Mnemonics

Techniques that can help us remember more and more informations and make it easier.
As there are many techniques already known, many people know what they can do to memorize better. Anyway, I found out that a word "mnemonics" is derived from the name of the greek goddess of memory - Mnemosyne. 

I would like to share with you some techniques when we are focused on using our imagination and associations:

• mind mapping

Probably, now it's not so surprising. Making colour schemes in a personal way that helps us to think more independently, that's a interesting way to remember something better without simply repeating some informations.

http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/_images/_Images/ADVICE-AND-INFORMATION/How-to-MindMap-imindmap.jpg

• creating a story or an image

Something that can help us too, especially when we are supposed to remember many informations and it's not very creative. Long, long, very long... and to be honest, boring things that we should memorize can make more sense when our learning process is more multidimensional and multisensorial.



But there are also other techniques. We should not forget about preparing our environment and ourselves too. Much appreciated a "brain gym" that leads to a so-called optimal learning. These are special physical movements that helps us coordinate better our learning process and do it in a more natural way. Then, we have also a "relaxed concentration" linked with the alpha state when we are enough relaxed to activate our memory. Besides, we can engage our feelings. As we are not only thinkers but also we have feelings and even so called higher feelings, why not to use them?  

There is also something that we should remember too: it's much more difficult to memorize anything when someone is agitated and thus, they lose their balance. And in this case, I think, our Greek ancestors' wisdom can be helpful because they paid attention to everything that was geometrically harmonious. A discordant, noisy music as well as a messy environment can make our learning process even more difficult. More harmony within and without, that's a good way to try to remember as much as we can and in a more pleasant way. 

When life is not always what it seems

We already approached the subject of extreme sports and of taking risk.

I would like to share with you this story.

Kelly was willing to deal with adversities with courage and determination. She lost her leg at 15 from cancer. However, she didn't give up her love for sports. Before the amputation of her right leg, she was a promising netballer.Then, she was unable to practice this sport again. But there was another way and she find out that running itself could be also interesting. So finally, she loved it.

A great example of how we can turn failures to opportunities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiaZubSIRMk

Sometimes life itself can be like an extreme sport :-).

Why do people like to take risks?

That's a good question.

According to research at Vanderbilt Univeristy, the reason is that a risky activity is a good source of dopamine in the brain. "Feeling good" while doing risky things, it sounds crazy!

However, how many people dare to act illogically in their everyday life?

The woman who was talking about her adrenaline addiction and doing rap jumping, swimming with sharks... She admitted to avoiding such things when she was at work. However, she enjoys challenging herself.

Maybe that's another explanation. Maybe people tend to challenge themselves because they want to prove something, surpass themselves, gain mastery. But somehow, they don't want to do the same thing when they know that it includes their everyday activities.

So maybe it's a desire to escape from stressful circumstances in their lives, from problems that are too much difficult for them. Everyone can have such a temptation. And there are people who do it almost every time they encounter an obstacle. Then, they can drink too much, take harmful substances and do other things that are obviously destructive. Sometimes people are aware of dangers but they lose control anyway. Why?

I think it's a big risk to do something while losing control over ourselves.
By the way, is it possible to take risks and be in control at once...? And even if we can't control everything, is it worth denying our ability to take control when we know we can lose something very important?

I think we want to relieve tension linked with our everyday lives. And maybe for some people who do crazy and risky things it seems the only way to forget about their responsability for something or someone, including themselves...