Posts tagged ‘Quality of life’

  |  
May 24, 2012

How To Change When Change is Challenging

English: Two New Year's Resolutions postcards

English: Two New Year’s Resolutions postcards (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most people experience difficulty when attempting to make sustainable changes in their lives.  This is due to the strength of prior brain programming. Your brain has stored virtually all memorable, important and emotionally charged experiences from childhood to the present moment. This existing programming drives behavior when you need to interpret and respond to life challenges.

Neuroplasticity is your brain’s potential and capacity to continuously grow, adapt and change. It is impractical and virtually impossible to erase prior memories and strong patterns of behavior. The only way you can make big changes in the ways you think and act is to build new and more powerful programs to transcend prior programming that no longer serves you.

A common pitfall that thwarts most people’s success in keeping their “New Year’s resolutions” is their focus on what they want to change rather than focusing on new desired outcomes. The process for sustainable change can be accelerated easily by using these practical neuroscience methods:

  • Clear focus on what you want. If you have difficulty defining your desired outcomes, start by describing your current situation. As an example, “I am depressed about my health situation, low energy, and cranky attitude about life.” Then reverse the words and ideas into an ideal version of what you really want. This might look like, “I am trim and slim; I have energy to do whatever I want; I have a positive mental attitude.” Establish goals like, “I weigh xxx pounds; I can run a mile in x minutes; I ride a bike xx miles; people compliment my appearance and want to know how I did it.”

 

  • Link behaviors to outcomes. Make comprehensive lists of the behaviors and actions associated with each desired outcome. Use visual images of your desired behaviors from magazines or the internet. Create a “storyboard” and “mind map.” For the example above, your new behaviors might include “taking a 20 minute walk each day; going to a health club 3 times a week; journaling each day, eating 4 small and healthy meals every day; getting a check-up from a trusted holistic health practitioner, taking 15 minutes a day to do something relaxing and fun; being less judgmental; reading positive affirmations.”

 

  • Practice, practice, practice. World-class athletes often practice technique in their mind’s-eye before they actually move into physical action. Imagine doing all the behaviors you have listed. Use all your senses of how the behaviors feel, look and sound. Read your desired outcomes and behaviors while looking at your visual images; a storyboard or slide show is a great way to do this. You are building new and powerful neural networks during this easy and fun process. Repetition is the key. It’s best to do these exercises for about 10 minutes just before or after sleep. These are times when your brain is in a less active mode, called the Alpha state. This state is ideal for learning, memorization and deeply embedding new knowledge and behaviors.
When individuals actually perform an action (m...

When individuals actually perform an action (moving their fingers) and when they mentally imagine moving their fingers, activation is similarly detected in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and primary motor cortex (M1) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Trust the power of your brain. The above process is an “inside game” that only you can play. 10-minute “practice sessions” upon arising and before going to bed are all that is needed. A mid-day break in a quiet place for another 10 minutes will move you along more quickly. Soon, you will be startled to find yourself implementing the actual practices and behaviors in your daily life. This will come about naturally without exerting willpower or feeling a sense of sacrifice; it’s like being on “auto-pilot.” Experiencing the meeting of your inner and outer worlds is exciting and fun. Continue doing the inner-world practice along with your outer-world practices until you reach your desired outcomes and goals. If you have a temporary relapse, review and fine-tune your inner-world process, then restart your mind’s eye practice. Anyone willing to implement this easy and safe practical neuroscience process to improve quality of life can succeed at making sustainable life changes.

Related articles

Posted in Personal | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
May 22, 2012

Why It’s So Hard to Change

English: New Year's Day postcard mailed in 190...

Have you ever wondered why it’s so difficult to change your thinking and the behaviors that no longer serve you? How many times have you made “New Year’s resolutions” and weeks later experienced frustration, guilt and a sense of failure?

Everyone’s life consists of a blend of positive and negative programming that defines quality-of-life. You are a product of childhood encoding, education, relationships, social programming and your tapestry of life experiences. Your brain takes in and processes sensory information; it continuously interprets, filters and associates emotions and value with what you are experiencing. Your memory is your internal GPS to make sense of and navigate life.

Values, experiences, likes and dislikes, opinions, knowledge, passions and emotional trigger points make everyone different and unique. This is called neurodiversity. The vast and infinite array of neurodiversity is a challenge to understand and manage on an individual level. The challenge increases exponentially when people live, interact and work with one another.

There are three fundamental reasons why it may be difficult for you to make lasting changes in your life:

  • You may not believe it’s possible
  • You may be strengthening the very thinking and behaviors you want to change
  • You may not know how to change your internal programming

You can trust in the power of your brain to make sustainable changes in your life. Neuroplasticity is a property of your brain, allowing it to continuously grow and learn. Your brain is dynamic, not static. One hundred billion neurons are the building blocks for memory. You have infinite capacity to change and be more flexible, adaptable and resourceful.

Most people seem to focus on what they want to change rather than the outcomes they truly desire. Dwelling on what you don’t want actually strengthens the neural networks that create your outer experiences. Saying, “I am sick and tired of being broke and living from hand-to-mouth,” actually reinforces and continues the endless cycle of living in a world of scarcity rather than experiencing abundance and prosperity. Replacing what you don’t want with what you do want is a practical neuroscience way to make sustainable change possible.

Your brainpower and memory were built both consciously and unconsciously. Conscious choices may include education, associates, hobbies, interests and careers. Negative, unconscious elements may have come from childhood experiences and social brainwashing that created emotional wounds, faulty thinking, bogus information and incorrect opinions. Doesn’t it make sense that if life experiences created your current reality, you can rebuild new and more powerful programs that reward you with a better and more fulfilling life?

In conclusion, the good news is you can keep what you like in your life and change what you don’t want. Focusing on what you like and want is the key to success.  You are equipped with the most amazing mass of protoplasm in the world; your miraculous brain. It’s an inside game, and only you can play it.

Related articles

Posted in Personal | 7 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
February 29, 2012

An Inside View of How and Why People are Different

Have you ever wondered why people are so diverse in their emotional reactions, interpretations and opinions about everyday situations? Why is it that some people have a positive mental attitude, while others are gloomy and believe they have little personal control over their lives? Why do people experience and think about the same subjects or situations in totally different ways?  Each party thinks they are right and, at worst, the other person/group is wrong.  Judgment is the genesis of discord, conflict and sometimes war.

I am hopeful that expanding awareness and respect for neurodiversity will help people become kinder, more understanding and more tolerant of the differences of others. My intent is to help people create better lives for themselves and others, through the power of their brains.

Each person’s unique brain wiring contributes to our neurodiversity.  Our brains have created our representational system for life, from childhood experiences to where we are today. The following are important facets or aspects of neurodiversity.

  • Sensory and Cognitive Strengths – On the most foundational level, your favored sensory pathways to take in information (six combinations of Visual, Kinesthetic  and Auditory sequences) and process it cognitively (Sequential, Global and Integrated) should be leveraged for career and life success. When you are using your strengths, you are more productive, having more fun and happier.

 

  • Your Gifts – Everyone has natural talents and gifts, even when they may not be obvious. Howard Gardner, Harvard Psychologist, says we possess combinations of 9 intelligences: Visual/Spatial (Picture Smart), Bodily/Kinesthetic (Body Smart), Musical/Rhythmic (Music Smart), Logical/Mathematical (Number Smart), Linguistic (Word Smart),  Intrapersonal (Self Smart), Interpersonal (People Smart), Naturalist (Nature Smart) and Existential (Spiritual Smart). Our gifts shape our interests and help define what we are good at doing. Using our gifts contributes to inner joy and satisfaction.

 

  • Interests and passions – Your interests and enthusiasms about life (e.g. career and life goals, music, art, cooking, health, sports, learning, nature, and hobbies) should be explored with zeal, as long as they satisfy you and cause no harm or injury to others. Your interests and passions are shaped by your natural gifts, early childhood and life experiences.

 

  • Knowledge – Most subjects taught in the educational system provide useful knowledge to navigate life. The internet contains true and helpful information along with false and misleading information. It is best to trust teachings from reliable sources. Constructive and integrous knowledge are building blocks for a purposeful and fulfilling life.

 

  • What we experienced as children – Young children are particularly susceptible to believing and retaining, as memories, what they experience, hear and see. Our early programming (birth through age 7) has a profound impact on our values, behaviors and how we interpret and respond to life.  If life is not going well, it may be productive to think about and sort out what was useful and what may have been harmful and untrue from your childhood, or even adulthood experiences. These include negative programming like, “you are stupid,” “you can’t trust…,” “you can’t escape the reality of…” Any belief that limits your peace-of-mind and ability to grow and change your life for the better is eligible for scrutiny and change.

 

  • Social programming – Even the adult brain can be highly naïve, consciously/unconsciously taking in and believing what it reads, sees and hears.  Beware that social programming runs rampant on the internet, television, radio, in the print media, workplace and literally everywhere people interact with one another. The brain cannot discern truth from falsehood, particularly when it is bombarded with repetition from people you may respect. Mass hysteria and the “Henny Penny effect” can easily occur, even with intelligent and educated people. Just look about you and identify where social programming negatively and positively affects quality-of-life.  Social programming can build opinions we hold true and defend with vigor, forming the basis to attack others.

 

  • Values – Values drive behaviors. They come from life experiences and what we hold to be “true.” We can control our behaviors and the resulting outcomes by constantly up-shifting our values to higher levels. When we experience conflict, fear and pain, it is an ideal time to examine our values and beliefs.  Questions to ask include: “How can I look at this situation differently?” “What do I really want as an outcome?” “What behaviors will give me the outcomes I want?”

 

  • Emotional “hot buttons”- We all have many emotional hot buttons that initiate a wide range of feelings from highly negative to highly positive. Certain songs may trigger feelings of sadness or happiness, making us want to sing aloud, dance or cry. A person’s “look” or body language may set off a range of interpretations, such as acceptance, approval, rejection and judgment. Words and tone-of-voice can stimulate our emotions in positive or negative directions. Photos and imagery affect our mood state. A “tailgater” may set off “road rage” or may signal an increased need to stay calm. The thought of public speaking may generate a panic attack or provide a feeling of positive excitement.  Emotional “hot buttons” are the brain’s way to create feelings for strong memory imprints. Trying to put your brain in “neutral gear,” when your negative emotional “hot buttons” are pushed to the limits, will help you regain composure to think clearly. There is some truth to “counting slowly to ten” when you are emotional.

 

  • Beliefs, Opinions and Prejudices – Nearly everyone thinks their perception is right, when experiencing a situation, processing it through their “brain programming” mechanism and placing it into memory. This process is continuous and subtle. There is potential for trouble, when we defend our positions, beliefs, opinions and prejudices, thinking that we are “100% correct” and other people are “wrong.” The litmus test for questioning your position is when you experience conflict with others or when barriers and obstacles seem to block you from achieving important goals and desired outcomes. Maybe this is a good time to listen to the points-of-view of others and question the validity and usefulness of your own beliefs.  Ask yourself, “Do my beliefs and opinions serve me and others in positive or negative ways?” You may be surprised at how quickly you can get back into the flow of life, when you release your tight grip on outdated and faulty thinking and take the time to understand other people’s points-of-view.

 

In summary, I believe that neurodiversity is an unrecognized strength of the human race that can be used constructively to improve quality-of-life. Our neurodiversity gives us what we want in life, but it also gives us what we don’t want. Faulty programming causes faulty decisions and misinterpretations of situations. The good news is that we can reprogram our brains to override what we don’t want, gaining more of what we truly desire. If you want different and better outcomes, change your thinking.

Posted in Personal, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
December 29, 2011

Fail-Safe Ways to Make and Keep Promises and Resolutions

Are you amongst the countless millions of people who want to make positive changes in their lives, state their intentions to family and friends, and then experience falling short of your desired outcomes? Besides being downright embarrassing, it’s demoralizing when you make sincere promises and resolutions and have little, if anything, to show for your good intentions and attempts to change.

Do you want to make and keep promises and resolutions nearly 100% of the time? What I am about to reveal is practical neuroscience-based. It requires less personal will power and time than traditional methods. Besides, there is no guilt involved with this safe and sure-fire method.

Understanding the practical neuroscience behind making and keeping promises and resolutions is your key to success. It’s simply not enough to state an intention, perhaps write it down on an index card and believe that the change will miraculously occur. This is why most people fail.

What are promises and resolutions?

Healthy and positive promises and resolutions involve changing something in your life because you see potential value. The change may reduce suffering and pain or give you something that that makes life less stressful. Healthy and positive promises and resolutions do no harm to you or others, only good occurs.

Examples of promises and resolutions include:

  • being more honest and authentic
  • achieving  financial peace of mind
  • eradicating fear and anxiety from your life
  • building strong and caring relationships
  • educating yourself
  • experiencing better health
  • paying off the mortgage
  • losing 30 pounds

Your current thinking and behaviors are the result of years of self and societal programming. What you have heard, seen and directly experienced is recorded in your memory banks; repetition and the level of emotional energy determines the power of the memory imprint.  Your memories are what drives your thinking and how you react and respond to life. Not all of your programming has served you well; if it did, there would be little to change.

The bottom-line is recognizing that “change” does not usually come easily or quickly. This is because you have to overcome established memory imprints and patterns by building new, more powerful ones that supersede and transcend the ones that have not served you well.

How to make and keep promises and resolutions

Take your time to think deeply about these questions. It’s important to write down your responses and perhaps have a candid discussion with someone you trust, who cares about your well being. These powerful, transformative practical neuroscience methods build new neural pathways for a better and less stressful life.

  • What do you want to achieve? State a specific outcome, like “I weigh 30 pounds less, feel energized and run a mile in 7 minutes; I hear people ask how I do it.” Avoid stating what you don’t desire, such as “I don’t want to be fat anymore and hear people say I should lose my belly fat and exercise,” because your brain will focus on being fat and hearing the negative comments. Put your desired outcomes into “present moment language” as if you have already achieved what you want. This simple act will cause your brain to think differently and escape from negative programming. Write down your desired outcomes, look at them and say them aloud daily, with feeling and conviction.  It’s essential that you select what you want to change with great care; look at making change as a “triage” situation. Pick the one that has the greatest long-term value and increases your quality of life. Achieve one at a time before moving on to the next one.

 

  • What are the specific behaviors that support what I want to achieve? If you have problems thinking this through, start with the negative behaviors that created what you want to change. Reverse each negative behavior into one that is positive and proactive. An example is “Eating too much rich and unhealthy food” to “Eating five small meals consisting of a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.” Be highly specific in describing the behaviors that represent your “new self.” Develop and write down between three and five new behaviors. Construct a “mind map;” cut out photos from magazines or download images from the internet that visually depict your new actions, activities and manners. This practical neuroscience step is your navigation system for your “new and improved you.”

 

  • What will life be like, when experiencing my new behaviors? Imagine yourself having achieved the desired changes and outcomes in your life. What does it look, feel and sound like? Are you more fulfilled and sense greater control of your life? Will you be an inspiration to others? Can you see yourself helping others improve their quality of life? Again, create a mind map and/or put together a storyboard showing what your new life looks like. You may want to combine this with the preceding visual images. These steps keep your brain motivated and focused on what you want to achieve, how to go about it with your new behaviors and what your new life will be like.

In conclusion, most people fail in keeping their promises and resolutions because they do not understand the practical neuroscience process to reprogram their brains for new behaviors. You can trust your brain to achieve new outcomes after you describe what you want in specific positive terms and envision life with your new behaviors and activities. Linking your desired outcomes with deep positive feelings keeps you focused and motivated.  Daily viewing of compelling and attractive visual images accelerates building new brain pathways to a better life. Making one resolution or promise at a time maximizes success in a shorter period of time.

Related articles

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Tags: , , , ,
November 22, 2011

Are Your Mental Models on the High or Low Road?

Road Closed

Peter Senge in his The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organization (1990) describes mental models as “deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures of images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action.” Mental models have profound impact on how we view, react to and respond to the world; they shape our decisions, relationships and quality-of-life. They affect us on all levels –personal, social, professional, organizational, national and global.

My purpose is to raise your level of awareness of what mental models are and how they operate.  Practical neuroscience principles and tools help you challenge, change and manage your mental models for a better, more peaceful and less stressful life.

Personal Observations of Mental Models

  • Mental models are stored information and emotional imprints of how your brain perceived  and remembered direct personal experiences, as well as information learned from a third party or indirect source like the media.
  • Mental models that yield harmful outcomes to you and/or others are good candidates for examination and changed thinking.
  • Formed over time from accumulated information, mental models may also be developed quickly and deeply depending on their importance and emotional impact.
  • Most people are unaware of their mental models, where they came from and their effects.
  • Mental models are subtle and challenging to identify and describe.
  • They seem to operate in a “back room” or subconscious part of our brain.
  • Our mental models tend to get stronger over time as human nature wants to “be right” about its opinions.
  • Mental models may or may not be verifiable through direct experience or independent observations from integrous people.

I believe the core question is “how well do my mental models serve me and others,” rather than “are my mental models right or wrong?” There is no right way of taking in and processing sensory information because everyone perceives and interprets information differently. A group of people agreeing on something doesn’t make it true; the process merely bonds the group around something they hold to be true. Needless arguments, and even wars, ensue due to differences of opinion about mental models.

Evaluating Mental Models

These everyday life situations give you a grasp of what mental models look like; each pair contains differences of mindset for illustrative purposes. As you look them over, ask yourself which ones might serve you and others best, rather than deciding on what may be correct or in error. The purpose of this exercise is to shift your focus to a “high road” or positive perspective for evaluating mental models. Hopefully, these examples will stimulate your thinking to write down your mental models that serve you well or poorly.

Low Road: Good ideas for innovation are drying up and there is limited opportunity for me to prosper.

High Road: Good ideas for new products, technology and services are endless and infinite.

 

Low Road: We live in a competitive world of scarcity.

High Road: We live in a world of boundless opportunity where situational cooperation is possible.

 

Low Road: Girls do poorly in math and science.

High Road: Anyone can learn what interests him or her, when in a supportive environment.

 

Low Road: You can’t trust people who look , act and speak a certain way.

High Road: There are trustworthy and untrustworthy people in all walks of life.

 

Low Road: In this economy, no one will interview me, much less, hire me.

High Road: I have transferable skills and positive traits that some employer is looking for.

 

Low Road:  I can’t trust myself behind the wheel due to my driving record and what my spouse says.

High Road: A refresher course will make me a safer, more dependable and better defensive driver.

 

Low Road: I can’t learn new things because I made poor grades and my teacher said I was stupid.

High Road: My brain has infinite capacity to grow, get stronger, learn quickly and make great decisions.

 

Low Road: It’s unlikely I’ll live beyond 73 because of my family health history.

High Road: Good health practices and a positive mental attitude will increase my quality-of-life and perhaps add years to my life span.

In conclusion, mental models are what we believe and hold to be true about life. They are our “software programming” that drives thinking, opinions and behaviors. There is always an outcome from every mental model, although they may not be obvious. People vehemently agree or disagree on the truth of their mental models. The defining moment for challenging a mental model occurs when the focus shifts to the desired outcome. Clarity can best be achieved by examining gaps between what is desired and the outcome that actually occurs. This is the only way I know to break the endless cycle of defending and attacking mental models.

Posted in Personal, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
  |  
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,008 other followers