1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,639 Speaker 1: The Monks, which I learned to train was constantly asking 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: myself why. Every time I wanted something, I would trace 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: the why. Is it because of a societal expectation, or 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: ego pursuit or a deep value? That three letter word 5 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: is a skeleton key for unlocking your self awareness, and 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: self awareness is at the root of self mastery. Hey everyone, 7 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: and I'm so excited because we're going to be adding 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: a really special offering onto the back of my solo 9 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: episodes on Fridays. It's my short daily series on Calm, 10 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: the Daily j And let me tell you, it's unlike 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: anything else I'm doing. It's part storytelling, part mindfulness with 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: a wide range of unique actionable insights, and it's also 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: the only place you can meditate with me each and 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: every day. I absolutely love all the wisdom was sharing, 15 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: all the lives were changing, and whether you want to 16 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: improve your mindset, your habits, or your relationships, whether you 17 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: on to work on developing more focus, presence or equanimity, 18 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: building a daily Jay routine just seven minutes every day 19 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: can make a huge impact, So make sure to check 20 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: out the session at the end of the podcast, and 21 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: then subscribe to Calm for your daily dose of The 22 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: Daily J Go tocalm dot com, forward slash J for 23 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: forty percent off your membership today. This week we're tackling 24 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: the topic of mindset and how to approach life with focus, perspective, 25 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: and positivity. Of course, if you want to listen to 26 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: the Daily JA every day, you have to subscribe to 27 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: cam so go tocalm dot com, forward slash J for 28 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: forty percent off your membership today. Hey everyone, I'm so 29 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: excited to be speaking with you today about six ways 30 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: to monk switch your mind for growth and resilience. There 31 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: has been a lot of research involving monks that shows 32 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: how monks are really masters of the mind. I detail 33 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: some of it in my books Think Like a Monk. 34 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: For example, several years ago, a monk named yonge minga pachet, 35 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: traveled from Nepal to a research facility in Wisconsin so 36 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: the scientists there could observe his brain activity while he meditated. 37 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: They put a device that looked like a shower cap 38 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 1: on him and fixed hundreds of senses to his skull, 39 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: and they had him cycle in and out of meditative 40 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: states on Q. Now, if you've ever tried to meditate, 41 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: you sit down and what happens to second you try 42 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: to clear your head, your mind floods with thoughts. Right. 43 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: It takes most of us at least five to ten 44 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: minutes to settle down mentally and get into that meditative 45 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: space if we're lucky. So knowing this, the researchers in 46 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: Wisconsin were astonished by what they saw, which is that 47 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: whenever they gave them monk the signal to start a 48 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: meditation cycle, his brain immediately went into meditation mode. It 49 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: was like flipping a switch. They had never seen anything 50 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: like it. He was able to switch in an out 51 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: of meditation mode again and again, just like that. And 52 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: here's the thing that's important to understand. This monk wasn't special, 53 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: no offense to him. What I mean by that was 54 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: that he wasn't following some exclusive special training program. All 55 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: he was doing was he was living the regular life 56 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: of a monk. These same scientists, along with others, have 57 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: run many exhaustive detailed studies on long time monks and 58 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: other season meditators, and they all show the same types 59 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: of results. An astonishing degree of mental control, whether in 60 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: the form of focus, compassion, and even the brain indicators 61 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: for happiness. Monks spend so much time training their minds 62 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: that when challenges arise, whether it's dealing with external challenges 63 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: like what we're all experiencing now or internal ones like 64 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: struggling with ego, that's when their training kicks in. Like 65 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: younger Mingo Rimpoche, we can learn and to monks switch 66 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: our minds so that the practices we've trained automatically kick 67 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: in in times of stress and struggle. Today, I'm going 68 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: to share with you six ways to monks switch your 69 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: mind so you can feel more resilient and experience a 70 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: greater sense of meaning and purpose, especially in the face 71 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: of massive challenges. Now, at the monastery, monks have what 72 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: is mostly a controlled, immersive environment for their training. And 73 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: so you're probably thinking, but Jay, I'm not a monk, 74 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: and I don't want to be a monk, So how 75 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: can this apply to me? This time we're in can 76 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: be your monastery or your aushroom, And in a few 77 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: minutes I'll talk about some ways you can actually create 78 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: more peace in your own surroundings. So, if you're ready, 79 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: here we go. Now, some of you know I'm massively 80 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: into movies. I would have referred to one movie. Now 81 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: I'm going to bring in another. I especially love Christopher 82 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: Nolan movies, and his movie Memento is one of my favorites. 83 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: If you're not seeing the movie, it's about a man 84 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: who has a very specific type of amnesia, a brain 85 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: condition where he can no longer make new memories, and 86 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: the story is told starting with the ending, then working backwards. Now, 87 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: since that movie has a neuroscience theme and I'm about 88 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: to delve into some neuroscience I thought I'd do it 89 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 1: Memento style. We're going to start at the end with 90 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: where you want to end up and work backwards to 91 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: how you get there. For most of us, it relates 92 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: to resilience. We want to feel that no matter what happens, 93 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:33,839 Speaker 1: we can handle it, that we have the tools to 94 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: deal effectively with whatever life throws at us. That's our target. Now. 95 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: That might be individually, and it also might be from 96 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: a relationship perspective or from an organizational perspective. You're an 97 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: entrepreneur or a family person, whatever type of resilience you're 98 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: focused on creating. Here's the thing. In order to change 99 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: your external experiences in life, you have to master your 100 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: internal experiences first. There are indisputable facts about what's going 101 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: on around us right now in the outside world, but 102 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: on the inside, we're all experiencing it differently. Some of 103 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 1: us are filled with fear and anxiety, while others are 104 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: finding a way to navigate it with more equantimity and 105 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: even make progress in their lives or their organizations or relationships. 106 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 1: Some couples are leaning in and becoming more of a team. 107 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: Some individuals are using this as a growth opportunity. Some 108 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: companies are creating new service lines. Take zok Doc, an 109 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: online service for booking in personal medical appointments. The company 110 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: had a massive amount of a momentum coming into twenty twenty, 111 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: but by the end of March, they saw bookings decline 112 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: anywhere from fifty to ninety percent. Co founder Oliver Kara's 113 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: was advised to layoff staff and lay low for the duration, 114 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: as many companies have done, yet zok Dog did the opposite. 115 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: They expanded instead of trying to weather the storm. Karas 116 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: says he saw an opportunity to build windmills instead of 117 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: initiating layoffs. The company tasks their staff with creating and 118 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: implementing a telehealth platform so patients could get remote care 119 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: from their doctors. It was a massive effort, But within 120 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: two months the company had done the impossible. They pulled 121 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: off a successful launch of a brand new telehealth platform that, 122 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: under other circumstances, Karas says, would have taken them two 123 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: years to create an introduce. One of the greatest monks 124 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: which is out there is to train yourself to equate change, 125 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: especially change that seems negative, with opportunity. Monk David stendel 126 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: Ross talks about something he calls grateful living, which is 127 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: a way of cultivating trust in life and in all 128 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: that's happening in the external world, no matter how it feels. 129 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: As stendel Ross says, when you receive every moment as 130 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: a gift, you ask yourself, what's the opportunity in this moment? 131 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: And that's exactly what zogdog dig. And that's what you 132 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: can learn to do to find the opportunities that are 133 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: present in these otherwise challenging moments. But I'm sure you 134 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: know countless other examples of organizations and people who do 135 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: in the opposite. They're struggling, and that's underscertnable. I want 136 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: to acknowledge that this really isn't an exceptional time for 137 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: us all and most of us are experiencing some combination 138 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: of personal loss and financial loss or stress that's very real. Yet, 139 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: as doctor Andrew Huberman says, part of what determines whether 140 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: we struggle or find a way to thrive depends largely 141 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: on how we frame stress. Hooberman is a professor in 142 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 1: the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University who studies, among 143 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: other things, brain plasticity, or our brain's ability to learn 144 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: and progress. He says, perhaps the biggest determined of how 145 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,559 Speaker 1: we will weather storms, from the pandemic down to everyday 146 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: stresses is whether we run from our fears, whether we freeze, 147 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: or whether we move towards what we're afraid of. In fact, neurologically, 148 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: it's only really in conditions of discomfort that we can 149 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: train our brains to learn to thrive from stress and 150 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: become more resilient. So we have our goal now to 151 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 1: uncover how we get there, along with how ancient wisdom 152 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: figures into the equation. Let's take a step backwards and 153 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: look at some of doctor Huberman's research on neuroplasticity. It 154 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: used to be that we thought that once you hit 155 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: about your mid twenties, your brain couldn't change much. You 156 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 1: can't teach an old dog or even thirty five year 157 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: old new tricks right. But thankfully, modern research shows that's 158 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 1: just not true. In fact, in some ways, we can 159 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: actually become better at learning difficult things and performing at 160 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: the leading edge of our ability, especially if we understand 161 00:09:55,320 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: how our brains work, and fortunately, according to neuro research, 162 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: there's a pretty predictable formula for it. The first part 163 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: of the formula involves three things. These are the three 164 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: elements you need to be able to learn to raise 165 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: your level of performance. First, you need clear intention and direction. 166 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 1: The second thing you need is intense focus, and the 167 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: third thing you need is a strong motivation. The next 168 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: step in the formula for learning and growth is that 169 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: you need to apply direction, focus, and motivation continuously for 170 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: an extended period of time. Think about it. If you 171 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: lose your direction, you'll go off course. If you lose focus, 172 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: you'll be ineffective, and if you lose motivation, you'll disconnect 173 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: from the emotion that was acting like a propeller pushing 174 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: you forward. Imagine a marathon runner during all those days 175 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: and miles they log when they're training. If they lose 176 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: sight of their direction, they won't train properly. If they 177 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: lose sight of their focus, they can get distracted by 178 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: all the other things they'd rather be doing, like hanging 179 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: out with friends and eating pizza instead of running fifteen 180 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: miles and the pouring rain. And if they lose their 181 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: motivation when they're out on the road or the track, 182 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: they won't have the heart to keep going. So you 183 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: need to be invoking all three over and over again, 184 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: just like that runner training day after day to run 185 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: that marathon. And there's another part of the equation. The 186 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: progress you make doesn't reshape your brain and create actual 187 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:38,079 Speaker 1: learning or skills. You can repeat until another element is added, 188 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: and that element is periods of deep sleep or rest. 189 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: So the direction, focus, motivation sustained along with deep rest. 190 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: That's the formula for how we can reshape our brains. 191 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: And it explains why Yonge Mingo Rimpoche showed those incredible 192 00:11:56,160 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: results in Wisconsin, because that formula is essentially how a 193 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: monk lives every day of their life in focused, directed, 194 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: intense effort followed by periods of rest. Fortunately, as Huberman's 195 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: research shows, you don't have to live like a monk 196 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: to change your brain. You do, however, have to understand 197 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: how to overcome some neurochemical hurdles. In that first part 198 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: of the equation direction focus and motivation, your brain is 199 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: releasing two main neurochemicals to assist with the performance and 200 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 1: learning processes. Those are acetal coolin, which will help to 201 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: make those actual changes to your brain when you rest, 202 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: and nora adrenaline. The noor adrenaline, as you might guess 203 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: from the adrenaline part, gets you amped up. Think about 204 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: how you feel when you're about to compete, or about 205 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 1: to give a presentation, or about to sit down to 206 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: an intense work session. You might feel anxious, or excited 207 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: or fidgety. Many of us interpret these feelings as negative, 208 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: but as Huberman points out, some amount of agitation or 209 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: even a feeling of frustration is normal to the process 210 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: of getting ready to do something that's at the edge 211 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: of your performance zone. It's what the initial stages of 212 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: growth feel like. But many of us let these feelings 213 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: of agitation sidetrack us. We can't get focused, we say 214 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 1: in actuality. Part of the nora adrenalis's role is to 215 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: help you get focused. So instead of allowing yourself to 216 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: click over to Twitter or text a friend, you need 217 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: to train yourself to just get started in a few minutes. 218 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: The agitation will pass as you get into the next 219 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 1: phase of the process, which is the sustained effort portion. 220 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: So that's where that stress response comes in. When you 221 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: feel that stress of agitation, that's a time to monk 222 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: switch your mind. When you feel that anxiety, your hands 223 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: maybe go a bit cold, or you get fidgety. Tell 224 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: yourself again and again, I'm about to learn or I'm 225 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: about to grow. Over time, those body signals will cue 226 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: those thoughts automatically. As Stanford researcher and stress expert Kelly 227 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: McGonagall says, when you choose to view your stress responses helpful, 228 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: you create the biology of courage. How powerful is that? Literally, 229 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: when you choose to see stress as useful. Now, remember, 230 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: once we step over that stress threshold and start learning 231 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: or performing. We're in our presentation or our high stakes meeting, 232 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: we're working on writing our book, or we're running that marathon. 233 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: We have to sustain the effort. And this is where 234 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: another neurochemical you're probably familiar with, kicks in dopamine. Little 235 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: hints of dopamine signal us that, as humanman says, we're 236 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: on the right path, and that's what draws us forward. Otherwise, 237 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: our brains would become too saturated with nora adrenaline, and 238 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: eventually it would make us give up because we'd be 239 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: worn out. Occasional dopamine hits actually balance the no adrenaline 240 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: by giving us a chemical and emotional thumbs up, and 241 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: that keeps us going. That's why marathoners will tell themselves 242 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: just make it to the next water station, or to 243 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: the next intersection, or it's why people tell you, instead 244 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: of focusing on writing an entire business plan, to chunk 245 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: it down into smaller pieces and just focus on completing 246 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: one at a time, then giving yourself a mental high five. 247 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: Those smaller milestones give us a boost of dopamine when 248 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: we achieve them. There are other ways to get dopamine 249 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: hits as well. Research from Huberman's lab shows that things 250 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: like laughter, a sense of group cohesiveness, a feeling of 251 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: being supported, or a sense of playfulness among others, gives 252 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: us that dopaman that sustains our effort. So now let's 253 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: backstep again and I'll show you how a monk would 254 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: approach that formula for growth, learning and resilience. The first 255 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: element was a clear intentional goal. For monks, our GPS 256 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: that points us in the right direction is our value system. 257 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: We looked to our values to direct us. So our 258 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: intention or our goal would link to our values. For example, 259 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: I tell a story in my book of a time 260 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: when I was walking with my teacher and we came 261 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: across a monk who was an incredibly accomplished scholar. I 262 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: was so impressed with how many verses and passages from 263 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: the ancient texts he had memorized. I turned to my 264 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: teacher and said, I want to do that too, And 265 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: he asked me do you want to do that because 266 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: you want to be known as someone who did that 267 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: or because you want to actually put in the hard 268 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: work of doing it. So for monks, what we might 269 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: have a goal in mind, say memorizing books or verses, 270 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: we would link our goal to a deep values such 271 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: as learning, rather than a surface pursuit such as ego, 272 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: did you catch the monks? Suits there? It was a 273 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: bit hidden the monks, which I learned to train. It 274 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: was constantly asking myself why. Every time I wanted something, 275 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: I would trace the why Is it because of a 276 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: societal expectation or ego pursuit? Or a deep value. That 277 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: three letter word is a skeleton key for unlocking your 278 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: self awareness, and self awareness is at the root of 279 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: self mastery. So train yourself to ask why. For a week. 280 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: Every time you want something, ask yourself why, even if 281 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: it's just a type of food, Where does that want 282 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: come from? If you do this with regularity, you'll start 283 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: to do it automatically, and the practice will help you 284 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 1: connect with value directed goals. The second component in the 285 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: learning formula is focused. How many of us have sat 286 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: down at our computer with the intention of doing something 287 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: We're finally going to start that course, and then five 288 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: minutes later when on Instagram or texting a friend to 289 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 1: see what they're up to. Without the ability to bring 290 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: your focus fully to a task and sustain it, you 291 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: will not make progress. There are several ways a monk 292 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: cultivates focus, one of which is through mindfulness. You can 293 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 1: think of mindfulness simply as noticing what is in the 294 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: present moment without judgment. Here's a practice you can use 295 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: to train that. Simply sit in a comfortable position, breathing 296 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 1: in deeply and then out and in again and now, 297 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: instead of trying to totally clear your mind, just notice 298 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: what comes up, acknowledge it, release it, like, Okay, I 299 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: notice some anxiety around work. Okay, I acknowledge you anxiety. Now, 300 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: I realize you, and I bring my mind back to 301 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: the present moment. If it comes back, acknowledge and release 302 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: it again. There's no need to get upset at anything 303 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: that arises. The goal is to not have an empty mind. 304 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 1: It's to be where you are practicing, noticing and releasing 305 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: the monks which you're training. Here is that when you 306 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: sit down to start that course, when the inevitable distractions arise, 307 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: you can simply notice them and release them, coming back 308 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: to focus on your project. Essayist and novelist Pico Aya 309 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 1: said in an Age of Distraction, nothing can feel more 310 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: luxurious than paying attention. And I love that quote because 311 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: that's the way we can hack our focus, but reframing 312 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: it not as something that's hard, but as a treat, 313 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: as a luxury, as he says it. Now. The third 314 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: component is motivation. As I write in my book, According 315 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: to a Hindu philosopher named Tucker, there are four fundamental motivations. Fear, desire, duty, 316 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: and love. Everything we do sits in one of these 317 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:47,399 Speaker 1: four motivations. However, a monk would say as Tucker that 318 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: fear is not sustainable over the long term. Your anxiety 319 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: may motivate you now, but it's going to exhaust your 320 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: body in your mind. Also, fear limits your access to 321 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: creative thinking and decisive creative solutions. And when we are 322 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: motivated by desire for personal gratification, we may be happy 323 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,119 Speaker 1: when we first get that new car or whatever it is, 324 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: but we all know that feeling quickly wears off and 325 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 1: will need more to achieve the same pleasure. However, when 326 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: we're motivated by duty and love, these motivations create meaning. 327 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: Love is the ultimate motivation and the ultimate why. And 328 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: as American football coach Bill Walsh once said, if your 329 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,360 Speaker 1: why is strong enough, you will figure out how. So 330 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: when you're thinking about what you want to do, you 331 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: want to align your motivation with duty such as getting 332 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: a better job so you can support your family, or 333 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: love such as helping others, or the simple love of 334 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: learning and improving. When they opted to create a telehealth platform, 335 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: zoc Doc had the strongest why. Of course, the company 336 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: wanted to remain profitable, but more than that, they wanted 337 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: to protect their staff and their jobs. They wanted to 338 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: support the medical providers who suddenly couldn't see patients in person, 339 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: and they wanted to support people who are abruptly cut 340 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: off from medical support during an international health crisis. When 341 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: dot created their new platform, they even offered it for 342 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: free to doctors who are not ZOC doc providers. See 343 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: here's the single most important thing I'm going to tell 344 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 1: you today. Service is the ultimate hack. When you tie 345 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: your work or your goals to love and service of others. 346 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: It's the most powerful way to game your brain to 347 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: strive and grow because service not only feels good, it 348 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,400 Speaker 1: also boosts our self esteem and creates connection with others. 349 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: And service is a self reinforcing motivation. We want to 350 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,920 Speaker 1: keep working and to keep serving because we get so 351 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: much satisfaction from it, and so we want to keep 352 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: expending that effort. Service has its own built in reward system. 353 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 1: For monks, our lives revolved around two distinct and intense 354 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:05,640 Speaker 1: areas of focus, the self and the not self. We'd 355 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: spend the first half of our days meditating, learning classes, 356 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: otherwise training and mastering ourselves. The rest of the day 357 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: we would spend in service of others. Service was our 358 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: highest purpose for me. It still is, it motivates me deeply, 359 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:24,719 Speaker 1: So that's another monk switch. Whenever possible, figure out how 360 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: to switch your work from total focus on self to service. 361 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: Whether it's service or your family, your community, or your company. 362 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: It will help you feel motivated, directed, energized, and like 363 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: you can make a real impact even when it feels 364 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: as if everything is around you is crushing down. Remember 365 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: this emotion will follow action, even if at first you're 366 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: feeling down and defeated, if you're not sure how you're 367 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: going to move forward. If you can use these steps 368 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: to just get going, just start learning, just start growing, 369 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: just start serving the positive emotions, the sense of motivation, 370 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: of accomplishment, of connects of satisfaction will follow. Now here's 371 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: the last back step. I promise that I'd give you 372 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: a monk tip on bringing some of the ushroom like 373 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: peace to your everyday training grounds. You want to make 374 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:17,159 Speaker 1: your environment supportive of your development, so you want to 375 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: remove or limit as much as possible the things that 376 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:23,360 Speaker 1: are putting you in an anxious, reactive straight rather than 377 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: a calm, proactive state. One of the easiest ways to 378 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: do this is to pay attention to the three essays. 379 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: The sights sounds and smells in your environment. Let's look 380 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: at what we see. How do most of us start 381 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: and end our day. Not with the kiss or a 382 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 1: kind word for a partner, or even brushing our teeth, 383 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: it's checking our phones. Data from Assurian says that the 384 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: average American checks their phone ninety six times a day. 385 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: It's usually to check social media or our email. And 386 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: how do we feel after we do that? Agitated, negative, lonely, 387 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: frustrated monk train would be much more difficult if monks 388 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: had smartphones, trust me. So, one thing you can do 389 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: is to try and control what you see at least 390 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: as much as possible, at least first thing in the morning, 391 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: and that includes minimizing your interaction with your smartphone. So 392 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: you maybe print a beautiful image or motivational quote that 393 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: you put next to your workstation or your bedside table. 394 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: You may scribble it down on a post it note. 395 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 1: You may look outdoors. That's one of the reasons monks 396 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: are so tidy and ushrooms and monasteries are typically in 397 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: natural settings. We support the cultivation of internal beauty by 398 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: creating and enjoying external beauty. When it comes to smells, sense, 399 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: evoke emotion. In fact, they're the most powerful link to memory. 400 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 1: That's why you remember someone's cologne or perfume, the smell 401 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,879 Speaker 1: of cut grass or linen hung out to dry. Because 402 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: sense have such strong triggers, you want to try and 403 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: expose yourself to sense you enjoy or that calm you 404 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: or energize you as needed. Lavender, eucalyptus and sandalwood three, 405 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: or my favorite the final s is sounds when I 406 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: was living in bustling New York City are usually end 407 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: of my day's exhausted and maybe even a little cranky. 408 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: Now that I'm in LA which is a little more chill, 409 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 1: it's a different story. Later I learned about something called 410 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: cognitive load, which you can sort of think of as 411 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,919 Speaker 1: programs running in the background on your computer that you 412 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: don't actually need to be open, but are using up resources. 413 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: Except it's happening in your brain. Right. So now I 414 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: make a point to again, as much as possible, control 415 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: the sounds around me. You can't have the news on 416 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 1: the background and wonder why you feel negative. You can't 417 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: have people talking all day and wonder why you can't 418 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: find stillness. Now, when I have to set an alarm, 419 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: I set it to soothing sounds instead of a blaring 420 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 1: sound that will startle me. Try to cut down on 421 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: any extraneous or unpleasant noise so you can have access 422 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: to more of your brain's energy. So, now that we've 423 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: arrived at the beginning, here's your assignment in addition to 424 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: training your monks, which is, I want you to make 425 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: a list of fifteen opportunities that are present for you 426 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: right now. Now. Fifteen might seem like a lot, and 427 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,719 Speaker 1: it is, but that's the point to make you stretch 428 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: and get creative with how you're viewing this current time. 429 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: From those opportunities, start with just one goal you want 430 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 1: to pursue that will get you closer to that skilled, resilient, 431 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 1: powerful version of yourself. You now have a science and 432 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 1: monk tested formula for how to make it happen. Thank 433 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: you so much for listening. I hope you have an 434 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: amazing day and I hope to meet you soon. Today's 435 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: mission rewired the brain to focus on the positive. Today's 436 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 1: tool self talk. The next seven minutes are about you 437 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: and reframing or inner monologue. I'm Ja Shetty. Welcome to 438 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: the Daily j It's nearly impossible to reframe if we're 439 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: rushing ahead. So let's take a moment to slow down 440 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:23,640 Speaker 1: and get centered with three deep breaths, breathing in and out, 441 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: in feeling the stomach expand and out, releasing any tension, 442 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: in focusing on the breath and out, arriving here in 443 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: the present, let's dive in. Half a century ago, the 444 00:27:54,880 --> 00:28:01,399 Speaker 1: conventional wisdom said that the adult brain couldn't change. But 445 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:05,199 Speaker 1: that was half a century ago when TikTok was just 446 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: the sound of your clock in the hall. Scientists have 447 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: since discovered that our brains are never done growing and reorganizing. 448 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: They're never done rewiring. It's called neuroplasticity, and it's led 449 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: to some major medical breakthroughs, but it also has huge 450 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:30,200 Speaker 1: implications on our daily lives. Believe it or not, we 451 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: all have significant influence over how our brains continue to develop. 452 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: To quote an eminent neuropsychologist called Rick Hanson, the details 453 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: are complex, but the key point is simple. How you 454 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: use your mind changes your brain for better or worse. 455 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 1: Whatever we do consistently becomes an unconscious mental habit, like 456 00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: leaning into gratitude or dwelling on our fears. The challenges 457 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: the brain is actually biased toward negativity, so it's really 458 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: important to take intentional steps towards changing it for the better. Okay, 459 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: so how do we do that? While there's emerging evidence 460 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: that self talk is an agent of neuroplasticity, when you 461 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: shift your thinking from negative to positive and you do 462 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 1: it often enough, you'll move your brain in the right direction. 463 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: And self talk is an incredible tool to shift your thinking. 464 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: Self talk both reveals and then affects how you view 465 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 1: yourself with compassion or criticism. But today I want to 466 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: discuss your self talk in relation to feelings and emotions. 467 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: Let's take the example of being tired. Happens to all 468 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: of us right when you're in the middle of your day, 469 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: but you will ready fel exhausted. In that moment, you 470 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,240 Speaker 1: could say two different things to yourself. You could say, 471 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: I'm so drained, why don't I have any energy? I 472 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: can't believe I still have all this stuff to do 473 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: to so many hours before I can relax. Or I'm 474 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: going to make sure I get to bed early tonight 475 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: and get a good night's sleep only a few more 476 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: hours to go. I could do this Basically, do you 477 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: complain or do you make a plan with a positive outcome. Frustration, hunger, discomfort, 478 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter. Any feeling or emotion can be met 479 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: with a complaint about the problem, or it can be 480 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 1: reframed to focus on the solution. Of course, it might 481 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: take some work to fight back on negative impulses and 482 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: approach self talk constructively, but ultimately that process of reframing 483 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: will rewire your brain for positivity and you'll feel better 484 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 1: in the moment too. Now, how many of you want 485 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: some more good news? Practicing Meditation has also been shown 486 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: to boost the brain, which is yet another reason we 487 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 1: close with the moment of stillness. So get comfortable wherever 488 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: you are, settling into your body, seeing if you can 489 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: find a position that brings you greater ease. Close your 490 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: eyes if you're able to, no worries. If not, just 491 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: try getting as present as possible. And now, let's tune 492 00:31:52,080 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 1: in to the breath, the pure flow of air in 493 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: and out. Today. The breath can be your home base. 494 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: Try holding your attention here, bringing your focus back. If 495 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 1: you ever wonder if your mind gets caught up in 496 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:37,479 Speaker 1: any thoughts, return to the breath. If your mind gets 497 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: caught up in any negative thoughts, See if you can 498 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:48,960 Speaker 1: reframe them in a positive light, and then return to 499 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: the breath. We're not judging those negative thoughts. They're natural 500 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: and we want to accept them. But let's see if 501 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:11,240 Speaker 1: we can move to a more positive place. And now 502 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 1: let's open this up by reflecting on feelings or emotions 503 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: that we tend to complain about. For me, it's when 504 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 1: I feel overworked. Now, you may notice that there's often 505 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: a pattern to your negativity, So how can you reframe 506 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: things to break that pattern? How else could you improve 507 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: yourself talk to rewire your brain. Change might not happen overnight, 508 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 1: but there's no rush as long as you're heading in 509 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: the right direction. If this session helped you reframe your 510 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: thoughts to day, think about who you could share it 511 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:09,919 Speaker 1: with to help them with theirs. Thank you so much 512 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: for joining me today. I'm so grateful your on this 513 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: journey with me, and I'll see you again tomorrow.