Have you heard someone say, “short tempers run in the family, you will never get it out of us” or “that’s just the way I am, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”? Maybe you agree with these statements.
Well, I’ve got news for you. That’s a wrong perception. You can change, you can learn new skills and develop other characteristics, and it doesn’t matter what age you are!
Scientists used to believe that the brain is like an unchangeable machine and they thought brain damage that occurred was permanent. It was also a general assumption that if your great grandfather, grandfather, and father were impatient and moody you would be too…
The brain’s reorganizing itself… all the time
Nowadays, however, we know that the brain has “the ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. It’s called Neuroplasticity and it allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.
“Brain reorganization takes place by mechanisms such as “axonal sprouting” in which undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect neurons whose links were injured or severed. Undamaged axons can also sprout nerve endings and connect with other undamaged nerve cells, forming new neural pathways to accomplish a needed function.
“For example, if one hemisphere of the brain is damaged, the intact hemisphere may take over some of its functions. The brain compensates for damage in effect by reorganizing and forming new connections between intact neurons. In order to reconnect, the neurons need to be stimulated through activity.” (medicinenet.com)
Neuroscientists found that your brain is constantly changing while you are thinking. If you constantly think that you are not good enough, your brain forms a thought pattern that links almost all scenarios with that one thought. When you are faced with something new or a challenge, your brain links it to that “I can’t do it. I am not good enough” pattern and then you give up even before you start.
Re-writing thought patterns
Fortunately, all negative thinking can be reversed through constant practice and focusing on positive thoughts. If you mindfully focus to think thoughts such as “I am good enough” or “I want to learn” or “this is going to be a challenge, but I’m good at facing challenges” then you alter those toxic thought patterns and new thought patterns are established.
They do not call it the power of positive thinking for nothing. Positive thoughts and patterns will boost your self-confidence, self-esteem, self-control, and resilience – all essential characteristics of emotionally intelligent people.
You don’t need to be a victim of your genes or your circumstances anymore. You are free to choose how you are going to react to any given situation.
"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.”
