Break Bad Habits
Build Better Ones
Become Better Men
- Nate Whitson -
How many brains do you have?
If you said ONE - you're wrong!
Kind of.
Your brain is really 2 distinctly different parts:
Emotional & Rational.
Jonathan Haidt uses this analogy that I think is helpful.
He says that the brain is like this picture of an elephant and its rider.
The emotional side of your brain (the elephant) is MUCH bigger and more powerful and usually (or at least often) get its way.
The rational side (the rider) is much smaller but equally as important despite the lack of respect it's given.
What this means is that if you're a man who feels stuck in some area of your life and you want to change - you must learn to get BOTH SIDES working in alignment with one another.
Which, was we all know, is always easier said than done!
If you play tug-of-war with your elephant you'll always lose!
Rationally, you always KNOW you should do the right things.
Emotionally, you don't always FEEL like it and if that large, elephant-sized part of you doesn't want to move - it won't!
This is the tension we feel every day of our lives.
- You want to wake up early and read your bible. Your rational brain says YES but the emotional side of you screams NO as soon as the alarm goes off. It feels so warm and cozy under your blanket so you squash that rational side of your brain and hit the snooze one more time instead.
- You want to start exercising and lose weight. Your rational brain says it makes perfect sense and it's absolutely the right thing to do. Your emotional brain, however, thinks about all the food you'll give up and the pain you'll go through when you start exercising and it says, "Maybe tomorrow!".
We've all been there in thousands of different ways.
To change, then, you must move past your feelings and do the hard, right things anyway.
When you control your emotions and do the right things you rationally know you should do - it creates momentum in your life and confirms what your rational brain has been telling you all along.
This is the alignment that creates change for you and it all starts with learning to master your elephant (emotions).
So, what areas of your life are you hoping to change today?
Want to be a better husband?
A better father?
A better follower of Jesus?
Want to quit porn?
Stop living a weak, passive life?
Whatever it is for you, the key is to get both of your brains aligned and working in the same direction and then change will come!
Nate
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P.S.
What area of your life are you most interested in changing or growing in?
What's keeping you back?
Reply and let me know!
Is it more of a Rational (rider) issue or Emotional (elephant) issue for you?
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