VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE IS ESSENTIAL. Our automatic reactions show us what we really know, what we really think and believe. It’s hard when the mind’s default setting is focused on the woes of the world. You literally have to make it a daily discipline in order to “break” the habit of unhelpful thoughts. You’ll know you’re properly trained when you’ve practiced the situation so repeatedly that your intent overrides the muscle memory. Whether it’s worrisome thoughts, midnite snacking or knowing when to pull a gun, in the heat of the moment, are you disciplined enough to remain focused and clear headed to properly assess the situation and react appropriately?  TRAIN YOURSELF, make it a DAILY PRACTICE to remain focused and when the time comes, there will be no mistakes.

The prefrontal cortex, which controls thinking, logic, knowing what to do, responds to EXPERIENCE as it develops. The wider the variety of experience, the more development. Example: live in one town your whole life? Only talk to a handful of people? Not much variety of experience. Alcohol, nicotine, amphetamine, cocaine, morphine and psychoactive drugs diminish elasticity in the prefrontal cortex, which affects their thinking, logic, knowing what to do. Someone with little life experience, on a diet of alcohol and nicotine is gonna feel safe with people who feel familiar and end up agreeing with them and following their beliefs, often to their downfall.

Train yourself to be aware and observant. Train yourself to discipline your mind so you’re never so overtaken by emotion that you make fatal mistakes. Make it a point to READ a variety of viewpoints, EXPERIENCE new places and people, BE OPEN MINDED — for the sake of experiment — to what other people believe is the truth and why. Knowledge is power.