Scientists are investigating the brain’s limitations based on genetics. Pierce Howard, Ph.D. and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies says “behavior is inherited”. He said that for nearly 70 years we have been operating on the fact that anyone can do anything. Meaning, give me a capable student and the right situation, and I can teach him to do anything.
He argues that while that may be partially true, there are certain traits and abilities that will make the learning better supported.
So, technically I could teach someone how to become a better coach but she may not have an inherent ability to work so intimately with clients as a day-to-day thing. It doesn’t mean she can’t do it, it just means her natural tendency doesn’t support it. And, if she does it for a significant part of her work life, it will become a demotivator.
So, the lesson here is that we all have skills and abilities that are inherent to us. If we are going to show up in this world with the very best of who we are, we have to do those things that come naturally to us and at which we excel.
Often we forget how important time is and we take for granted that ours may be up tomorrow.
Tomorrow I’ll finish this series with a post about expectations. But first, here’s a little fact about the impact stress has on us.
Did you know that long term stress shrinks your brain mass, knocks off about 10 years of your life and lowers your overall immunity? While a bit of arousal from short term deadlines may help you focus, ongoing and high arousal will cause the brain to shut down and work at a mere fraction of its capability.
For some strange reason stress has become a badge of honor in our society. Somehow the more stressed you are, the more important you are or the more productive you are. It’s simply not true. Life does not have to be so hard, so stressful. You can be wildly successful and have very little if any stress. There’s plenty of time in the day to work, play, love, laugh, work out, pamper yourself and even run a few errands (if you like doing that)! Alleviating stress is all about being in the moment and relishing each every second.
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Very interesting post! I definitely see that \stress\ has become a badge of honor with my clients, who are entrepreneurs. I also think it’s a generational thing. The younger age groups that are entering the workforce today don’t have the same views around work as Boomers or Gen-Xers. They expect a balance in life, which is exactly the way it should be.
Hi Joe,
Yes great point. Some people think the younger age groups today just have an entitlement attitude about everything. I actually think they got it right. Whoever said life had to be miserable and you had to spend your life in a job you hate, overworked, overstressed with no life. I think our generation is catching up to their mindset slowly:)
Melani,
While diet & genes DOES play a significant part in imposing “limitations” on our brains (a vicious cycle issue), nothing really can beat persistence & disciplines.
John Ho
Understanding Personalities for Better Influence & Persuasion
John Ho´s last blog post..Happy for NO particular Reasons? Be Part of my Best Seller! ….Pure Numerology with John Ho
Goodness, I knew stress has a negative impact on our life, but I didn’t know that it shrinks the brain mass and takes 10 years of life.
Stress is such a thing we can’t measure properly. Till this time I don’t know when one should consider him/herself to be under the stress.
I think everyone has some level of stress, tiny or major, but life can never be always smooth.
Are there any accurate home tests to check how stressful one is?
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