How to Meditate – Tom Campbell

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” ~ Bernice Johnson Reagon

I love reading Sheila Burke’s blog, for over a year now. Although we’ve never met in person, we often find ourselves posting similar blogs and writing about the same ideas. I love her thoughts about challenging yourself. So enjoy this except from her latest book, :

Challenge your mind: Take on a challenge and step outside of your comfort zone. Do something that gets those juices flowing! If you are a shy person, introduce yourself to someone new. Volunteer somewhere, tutor someone, or be a mentor. A challenge can be big or small, but a challenge is a building block in life; working on a challenge is rewarding, it’s a step to personal success.

Challenge yourself each and every day, whether it is running an extra two minutes on the treadmill, or passing the ice-cream store without making a purchase. Step outside of your comfort zone.

Challenge, like change, is sometimes hard to do because it takes you out of your “norm”; it removes you from your routine. We feel as if we’re losing something by deviating from our routine, but in fact we’re gaining something from the new experience. Embrace challenge and embrace change, for you never know what you might be missing if you let these opportunities pass you by.

Think of a food you hated as a kid, but love now as an adult. At some point you challenged yourself to eat that food, and lo and behold you ended up liking it! Think of a child learning to ride a bike. Even though they are afraid to fall, they take the challenge and now ride that bike every day. New experiences are often frightening, but sometimes we benefit greatly from them in the long run.

Challenge your brain! Just like we exercise our mind and body, we need to exercise our brain and keep it healthy and alert! Whether its jigsaw or crossword puzzles, board games, reading, playing a game, or learning a new skill or trick – challenge your brain and challenge it daily! One great way to challenge your brain is to use the opposite hand; brush your teeth, comb your hair, write on paper, etc. with the opposite hand. Have someone tie your hands behind your back and learn to function without them for an hour or two. (Or you could try just one hand.) Walk around the house on your knees for a while: what do observe? (Other than painful knees, I mean! You may want to wear knee pads!) Try to complete a routine task while blindfolded. All of these will challenge your brain. There is never an age in which we lose the ability to learn.

All of our important brain activity, and how we perform mentally, come about from the trillions, yes trillions, of synapses in our brain. A synapse is the gap between two neurons, one that sends information and one that receives information. In these synapses are neurotransmitters that help the information along from point A to point B. As we age, our neurons and synapses fire at a slower pace, and will even diminish and deteriorate. They can also be diminished or deteriorated by stress, excessive drug and alcohol use, and things like pesticides and heavy metals. On the other hand, synapses can be strengthened and maintained by reducing stress, getting a good amount of sleep, challenging the brain, exercising, and eating a well balanced, nutritious diet! We can also create new synapses at any age in life. Maintaining a healthy mind goes a long way in maintaining a healthy body.

1. Do something that scares the heck out of you 2. Look for smiley faces hidden in every day objects 3. Learn Yoga 4. Learn a magic trick 5. Make a paper airplane 6. Learn to juggle 7. Take something apart and reassemble it 8. Do a somersault or a cartwheel 9. Try to identify constellations in the night sky 10. Research your dream vacation

A challenge can be found just about anywhere! What will you do to challenge yourself this week?

Sheila Burke is the author of and . She also writes a blog at . She lives with her husband and three kids in Ohio.

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