The Winner's Brain

PEOPLE WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL in life have one thing in common:

Our combined expertise as a cognitive behavioral psychologist (Jeff) and a cognitive neuroscientist (Mark) places us in a unique position to explain how the cognitive mechanisms of the human brain are associated with success. We have seen from our respective work how the strategies shared in this book can influence thoughts and behavior and help individuals push past unpleasant life circumstances, allowing them to blossom and grow. Seeing people routinely rise above challenges—sometimes incredibly harsh ones—and consistently flourish is one of the primary reasons Jeff became so interested in the science of success. And we've also seen evidence that these same strategies can literally reshape the brain. Brains that perform successfully really do "light up" differently and work more efficiently, and Mark has investigated just how the structure and function of brains are altered as a result of how their owners use them.

We'd also like to dispel the myth that achievers are all born hardwired for success, that you are either born with a high-functioning brain or you aren't. We know that the brain changes based on what its owner chooses to do with it. And yes, you do have a certain amount of control over the process. Many of the studies we present in this book demonstrate this cause and effect convincingly. What has emerged from this research and our representative interviews is that Winners are often forced to do some extensive rewiring so they can leap over life's obstacles and stay on the path to success. In addition, many didn't start with the vast financial resources or the important personal connections you might expect. And very few fit the definition of lucky. All of them demonstrate a strategic and proactive use of brain power—they take charge of their brain's Adaptability rather than leaving it to chance or waiting for the perfect set of circumstances to present themselves.

A Winner's Brain employs definable strategies that allow it to operate more effectively. Many books about success take a purely behavioral approach but fail to tie the essential functions of the brain to specific behaviors. Yet the two are inextricably bound. How you think and behave will affect your brain, and changes in your brain can in turn further affect your thoughts and behavior.

These often surprising and unexpected tactics are based on scientific research and have been designed to boost the brain's winning capabilities. There are no gimmicky games, puzzles, or twisters here—and many of our Brainstorms can be adopted and applied almost immediately.

WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK about their brain, they don't think about it as an actual physical structure. To many, the brain is an undefined grey mass that somehow warehouses memories and experiences and controls all of our actions. But this is like defining a country only by its gross domestic product, when, in fact, it is really comprised of states, counties, municipalities, job sectors, companies, and individual workers, all contributing to the overall financial health of the country.

Cerebral Cortex: It's what helps you experience the world around you—and reflect upon it later. Think of this folded, wrinkled outermost covering of the brain as the hamster on the wheel responsible for generating your brain's considerable computational power. Often referred to as grey matter (its specialized brain cells, aka neurons, lack the insulation that gives much of the rest of the brain its white color), the cortex is important for your ability to process and interact with the world around you. The four lobes of the cortex each have broadly assigned, specialized functions: the occipital lobe (vision); the temporal lobe (hearing, language, memory, and object and scene recognition); the parietal lobe (somatosensory processing such as touch and temperature, visuospatial processing, attention, visually guided actions); and the frontal lobe (motor processing, working memory, decision making, and other higher mental functions).

3D rendering of Jeff Brown's brain by Mark Fenske.

Prefrontal Cortex: Are you able to read this book while simultaneously keeping track of when to get off the bus and thinking about the emails you need to write once you get to work? This sort of mental multitasking involves the prefrontal cortex, a region associated with making decisions, forming goals, and planning how to accomplish them, as well as making predictions based on past experience and evaluating right from wrong. The forward-most part of the frontal lobe, this region also has critical influence on your personality and on proper behavior in social situations.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC): If you want a piece of cake while you're on a diet, the ACC helps to inform other brain structures, such as the prefrontal cortex, that there is a conflict to resolve. The ACC has many cognitive and emotion-related functions, but as it relates to a Winner's Brain, it's an area associated with detecting errors, balancing emotions, and making decisions. It resides near the front and center of the brain, right above the corpus callosum.

Insula: That wave of nausea you get when you get a whiff of sour milk is courtesy of the insula, a structure buried deep within the cerebral cortex between the temporal lobe and the parietal lobe. Its proper name is actually the insular cortex, and it's linked to perceiving and experiencing certain aspects of emotion, particularly physical and psychological revulsion, as well as perception and self-awareness of our internal bodily states.

Amygdala: This almond-shaped structure is found nestled within the medial temporal lobe on each side of the brain about two inches behind the eye. The amygdala is the structure most often associated with emotion, particularly emotionally charged memories that involve learning and responses, like touching a hot stove. If you're afraid of snakes or clowns, thank your amygdala, which appears to be the area most closely associated with identifying threats and evaluating the possibility of harm.

Hippocampus: The hippocampus is best known for its role in forming the sort of long-term memories that you can talk about and relate to others, like where you went on vacation last year or which short cut to take during rush hour. Also related to spatial navigation and memory, the hippocampus is useful in helping you successfully navigate a dark room you are familiar with. This structure resides within the medial temporal lobe; it's nestled directly behind the amygdala and gradually curves upward as it extends toward the back of the brain.

Basal Ganglia: Above the amygdala and hippocampus on each side of the brain lie a group of nuclei—compact clusters of neurons—which together are known as the basal ganglia. It is considered an important component of the brain's reward and motivational systems, and much of your get-up-and-go energy is channeled through there. It's in close communication with the cerebral cortex and, among other things, helps you perform well-practiced physical actions like tying your shoes and buttoning your shirt.

These are just the highlights, but don't forget: The entire brain works together in various ways to create Winning thoughts, emotions, and actions.

THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR opened on May 27, 1933, forty years after the previous Chicago World's Fair, the Columbia Exposition of 1893, which had celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America. It was very much a science fair, and its lights and electricity were activated by rays from the star Arcturus, 40 light-years away. Visitors were awed by the towering dream city that rose up from what had been landfill and now stretched across the 427 acres of Burnham Park, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Though the fair was held in the depths of the Great Depression, more than 48 million people passed through its gates, gladly paying the 50 cents daily admission to witness the uncharted limits of human imagination and to feast upon all the information and experience the Great Fair had to offer.