WHEN THE SYSTEM GOES AWRY

On the surface, it seems like this division of labor between the mind and the brain is ideal. When we are dealing with thoughts, emotional sensations, and actions that are consistent with our true self (who we aspire to be), all is fine. But what if we actually have unhealthy or maladaptive routines programmed into those automatic neural structures and we are not aware that they are happening? For example, what if we’ve taught the brain’s Habit Center to perform an action that is not good for us, like excessively drinking alcohol when we’re stressed or eating ice cream every night (even though we are trying to lose weight) because it makes us feel good?

We’ll talk more about how this happens in later chapters, but for now believe us when we say that the automatic parts of the brain are so efficient that their routines can become wired into our brain without us realizing it and can lead to devastating consequences. That’s why learning how to focus your attention is so important—it is the one variable you have power over that can change your brain. This is why, when the stakes are high, such as continuing to use a drug that is destroying your life, repeatedly eating something that causes your health to suffer, or giving in to anxiety to the point that you avoid things that are beneficial to you, you need to engage the Wise Advocate to recruit the mind to make important long-term decisions.


Unfortunately, many people, when in the grips of sadness, desire, anger, urges, anxiety, fear, or addiction, cannot and do not make this distinction between the mind and the brain. They cannot see what is happening and tend to blindly follow the impulse-laden brain wherever it wants to take them. They accept momentary relief or pleasure at the price of future pains. It makes sense from a biological perspective—we are all wired to use the automatic, energy-efficient parts of our brain first, with the primary goal of survival or safety in that moment. But choosing momentary relief and placing your attention on an unhealthy behavior come at a steep price because these choices can end up shaping the brain in detrimental ways.

We’ll talk more about the mind’s ability to change the brain, known as Self-Directed Neuroplasticity, but first we want to address one other fact: Biology is not destiny. To succeed with the Four Steps and sculpt your brain in the ways you want, you need to believe that you are not destined to live a predetermined life based on your genetics. You have the ability to overcome many of the obstacles you inherited and to influence the ways in which your brain and body function.



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