Home   >   Feature   >   You Can Change Your Life

You Can Change Your Life

By on September 30, 2021
FBFAE A AB ECBB

By Michelle D. Cook-Hall

Fear is often fuel by the need to be in control, better known as pride. I know it is hard to understand this perspective but allow me to prove my case. Let’s look at an emotional disorder fueled by fear, ANXIETY. Although the fear is perceived and not factual during anxiety it is still its fuel.

Amygdala is an almond shape mass of cells located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain. There are two amygdalae situated in each brain hemisphere. It’s involved in our emotions and motivations, particularly related to survival. It is involved in the processing of emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure. Amygdala is also responsible for determining what memories are stored and where the memories are stored. Studies have led to the discovery of the location of neurons (receives, process and transmits information through electro-chemical signals) in the amygdala that are responsible for “Fear Conditioning.” Fear conditioning is a learning process by which we learn through repeated experiences to fear something. Our experiences can cause brain circuits to change and create new memories. Isn’t that amazing? It explains so much about how our experiences and perspective of those experiences can alter our lives.

For example, when my sister passed away, my brother called me at 5:30am. The call startled me and the news to rush to my mother’s house just made matters worse. After my sister’s death, every time my phone would ring in the early morning, my heart would feel like it was jumping out of my chest. My heightened perception of my previous experience with early morning phone calls deemed distressing and memories were formed associating the phone ringing at early hours with unpleasantness. This gave me an automatic flight or fight response. This response involves the activation of the sympathetic division of the peripheral nervous system. Activation of the nerves of the sympathetic division results in accelerated heart rate, dilated pupils, increase in metabolic rate, and increase in blood flow to the muscles. This activity is coordinated by the amygdala and allows us to respond appropriately to danger. There is a natural reason for every function and emotion that we experience. We were design by the creator to be prepared and protected. But there are moments when new memories and patterns are created to promote unnecessary preparation and protection.

Anxiety disorder is a perceived fear about an event that has not even happened, and with no proof that it will happen. For example, a person with anxiety might perceive a headache that last too long as a tumor or aneurysm and chest pains as a heart attack. This fear of dread is not easily shaken and can increase depending on the individual’s thinking process. If the individual continues practicing the thought process of pending dread, then more symptoms of anxiety will surface. Don’t let a thought have a hold on you, grab a hold of your thoughts. Fear and Faith are both driven by focus. If you focus on fearful things than you will be afraid because that’s what you have put in practice. If you focus on speaking life, then you will live by faith and not by sight.

The question is, what has your focus? What holds your interest? It is so important to self-evaluate yourself to insure you are focusing on the right things. Capture your thoughts, do not allow your thoughts to capture you. When you experience negative reports back-to-back, your mind start racing. Instead of allowing your mind to race creating negative patterns of thinking, capture your thoughts. But the only way you will be able to take captive every thought, is by faith. You cannot wish it way; you must put to practice speaking life and hope over yourself. Practice not entertaining every thought that comes to your mind. Don’t keep thinking about it. Don’t overthink about it. Just release it and let it go. It may sound impossible, but you do have the authority and the power to change your thinking. Even physically you can train your amygdala through simple repetition. Put to practice what you want to produce.

********

dddMichelle D. Cook-Hall is a Chicago State University Graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree and actively pursuing a Master’s in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University of Chicago. Podcast Host of Renewed Mind Revolution currently available on all listening social platforms. Author of the best-selling books Breaking Family Ties and Faith vs Fear. Michelle’s passion is empowering others to pursue their purpose.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mcookhall1

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/michellechall/

TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/michellechall

WEBSITE: www.michellechall.com

About simply...woman!

We encourage spreading the message of knowledge and wisdom. We appreciate and thank our featured partners for their articles. All information provided on Simply…Woman online magazine is for reference only; the content is based on the authors’ experiences and therefore is not intended as a substitute to the services of a fully qualified professional. Although every reasonable effort is made to present current and accurate information, Simply…Woman makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information.