Today’s lesson from Lisa’s 7 1/2 Lessons about the brain is this: our brain is a network composed of 128 neurons which in turn communicate and create over five hundred trillion neuron-to-neuron connections.
And it’s capable of restructuring these connections. And it’s always on.
Whew, that’s a large number of possibilities and choices to think, feel and behave.
Let’s go with a metaphor.
The network of your brain is like an orchestra. It’s a collection of specialized sections which are connected to function as a single unit. You recognize there are different sections of the orchestra such as flutes or french horns, yet you hear all of them at once. And at times a particular section is played louder than the others, yet you hear the entire orchestra. Making for a beautiful performance.
Similar to our brain: we have specialized regions and they are more likely to function a certain way, such as our flight/fight/freeze region or our more reasonable thought region, yet our brain functions as a single unit.
All the time.
So what?
Let’s say you get cut off in traffic and the trumpets in your orchestra suddenly play really really loud. You get angry, frustrated, and feel hot under the collar. Because of these reactions, it may feel like the trumpets are the only instrument playing.
It’s simply not true.
The other sections are merely quiet or restructuring the notes. They are still playing.
How does this knowledge of the brain benefit us?
Well, it’s good to know that no matter what strong emotion we feel or what ineffective behavior we keep repeating; the rest of our brain is still active and available for reasonable thought and on-purpose action.
Any time, all the time.
We simply need to be aware of our thoughts, emotions, and actions and choose differently. And, choosing differently broadens our world, brings objectivity and harmony within ourselves and within others
Just like listening to a well-tuned and effective musical performance.
Until we meet in Person.
Brain to Brain.
Heart to Heart.
Ciao!