest, and perhaps the most underutilized, system in your brain. It’s responsible for processing and giving meaning to visual information. The primary visual cortex is located in the back of your brain in two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. The left hemisphere visual cortex receives signals from your right eye and the right visual cortex from your left eye. Thinking visually, with your eyes closed, activates a kaleidoscope of imagery, color, symbols, pattern recognition and pictures to help you remember what was seen and to access your inner world of imagination. This basic practical neuroscience information frames the experiential exercises and ideas presented below.

“Eyes Open” Strategies

These ideas strengthen your visual acuity and give you enhanced perspective to catch information you may have been missing.

Strengthening Your Visual Powers:

  • Select something visually interesting – a photograph, magazine, ad or written material. Look at it intently for 30 seconds and lay it aside. Say aloud or write down everything you remember – message, color, images and details. Look at the material again and see how accurate you were. Repeat the process many times. After you experience improvement, ask some of your friends to engage in the exercise and discover if more improvement is possible.
    • Select a page of written text or something you find interesting. Rotate the page so that you are looking at it upside down. Focus on the images and words. Say aloud what you see. See how proficient you can be reading and looking at things upside down.

Balancing Your Hemispheres and Curing “Lazy Eye”

  • Point your right or left thumb upwards and make a large sweeping “figure 8” pattern. Follow the pattern with your eyes for about 7 to 11 rotations, then change rotation direction. This method will help balance your hemispheres and alleviate “lazy eye” that comes from staring or fixating on a visual pattern. It helps people read quicker and with greater ease.
  • Play or observe live rapid eye-hand coordination sports like table tennis, volley ball and badminton.

Improving Reading Focus and Retention

  • Try placing different colors of transparency films over what you are reading. Red may perk up your energy level; blue may calm you down. Experiment and discover the effects on focus, concentration and memory. This may be the break-through you are looking for if you have a child struggling with reading.

“Eyes Closed” Strategies

Accessing Your Hemisphere of Choice

Retina eye positions connect to different portions of your brain through the optic nerve. You can access and focus on your visual, auditory and kinesthetic pathways by controlling where you are looking, even when your eyes are closed. When you look upward, you are connecting with your visual cortex. The lateral, side-to-side direction connects with your ability to remember and recall or create something new and different. The methods below may need to be reversed for some left handed people or the small percentage of right handed people with reverse wiring.

  • Keeping your eyes closed, move them upwards and to the left as you are thinking about something you want to remember. (e.g. “What did I wear yesterday?” “What’s the answer to this test question?”) Ask yourself silently or aloud what it is that you want to remember and see on your internal screen.
  • Move your eyes upwards to the right as you create something new or when searching for a new perspective. (e.g. “Where do I see myself on my 2-week vacation?” “What does my ideal job look like?”) Ask yourself, silently or aloud, what you want to see as possibilities and options on your internal screen.

Attaining Performance Excellence

The brain does not know the difference between actually doing something in the physical world and practicing it     in your “mind’s eye.” This is a well known method used by world class athletes to practice their techniques and  sharpen their performance.

  • The first step is to observe and study role models of performance excellence. This can be in any field of endeavor that interests you, including sports, public speaking, teaching, parenting, leadership and hands-on professions like medicine.
  • The next step involves getting relaxed, comfortable and closing your eyes. Imagine doing what your role model does when performing. Imagine observing a movie screen with you acting out a performance in which you excel. Incorporate your role model’s state-of-mind, resoluteness, values and intention, as you know them. Practice sessions should last as long as you are comfortable and not straining. Be patient, as early sessions may only last a couple of minutes before you get tired.  Repetition builds and strengthens the neuro-patterns for the new behaviors. Strive for 30-40 sessions, or more, lasting 5-7 minutes each.
  • You will be amazed and delighted to see your outer-world performance improve as you implement this technique and practice in your inner-world. This can be a continuous, lifelong process to get you primed and prepared before public speaking, playing your favorite sport or performing your daily work.

In conclusion, your brain is truly the most miraculous mass of protoplasm in the known universe. Your visual cortex is the largest operating system in your brain and has potential to enhance your life experiences beyond your wildest dreams. You can utilize its powers with your eyes open or closed. The eyes-closed potential may be the most exciting because you are exploring the infinite realms of possibility instead of your immediate field of vision in the outer world.

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September 28, 2011

Recovering From a Crashed Relationship

Broken Heart symbol

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When a relationship with a loved one or someone you work with crashes, the effect takes a big toll on your mental, emotional and physical health. How many of these symptoms can you relate to? What others can you add to the list?

  • Thinking about the situation and playing it back in your mind more than 3 times a day
  • Avoiding contact or feeling apprehensive about the person
  • Finding yourself attacking and/or defending, rather than searching for a solution
  • Having difficulty focusing on your work and other relationships
  • Sleeping less and fitfully
  • Building your case that you are “right” and the other person is “wrong” or “off-base”
  • Experiencing lower productivity and getting fewer things done
  • Feeling a sore throat or cold coming on, new aches and pains

Are you so immersed and drowning in your thoughts and feelings, that you haven’t considered asking some questions that may lead you back to a better state of mind and being?

1. Do you want to heal and improve the relationship? If not, why?

2. What positive outcomes will occur when your relationship gets better?

3. Does the other person want the same or different things?

4. Did the collapse occur over time or instantaneously, without advance notice?

5. What are your insights on the factors that contributed to the collapse?

6. Are you willing to open up and share your thoughts and feelings?

7. How well do you both normally communicate with one another? Does it seem you are on the same or different wavelengths?

Many couples and people who work together are simply not on the same “wavelength” when communicating and processing information. They also are likely to have very different strengths regarding work, personal activities and how they go about solving problems and making decisions. These differences, if you are unaware of them, will inevitably cause conflict and frustration. Being aware of your differences is the foundation for an extraordinary relationship because you cover a wide range of diversity and experience you can tap into and leverage.

Here is a solid and safe approach to repairing the damage in a crashed relationship. Agree to a time and safe place when “cool heads” prevail. Share the discussion questions above in advance. Take each question, one at a time, and allow each other to express without interruptions, judgements or questions. Ask questions after each person completes expressing their thoughts and feelings. Acknowledge each person’s thoughts and feelings by paraphrasing what you heard, observed and felt. Consider learning how you both prefer to exchange and process information if you decide to build a new and better relationship. The author resource provides a helpful website to expand and deepen appreciation and respect for one another.

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September 14, 2011

Three Blessings of Perception to Navigate Life’s Choices

Blind men and an elephant

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When you think about the myriad decisions you have to make each day, you may want an expanded, intelligent basis for making better choices. Understanding and leveraging the three blessings of perception may be the best way to navigate life’s decisions and achieve the outcomes you desire. The alternative is being told what to do by others and/or making poor choices impulsively, without thinking things through.

There are infinite levels of perception and choice when it comes to understanding and applying the principles behind the three blessing of perception. The classic story of the “blind men and an elephant” illustrates the need for open-mindedness to understand different perspectives and comprehend the basis of choice. The story also provides insight into the relativity of perception and the nature of truth.

The theme is that a group of blind men are instructed to touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each blind man feels a different part and they compare notes. One feels the tusk and says it’s a pipe, another feels the tail and says it’s a rope; the one who touches the leg says it’s a pillar; still another, who feels the belly, says it’s a wall and so on. They learn that their experiences differ greatly. After intense and heated disagreement, a wise King explains that all the blind men are right because they touched different parts of the elephant and the elephant possesses all the characteristics described. In actuality, the blind men came to know much more about the nature of an elephant that most people from the entire process. They focused on one aspect and shared their perspectives to construct a more expansive picture with the help of the King. They not only knew about the content of an elephant, they also came to know the essence and context of an elephant. The combination of this knowledge becomes, metaphorically, significant and valuable.

The three blessing of perception are:

Humility

Recognize that there is more going on around you than you perceive. You cannot possibly collect enough accurate observations and data to form a complete picture of anything. The awareness of this truth opens your mind to ask revealing questions, helps you go beyond first impressions and encourages you to investigate the perceptions of others. Remember the story about the blind men and the elephant.

Relative Perception

Everything is a continuum of infinite relativities. One person may say 100° Fahrenheit is hot, but a steel maker will say that 1,000° Fahrenheit is not hot enough to melt all the metallic ingredients to make the desired alloy. A mother may say that standing on the third rung of a stepladder is too high and scary, but an astronaut on the moon may say she wants the exhilaration of going still higher.

Mother Teresa gave selfless service to the hungry, poor and sick people on the streets of Bombay; a bank robber may value stealing from others and then decide to give it up and move to the next level of being a responsible citizen.  Each person here is evolving to higher levels of values and behavior. The point is that everyone is doing the best they can in their environment, given their state-of-mind and available knowledge. The moral of these examples is to suspend judgment of others and to focus on your own life. Suspend judgment of yourself as well and move on to the next level of being the best person you can be.

Trust in Your Trusted Advisors

Sometimes you simply have not lived long enough to accumulate adequate experiences from which to draw wisdom in certain situations. You can, however, use knowledge of other people’s struggles, failures and successes as a basis for making better personal decisions.

Trusted advisors are not necessarily people who have made all the right choices. Great lessons can be learned from people who have made poor decisions and failed. Also, select people you admire and ask yourself what they would do in the situation. These may be people you interact with in your daily life or familiar individuals whose stories and lessons you can learn and absorb from great books, magazines, newspaper articles, movies, lectures and talks, internet or television.

In summary, the three blessing of perception lead to highest levels of making decisions, solving problems and living the best life possible. Humility added to recognizing the relativity of everything and tapping into the experiences of others is a sure-fire formula for continuous learning and raising the bar for a more prosperous, peaceful and fulfilling life.

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September 6, 2011

Unleash Your Genius with Mind Mapping

Mind map of the mind map guidlines.

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Mind mapping is a powerful and underutilized whole brain system to solve problems, make decisions, develop plans, accelerate learning and communicate effectively with others. It’s faster, more fun and covers more bases than traditional outlining methods.

Mind mapping is widely acknowledged as being developed by British psychology author and brain researcher, Tony Buzan. His mind mapping contributions are an integrated approach, combining key words, visual images and symbols into a free-flowing “tree” emanating from a central idea, concept or subject area. “Trunks, branches and leaves” are the associated key points forming the “tree.” The process ends with a logical element of analysis and alignment.  Other practitioners of mind mapping are Nancy Margulies (author and visual mapping artist) and Michael Gelb (author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci).

The core concepts and methodology of mind mapping are well grounded and supported by practical neuroscience. The system taps into the visual cortex that constitutes a large percentage of the brain’s neurons. Mind mapping uses the brain’s imagination, natural curiosity and logical thinking powers. Most people are amazed at how quickly the system captures their ideas, stimulates creativity and formulates practical and realistic solutions to complex problems.

Despite what you may think, mind mapping doesn’t require artistic abilities. Anyone can mind map. Willingness to engage in the following simple and practical neuroscience methodology is the primary requirement to get started.

Materials

Start with a large piece of paper; flip chart paper is ideal. Use colored pens, pencils or crayons. Purchase colored stickers depicting shapes, images and symbols that appeal to you and pertain to the subject matter. These will give your mind map artistic qualities without requiring artistic skill.

Methodology

1. Start In The Middle: Draw a circle or oval with the subject or key concept in the middle of the page. You can use a symbol, image, or key word. Even a small photograph works fine.

2. Employ Key Words: Single key words are preferred over phases and short sentences. This may take a little patience and practice at first. Developing the ability to think in key words pays dividends because they are content rich, easy to remember and activate other key word concepts. “Strings” of associated key words eventually describe the context of a situation and the pathways to the insights, solutions and your desired outcomes. Key words are powerful catalysts for both creative and practical thinking. Effective use of key words is a competence worth cultivating.

a. Print your strongest concept key words on lines (to form the “trunks of the tree”) emanating from your subject in the middle of the page. As an example, if you are mind mapping your business, start with words like “PURPOSE,” “CUSTOMERS,” “CONCERNS” and “GOALS.” Be sure to use only one key word per line. Utilize color, images and symbols. This is where your stickers may be a handy aid. Stick figures and other simple, hand-drawn symbols work well.

b. Your key words will stimulate other key words aligned with central ideas. As an example “CONCERNS” may trigger new key words like “FINANCING,” “COMPETITION,” and “LICENSING;” these become new lines (e.g. “branches”) emanating from the “CONCERNS” line. These key words will create another chain or sequence of key words that become more new lines (e.g. “leaves”).  Again, always use color and images to depict and add meaning to your key words. It is best to print your key words.

3. Let It Flow and Go: Spontaneity, imagination and “big picture thinking” are the operative words when mind mapping during this early creative stage. Move as quickly as you can to fill out your page. Go wherever you want. This is not the place or time to be logical and sequential. If you get “writer’s block” with any string of associated key words, move to another key word “trunk” or “branch” that catches your eye and add key words that come to mind. Continue until you feel you have more than enough ideas to work with.

4. Analyze and Align: Take a break and rest awhile before you come back to analyze and align the results of your imaginative, free-association stage. This is the part of the process that will utilize your sequential, analytical and logical powers. Look for themes, patterns and relationships between the “trunks, branches and leaves.” Align and connect parts of your “tree,” using more lines, arrows, symbols and key words to give it additional meaning and provide the outcomes for which you are looking. You may also select what you think are the most relevant parts and eliminate the ones that seem unimportant.

5. Redraw Mind Map: Depending on the application, you may want to redraw your mind map and sequence the key ideas and concepts with numbers in a clockwise manner. This may be appropriate for communication and training purposes or for your use as a daily learning and memory aid to building a business or implementing a significant project.

In summary, mind mapping will reveal and unleash the genius within by utilizing the power of your visual cortex, imagination and logical thinking for planning, learning, solving problems and communicating with others. You have nothing to lose except the opportunity to directly experience the power of your brain to leapfrog your life forward.

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September 1, 2011

Can Practical Neuroscience Methods Help Adults with ADHD?

High Dopamine Transporter Levels Not Correlate...

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A recent St. Louis public TV special on Adult ADHD stimulated my thinking about this rapidly growing phenomenon. My first reaction was that I possess several characteristics of ADHD and wonder what an accurate diagnosis would reveal. I then thought about people I work with who have one or more ADHD symptoms and are competent, accomplished and self-fulfilled individuals with successful careers and harmonious personal relationships. I have used practical neuroscience strategies for over two decades to learn and perform in areas I never thought possible. These thoughts gave me hope that self-help is possible for tens of millions of people suffering from this condition.

My questions are:

  • Can adults diagnosed with ADHD help themselves manage specific negative traits?
  • Is the rate of adult ADHD growing and getting worse, or are increased awareness of the problem and improved diagnosis methods, finally revealing a human condition that has been around for a very long time?
  • What effect does physical environment, the economy and world affairs have on this condition?
  • What, besides prescription drugs and psychotherapy, may help people with mild and severe symptoms?

The following is a short list of Adult ADHD symptoms and traits, which may become more manageable using practical neuroscience self-help methods. Severe behavioral symptoms that typically require a combination of prescription drugs and psychotherapy are not addressed here. The list is organized by the three commonly used ADHD categories. Following each trait is a summary of how self-awareness of sensory and cognitive thinking strengths and “blind spots” may provide some level of relief and increased performance.

Hyperactivity

1. Impulsive movement, fidgeting and touching things

A high percentage of the population is comprised of Kinesthetic learners. Their world revolves around physical movement, hands-on activities and how things feel. When Kinesthetic preferences are significantly stronger and more dominant than Visual and Auditory preferences, the Kinesthetic traits associated with ADHD become more observable and may appear extreme. This imbalance can be managed by strengthening the next strongest sensory pathway, Visual or Auditory. Jobs, household activities, hobbies and sports activities, requiring extensive use of Kinesthetic skill sets, are healthy and productive outlets for highly Kinesthetic individuals.

Impulsivity

2. Interrupting others

Most people are poor listeners and do not realize how little meaning they extract from what is said. Very few are able to detect underlying feelings and intention by listening to tone-of-voice. Talking over other people and interrupting is frequently an unconscious act of people with low Auditory preferences and can undermine relationships. When individuals know their Auditory acuity is low, they can improve communication effectiveness in conversations by merely being more aware that they are poor listeners. This shift in awareness actually improves their listening ability through focus on their “non-preference.” Paraphrasing what they heard, making comfortable eye contact and asking questions to gain clarity strengthen listening ability, while improving relationship harmony. Everyone can gain from these practical neuroscience communication methods.

3. Switching tasks rapidly

Some people’s brains are wired to think Globally, in terms of the “big picture.” They live in a world of possibilities and options and are comfortable with open-ended situations. They naturally tend to jump around from task to task, giving casual observers the impression that they are accomplishing very little. Global thinking people have much to offer the world, however, when it comes to identifying future solutions and outcomes for current situations in need of change. Individuals with this cognitive preference should align themselves with Global activities to make use of their strengths. Global thinkers should also consider seeking help with life’s practical matters from Sequential-thinking, trusted advisors.

Inattention

4. Time management and organization

Issues with time management and organization may share the same core cause as rapid task switching. Time management and organizations skills can be learned under most circumstances. This is where Sequential-thinking family members and co-workers can  role model and coach Sequential skills.

5. Work related mistakes and accidents

Every person has “blind spots” related to their least preferred sensory and cognitive pathways.  Decreased attention to these pathways means increased likelihood of mistakes and accidents. Examples include:

  • Low Auditory – may not hear something important
  • Low Visual  – may miss seeing something important
  • Low Kinesthetic  – may be physically awkward and clumsy
  • Low Sequential – may not follow logical steps or safe protocols
  • Low Global – may miss identifying possibilities and options when logic fails

Awareness of “blind spots” allows for increased focus, when the risk of a mistake or accident is highest.

It’s also advisable to have trusted friends “cover your blind spots” with their strengths.

6. Taking longer to complete tasks than others

This condition is common to all people, as a function of their sensory and cognitive thinking strengths and “blind spots.” You tend to get more, productive work done, when using your strongest and most preferred pathways. What most people do not know is that they can boost personal productivity by creating a physical environment conducive to doing specific tasks and activities. Examples:

  • Auditory tasks – quiet and interruption free environment
  • Visual tasks – organized, attractive, uncluttered environment
  • Kinesthetic tasks – comfortable environment that allows movement
  • Sequential tasks – formal environment
  • Global tasks – informal environment

Performing tasks in compatible environments often boosts productivity by 20% -60%.

7. Relationship conflicts

Nearly everyone has difficulty communicating with some of the people in their life. This is when his or her “transmitting style” is out-of-sync with another person’s “receiving style.” Some combinations of sensory sequence and cognitive processing style place a person at high risk to be out of alignment with a large percentage of the people they interact with at home and work. Knowing the communication preferences of others, allows adjustment of one’s “transmitting style” to their “receiving styles,” thus enhancing rapport and understanding.

In conclusion, you have nothing to lose by learning how your brain is wired to receive and process sensory information and by knowing your “blind spots.” These insights may be what you need to know to manage your ADHD symptoms, regardless of your diagnosis. You may be delighted and surprised by how much you can improve and achieve with self-administered and safe practical neuroscience knowledge and tools. Look online for trusted sources of statistically validated practical neuroscience assessment products like Brain PathWays™ to help you and your loved ones relieve Adult ADHD symptoms.

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August 30, 2011

Turbo-Boost Your Body and Brainpower for Peak Performance

health

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Provide your brain and body with what they need for consistent high performance with these practical, science-based tips.

Your brain is the most miraculous mass of protoplasm in the known universe. It weighs in at a whopping 3 pounds and has approximately 100 billion neurons capable of connecting with one another in multiple ways to create memory and computing power that boggles the imagination. It’s your navigation system for life.

Your brain needs a healthy and vibrant body to function properly and vice versa. The following tips apply to general health and well-being, managing stress and keeping you alert and focused so you can perform at peak levels.

  • Fuel for Your Brain and Body

These ideas are intended to stimulate your thinking and motivate independent research to create and implement your optimum brain and body turbo boosting diet. Four to six small and nutrient rich meals per day provide a steady flow of fuel for consistent high performance. “Fatty fish” (e.g. salmon and tuna) containing omega-3 oils seems to be amongst the top ten recommendations from trusted sources for brain and body health. Fresh fruits high in antioxidants and nutrient-rich vegetables having a “rainbow of colors” come highly recommended. Protein sources include nuts, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, fish, poultry and low fat animal sources. Green tea is high in antioxidants and known as a brain boosting beverage. Four to six, or more, glasses of water is a given. Avocados have monounsaturated sources of fat that increase blood flow to the brain, important minerals and antioxidant properties. Look into turmeric that may protect your brain against disease, improve your vision and strengthen your immune system; look for preparations that include pepper to help your body assimilate this miraculous spice.

  • Exercise and Posture

Do exercise you enjoy to strengthen your lungs, heart and muscles a minimum of 20 minutes  per session, 3 or more times per week. Good posture while sitting, walking and driving will pay dividends now and in the future. Your spinal chord is the “central wiring system” connecting your brain and body. Pay attention to ergonomics where you work, eat, relax, play and sleep.

Stress causes distress and eventually disease. It’s no fun experiencing stress from worry, a tired body, fatigued brain, and an inhospitable environment. You most likely will make mistakes in what you are doing when stress takes hold. Also, relationships may suffer if you are interacting with others. Simple techniques help you prevent and manage stress.

Oxygen is vital for healthy brain function. Deep and rhythmic breathing is a good practice, particularly under stress, when most people tend to breathe shallowly or hold their breath. Drinking clean ice water, rich in dissolved oxygen, helps brain function as well as flushing body toxins. Exercise is also a great, therapeutic way to increase brainpower and keep the body healthy.

Take a break when you first feel the early signs of stress. Getting physically away from where you are, even for 5-10 minutes, will help you reframe and gather your wits. Do something different like taking a short walk, closing your eyes to meditate, having a short conversation with someone you trust, eating a snack, drinking a healthy beverage or listening to calming music.

Kinesthetic Cross-Overs help increase the distribution of electrical energy, blood flow and oxygen between the two brain hemispheres. Take your right or left thumb and hold it in front of your eyes. Trace an imaginary large figure “8.” Follow the motion of your thumb with your eyes. Do three to five sequences, or more, in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. You may also toss a ball from one hand to another to get the same effect.

When you are tired and working too long at one thing your focus and attention drops off.  Mistakes and costly accidents can occur. Practical neuroscience methods keep you at peak levels of performance.

Peppermint will perk up your brain when you feel sleepy and need to stay focused and alert. Essential oils, mints and chewing gum work well when driving a vehicle and when you need to  stay on task while working.

Frequent breaks are recommended, particularly when doing highly stressful activities. Typically,  the adult attention span is 20 – 30 minutes. It makes sense to take short and frequent breaks, timed with the decline of your attention and performance.

Classical music is known to put your brain in an optimal state for high levels of cognitive  processing and performance. Popular music may stimulate emotions that can distract you and  cause you to think about the words, rather than what you have to do.

  • Think About What You Think About

What you give attention to gets stronger and persists because of neuroplasticity. It’s like exercising a muscle. When you think about a subject, talk about it, and take in additional sensory information to expand your knowledge and understanding, your memory get stronger, like growing a root system of a tree. If you’re thinking about what you don’t want in life, quickly reverse negative thoughts into polar opposite positive thoughts and outcomes so  you will get what you really want to experience. Always think positively and optimistically, even when life is challenging and looks bleak.

In conclusion, small and frequent portions of healthy food, pure water, oxygenation, exercise, proper posture and practical neuroscience are great ways to stay healthy, manage stress and maintain focus to be the very best you can be. A positive mental attitude always wins out and makes life better.

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August 4, 2011

Win the Motivation Tug-of-War With Simple Practical Neuroscience Laws

A game of tug of war

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Have you ever wondered why you’re highly motivated and inspired about some things, but can’t get enthused and move forward in other areas of your life – even when you know that taking action makes good sense? Do you sometimes feel an internal tug-of-war and resistance to committing to that “something” that nags at you? It may be an exercise program, healing a relationship, going back to school, organizing your office, getting your legal will prepared, looking for a better job or just taking some time off to rest and get your head together. How do you get and stay motivated, so your brain and body cooperate to move you forward, seemingly without effort? The answers to these questions lie in practical neuroscience: how your brain is wired and what makes you tick.

Laws of Personal Motivation

1. Brain engagement is a voluntary function

Your brain must identify and experience strong value and benefits to voluntarily engage in an activity, particularly one that takes hours, days or lasts a lifetime. Common sense and intellectualization don’t always work. Look about you and observe people who say, “I know that I should be doing different things for better health and quality of life,” yet, they continue to repeat destructive behaviors. These patterns can be reversed, with simple, safe and practical neuroscience methods.

2. Your brain is naturally curious and attracted to challenges

What a wonderful gift to have a brain that is endowed with playful curiosity and attracted to challenges and fun learning experiences. Your brain is equipped to take in, remember and process sensory experiences through its Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Olfactory and Taste pathways. It is further gifted with cognitive powers to process sensory information in Sequential (logical, orderly) and Global (imagination, “big picture”) ways. Your brain is capable of making decisions, solving problems and virtually achieving anything it can think about, describe and attach with strong value. This is the miracle of the brain that can be tapped into by anyone using practical neuroscience.

How to get and stay motivated

The greatest deterrent to being the best you can be and living the life of your dreams is fear. Thoughts, feelings and emotions, associated with what you don’t want in life, are a paralyzing aspect of fear. Fortunately, this is the easiest component of fear to overcome. The solution is to replace thoughts of what you don’t want with thoughts of what you do want. If you fear poverty and lack, replace your worries with anticipation of prosperity and abundance.

Whatever you choose to get motivated about, be very specific about your desired outcome. If it’s money, establish how much and within what timeframe. Imagine what it looks, feels, sounds, smells and tastes like. Use all your senses, focusing on those to which you are most attracted and which give you the strongest and most positive feelings. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and relax. Imagine the outcome in rich and deep detail. Attach strong and positive emotions. Think the highest, best and grandest thoughts. Be sure to record your experience and thinking, because visual images, pictures, symbols, key words and colors become deeply embedded in your visual cortex. This process puts your brain on “auto-pilot.” Consider mind mapping because it’s a “whole brain” (Sequential and Global) activity; traditional outlining is a Sequential activity and bypasses the imaginative and creative Global hemisphere. Your Global brain operates about 10,000 times faster than your Sequential brain.

In summary, it’s simple and easy to keep yourself motivated using practical neuroscience methods. Provide your brain with an interesting challenge and it will naturally engage on conscious and sub-conscious levels, even as you sleep. Make your desired outcome real to your brain, by imagining associated sensory experiences, then get out of the way and let it get to work. The neuroscience message is to trust your brain to get and stay motivated.

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August 2, 2011

Regaining Your Personal Power Through Neuroscience and Love

A firm hand on the tiller

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Are you feeling lost and powerless? Perhaps you’re wondering how you got to where you are and what you need to do to get to a better place. Many people are experiencing confusion, fear and uncertainty during these troubled times. Regaining your personal power is your navigation system to a better life. Personal power is a combination of brainpower, “heart power” and a sprinkling of “ego power.”

What is Personal Power?

Personal power is when you experience what you want regardless of what’s going on around you. People with personal power consciously and deliberately use practical neuroscience to manifest the most important things they need for fulfillment and growth. The highest level of personal power is when you add “heart power,” or love, to brainpower.

Personal power is also being self-aware of your mental, emotional and physical nature and continuously improving each on a daily basis. Through continuous learning and positive actions, your state of mind and body improves; likewise, your knowledge and “tool box” of manifestation methods grows as well. This process strengthens and increases your personal power.

Great leaders use personal power and the power of like minds to create positive and sustainable change. They know we live in an infinite and abundant universe capable of creating what we want through thoughts, words and actions. Great leaders are resolute and confident when changing things for highest good. In the words of Winston Churchill, “never, ever give up.”

Brainpower

The underlying neuroscience concept for using brainpower to manifest change is to define and get very clear on what you want, rather than what you don’t. Your brain attracts and creates experiences it imagines and thinks about.

Make your goals real by writing them down, imagining wonderful outcomes and thinking about the positive feelings associated with what you want. It’s essential to develop and keep a positive mental attitude and it helps to make and work a plan.

Heart Power

True personal power does no harm to anyone. Love knows that everyone is doing the best they can. Judgment enters the picture because we are all capable of doing better and improving. This statement may help you understand why people attack themselves and others. Everything is relative like “hot and cold,” “good and bad;” it all depends on your perspective, based on your life experience.

Love places you in “neutral gear,” where you quietly and calmly observe and evaluate what’s going on. The goal is understanding the dynamics and potential outcomes. Avoid getting caught up in an emotional state that blocks clear thinking. You can take action if you wish; just do no harm to anyone. Attacks and judgment fuel volatile situations like injecting oxygen into a blast furnace. Forgiveness, love and non-judgment heal.

Ego Power

Ego power is about “me, me, wonderful me.” At extreme levels, narcissistic egotistical behavior dominates without regard for others. It’s highly unlikely that anyone reading this article falls into this category because these extremists have no interest in brainpower and love power. Using a combination of neuroscience, brainpower and love, automatically puts the ego in check. So, a sprinkling of ego makes your journey interesting and fun. Your ego is a part of you and deserves respect and love.

Summary

True personal power is in trusting that your brain, heart and the natural order of the universe are working in your favor. A gentle and firm hand on the “tiller” will keep you on-course while you remain alert to changing conditions, opportunities and risks.

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July 29, 2011

Looking for Solutions in All the Wrong Places

Advice

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There seem to be more people than ever worried about having enough money to pay bills, do fun things, cover emergencies and retire someday. People are worried about their careers, employment security and where their next job lies, should they become unemployed. Basic needs and survival issues are putting unprecedented levels of stress on relationships at home and work. Stress is compromising our mental, emotional and physical health. People are searching for direction and solutions leading to a better, safer and more predictable life.

We can no longer depend on the “historically dependable employer” for job security, or on government and institutions “too large to let fail” for solutions and bailouts. Historically, people depended on wise parents, grandparents, clergy, teachers and close friends for counsel and advice. The problem is that many of these people are now struggling with their own challenges. It’s hard to think clearly and help others when you are hurting and struggling.

Looking for solutions outside of ourselves is the wrong and worst place to go. People have too long given their power to other people, organizations and institutions, allowing these others to tell them what to do and letting them make decisions on their behalf. This trend must end now, if we want to reverse what we are experiencing. This is an ideal time to look for solutions in the only places they can be found: our own brains and those of our “trusted advisors.” We must use our brainpower at higher levels than ever before to create new outcomes and realities. The thinking and actions that created our current situation are incapable of making it better; they can only give us more of the same.

Hierarchy of Decision Making (From Best to Worst)

  • You and your “trusted advisors”
  • You
  • Businesses and services providers having demonstrated integrous values, services and products
  • Self-serving individuals, organizations, institutions and business

The reason for placing “trusted advisors” at the top is because they share your values, have common goals, believe in the “power within” and are committed to helping you in return for you helping them. Trusted advisor groups know that they can do more together than individually. They recognize that “flying solo” is a lonely and potentially dangerous act.

In conclusion, if ignorant and selfish thinking created our current colossal mess, then focused integrous thinking becomes the new pathway to a better future. Practical neuroscience is available to anyone interested leveraging their brain strengths, knowledge and experience to solve problems. This is a call for action to form critical masses of like-minded people to combine their brainpower for a more prosperous and peaceful life.

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July 20, 2011

Two Quick Ways to Kick-Start Your Personal Productivity

Productive

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You’re not alone if you think you should be getting a lot more done in a day, considering all the time you put in. Continuous low productivity degrades your morale and builds stress. Besides running the risk of losing your job, you compromise your immune system and increase the probability of stress-related health problems. You also escalate the chances of making mistakes or having a work related accident.

You may not know that the way your brain is wired to work, think, learn and communicate has an impact on your personal productivity. Practical neuroscience provides the understanding and actionable tools to improve your current situation.

Practical Neuroscience Principles of Personal Productivity

You engage with what you’re most attracted to. This includes subject matter and the value received from engaging with the subject. When you don’t like certain tasks at work, there’s a natural resistance and push-back, making it difficult to engage with them. This is the genesis of productivity problems.

You always get more done in less time, with fewer mistakes, when you’re interested in the subject and your brain wiring is aligned with the activity. Conversely, you avoid things that don’t interest you or tasks with requirements misaligned with your brain strengths. Resistance to doing what you naturally don’t want to do decreases engagement and productivity. This builds stress, anxiety and guilt. It can lead to loss of health, peace-of-mind and your job.

Two Quick Ways to Kick-Start Your Personal Productivity

1. Establish value or give yourself a reward

If you’re in a job you intensely dislike, what are its most positive aspects? Examples may be a paycheck, medical coverage and two weeks paid vacation. Concentrate on your most positive thoughts during the workday to help you focus and engage with work activities; then, when you get home, start imagining and working toward a new and better job.

Establish rewards for accomplishing one to two hour “chunks” of work, having identified recognizable progress milestones. Rewards may be short breaks to take a walk, enjoy a snack, look at a travel magazine, write in your journal or look at family photos. Your “mini-rewards” should always involve getting away from your direct workspace, even if it’s for 10 minutes or less. On a macro basis, look forward to the end of each day and imagine doing something nice for yourself and your loved ones. You will be happier and find yourself getting more done.

2. Create the optimum physical environment for the activity

Your brain performs best when the physical environment is aligned with the sensory and cognitive components of the task. For hands-on (Kinesthetic) activities, provide for physical comfort and freedom of movement. Be sure to have all your tools and equipment within easy reach. Visual tasks are best completed in organized and attractive environments, where your eyes can focus on your work. Attentive listening (Auditory) requires a quiet and interruption free environment. Sequential tasks, calling for accuracy and focus, are best accomplished in bright light and cooler temperature. Global work, involving imagination and creative problem solving, requires dim light, warmer temperatures and comfortable furniture.

Keep a positive mental attitude, remember to breathe deeply and drink water throughout the day to oxygenate. Take frequent breaks to refresh and reenergize. These simple methods alone will raise your personal productivity and improve the quality of your work life.

In summary, you have more control over your personal productivity and the quality of your work life than you may imagine. No matter how bad your current work situation is, you can take immediate steps to improve it. Practical neuroscience and knowing how your brain is wired are your pathways to a better and more prosperous life with less stress.

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