Corporate brain muscle re-engineering

While philosophers have argued long on differentiating a human brain from a human mind, I find it tiresome – and difficult without adding terms like consciousness and soul. Like a self-congratulatory exercise that has no function other than distract you from more important work – living better. I recently stumbled on both a mindfulness practice and an assumption that helps me both comprehend MY brain and clean out old muscles that are no longer needed – and in fact, make my current life more challenging. For me, brain and mind are part and parcel of the same thing – what I do with them, totally my choice.

An Assumption

First, I assume our brain (the modern human brain) operates much like muscles and organs – the more one exercises and trains it, the better it performs on that trained. Works great, right? Practice and train one’s brain to do more, better or new things, and our wonderful brain improves and changes. My corporate life trained my brain on two very important corporate practices – task accomplishment (results) and multitasking. These practices were important for my corporate success – getting things done timely and working on multiple things simultaneously. – Task accomplishment carries with it the extra baggage of ‘rewards’. Status and pay.

Leftover Artifacts

Now, my brain trained for corporate behaviors, has become tuned for a specific lifestyle – activities for corporate success. What happens when I no longer live that life? I have a trained brain for the wrong activities … I have leftover artifacts that need to be changed or modified. While I attempt to be completely present (mindful) of my daily life and enjoy the trip (not the result), my corporate brain training artifacts are in the way – they impede my daily better human being progress. Those leftover artifacts need to be re-engineered – returned to a more natural, harmonious brain/mind-state.

A Practice

When I am working on a task – can be anything – I observe where my brain is. If it is on ‘what comes next?’, ‘what else should I being doing?’, ‘how will other people respond to completion?’, etc … my thinking is stuck in corporate space – getting as much done as possible while harvesting positive feedback (higher salary). Like other meditative practices, I take note and just pull back into exactly what I am doing RIGHT NOW. Every thought and muscle pointed to the experience of doing it, not ‘when done’. One thing at a time and focus on what’s being done at that time. To quote Ram Dass, “Be here now, be now here”. That then becomes the practice – one thing, all in. – present.

Moving ahead

While I recognize these two artifacts and their unintended consequences, I ask – why did it take so long to a) identify them and their impact, and b) what others exist that are no longer needed (or even damaging)? Getting rid of these artifacts helps being present in every engagement, every interaction and especially every human-to-human interaction. Slowing down and focusing on the trip really changes perspective, perception and understanding – none of which are easy as a light switch, but no less impactful. Activities in themselves become rewarding and enriching while doing them.

The power of our brain is immense; how we train it, use it and revel with it … totally up to us. If you don’t like what you got, choose again! I recognize I have work to do 🙂