What does Robert Frost's poem have to do with Hebb's rule and classical conditioning? Funny you should ask. Let me explain... Habits, good and bad, can be thought of as classically conditioned responses to stimuli. What does that mean? It means that when you smell food, your brain is triggered to find and eat the … Continue reading Two paths diverged: How we break habits
Tag: choice
Which Weeds Are You Watering?
Which weeds are you watering? Notice the wording of the question. It doesn't ask if you are watering weeds. The question assumes that you are watering weeds. It doesn't imply that you should or shouldn't be watering weeds. That is up to you to figure out. The question simply asks for awareness of, and self-reflection … Continue reading Which Weeds Are You Watering?
Shadow Boxing
In the previous post, Shifting Shadows, I wrote about how we can identify and work with our own shadows. In essence, the shadow is composed of those parts of our personality that we hide from the world and possibly from ourselves.For some people, the shadow has characteristics of extreme anger, jealousy, greed, neediness, ignorance, etc. … Continue reading Shadow Boxing
There’s a Reason Why Basics are Basics
Have you ever wondered why we are seeing this "back to basics" movement in areas like education, healthcare, and nutrition? Do we really want to go back to basics? In order to go back to basics, we have to accept that the whole system is integrated. We can no longer work on isolated parts of … Continue reading There’s a Reason Why Basics are Basics
Looking For The Positive
Life is full of experiences. The way we interpret the meaning of those experiences is up to each of us. Just like we all have different preferences in music and food, we also have different ways of understanding the people and events that happen around us. A few weeks ago, I started to feel frustrated. … Continue reading Looking For The Positive
“13 Reasons Why” Should Be Required
Do you remember middle school and high school? For most people, these were not the best years of their lives. Maybe you are one of the few who would say that your teenage years were amazing. Or, maybe you were more like the rest of the people I know who wouldn't go back to that … Continue reading “13 Reasons Why” Should Be Required
Dynamic Values: Figuring Out What You Want
It's pretty easy to set a goal. There are strategies for how to set the best kind of SMART goals. There are even techniques for monitoring your progress. The hard part seems to be staying on track after the initial excitement and motivation wear off. Linking Values and Goals Figuring out what you really want can … Continue reading Dynamic Values: Figuring Out What You Want
Do your routines have you stuck in a rut?
What is the difference between a routine and a rut? From my perspective, a routine is a productive way to accomplish a common task. The word rut brings up feelings of being stuck in an unproductive habit. The good news is that we can use our knowledge of routines to figure out how to get … Continue reading Do your routines have you stuck in a rut?
We all Miss the Mark
Do you know anyone who constantly criticizes themselves for not being perfect? You know, that person who always has to do everything right. If they make one mistake, they spend the next few days beating themselves up. I used to be one of those people. I began to realize that perfect was unattainable when I … Continue reading We all Miss the Mark
It’s All About Perspective
Have you ever had one of those days where everything that could go "wrong," does go wrong? Well, I have. In fact, I've had many of those days. But, I've also had days where everything seems to go "right." The other day I was having a conversation with a couple of people. We were trying … Continue reading It’s All About Perspective