I HAVE 4 PERSONALITIES

Dr. Jill Says You Do Too

I  just finished working on an unbelievably successful  project  with three awesome people. They made it so much fun.  You’d think I’d be celebrating our success – but instead I started  walking  around  this week yelling at the Universe because everything didn’t go exactly my way. I’m kinda surprised I didn’t find myself howling at the Moon some night the way I’ve been behaving. Ha!

The other day while I was cussing at the lock on the theatre door, I heard Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s voice in my head, “We have the power to choose moment by moment how we want to be in this world.” Oh boy!  All of a sudden,  I realized I had let my Character #2 – the part of my brain that sees the glass half empty, that feels discontented and yearns for more – highjack my life, and it wasn’t pretty.

I decided it was time to reread Dr. Taylor’s book Whole Brain Living and get the “WE inside of me” working together again.

Although I have always been interested in our left & right brain hemispheres, I am really fascinated now by what neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor discovered during the eight years she was recovering from a massive stroke. As her damaged cells came back online, she found that different cells and different parts of her  brain worked  together, not separately, to manifest her  perception of reality.  I am intrigued by her theory that the two brain hemispheres house four completely different character profiles  “ that exhibit unique wants, dreams, interests, and desires.”

I think it’s an extremely interesting and important discovery about our brain cells — but it’s too complicated for me to go into in my blog. If you would like to know more about her scientific findings, here is a link to her famous Ted Talk “My Stroke of Insight.”

Today I thought it may be fun for readers to simply identify and name their own Four Characters – the Left Thinking, Left Emotional, Right Emotional and Right Thinking. According to Dr. Taylor, all of us have these Four Characters, which are trying to dominate our lives at any given time — while inhibiting each other. In an upcoming blog I will share how to use Dr. Taylor’s tool, the Brain Huddle, to master your own brain’s emotional reactions — so you can reduce anxiety and find some peace.

Ok, ready? Can you recognize your brain “personalities” and name them accordingly? Remember you possess all of these characteristics at one time or another. One of the best ways to understand your different Characters is to imagine them at the beach.

1. LEFT BRAIN THINKING is the organizer we all have at one time or another. It plans, categorizes, counts, judges right & wrong, respects authority. For example, if it were at the beach, it would bring a well-organized bag filled with all kinds of supplies, checking all the expiration dates beforehand.

Dr. Jill’s Character #1 is  Helen.  She’s “Hell on Wheels” when she wants to get things done. My Character #1 is Mrs. Stoneburner who was a teacher for 40 years.

Can you recognize and name your Character #1 — the one who organizes?

2. LEFT BRAIN EMOTIONAL is the protector in all of us. It is our Ego.  It looks to our past to decide  if we are physically and/or emotionally safe today. It can get angry, anxious, feel shame  and loneliness.  If it were at the beach, it would worry about the sand and what’s in the water.  It would notice all the rotting seaweed and ugly litter.

Dr. Jill’s Character #2 is   Abby because she felt abandoned through birth. My Character #2 is   Janet Lee because my parents used that name when they were angry with me.

Can you recognize and name your Character #2 — the one who protects you?

3. RIGHT BRAIN EMOTIONAL is the joyful energy in all of us.  It lives in the present.  It is creative, witty and funny.  It forgives easily, is awe-inspired and empathetic.  If it were at the beach, it would be so excited it would forget sunscreen, toss the towel in a pile and run along the water’s edge celebrating.

Dr. Jill’s Character #3 is Pig Pen  flitting here & there stirring up messes. My Character #3 is Zippy running around enthusiastically.

Can you recognize and name your Character #3 — the one full of joyful energy?

4. RIGHT BRAIN THINKING is the all-knowing intelligence in all of us.  It is Love. It recognizes its connection to the Universe, to God. It accepts Life, believing everything is how it should be. It is generous, vulnerable and authentic. It is not distracted by the external world.  If it were at the beach, it would be filled with gratitude  as it hears the breaking waves and the calling birds. It would have a feeling that there is something greater than itself.

Dr. Jill’s Character #4 is   Queen Toad  because she loves living on a houseboat. My Character #4 is the number  #22  because that’s how God talks to me.

Can you recognize and name your Character #4 — the one who is all-knowing?

The truth is we don’t always like all our characters, but we definitely need all of them to thrive. It is important to appreciate all of them — even Character #2, our inner alarm, where personal growth occurs. You see, Left Brain Characters 1 & 2 are the primary ways our cells interact with the external world, while Right Brain Characters 3 & 4 connect us to the collective whole, enriching our lives. This duality, of course, can cause normal internal conflict. For example, the Left Brain may really want to get the laundry done while the Right Brain really want to play golf. The good news is that YOU get to choose.

So, I’ll see you at the course… until next time. *wink

It’ll Be OK.

“Wouldn’t you know it. Brain cells come and go, but fat cells live forever.” ~Maxine

COMMENT: Want to share any of your character names? I’d love to hear them.