THE NEUROSCIENCE OF LEARNING TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE… BETTER…
So, have you tried to learn French from zero, and were tempted to give up halfway through?
Not very easy to start from the bottom again, is it?
That’s why most of us are resistant to the change that comes from learning – French included – even when we desire that change a lot. It’s like somehow we don’t recognize ourselves anymore, and we go back to who we were before the attempt.
It’s scary to feel empty again, trying to fill yourself up – but everyone needs a clean slate sometimes.
Check out the article below for some tips on filling up your life using neuroscience wisdom, and watch the video for some filling French!
(This week: the verb REMPLIR – to fill up)
We are all on a learning journey. Although we may be generally happy with our lives, there are areas that can use some tweaking. Some of us have a burning desire to bust out of our shell and become what we always wanted to become or do …to write, to travel the world, to earn 6-figures, to learn another language, to inspire our children or team to be creative and productive.
I am here to tell you that you can do those things. But you have to be willing to do one IMPORTANT thing… EMPTY YOUR CUP…
What do I mean by this? Whatever it is that you desire to do in this life, you most approach the situation as a student first. Seek out and learn how you can transform your life in the area you want to change. And be as excited to learn about new things like how you were on the first day of kindergarten.
Your “cup” in this context is mental. It must be empty to be filled up again with new nourishment. Approach new learning and exploration about how you want to achieve a new life by doing these 3 things:
1) Be Present
2) Be Open
3) and Be Emotional… (In a good way)…
Presence
Being present means you are focused on the “Here and Now.” Your senses are heightened in the present state. You notice things that you would not normally pay attention to. The tone of someone’s words, the details in the story, the feel of the page, the sound of the new book cracking open, or the shape of a person’s eyes as they share a thought…
You are in the moment. You are into the conversation. You are in the experience… and so you are mentally processing the information at a deeper level. You are activating multiple area of your brain (prefrontal cortex, attention, sense, touch, sound, motor, etc.) so you are learning, experiencing and connecting the information that will be long lasting.
Give yourself permission not think of the past or future. Give yourself permission not to text (or respond to a text.) Give yourself a moment to keep your e-mails closed.
Just for this moment. Your moment…that will be used for your growth in a new area of your life. This one process can transform your life.
Openness
Come to any new experience as if you are learning for the first time. Clear the “I already know that” mentality and show up ready to receive, review, and relate to the ideas. This is why children are like sponges. They show up as they are. They are accepting and non-judgmental. They are ready to be filled up with new ideas, words, concepts, sights, and sounds that they can explore, play and experiment with later on. They are open to new experiences and use them to enjoy life. This is the epitome of learning…to focus on the “experience” of learning by being open and curious.
Emotional
It is important to feel good during the learning process. Stress, anxiety, and negativity (the “I already know this stuff” mentality), activates the fear/threat response in the brain. This then shuts down the higher intellectual brain (prefrontal cortex) from absorbing and taking in new information and fully experiencing new things at a deeper level.
You already know what makes you feel good (happy memories, laughing, giving a compliment, etc.). Do what works for you to feel good, learn fully, and take your life to the next level.
I hope this information serves you as you continue on your learning journey. Just adding my “neuroscience” sense to the process.
Leave a comment below and share your learning journey epiphanies.
With Gratitude,
Shonté J. Taylor/
~Potentialist
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Tell us in the comments below, what is the one strategy that you’ll use today, to make sure you don’t give up on learning French? 🙂
Let me guess.
Do you constantly have the feeling that you can’t hear what the French say and you don’t know how to read all the French words because they are written so much differently than they sound?
Learn 3 secrets that will help you be self sufficient in the way you pronounce French words – even if you don’t know what they mean – so that you can read that sophisticated menu in your favorite French restaurant.
Immerse yourself as you FINALLY reach your dream of becoming bilingual, learn to speak Parisian French on Skype and BREAK your language barrier!
…and now, please SHARE this article with your friends. They’ll love you for it! : )
Always in your corner,
Llyane
Photo credit: Josh Trefethen Photography, Shonté Jovan Taylor
