A couple of recent developments. (There are more coming, but I can't tell you about those yet.) This update takes us from Yale to Independence, Missouri to The Open Center in New York. The theme is learning.

I live with a therapist. Personally, I’d rather live with a food distributor. Now, I suppose I should be careful because you humans would naturally assume that means I am unhappy. I am not. My humans are good people and I have a wonderful life. Actually, I have a better life than they do. I hate to shock you but many dogs have better lives than their humans. Not only is the alpha male of our pack a therapist, the alpha female is a writer by profession (but a dog lover by avocation.) Words and ideas seem important to my pack mates.  They have lots of books all around our house.  Words. We dogs don’t need words. We understand many more than you think. Oh we’ll respond to words like “sit,” and “wait” and “roll over” because it’s a great – and easy – way of getting what we want. That’s one of the benefits of being seriously underestimated – it’s very easy to make a good impression and win people over.  A few barks and woofs meet all our communication needs.  What many people don’t seem to realize is that words...

Happy New Year!

I have just finished reading a really wonderful book. Born to Run (Knopf, 2010)  by Christopher McDougall, already a bestseller, is a beautifully told story that touched my soul because it puts one of my favorite and essential activities – running – into a new perspective that completely resonates with why I run. Apart from the fact that as a psychologist and neuroscientist I am convinced that aerobic activity like running is the single biggest activity you can do to optimize energy, mood, metabolism, brain function and the immune system, I run for other reasons. I’m not a long distance runner -- I typically run between 5 and 10 miles. I am not in it for the competition. If I run against anyone, it’s myself. I don’t keep a journal of my times. I don’t even know my times. I run because the activity centers me and connects me with nature (I only ever run on a treadmill if there absolutely is no other option). It turns out that my running also connects me with my human heritage. If you have ever put on a pair of sneakers to even jog down the road, you should read this book.

...

My name is Howard Rankin, I am a clinical psychologist and author, born and raised in Engalnd but I have lived on Hilton Head for a long time and I am a relatively new citizen.

It used to be said that there were two things wrong with British speakers – they were inaudible and in America. I hope I am audible, I am very happy to be here and even happier that I can now call myself an American speaker.

I turn sixty today. I’ve been anticipating this day for some time. More understanding, more memories, more appreciation. But today is a special day for another reason.

 

On this date I became an American citizen. It was the proudest day of my life and something I had been aspiring to since I was 11. As a young boy in London I had found the American Forces Network Radio and taught myself  initially about baseball and football and along the way fell in love with the concept of America. And so many years later, in a  small room at the Immigration Office in Charleston, South Carolina, along with my wonderful wife and nine other new citizens, I was sworn in a member of this great country. That I then had to drive home and write a check to my new government for my taxes in no way tarnished the day. In fact, it seemed only fitting to  underscore my new responsibilities that I make my contribution on the very day I became a citizen.

I recently saw a review of the movie Easy A in the Wall Street Journal written by  Lauren Schuker, who describes the movie as a “comedic retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter that sets the story of public shaming and ostracism in a Southern California high school.” It is the story of “Olive, who after pretending to sleep with her gay best friend, earns a reputation as an easy woman.”

The movie may be hilarious but the subject matter isn’t.

Many people trying to lose weight quite naturally turn to one source or another to determine what they should eat at meal times. How many calories should I have for breakfast? What’s the best food to have at lunchtime? How much can I eat at dinner time? All these are important questions that need to be addressed because without some formal structure to meals, the chances of actually being successful on a weight loss program are minimal.

 

Many athletes who perform well during training or practice still suffer from performance anxiety on game day. If feelings of nervousness, anxiety and fear interfere with your sports performance, learning to get this anxiety under control through brain training techniques (and our videos and instruction manuals) can help reduce the game day nerves. It’s not that competition should be always be the setting for nerves of steel -- far from it. Any performance is likely to lead to some butterflies, but the key, as someone once said, is to have those butterflies fly in formation. In short, it’s not the nerves that are the problem but how you manage them.     Performance and sports anxiety comes when you become too self-conscious and this awareness interferes with your well-rehearsed neuromuscular routines. “Choking” is the result when you get too mentally active and self-aware. That increased awareness can come from simply being in front of an audience. Remember, the biggest phobia is of public speaking and that’s...

Welcome to the science of you website, a place where you can learn the information and skills that will optimize your brain and your life. I’m excited to share with you the brave new world of...e science of you website, a place where you can learn the information and skills that will optimize your brain and your life. I’m excited to share with you the brave new world of...