How many of you wanna develop a new skill now?
At present moment?
I don’t know your age at present. And, I should not ask also. Especially, if you are a lady, I should not at all.
But if you are in the middle age of your life, I must say and recommend that it’s the time you should go to learn a new skill, you seriously think of it.
Why do you know?
I am coming to that point.
But before that, let me ask you, how many of you think, that at this age, you should go for new skill development of your childhood dream?
On a zero to ten scale, what’s your present score about your wish to learn a new skill like, playing a musical instrument or a new language or a new hobby?
What’s your score?
I asked the same question to my wife and her answer was, are you going mad? Are you crazy that at this age, I should learn something new? Where is the time? Where is the mind? Where is the facility and where is the scope. As I am aging, how many more years I will live who knows that now I have to take a new learning skill…don’t give me all these books knowledge all these non-sense…bull sheets……whom to show…what for…blah….blah..blah..
Maybe, your present score is low like my wife…
But, I challenge you.
After going through the astonishing facts I am presenting, your scale will definitely go up and you are bound to take things seriously to start learning some new skill. I am damn sure, you will take it to learn a new skill to be one of the most powerful beings in this world to impact not only your life but many lives around you!!
Stay with me till the end of this article to find your score.
Are you with me?
Are you??
I am sure. You are.
As you are reading…….
That’s awesome!!
It was somewhere mid-September, 2009. Every morning, after coming to the office, one of my friend Rahul came to me for a little chit chat. I saw in Rahul a healthy, smart, energetic man always smiling. That day, I found Rahul sad. Tense. I asked him, What’s wrong.
He described. It’s because of his father. Last Sunday, He went home. His father asked him. Who are you,, why You came here..
His father could not recognize him. His father was long been suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Rahul,s greatest pain was, His father himself, by profession, was a doctor!
I saw Rahul’s eyes were heavy. He was crying that day like a little kid. I can realize Rahul,s pain.
How do you take it? If your own father or some close one close could not recognize you at all?
Can you imagine?
I think, being human, we have that much empathy to feel others pain..that’s why we are human. We have an emotional feeling towards fellow human beings.
Before your pain subsides…let me tell you.
Probably you know. What Alzheimer is?
Before knowing Alzheimer’s, you should know about Dementia.
Dementia is a category of brain disease which can cause long-term memory loss and even a gradual decrease in the ability to think. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Though this is commonly seen in elderly people, it can attack at any age group. Of course, If not taken well care of your memory. Mind it.
In dementia, at first, behavioral problems like irritability, confused behavior, problems with visual perceptions, and difficulty in daily activities take place, and slowly, it attacks memory loss which was the case of Rahul,s father.
The shocking news is, Globally, India houses the second most number of individuals suffering from dementia with an estimated 4.1 million people suffering from it as per the ‘Dementia India’ report published by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India. The more shocking news is, this is expected to double by 2035. That means, within the next fifteen years.
Alzheimer’s worsens over time. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues.
Do you still have pain for Rahul,s father? You should.
But the good news is… we can protect it to further escalate in the coming days…
The simple Solution is ..start learning a new skill..
why do you know?
Because of neuroscientists’ recent discovery of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.
Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity!!
It’s a big term hah?
To make it simple, neurogenesis is the birth of new neurons, new brain cells and neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change at any age in response to repeated stimuli.
With the discovery of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity,It broke all common myths that the brain stops developing after a certain age says 20.
For over a decade, neuroscientists have been trying to figure out how neurogenesis and neuroplasticity work together to reshape how we think, remember, and behave.
As you may be knowing, the average adult human brain has about 100 billion cells. Linked by synapses, each brain cell can connect to tens of thousands of other brain cells.
As our human memory is concerned, three areas of the brain involved in memory- the hippocampus, the neocortex and the amygdala.
Our brain bubbles with activity. Different groups of nerve cells are responsible for different thoughts or perceptions. And, Memory is the reactivation of a specific group of neurons, formed from persistent changes in the strength of connections between neurons.
Mind it. Please try to pay full attention to what memory is!
I am repeating: Memory is the reactivation of a specific group of neurons, formed from persistent changes in the strength of connections between neurons.
In entire memory function being processed inside our head, I mean our brain, very very important factor is…synaptic plasticity. The term may be a bit heavy for us common people.
In simple terms, synaptic plasticity describes the persistent changes in the strength of connections – called synapses – between brain cells. These connections can be made stronger or weaker depending on when and how often they have been activated in our past lives.
Active connections tend to get stronger, whereas those that aren’t used get weaker and can eventually disappear entirely.
Mind it…those connections of synapses which are not used for a long time get weaker And Result? Maybe dementia which ultimately leads to Alzheimer’s!
Does it make sense?
Those connections that are not activated over time like you are not taking any new skill learning for a long time, those may get disappear permanently. Do you want that this should happen in you like Rahul,s father?
No way..
so, what’s the way forward.
Simple. Start learning a new skill.It will make you most powerful being in the world!!
You only need to change your mindset like I am doing here..to hone my teaching skill…….
Be determined to learn a new skill to make neurogenesis to happen inside your brain for the birth of new brain cells and eventually neuroplasticity will take care of your new learning.
Because, as the term says, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change at any age in response to repeated stimuli. Through adopting a new learning skill, you need to repeatedly stimulate certain brain cells which will make the connection of these brain cells stronger over time and it will make your perception, your memory stronger and it will protect you from dementia…slowing down your memory with age….
And, then only, you can help yourself as well as your near and dear one, not to get that pain Rahul and maybe thousands others have.
So, friends. What’s are you waiting to take a new skill?
Just remember neurogenesis and neuroplasticity!! Pretty awesome right?
If you understand the concept of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity to some extent, you will definitely take it seriously to start learning a new skill to make your memory intact and this will eventually protect you from getting affected by dementia as well as Alzheimer !!
Be genuine and honest, and Measure your scale now wishing to learn a new skill, where you are now on that scale of zero to ten.
I am damn sure, if you read attentively and take note of it, your scale will exponentially go up…
-End-
For other interesting blog, pl click below:
Why books so important to change your life
How to deal with Information overload ?
Happiest man in the world to push you feel elated!
How to calm the Amygdala Hijack naturally?
Greatest Challenges Keep You at Top of Life Game!
I really follow this NEVER STOP LEARNING attitude because this is one things which keeps me happy and on the way to improve a bit every day.
After reading your article, I have found one more reason to continue with my learning spree.
Thanks a ton for writing this.
Thanks for the nicely crafted feedback.
It really inspires me that you always read it and genuinely described your feeling. Thanks, brother.
Best wishes.
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