16 Surest Ways To Increase Brainpower
By: Charles Segun Adegbite
(First published on December 11, 2020 at 8:58AM)
Of all the powers that every human being needs to develop and protect jealously, brainpower is the first. Why? Out of it comes mind-power, spiritual power, financial, political, technological and all other powers you may possess or want to boast of.
Nobody can talk to God outside the use of his or her mind. And the mind is in the brain. Likewise nobody can become wealthy or influential in any society whose brainpower is very weak.
It is the possession and development of this power that makes the difference between a shoe cobbler in your neighborhood and a university professor, a computer typist in your office and the Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerbergs of this world.
How can we increase our brain powers, raise our intelligent quotient (IQ) and operate at optimum level ? The following steps will help achieve them:
1) MEDITATE: By cultivating the habit of meditating daily; having quiet time on life issues, goals for the day or any other important matter, one can generate ideas and get answers to a lot of questions or solve a lot of problems.
In the Holy Bible (Joshua 8:1) God says: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." God in the holy book recommends reading and meditation as being very necessary for us to achieve good success.
2) DEVELOP GOOD THINKING HABIT: There are a lot of thinking skills anyone can develop which, when they become habit, will increase the brainpower a lot . Among these are: Strategic Thinking, Creative Thinking, Possibility Thinking, Realistic Thinking, e.t.c.
By doing this often, it will become habit and enhance the capacity of the brain to think more and function better.
3) EXERCISE DAILY: Physical exercise makes oxygen to be released to all parts of the body as blood flows freely through the veins and arteries, thereby releasing energy to every part of the body, including the brain.
If you look at octogenarians like former Nigeria President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and Founder/President of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Aare Are Babalola, and some of their contemporaries who still work for hours daily and engage in a lot of activities you will discover that they are both physically strong and mentally alert.
Whereas, their contemporaries who, after retirement, confine themselves to sedentary lifestyle soon become tired and develop a lot of diseases like: diabetes, eye disease, Alzheimer's and eventually suffer stroke.
Brain functions improve when you exercise the body everyday, because it helps to keep our brain sharp.
4) LEARN DAILY: As physical exercise makes the body strong, so learning daily makes the brain stronger. In 2007, 84-year-old American billionaire and investor, Charlie Munger told a crowd of aspiring law students some secrets to success in life and said,
“I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest, sometimes not even the most diligent, but they are learning machines. They go to bed every night a little wiser than they were when they got up. And boy, does that help, particularly when you have a long run ahead of you?.”
That superrich man, Warren Buffet was reported to be reading 600-1000pages per day in his early days when he started his investment career and still devotes 80% of his daily activities to reading now.
Another superrich man, Bill Gates, a lifelong bookworm, reportedly reads 50 books in a year, apart from visiting new places and meeting interesting people to acquire new knowledge. And this make them perform better and develop strong and superior intelligence.
In his book, "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth" Dr John Maxwell points out, "If you keep learning and growing everyday over the course of many years, you will be astounded by how far it will take you."
5) SLEEP BETTER: Sleeping makes the brain relax after a lot of activities. It helps improve memory, reduce stress and make brain function better after a lot of mental or physical exercises. While excess sleep is not good for the body insufficient sleep is not good for the brain.
6) EAT BRAIN FOODS: Some foods are specifically good for your brain. Foods like oily fish (Titus, mackerel, ) soya beans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cashew nuts and their oil which are rich in Omega-3 fat and good for brain. Likewise tomatoes, blueberries, eggs, chicken, blackcurrant, red pepper, leafy green vegetable, citrus fruits, brown rice, whole-grains, and other antioxidant foods, because they protect the brain from free radicals and let brain function better.
Another superrich man, Bill Gates, a lifelong bookworm, reportedly reads 50 books in a year, apart from visiting new places and meeting interesting people to acquire new knowledge. And this make them perform better and develop strong and superior intelligence.
In his book, "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth" Dr John Maxwell points out, "If you keep learning and growing everyday over the course of many years, you will be astounded by how far it will take you."
5) SLEEP BETTER: Sleeping makes the brain relax after a lot of activities. It helps improve memory, reduce stress and make brain function better after a lot of mental or physical exercises. While excess sleep is not good for the body insufficient sleep is not good for the brain.
6) EAT BRAIN FOODS: Some foods are specifically good for your brain. Foods like oily fish (Titus, mackerel, ) soya beans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cashew nuts and their oil which are rich in Omega-3 fat and good for brain. Likewise tomatoes, blueberries, eggs, chicken, blackcurrant, red pepper, leafy green vegetable, citrus fruits, brown rice, whole-grains, and other antioxidant foods, because they protect the brain from free radicals and let brain function better.
All these foods, according to www.bbcgoodfood.com and a study published by America Journal of Epidemiology make brain function better.
7) DEVELOP YOUR INTUITION: By developing your ability to get knowledge from within your mind, through the inner voice you develop strong intuition. It is an essential part of the brainpower, from the mind. Einstein and others have relied heavily on their intuitive hunches.
When the then Nigeria military President Ibrahim Babangida launched his political transition programme in 1986 and the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo was asked to comment on it, he said, "I do pray and I will fervently continue to pray that I may proved wrong. But something within me tells me loud and clear that we have embarked on a fruitless search. At the end of the day when we imagine the new order is here, we would be terribly disappointed."
In 1987 Awolowo died. But Babangida continued his transition programme and wasted a lot of billion Naira on it for 7years. On June 12, 1993 Nigerians voted for their choice president, Chief M.K.O. Abiola which was regarded as the most peaceful, free and fair election in Nigeria history. But by the time they thought the new order has come, they were terribly disappointed.
Babangida annulled the election and ended the transition programme in total failure, left the whole country in a prolonged crisis that lasted for another five years before the nation later witnessed democracy. This is a demonstration of Awolowo's power of intuition. What his inner voice told him in 1986 came into reality. A lot of great men and women became great through the development of their intuition by listening to that inner voice.
In Christianity, the Holy Bible states in Job 32: 8-18 , "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding . Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment". But in Psychology they talk of unconscious mind which connects one with the Superconscious Mind
8) DEVELOP YOUR CREATIVITY: Creativity gives power to your thinking. Raw computation can be done by computers now, but humans provide the creative thought that shapes our world.
9) USE TECHNIQUES FOR CLEAR THINKING: Cluttered rooms and offices can contribute to cluttered thinking. Organize a space for mental work. Sigh, stretch, and take a deep breath before you start on a tough mental job. Plan some distraction-free time for brainstorming.
10) HAVE IMAGINARY FRIENDS: Talking to and getting advice from characters in your mind can be a great way to access the information in your subconscious mind. Imagine a conversation with a person who has a lot of knowledge in the area you want advice in.
11) DO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY : This is a way to both lower stress and rev up your brain. The key is to do something active. Watching TV doesn't count. Whether it is playing Scrabble or building birdhouses, when you are actively engaged in an activity that you enjoy, you worry less about things and you start to think better.
12) ADJUST YOUR BELIEF: Questions a wrong belief you have been holding unto for a long time, if it is not making you get better. Believe you are smarter, and you'll become smarter. For this, affirmations may work, but even better is evidence. Make a note of your successes. Tell yourself, "Hey, that was really creative," when you do something creative. When you have a good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own intelligence and you'll start to experience more of it.
13) LEARN A NEW THING: This is another way to exercise the brain. It can also be done with little time investment if you use books-on-tapes while driving. By constantly learning new things you make your brain to get exercised and active.
14) WALK. Exercise has been shown to benefit the brain, and walking is one of the best exercises for many. It is low impact, and the rhythmic nature of it seems to put you in a state that is very conducive to clear thinking. In fact, carry a tape recorder with you to take notes, and a twenty minute walk can be a great way to solve problems. Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye of the Redeemed Christians Church of God does this daily
15) BE INQUISITIVE, ASK QUESTIONS: Desire to know everything you did not know, and asking intelligent questions helps a lot in increasing brainpower. Every great inventor and people who have achieved greatness in life started by asking a lot of questions and find answers to them. How can I do this thing? Why continuing? e.t.c.
Be inquisitive, Ask questions. This is a great way to keep your brain in shape. Just get in the habit of asking questions often, even if it is only in your own mind. Why are taller buildings better? what is the purpose of curbs? Ask anything that comes to mind, and ponder the possible answers.
16) AVOID UNNECESSARY ARGUMENTS: When you defend a position too vigorously, especially when it is just to "win" the argument, you invest your ego into it. This is not conducive to the easy acceptance and use of new information. In other words, you put your mind in a rut, and you dig it deeper with each argument. Debate can be a valuable thing if you give your own points and listen to that of other's, but when the ego takes over, the mind closes a little. In that case, you won't be able to get their views and learn from their own experience or wealth of knowledge.
7) DEVELOP YOUR INTUITION: By developing your ability to get knowledge from within your mind, through the inner voice you develop strong intuition. It is an essential part of the brainpower, from the mind. Einstein and others have relied heavily on their intuitive hunches.
When the then Nigeria military President Ibrahim Babangida launched his political transition programme in 1986 and the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo was asked to comment on it, he said, "I do pray and I will fervently continue to pray that I may proved wrong. But something within me tells me loud and clear that we have embarked on a fruitless search. At the end of the day when we imagine the new order is here, we would be terribly disappointed."
In 1987 Awolowo died. But Babangida continued his transition programme and wasted a lot of billion Naira on it for 7years. On June 12, 1993 Nigerians voted for their choice president, Chief M.K.O. Abiola which was regarded as the most peaceful, free and fair election in Nigeria history. But by the time they thought the new order has come, they were terribly disappointed.
Babangida annulled the election and ended the transition programme in total failure, left the whole country in a prolonged crisis that lasted for another five years before the nation later witnessed democracy. This is a demonstration of Awolowo's power of intuition. What his inner voice told him in 1986 came into reality. A lot of great men and women became great through the development of their intuition by listening to that inner voice.
In Christianity, the Holy Bible states in Job 32: 8-18 , "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding . Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment". But in Psychology they talk of unconscious mind which connects one with the Superconscious Mind
8) DEVELOP YOUR CREATIVITY: Creativity gives power to your thinking. Raw computation can be done by computers now, but humans provide the creative thought that shapes our world.
9) USE TECHNIQUES FOR CLEAR THINKING: Cluttered rooms and offices can contribute to cluttered thinking. Organize a space for mental work. Sigh, stretch, and take a deep breath before you start on a tough mental job. Plan some distraction-free time for brainstorming.
10) HAVE IMAGINARY FRIENDS: Talking to and getting advice from characters in your mind can be a great way to access the information in your subconscious mind. Imagine a conversation with a person who has a lot of knowledge in the area you want advice in.
11) DO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY : This is a way to both lower stress and rev up your brain. The key is to do something active. Watching TV doesn't count. Whether it is playing Scrabble or building birdhouses, when you are actively engaged in an activity that you enjoy, you worry less about things and you start to think better.
12) ADJUST YOUR BELIEF: Questions a wrong belief you have been holding unto for a long time, if it is not making you get better. Believe you are smarter, and you'll become smarter. For this, affirmations may work, but even better is evidence. Make a note of your successes. Tell yourself, "Hey, that was really creative," when you do something creative. When you have a good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own intelligence and you'll start to experience more of it.
13) LEARN A NEW THING: This is another way to exercise the brain. It can also be done with little time investment if you use books-on-tapes while driving. By constantly learning new things you make your brain to get exercised and active.
14) WALK. Exercise has been shown to benefit the brain, and walking is one of the best exercises for many. It is low impact, and the rhythmic nature of it seems to put you in a state that is very conducive to clear thinking. In fact, carry a tape recorder with you to take notes, and a twenty minute walk can be a great way to solve problems. Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye of the Redeemed Christians Church of God does this daily
15) BE INQUISITIVE, ASK QUESTIONS: Desire to know everything you did not know, and asking intelligent questions helps a lot in increasing brainpower. Every great inventor and people who have achieved greatness in life started by asking a lot of questions and find answers to them. How can I do this thing? Why continuing? e.t.c.
Be inquisitive, Ask questions. This is a great way to keep your brain in shape. Just get in the habit of asking questions often, even if it is only in your own mind. Why are taller buildings better? what is the purpose of curbs? Ask anything that comes to mind, and ponder the possible answers.
16) AVOID UNNECESSARY ARGUMENTS: When you defend a position too vigorously, especially when it is just to "win" the argument, you invest your ego into it. This is not conducive to the easy acceptance and use of new information. In other words, you put your mind in a rut, and you dig it deeper with each argument. Debate can be a valuable thing if you give your own points and listen to that of other's, but when the ego takes over, the mind closes a little. In that case, you won't be able to get their views and learn from their own experience or wealth of knowledge.
By doing all the aforementioned, your brain power will increase more. And if you continue to do it, with time the cummulative effects of this will turn you into a genius.
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