KEY 4 MENTAL STRETCH Flexing our mental muscles
Think back to when you were a child. Remember that curiosity that drove you to explore everything within reach, to want to go on voyages, take on quests and slay the dragon? Like the boy who eventually became King Arthur in the classic tale The Sword In the Stone, during our lifetime we will have incredible experiences. Perhaps we won't have Merlin at our side, but we have our own source of magic: a massively plastic brain with the capacity to learn new skills and form memory and thought processes.
By sustaining that sense of wonder and adventure from our childhood in our adult years, staying curious allows us to develop a stronger and more resilient brain, with the mental muscles needed to avoid rapid cognitive decline.
We reach our cognitive peak in our early twenties, but it is our conscious decision to remain engaged and interested in what the world has to offer as we age that, like actively brushing and flossing our teeth and gums, prevents brain decay.
Those who choose to stretch their minds will be the ones who adapt more readily, innovate more and engage in possibility thinking. They will be our Once and Future Brain Kings (and Queens).
Get Future Brain now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
