Happy to Retrain that Brain

I have to say that the human brain is absolutely fascinating. Think about the people you know and the people you meet. Think about the stories you read or watch each day as you check out the news. How often have you remarked that you just don’t understand people these days or you don’t understand why somebody would do something they’ve done. I must mutter something of the sort at least once a week.

This week at my day job, my boss instituted a new tradition of talking about a “gratitude” that we have going on in our life. We go round the table and each share something we are grateful for. This is nothing new for me, I’ve done it before in my own staff meetings or as part of a larger team. At first, I thought it a corny tradition that wouldn’t really stick and would simply force people to come up with something they felt okay about—kind of surprising view considering I would call myself an optimist overall. Of course, I soon realized I was wrong and have now become an absolute supporter of the tradition. So when my new boss brought it up, I was all in.

Why? Well, like I was talking about at the beginning of this blog, the human brain is fascinating. I have seen it and even felt the change in myself as I start reflecting on what I am grateful for. At first it starts out like anything else – a bit of a chore, requires some effort to remember. But before long, you see the world through different eyes and it impacts a greater part of your life.

I’m not going to say you should try it some time. That is a given. And even if you can’t accept the corniness of being thankful each day, then check out the science behind retraining/rewiring the brain. There are a ton of articles out there that tout the benefits of this. What is there really to lose?

Happy writing this week!

 

Filed under: A writer's life, romance, Toni Kelly