Have You Done Your Daily Neural Pruning Yet?

It’s free and we should all do it

Have you ever scheduled a date with your brain for a bit of “neural pruning”?

Wait, what?

No? No neural pruning? Come on! That’s one of the new ways to be cool!

Ok, let’s get back in the sane people’s world and demystify this term a bit.

Our brain, that magnificent marvel, is a shape-shifter. It’s the ultimate adapter, constantly evolving throughout our lives.

Let’s use an analogy.

Picture your brain as a bustling city, with neurons zipping around like little cars on the freeway.

Now, when we set clear goals, it’s like putting up new road signs and creating fresh detours.

This nifty process, known as neural pruning, kicks out the old, outdated routes that aren’t doing us any favors.

It paves the way for new efficient ones that are congruent with who we really are and what we want to achieve.

That’s why goal setting is very important: because it provides our brain with clarity and it helps our neurons to fire together in a more coherent manner.

When we are confused and we don’t know what we want and who we are, imagine the traffic jam and accidents that happen on our neural highways(pathways).

Try and picture these situations.

When we are overly stressed or afraid for long periods of time, the traffic jams accumulate and block entire roads and motorways.

When severe trauma is involved, we no longer have blocked roads. We have entire cities isolated from the rest of the country.

And when stress, fear and trauma get to levels that become impossible to cope with, lights go out in major parts of the country.

And sometimes they can never be switched back on again.

But let’s not get to that dark part. We’re not addressing brain tissue damage situations here.

Let’s talk about actively working with our brains and keeping the lights on in our brain cities and our motorways clear.

Our environment and our brain

This is a big one.

Think of it as the atmosphere of your city — constantly buzzing with activity. The more diverse and stimulating, the more neural connections we get to sprout.

So, by shaking things up, trying new experiences, and tossing out old beliefs, we’re basically throwing a grand parade of neurons, revamping our minds, behaviors, and voila!

We shape up new behaviours which add up to contribute to forming our new identity.

Say, you’ve ever fancied learning a musical instrument.

With a bit of regular practice, you’re essentially paving a fresh neural highway.

Your brain’s like, “Alright, let’s get those musical synapses firing!”

Actually, by firing those synapses they become musical ones. You instruct them by learning.

The result? Improved skills that could make even a maestro nod in approval of your effort.

Of course, we need to keep on practicing and improving those skills.

Otherwise,

“The neurons that don’t fire together don’t wire together”. Dr Joe Dispenza.

So you never become an expert in anything.

Try another scenario.

Imagine packing your bags for a new country, diving headfirst into an unfamiliar culture.

Suddenly, you’re learning new customs, phrases, and a whole new way of thinking. Your brain’s neurons are doing a happy dance, forging new connections, and before you know it, you’ve got a more open-minded, adaptable you.

When I say “before you know it” it doesn’t mean instant results!

It means the more conscious effort you put into learning and adapting, the more work your wonderful brain does in the background for you to support the change you’re trying to implement.

And, of course the more intentional you are, the more proof of concept you give to the Universe (God, Creator, Creation) about your true interests and value you can bring to the world.

To me, that is the ultimate support and I feel blessed every time I am able to feel it subtly smoothing my path.

But to get the divine support, you first must support yourself. Belief and self- confidence backed by action.

If you do nothing nothing happens. Period. You must ACT.

Alright, here’s the gist: with conscious intent and a dynamic environment, we’re the architects of our own mental metropolis.

We’re slinging up new signposts, rerouting those old neural highways, and giving ourselves the ultimate brainy makeover.

But how do we go about this urban renewal? How do we actually tweak our environment to serve up a shiny, new self-identity?

Let’s dive into the practical steps you can take.

Step 1: Design Your Destination

First things first, let’s set our GPS for this brainy road trip.

Identify your goals and values. What kind of city do you want your brain to be? Reflect on what truly matters to you, and let that guide your choices. It’s like deciding on the landmarks you want to see in your mental cityscape.

Remember: YOUR CHOICES. Not what others think it’s best for you. You validate yourself.

Step 2: Environmental Audit. Choose what to manifest and how to manifest it.

Time to play city planner! Evaluate your current surroundings. Your physical, social, and emotional environments are the city blocks we’re working with. Identify areas that don’t align with your desired city plan.

Is there a toxic alleyway of negativity? Are you following someone else’s pre-approved plan? Are you following ideas that you’ve been programmed with by parents, friends, partners?

It’s time for some urban renewal.

Think and evaluate: do you agree with that pre-programmed stuff? Does it serve you? Is it congruent to who really are?

Is it healthy and congruent with the self -identity that you are working so hard on crafting for yourself?

Think! Feel! Evaluate! Then decide whether to carry those beliefs with you in your new life or not.

Step 3: Shake Neural Highways Up And Move Neurons About

Remember: you’re never too countryside to build up a brain city where you feel at home!

See what I did there?💡

And if you don’t want to build a city, then build a town. Or a village. Or a seaside resort.

You know what I mean? It’s your neural network! It’s your decision!😎💪 Now, let’s throw a street festival!

Engage in novel activities to breathe new life into your mental streets.

Learn a new skill, pick up a hobby, or explore a new neighborhood. This isn’t just about adding glitter; it’s about creating brand new, vibrant avenues in your brain city.

Don’t you dare be afraid to build a brain environment you’re feeling happy and supported in.

Answer this question honestly: how much of that internal dialogue of yours is serving you?

If it doesn’t, change it. Erase it, tweak it , adapt it until it serves you and it feels safe, supportive, kind and open.

You don’t need anyone’s shitty corrosive hyper-critical voice in your head.

You need to create a clear mind and a good conscience so you can create possibility in good conscience.

That’s why you put in all this effort. That’s what neuroplasticity is for. Use it!

Step 4: Consistency is Key

A city planner doesn’t just slap up a building and call it a day. It takes time and effort.

Similarly, achieving self-identity change requires consistency and persistence.

Make intentional choices daily that align with your vision. This is the cornerstone of your mental urban development.

Wake up and stay awake mentally and spiritually. You don’t need to sit cross-legged at a top of a mountain for this.

You need to ACT.

This is not a sprint. It is a major makeover that happens over the course of many years. It requires you to exercise daily conscious awareness to maintain, grow and evolve.

If you want something that is easy, this is not it. This is very hard and it’s a lifetime daily work.

But it’s worth every step and every bit of effort if you want to “live life instead of having life living you.”(quote from my beloved daughter).

Translation: if you don’t know who you are and you make no effort to find out and grow, other people will turn you into whoever they need. Experience taught me that’s a very painful way to live.

There are times in life when we have no choice. And sometimes that’s a good lesson to learn for later.

We know how lack of choice feels like, so we become active in creating choice for ourselves later.

That’s my way of seeing things. But we are all different. Do what’s best for you, but DO IT!

Step 5: Seek Like-Minded Citizens

No city thrives in isolation. Seek out supportive, like-minded individuals who resonate with your goals and values.

They’re the fellow architects in your brain city, helping you build a skyline you’re proud of.

Alright. Enough with the analogies, Lady or Gentleman Mayor of your own brain city.

Get to work!

Thank you!

Until next time,

Amanda

P.S.: Hey! Are you part of the epic Medium community yet? 🚀 If you’re hungry for a feast of mind-blowing content served up by a squad of dedicated creators, you’re in for a treat!

Hit up this link to score your Medium subscription for just $5/month, and get ready for a world of awesome knowledge.

Trust me, it’s a game-changer! It revolutionized my world, and it could do the same for you!