Gone in 90 Seconds

I’ve been reading an incredible book by Jill Bolte Taylor called My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientists Personal Journey.  If you’ve ever known anyone who had a stroke or just wanted to learn more about left brain vs. right brain it’s a great book.  At one point she talks about how our emotional responses (anger, fear, frustration, etc.) to specific events/triggers are repeated over time.  The result is that we train our brain to respond in such a way that it happens automatically.  She goes on to say:

“it takes less than 90 seconds for one of these programs to be triggered, surge through our body, and then be completely flushed out of our blood stream.”

Think about that - 90 seconds.  Everyday emotional reactions, i.e. getting cut off by another driver, the frustration of something/anything going wrong throughout the day, starts and ends within 90 seconds.  The chemical reaction lasts 90 seconds and then it’s out of your blood stream.  The next question is, how much longer does that emotion live inside you?  For most of us after that first 90 seconds you start replaying it in your brain, over and over again.  Maybe you get distracted by work or the kids, but later in the day it pops back into your head and the emotion comes surging back.  You relive it.  Replay it.  Analyze it over and over again.  Why do we do that?  The event is over and done.  The chemical reaction ended after 90 seconds, it’s that voice in our head that is keeping it alive.

The powerful truth is that it doesn’t have to be like that, you have the power to change.  You can rewire your brain so that when your blood stream releases the chemical reaction after 90 seconds, your brain does too.  It’s not easy, but it is definitely possible, it just takes practice.  The next time you find yourself continuing to replay an event in your head, stop and ask yourself – why am I continuing to think about this?  Why does this bother me so much?  Is there anything I can do differently to avoid/change this in the future? If you can get to the heart of the “why” the answer is often right in front of you.  When you realize why, then you can take the next step to resolve it.  When you resolve it, your perspective will shift along with your emotional reaction.  It’s no longer automatic.  You’ve literally rewired the neurons in your brain to react differently (or not react at all).

Towards the end of the book, she includes a powerful quote from Einstein:

“I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.”

We often make excuses for our emotional reactions by saying – I can’t change, that’s just who I am.  The reality is that our brain has an amazing ability to retrain itself and learn new things.  By increasing your awareness, and a little practice, we can change our reactions.  The result may be that you gain more patience or finally let go of that fear or you just stop worrying about every little thing.   Then when the chemicals are released after 90 seconds, the voice in your head is able to do the same.

Heart-FULLy yours, 

Kacey

It's Electric!

Chances are when I say, “It’s Electric!”, a beat starts up in your head along with visions of a dance floor and fun memories.  If you’ve been to a school dance, wedding, club or party of any kind in the last 20 years, you’ve danced the Electric Slide.  It’s a simple line dance, with a catchy hook, that sucks everyone out onto the floor for a few brief minutes.  You can’t help but smile, laugh and when it’s done you can’t help but feel a little spark within you.

Everyone knows that summer time in the desert is hot……really hot.  In the late afternoon/evening hours storms often roll in bringing wind, rain and the occasional thunderstorm.  Watching the lightening light up the sky is breath taking.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  The sudden strike of power looks scary and exhilarating all at the same time.  Energy surges from the bolt.  Its power radiates to all that is around it and you feel energized simply from having witnessed it.

When was the last time you felt that surge of energy and excitement pulse through your body?  Children are incredible reminders of this feeling.  In our house right now it is the anticipation of the start of a new school year.  I am grateful that they are so excited to go back to school.  I want them to hold on to this feeling, starting something new should always be exciting and energizing. 

It’s easy to get complacent, to get comfortable in our routine.  We stop pushing, stop trying new things.  We forget what it’s like to feel that kind of excitement.  Like a lightning bolt, trying something new may have its scary moments, but it will also give you that surge of energy.  The energy to keep moving forward, pushing you to do more, explore more.  Challenging you to take that next step.  It’s the beginning of a chain reaction where the possibilities are endless. 

Heart-FULLy yours, 

Kacey

psssttt

What was that?  I’m not sure, but I do know that I have a terrible case of writer’s block.  I’ve already missed one week because I couldn’t decide on a topic and so I’ve really got to buckle down and get serious.  But what am I supposed to write about?  The 4^th of July, independence – I could write a whole book on independence, kid’s independence, my independence, financial independence.  What about fireworks – beautiful but explosive – Katy Perry – psssttt – fire – anger – summer – memories…..  Nope, none of those are going to work.   Kids, not another one on mean girls, that situation actually has gotten a little bit better.  Nothing really exciting stood out this week.  Is it too early to talk about back to school?  We’ve only got one week left – where did the summer go psssttt?  How about sharing a couple quotes and writing about one of those?

“Happiness is a choice, we are the ones who put conditions on it.  If you are starving, do you get picky about the kind of food you are offered to eat?” – Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul

Or what about this one:

“Anger is a powerful stimulant, seducing us to believe we are strong and in control.  Paradoxically, when we are in the grip of anger, we are anything but in control.”  Dr. Shefali Tsabary, The Conscious Parent

Those are definitely two of my new favorite quotes that will really make you think, psssttt, but……..no, I just don’t think they’re the right topic either.  Hmmm, some weeks it comes so easily and others it just doesn’t, I just don’t get it………

PSSSTTT!!!!!

All right, all right, you have my attention.  “You” is that voice in your head.  Your conscious.  Your gut.  Gabrielle Berstein calls it your “~ing” or your inner guide.  Oprah sometimes refers to them as the “whispers”.  Regardless of the name you call it, we all have it.  Sometimes it’s a voice.  Sometimes it’s a feeling.  It’s easy to ignore for a little while, but if it’s important it won’t go away.  It’s often described as that “gnawing” feeling.  It will keep after you until you give it your attention.  That’s step one, listening to what it’s trying to tell you.  Then step two, what do you do about it?  Do you continue to ignore it?  Or do you go with it, no matter how scary or irrational it might seem?  Or do you the opposite, only to end up right back where you started?

Trust your gut, it’s trying to tell you something. Are you listening?

Heart-FULLy yours, 

Kacey