Success begins at the top ~ of Your Head, That Is

 

One of my favorite magazines is Success. Its not just about business. Each issue is rich in advice for all aspects of our lives.  In the October 2008 Issue of Success Magazine  there was an article that debunked the myth that we only use 10% of our brain.  The article said we use all of it! However we may not tap into the Capacity our brain has.  Meaning we could learn so much more!  It had some great ideas for increasing our brain power.

 

Here are the strategies suggested in the article:

 

Posture makes perfect. Stand tall, sit up straight ~ good posture helps your mental clarity

 

Use downtime to exercise your brain ~ stuck in a long line or waiting room? Be sure you have a book on hand. Or a journal or notebook to write down inspirations.

 

Tell a good story ~ sharing experiences in a compelling and fun way sharpens your mental recall.  

 

Mix up your routine – take a different route to work, sit in a different seat on the train, read a magazine instead of the paper in the morning – changing your routine helps the brain wake up from our “sleep walking” and pay attention.  We often live in a hypnotic state going about our business automatically. By mixing up our routine, we force the brain to make decisions and pay more attention.

 

Work on your intuition – pay attention to and follow through on your hunches – work your intuitive muscles.

 

Walk – walking is good for the brain because it gets the oxygen flowing and the body to limber up creating a state that helps you clear the brain.

 

Laugh – releasing endorphins lowers your stress and lenghthens your lifespan.  And it feels good.

 

Other ways to increase your brain power:

 

Solve a puzzle. I love doing puzzles ~ word searches are my favorite. In fact, I love to make them up too!  I have made up word searches for Social Networking, Flowers, Wealth & Prosperity and at least a dozen of them for my grandson (who is 7). They have helped me to focus my weary brain when I need a little stimulation and they help his 7 year old brain learn new vocabulary words.  Crossword puzzles are also an excellent way to keep your mind sharp. And if you like games, riddles can be stimulating and fun to solve. Riddles also help encourage our creative thinking.

 

Ask questions.  One of the things I love is interviewing people. Finding out what makes them tick and why they do what they do. I love coming up with the questions and listening for the answers. I challenge myself each time to come up with non-typical questions that get my guest thinking in a different way and helps me “dig deeper” to discover more about the person.  Take a pen and paper and write down 20 questions you’d like to ask someone you admire. Then write down 20 questions you’d like to be asked during an interview.  Then write down the answers.  Put them away and look at them in a week or a month. See how accurate your answers are today compared to when you first answered them.

 

Take a vacation. I love visiting site rich in history. If I learned about the place in school it is a great way to “recall” the memories of what I learned. If I didn’t, I learn something new. When you learn about a locale, be sure and share what you learn with others. Sharing your experiences helps expand our minds memory and keep the memories alive long after the vacation.  This also helps us relive those relaxing wonderful times which helps with stress reduction.

 

Read.  Self-help books can help you increase your brain power, your confidence and your success. Think of a book you read that changed your life, helped you with a relationship or helped you solve a problem. One book that changed my life was Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I read it at just the right time in my life (in my 20’s) and it helped me to become a better relator/communicator with others. Whenever I am stuck with a people problem, I recall the principles in that book (I have read it at least 4 times) and am able to see more clearly and come up with my own solutions.  IMHO this book should be required reading in high school!

 

What other ways can you increase your brain power? I’d love to hear how you tap into your brain’s power, expand your thinking and build your own confidence.