First Baptist Church of Herndon

Brain Retrain

Linda Soller | Jul 29, 2019

We have new phones at work. They do neat things, and you no longer dial 9 when dialing out. Problem is, I have worked here for 22+ years and it seems I can’t manage to dial out without reaching for the #9. I need a brain retrain!  I am serious, we get our habits so ingrained and then when we have to change we actually have to think about things we never had to think about a few days before.

I recently read a fascinating book – Handywoman by Kate Davies. Kate had a stroke at the young age of 36. Her book deals with her life before and after a stroke. It’s really interesting to learn about what she had to do to start putting her life back to a more comfortable place. She will tell you she is not “recovered”. It didn’t hurt that knitting had much to do with her pre and post stroke lives, and I love knitting. Kate had to help her brain make new pathways when it couldn’t reconnect to the old ones.

When we get discouraged or depressed, and we all do now and then, it can be hard to turn the corner. For some reason it seems easier or more natural to dwell on the problem instead of the solution. When we disagree with someone, we can’t understand how they could feel that way. Or is it we haven’t tried to understand? Maybe we need a brain retrain. Okay so brain retrain may not be a real thing, but you understand where I am going with this. You are not always wrong, but you are not always right! Sometimes, you have to rethink things. Sometimes you have to retrain your brain to be more open, more compassionate, and clear. Sometimes you have to rethink why and how you do things. Change is always just around the corner, are you ready for it? It takes work to retrain your brain. Just ask God. He will show you the way.

Have a great week! :o) Linda