Psychologist Rick Hanson in his book ‘Hardwiring Happiness’ lays out the wonder of positive neuroplasticity. “The brain takes its shape from what the mind rests upon”. The exciting news is we can change our brains.
Science tells us that how we feel and act rests on 3 factors:
- Challenges: the trials in life that we face on a daily basis
- Vulnerabilities: our susceptibilities and sensitivities that those challenges tap into
- Strengths: our inner positive qualities that rise to meet the situation. 1/3 of our strengths are said to be innate and 2/3 of them we can grow ourselves. In short, we have hope.
We can manage our mind in 3 ways:
- Let Be: Accept Reality.
Stepping back and simply observing gives us both ‘relief and perspective’. Instead of reacting to a situation we stay present in the moment without judgment. This is not the same as complacence or submission. It is witnessing, accepting and being mindful. - Let Go: Release Negativity.
Being with the mind alone is not enough. We have to also work with it. We have to put effort into identifying negative thoughts and feelings that arise in reaction to a challenge. Regret about the past, fear of the future and so on. These reactions create activity in the brain. If this neural activity is ‘intense, prolonged or repeated’, it leaves a deep imprint on the brain. So we learn to gently release this negativity, thereby softening its effect on the brain. - Let In: Grow Positivity.
We create room to invite positivity in. “What you pay attention to, what you rest your mind on is the primary shaper of your brain.” Notice the good things in your life, express gratitude, savor joy, embrace love and nurture positivity. By increasing positive experiences we allow the brain to rest on them and leave the desired imprint. We change the landscape of the brain. Psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz calls it ‘Self-directed Plasticity’. We get to harness the power of changing the brain instead of allowing outside influences to do so. We have a say in it. We get to customize the lay out of the brain.
“Neurons that fire together wire together.”