Our patterns have been scrambled over the past few weeks. But here we are. Many of us are huddling with our leadership teams, each person experiencing their own version of being scattered. We still have to function. We have to make decisions. We have to care. We have to interact well.
More than ever, we have to do our most important job, to protect our brains against hijack. Yes, that starts with becoming friends with our feelings since they can help us identify the narratives that are running our lives. And yes, that allows us to assertively confront the stupid lies that make us think and feel in unproductive ways, to start rethinking everything.
Eventually, we have to get beyond our heads. Humans have bodies. Those bodies are homes to habits. Those habits can either reinforce or get in the way of more useful narratives.
- A habit of rest can reinforce the narrative that the whole world doesn’t depend on you.
- A habit of quiet reflection can reinforce the narrative that you’re better off when you face what’s happening inside you.
- A habit of generosity can reinforce the narrative that you have enough.
It’s amazing the power that you can unleash by linking your thinking to your body. For better or for worse, your habits of behavior will affect your thinking habits. If you harness this feedback loop, you can fend off the brain hijack. You can be part of your solution instead of becoming part of your problem.
