WIRED FOR SUCCESS: The Science of Possibility: Srini Pillay, MD at TEDxRockCreekPark

At this Tedx event, Srini Pillay, M.D. tells us a story that depicts how our brains are wired to help us achieve our goals and manifest our dreams. By telling the story of how he got to Harvard with a seemingly random telephone call, he explains that the brain may not be quite as random as we think it is. Success in anything, whether it is relationships, work or career or school requires tapping into the brain's navigator, which Srini describes in this video. A brain "GPS" system including the posterior parietal cortex is wired to help us navigate our way through space, and sometimes, it gets the "engine" running and the "car" moving long before we are consciously aware of it. This phenomenon, which some call intuition or pre-emptive perception is really brain activation that occurs under the radar. We may have no conscious awareness of this, but memories, emotions, thoughts and intentions are all "data" that the GPS processes in order to construct a map and visual guide to take us to our goals. Sometimes the map is wrong-and sometimes the GPS takes us to the wrong place-but the brain is capable of updating where we need to go, and will do this more and more accurately if we connect deeply with our intentions. This is not just a thought-it is a fact. Brain imaging studies show us that following the guide of our intentions is much stronger than following the guides of external signs when we want to get somewhere and are lost. This is because intention helps us remember how our prior actions led to certain outcomes so that we can correct future outcomes. Couple this with a strong vision of where we want to go, and the brain becomes fueled to help us achieve the purpose we had always wanted to achieve. Life, Srini explains, is not as much a series of random events as we might think. We are only beginning to understand how our brains works-and we are only beginning to understand how to leverage the way the GPS works. Whenever we talk to successful people about how they achieved their dreams, they inevitably ask us to connect with our deepest passion. And we often go searching for this passion, not knowing how to find it, or why this can be so impactful on manifesting our dreams. Now we know that connecting with our emotions starts brain "build up"-it says to your brain "this is where I want to go" and "this is where I want you to take me." So the brain hears this and does all that it can to take you there. If you stay connected with your intention, believe (that your brain can take your there), visualize what you want to reach your goals (this actually stimulates the action center of the brain) and accept and allow your emotions to exist, you will have an ideal dataset to program your brain's navigator to take you to your goals. You don't have to know how to get to your goals to start moving. Every step is more one data point for your brain's GPS to help you get to your highest purpose, deepest mission and goal.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)