How Simple It Is To Use Neuroplasticity To Your Advantage

Sep 20, 2018

By chris danilo on Sep 19, 2018 05:00 am
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Remember the last time you vented?

Remember the peak of frustration and energy?

Maybe it was low energy and sad.

Maybe you were just getting all your feelings out.

Let’s be clear about something:

Your brain is constantly making little electro-chemical connections among its cells. All day, it’s trying to get better at making those connections.

Thought patterns are reflected in the brain this way—meaning that the more you complain, ruminate, or regret, the better you will be at it.

Quick example:

When you sit down to play piano the first time, you stink.

Your cells haven’t made this circuit before.

But when you do it over and over, it starts to become natural.

You are literally doing something you couldn’t do before!

It’s a superpower.

You are constantly getting better at whatever you’re doing right now

Watching TV, complaining, rehearsing, winning fake arguments in the shower, whatever!

It’s up to you to control your output and habits.

It’s up to you to regulate your emotions and audit your thoughts.

And let’s be clear: there is a 0% return-on-investment for complaining and ruminating.

You are the brain owner!

Your brain and it’s mechanics are YOUR responsibility!

When was the last time you reacted negatively to something?

What would Gandhi say about that?

What would the Pope or Rumi say?

How else might you reframe this?

Difficult people can be a growth opportunity.

Difficult projects can be a learning opportunity.

You have no control over the environment or what happens. You’re allowed to feel how you feel.

You do have control over what you do next. You’re not allowed to act out or hurt others because of how you feel.

Take 2 minutes to look again at the last time you complained about something. What can you get from this experience?

If it was a crummy experience, you owe it to yourself to pull something positive out of it.