For a long time, it was believed that people are born with a given level of intelligence and the best we could do in life was to live up to our potential. Scientists have now proven that we can actually increase our potential and enjoy ourselves in the process. We now know that by learning new skills the brain creates new neural pathways that make it work faster and better.


1. Play a musical instrument.

Playing music helps with creativity, analytical skills, language, math, fine motor skills and more. While these are all great advantages, some people argue that playing team sports might do as many things. What playing musical instruments does that other activities don’t is strengthen the corpus callosum that links the hemispheres of the brain by creating new connections.

An improved corpus callosum helps with executive skills, memory, problem solving and overall brain function, regardless of how old you are.

2. Read anything.

[/b]The benefits of reading are the same whether you are enjoying Game of Thrones, Harry Potter or the latest issue of the Wall Street Journal. Reading reduces stress, which makes you feel better about yourself, and increases all three types of intelligence -- crystallised, fluid and emotional. That helps with problem solving, putting different pieces of knowledge together to better navigate everyday life, detecting patterns, understanding processes and accurately interpreting and responding to other people’s feelings.

At work, this translates into better understanding how to make things happen and better managerial skills.

[b]3. Exercise regularly.

Occasional exercise alone doesn’t do the trick. Regular exercise is much more effective than hard work-outs every now and then. When exercising regularly the cells are flooded with BDNF, a protein that helps with memory, learning, focus, concentration and understanding. This is also often referred to as mental acuity.

Some scientists speculate that sitting down for prolonged periods of time has the opposite affect and actually hinders our brain from working as well as it could.


[b]4. Learn a new language.

[/b]Forget solving puzzles to improve your memory and learn a foreign language instead. Research has shown that people who are bilingual are better at solving puzzles than people who speak only one language. Successfully learning new languages enables your brain to better perform any mentally demanding tasks. This includes the typical executive skills such as planning and problem-solving.

Additionally, speaking at least two languages positively affects your skill to monitor your environment and to better direct your attention to processes. Many people are told that because executives speak languages, they should learn Spanish or French if they want to move up the ranks. Based on how the brain reacts to learning languages, it might be the other way around. Learning another language might be the last missing link people need to get their brain ready to take on C-level jobs.

5. Test your cumulative learning.

[/b]Many intelligent students in high school and college "cram'' for finals and seem to have mastered the topic the day of the big test. The trouble with that is we tend to forget these things quickly because we are rarely, if ever, required to repeat that knowledge in that same way. One reason studying a new language makes us smarter is because it requires cumulative learning. Because we need them over and over again, the grammar and vocabulary we learn is repeated countless times as we improve our foreign language skills.

Apply the concept of cumulative learning to every day life and your work place by keeping track of noteworthy bits of knowledge you acquire. Go through takeaways from recent books, observations during an important negotiation, or keep a small journal with anything that strikes your attention. Start integrating cumulative learning into your self-improvement program.


[b]6. Work out your brain.

Sudoku, puzzles, riddles, board games, video games, card games, and similar activities increase neuroplasticity. This encompasses a wide variety of changes in neural pathways and synapses that is basically the ability of the brain to reorganize itself. When nerve cells respond in new ways, that increases neuroplasticity, which allows us more ability to see things from different points-of-view and understand cause and effect of behaviors and emotions. We become aware of new patterns and our cognitive abilities are improved.

Considering that neuroplasticity is involved in impairments such as tinnitus, an increased amount can help prevent certain conditions. For instance, people with high neuroplasticity are less prone to anxiety and depression while learning faster and memorizing more.

7. Meditate.

In 1992 the Dalai Lama invited scientist Richard Davidson to study his brain waves during meditation to find out whether he could generate specific brain waves on command. Turns out that when the Dalai Lama and other monks were told to meditate and focus on compassion, their brain waves showed that they were in a deeply compassionate state of mind. The full research results were published in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” in 2004 and then in the Wall Street Journal, where it received an enormous amount of attention.

Meditation became interesting to ambitious people because the study implied that we can control our own brain waves and feel whatever we want to feel whenever we want to. This means we can feel more powerful right before a negotiation, more confident when asking for a raise and more convincing during a sales call.

The general idea is that the brain can develop further and you can do it on purpose. Different activities stimulate different areas of your brain, so you can work on becoming unbeatable at your strengths as well as improving your weaknesses. Focusing self-improvement on the brain is a good idea for anyone who feels they are at their professional peak (or maybe just have stopped getting better), ambitious professionals and of course entrepreneurs who are looking to maximize their potential.

cc: lalasticlala

why do we still have music artistes dat are dumbass

NICE.

.

Interesting and nice

ikbnice:
why do we still have music artistes dat are dumbass

In my own opinion, no musician is a dumb ass... Mere combining of english or Yoruba words to form
lyrics which later becomes chorus and verses and then edible or non edible to human hearing... that's
putting the brain to work.
If its a lie...you can try writing a song one day!

Thanks for the encouragement thou!

READING AND MEDITATING MODE ACTIVATED!

I love this.
The music that develops the brain is not this rubbish flavour, phyno, etc

Go for the classics,
Ludwig Van Beethoveen,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Joahn Sebastian Bach,
Joseph Hadyn,
Frank Listz,
Carl Czerny
Chopin
George Fredrick Handel

Learn jazz and the classical piano, not gospel band.
Learn the violin and other orchestral instruments.
Play and COMPOSE too .
Play sonatas, oratorios, organ works etc.

That's the music.

I find it difficult to understand how flavour's song can raise my libido I.Q.

Classical music is wonderful.

Meanwhile, I want to start attending THE GRAIL MESSAGE.
Those people know the value of classical music.
I live in Owerri. Any suggestions?

Read any thing no mean say make you go de dig seven book of Moses @ na here I dey oo

FP tins.

donTbone:

In my own opinion, no musician is a dumb ass... Mere combining of english or Yoruba words to form
lyrics which later becomes chorus and verses and then edible or non edible to human hearing... that's
putting the brain to work.
If its a lie...you can try writing a song one day!

you are right oh

Nice write up OP

donTbone:
For a long time, it was believed that people are born with a given level of intelligence and the best we could do in life was to live up to our potential. Scientists have now proven that we can actually increase our potential and enjoy ourselves in the process. We now know that by learning new skills the brain creates new neural pathways that make it work faster and better.


1. Play a musical instrument.

Playing music helps with creativity, analytical skills, language, math, fine motor skills and more. While these are all great advantages, some people argue that playing team sports might do as many things. What playing musical instruments does that other activities don’t is strengthen the corpus callosum that links the hemispheres of the brain by creating new connections.

An improved corpus callosum helps with executive skills, memory, problem solving and overall brain function, regardless of how old you are.

I don't agree with you on this. I believe sport does it better. The brain is more exercised during sporting activities than when playing musical instruments.

Interesting

Copy And Paste..Op Where Link To The Site You Copied This From

ikbnice:
why do we still have music artistes dat are dumbass

cos all they know is the beat. That's why Cobhams and Praiz are smarter than those.... beatlords anyday

When i discovere Handel infact did the UCL theme song, i ensured i learnt the entire lyrics(my friends find this boring)

from Mozart to Beethoven.... Mehn music meaning has truly evolved big time.

(carries concerto master's wand and directs an imaginary orchestra banc)

wait o (comes back to reality)

PhunsukhWangdu:


I don't agree with you on this. I believe sport does it better. The brain is more exercised during sporting activities than when playing musical instruments.

Musical instrument is something much fun to learn and play. I play football and I love it. Nonetheless, there are some other avenues too, that is why "exercise regularly" is added to it!


Are we clear now?

Supermiy:
Copy And Paste..Op Where Link To The Site You Copied This From

Copied or not...av read, gained and shared with people...


What av u read, gained and shared with people today...even without giving them the link?

I do almost all...

adebayor1490:
I do almost all...

Almost, but not all!

Then you must be quite intelligent.

Toooorrr!! FP tinz!

ikbnice:
why do we still have music artistes dat are dumbass

The lyrics are been affected by current trend. .. .

They are no dumbass.

donTbone:

Musical instrument is something much fun to learn and play. I play football and I love it. Nonetheless, there are some other avenues too, that is why "exercise regularly" is added to it!


Are we clear now?

No! At least not yet!

In sports you brainstorm, challenge and most especially you compete with another fellow; In playing musical instrument you only interact with a tool just like in the case of a toy.

Perhaps when I said sporting activities you think I mean just playing football? Sport is largely encompassing. It comprises games such as Chess, Scrabble, etc.

PhunsukhWangdu:


No! At least not yet!

In sports you brainstorm, challenge and most especially you compete with another fellow; In playing musical instrument you only interact with a tool just like in the case of a toy.

Perhaps when I said sporting activities you think I mean just playing football? Sport is largely encompassing. It comprises games such as Chess, Scrabble, etc.

Am not sure you read the article before making your comment!
Where was your eyes while reading...
Sudoku, puzzles, riddles, board games, video games, card games, and similar activities increase neuroplasticity.

The challenge is baseless! That's from the article above. Are we clear now?

donTbone:

Am not sure you read the article before making your comment!
Where was your eyes while reading...

I don't do insults, spare me that please

Sudoku, puzzles, riddles, board games, video games, card games, and similar activities increase neuroplasticity.

The challenge is baseless! That's from the article above. Are we clear now?

You later brought the emboldened under another point. Your claiming that playing musical instrument exercises the brain more than sporting activities is what I'm not convenient with. I insist sport does it better

I love reading


Meanwhile check out - www.nairaland.com/2662504/top-5-music-labels-influenced#38938909

PhunsukhWangdu:



I don't do insults, spare me that please




You later brought the emboldened under another point. Your claiming that playing musical instrument exercises the brain more than sporting activities is what I'm not convenient with. I insist sport does it better

Point of correction...that's not an insult!


Mind you, if you not ok with the arrangement, simply go modify and rearrange na!

Chuukwudi:
I love this.
The music that develops the brain is not this rubbish flavour, phyno, etc
Go for the classics,
Ludwig Van Beethoveen,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Joahn Sebastian Bach,
Joseph Hadyn,
Frank Listz,
Carl Czerny
Chopin
George Fredrick Handel
Learn jazz and the classical piano, not gospel band.
Learn the violin and other orchestral instruments.
Play and COMPOSE too .
Play sonatas, oratorios, organ works etc.
That's the music.
I find it difficult to understand how flavour's song can raise my libido I.Q.
Classical music is wonderful.
Meanwhile, I want to start attending THE GRAIL MESSAGE.
Those people know the value of classical music.
I live in Owerri. Any suggestions?

daveP:
When i discovere Handel infact did the UCL theme song, i ensured i learnt the entire lyrics(my friends find this boring)
from Mozart to Beethoven.... Mehn music meaning has truly evolved big time.
(carries concerto master's wand and directs an imaginary orchestra banc)
wait o (comes back to reality)

Na una sabi Wetin dey xup
Classical music redefines music in all its ramifications.

donTbone and PhunsukhWangdu, I do not understand why both of you're are arguing.

You do not have to agree with each other's view. Simply apply what you have learnt here, and you will be fine.

I can almost hear you two arguing.

OkekeChristian:
donTbone and PhunsukhWangdu, I do not understand why both of you're are arguing.

You do not have to agree with each other's view. Simply apply what you have learnt here, and you will be fine.

I can almost hear you two arguing.

You actually remind me of "The 3 idiots"


Am not actually making him agree on my point,
just want him to know his points are part of the write up!