Those New Synapses Look Good On You!


Oh, it makes my head hurt when someone says, "I'm too old to learn anything new."  Aarggghh!!  As long as you are drawing breath, you are learning something, even if you are unaware of it; so why not make learning intentional?

The brain is capable of creating new synapses, called synaptogenesis (see, somebody just added to their vocabulary!) and it is a reality until you die.  The amount of knowledge you can attain is limitless!  Yes, you can learn a new language, how to play the piano, ad infinitum.  I must add a caveat here -- I don't think that I will be able to become accomplished at doing a basketball layup, but that is my unbelief.  The fact is that we are capable of sooo much more than we've ever given ourselves credit for.  Your life can be big; gigantic; huge!  If you want it badly enough, go get it.  It's out there waiting for you.

I know you've heard the story of Colonel Sanders founding his famous chicken establishment when he started collecting Social Security.  He had to learn new things, and he was not outside of the norm.  He just made a decision, and put that synaptogenesis to work toward developing his fried chicken kingdom.

The brain, as you well know, is an absolute marvel and it's just waiting for you to grow it and grow it and grow it.  And let me tell you something about learning something new such as a language.  After you have begun to study, you will suddenly find that you seem to intuitively know things because while your conscious mind is concentrating on "a", your subconscious has taken in "b", c", and possibly "d".  Oh, honey, it's a trip worth taking.  You will find that you develop a certain strut, your back is straighter, and you hold your head higher as you smile that knowing smile.

So, pick up some books in an area that has always intrigued you.  Go to You Tube               (www.youtube.com) and search for videos on how to crochet or knit, or apply makeup; whatever.  Give learning another language a try.  Take a free course or two.  If you like online learning, as I do, Coursera is the place to go.  www.coursera.org offers free courses from the top universities in the country on every subject you can imagine.  I have taken courses through them and it is amazing.

Life can be the best dance you ever had if you just put on your dancing shoes and move!

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