Expanding possibilities

A couple of tidbits from an article about neuroscience :-

1. Prozac and other treatments for depression appear to work, at least in part, by creating new brain cells. Depression and stress, on the other hand, limit the production of new brain cells and even kill old ones.
2. New brain cells are also essential to birdsong. To sing their complex melodies, male birds need new brain cells. In fact, up to 1% of the neurons in the bird’s song center are created anew, every day.

To be happy, creative, original & effective, we may also need new brain cells daily. And, rather like the chicken and the egg, when we are happy, creative, original and effective, we are almost certainly renewing our own brain cells.

The lazy guide to depression

The article talks about the need for complex environments to stimulate our brains but many people get depressed even in complex environments, partly, I suspect, because we tend to be rather passive, looking outside ourselves for instant entertainment and stimulation rather than exploring things for ourselves.

There are all sorts of reasons for depression and this is no all purposes cure, but low grade depression and lack of joy in life and relationships is endemic and one way to create more fulfillment is to involve more of ourselves. This is a choice we can all make, all the time - at work, home or at play. It does not depend on anything or anyone outside ourselves. It does depend on being creative.

Creative involvement

Being creative doesn’t necessarily mean creating ‘art’ but it does imply involving something of ourselves and our uniqueness. If we explore things for ourselves, for example, we will have our own ideas rather than stating the obvious or re-stating things we have read or heard, or, if we follow our own, natural process, way of being or moving, we and our lives will be continually fresh, new, unique and, hence, interesting.

Giving more of ourselves this Christmas

Perhaps the most important area of all to be creative and share more of ourselves is in our interactions with others. Most of the time, we fall into predictable and safe patterns, but these are unsatisfying all round. We long to meet and be met on more levels, for spontaneity, playfulness, variety, fun and originality. When we share more of ourselves with others, we encourage others to share more of themselves with us.

Surviving and enjoying Christmas alone

But what if, as so many of us, we are alone?

At this time of year, we naturally slow down, yet most people encourage us to keep busy and pamper ourselves, using various services such as holidays, dvds, pamper days, luxury goods and foods.

I know its a holiday and I’m all for all of us having lots more fun and relaxation but this kind of ‘fun’ is rather unreal and detached, unrelated to life and leaves our uniqueness untouched, our unique gifts ungiven. Some of us need to zone out, some of the time, but, if we always zone out, our creative and relating muscles will weaken through lack of use.

For most of us, holidays are times when we have more room to choose how we spend our time and attention. Alone or not, we can still be creative and relate to life.

Our ancestors slowed down a lot more than we do at this time of year, but they did not forget or abuse their relationship to the earth and nature. Rather, they celebrated it on the solstice.

One of the wonderful things about Christmas is the peace. Being alone is a fabulous opportunity to use some undistracted time to tune into nature, our bodies or ourselves, or explore something of interest more deeply.

Fear of boredom

One of the reasons we keep so busy is that we fear being bored, but it is only when we lessen the distractions that we can hear our own new thoughts (rather than thoughts that have been thought before, by ourselves or others) and our inspiration. Thomas Leonard, often referred to as the father of modern coaching, encouraged coaches to take ‘do nothing holidays’ for this very reason.

If we want to enter 2009 more awake (to love, our potential, possibilities, our bodies, the divine, other people and living creatures …) than we are now, or want to have more of our uniqueness available to share with others, we can take small daily steps in that direction even if others do not (yet) want to join us.

Expanding possibilities requires creativity

Beyond a point, transformation work and expanding possibilities, for ourselves or others, depends on our being creative. Just as with any creative project, we have to find a vision or inspiration, follow our inklings, feel our way forward and honour the natural process and timing. Even though we may have had good results in the past, future progress is always a step into the unknown with no guarantees, except, perhaps the fact that the more we practise and get to know what works for us, the stronger our abilities.

If we were made in the image of the creator, we not only can create - to stay healthy, happy, effective and fully human, we may have to.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2008 at 1:23 pm and is filed under co-creation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.