The Magic Of Brain Plasticity

It is a mistake to think that the way your brain works is the best it can do. Research has shown that the brain can learn to learn. I was going through old teacher materials recently and came across a lot of materials for the teaching of reading. At the top of one of the pages was this list of what were the the components of intelligence. Intelligence: The ability to recognize relationships, to think sequentially, to memorize with ease, to sustain attention and the ability to make good judgments. Every one of these can be learned. Some might be learned more quickly if engaged in with a teacher. But anyone can find materials and design a plan to help them to practice and develop each of these skills. If you start to use your brain in better ways it will respond and work better for you. For many people sustaining attention and thinking sequentially are the most difficult. That is because they let themselves get distracted easily because they are self-centered. This can be overcome with practice. To motivate yourself to develop your brain power let the energy of the spark of magic help you out. May the spark be with you.

Mentalist Magic

Right off I can think of three ways to improve your mental function. (1) Make sure you are physically healthy and are not deficient in any nutrients. To me it is amazing how important it is to make sure I am not lacking in the B vitamins. Rest is also important. (2) Do whatever you can to put anxiety away from you. The littlest moods can interfere with high level thinking. A comfortable place to think is a very good thing to be able to access. (3) Develop a number of brain use strategies. I will list some examples. Memory increases when you find ways of 'hooking' the information you want to remember with something else that has importance to you. Memory increases if you use rhythm as you try to remember an item. The metronome speed of 60, the speed of largo movements in Baroque music, when listened to before you attempt to remember something, will aid retention. When information makes sense it is easier to remember.
Repetition helps retention. Ideas will come to you if you develop habits of creativity. Welcome every idea, whether you act on it or not, so as not to cause your creative side to shut down. When searching for new ideas try looking at something in a different way than before, upside down perhaps. Use questions to elicit ideas. Pay close attention to details for a while. Then switch and pay close attention to the large picture. Your brain is your magic wand. Throughout life you will be learning better ways to use it. May the spark of magic be with you for that end.

Magic and Zen

There is a lot of power available to you when you access the alpha state, or right brain. This is the state athletes refer to as 'the zone.' The zen disciplines of doing a task over and over until you reach a spiritual level with it is meant to invoke this state. Finding ways to be super relaxed, such as listening to music from the 1600's and 1700's can also help. When you become centered, relaxed, in the zone your breathing, brain waves and other movements will not interfere with each other, but will all work together to help you focus and succeed at what you are doing. When people say "haste makes waste' they are referring to the way a person who lacks this Zen sensibility will move too fast for the task and will spill or break things. In the alpha state you have all the time in the world that you need, even if it is only a minute or two of clock time. Due time is different from clock time. Due time is when things are ripe to happen, when everything has fallen into place. If you are gaining a skill that skill will be yours in due time. The kingdom will be established in due time. Taking the time needed is not a bit like procrastination. Procrastination is refusing to get involved. However, at times what seems like procrastination is allowing time for the mind to accept the task at hand and develop strategies for getting involved in it. When you are 'in the zone' with any learning or task, there is a deep involvement that will bring about a positive result, in due time. Let your willingness to become deeply and totally involved in a task or learning be the spark of magic that takes you to a higher ability.

The Magic of Word Play

Sometimes the way words are put together can open up your mind to great new worlds. You can do this for yourself and increase your mind power while having fun as well.
Let me suggest a few phrases for you to muse about. 'Cut the bonds to the mundane', 'let your imagination soar', 'the interplay of the sacred and the mundane', 'opposites attract', 'stand on the shoulders of giants','the sky's the limit','the eternal moment', 'hang in there, baby.'
I am suggesting that looking beyond the immediate meaning of a word or phrase can open your mind to increased creativity and productivity. Also, you are apt to gain insight into your deeper self. Meta-language is where the message really resides.
In my list of phrases to consider I put 'eternal moment'. Moment is a concept of time. Time passes. Eternity is outside of time. How can there be an eternal moment? One writer used it to mean 'a moment that was so full of love or meaning that time seemed to stand still and that would always be remembered.' This is not an exercise like the caterpillar counting his feet when asked how many he had. He stopped to count and couldn't walk. I doubt that you will stop to think and be unable to talk. I do challenge you, however, to look deeper into the words you use and encounter. That will bring a spark of magic into your life.