Episode 058 - Love Overload

© Neil Cowmeadow 2017 Skull Cap Electrodes (detail)

Love Overload...

The Thursday Thesis  - 27/07/2017

It’s a funny thing, but most people complain of being overloaded – you, yourself, might even think it’s a bad thing.

You would – of course – be wrong.

Every piece of research I’ve ever read suggests that Overload is a Good Thing – with capitals!

Here’s how it works: every time you overload a muscle it suffers damage. But our bodies adapt to that damage and overcompensate: they seem to assume we’ll do the same stupid thing again and provide us with more muscle in a bid to protect us from future damage.

A similar process occurs in our brains, that trembling network of connections and cells. Use it, push it, load it up and it will begin to morph into a faster and better brain. The process even has an expensive-sounding name: neuroplasticity.

So we are built to grow, but it takes the threat of damage and a crisis situation to trigger that growth – it’s all tied in to our innate fight or flight response to danger.

No crisis, no growth.

So it’s essential that we do things that Overload and scare us: how else can we develop and grow stronger?

I’m currently training to improve my public speaking abilities, which are already pretty good. But what’s fascinating to watch is how I and the other trainees smash through our fear and emerge unscathed.

Within three days, one lady went from Overload and total meltdown to confident speaker: a little more practice and she’ll be rocking the house down.

How did she get there?

Incrementally doing a little more, a little more, a little more...

Things stuck, ideas gelled, words tumbled...

Do a bit, add a bit, do a bit more.

Now repeat.

Rest and sleep complete the process.

I love Overload, so give me more, more, more!


 
© Neil Cowmeadow 2017
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