3 Reasons Why Oprah Has A Beautiful Brain

Oprah has a beautiful brain for 3 reasons...

FIRST, she is compassionate. This means her brain is highly developed to read people's emotions, body language and tone to respond in a sensitive manner.  She then asks insightful questions that brings out the best in them.  Because of this quality people love her,trust her, and believe in her.  The brain chemicals responsible for these emotions (i.e. dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin, etc.) literally cascades out of their brain cells throughout their experience with her.  

She sees the potential and best in others because her mirror neurons reflects the best of what she see in others even when they may not see it themselves. 

"All of my life I have wanted to lead people to an empathy space. To a gratitude space. I want us all to fulfill our greatest potential. To find our calling, and summon the courage to live it.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

The SECOND reason Oprah's brain is so beautiful, is that she has a highly developed Prefrontal Cortex...that's right...the CEO of the brain.  The CEO of the brain rules the fear brain that keeps us scared, in fear and from our GREATNESS. Oprah knew at three years old in the depressed region of Mississippi that she would NEVER be a house cleaner which was one of the few professions black women could look forward to at that time.

She knew at three years old that she was meant to do GREATER and BE A FORCE IN NATURE.  She was operating at a HIGHER part of her brain intuitively.  She is a LEADER. She leads from the most advanced part of the brain...the prefrontal cortex.

“I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.” ~ Oprah

The THIRD reason Oprah has a HIGHLY developed brain is because of her GRATITUDE.  Sure she's a BILLIONAIRE but she is a very humble billionaire.  Her compassion and empathy continues to grow as she influences the world and that can ONLY come from a HIGHLY developed brain.

You see GRATITUDE physiologically changes the brain. It allows the brain to wire itself to be in a constant state of mental appreciation. In this state we are positive, philanthropic, approachable, and forgiving.

"When you meet obstacles with gratitude, your perception starts to shift, resistance loses its power, and grace finds a home within you."

~ Oprah

Thank you Oprah.  You inspire us all to be our HIGHER selves!

With gratitude,

Shonte Jovan Taylor, Msc.

Neuroscientist, Thought Leader, & Success Trainer

For Motivational, Brain-Based Productivity, or Leadership Training go to ShonteJTaylor.com

Part 2: How Can We keep Calm Brains in Times of Chaos?

       Keeping calm in times of chaos is a LEARNED behavior. Learning to keep calm in times of chaos requires the establishment of building a resilient brain and mind. We can't expect to remain calm in chaotic times if we haven't built the mental pathways to do so. We will react instinctively and primitively dictated by the lower/primitive brain thus robbing us of skill, control and ability that requires higher brain functioning.

      When we have trained our brains to react properly to chaos then we can extract strength, power and wisdom we sometimes did not know we had. (Click To Tweet This)

Take for example fire drills...

When we practice how to calmly exit our offices, classrooms, etc. in an orderly fashion and utilize the routes to get out of the building we are establishing pathways in our brains that will allow us to behave this way when an actual fire ensues. Since the learning took place under non-crisis conditions we can still remain relatively calm and think creatively to figure a way out even if the building changes, the fire is more extreme or the pathway is blocked. This is because the mental pathways created during practice wired throughout the brain widely and generally allowing us to access more ways to integrate information and find solutions.

Contrastingly, the fear and overarousal that accompanies chaos/crisis interrupt the learning process. The brain can still learn during times of chaos. It's a survival mechanism so that we quickly learn how to avoid or survive that particular situation. But the learning that is done with chaotic, highly stressful or overly aroused mental states of mind and emotions are limiting. Thus, the pathways that are established in the chaotic brain are more specific (fixed mindset) to that one situation.

REMEMBER THIS: We learn fast but not well in a “chaos/crisis” mode.

It's like someone who grows up in the inner city under highly stressful/risky street life conditions who learn to survive in that particular environment (i.e. Mike Tyson). All of his solutions or conflict resolution skills will be limited to that environment. But if you put them in other crisis situations they won't have the cognitive maps to be as spontaneous or think of other ways to deal with other less threatening situations because their brains are wired to survive in the streets (ie fight, flight, fright). Thus, they will use the same tool or hammer for every situation that incites fear or threat. This phenomenon has been researched in behavioral psychology in rats and humans.

4 ways to train the brain to be calm under chaos:

1. Practice without pressure, when not overly aroused or overly stressed.

2. Respond with an assertive/aggressive attitude versus a defensive attitude. Respond to the challenge of the situation rather than to the threat (lower brain) in order to keep a positive goal in mind. We must train to operate at the 30,000 feet level of the brain.

3. Evaluate chaos in its right perspective. Is my reaction appropriate? Is this a mountain or a molehill?

4. Mindfulness and meditation give the prefrontal cortex more control to influence the emotional brain response.

So training our brains to be calm when there's not chaos allows us to establish the mental pathways to be calm under pressure and chaos. Our brains work better when we intentionally wire our brains to do so.

Know someone who needs the message? Please share!

Shonté Jovan Taylor
~The Neuroscientist & Success Trainer/Catalyst

Want coaching on how to build a more resilient brain? Join our Resilient Brain, Resilient Life membership program—> here

[Part 2 of 2] Missed Part 1? Read it here>> http://bit.ly/calmchaospt1

Part 1: How Can We Keep our Brains Calm in Times of Chaos?

             As fear and chaos strikes again in the world, I feel called to tell you how relevant the brain is to transform humanity. This is our moment. This is our time to become and serve at our highest levels. Divided internally or externally we fall. But UNITED we can go to the NEXT level of our humanity.

Encourage your clients and those you influence to volunteer because showing humanity & charity changes the brain.
Being compassionate and selfless allows people to be guided by their higher selves and thus allows us to operate at our advanced brainpower.

*Brain imaging studies have shown that TWO major changes take place in the brain when we do charitable works…
1. The positive-emotional brain circuitry, as well as the pleasure and satisfaction centers in the brain, are activated.

2. There is a high activation of gamma brain waves which indicates new brain cell wiring (or neuroplasticity) that grows as if stretching from the old branches of an ancient oak tree.

Why do these brain changes matter?

The activation of the positive-emotional circuitry along with the new tracks allows us to feel good about ourselves and our contribution to the greater good. When the brain feels good it will continue the charitable behavior making it a habit and natural way of life.

Prayers to our nation. Please share if you believe this message will serve others.

Shonté Jovan Taylor, The Neuroscientist

*(Harbaugh, Science 316, 2007; William T.; Carter, et al., 2009)

Want coaching on how to build a more resilient brain? Join our Resilient Brain, Resilient Life membership program—> here.

https://shontejtaylor.lpages.co/resilient-brain-resilient-life-membership-program/

[Part 1 of 2] Read Part 2 >> http://bit.ly/calmchaospt2