“Fear takes over the part of your brain protecting you and plants limiting beliefs trapping you in a growth-less cycle.”
People think there is one place in the brain dedicated to focusing. In actuality. focus is a combination of events occurring in different parents of the brain.
For instance, the prefrontal cortex, the front of the head, is where decision-making, problem-solving, and planning take place. This area works together with other brain areas including the parietal lobe and the basal ganglia, to regulate and control attention.
In addition to the prefrontal cortex, the thalamus also plays a role in focus and attention. The thalamus is a brain structure located deep within the brain that acts as a sort of “gatekeeper,” filtering out stuff we don’t care about and helping us to focus on the things that are most important.
I know, I know, “lobe”, “cortex” “thalamus” – these are some weird words to be taking in first thing in the morning.
The key takeaway here is that the brain is not one big muscle working alone for thinking. Instead, it’s made up of different parts across two sides (left & right) working together for you. Or it can run on autopilot with the one goal of keeping you, and itself “safe.” And safe doesn’t always mean comfortable.
When we start to learn and understand the brain that becomes our first step to being able to control it. What I find interesting is how fear comes into play in one of these areas involved with focus.
The prefrontal cortex is also an important part of the brain when it comes to our memories. The ability to remember something is a navigation tool built into our bodies. I can remember being in first and second grade getting rides home from my friend’s parents.
I didn’t know how to get home using the street names but I could tell you how to get home using visual markers along the way. It would go something like this,
“Go down this street and you’ll see a McDonald’s on your right. Make a right turn at the light after the McDonalds…”
All the way home.
Back to the prefrontal cortex. Unfortunately, because this part of the brain is fundamentally a survival tool it can be hijacked by fear and be used against you.
How does this happen?
By becoming a silent alarm system warning you not to try anything new simply because you might fail. Fear takes over the part of your brain protecting you and plants limiting beliefs trapping you in a growth-less cycle.
You can reverse this. You can erase these limiting beliefs. Move past memories that are keeping you from growing. It won’t be easy; you won’t be the same person when you finish. That’s the goal.
- Voluntarily bring your limiting beliefs or fears to the top of your mind (one at a time).
- It has to be voluntary. Construct a plan that will help you get through the issue or solve the problems.
- Act out that plan.
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Short one this week.
End the year strong with your head up high. You made it.
Use the next few days to “take a breath” and get yourself aligned for the new year. 2023 is going to have it’s ups and downs and you’re going to be equipped to handle it all.
Happy New Year!
See you next week,