#502 Self-improvement?

     Don't we all want to become better in some way? We may have recurrent daydreams of performing various actions better, looking better, becoming more likeable, more valued & appreciated, and thus feeling much better about ourselves. Essentially, we'd like to start from scratch & create a whole new "ideal" person.
     Letting go of self-judgment, and adopting self-acceptance & gentle kindness toward ourselves - as we are - is infinitely more beneficial AND practical than making ourselves feel sickeningly inadequate by constantly comparing ourselves to (our & society's) ideal, unreachable standards. This does NOT mean we succumb to the other extreme - failing to actively care for ourselves, others & the environment. There is a sane, practical middle way between obsessive perfectionism & giving up.
     Most importantly, we might be surprised to find that the quality of life we seek has little to do with our ideas of self-improvement, and almost everything to do with the state of being or level of consciousness which naturally manifests gentle, kind awareness.

Watatsumi Temple, Japan - by Xu Xiaolin - http://travel.nationalgeographic.com

#206 Neuroplasticity - Brain Continuously Sculpted by Experience & Training

     “Neuroplasticity refers to the concept that the brain can change in response to experience, and in response to training. Probably the greatest discoveries in the last decade in modern neuroscience concern the many different mechanisms of plasticity. The brain is literally built to change in response to experience and in response to training. It’s the only organ in the body that’s really designed explicitly for that purpose. We now understand something about the mechanisms for plasticity, and they are varied. They range from new connections being formed to new cells actually growing in the brain - new brain cells, new neurons, and many other related kinds of processes. So when we talk about neuroplasticity, we talk about both the structural and the functional changes in the brain.

     It’s important to understand that our brains are constantly being shaped wittingly or unwittingly. So even if we’re not engaged in any intentional strategy to change our minds and our brains, our brains are constantly being changed by the forces around us. If we have an argument with a friend, or a family member, that will shape our brain. If we have a warm, positive interaction with someone, that will shape our brain. If we watch television, depending on it’s content, that will shape our brain in one way or another. Everything that we do literally is constantly shaping our brain."      Ritchie Davidson PhD

The Compassionate Brain by Rick Hanson PhD – Sounds True – free streaming webinar

live.soundstrue.com/compassionatebrain/event.php

Session #1 - How the Mind Changes the Brain - Ritchie Davidson PhD interviewed by Rick Hanson PhD

Photo: avec fleur   http://www.flickr.com/photos/avecfleur/2483563486/