Not quite a native Ripley Countian - she attended only her last year of high school in Doniphan though she taught in the R-1 system for 32 years - Teresa (Pearson) Lee delights in surprising readers and herself with anecdotal observations of life in general. Maybe you can blame her St.Louis roots for a quirky humor and some slightly-askewed opinions, but never doubt she writes from the heart.

My Solitary NY's Resolution

Posted Friday, December 16, 2022, at 10:39 AM

Because of its neuroplasticity, my brain can benefit from my participation in its care. It’s constantly changing anyway, according to Richard Davidson, a psychologist and neuroscientist, and I can help if I “transform my mind.”

First, that plastic-ky aspect of my gray matter is a relatively new discovery. It became widely acknowledged in the 1960’s. Its identification came before I did, but it took a while to catch on.

Secondly - the suggestion that I can transform anything inside my cranium makes me restless and anxious and feel like a flop even before I ask how.

Thirdly, as an older gal in this technological age, I am as affected by the biggest obstruction to ‘mind transformation’ as the generation growing up in it, even if I spend a ton of energy and time arguing otherwise.

The biggest roadblock to ‘changing my mind’ is DISTRACTIBILITY. Others are loneliness, negative self-talk (those stories we believe about ourselves) and loss of purpose. The major way to blast the gigantic roadblock and positively affect the other three - and thrive - is increasing AWARENESS.

Richardson says that’s simple to do while doing something routine - like brushing your teeth, folding washcloths or waiting in a line. Tune in to sights and sounds, notice nearby movements and expressions, clue in to thoughts and feelings - for just a whopping three minutes daily. You might even notice what your brain is doing - dismissing thoughts, ignoring the cat playing with your shoestring, putting yourself down, etc. That’s called META awareness and you get a gold star for that.

Learn about stuff, too, and USE the info. That makes it stick and creates new trails in the ol’ noggin. Changing thoughts - which can change our brains, rejuvenate connections and trigger joy and purpose - helps us live longer.

Holidays can be tough. I’m practicing Richardson’s recommendation - when washing dishes, cleaning out a litter box, reducing another stack of clutter. I don’t have to win a Nobel prize or invent a gadget from a billion-dollar idea to have purpose this season. May we realize that cultivating joy in the ordinary is extraordinary!

(Info from 20-minute Ted Talk - “Richard J. Davidson: How mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains)