"People need a purpose that has meaning: that is our reason for living".
Warren G. Bennis
No one has ever regretted stopping to think before making an expenditure, no matter how large or small. Knowing that you have done something (or not done something) after thinking about it can never have negative consequences. Analysing it is a way of not letting yourself be carried away by instincts and emotions: if you think about it, many of the expenses you have do not need them at all... and when I say not at all, I mean not at all.
Most of the time we are not aware of our actions, but it is important to recognise that we can only change them when we know what the reasons are. You can go on spending without thinking or wanting to change, but ask yourself if you really want to be like that. Stop, think and act is the sequence that leads to success. Happiness is not luck, it is a choice, and therefore to build or destroy your life depends only on your own decision.
It is clear to all of us that before undertaking an expense it is better to stop, think, understand why, and reflect. But is anyone convinced that from now on they are always going to do it? Surely the answer is "No". Why is it so hard for us to do something that we know is well done and that will lead us to success? How many times have we set out to do something with great enthusiasm, but after a while we have found excuses? Laziness, lack of time, routine, procrastination and lack of discipline... and we abandon our dream and stay in our comfort zone.
They say the trick is to always be motivated to do so, but the important thing to understand is that to motivate is not to encourage, it is not to do something with effort: to motivate is to give reasons, to build a reason, a purpose. Human beings search for meaning in life and happiness is intimately related to knowing what for. Resolutions are not obligations. They are desires that, with will, trust and commitment, we turn into actions.
A resolution is more than a list of things that you want to make yourself do and that you write down in your diary and convince yourself of. A purpose always comes from the heart and when it is aligned with the head, it will be what drives you, what points you in the direction you need to go. If we stop trusting and believing, our commitment will weaken, we will doubt and let negative emotions enter and then we will lose will and discipline. Any action starts from a purpose and success is in our attitude: in knowing how to determine what lies behind that purpose in order to find the motivation.
MacLean's triune brain theory has become somewhat outdated with the recent development of a trend based on one of the most obvious anatomical differences between the brains of primates (especially humans) and other mammals. The Frontal Lobe is especially developed in humans. and it is considered that this area within the cortex is responsible for defining and making us look for our purpose in life, the search for meaning in life and confirming that we are constantly evolving.
It is thought to be the key to personality and intelligence and the point of origin of self-awareness, of intuitive capacity. It is the brain that helps human beings to make decisions and is the brain of commitment, the brain that seeks the transcendence of the person, to express who we are and to fulfil ourselves. It is the most social brain because human beings cannot fulfil themselves individually: their meaning in life is in relation to a higher good for humanity and for their leadership. With this brain we ask ourselves what we are for, why we are here, and it is the brain of communication, because we need to express who we are and to fulfil ourselves.
We can then conclude that it is important to always keep in mind that we have three physically separate "brains" and another area that makes sense of how they all work together. Each of these areas has a function and we must be aware at all times of which one is predominant in us in order to understand why we behave or act in a certain way. If we do not activate all of them correctly, it will be difficult for us to succeed in achieving our long-term goals, and we will always need to give meaning to what we do if we want to be successful in this field.
We are beings with the capacity to imagine the future and the consequences our actions may have on it. The prefrontal brain focuses on analysing whether actions are in tune with their purpose, becoming a filter through which to analyse our commitments. Feeling that you have a purpose in life mobilises us, points us in a direction and encourages us to take action, presence and responsibility in our lives.
The references in these articles to brain structures are made in a simplified, not exhaustively scientific method, in order to facilitate their understanding and application to everyday life.
Next Week: The four brains in action
This text may be reproduced provided that PROA is credited as the original source.
Rocío Ledesma del Fresno
Manager at Dextra Corporate Advisors and director at Navis Capital Desarrollo, SGEIC