GoHuman Blog

The interesting thing is that these two brain networks – the Narrator and Sensor – are inversely correlated. When one is active, the other isn’t as much. So when you’re inhaling the aroma of coffee, you’re not likely to be worrying as much about your long to-do list.

And the cool thing is, you can notice which network is more active and then intentionally shift it.

When on autopilot, the brain uses previous experiences and memories to filter what you’re seeing, hearing, etc. So you can walk right by a beautiful flower and not even notice it. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all. That’s called top-down processing. Of course this processing has its place, but staying in that mode keeps you from experiencing the present moment. The richness of life doesn’t register.

To take in the present moment, we can consciously shift our brains to do bottom-up processing by bringing in the senses. It can be as simple as noticing your breath or wiggling your toes. You can cultivate bottom-up processing by being open and curious about everything you encounter.

I tend to “live in my head,” and I can easily sit at my computer engrossed in projects for hours at a time. To help break this bad habit and get into the Now network, I’ve set my Google calendar to email me reminders to stop and do something to shift into sensory mode. And when I go for a walk, I set my intention to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells. My Narrator hates when I do that because it wants to use walk-time to think, plan, dream, and work on ideas.

The payoff is worth the battle for control. Living with awareness brings the ability to choose healthier responses, rather than be victim to conditioned, subconscious reactions. I invite you now to stop reading, stand up and take a few deep breaths. Smile. Remember, bottoms up!

His next challenge was to find a way to stack the sticky sheets of paper so they wouldn’t fuse together. After another two months of struggle, his boss ordered him to stop working on the project. But Drew continued his quest after-hours. Then, late one night in his office, a burst of gamma waves erupted in his right hemisphere. The solution to his sticky problem entered into conscious awareness. Eureka! Apply the adhesive to a thin strip of paper that could be rolled up like a spool of ribbon. Thus at 3M, Scotch Masking Tape was born, followed by transparent Scotch brand cellulose tape.

I read this story illustrating how creative insight arrives (on my wonderful Nook Tablet) in Imagine: How Creativity Works, by Jonah Lehrer. I’m only into Chapter Two and already hooked. The latest findings from neuroscience are uncovering this once-mystifying realm and showing how innovation, insight and creativity can be nurtured and encouraged.

Speaking of creativity, did you know that April is National Poetry Month? One of the goals is to introduce more people to the pleasures of reading and writing poetry. I’m participating in a Writer’s Digest Poem-A-Day Challenge, in which poets write a poem each day of April. As a newbie-poet, I’m having a blast. It’s not too late to join the fun!

I’ll end this post with my poem for Day 16. The prompt (topic) is a “mixed up” poem.

Reweave

every strand

of earth and sky

To create

things

anew

“Tom” and I had mere minutes to come up with a routine. Tom worked down the hall from the ad agency. He’d claimed that he was an excellent dancer and jumped at the chance to appear on TV. Betty had enlisted me because she knew I was a dance instructor. Now that her fill-in couple was at the station, she could relax. Crisis averted!

The sound engineer flipped a switch and thumping disco music filled the air. With great flourish, Tom took my hand and led me to the dance floor. “Let’s do the cha-cha-cha,” I suggested. “Sure!” Tom replied and we began. Betty’s calm was shattered as Tom stepped on my feet repeatedly and showed not an ounce of rhythm. It was too late to find another dance partner. The show must go on.

The ingenuity of the cameramen saved the day. They decided to show only small parts of our bodies at a time while we danced – my smiling face, then Tom’s smiling face, my feet stepping, then Tom’s smiling face, my hips moving, then Tom’s smiling face, my arm extended, then Tom’s hand on my back. We were amazed when we watched the playback. The cameramen created the illusion of brilliant dancers! And we won second place.

Years later I was in Singapore for a conference. One evening a male friend and I went to the legendary Raffles Hotel to get a drink at Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was invented. While wandering the hotel hallways, we came across a large room with people ballroom dancing. Because we loved to dance and had partnered before, we decided to join the couples gliding around the room. When the music stopped, a man stepped up to a microphone and announced the winners of the “dance contest”– my friend and I! In utter shock we accepted our medals, flowers, official Raffles Hotel satchel, and a bottle of wine.

Many of the best moments in my life happen when I simply show up and go with the flow. Wade’s post and my reverie reminded me that in my business I need to be more like the Sales Teen at the dance and trust that my current skills are often enough. What about you? Have you had similar experiences?

I’m a bibliophile. And so is my husband. We have enough books to start a well-stocked library. We sold hundreds to a used bookstore the last time we pared down our collection. Our books gave them a whole new business section. I can’t imagine life without books, books, books. Nothing is better than curling up with a good book in an overstuffed chair.

So naturally I held off getting an e-book reader because I couldn’t imagine reading a book on a cold, hard electronic device and enjoying it. But one day my sister commented on Facebook how much she loved her Kindle because the lighted screen made reading in bed so much easier.

Ah! No more struggling to position the bedside lamp. No more being stuck in one position to stay close to the light. Finally there was a good reason to give an e-book reader a shot.

I absolutely love my Nook.

By the way, if you’ve ever toyed with the idea of writing an e-book, now is a good time to do it. In 2010, Forrester Research estimated that annual e-book sales could reach $2.8 billion by 2015. That’s a huge market!

I’m currently reading Chip Conley’s new book, Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success. Chip is the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second largest boutique hotel company in the United States. After 24 years as CEO, he now serves as “Chief Emotions Officer.” I think that’s very cool! It’s about time emotions take their rightful place in business.

He writes in the first chapter:

“I believe the best CEOs are truly ‘Chief Emotions Officers,’ since great companies have great cultures and at the heart of a great culture are healthy emotions. You may not think of yourself as a leader, but you are already leading yourself – and maybe others – on a daily basis.

“This is a very different attitude from when I graduated from business school. Then I believed that in order to become a successful CEO, I needed to be superhuman. But after nearly two dozen years of being a CEO, I’ve learned that the best leaders in life aren’t superhuman; instead, they’re simply super humans.”

While reading this, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the GoHuman community. I believe it’s truly a community of super humans, all changing the way the world works.

I truly do love raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens and all the other wonderful, simple things that enrich our lives. As a new contributor here on the GoHuman Blog, I want to share simple things – tips, tools, techniques, resources – that can enrich you personally and professionally.

Let’s start with a simple thing you can do to create greater awareness for your business. If you haven’t listed your services on GoHuman, it’s easy to get started.

Then invite friends, neighbors, clients, and other local businesses to join. Spreading the word about GoHuman gives you a wonderful opportunity to talk about what you do and who you serve, which is the heart of marketing.

May this special time of year be filled with all the simple things that bring you peace, happiness and joy!