Among all the animals living on the Earth, human beings have the largest brains relative to their bodies. Our brains are the organs that consume the most energy. The brain seems to have both regions specialized for specific functions, as well as broadly unspecialized regions. Compared with other animals’ brains, the human’s prefrontal lobes, which are involved in planning and evaluating, are particularly well developed.
Especially through the development of the pre-frontal cortex, human have the extraordinary power of choice. Not only can we choose how we will respond to given stimuli or situations, we can also produce our own novel stimuli and create our own circumstances. Through this ability to choose, we can experience and create ourselves and our world in the way that we desire.
All behaviors, memories, thoughts, and habits have corresponding neural circuits in the brain. These circuits come together to form who we are now. Theoretically, the number of neural circuits that the human brain can create by combining connections between nerve cells exceeds the number of atoms in the entire universe. This infinite combination of connections gives us, literally, infinite potential.
A network with more connections than the number of atoms in the whole universe; the infinite potential latent within that network of connections; the brain’s structural properties that make possible deep thinking and analysis, synthesis, and, more than anything else, choice–what do you think all these exist for? How will you use this potential during your lifetime? Our brains do not exist only to worry about what we will eat and what we will wear tomorrow. They are far too precious to be used only in these ways. Let’s allow our brains to pursue significant, far-reaching dreams and goals, that befit their greatness.
The most effective way to awaken the sleeping brain is to engage it in a workload that must require its full awareness and attention. Establish a big goal requiring absolutely all of your energy, abilities, and wisdom. Set up a goal that will enable you to take great leaps forward. If you create a goal that you can achieve easily, one within the scope of your limitations, then your brain will use less than 100% of its capacity. If, however, you pursue a grand, far-reaching vision, your brain will train itself accordingly and work hard to meet your expectations.