Sometimes it’s hard to know who’s doing the thinking. Is it our dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind, functional mind or our being, heart or soul?
The following is an e-mail that I sent to a client in follow up to their comment that the heart has nothing to do with thinking; thinking is all done with the mind. The heart does nothing more than pump blood.
Who is doing the thinking? Again the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind, functional mind or our being, heart or soul?
Bob Dylan was asked, “How do you handle fortune and fame?” Bob answered, “Don’t let the guy in the back seat do the driving,” meaning the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind.
Since about 1954, the limbic system of the brain has been implicated as the seat of emotion, addiction, mood, and many other mental and emotional processes. It is the part of the brain that is phylogenetic ally; very primitive. Many people call it “The Lizard Brain” because the limbic system is about all a lizard has for brain function. It is in charge of fight, flight, feeding, fear, freezing-up, and many negative emotions that occur in us almost subconsciously, without control, if we are unaware.
Here is my reply to my client.
You are number one in sales.
Yet you don’t feel the results.
You feel that there is something missing.
You are looking for the next goal.
You want to discover your values.
What I have said to you about people not knowing the difference between inspiration and motivation, the difference between values and unmet needs, the difference between the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind, functional mind or our being, heart or soul is making sense to you on some level.
You have a brilliant functional mind, being, heart and soul and at the same time your dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind is addicted to unmet needs that are likely approval, recognition, safety and worthiness. This goes hand in hand with what a manager once told about you having a fear of failure. This Unmet Needs-based fear is being created by the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind.
Your dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind is in competition with you, your functional mind, being, heart and soul which are infinite.
Only the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind can be disheartened or unfulfilled.
Your dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind is in competition with what is infinite.
You discount my thoughts about getting into the being, heart and soul of the matter.
So why don’t you just go and be number one in sales again this year for your company and be done with that and keep going doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?
They say life is about messages.
If you get the message you get an attainment and you go to the next level.
If you don’t get the message you create a problem.
If you don’t fix the problem you create a crisis.
Then you get the message.
You told Laura that you are looking after a lot of family members.
You told Laura that the exercise is boring.
Boring to who, the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind or your brilliant functional mind, being, heart and soul?
At the same time, I think it’s safe to say that the goals that you are achieving are in fact boring, boring to the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind.
Your dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind seduces you, your functional mind, being, heart and soul into thinking that you, your functional mind, being, heart and soul are going to feel inspiration as a result of achieving a goal and then when you, your functional mind, being, heart and soul have achieved the goal your dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind doesn’t allow you to feel the results.
How functional is that?
Your doctor is talking with you about your heart and what you’re saying is you’re hearing the same old same old so why bother even going.
Who is doing the thinking here?
How functional is that?
Do you need a heart attack to get the message?
Again, during our call you offered your thoughts that the mind does the thinking and the heart pumps blood.
Every day we have decisions to make, some of which we are totally unaware. We’re on automatic pilot and we just do. Routine and habit kick in.
Then come the decisions where we need to actively engage and participate in the decision.
Our being, heart and soul are like a compass and guide the direction that our lives should take based upon our values, vision, purpose and mission providing a view of the direction to take from 35,000 feet.
Our functional mind intellectualizes, organizes and compares information.
In a courtroom, the functional mind would be the defendant and plaintiff, gathering information from both sides. The being, heart and soul would be the judge, guiding us in the direction we need to take and the decisions we need to make.
The functional mind’s job is to compare and contrast.
Then there are times when the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind becomes the judge and decision maker overriding the being, heart and soul, losing its purpose.
Even when it’s completely unnecessary to think about anything, our dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind continues to ruminate. Our dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind does not know what it wants, but it is always wanting and judging based on an addiction to Unmet Needs like approval, control, power, safety and worthiness fueling Negative Emotions and Negative Beliefs about the functional mind, being, heart and soul and everything else under the sun.
The dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind can easily confuse the deliberation of the functional mind and the being, heart and soul.
Discerning the difference between the dysfunctional amygdala, ego, or limbic mind, functional mind or our being, heart or soul starts with awareness.
If you are ready to step up to the plate and get your functional mind, being, heart and soul back in the game and swing for the fences, I welcome the opportunity to work with you.
If what I’m offering isn’t of interest, that is OK, each to his own.
My outcome is to do complete work and I’m at peace whatever you decide.
International Values and Behavioral Analyst, Business Coach, Speaker and Author
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