GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 34

grandliving

Living with intention is the fountain of youth

emember looking back on your school year as a kid?
When you finished a grade level, you were a completely different person from when you began. You
might have new friends, new interests, new abilities, and
even a whole new identity. Each year was full of experiences that changed you and shaped your attitudes and
perceptions.
Kids naturally grow, especially within a stimulating environment like school. They change from week to week as
they are constantly engulfed in novel information, experiences, and social interactions. They absorb the input from their
surroundings, take it all in, and incorporate it into who they are.
Development and change are inevitable for kids in school.

When it comes to staying
mentally sharp, we either
"use it or lose it."

This propensity for, and inevitability of, growth changes when
you become an adult. When it comes to staying mentally sharp, we
either "use it or lose it." You can't always rely on your environment
to be a catalyst for your growth.
In fact, if you don't actively and intentionally pursue growth activities,
you may find yourself succumbing to the cognitive effects of aging. If you
want to stay mentally sharp, you must actively pursue change and activate your
neuroplasticity. You have to take more responsibility for creating and pursuing
novelty and newness in your life.
34 GRAND

SEPT-OCT 2019

What is neuroplasticity and
why is it so important?

Neuroplasticity is your brain's capacity to change
in new positive ways if you live intentionally. To trigger neuroplasticity, our approach to activities should
be conscious and intentional. At every age, new skills,
behaviors, feelings, and beliefs are within our grasp,
but only if we push ourselves to really stretch and grow
beyond our comfort zone.
When it comes to aging and our brain, the theme really is
"use it or lose it." The good news is, our minds possess neuroplasticity at any age. You can teach an old dog new tricks, but you
must consciously learn to activate your brain's neuroplasticity using
intention. If you don't push yourself, the effects of aging can be frightening.
Dr. Michael Merzenich outlines the effects of aging on our brains in
his book "Soft Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can
Change Your Life." He tells us that as we age, our senses often lessen.
Your hearing becomes less acute. Memories start to shift, and you
don't have as much recall. Peripheral vision narrows over time. He
describes this as a sort of static in your brain, where the signals aren't
as clear; your vocabulary goes down, and your senses dull.
Aging beautifully isn't for sissies because aging badly is the norm.
Aging distills our personality traits, too. For example, if someone is generally irritable when they're younger, they become crankier and more intolerant as they age. If someone always needs to be right or win an argument, they may
become quite rabid as they get older. Similarly, if someone is flighty or flaky, as they
age, they may become a ditzy caricature of themselves.
Continued on next page

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GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019

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