Imagine for a moment that you are in the middle of the woods…
It is a dark and overcast night. You are surrounded on all sides by walls of trees covered in foliage. You have no hope of seeing the stars, and you are very, very lost.
You know which way the road is, but you do not know which direction to go if you didn’t have a compass!
But you do have a compass, so you begin walking toward the road. You walk and walk and walk for what feels like hours, checking your compass all the while–yes, you are still walking in the right direction. So you keep walking until you can’t walk anymore.
Finally, you sit down to rest and look closer at your compass. To your horror, you realize it is broken, and you have been walking in the wrong direction this whole time!
A terrifying story to be sure. But it highlights an important truth…
As we have been discussing, your brain is at the center of everything you are and everything you do. It is behind all of your attitudes, decisions, actions, and habits… which are the building blocks of your life. Your brain is the starting point of everything you experience in your daily life.
So its proper function is paramount!
Imagine yourself back in those woods under the shroud of darkness. Consider how much time, effort, and emotional energy you might have saved yourself with a properly functioning compass. Consider how much faster you may have gotten out of the woods. You may still have found your way out without one; it would just be much, much more difficult–and not nearly as likely.
Now I do not mean to imply that brains suffering from certain conditions are “broken” or “defective” like the compass in the story. There is already enough of a dangerous stigma surrounding mental health issues as it is.
The reality is that brains have chemical needs – all brains have some, and some brains have more. Sometimes those needs can be met with hydration, nutrition, exercise, and proper sleep. Sometimes the brain needs those things and medication. There is nothing wrong with having different needs.
All I mean in this analogy is to say that your brain, the central organ of your life, has needs. When they are met effectively, your body works properly. When they are not, you are much more likely to have trouble in your life. So, you should know what your brain’s needs are and how to meet them.
How do you know your brain’s needs?
Excellent question 🙂
If you are reading this email, you already have a head start on getting the best out of your brain. I will be spending the next few weeks covering the rest of the things you must know that will help you change your brain and your life…
…how to fuel your brain…
…how to protect it…
…how to improve it…
…how to care for it…
…and how to get the most out of it!
So keep an eye on your inbox (if you are already subscribed) – big, big things are on the way!
Make today your masterpiece!
Florina
P.S. Want to help someone change their life? Send them this article and let them know that our brain health insights that will help keep them “out of the woods!”
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