The Huffington Post is one of the most-read blogs in the world. In March of 2016, they published a wonderful post titled "
How Your Thoughts Change Your Brain, Cells, and Genes
". It shows exactly how your thoughts "sculpt" your brain, and actually program your cells.
Simply thinking about something causes the release of neurotransmitters by your brain.
These can be considered as messengers that carry messages from your brain through your nervous system to all of your many body parts and processes. So the way you think actually changes how your body works.
If you take a negative approach to a situation, stress hormones like cortisol are increased. When you think positively, cortisol levels drop and you feel happy and confident rather than stressed, anxious and depressed. As pointed out in the Huffington Post…
"A sizable body of research exploring the nature of consciousness carried on for more than 30 years in prestigious scientific institutions around the world, shows that thoughts are capable of affecting everything from the simplest machines to the most complex living beings. This evidence suggests that human thoughts and intentions are an actual physical "something" with astonishing power to change our world. Every thought we have is a tangible energy with the power to transform. A thought is not only a thing; a thought is a thing that influences other things."
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This is your brain on Happiness![/caption]
13 Inspiring TED Talks that will Change the Way You Think about Thinking
To help you better understand the power of 'thinking' and your brain, I've compiled the following amazing TED Talks for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to comment below your biggest takeaways and share any other TED talks that have inspired you as of late....
Lara Boyd's "After watching this, your brain will not be the same"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNHBMFCzznE
Tim Urban's "Inside the mind of a master procrastinator"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU
Daniel Amen's "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLKj1puoWCg
Julia Galef's "Why you think you're right -- even if you're wrong"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4RLfVxTGH4
Carol Dweck's "The power of believing that you can improve"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X0mgOOSpLU
Shawn Achor's "The happy secret to better work"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJsdqxnZb0
Shawn Achor's "The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXy__kBVq1M
Nancy Etcoff's "Happiness and its surprises"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W2dsnhC18Q&t=23s
Tim Ferriss' "Why you should define your fears instead of your goals"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J6jAC6XxAI
Amishi Jha's "How to tame your wandering mind"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df2JBnql8lc
Matt Killingsworth: Want to be happier? Stay in the moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy5A8dVYU3k
Wendy Suzuki's "The brain-changing benefits of exercise"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY0FxzoKZE
Isaac Lidsky's "What reality are you creating for yourself?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmpu58yv8-g