Daily We Wire Entire Nations for War or Peace

We need more Gandhi Institutes for Nonviolence, but I’m especially grateful for the one we have here in Rochester. The next step? Let’s  bring interactive peacemaking curriculum into more secondary schools! Let’s teach peace literacy at least as much as we teach war strategies.

The actions we do daily can lead to kindness or killing. Actions to  negotiate peace across differences, or diminish those who differ literally wire and rewire our brains for and against peaceful resolutions.

Dr. Norman Doidge stated in his book, The Brain that Changes Itself that the US literally wired an entire nation’s brain for war! Paul Chappell states that peace literacy can lead to global peace. I say we  rewire mentally for war or peace daily – determined by what we choose and then do when conflicts arise. What do you say?

Fact is – the brain uses different equipment for facilitating peaceful resolutions across differences, than killing foes for any reasons.

What if your brain could help you sidestep anger, revenge and panic?

You may remember namungos – those fictional characters, with real brain parts! But did you know these magical characters offer real tools from your own mental stockpiles to help you let go of problems that exist in order to propose peaceful resolutions that benefit all concerned? I’m thinking of those who create chaos, compared to those who facilitate priceless gems for richer lives when challenges arise.

Brain Based Tips to Rewire for Peaceful Solutions in Your Circles

Namungos offer 6 surefire ways to lead a robust peace plan forward ~

1. BAS stores good habits that peace minded people build – such as showing empathy for those who differ. Good habits such as welcoming all store and become practices easily retrieved when differences arise.

Welcoming choices help us bypass the brain’s pack-rat basal ganglia which warehouses ruts such as revenge like squirrels stockpile nuts in winter. It’s about choice. Choose comfortable revenge stored in BAS, or step into finer habits that open doors into peaceful ventures? Those aware of BAS ditch angry basal ganglia responses faster and run with robust peace practices that surprise with delight.

2. SERO fuels laughter at silly mistakes you and others make so that confidence is built along with expectation to do better in the next run through. SERO can be raised in several observable ways that help you at every stage to cultivate wellbeing and foster wonder with every new step.

By now – you likely know that serotonin – the brain’s wellbeing chemical – packs new zest when we laugh off mistakes. Get others laughing too and serotonin sends its magic across an entire room.

3. PLAS literally reshapes your brain for more peace and less panic when you disrupt a tired habit with a finer upshot.  How so? Watch PLAS change your brain for less anger, when you simply ask, What if…? and then act on new approaches that benefit you and others in similar measures. Take even one extravagant step to risk peace and tether hope to a future together.

Your plasticity (the brain’s ability to change itself) reshapes after each peaceful action you risk and then do. Yes – it takes action! You grow more brainpower with each peaceful move to offset warring dangers.

4. WM works in your favor when you jot down peace building tips learned from peacemakers you admire. Add hints and insights to show how you’ll lead a peaceful solution  next time you meet conflict. Expect to forget even the best ideas for peace, if not applied, because your working memory acts like a computer’s copy-paste file. How so?

When new facts to gain peace fly in from any current idea encountered, your brain’s thimble sized capacity for peacemaking facts gets displaced. Outsource working memory wonder by creating cheat sheets of peaceful tactics you will try to act on.

5. CORT attacks those who fail to run from vents and people who sprout them. To avoid CORT’s toxins, offer a peace proposal and help to improve a thing you dislike. What do vents trigger? CORT says it best.

Cortisol is the brain’s toxic stress chemical – and it packs a sucker punch to all when we vent, rage, regret, gloat, or nay-say. Get yourself and others proposing mental make-overs wherever you spot snags and those flawed moves will fade as cortisol decreases. The brain’s surefire path from vents to peaceful solutions is to propose a possibility that resolves a problem with benefits for all – across people’s differences.

6. MYG leaves you emotionally stuck in untamed mode unless you amp up emotional IQ when stress stirs up anger. Some call it taming your amygdala which is the brain’s seat of emotions. Why should you refuse to settle for an untamed MYG when conflict comes?

MYG stands for your amygdala – the brain’s storehouse that stockpiles every kind shout out you make for a peer, every thanks you offer a neighbor or colleague, every smile you flash to a coach or mentor! A tamed amygdala sets the stage for life-changing peaceful takeaways  in ways that get you more bang for every emotional buck. Worth a shot?

Ready to rock more brainpower for your next challenge?

Will you become one of the few who takeaway more benefits through peaceful tactics? If so, expect to rock electrifying opportunities that may well remain hidden unless awakened through mindful peacemaking moves. How so?

Hangout with people who differ and highlight your mental achievements together with an interactive celebration of innovation where all learn and all teach for instance and engage others in disruptive innovations? My groups and grad students use the unique 10-step mutual mentoring process to ensure namungo benefits to all, regardless of their developmental levels.

Check out this brief namungo video to see mental assets namungos could bring to help transform your next war-inducing problem into a wilder peace possibility that benefits all concerned.

What will you do today to awaken peaceful minds and lead fresh innovations across? How might a numungo or fun fictitious character with real brain parts, help you become a peacemaker?

Secondary students especially benefit from peaceful strategies that lower stress and release their growth mindset here! At my TpT site  is a student ready resource that could boost morale and lower stress – in spite of differences –  for your teens. Your turn?

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Created by Ellen Weber, Brain Based Tasks for Growth Mindset