Architecting the mind
The fact that we can shape our minds surprises many people.
Some of us learned that life is a fight against our minds. As recently as the early 2000s, prevailing dogma held that our brains stop evolving after childhood. Adulthood seemed to be about figuring out how to operate around the baggage of the past.
Recent research suggests a different reality. Neuroplasticity indicates that many of the very structures of the brain can be modified by experience, even in adulthood. We can choose to cultivate optimism, confidence and focus, and to revise our beliefs about ourselves and the world. We form new neural connections all the time based on where we direct our attention. Over time, these connections solidify and serve as the foundation for future action.
Quoting Dan Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the father of interpersonal neurobiology, David Rock and Linda Page write:
Even more astounding is “the notion that mind is using the brain to create itself”. That is, we now know that how we think can modify the brain that we use to do our thinking.
I believe this is one of the most important concepts of our time that is currently under-appreciated.
Imagine if more people, especially leaders and creators, devoted significant effort to shaping their inner worlds?
We can't erase or undo existing neural pathways, which are like well-trodden trails in a forest. But we can increase attention density on things we desire to increase their likelihood. We can also create enough mental space to "veto" actions we don't want to take. There is a gap of two-tenths of a second between awareness and action in which we can decide not to do what our minds have unconsciously generated as an option for action.
Neuroplasticity isn’t yet salient for most people. We can’t see or effectively measure the impact of training our minds. But research and applied environments, like pro sports, continue to show its incredible potential.
We are each the architect of our own mind.