Expand Your Mind
During a class in college, we talked about a subject that caught my attention - the fact that the brain can grow and change in physical structure. This fact was found by imaging the brains of London cab drivers. These drivers are required to memorize every street of London before they can become a driver. They study for four years before they take the test. Their brains were imaged before studying, during studying, and after taking the test. It was found that their hippocampus had physically grown. Their brains had adapted to be able to match the required task at hand.
The brain can grow new neurons to perform what it is being conditioned to do. Because of this ability, the human body has an incredible ability to change to meet whatever circumstances it must face. Through life changes, such as having a child or getting married, the brain will physically change to give the person the ability to perform the new tasks required of them. Some people train for so long that they gain almost super-human abilities in physical or mental abilities.
Growing new neurons is very healthy for the brain and is correlated with living longer and healthier. Therefore a dedication to life-long learning is so important. Exercising and reading are two of the things that have been found to grow neurons and help the brain live longer. Something that does little to help the brain stay healthy is watching television.
The average American watches five hours of television per day. That is five hours of lost potential brain exercising. It might not be feasible for people to eliminate all television in their home, but it is possible to spend some more time doing healthier activities. One of those mentioned in my class was reading. Since then, I have made a point to include reading as a part of my daily life. That has been a great blessing to me these past few years. I mainly read books for fun like fantasy books, but I also read some self-help books. When I am actively engaged in a book, I feel happier and more productive. It helps me to learn and enjoy each day.
Those same blessings that I said I receive because I read, I also receive when I exercise. The times in my life where I am actively playing sports with friends and getting a good workout in are the happier times in my life. I have more energy throughout the day, and I feel happier and healthier.
Staying away from television or other mind-numbing things has also helped me to spend more time building relationships with family members and doing productive things to do more good in the world. This creates a double-benefit where you can use your time to do good and to improve your own state of being.
The power to do good is within us. We can learn new things, we can help others, and we can be a strong influence, especially as we take stock of how we use our time and transition to using it in more healthier and productive ways.
Here at Believe we are working together to create a better world. As we unite our abilities, we will be able to do more than we could on our own. Join us as we unlock our potential and continually expand our brains and learn new things. Your life may never be the same.