IT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Industry insights. And other brain fuel!

Get J2 updates delivered straight to your inbox!

Sign up to get the weekly Friday Food for Thought email & the quarterly PULSE email.

Sign Up For Updates!
Categories

Fight or Flight

Fight or Flight

During the intense week in DC, we had the opportunity to hear from one of the world’s leading experts on cognitive brain science. One of his points was that our brains as humans are wired for fight or flight. As part of our basic primal evolution, this makes us resistant to change. For safety reasons, this also means we revert to our default position on many things—in an unconscious way doing what we have always done. Therefore, when we are out of our comfort zone, our heart rate rises (what a great feeling); our body is getting ready to defend itself against harm.

Subconsciously others also pick up these clues. This can cause them to judge us and revert to their default position, but something as simple as smiling can change their unconscious reaction towards you. Their brain tells their body that you are not threatening—no flight or fight response. Imagine what having that knowledge and using it means.

A lot of the biological basis of resilience comes from learning to use your conscious mind to make decisions in an active way that moves you away from your default safety position. Extremely high performers can do this on a regular basis because it becomes an unconscious habit. A big part of this is being positive and fearless. I challenge all of you to do something this weekend that you have never done—the possibilities are endless!

Quote of the week… “You’re a ghost driving a meat-coated skeleton made from stardust, riding a rock, hurtling through space… FEAR NOTHING!!!”

Have a great weekend.

—Vijay

 

About Friday Food for Thought (FFfT)

I frequently attend conferences and retreats on entrepreneurship and leadership and while I am away, the J2 team picks up the slack, allowing me to learn to be better at what I do. I wanted to share what I was learning with my team, so I created the weekly FFfT emails in November of 2015 and have been writing them ever since.

Before long, the J2 staff began sharing the FFfT emails with their friends and family and now other leaders have asked to be included, which led to the creation of this newsletter. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email