Day 18 - Don’t let your brain control you; You are in charge of your brain!
Day 18: Don’t let your brain control you; You are in charge of your brain!
For the next couple of blogs, we are going to talk about our thought-life. Everyone wants to be happy, more prosperous, and healthy. The question is how do we get there?
Do we really have choices in this pandemic?
Things might be going great and then the circumstances of life come crashing down. Look at our circumstances right now during this Coronavirus crisis, as I said in the first blog- uncertainty is our constant companion. As a result of the pandemic, most of us are in situations where our circumstances and our future cannot be easily changed. NEVERTHELESS, we can change our reactions to our circumstances; we can change how we think about our circumstances; we can change what we think about ourselves and our life.
We can change our brains through our thinking and choices.
Years ago scientists believed that once the brain was injured or if you were born with a damaged brain, it was incurable and the focus was on getting the individual where they could function; they never thought the restoration of brain function was possible. Thanks to the work of scientists today, we now know that our brains and the connection between the brain cells (neurons) are constantly changing, therefore even in our older age we can acquire new skills, remember, learn new things and recover after brain injury - this is called neuroplasticity.
In addition, research shows that DNA actually changes shape in response to our thoughts; minute by minute our genetic makeup changes based on thoughts and choices.
Every moment of the day we are changing the actual structure of our brain through our thinking! The Bible says in Proverbs that “As a man thinks, so shall he be”. Wow, does that mean we are responsible for the direction of our lives and we are not just the victim of our circumstances?
You are not a Victim!
We may not be able to make the virus disappear, or leave our homes, or be able to change the economic repercussions of this pandemic, but we can choose how we react to our current situation. We can choose to see our circumstances in a positive light or we can choose to be a victim, it is all about our attitude. Remember what I just talked about with neuroplasticity and the changing DNA in response to our thoughts, we are not victims of our biology, we control our biology!
Step # 17 on our journey down a path to discover a beauty within ourselves that is amazing!
Picture your brain neuro-connections and DNA changing with our reactions - our thoughts, words, and actions- to life circumstances. Picture new thought networks growing.
Consciously direct your thoughts to positive, healthy, uplifting thoughts.
Capture and discard toxic thoughts! Don’t give toxic thoughts power - don’t allow the thoughts to turn into words or actions! We don’t want to wire in toxic brain networks!
Ponder this: "Your mind is powerful!"
If we have the ability to make choices that impact our lives, the lives of those around us, and ultimately the world! Do you have a responsibility to control your thoughts and reactions?
I recommend the book (this book served as a reference for my blog):
Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health - By Dr. Caroline Leaf
Day 19 of Quarantine - Happy Easter!
Keep it Holy - rest and abstain from the Coronavirus news, give your brain a rest!
Like the last couple of Sundays,