IL;RI (It’s longer; read it)

Week 27: Curated Conversation: Word of JULY; Perspective.

Week 28: Mind Your Business: Word + Business. Manage your brain, Mind your business.

Week 29: Manage Your Mind: Word + Brain Science & Health #BrainGeek - well, with a twist…I may have changed my mind.

Week 30: Contemplation: What’s On My Mind; My thoughts on it. By popular request, more Jamie Chapman!

Now, let’s sweep the brain…

Now, let’s sweep the brain…

Phew, last week was a doozy on our nervous system! Did you feel that, too? In order support the community to feed our souls, I'm exploring what resources may be helpful to help regulate. Stay tuned!

Last week we discussed how to manage your mind to mind your business and learned more about how our brain works. If you want to read it again, you can do that here.

Or, if you missed how riding a bumper boat is like being an entrepreneur, you can read that in my Curator’s Mind Blog.

I was going to talk about brain health and how to better care for your brain, but instead would rather dig deeper into how it works related to perspective and change.

Because.

Managing your mind with The Rider, The Elephant, and The Path.

I found this analogy using The Rider, The Elephant, and The Path. Analogies can help us understand others' perspectives and see a situation from a new perspective (and, of course, an elephant story, photo, or reel…is my jam.)

When you visualize The Rider on The Elephant, The Rider seems to be in charge, doesn't it? Logically, yes. But, consider what might happen if they disagree. The Elephant wins. The Rider and The Elephant must travel happily on The Path together to make sustainable change.

Life and business are related using this analogy, and it better explains how your brain works. Change (and change of perspective) can be difficult, and it is not just the Rider's perspective that matters.

The Rider depicts our rational brain and is the director and planner (but can also be paralyzed by overthinking). Instead of focusing on solutions, it analyzes options, seeks patterns, and makes plans (but gets frustrated when uncertainty emerges). Sometimes, it can only see from their point of view.

The Elephant represents the emotional brain. Emotional brain energy fuels the journey and gets things done, it avoids pain and seeks pleasure from immediate gratification. So often, fear overwhelms our emotional brain and causes us to feel overwhelmed. The stress response in elephants is similar to our own. When a person's perspective is challenged, they could quickly enter a fight, flight, or freeze.

When working together, change comes easier.

The first step is to direct The Rider. Overthinking can paralyze you. Knowing where you're heading and why something is worth it makes change easier. A logical brain can get caught spinning its wheels when trying to influence a relationship—continually seeking out more information and looking for the most effective solution. Find out where you want to end up and start there. What's working? Put more effort into that. Forcing facts on the Elephant isn't going to make it do anything.

Motivating the Elephant is the next step - when the situation changes, the behavior changes. Elephants aren't interested in facts and reasons. Break down the difference, so it seems manageable and doesn't overwhelm the Elephant emotionally. Identify habits that can be encouraged. It's habitual, so it doesn't tax the Rider. Behavior is contagious; help it spread. Remember, the Elephant is easily spooked and will take you on a wild ride if you lose control.

The third step is to Shape the Path. To make change easier, pay attention to the surrounding environment. What seems like insignificant changes in the environment can have a significant impact on behavior. Reduce obstacles, make small changes in the environment, and consider the terrain. Stop forcing facts and find empathy in the fear.

The way to get the Elephant and the Rider to move together is to bring reason and emotion into better harmony.

In real life, change (and change of perspective) can be painfully slow and does not match the emotional high we get from social media. But, if you think of change as the Rider, the Elephant, and the path, we'll have a better chance of getting there.

Need support gaining a different perspective on something in business or in life?

What I’m reading:

C.O.M.E O.N! Let’s get to work.

Curated Conversation: Every Monday at 8 am. If you are receiving this email, you will receive a link to the Zoom meeting every Monday morning at 7 am inviting you to join in at 8 am. If an amazing woman has forwarded you this email, you can get more Jamie Chapman in your life, here.

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MindSweep Mapping: One in Hudson MA, one in N.H. Let’s map out a path that takes you from idea to profit.

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Now. ← Time to act.

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