Embrace Your Brain

Typical biographies tell it forward and track what we have DONE in life. But only looking backward can we tell the story of what we have BECOME.

Even great teachers can have a rare student that just shuts down. Offering micro-steps without novelty may succeed when all else fails. But why?  

Society seems as likely to become enflamed and our planet has. Can we learn to lower our emotional temperature and interrupt our explosive emotions?

When disruptive events knock us down, we usually recover easily. But sometimes the illness, grief or chronic pain needs a miracle to stop spiraling.

What does it mean to go too far, to go past the tipping point.  And what does that have to do with spiraling? Can that lead to our chronic pain?

What drives chronic pain?  Why does it happen to some of us? Is there any way to break that cruel pattern once it starts?

It’s only one lens for looking at life’s journey but it’s a remarkable one. Here’s a first look at these 7 year milestones and how to track them.

Our brain automatically switches connections as we take on different tasks. As we age, this can break down. But we can shift onto manual control.  

Aging well can mean getting wiser, until it doesn’t.  Sooner or later the deficit view can creep in, throwing our competency into question. See the handout for this podcast here.

Ever wonder where new ideas come from and how to invite them? One great way is to “drop it” – to erase the blackboard in your mind, and just wait.

Has your life become a race against time? Is it harder to truly enjoy being with friends? Let’s look at how we can really show up more often.

We’ve been exploring co-regulation for decades and just didn’t know it!  Now that we have the science to document it, let’s see what it can explain!

We’ll explore the dramatic impacts of puberty on thinking and feeling. And we’ll discuss why some subject areas backslide so much more than others.

Between first and sixth grade, kids go through two major brain changes. If they miss out on school during one of those times, it’s quite a setback.

What did they need during those two years? The brain, body and social growth have different timelines. Let’s track those timelines from birth to 7.

Some call ignorance a poison! Can we push it so far that it runs away with us? How can we dissolve ignorance when we discover we’re caught in it?

Do frustrating situations get the best of you? How about temptations? You may have faulty brakes. And that could lead to a big problem— looping!

Resumes are all about doing – our work life and credentials.  In the upper decades, we need one about being—what we have become and what shaped us.

We can all become everyday creatives. But we may not face the same challenges to getting there! Our personal temperament may explain why that is.

Mature thinkers can invite a new wave of creative thinking in their upper decades. Creativity can become an everyday way of being, and great fun too!

In troubling times, we tend to narrow our awareness to witness less suffering. But we can choose to open our view and be useful instead. Here’s how.

Are most of your days a nice balance of fulfilling work, friends, chores and rest?  Or are they often too full?  Combing your calendar can help.

Are there folks you cherish? Are there moments with them you can remember vividly? Those are a special kind of memory. We’ll talk about them today. More about dear Bretta here.

Do your lists drive your life? We can get back in charge. If a task is work doing, we can match it to our brain states, our moods and our stamina.

More insights about our current quest –the nature of grace. New Question: Does your mind simmer ideas for you?  Can you coax it to deliver?