I like to be completely in control of every single element of my life. I think that's probably natural. But there are things we can't control:
- We can't control cancer
- We can't control mortality
- We can't control the weather
- We can't control the feelings of others
- Hell, most of the time we cannot control our own feelings
I'm learning to control my control freakish behaviours with this awesome book, The Chimp Paradox.
This book is awesome. It breaks down the mind into 3 sections:
- The human
- The chimp
- The computer
The human is the part of you that works on fact, that works without emotion and that responds based on concrete fact.
The chimp is the part of you that behaves based on emotion. The chump uses instinct and feeling to formulate its behaviours and responses.
The computer is the part of your mind that handles pre-programmed behaviours and these can be stored there by either the human or the chimp.
Identifying at any time which part of your brain is in control (the human or the chimp is as simple as asking yourself: "Do I want to feel like this or behave like this?" If the answer is no, then it's chimp behaviour.
Now, I'm not usually one for 'psycho babble' but this book is incredible. Just understanding your behaviours (the ones out of your immediate control) is incredibly powerful. If you're someone who struggles with anger, jealousy, erratic emotions or misjudged overreaction then this is for you.
Enjoy :)
