bridging the gap between who you are, and who you want to be

How do we bridge the gap between who we really want to be and who we are? how do we change?

It seems very rare to find those who overcome their deepest insecurities and bad habits, and more likely that we continue to live out loyally the problems that plague our characters, and somewhat mediocre existences.

Our brains are not set up to quickly adjust habits even if we consciously want to change. Brain cells (neurons) form pathways incredibly young that get stronger and stronger the more that they fire and wire together.

Bad thought patterns are etched into our brains and reinforced every day, forming trenches that are ever so endless and ever so deep. But it does seem that people do change? So how do we get out of the trenches and stop crashing out?

A hidden gem of our ever so amazing wonderful brains, is neuroplasticity.

Imagine this, our brains are full of lleeeetle cells that basically look like treessss that then form interconnected webs. Branching out and connecting with one another as we process our world around us. Certain paths get stronger and stronger, while others are less explored.

neuroplasticity is the ability for neurons that were once linked, to unlink and reach out to another branch to form a new thought, a new pattern, and eventually new habits! it’s this wondrous amazing feature of malleability and adaptability we have throughout our lives.

However, re-enforcing less explored thought avenues, rather than continuing to enforce bad thought patterns is incredddibllyyy difficult.

→ The odds are most definitely stacked against you. Neuroplasticity peaks at 6 years old and then gradually declines, although it never fully disappears.

The silver lining is this. We will always have the ability to change and form new thought patterns. And there are rare portals where the brain is more malleable than ever. One of those rare portals is…

heightened emotional states (AKA when yourrrr crasssshinggg tfff outttt)

so crashing out really is a blessing in disguise!

These heightened emotional states are gifts where our brains can change at a rate that is unlike our normal day to day.

When you feel strong emotions, your brain releases special chemicals that say, “Hey, pay attention, this matters!” (basically chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine say this experience is important and should be encoded more deeply. this boosts attention making learning and memory formation more efficient)

Essentially when your crashing out your neurons can unlink, re-link reach out and form better connections.

~So the next time your crying on the bathroom floor, or under your covers before bed, try even just one healthy thought or grab a journal because it just might mean your brain cells are re-organizing to be even healthier and happier !

~Before grabbing some late night ice cream because your saaaddd or skipping lunch because you are anxious, remember that feeling some type of way is actually a portal for you to change incredibly quickly. Get curious why you are emotionally eating? Try to form a new thought pattern.

~The next time your panicking or anxious becuase well maybe you don’t know what you want to do with your career, but you know you don’t want the job you have anymore, use this panic to take the time right then and there to write down ideas instead of just spiraling out, or go for a run!

Crashing out really can be very very very productive. Optimize for your best self, and crash out to your advantage.

The privilege of a lifetime is to become who we truly are (carl junggg), and the art of becoming is a life long journey, hopefully filled with productive crash outs, some lock ins, and new neural pathways.

~ bridging the gap between who you are, and who you want to be is only a crash out away ~

see you at the next side quest