"At birth, a baby's brain contains 100 billion neurons, roughly as many nerve cells as there are stars in the Milky Way," according to an article Time magazine.
My first reaction? "Wow, we get all that power and hardware with no owner's manual or instructions booklet."
Just imagine what we could do if we understood a tenth of what our brains are capable of.
Now, I certainly don't presume to offer an owner's manual, but I can offer a few suggestions about what and what not to put into our brains.
The power of the words we use and how they affect what we think has been grossly underestimated.
You've probably heard someone say, usually while losing an argument, "Well, that's just semantics." I've learned that, when it comes to managing our brains, it is all semantics.
This is because the brain is simply a computer that takes in what we give it, whether it is in our interest or not.
For example, there are words I call garbage words.
A garbage word is a word that, if you allow your brain to use it on a regular basis, will lead to garbage thinking. Garbage thinking leads to garbage feelings and garbage actions, all of which can keep us from living the kind of lives we want to have.
"I have to."
There are very few things in life we have to do. There are very many things in life we choose to do.
Constantly saying "I have to" diminishes our power of choice. Replacing "I have to" with "I choose to" or "I get to" allows us to choose and bypasses the brain's natural resistance to being forced.
"Try."
This is one of the most powerful garbage words in common usage. For example, try to pick up the newspaper you are now reading. You either pick it up or you don't. Those are the only two outcomes.
In the words of Yoda in the "Star Wars" trilogy: "Do or do not. There is no 'try."'
"Hard."
This garbage word convinces our brains not to do something. It's an excuse for fear and/or laziness. Saying something is hard does not make it any easier to accomplish. Remember, though, that some things are difficult. But difficult things are still doable.
"I can't." This one usually means "I won't" or "I choose not to." A good replacement is "If I could, what would I do?"
"Losing weight."
I love this one. Consider how many times you or someone you know has said he or she wants to lose weight. Now consider what the brain hears.
What have we conditioned our brains to do when we "lose" something? We find it and get it back. Instead of "losing weight," we really want to "get rid of" weight.
"Yes, but ..."
Our brains automatically disregard everything that comes before the word "but." That's because when you hear the word "but," you think, "Ah, ha. Here comes the truth."
Instead of saying "but," use the word "and" (as in, "You did a good job with this, and you could also do that").
Is what I'm suggesting just a form of positive thinking?
Not really.
While positive thinking can be good, it's not enough all by itself. If you are walking in the rain during a thunderstorm saying, "It's not raining, it's not raining," you still are going to get wet.
What this is about is using words to operate your brain properly.
Here's a suggestion: Try replacing - oops! - I mean, replace garbage words with these replacement words, at the rate of one a week.
Eventually, you will eliminate the garbage words from your vocabulary, and get better results.
Visit secretsofgreatrelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..You have probably noticed those people at work, school, and... Read More
The other evening, I was meticulously assembling and painting one... Read More
Today, I wanted to mention this notion of self-sabotage.I recently... Read More
Are you aware of your inner dialogue? If not, you... Read More
"There is an infinitely worthier subject for philosophers (to study)... Read More
There are many stories of people injuring themselves, and others,... Read More
We hear a lot these days about accepting responsibility for... Read More
Have you ever noticed what can happen if you just... Read More
At your next staff meeting lead your team through the... Read More
Did you know that our thoughts may be influencing our... Read More
No one becomes successful by accident. Motivational speaker Les Brown... Read More
I am often astounded at what and why people believe... Read More
A Yale University study a few years ago revealed that... Read More
For the twelve hundred hostages, most especially Timur Kasumova.It's a... Read More
Changing Negative Thoughts into Positive Thoughts is a key lesson... Read More
Can you really plan a life-changing experience, or do they... Read More
Does the thought of failure send a cold shiver down... Read More
From Making the Big Move: how to transform relocation into... Read More
Have you ever considered that you may be subconsciously sabotaging... Read More
I am an educator as well as a coach and... Read More
Well I've finally done it...I turned my heat on. After... Read More
Have you ever noticed how many unhappy people there are... Read More
Once upon a time, I was a vibrant, youthful teenager...My... Read More
Resentment isn't a spectacular emotion, but it is long-lasting and... Read More
The quality of your life is directly related to your... Read More
residential cleaning services Deerfield ..Many people would say that it is absolute madness to... Read More
Know thyself.These words were inscribed in the vestibule of the... Read More
As we enter this holiday season, and this time of... Read More
Our lives are busy. We rush here only to remember... Read More
The most happy and successful people on earth have a... Read More
The other day I bought an unusual piece of software:... Read More
The infamous "glass ceiling" is blamed for business issues for... Read More
Want to improve your personal performance? Positive self-talk can help.Edward... Read More
HOW YOUR OUTLOOK INFLUENCES HEALTH AND ABILITY TO CONTROL ANGERJane... Read More
You know, very often, the manner in which a person... Read More
At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and... Read More
When you look at your future in terms of your... Read More
"Work on your career and you'll make a living. Work... Read More
At your next staff meeting lead your team through the... Read More
I started life writing in the fifth grade. My mother... Read More
Many centuries ago there was a Greek philosopher who lived... Read More
Life is the greatest roller coaster ride we will ever... Read More
My story explains the struggles I had as a 23-year-old... Read More
Turn negative thoughts into positive ones.Negative thoughts can be very... Read More
For most of us our lives are a problem which... Read More
Kasia is a talented landscape designer who speaks several languages,... Read More
It would be pretty hard to become successful without first... Read More
There is a growing volume of research that shows' staying... Read More
In his all-time bestselling record The Strangest Secret, author Earl... Read More
I'm lucky.When I was fifteen, I was the sole survivor... Read More
Positive Attitude Tips |