Neurogenesis
If we exercise parts of our brain which are lazy, either in
the activity of learning something new, or in that of relearning something we
have lost through either aging or disability, we can sometimes through effort,
learn how to do either that which we have lost, or how to do new things which
we have never done before.
This creative process is not easy. It requires not only
repetition (practice), but also a Herculean effort of the attention, which
seems sometimes for us to border on the extreme edge of what is possible, and
barely within our range of ability.
Each time I attempt to solve a problem, this may be
encountered. Whether it be in something as mundane as a carpentry repair, or in
seeking the best possible outcome for a personal, social, or political
situation, the possibility of achieving excellence might always be found.
For me, this is encountered in learning to create music, and
in teaching myself to perform the left hand, mirror image of the T’ai Chi form.
Both are practices for which I seem to have neither aptitude nor ability, but
in which I seem to slowly progress through repeated effort. I am not
athletically gifted, but with continued effort I also have become a much better
swimmer.
This progress, although slow and difficult, has given me a
faith which I attempt in my personal and professional life now to share with
those whose brains might possibly be healed through a similar process of effort
and will. An example comes to mind. Several years ago, while on tour, Gloria
Estefan’s tour bus was in an accident. The doctors said that she would never
perform again. She was back on stage within a year.
It might seem that much can be accomplished if we only try.
Every attempt to do something new may be considered as a creative endeavor.
This creative process, like much in life, is one of the highest gifts we might
attempt to attain as human beings. I think sometimes that maybe this is what is
meant by the concept of Humanity being made in God’s image.
Blessings to All,
Daniel
