Page 52 - Advance Copy: Todd Kaufman, Author

TODD KAUFMAN
again. Each day the path becomes easier to find, and within a few weeks, it takes very little of your attention to get to your friend’s for coffee via the new path.
And there you have it. Neuroplastic change is very much like this story. The paths through the corn field are like neuronal pathways. When they are well-used and practiced, you really don’t have to pay attention to find your way or to perform a task or a thought. However, when you choose a new path, it’s not easy to see it at first, it’s uncomfortable to travel and it can take a fair bit of Intention and Repetition to master.
Here is a good place to notice that being uncomfortable is a good thing! It is a sign of change. If you are uncomfortable because of a new chosen path, embrace the feeling; it is the sign that you are changing for the better! After all, you are only going to feel uncomfortable until you don’t, and that is when you have solidly wired those new neurons together to create a new you.
Being uncomfortable is the harbinger of change!
If you want to fire a new series of neuro pathways, you really need to pay attention (Intention), and it’s likely to be difficult and uncomfortable at first. If you persist in making the new choice over and over (Repetition), you will find over time that the new pathway will become as easy to find as the old.
Let’s use this story again to show one more characteristics of neuroplastic change: Eventually the corn stalks on the original path will grow back. The old path will become less and less inviting as it becomes more difficult to navigate. After quite some time, years perhaps, with a little effort you would likely be able to find the original path again, but that too would require restarting the neuroplastic change process of Intention and Repetition.
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