According to neuroscience, our experiences slowly change our brains. So how can you increase your positive characteristics? If you repeat the things you do that involve qualities like kindness, gratitude and compassion, these inner strengths become woven into the fabric of your brain.
One way to accomplish this is through reunions. And that’s what we just did, reconnected after 50 years! Most of us had met in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada as young girls and remained friends through college. Being together last week was magical.
Comparing notes about how our lives have played out, we realized that our parents had transmitted similar messages: get an education, stay out of trouble and maintain the family values. Some never left Winnipeg, others moved across Canada or to the United States. All were happy to share about work, travel and family, especially grandchildren.
We laughed our way through pictures of kindergarten and our 1956 Girl Guide troop. We reflected on personal changes and world-shaping events. Hovering around 70, we talked about the time we’ve been apart and how our worldview has changed. Yet we still seemed to have more in common than we ever thought possible.
We’re reinventing retirement or not retiring. Taking on new challenges or causes, we’re not ready to come to terms with the fact that we’re getting older.
And what else did I learn?
- We can readily rekindle the spark of our formative years
- We make changes but, in some ways, don’t really change at all
- We all face challenges, suffer pain and loss, experience great joy
- We each develop unique strengths that help us bounce back
The women born in ’44 hope to get together again, but not wait so long next time. In between we can all create a variety of wholesome experiences. By being mindful of the good in our lives, the thoughts and feelings that result will naturally enhance our wellbeing. They’ll also grow resources in our brain, and what could be better than that?
