A neuroscientist explains how to change behavior...

At some point in our lives, we have wanted to change or evolve. We have wanted to improve by being smarter, a strong leader, physically fit, or more compassionate. Whatever version of ourselves we wanted to expand, knowledge circulated within us consciously or otherwise, that we need to change our behavior to change who we want to become. You may be familiar with the following quote by Jim Rohn, a successful motivational speaker and early mentor to Tony Robbins: You are the average of the five people you associate most with. Want to raise your average? Evaluate the type of people you hang out with. Are they a positive force in your life? Successful? Wanting to improve? Make healthy lifestyle choices? Jim Rohn’s quote suggests that we can influence our average by changing the people we surround ourselves with. That quote is what I thought of when I heard an interview with neuroscientist, Moran Cerf, explain that our brain patterns look similar to the brains of those people that we are engaged with. Wow! Who is Moran Cerf? He holds a PhD in neuroscience from Caltech and both an MA in philosophy and an BS in physics from Tel Aviv University. Additionally he is a visiting faculty member at MIT’s Media Lab. His theories about the brain have been published in the journal Nature and he consults regularly for hit shows such as Mr. Robot and Limitless. The question posed to Cerf during the interview was how can we become more motivated. He answered that motivation is really a label and what we want is the outcome of that. Students ask him how to be funnier or smarter. His response is to surround yourself with people you want to be more like. Why? Science shows that our brains actually change; look more similar to other people’s brains when we are near them and engage with them. The fact that Jim Rohn’s quote can be explained with neuroscience is incredible. Brains interact with others through language in a way that syncs our brains. Our brains look alike to those we are in the same room interacting with - 'pulsing’ in the same way. This makes us different from all other animals. What if we can’t physically be around people that we would like to emulate? Cerf says that a similar effect can be gained by reading books, watching TV, listening to podcasts, even watching movies. They have studied people’s brains watching movies and how they change to those around them, even to the director’s. We just need to choose wisely. Now back to you. What aspect are you trying to improve? Look first to who you associate the most often. Seek out those you wish to emulate. This could be in-person, watching TED Talks, reading books, or listening to podcasts. I personally do all of the above. It provides me inspiration and ways to take action. It also brings me great joy and a big reason I want to share with all of you. Give this some thought. What areas are you trying to improve? Who do you know embodies those qualities and how can you engage with them? If you want to be inspired to take action and change behavior, take a very good look around. To your journey, Lisa Schaffer GreenNote Fitness P.S. Check out my Facebook page for inspiration. P.P.S. Discover GreenNote Fitness recommendations for recovery, supplements, protein bars & powders, nutrition, equipment, books and more. **Do you have a friend that would benefit from this information? Please forward it to them!**