Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

January 6, 2014

What Wires Together Fires Together

The human brain is constantly creating connections in order to work more efficiently.  It does this by linking behaviors and experiences that consistently occur together.  Connections in the brain are both a challenge and a benefit.  Consider the person who feels sad and alone and instinctively wants a drink; their brain has connected the feeling of loneliness with the behavior of drinking.  On the other hand, consider the sex addict who has consistently used the serenity prayer to help let go of addictive urges.  One day he finds himself saying the serenity prayer and, only in retrospect, becomes consciously aware that he had been triggered and automatically used his recovery tools.

What have I wired together through my past choices and actions?  Am I creating neuro-connections I want with my current choices and actions?  What neuro-connections do I want to change in order to allow more positives in my life?