imagine getting into your car one morning with your mind only on everything you plan to do when you get to your intended destination.
imagine then, instead of the familiar hum of the engine after you turn the key in the ignition, you hear a clicking noise that announces to you that your car will not be leaving your driveway or parking space as you pictured happening just a moment before.
your first reaction would likely be to focus on your car’s behavior, and the impact it has on you or the plans you had in mind.
your next response, probably after experiencing your personal pattern of emotional processing (cycles of frustration, tears, or panic), would be to search for solutions to the problem that has presented itself; whether in the short-term, such as getting alternative transportation, or in the long-term, such as taking the car to a mechanic.
unless you know the inner workings of your car, you will need to depend on the knowledge and expertise of the technician you take it to. not only are you aware that you are dependent on someone else's knowledge to solve your transportation problem, but you are also painfully aware of just how much your car’s inability to function affects your ability to move forward with your original plan for your day.
when we think about how dependent we are on cars and other forms of transportation to access the things that enhance the quality of our lives, we can also recognize how much our physiological and psychological well-being determines the quality of our lives.
if we acknowledge this, then we can also recognize the value of examining all the layers of our humanity through the lens of neuroscience, and what it teaches us about how we function.
we're only able to move forward and take the right steps to get our car working again after the mechanic examines its inner workings and shares their knowledge about what caused the disruption and how it can be corrected.
much in the same way, we're only able to move forward and take the right steps for a better quality of life when we have the knowledge and tools to examine what creates the disruptions to our physiological and emotional well-being.
we can consider that our ability to move from dissatisfaction to a more desired state isn't likely to occur without an understanding of the underlying factors and processes that have created both states of being.
in other words, we can consider whether it is possible to get your car working again without fully understanding how it operates as a sum of all its parts and whether it is possible to correct disruptions to the lives we want without fully understanding how we operate as a sum of all our parts.
if we learn to value the process of pursuing self-knowledge by examining the lives we lead and the reasons we lead them, we give ourselves the opportunity to connect the neurological roots of our behavior and, by extension, of the choices we make.
our choices create the foundation for the lives we lead - they determine the places we go, the people we spend time with, and the way we respond to the experiences we have.
although there is so much more to discover within the field of neuroscience, we already know that all human thinking and behavior comes from the brain's neural pathways.
that means that we know enough to start searching for the key to addressing the complex issues that plague our communities.
we can all imagine a society that's free from ills; those with a global impact, such as war, crime, injustice, or poverty, and those with a more local or personal impact, such as disability, mental illness, or relational conflict.
we're often passionate about leading or supporting efforts toward reaching our vision for a better society, but sometimes we scramble for answers because we're still learning to understand how we can apply the knowledge we have so readily available.
what would it look like if we, just as we would with our car that doesn't start because of an underlying mechanical issue, were to take action to better understand ourselves and others, not based on what we think we know but based on what we've learned about how the brain works?
imagine if we first used the knowledge of how our brains work to understand ourselves and others better.
imagine how that would enhance our ability to create, maintain, and grow genuine connections with the people we share our lives with.
imagine how that would help us to maintain positive interactions with everyone around us, especially those we disagree with or who aren't like us.
imagine having such an intimate understanding of who you are and all the things that motivate you that you can pick a career that you find fulfilling.
imagine being much more effective at growing in the career you choose to pursue, and at finding opportunities to thrive as you journey through the different stages and challenges of life.
imagine being much more effective at recognizing everything that keeps you from meeting your goals, or at ending the cycles of behavior that inevitably lead back to pain, frustration, or discontentment.
imagine being able to lead a life that keeps you inspired, one that brings inspiration to others, and one that keeps you in a place where life is truly worth living.
we've only just begun to scratch the surface of exploring the brain-body connection, but we know enough to get started - to go beyond what we can imagine into the realm of what we can do, if only we give ourselves the opportunity to learn how.
the journey toward a life worth living is not an easy or comfortable one, but it is one that will reward you with awareness, understanding, and transformation.