Take care to feed and stimulate your brain and you will expand your mind. The two are inextricably connected. We need to see the human brain and mind with wonder, awe and inspiration.

The brain is the equivalent of a human supercomputer. It is more complicated than any computer mankind has ever made, and maximizing its ability is essential to becoming the success you want to be—because it controls who you are. It is the command center involved in and controlling absolutely everything you do, determining how you think, feel and act.

Simply put: When your brain is working at peak performance, it allows you to be your best because it controls the rest.

Related: How to Exponentially Improve Your Performance​

There are some basic influences on the brain that shape how it functions and how far it develops, including genes, self-talk, life experiences, stress and study. Although these things influence the brain, they do not determine how far you can go or what you can learn. In other words, you have the incredible opportunity to go as far as you desire.

So with such a tremendous tool at our disposal, what keeps so many people from experiencing the possibilities that it can bring? There are some simple barriers that have the potential to wreak havoc on your learning if you allow them to, but you can overcome them. The key to breaking through these barriers is to do the opposite…

1. Change your beliefs.

Many people do not believe that they can learn, master knowledge or become “smart.” These are deeply held beliefs for many, and ultimately, if we do not believe it, we will not achieve it.

So change your beliefs. It is up to you to do the work of changing your beliefs. And when you do, you will be opening up new worlds—literally! Feed your mind with information that will change your belief. The truth is that you have an amazing mind with a capacity for learning that is beyond your comprehension. You must believe this. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.

2. Get the right knowledge.

What keeps some people from learning is that they choose not to access or do not have access to knowledge. Knowledge comes from experiences, books, people and other “knowledge dispensers.” We must tap into that knowledge.

So get the right knowledge. Words if they are not true are meaningless. I hear children say, “I read it in a book.” But is it true? Just because someone says it or writes it, doesn’t mean it is true. As a learner, you want to get the right knowledge, not just information or opinions. It is your job to seek out information and knowledge and then test it and run it through your mind to see if it is true, and if it can be rightfully applied to your life in order to make it better and help you succeed. You need to weigh and measure what you learn in order to gain the right knowledge. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.

3. Become passionate about learning.

Some people simply do not have the desire to learn. They may be lazy, or they may not see the positive impact that learning would have on them. They have no passion inside that drives them to learn.

So become passionate about learning. This will take some work, but the only way to do it is to begin learning about things that have an immediate impact in your life. When you learn about a new financial concept that helps you earn money or get out of debt, that will get you fired up. When you learn about how to interact with your family in a healthy way and your relationships get better, that will inspire you. Become passionate about learning. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.

4. Discipline yourself through the hard work of study.

Gaining knowledge is hard work and takes a lifetime to master. It is an ongoing discipline that is never complete.

So discipline yourself through the hard work of study. Learning will take work. Until someone comes up with modules that can plug into your mind and give you instant access to knowledge, you are on your own, and that takes work. The process of learning is a long one. Yes, we can speed it up, but it is still a process of reading, listening, reviewing, repetition, applying the knowledge, experiencing the outcomes, readjusting, etc. Simply put, that takes time. Slowly but surely, when you discipline yourself, you gain knowledge and learn. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind.

Learning is possible, no matter what your age. You are never too young or too old. Your mind was created to learn and has a huge capacity to do so. This week, make a commitment to unlock the potential of your mind!

By Jim Rohn

Courtesy: success magazine

Success Series 1: What is Success to You?

It feels good to be back here after a hiatus largely due to my mother’s death over 9 months ago. In as much as I feel ashamed to admit it, I was really hit by this one. Mostly because I did not see it coming, so I wasn’t prepared for the shock, kind of. I had to start “preaching” to myself all the sermons and motivational stuff I was accustomed to telling others. Indeed, I learnt a great lesson from that experience, knew myself better and I have grown as a result of it. You know, it is very easy to tell others to cheer up, be bold and all that stuff, but when you face a similar situation, it’s a different ball game.

It was Albert Einstein who said “adversity introduces a man to himself” I couldn’t agree more with that saying. Until life hits you hard, until you hit rock bottom or face real adversity, you never can tell what your actions or reactions would be. I have learnt to be more empathetic, human, sensitive to the feelings of others and gentle with the frailties of failings of other people. You never know until you find yourself in the same spot.

This year, I want to start with a series of blogs on success. Why success you may ask? My response is simple: inbuilt in every human being is a strong desire to succeed. Nobody wants to fail or be seen as a failure. So, based on my study of successful people, my own little success and what life has taught me in my over four decades of existence, I will attempt to share some of these principles which I believe we all need to learn and imbibe to be successful.

For today, let’s focus on this aspect of success: Success means different things to different people. Quit comparing yourself to others. You are unique in your own way. Growing up, our parents were used to comparing us to other kids. You’d hear comments like “see, Alex took first position in class, you are 39th out of a class of 40. What is wrong with you? Does Alex not have same number of eyes, head, ears and so on as you?” This is just one example; I am sure you had your own experiences too. Believe me, those comparisons rather than make us better, only ended up making us bitter, discouraged, jealous and feeling like failures. Someone once said it is better to fail being yourself than trying to imitate someone else.

To one man, success might be owing a mansion, to another it could be just being able to provide food for his family. One person’s definition of success could be abundant wealth and luxuries, while another just wants to live an exemplary life and raise Godly children. As you begin this new year, I encourage you start from the basics – define what success means to you. What is that thing or achievement that would give you the most satisfaction? Listen to your heart. Look inwards, find the answers to what success means to you from within, not outside.

Exercise: Get a book and ask yourself “if whatever you want in life is possible to get, what would you ask for? what would you desire?” That’s the starting point. Don’t let anyone set the standards for you. Never let anyone place a limit on what you are capable of achieving or becoming. Nobody has such rights over you and I say this with all certainty.

I would like to read your comments and thoughts on what success means to you. Please share your ideas, comments and questions. Let’s discuss. Till then, see you next week.