Not a day without learning

I was reading an article that said that even at the very last moment, as we cease to be, our brain is learning. Right up to our last breath, it needs to feed on experiences.

We have thoroughly absorbed — from adverts, medical advice and the people around us — the idea that exercise is very important for a good quality of life. Now we are starting to look after our brain too.

Neuroscience research describes the brain as constantly reorganising itself. We were always taught that the neurons we were born with would stay with us for life. Now we know that isn’t entirely true.

Its plasticity has been revealed: its capacity to change, and even to create new neurons.

If you learn a language other than your mother tongue, it changes. If you have an accident that leaves you impaired in some way, the brain reorganises itself to make up for what was lost. Meditation, too, changes its structure.

I’ve read a lot about this. Did you know that only the gorilla leading the group develops a silver back, and that it isn’t a genetic trait? It’s through exercising leadership that its coat changes; any member of the group who reaches that status will undergo the same change. In humans, too, changes can be seen when their responsibilities change.

What I mean by all this is that we are born with certain abilities and certain shortcomings.

It is our responsibility to make our strengths shine much brighter and to keep our shortcomings from souring our lives: to seek passion in the activities that make us happy, that make us shout with joy, that make us shine like stars.

My suggestion for this week is to find something you’re passionate about. Let yourself be fascinated, be curious, look for new answers and, if you like, tell me afterwards what you’ve discovered that makes you so happy.