The hardest working man in show business – Mr. James Brown – had it right. If you want to make better decisions, solve tough problems effectively, and stay clear headed in the face of stress – it helps if you can say – “I feel good!!”

We usually think that good decision-making is a process of thinking. And it is.

But, the quality of your thinking depends on how you’re feeling.
To quote from a study by researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara “positive affect leads to greater cognitive flexibility and facilitates creative problem solving”. There’s a lot of neurobiology behind short statement. The neurotransmitter dopamine is involved.
The evidence is convincing and overwhelming: you and the people you work with are more effective when you’re feelin’ good.

And to feel good doesn’t require attending a James Brown concert.

Alas, that is no longer possible.

You can establish the degree of positive affect needed to enhance your problem-solving in under 60 seconds. Your brain doesn’t need a lot of prompting. Tiny mental shifts are enough to activate powerful neural pathways.

All you have to do is briefly focus your mind on something positive – creating a mental image that evokes, for you, a sense of beauty. Take three conscious breaths and feel the positive qualities of that image sinking into your body. You can do this with your eyes open of closed. It’s that simple.

For further teachings from James Brown go to:“I feel good!!!”

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