I love the cranky bastard.
During last year’s season finale, I learned something else. . . And that is the absolute power our right brain has over our lives.
The parallel is drawn between House’s patient who’s right brain doesn’t communicate with his left brain, and his own dissociative hallucinations. The patient’s left hand (right brain) seems to have a mind of it’s own. It throws things at people, slaps people and even pinches himself. Yes, weird.
The right brain, home of our unconscious mind’s functions, controls not only our left-side motor functions, but also 95% of our behavior. Hey, did you think “you” made that choice today, or did your right brain? (for hard-core neurologists, you know this isn’t 100% true, but bare with me for a moment).
The patient’s left arm (right brain) was unable to use language to communicate, so it used emotional responses. Slapping, throwing things and scratching through his own skin. It was trying to tell the patient a message.
Here’s the kicker…when we are under stress, our left and right hemispheres seem to loose neurological connection as well. left brain and right brain fail to communicate. We become like that patient. That our unconscious mind may actually have a solution to the cause of our stress, but can’t communicate it to “us”.
This is the definition of Stress. Are you stressed about your job-search? Chances are your left and right brains need some reconciliation.
SOLUTION:
Meditate. Ha. Most people have tried that, and after dressing in black robes, burning incense and Chanting OM for about 5 minutes, their legs hurt and they go get a Ben & Jerry’s.
Here is a quick little tool non-meditators can use to repair communication with your smarter half:
Pretend you have a lemon in your hand. Feel it. Smell it. Taste it. (use a real lemon if you have no sense of imagination left from all those Starbucks mocha Chaco lattes).
Throw it from your left hand to your right hand about 10 times, keeping your gaze strait ahead.
Then imagine you put the ball on top of your head, your eyes should be focused strait up. As high up as they can look. Hold it for a moment and come back to neutral.
Notice how much calmer you are, maybe even more confident. You may begin to think clearer and be more effective in your job search.
Try it now and tell me how it works.
