Dare

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare, that things are difficult.” SenecaDo you believe that? I think this quote would be quite disturbing to the strategic and rational mind. It is the part of us that questions whether something “makes sense” or whether an idea of ours will turn out like we want. It gives us the list of reasons that things can go wrong. And it should because that is its job: to protect us. But often it becomes a tyrant king. It controls the conversation that is OUR life.The rational does not truly understand or speak the language of passion, energy, and engagement. It cannot and will not make us wholehearted. In fact, it doesn’t trust these things. Scares the bejeezus out of the rational; this whole passion thing. Yet a person or an organization that is directed by the rational has much less vitality and originality than one that is directed by our essential self — or our true and wise self. That part of us, though irrational (because it can’t tell us why, it can’t explain) only knows what it loves and what it wants. And according to neuroscientists we should be listening to it, because it knows with far more accuracy what will make us happy over a long period of time.In his book The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love Character and Achievement, David Brooks tells us that this unconscious, if given information and a few good nights’ sleep (i.e. time to mull it over and synthesize in its unique and mysterious way) will yield satisfying choices better than 75% of the time, while the rational mind will only succeed 50% of the time.So much of our unhappiness (which shows up as exhaustion, stress and a general sense of life being a burden) is directly because we take our marching orders from the wrong side of the brain; the side that will never dare. The link below is from a TED talk given by Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroscientist who had a stroke and was able to observe her brain functioning during it. Please take the time to watch this clip.Now, think about a challenge you are facing. Get quiet, close your eyes and take a few deep, slow breaths. Then ask yourself, which side of your brain have you been listening to regarding this issue? If it is the left and rational side, ask your intuitive mind to give you its perspective. Finally ask yourself, is there some action that actually might originate from the right side but be informed by the left side? Because it turns out that is the optimum relationship. The unconscious and intuitive points the path out, and the rational side executes or helps you get to that path and move forward on it. We need both parts of our brain, but we need them in the right relationship.