Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning

“As the acceptance of expanded human potential gains mainstream momentum, the question has shifted from “What is possible in our lives?” to “How do we do it? How do we awaken our extraordinary potential in everyday life?” (Dr. Joe Dispenza).

Today we will look at these questions and take a shallow dive, not a deep one, as there are many layers to how exactly we live up to the full potential we all have within us, or like the name of Joe Dispenza’s book, Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon. Today we will begin this exploration and identify clear strategies to awaken the extraordinary potential in each of us.Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.

For today’s episode #306, we are going to look closely at the work of someone I have been forbidden by my mentor and neuroscience certification trainer, Mark Waldman, to EVER interview. When I first launched this podcast back in 2019, there were many reasons for WHY I wanted to bridge the gaps I saw in the field of education and the workplace, with practical neuroscience. To do this, I knew I needed training and obtained an Advanced Certification in Mindfulness-based Neurocoaching, where one of the MANY requirements for this Certification was that I had to show an application of practical neuroscience in the world, or just show that I was using what I was learning to help others. I told Mark Waldman about my podcast, and had him of for one of our early EP #30[i] in December of 2019 and shared with him my vision of who I would interview, and where I wanted to take this podcast. He told me he liked this idea, but since I was going to use this for his Certification requirement, he said “You must never interview anyone who covers pseudoscience” and said I must keep true evidence-based science (proven from articles on Pubmed) at the forefront. I thought, of course, why would I want to cover fake science and spread that into the world, and then he said it. “You must never interview Joe Dispenza!” And I thought “Oh no!” I love that guy. His name was written on my wall as a potential future guest and while I agreed at the time to keep the podcast focused on science, I never did cross Dr. Dispenza off my list.

I first heard about Joe Dispenza when I worked in the motivational speaking industry and while I knew about his seminars, how crazy the results were that people obtained, and some of the advanced technologies he used like epigenetics testing, brain mapping with EEGs and gas discharge visualization technology (GDV). I also knew that some people, including Mark Waldman, would consider Joe Dispenza’s work to be pseudoscience, but I always put the results first in my mind, and hoped that one day, science could help prove what he has been teaching for years.

Joe Dispenza says it himself in the first few pages of his book, Becoming Supernatural. He writes:

Dr. Dispenza let go of his critics and decided to move forward with wanting to share his message with the world. He believes in a world where possibility exists, and he will challenge our thinking using his own personal experience of transformation, through meditation and his ability to change his health (which really could be applied to any area of your life-change your results, finances, whatever it is you want to change) purely by changing our thoughts.

This was one of the first concepts Bob Proctor from EP 66[ii] taught in his seminars. We had to change our thinking first in order to change our future results. We had Adele Spraggon on EP #184[iii] where she teaches about the importance of paying attention to our feelings before we think and act with her concept she writes about in her Shift book, so we can begin to make our habits work for us, instead of against us.

So here are some questions I’ve been looking for an answer to since I launched this podcast 5 years ago. I wonder:

Can our current, present day thoughts impact our future? Can we impact our own health (and results for that matter) purely by what we think? Can my energy influence another person, and can someone else’s energy influence mine?...

“With change comes uncertainty, fear, and anxiety, and the tendency to cling to the status quo—perhaps the last thing we want to do in a fast-changing world.”

Watch this episode on YouTube here https://youtu.be/Bru26OZnlmI

Chris Marshall, from his book, Decoding Change, Understanding what the heck is going on, and why we should be optimistic about our future.

We will cover:

✔ Do we ALL feel intuitively that the world is going through radical change?

✔ What happens to our creative and decision-making ability during times of change?

✔ Strategies and mechanisms to help us to prepare for a better future.

✔ Current trends and mega-trends.

✔ The mindset needed to achieve quantum leaps with our results.

Welcome back to Season 10 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.

For today’s EPISODE #296, we meet up with Chris Marshall[i], a Professional Futurist, Behavioral Scientist, and author of "Decoding Change: Understanding what the heck is going on, and why we should be optimistic about our future.”[ii]

The title of his book should give you an idea of the direction of this conversation. A bit about Chris. He’s the

Head of Investment Strategy at Dragon Investment Managers where he leads global market insights across all asset classes including equities, real estate and credit markets Founder & Chief Storyteller of Snowdonia Distillery (first copper distillery in Wales) Masters in Psychology and MSc in Behavioural Economics Host of the Transitional Matters Podcast[iii] where he covers trends, mega-trends and transitions going on in the world around us and how they impact our life.

Let’s get right to this conversation, where I’m looking forward to what we can learn together about the world from Chris’s point of view: the point of view of a behavioral scientist, and futurist, who looks at “how the world is changing, not just from the visible elements, but the things below the surface.”[iv] Let’s meet Chris Marshall and look at the trends and mega-trends, that he says are the drivers of change around us.

INTRO:

Welcome Chris!! Thank you for joining me today, all the way from Wales (is this right?) Now, you’ll understand this as a fellow podcast host, but what I enjoy the most about this medium is how far a reach we can have with our content. While we are now in 182 countries/193 I like looking to see where people are tuning into the podcast from around the world, and I noticed we’ve only had 3 downloads in Wales this month. Maybe after today’s episode we can get this number higher, especially since I was born in the UK (Worthing, Sussex). Our numbers in England are much higher. Tell me something I might not know about Wales[v] (other than what I can see on my map here—it’s a country in Southwest Great Britain known for its rugged coastline and mountainous national parks”

Do you look at your podcast stats? What do you notice as you look at your work around the world?

Q1: So Chris, I watched your keynote introduction on YouTube[vi], and I think your book Decoding Change[vii] should be required reading for anyone who wants to plan for the future, which is pretty much everyone on the planet. You ask your audiences all around the world one question, and I was captivated to learn more. Can we start with this one question, but I’d like to know what YOU see?

“Do YOU intuitively feel like the world is going through radical change?”

Q2: We focus a lot on this podcast on ways to strengthen our mind, through healthy lifestyle choices, understanding how our brain health impacts our mental and physical health...all building us towards creating stronger, 2.0 versions of ourselves. You talk about it as our superpower, or ability to be creative. But what happens to our creative ability in times of change, stress or uncertainty?

Q2B: What does uncertainty do to our decision-making ability and our brain?

Q3: I listened to your podcas...

Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/naWMRm8tqck

On this episode you will learn:

✔︎ How Hilary Decesare, who made her first million at 32, got involved with giving back and ended up on the TV Show, Secret Millionaire.

✔︎ How the story of Hilary's Mom, connected with Andrea and an untold story with her and Bob Proctor.

✔︎ What Hilary learned from leaving her home, and going into a poverty struck area in Long Beach, CA.

✔︎ What is the 3HQTM Method to help people move from their head, to their heart, to higher self.

✔︎ How anyone can reLaunch their personal or professional life.

✔︎ How John Assaraf helped Andrea and Hilary to ReLaunch their life and business.

✔︎ How to begin, and join Hilary's book launch on June 9th.

For returning guests, welcome back, and for those who are new here, I’m Andrea Samadi, author, and educator, with a passion for learning, understanding difficult concepts, and breaking them down so that we can all use and apply the most current research to improve our productivity and results in our schools, sports environments, and modern workplaces. On today’s EPISODE #219, we will be speaking with an award-winning business expert, international best-selling author, host of “The reLAUNCH Podcast”[i] and “The reLAUNCH" on Voice America's Talk Show Network, Hilary DeCesare who I feel a connection to, even before we’ve met. This interview will be interesting for me to see how this connection unfolds during the interview, and if it becomes apparent.

She’s a sought-after speaker, founder of The Relaunch Co., and previously one of Oracle’s top account managers worldwide, who brings fresh energy to industry leaders, CEOs, and solopreneurs. She holds a psychology degree and a range of certifications in her field, and has been featured on ABC’s hit TV series Secret Millionaire. Her insights have been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and mentioned in the Huffington Post, Yahoo, Market Watch, and others. As an innovator in neuropsychology as it relates to business and life, Hilary DeCesare has cultivated her experience to illuminate a heart-driven path to conquer today’s shifting landscape, re-imagining personal and professional success.

When I received an email introduction to Hilary’s work, I noticed that she was on the TV Show, Secret Millionaire, that I’ve seen and find inspiring. I love seeing people give back after they have found their way in this world, and Hilary Decesare definitely has a purpose to help others find their way which is what her new book, and podcast are all about. I had no idea just how much Hilary’s work would connect with mine, with many parallels that I hope will become apparent in the interview.

This is one of those interviews that I know how has the ability to completely transform someone listening. When ignoring her intuition resulted in fearing for her life at the edge of Niagara Falls, this award-winning Silicon Valley CEO and entrepreneur Hilary DeCesare was shocked into realizing she needed a deep reassessment of who she was and why. The answers surfaced where she least expected—her late mother. In RELAUNCH! Spark Your Heart to Ignite Your Life, Hilary immerses the reader in a world of neuroscience, to uncover a powerful secret that we all harbor: The 3HQuotient. This is the power to leverage the three H's—the Heart, the Head and the Higher Self. Stay tuned and learn some of the top lessons and personal stories from Hilary as well as from other experts like John Gray, John Assaraf and Jim Fortin.

Let’s meet Hilary Decesare, and see what she can share to help all of us to see the silver lining of what’s happening in the world today, and for anyone out there, thinking of a reLaunch (maybe a new career path, or considering a new direction) this is her specialty.

Welcome Hilary Decesare, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. Hilary, like you’ve said on your podcast, reLAUNCH, you mentioned how lucky you feel to get to speak to such incredible people like your last guest, Dr. John Gray, whose book Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus was one of the most influential books of the last quarter century. I feel the same way, especially as I’m researching people and making many connections to what I’m learning and I wonder, just to open up and help people to quickly get to know the spirit of who you are, can you share perhaps why someone who made their first million at the age of 32 got involved in this work of helping others to see the “silver lining” in what many would consider very difficult times?

Your book, that isn’t due out until June 9th, but I found it and made a connection with how you saw your Mom and it related to a story of when I first moved to the US. Can I share this story that made me connect to you BEFORE I found another connection?

You Mom Taking Pride in Painti...

“Who you are depends on where you’ve been. Your brain is a relentless shape-shifter, constantly rewriting its own circuitry—and because your experiences are unique, so are the vast, detailed patterns in your neural networks. Because they continue to change your whole life, your identity is a moving target: it never reaches an endpoint. That’s From Neuroscientist and Stanford Professor, David Eagleman’s, The Brain: The Story of You.

Now that REALLY made me STOP and THINK as I am about to write this next episode. I wonder:

What’s my identity-or what makes me-me, especially if it’s a moving target. I’m not just Andrea, the host of the Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast (imagining my brain, and all its neural networks that consist of ALL the years of experience that make me, who I am today) and each day, my experiences change who I am right down to the books I’m reading, what I’m studying and learning, the people around the world I interact with, making me the person I am today. Then I wonder, who are YOU listening to this podcast? What’s YOUR identity, wherever you are tuning in from around the world (and I imagine YOUR brain, and the neural networks you’ve created with YOUR own specific and unique life experiences. And if our identity (who we are at this point in time) is a moving target that never reaches an endpoint, can we then, create our own reality and future by continuing to re-wire our own circuitry with NEW information, and NEW ideas, that create NEW experiences that change who we could be in the future? Thus, changing our conditions, our circumstances, and our environment?

That is the goal of this podcast, (to help all of us to re-wire our brains (with new information) that we’ll put into action (using the most current, evidence based research) taking our results to new heights. This is what keeps ME coming back time and time again to write new episodes. I’ve put an image in the show notes that came from my study with Mark Waldman on the Default Mode Network, showing exactly what our brain looks like when we are using our imagination network to take this information we are learning, and use it in a creative way. Our whole brain lights up, connecting all of our brain regions in this process.

With that thought, I want to welcome you back to our final episode of Season 9 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we cover the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (for schools) and emotional intelligence training (in the workplace) with tools, ideas and strategies that we can all use for immediate results, with our brain in mind. I’m Andrea Samadi, (and while we know I’m not just) an author, or an educator with a passion for learning (I think after today’s episode, we will see that we are much more than our work and life experiences) and it’s this understanding that will encourage us all to continue re-wiring our brains, taking us to new, and often unimaginable heights.

I’m recording this episode the end of May 2023, and plan to take some time away from the recording studio (my office) this summer. We’ll be back with the start of Season 10 the end of June, as we move into the 5th year of this podcast, and our second half of “Going Back the Basics” where we’ll continue through our past episodes, to see what we can add to them, with new research and ideas to take our personal and professional results to these new heights.

As I started writing this episode that tied back into some of our Brain Fact Fridays on Learning, I couldn’t think of what to cover specifically, because learning is behind EVERY episode we produce. I wonder, as we move towards our 5th year, and a new season when we return, what else can we uncover when it comes to “learning” with our brain in mind. Or in other words, how can we take our “learning” to new heights, or look at learning through a new lens?

I glanced through some of the episodes we covered on how we learn (procedural vs declarative learning) on EP 131[i], neuroplasticity on EP 133[ii], spaced repetition, distance learning, the neuroscience of learning EP #167[iii], learning and how our emotions impact our memory EP #127[iv] , even the importance of learning skills with our non-dominant hand. While all of these topics are fascinating, I wondered what could we cover today that would take us deeper into the circuitry of our brain, and guarantee a shift of thinking for all of us, causing a lasting change with our results.

Then I remembered a documentary I watched YEARS ago, from a Neuroscientist at Stanford University, and Internationally best-selling author, David Eagleman, called The Brain: The Story of You[v]. I know it was in the early days of when I was trying to make sense of why this understanding of the brain would be important for us (sp...

Welcome back to PART 6, EPISODE #196 and our final episode of this series, where we will cover the final chapters and add “The Neuroscience Behind the Timeless Goal-Setting Principles” in Napoleon Hill’s Classic book, Think and Grow Rich to ensure we make 2022 Our Best Year Ever with brain-science in mind.

This episode I’m dedicating to the man who has been reading this book for his entire life, who I have mentioned often in this series and podcast, Bob Proctor, who was the first person to see more in me than I could see in myself. It was Bob who asked me “What do you really want?” when I was in my late 20s, and just figuring it all out. He did catch me off guard with this question, but it didn’t take long to map out the vision, as crazy as it seemed at the time, when you have someone who believes in you to push you along the way, the vision becomes clear. Once you know what you want, and have a crystal-clear vision of it, it really is our duty to make it happen in our lifetime. Bob is the perfect example of someone who took action, inspiring millions globally, and someone I will forever be grateful that I crossed paths with. I found out that Bob was gravely ill, while finishing this episode, thought it was important to recognize his influence as an example for all of us, to put something into our goals this year that we have never done. Using Bob’s example, do something wildly different this year, than you ever have previously. He said many things that are forever stuck in my head, but I found a quote that makes sense to close out our book study that I think will stick with all of us.

He said, “You can’t just THINK and GROW RICH, you’ve got to do something with those thoughts.”

I’m hoping that this year, we are all looking for quantum leap results, that take us far beyond where we’ve ever been before. I have been studying success principles, and how successful people became that way, since the late 1990s when my paths crossed with Proctor. I saw these ideas could transform results for our students in the classroom, years before we talked about how important our mindset was after Carol Dweck’s[i] work made its impact on the field of education, and I wrote my first book, The Secret for Teens Revealed [ii] to document these success principles that are echoed throughout Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich book, and aren’t difficult to understand, but implementing them in our daily life is where the hard work comes in.

Here’s my challenge to you—to go through each of the PARTS in this series and see what you can do to truly make a difference and impact with whatever it is you are doing this year. We’ve covered the 15 principles used by some of the wisest people in the world, and I want to add a sense of urgency for all of us to kick it into high gear this year. Think and act in a wildly different way than we have previously. This will take some focus, but the results will be well worth the effort. Remember that Hill says you haven’t read this book until you’ve read it 3 times? We can come back to this series next year and continue to apply the principles with the new experiences built over this year. This series is not only for you, the listener, I am doing the work right along with you!

If you want to see my interview with Bob Proctor, and where my vision began, go back to episode #66[iii] and EPISODE #67[iv] on the Top Lessons learned working with him for 6 years which is one of our most downloaded episodes, and one I still receive feedback and messages about.

With this episode today, I knew I had to tie in the most current brain research, so that we can look at ways to improve our current goal-setting/achieving process, with strategies that will take the guess work out of our year, to make a difference for all of us, since the strategies I will share are all peer reviewed, and have been proven scientifically to be the most effective way to achieve whatever it is that we are working on this year. When I say I want us to make this our best year ever, I really do mean it and wouldn’t spend the time to create this episode, if I didn’t think it could make a difference for all of us. There is a neuroscience to setting and achieving goals, for habit formation and habit breaking, and I hope this episode will help break down the science, and make these principles applicable in your daily life, for the results that will inevitably come as a result.

Remember, it is our duty to take action, and use the potential that we each have. This is not just a mere wish, or hope, it’s for us to all take action on whatever it is that we want (our burning desire) in a way that we’ve never done in past years. What will we do differently this year?

We have covered an introduction to how our brain forms and breaks habits on an earlier episode #35[...