Tag: brain

Small Changes Generate New Possibilities

Post author By jrlsage
Post date August 3, 2016

Break the Filter

We don’t know our brains. After 10 thousand years of “civilization,” we still are only scratching the surface of the mind’s ability.

Our brain receives tons of messages every moment. The brain then filters them to the world we recognize.

This filtering system allows us to live life in a simpler way. However, I understand two things:

We each see the world differently.
To widen the amount of stuff we accept, we have to break the filter.

Luckily for us, the filter is fragile. To break it, all we have to do is try something new.

New experiences open us up to seeing the world differently. Even something as small as taking an alternate route to work will change your perspective because you take in new things.

In fact, that is today’s exercise.

Exercise:

Take note of the way you go to work.
Map out a different way, one that you haven’t taken before. Take that way for a week.
After a week, take the old way back to work.

Now, notice how different things look :-). Taking a new route exposed your brain to new things, breaking the filter. Think about this experience each time you go over something, and it feels “dull.” expand the filter, and see how much new comes from it.

Tags brain, exercise, Freedom, messaging, perspective, reality

Blog Post

Brain Filter

Post author By jrlsage
Post date May 29, 2016

“Interesting” things are the only things that exist.

Our brain is a wonderful storyteller. It relies on narrative to communicate.

Don’t believe me? Here is a quick test: What did you have for breakfast last Sunday?

If that breakfast is in the middle of a story about something interesting, then you might recall what happened. If not, it is gone because it wasn’t interesting.

Two more things:

We are usually the star of the show (self-preservation is the prime directive).
Our brains don’t care for uninteresting things since it couldn’t comprehend them anyway. Our brain gets trillions of pieces of data per second and translates them on the fly to the “main things” we notice.

Something to think about the next time you say something that matters.

Note: A great book on this subject.

Tags brain, brain rules, Communication, filtering, think, thought, translate

Blog Post

Hard Part, First

Post author By jrlsage
Post date May 15, 2016

Medicine never tastes good.

Pills are bitter, syrups too strong, words sting. Whenever we are in the position to have to give medicine, we should give it, with an explanation, as soon as possible. This includes feedback, where waiting is a recipe for disaster.

Waiting allows for a story to start and the spin to begin. Don’t think you are a storyteller. Well, you are. It’s natural not to realize this.

Our brain is good at telling stories. It’s so good, that the storytelling part of our brain is the last part of our brain to die (and this means storytelling outlasts breathing).”

Everything behind the criticism goes into the spin zone, and usually, those giving the medicine won’t notice the spin that’s happening.

That can lead to disaster.

Tags brain, criticism, feedback, over communication, story, story teller, storyteller

Blog Post

My Brain Sucks

Sitting in acting class, I heard there was a party that the class had and I wasn’t invited. I am dealing with a cold and this didn’t help my mood much. I then got caught chewing gum, and for the next 30 minutes, I had this idea that the entire class hated me and the teacher didn’t think I could do anything right. Luckily, I was able to stop myself and cobble together some of the circumstances around me. Why did this happen?

1) When have I extended my hand out to the people who hosted the party?

2) I had left class early last time so I more than likely missed the invite if there was one.

3) Chewing Gum was against class rules. Didn’t add to what was happening.

I became happy that I stopped myself, but I realized my brain – kinda sucks.

Based on my current programming, I automatically start to judge and create circumstances on the world around me. These circumstances vary, and usually come from a bad place. I default on rejection, and assume that people have so much going on, that whatever I have isn’t worth discussing. After a few bouts of negative self talk I talk myself out of creating a connection. I then rationalize what happened and then go about my business, usually trying to grab another drink or losing myself into some email or text. I am programmed to believe in the worst of people and situations. My brain sucks, it is the number one obstacle in creating connections with people.

With this being a theme this month, I have been able to take some of that cognitive energy that I have for making excuses and do a few tests on those assumptions. After those few tests, which meant I had to go talk to people, and during one of the breaks I talked to some people in the class, I found out that none of them are true. I fill in the blanks way to often.

The good news is that this is easily fixable. I have to figure out how to stop filling in the blanks, and a piece of that is recognizing I don’t know anything.

Tags brain, fear, network