Lesson Category: Insight

“There is not a single human emotional problem that is not caused by either the reality or the perception of: rejection, separation and loss of love or: weakness, belittlement and loss of power There’s nothing more … we have only two primary emotional needs: we need belonging, we need territory.”

Julian Short

We know from brain imaging that the same neural circuits are activated by threats to relationships and power as by physical threats. As the human brain developed, it did not create new neural circuitry – why reinvent the wheel. Instead the same neural circuitry was put to use – which may explain why our emotional reactions are sometimes inappropriate.

lions and aggressive work colleagues activate the same neural circuitry

Let’s consider relationships first.

Every thought, feeling and action is the result of neural connections. If you understand how these connections are made – and change – then you can begin to use your brain more effectively, rather than it using you. While the underlying principles apply to every human, each of us unique and we have to discover our own wiring and mental triggers. To do this, in the next section, I will introduce you to the 3R Approach. I believe that the 3R Approach can be the key that unlocks personal development on almost every level, enabling us to learn from every experience.

This whole program is based on the latest findings from neuroscientific research. In this section we will explore some of the core concepts and principles. Although this may appear at first glance to be theoretical and somewhat abstract, I think by the end of the section you will recognize how valuable this knowledge will be in your everyday life.