30-Pound Pumpkin

happy halloween!

Brainscaping

Long morning commute? No problem. Sit back and listen. Drink coffee. Pay attention to the road ...  I am so digging this learning thing, this brain exercise, these new ideas that I can bring anywhere. Brain podcasts. Turn 'em on. Turn 'em off. They're mixing with everything else I know and making sense. Am I??

Free up some neuron space and listen up! The Brain Science Podcast series awaits. A menu 3-years long offers up tempting topics. My favorite episode to date, an interview with Dr. John Ratey, explores how exercise makes our brains younger, better and healthier. Makes sense, doesn't it? That mind body connection we hear so much about isn't just a psychological, metaphysical or a Deepak-thing. It's a physiological reality. Cardio ain't for hearts alone.

My first neuro-fixation started with this read ... it's my-all-time number-one parenting book, you know the manual that should've come with the baby? The Science of Parenting baby steps you through the different stages of brain development from newborn through teen years. No doubt, this is an amazing gift that will transfer from parent to child and spark more insight than you can kindle on your own. I often remind myself that a child is NOT a small adult. Learn about yelling and how it creates bad brain paths. Discover how love grows beautifully grooved brains.

For all you left or right brainers, this talk given by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is another fascinating parade through the brain. More than that, it's her own story. As a stroke survivor who returned to her own neurology practice, Dr. Jill details her personal observations about left and right functions. She will inspire you to live differently.

Lastly, for you creative types, Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind gives golden trophy credence to the world of design and why we visual communicator types (me, me, me) are rocking the universe -- at least in our own minds!

My brain is bursting with interesting discussions that are just waiting to happen -- so let's talk soon.

How Does Your Day Sound?

Listening to my son play
on a Friday night, alone,
in our family room, is amazing.

What is he doing? Playing doctor. What is he saying? Someone needs help. What does he imagine? His voice is alive. Like me, he is delighted to be in his own space, with his own toys.

As I listen, I'm aware that hearing his play fills me with smiles. My day is full of different sounds, the keyboard of a fast typist, the important VIP loudly rushing by on her cell phone, laughter from across the room, the wind against my car, the hum of lunchtime in the cafeteria.

One of my favorite parts of the morning is driving E to school. What he says, what he asks, what he wants to talk about and the songs he asks me to play ("Please don't sing Mom"). The silence when he leaves is my alone time.

What pleases your ear? Are sounds impacting your day in the best way possible? What sounds do you need more of? Now that I am aware, I'm going to see what I can do to bring more positive sound into my  days away from home.