Each path we take in life mimics a pathway for neurons to travel in our brains. The more we travel, the more paths available, literally.
All over your brain, and connected to every inch of your body, are neural pathways. These pathways number in the hundred trillion, and every single one of them is linked to an action, movement, thought, or feeling. Every sense you perceive, every noise you make, every process of your body has a pathway in which chemicals flow through. Every second, billions of stimuli are perceived, interpreted, processed by the subconscious, and redirected to our conscious focus. This happens faster than we blink. We are very intelligent creatures, and we do not always give ourselves the credit we deserve, nor do most of reach our highest potential.
There are an innate number of neurons that we all have that are similar, such as raising a glass to our mouths, forming words, relieving our bowels, or sleeping. As we age over time, (these basic ones stick very quickly) these actions that we do daily harden, making childhood the best time to learn new and diverse skills. The older we get, the harder it gets to not only learn new skills, but also step out of our comfort zone to do so. Warren Buffett once said: “Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
When we experience new places, foods, people, or ideas, we create new neural pathways. New experiences give way to a more open perspective, and thus more choices to make. When we travel to a place we have never been, we are bombarded with new stimuli. This is exponentially diverse if we are in a foreign country.
Whether we choose to be aware of this or not, we are making choices from the very beginning.
With this being said, it is important that we keep our minds open throughout our life, so that we may bypass the cognitive hurdle of being presented with something new. This way, we can get right to learning new skills and techniques. From the moment we are born, and some believe even before (read Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav), we are making choices. When we are very little, our brains are just beginning to be mapped, and while physical functions and general sense recognition are being developed, episodic memories are not yet formed. Our hippocampus does not connect specific events or emotions with our memories until around the age of two. Before the age of two we are still taking in the world, feeling it out for the good and bad, fear and love.
Being alive is a very unique and misunderstood experience, even for myself. Every day we are confronted with new challenges and obstacles, from strenuous physical exercise, fighting or fleeing a dangerous enemy, simply talking to another person, or overcoming fear in ourselves. At each moment, even if we are not being challenged, we are making split second decisions. It is imperative that we are aware of ourselves every moment, for if we are not, events will happen that are bound to upset us, or we will misunderstand them if nothing else. For more on awareness, check out this article here.
This does not mean that we must be watching and listening for every detail around us, (although subconsciously we do this anyway) what matters most is that we are paying attention to our own actions. Being conscientious, patient, and open to what our bodies and others are doing is an excellent way to work towards a life you wish to have. When we take steps towards bettering ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, life shows us that the strength to overcome any obstacle is already within us. But we must do something about it, we must make the initial move, or life will never budge.
Having a perception change will greatly contribute to a healthier lifestyle, but change in general is necessary.
Our perception of the world around us is a direct reflection of what is going on inside of us. “We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.” -Anaïs Nin. When we are upset, we see everything in a negative light; when we are happy, the world is our oyster. The more open we are to what is happening, regardless of what it is, the easier hardships become. Forgiveness is a marvelous feeling, for all parties involved. The more we forgive others, even if we have been hurt, the closer we get to positivity again. Once we forgive, acceptance and then gratitude soon follow.
Perception change is very important to our well-being. As stated earlier, we have trillions of pathways, many of which will never be used. Even if we live life to the fullest and experience (hopefully not all) most of what life has to offer, I still believe that there will be something left untouched. This belief stems from the very fact that if there ever was an endpoint, life itself would have ceased a long time ago. The human species on this particular planet is a mere speck on the history of the universe, and we are naive and a bit conceded if we think we are the only intelligent life to exist.
Habits are very beneficial if they are healthy, and very detrimental if they are negative, and rightly so. It is vitally important that we are not only able to recognize bad habits, but also taking action to eliminate and replace those bad habits. Human beings are creatures of habit, and going back to what Mr. Buffett stated, it is necessary that we take action as soon as possible. Okay, it isn’t exactly necessary, unless of course you are content with the problems you still have. I know I’m not.
It is not enough to un-wire the pathways that are harmful; we must replace them or they will come right back.
When we make a decision, when something happens, our brain records this whether we are aware of the happening or not. A blue car with a missing headlight just drove by? Your brain stores that. So when we are focused on something, we are even more likely to remember that, although this is not always the case. If you wish to remember something, first and foremost write it down. Repeat it to yourself multiple times, (ten is a good number as my baseball coach once said) make it important. If it is important to you, you will remember. If you forget sometimes, that is okay too. In regards to rewiring your brain, memory plays a key role.
To unwire ourselves from a negative habit, it is as simple as doing it. Just stop doing it. Stop drinking coffee. Stop watching porn. Stop staying up late watching TV or scrolling on your phone when you know you aren’t getting enough sleep. Just stop doing it. And when you make this decision, everything related to that negative habit will be thrown in your face, your body will be screaming for you to keep doing it. It is okay, I promise. it will get better. The urges and constant thoughts will go away. Trust that you will not have to fight yourself forever.
Once you have unwired yourself, you must immediately replace those circuits with something positive. If you are stopping coffee, get a bottle of water, or a piece of fruit. If you are habitually watching porn and draining your Jing, spend that time with your partner, wait for your partner, or go out and find a meaningful relationship. Hold it in, use your creative juices to actually create something, that energy can be used for more than just sexual reproduction. If you are staying up late, and find it hard to sleep, lay down a half hour earlier, get more exercise during the day, and consume less sugar. Having a screen in front of your face right before bed keeps you awake longer.
Ask yourself if the action you are questioning is adding benefit to your quality of life, or taking away from it.
Whether you have ever realized it or not, there is an innate force within and around you helping at every step.
Just as the Earth has an invisible sphere of energy surrounding it, we all have an aura of energy around us, that connects us with the rest of our ecosystem. This energy is the life force that moves through you, that gives you and every other creature the capacity to think, speak and move. While we cannot see it, we know it is always there, just as the air we breathe. All you must do is ask, and the answer you are looking for will come. It may not be right away, nor will it always be in a way you understand at first, but everything we need is right in front of us.
This guidance is available to everyone, in any circumstance. If you ask, and nothing comes of it, that may be a sign that the answer isn’t needed yet, or you already know and no further questioning is needed. From there, action is the best course of action.
There are an infinite number of paths to take in life, and the paths we take are a direct reflection of how our brain is mapped. It is crucial that we take healthy steps to improve ourselves daily, and when we do that, being responsible for ourselves is not difficult at all. In fact, we begin to enjoy the challenge. The hardest part of becoming a better person is that first initial step to get the ball moving; once you get moving, the breeze will carry you from there. Have faith in yourself, the universe, and whatever is happening. It all plays a part in the grand scheme of life.
If you enjoyed this article, feel free to leave a comment or question, story or idea. I hope you have a wonderful day, be sure to smile for everyone you see, including yourself. You never know who’s day will be made by a simple grin.