0:00:09.894,0:00:12.396
I have some good news for you today.

0:00:12.977,0:00:16.677
And that is that you can[br]rewire your brains

0:00:17.197,0:00:21.333
and be great in your own right [br]if you really want to.

0:00:21.623,0:00:24.566
I'm going to give you[br]a brain-based perspective

0:00:24.826,0:00:26.701
on why we say that.

0:00:27.631,0:00:31.334
Your brain will look[br]different on the inside

0:00:31.334,0:00:33.325
when you go home tonight

0:00:33.325,0:00:38.205
than what it looked like[br]before you came here this morning.

0:00:39.945,0:00:45.195
Nelson Mandela was known for saying,[br]"I was in jail for 27 years,

0:00:45.475,0:00:48.220
but my mind was never in jail."

0:00:48.610,0:00:53.696
So we're going to have a little bit[br]of a neuroplasticity perspective

0:00:53.696,0:00:57.268
on how we can become great[br]in our own right.

0:00:57.618,0:01:00.441
Now, when we look at this slide,

0:01:01.001,0:01:04.873
that's what a normal brain[br]is supposed to look like.

0:01:05.393,0:01:10.871
And specifically, I'd like you[br]to focus on an area there

0:01:11.271,0:01:14.387
which we call the cerebellum.

0:01:16.207,0:01:19.879
When we look at[br]a live model of this brain,

0:01:20.069,0:01:21.739
this is what your brain looks like,

0:01:21.739,0:01:25.633
and the cerebellum[br]is this area at the bottom.

0:01:25.953,0:01:29.743
The cerebellum's function[br]is to give you balance,

0:01:30.173,0:01:32.208
coordinated movements,

0:01:32.548,0:01:35.672
it controls certain aspects [br]of your speech,

0:01:36.072,0:01:41.441
but it's also the home[br]of 50% of your brain cells.

0:01:41.711,0:01:44.559
So obviously, one would assume

0:01:44.559,0:01:47.452
that that's a very important[br]part of our brain.

0:01:48.182,0:01:52.671
Now, a woman in China[br]was admitted to a hospital,

0:01:53.241,0:01:55.379
complaining of nausea

0:01:55.773,0:02:00.825
and just having vertigo and imbalance.

0:02:02.343,0:02:04.127
When they did a CAT scan,

0:02:04.127,0:02:07.666
it revealed that this woman's brain

0:02:07.666,0:02:09.064
looked like this.

0:02:10.014,0:02:13.768
Please note that black area there

0:02:13.768,0:02:17.283
is only cerebrospinal fluids.

0:02:17.498,0:02:20.379
Her cerebellum was missing.

0:02:21.049,0:02:22.510
Are you freaking out yet?

0:02:22.510,0:02:23.507
(Laughter)

0:02:23.507,0:02:27.686
How is it possible[br]that you can go to hospital,

0:02:27.966,0:02:30.313
you act like a normal person,

0:02:30.603,0:02:32.917
you speak, you walk, you talk?

0:02:33.307,0:02:35.655
Yes, dizziness, nausea,

0:02:35.915,0:02:37.955
but no one expected this.

0:02:38.775,0:02:44.040
Now, our whole talk[br]is about how your brain compensates.

0:02:44.420,0:02:46.091
And it's going to be very important

0:02:46.091,0:02:48.748
that we need to understand how that works.

0:02:48.748,0:02:51.427
The principle is called neuroplasticity.

0:02:51.997,0:02:53.889
Now, this lady,

0:02:54.349,0:03:00.387
despite mild mental impairment[br]and some imbalance,

0:03:00.537,0:03:04.128
she managed to marry, have children,

0:03:04.128,0:03:06.903
and have a fairly normal life.

0:03:07.383,0:03:10.028
And scientists were fascinated,

0:03:10.028,0:03:15.078
How is this possible that someone[br]can live a life like this

0:03:15.528,0:03:17.706
and be seen as normal,

0:03:17.906,0:03:21.767
yet half of her brain cells are missing?

0:03:22.566,0:03:24.819
And that's the significance of this case.

0:03:24.819,0:03:29.135
How is it possible[br]that the brain can adapt

0:03:29.135,0:03:33.714
so that people can still have[br]a fairly normal life

0:03:34.544,0:03:36.866
without half of their brain cells?

0:03:37.026,0:03:43.544
And this case is a testimony[br]for this principle called neuroplasticity.

0:03:44.273,0:03:47.233
Now, to give you an example again,

0:03:47.693,0:03:50.509
this woman's brain, literally -

0:03:50.509,0:03:53.249
if we now looked at a model of the brain,

0:03:53.249,0:03:56.251
said this whole area was gone,

0:03:57.141,0:03:58.588
and she adapted.

0:03:58.928,0:04:00.637
Neuroplasticity

0:04:00.637,0:04:06.340
is about the brain's ability[br]to adapt and rewire itself

0:04:06.340,0:04:10.679
so you can survive[br]and thrive in your world.

0:04:11.229,0:04:13.878
Except for regulating[br]basic bodily functions,

0:04:13.878,0:04:18.360
what we have to remember[br]is the main function of your brain

0:04:18.620,0:04:20.850
is to help you survive.

0:04:21.080,0:04:25.495
And that's good news[br]because your brain will help you adapt.

0:04:25.495,0:04:30.179
If you do the hard work[br]to build new pathways,

0:04:30.309,0:04:34.209
the brain can adjust and adapt[br]to help you not just survive

0:04:34.499,0:04:36.796
but to actually thrive.

0:04:38.276,0:04:41.820
What I'd like you to do[br]as you are sitting there,

0:04:42.000,0:04:44.485
I'd like you to clap your hands

0:04:44.775,0:04:47.623
and cross over,[br]touch your nose and your ear,

0:04:47.623,0:04:49.311
and switch over to the other side.

0:04:49.311,0:04:53.010
So just do this simple[br]movement activity with me, please.

0:04:53.510,0:04:54.519
Aha!

0:04:55.152,0:04:56.234
(Laughter)

0:04:58.274,0:05:03.207
So how are we doing here with regards[br]to feeling how brain fit we are?

0:05:04.097,0:05:08.998
This is a simple bilateral[br]or cross-lateral movement activity

0:05:08.998,0:05:12.696
that we do to improve our brain fitness.

0:05:13.046,0:05:14.328
The good news about this

0:05:14.328,0:05:18.980
is if you're going[br]to continuously try this,

0:05:19.470,0:05:21.450
the harder you try

0:05:21.570,0:05:23.810
and the more intensely you repeat this,

0:05:23.850,0:05:25.962
the quicker you'll learn to do this.

0:05:26.392,0:05:29.181
Again, it shows you[br]how powerful your brain is

0:05:29.181,0:05:33.304
and how quickly we can improve[br]our neuro-agility.

0:05:33.304,0:05:35.523
Now, our world is changing very fast,

0:05:35.523,0:05:38.751
and we are facing[br]an era of disruptive change,

0:05:38.751,0:05:42.811
and we are going to need[br]to be really neuro-agile people

0:05:42.811,0:05:45.687
to not just survive[br]but to thrive in that world.

0:05:46.177,0:05:50.096
And that means that we are going[br]to have to flex our mental muscle.

0:05:50.976,0:05:55.016
Now, let's quickly talk[br]about how neuroplasticity works,

0:05:55.126,0:05:57.001
and what does it look like.

0:05:57.321,0:06:00.518
There are three levels[br]that we need to understand

0:06:00.518,0:06:03.597
on the way neuroplasticity works.

0:06:03.917,0:06:08.778
Right now, at this moment,[br]as you are listening to me,

0:06:09.648,0:06:13.333
your brain cells[br]are making those connections.

0:06:13.613,0:06:16.060
But if we cut the brain open,

0:06:16.140,0:06:21.158
you will see that your brain[br]has white and grey matters;

0:06:21.478,0:06:26.215
in other words, that's where the learning [br]and the thinking really takes place.

0:06:26.695,0:06:32.609
So your brain on its most basic level[br]functions electrochemically.

0:06:32.879,0:06:36.321
And if we talk about[br]electrochemical functioning,

0:06:36.401,0:06:42.684
it literally means that the brain[br]produces 20 to 25 watts of electricity,

0:06:43.114,0:06:48.847
and that these impulses are transmitted[br]from one cell to another.

0:06:49.077,0:06:51.438
So what you will see on the screen

0:06:51.728,0:06:54.198
are those impulses being transmitted

0:06:54.198,0:06:57.814
through the dendrites[br]of a neuron, a brain cell.

0:06:57.942,0:06:59.983
But what you are looking at now

0:07:00.113,0:07:04.095
is that you will see there are also[br]some chemicals being released

0:07:04.095,0:07:09.429
that transmit these messages[br]from one cell to another.

0:07:09.909,0:07:13.888
So the best way to illustrate this is -

0:07:13.908,0:07:19.026
I want two people who I have asked[br]before we started this session

0:07:19.026,0:07:20.765
to just come on stage,

0:07:20.805,0:07:25.539
and I want to illustrate to you[br]the electrical functioning of your brain,

0:07:25.539,0:07:28.644
and I want you to think[br]about the impact of that.

0:07:28.890,0:07:34.031
So in my hand, I have a thing[br]called an energy ball.

0:07:34.211,0:07:38.594
It's just a little ball with a flashlight,[br]and it's got two poles,

0:07:38.594,0:07:40.456
a positive and a negative.

0:07:40.456,0:07:43.792
When these two poles[br]are connected with each other,

0:07:44.512,0:07:47.114
the little flashlight goes off.

0:07:47.424,0:07:49.705
Guys, can you come on stage, please?

0:07:50.015,0:07:54.799
So all this proves is my body[br]conducts electricity,

0:07:54.829,0:07:57.366
but it gets a little bit[br]more interesting than this.

0:07:57.416,0:08:00.078
Can you just join me[br]on stage here, please?

0:08:00.538,0:08:04.413
André, you stand on that side -[br]and there, there we go.

0:08:04.413,0:08:07.321
Now, when we touch hands,

0:08:07.761,0:08:11.574
all I'd like you to do,[br]just put your finger on that pole there.

0:08:11.644,0:08:13.388
Nothing is happening now.

0:08:13.448,0:08:15.323
Just touch hands.

0:08:16.253,0:08:17.646
Break up.

0:08:18.156,0:08:19.570
Touch hands.

0:08:20.240,0:08:21.272
Break up.

0:08:21.362,0:08:23.594
Okay, now, André, keep this in your hand

0:08:23.594,0:08:25.755
so the camera can see.

0:08:25.865,0:08:27.037
Hold my hand.

0:08:27.147,0:08:29.904
Again, just touch[br]where you touched previously,

0:08:30.334,0:08:31.396
and -

0:08:32.587,0:08:33.499
Thank you.

0:08:33.619,0:08:35.063
Now, keep it there.

0:08:35.753,0:08:37.226
If I break up here -

0:08:37.786,0:08:39.028
What this illustrates -

0:08:39.028,0:08:41.166
Thank you so much. Much appreciated.

0:08:41.166,0:08:44.035
(Applause)

0:08:44.035,0:08:45.566
What this illustrates

0:08:45.716,0:08:50.885
is that my energy[br]influences other people's energy.

0:08:51.555,0:08:54.032
And the implication of this[br]is we need to think,

0:08:54.032,0:08:57.443
What energy did you bring[br]into this room here today?

0:08:58.323,0:09:00.576
Often when people meet[br]Nelson Mandela,

0:09:00.576,0:09:04.867
they often would refer to him[br]being charismatic.

0:09:05.847,0:09:09.254
And on its most basic scientific level,

0:09:09.514,0:09:13.829
this man transmitted[br]tremendous constructiveness,

0:09:13.829,0:09:15.222
positive energy.

0:09:15.742,0:09:19.435
You see, we should think[br]about energy and electricity

0:09:19.435,0:09:22.428
like dropping a stone into water.

0:09:22.568,0:09:24.907
When we drop a stone into the water,

0:09:25.297,0:09:27.303
it has a ripple effect,

0:09:27.813,0:09:32.112
and so your and my energy[br]influence each other

0:09:32.112,0:09:33.264
all the time.

0:09:33.264,0:09:36.337
So that just illustrates[br]the electrical functioning.

0:09:36.337,0:09:40.744
So the moment we choose to change[br]our thinking and our emotions,

0:09:40.744,0:09:44.695
we change the energy[br]that we radiate into our world.

0:09:45.743,0:09:48.591
But if we look at[br]the chemical functioning,

0:09:48.671,0:09:52.753
very important that everything [br]in your body is always about chemicals.

0:09:53.233,0:09:57.465
And maybe the best way[br]to illustrate this again -

0:09:57.465,0:09:59.992
when we look at the next picture,

0:10:00.332,0:10:03.489
you will see that they are chemicals

0:10:03.489,0:10:07.785
that help to transmit messages[br]from one brain cell to another one.

0:10:07.785,0:10:10.754
We call them neurotransmitters.

0:10:11.114,0:10:13.809
Now, I want to illustrate this[br]through a story.

0:10:14.159,0:10:16.584
When Nelson Mandela was president,

0:10:16.794,0:10:22.062
he once visited an old age home, [br]and he was in the Alzheimer's ward,

0:10:22.242,0:10:23.981
speaking to people there.

0:10:24.261,0:10:26.334
And he walked up to an old lady,

0:10:26.524,0:10:29.283
and he asked her,[br]"Do you know who I am?"

0:10:29.403,0:10:30.944
And she looked at him like this,

0:10:30.944,0:10:32.769
and she took him by the arm and said,

0:10:32.799,0:10:36.199
"Listen, if you don't know[br]who you are, go ask the nurse."

0:10:36.244,0:10:39.195
(Laughter)

0:10:39.305,0:10:41.242
Why I told you this story

0:10:41.382,0:10:45.796
was, simply, you experienced[br]a good feeling when you laughed.

0:10:45.886,0:10:50.355
You experienced a chemical [br]called serotonin being produced,

0:10:50.355,0:10:51.989
which is good fuel.

0:10:52.429,0:10:56.236
But we can also, if we stress too much,

0:10:56.706,0:11:00.693
produce chemicals that act[br]as inhibiting chemicals.

0:11:00.773,0:11:03.692
They block transmission between cells.

0:11:04.022,0:11:06.528
So our thoughts and our emotions

0:11:06.528,0:11:09.694
impact the chemicals[br]that regulate our mind.

0:11:09.974,0:11:13.563
If I drive down the road[br]and someone runs right in front of me,

0:11:13.563,0:11:16.723
and I hit the brakes,[br]and the car comes to a standstill,

0:11:16.982,0:11:18.796
I feel pins and needles in my legs -

0:11:18.796,0:11:22.462
an example of the inhibiting chemicals

0:11:22.522,0:11:25.868
that influences - the fuel[br]that's not good for me.

0:11:26.048,0:11:27.569
You control that.

0:11:27.879,0:11:31.137
So, neuroplasticity [br]on its most basic level,

0:11:31.137,0:11:33.960
is about your electrochemical functioning.

0:11:34.616,0:11:37.237
But when we look[br]at how your brain functions,

0:11:37.237,0:11:39.163
and we cut open the brain,

0:11:39.253,0:11:41.457
you look at your brain model like this,

0:11:41.687,0:11:43.760
and you look at the white[br]and grey matters.

0:11:43.900,0:11:47.120
At this moment,[br]as you are listening to me,

0:11:47.590,0:11:52.076
your brain cells are connecting [br]and making structural changes;

0:11:52.206,0:11:55.815
and if you sufficiently reinforce [br]those structural changes,

0:11:55.815,0:11:58.058
it becomes a permanent pathway;

0:11:58.338,0:12:00.470
and when it becomes a permanent pathway,

0:12:00.470,0:12:03.902
it means your behavior,[br]that emotion or that habit,

0:12:03.902,0:12:08.134
becomes second nature -[br]it becomes automatic.

0:12:08.354,0:12:09.871
This is good news.

0:12:10.261,0:12:13.769
You are the results[br]of these neuron pathways,

0:12:13.909,0:12:16.746
and if they are pathways[br]and habits you don't like,

0:12:16.746,0:12:18.296
you can change it,

0:12:18.676,0:12:21.023
but you need to carve a new pathway

0:12:21.023,0:12:23.949
into the white and grey[br]matters of your brain.

0:12:24.119,0:12:26.218
With intensity and repetition,

0:12:26.278,0:12:28.698
you need to replace[br]the old negative pathways

0:12:28.698,0:12:30.230
with new constructive ones.

0:12:30.230,0:12:31.842
But if you do,

0:12:32.462,0:12:35.938
you bring about a structural[br]change in your brain.

0:12:36.926,0:12:37.932
That's good news

0:12:37.932,0:12:40.800
because it says we never[br]have to be victims

0:12:41.110,0:12:44.401
of our "behavior" and our environment,

0:12:44.401,0:12:48.283
but we can outthink our circumstances.

0:12:49.093,0:12:52.036
But this case of the Chinese woman

0:12:52.406,0:12:57.400
is a case where even functional changes[br]take place in the brain,

0:12:57.510,0:13:00.488
where the functions of the cerebellum,

0:13:00.488,0:13:04.605
of balance and coordinated movements[br]and some speech functions

0:13:04.605,0:13:08.661
have been replaced [br]by the cerebral cortex -

0:13:09.121,0:13:10.937
this outer layer here.

0:13:11.657,0:13:13.004
Fantastic!

0:13:13.004,0:13:17.169
It means we can overcome adversity,

0:13:17.439,0:13:20.304
and miracles can happen.

0:13:20.564,0:13:22.860
Because from a scientific point of view,

0:13:23.050,0:13:25.110
I still think it must be a miracle

0:13:25.260,0:13:28.299
for someone to be born[br]without a cerebellum,

0:13:28.299,0:13:30.639
and she lives a fairly normal life,

0:13:30.639,0:13:31.849
and she's a mom,

0:13:31.849,0:13:35.448
and she understands[br]the world the way I do.

0:13:36.418,0:13:42.703
So, the implications are[br]we can change whatever we want

0:13:42.883,0:13:45.216
if we could rewire ourselves

0:13:45.296,0:13:49.873
and sufficiently spend time[br]with reinforcement and intensity

0:13:49.963,0:13:52.720
to replace old negative behavior patterns

0:13:52.800,0:13:55.421
with new constructive alternatives.

0:13:56.491,0:13:59.529
The other implication[br]is quite profound for me.

0:13:59.979,0:14:06.323
This woman never experienced[br]the label of being "disabled"

0:14:06.943,0:14:10.400
because they didn't know[br]that she didn't have a cerebellum.

0:14:10.740,0:14:15.587
Yes, she started only talking [br]at six years old.

0:14:16.767,0:14:18.773
Einstein started talking at five.

0:14:18.993,0:14:20.424
So what's the problem?

0:14:20.454,0:14:21.450
(Laughter)

0:14:21.450,0:14:24.169
But she started walking only at seven.

0:14:24.169,0:14:26.131
Yes, that's a bit late.

0:14:26.259,0:14:31.628
But not having had the burden[br]of a label that "You are disabled"

0:14:32.068,0:14:35.840
actually made her live[br]a fairly normal life.

0:14:36.400,0:14:42.312
We should be careful of the labels[br]we put on ourselves and on others.

0:14:42.932,0:14:47.513
So, if I want to, then, change my brain,

0:14:47.513,0:14:48.869
how do I do it?

0:14:49.019,0:14:52.858
One, assess all the bad habits,

0:14:52.858,0:14:55.022
the things that are bad for your brain,

0:14:55.022,0:14:57.341
the behavior you'd like to change.

0:14:57.381,0:15:00.360
Two, you make a conscious choice

0:15:00.530,0:15:06.130
to reinforce the new behavior[br]so much more than the old behavior,

0:15:06.130,0:15:10.595
so you focus on your solutions[br]so much more than your problems.

0:15:11.155,0:15:14.972
Three, it takes a lot of hard work[br]and reinforcement

0:15:15.222,0:15:16.986
to build those pathways.

0:15:17.116,0:15:19.436
Your brain works like a movie:

0:15:19.606,0:15:22.348
it has a soundtrack, it has visuals,

0:15:22.408,0:15:24.318
and it has emotions.

0:15:24.478,0:15:25.770
So the bottom line,

0:15:25.770,0:15:28.906
you want to reinforce new behavior,

0:15:29.076,0:15:31.209
you start speaking words of life

0:15:31.209,0:15:34.655
and speak positive,[br]constructive solutions.

0:15:34.895,0:15:37.268
Two, think forward.

0:15:37.388,0:15:39.624
Envision your solutions.

0:15:39.804,0:15:40.957
Feed your mind

0:15:40.957,0:15:42.866
with the pictures and the dreams

0:15:43.026,0:15:47.674
that will help you become that person[br]who is great in your own right.

0:15:47.814,0:15:50.391
Four, act upon it.

0:15:50.691,0:15:51.721
Just do it.

0:15:52.041,0:15:54.440
I love Nike statement: Just do it.

0:15:54.690,0:15:55.957
Because when we do it,

0:15:55.957,0:15:59.068
we seal the deal in the deepest[br]parts of the brain

0:15:59.068,0:16:00.801
called the limbic system.

0:16:01.051,0:16:05.721
So say it, see it, do it, experience it.

0:16:06.551,0:16:10.217
I'd like to conclude this session[br]simply by saying this,

0:16:10.327,0:16:13.903
You are the result of your thinking.

0:16:15.283,0:16:19.106
Your habits is how you think habitually.

0:16:19.506,0:16:23.291
So when your start[br]changing your thoughts habitually,

0:16:23.501,0:16:25.683
you start changing your emotions.

0:16:25.953,0:16:29.121
When you change[br]your thoughts and emotions,

0:16:29.121,0:16:30.771
the fuel you run on,

0:16:30.831,0:16:32.801
you change your behavior.

0:16:33.041,0:16:36.736
When you change your thoughts, [br]emotions and behavior,

0:16:36.826,0:16:39.102
you change your performance.

0:16:39.392,0:16:43.182
That puts you in the driver seat [br]of your own life -

0:16:43.272,0:16:45.630
master of your own destiny,

0:16:45.780,0:16:48.005
architect of your own life.

0:16:48.215,0:16:50.624
And that was an idea[br]I thought was worth sharing.

0:16:50.704,0:16:53.741
(Applause)