Make your Best Memories Work For You
Reinforcing good memories is critical way to strengthen personal power, stay positive, and enjoy life more. In fact, neuroscience researchers have identified that certain proteins are used to reinforce the areas where memories are stored in the brain. These proteins are triggered by the brain every time we recall that memory.
A new drug call PKMZeta can actually inhibit these protein, and the effect is that when people remember an event, the emotional content of the memory is not recreated. If the memory was traumatic, the trauma can decrease. This drug has enormous implications on the treatment of serious trauma, whether from sex abuse, PSTD from active military service, or accident trauma.
But what about the other side of the memory equation that of positive, self reinforcing memories? If we want to strengthen our confidence and personal power, we need to remember positive situations. By reinforcing positive memories, the protein that helps memories to form, will strengthen the emotional component of that memory even more with each repetition. This gives us added confidence, and personal power.
If you had a successful time in your life, and then went through a tough economic recession for instance (sound familiar?), the more recent, painful memories of financial uncertainty or losing your job may even crowd out the positive memories that you may have unconsciously, but wisely reinforced. You could find yourself wondering why you feel so much less powerful than earlier in your life.
Memories degrade over time. If we don't remember the positive events in our lives, they recede from us. If you don't want that to happen, we need to deliberately spend mindful time remembering the positive. Don't leave this to chance...be deliberate.
Here is simple but very powerful process to reinforce positive memories in your life. You may be surprised at how great this exercise makes you feel!
A new drug call PKMZeta can actually inhibit these protein, and the effect is that when people remember an event, the emotional content of the memory is not recreated. If the memory was traumatic, the trauma can decrease. This drug has enormous implications on the treatment of serious trauma, whether from sex abuse, PSTD from active military service, or accident trauma.
Neuroscience research confirms that memories degrade over time.
If we don't remember the positive events in our lives, they recede from us.
Memories degrade over time. If we don't remember the positive events in our lives, they recede from us. If you don't want that to happen, we need to deliberately spend mindful time remembering the positive. Don't leave this to chance...be deliberate.
Here is simple but very powerful process to reinforce positive memories in your life. You may be surprised at how great this exercise makes you feel!
- Make a list of the top ten achievements of your life.
- Find a quiet space where you can be undisturbed for at least 10 minutes.
- For each memory on your list, spend at least one minute, remember that event in as much positive detail as possible.
- As the brain stores different aspects of memory in different parts of the brain, try and remember color, sound, smell, feeling, connectedness with others, and location.
- If you find yourself focusing on a negative aspect of that achievement, just gently refocus on the positive.
- Write in your journal, diary or blog about the experience and any insights
- Try and repeat the exercise every day for at least a week. Over this time, look for ways this exercise allows you to see your own skills and competence more positively, or you present yourself more positively to others.
Image: The Times of India
