Creating Habits of Mind

How do habits of mind become formed.  It is a developmental neural process based on repeated experience, repeated thought patterns, and repeated actions.  All of this is tied in to the natural processes of neural plasticity.

One thing I find fascinating in my experience studying the brain, is how attention is a key component in the process of creating the networks.  When we pay attention, we are actually shifting the blood flow in our own brain.  We are causing neurite outgrowth, the formation of new neural connections.  We are changing our brain based on what we pay attention to.

Something that the neuroscience community talks less about, is who or what is directing the attention?  That is where the concepts of a higher self become points of scientific inquiry.  Here we start to tread new ground in neuroscience and enter into the arena of consciousness studies. 

During our second session of the SYC course, we focused on becoming aware of how we were exerting our mental energy.  Knowing that this is a powerful and valuable asset.  Our attention is being vied for, it is actually being paid for by advertisers and social media outlets.  Why is it so precious?  Clearly, it is the essence of our power.   What I am paying attention to is shaping my brain and my reality?

We then talked about aligning our thinking with our core values.  This is a lot harder than you might think.  The problem for most of us is that we have incredibly bad habits of mind.  Our thinking goes straight to the negative.  We have repeatedly created blocks to accessing our own power.

How do I begin to turn my ship towards my deep inner vision?  Well, at first you might just start a process I call doggie training.  Just like training a dog, you repeat a new thought over and over.  Repeating phrases will lay down tracts in your brain that can help you to start to choose what you want.

Here is one I suggest you can begin with:

"Is this thought aligned with my core values?"

Try this for a week.  Keep repeating this phrase throughout the day as you notice your thoughts.  Then you may find that as you see a thought not aligned with your values, you can choose to let it go, or even ask yourself the next question.  

"What more helpful thought is there for me to be in alignment?"

Wait and see what shows up.  Enjoy exploring your thinking landscape my friends!