Cross train your brain

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Cross-Train Your Brain

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To my family, friends, and colleagues, who always believed I'd write this book.

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Cross-Train Your Brain
A Mental Fitness Program for Maximizing Creativity and Achieving Success
Stephen D. Eiffert
A MA COM American Manag ement Association New York • Atlanta • Boston • Chicag o • Kansas City • San Francisco • W ashing ton, D.C.Brussels • Mexico City • Tokyo • Toronto

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. . . This book is available at a special discount when ordered in bulk quantities. For information, contact Special Sales Department, AMACOM, an imprint of AMA Publications, a division of American Management Association. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It issold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Eiffert, Stephen D. Cross-train your brain : a mental fitness program for maximizing creativity andachieving success / Stephen D. Eiffert. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8144-7994-4 (pbk.) 1. Creative ability. 2. Creative thinking. I. Title. BF408.E395 1999 153.4—dc21 98-17348 CIP © 1999 Stephen D. Eiffert. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or inpart, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, an imprint of AMA Publications, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Printing number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Contents
Preface Introduction Get Ready, Get Set … Chapter 1 We are all born creative butlose our creative drive over our lifetimes. Principle Definition of Creativity Value of Creativity Process What Makes Someone Creative Chapter 2 We all suffer from environmental limitations placed on our creativity. Principle The Modern Western World View How We Learned Not to Be Creative The Child's Mind Educational System Conformity Process Step One: Identify the Ways Your Thinking and ResponsesAre Holding You Back Step Two: Try a New Way, Even if It Is Scary Chapter 3 The life you lead is the life you create. We experience our expectations. Principle Expectations Color Reactions to Events Your Thoughts Show Up in Your Experience V Negativity Begets Negativity ix xi 1

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We Like to "Think About It" Self-Limitations

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Process Change Your Perspective Create Positive Expectation Visualize Your Experience Affirmations Chapter 4 We function best when approaching life with our whole brains. Principle The Right Hemisphere The Left Hemisphere Whole-Brain Thinking Process Seek Out New Experiences Relax Your Mind Chapter 5 Conditions are not emotions. How you feel about an event is not the event. Principle TheLimbic Brain and the Cerebral Cortex Unconscious Thought and Emotions Emotions Color Our Behavior Emotional Anticipation of Events Colors Perception Process Isolate Events From Feelings Prepare for Events Without Anticipating Them Mindfulness Training Morita Chaper 6 We don't all learn the same way. Principle VII

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79 80 81 81 83 84 85 86 86 86 89 89Visual-Dominant Learners Auditory-Dominant Learners What Is Your Communication Style? Kinesthetic-Dominant Learners The Evolution of Learning Styles Process Use Your Preferred Style to Learn New Information Try Using Other Learning Styles

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Chapter 7 Our minds gather and retain information in a variety of ways. Principle The Emotional Mind The Physical...