Motivation The Neuroscience Way

By Ange Fonce

It has been known for some time that strengthening your "positive thinking" and weakening your "negative thoughts" can have "huge benefits" for your "performance." 

Yet how aware are you about Emotional Intelligence and "how powerful" and useful "focusing" and being "aware" of your "emotions" can be.

Do You Know Why?

When you encounter a difficult situation... your brain reacts differently when you say... 

"I am…" as opposed to..."I feel." 

Now in theory... this has been "known" in the therapy world for some considerable time now... about the difference between focusing on "feelings" and "thinking."

And it has been researched in the neuroscience world that is suggesting and providing evidence to existing theories... that when our "brains" fight  flight response is activated and we become "aware" of it... we often say to ourselves...

"I am angry..." 

"I am frustrated..."  

"I am sad..." 

Is more likely to perpetuate the threat response you are "experiencing."

The reason is that when you say...

"I am." 

You are making a "statement" about your "identity"... which implies the "permanence" of that "experience." 

You are saying to yourself... 

"This feeling is who I am."

And by using "logic" to express an "emotional experience" you turn it into a permanent "thinking"... so that something your "experienced" temporally as an "emotion"...  becomes "locked" in as a constant "emotional state."

Your "brain" creates new neuron networks between "logic" and "emotion" centres of the "brain" that will constantly keep you stuck in a "pattern of negative thinking" which will in turn "create negative emotions" which will in turn "create more negative thinking" and so on.

You "create" within your own "brain" a "self reinforcing negative feed back loop"... a constant "negative self fulfilling prophecy."

Now... by contrast, if you "characterize" your "emotion" as something you "feel"... it does not imply "permanence" since "emotions" are fleeting and are of the "moment experience." 

Saying... "I feel..." rather than "I am..." 

Is more likely to result in... a measurable shift in blood flow AWAY from the fight  flight centre and major muscle groups... and TOWARD the prefrontal cortex PFC... the very part of the "brain" that cultivates "witnessing... empathy" and "problem solving."

There is another level though... which consists of "characterizing" your "emotions" as something that you are "feeling" and "experiencing" rather than "doing" or "being." 

Compare these three remarks...

"I am frustrated with this."

"I feel frustrated with this."

"I feel frustrated with what I am doing."

The third statement puts you in "control" of the "emotion." 

Yes... you are "feeling frustrated" and because it is something that you are doing... you can stop doing it. 

In other words... you are putting your "mental thinking energy" into "solving" the "problem" of the "negative emotion."

Instead of letting the "energy" of the "negative emotion"... the "negative experience" be "creating" your "thinking."

You are "mastering" your "cognitive thinking abilities" to "solve problems" and to find "solutions"... instead of letting your "emotional states" become the "master" of your "thinking" and you end up "feeling helpless."

This "system" also works for "positive emotions"... just the other way around. 

Compare the following three remarks...

"I KNOW I am a motivated individual."

"I feel I am a motivated individual."

"I am an individual doing motivation."

It is the first statement... the one that makes "motivation" a part of your "identity"... that creates the "most power."

Because you "think...feel" act and behave in a "motivated way"... it is who you are. 

The second statement not so much... yes you "feel" you are a "motivated" individual... yet were is the "thinking" part... the KNOWING that will drive you to "act" and "behave" as an "motivated individual?" 

While the third statement implies you are just "going' through the motions... there is no "thought" coupled with the "emotional" drive to "act" and "behave" as a "motivated individual"... other wise you are being "wishy washy."

Now... if you want to become more "successful"... you train your "brain" to...

A... Characterize "negative emotions" as a "temporary experience" of what you are doing in the moment... rather than "thinking" and "feeling" this who you are... because if you do this you will "create" a "self fulfilling negative feed back loop" in you "brain" which while keep you stuck in that "thinking... feeling negative state."

B... Characterize "positive emotions" as being "who you are" by "creating" a "positive feed back loop" of "positive thinking" that "creates" those "positive emotional experiences" by your "behaviours" and "actions."

I would say... it is all in the "mind."

And it is so much more than that... it is all in "training" your "brain" too.

As always... leave a man or woman all the "better" for "knowing" you.

Thank you and may you enjoy a Prosperous and Dynamic day!

Yours Sincerely



Ange is an  Author... Speaker... Humanistic Counselling Psychologist and Dynamic Peak Performance Personal Development Consultant and Sexologist... who works with men and women on line and real world who desire to "personally develop" themselves and their "relationships" to become Dynamic Lifers... "creators" of their own life and wealth!

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