Neuroplasticity

Well, I have spent much of the day working on my Patreon page. On the one hand it is not hard, putting together the information, doing the writing of the page, the graphics, this takes thought, it takes time, but then comes the technology behind it all and my eyes roll back in my head and my brain starts falling out of my ears! I have created a number of websites and blogs and each time there was a learning curve and I just kept at it and learned what I needed to learn. Now, I will tell you that I am self-taught and nothing horrifies me more than someone wanting me to help them because more often than not I can do the thing but I couldn’t explain how to save my soul! And right now, in working with the platforms that can make this community really exciting with livestreams, videos, community forum, etc, the new technology is WAY OVER MY HEAD.

The thing is, and this is true for me, most of us are in such a RUSH, we want it all right now, ready and easy to use. We like all the bells and whistles but learning how to install and use them is a whole different matter. I am chocking this up not only as a learning experience but also to a leap in neuroplasticity. It is good for my aging brain to learn new things. It keeps my brain active and alive and growing. And my brain has become something very important to me in ways I never thought of. The things that are possible are mind-bending. The ketogenic diet’s effects on my brain helped me go off psych meds I had been on for decades. And though some ketogenic people tell you not to have bulletproof coffee (with coconut oil and butter) because if you “drink your fats” your body will burn the dietary fat before it burns your body fat and you will lose weight slower. I have tried having it and not having it and it doesn’t seem to effect my weight loss, but more importantly I am dedicated to coconut oil because of it’s amazing effects for the brain. I will continue to have it every morning. Taking care of my brain is one of my top priorities and even if my weight loss is slower I’ll stick with the coconut oil to keep my brain lively. It has turned Alzheimers around and none of us want to go there. (Also see Dr. Newport’s amazing TedTalk if you are interested in this subject.) One of my most important jobs these days is to nurture a happy brain.

Anyway I have to establish a way to work on all of this without going, well, one hates to say “going crazy” given my history, but when you were not raised in the era of computers it is harder than it is for all the young whipper-snappers! A good way into it all and I wasn’t sure I should even try to do this, I need a techno fairy to help me! But I don’t have the funds to pay for one so I will keep trudging forward. Once more into the breech, don’t you know? I want to think of what I will say in the morning videos, for example, but first I have to figure out how to do the videos and get them up and out to patrons, once I’ve got that down the content should be easy.

When I push too hard my brain goes to the bad place, you know, the place that asks who you think you are to be doing this anyway? And it tells you that no one will be interested, and what’s the use? But when we have decades of experience in the things we love and want to help others with, if we believe in ourselves (There’s the hard part!) we must just keep doing the work. Marching on. And when we can’t that’s when it’s time to do something else. Doodle, draw, color, put on music that you love and sing and dance with it, call a friend, read a book, BUT GET AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! I myself find that taking a nap with the pugs, at the very least kissing them on the nose, helps tremendously. Wash dishes, cook something, tell a friend that you REALLY need her to tell you that you are wonderful, that you do good work in the world, that it matters, and that you will be successful with it! (This likely will not have even been on her mind but it helps a lot if she will SAY it to you!) I believe in this. I believe in what I’m doing, and I guess in the end that’s what matters most.

I am weaving my dream. I am growing it just like you grow a garden. I am choosing the seeds I will plant — one might imagine seed catalogs everywhere here just now! — and soon I will begin planting the seeds, I will watch them grow over time, I will gather armfuls of flowers and hand them to women everywhere all around the globe. This is right, it matters, and if my brain falls out my ears every single day I will just shove them back in and carry on.

Don’t give up on your dreams because implementing them is difficult. Take it one day at a time, do what you can, eat coconut oil, and carry on!

These flowers are from me to you…