Up until ten years ago, the prevailing thought was that our brains were basically the same potential the day we were born until the day we died. As Supervisor to American Mensa, the “High IQ” organization that allows only the top 2 percent of the population on intelligence tests in their organization, I have been reflecting this core belief of genetic intelligence as a standard of scientific basis. However, with the advance of brain scans and increased capability to measure neuron function down to a single cell, I have had to concede that not only can the brain get “smarter and better balanced,” but this process lasts a lifetime. And to put the new findings into greater relevance, the smarter you get the happier you get.

One of the principles of improved brain plasticity, as mentioned in my book entitled The IQ Answer, is that neurons (the brain cells) tend to gravitate toward high activity centers. Much like we develop motor skills to learn to ride a bicycle, the motor cells will accumulate as you build the coordination to keep yourself going. It takes trial-and-error for the brain to coordinate the neurons and accumulate enough for the practice to establish the high level of balancing and muscles to finally build the “package” of neuron connections for bicycling that seems to stay in place for decades.

Consider how emotional “packages” of neurons can be developed that establishes negative-affective states, such as depression and anxiety. These complexes can be replaced by “pleasure” bundles of nerve networks that are much less destructive to one’s life, which as a reinforcer for change. Too often people use this same appeal to become addictive to drug-induced states. You can train your brain to be happy and free from stress.

The first step in re-shaping your brain in its emotional reaction, as well as mental intelligence, is to destabilize the restrictive nerve bundles, perhaps breaking the sequence altogether. Instead of thinking how to do mathematics one way, learn to do it in other ways. If you can’t get out of a stress storm, take charge and re-train to do what you want it to. But first, you have to stop the thinking process. How do you do that? One of the most common ways is to change your breathing patterns. The brain, and the whole body, responds to the patterns of how you breathe. For example, consider that you might breathe 22 cycles a minute, and your brain thinks that you are in danger (the rabbit breath rate.) Naturally you are going to have a brain that reacts in anxiety storms. You won’t be able to think clearly for mental exercises because you would be in survival mode and looking for quick answers instead of thinking through logical solutions. Start breathing in 12-14 cycles and get your brain processing in a more normal state. There are other ways of stopping thinking patterns, like going on vacation, listening to certain music, exercising, etc.

Step two for changing your brain for better emotional solutions is while you have destabilized the anxious brain pattern, establish the pattern you want. Like learning how to multiple or ride a bicycle, find your pattern you like. I have found listening to favorite music tunes works like magic. Some people listen to gospel songs all day, and all they have to do is hum a familiar phrase, and BOOM they are in their preferred states. Romantic songs do it for me, especially Willy Nelson.

As I said, you have to practice what you want or the destructive brain storms return. The more you learn to train your brain for what you desire, the better you can accomplish what you want.

The critical kicker to maintaining your skills in brain plasticity is celebrating your abilities. Similar to the research on behavioral modification, the brain loves adoration. You deserve the slap on the back to brag on yourself. Once I trained my visional acuity from 20/80 to 20/20 and I gave myself a little party. I gave a gift of a new car to remind myself of how well I did. I am now 68, 40 years later, and I still have 20/30, although the car has gone to other junk by now.

I do not consider myself extraordinary in any sense, but my years on psychology have awed me with my brain and all it can do, if you will give yourself a chance. It may sound ridiculous, but that is the stuff of growth. And you have the power to make a difference in your life at any time you want it.