Every day there’s a battle going on inside your head, Reg.
Knowing it’s happening, and getting familiar with the two competing sides, will help you understand why you do what you do.
In the red corner is side No.1 – Your Limbic System.
Any strong emotional response you have will be the result of your limbic system gaining the upper-hand in your internal battle. It’s our most ‘unhuman’ side. It’s animalistic. It’s a useful relic we carry from our prehistoric, ‘hunter-gatherer’ ancestry who roamed the Sahara.
It runs the show when you’re tired, low-energy, or simply feeling threatened. It’s responsible for ‘in the moment’ decisions that’ll keep your body (and your genes) out of trouble, so you can go forth and multiply. But in the modern World, so often those decisions lead to undesireable results.
And in the blue corner is side No.2 – Your Pre Frontal Cortex
When you’re acting calmly and rationally, this side is winning the war. It’s responsible for rational thought, analysis, and future planning. It saves us from ourselves.
When you’re well rested and secure, you can expect this side to call the shots.
Clearly, to experience long term happiness, you want Side No.2 being victorious most of the time.
Take away two things from this, Reg.
- Being aware of these two sides will help you understand why sometimes you make ‘stupid’ decisions and sometimes you don’t.
- Try to create the conditions where side No.2 is strong. Get the sleep your body & mind needs, and you’ll be making decisions that are congruent with your long term happiness.