Sleepy brain, multilingualism, and getting old [Venture Kindling]

This Venture Kindling post feature short bits of information I’ve tripped across or developed that can help you light a fire or revive a fire for your venture.

 

Sleepy brain, multilingualism, and getting old

Kindling from the web:

Half your brain is asleep. It’s not a new bed that keeps you up when you travel. According a piece in NPR, Half Your Brain Stands Guard When Sleeping In A New Place. Now you also know why you’re so groggy when you attend that meeting the next morning. The other half of your brain is taking its turn.

Can you say Fremdsprache? Apart from becoming a better world citizen, learning a foreign language is a huge brain builder. The Atlantic reports on the cognitive benefits of multilingualism in their article For a Better Brain, Learn Another Language. “Multi-linguals tend to score better on standardized tests, especially in math, reading, and vocabulary… and, according to a new study, they are more resistant to conditioning and framing techniques, making them less likely to be swayed by such language in advertisements or political campaign speeches.” Just what we needed to know this election year.

Practice getting old. Leave it to the New York Times to interrupt our fantasy. “SIXTY is not the new 40. Fifty isn’t either.” Those opening words to an article titled Better Aging Through Practice, Practice, Practice goes on to chronicle all the ways our bodies fall apart in old age. After you wade through the article’s depressing reminders of geriatric life, you get to the nugget: Revitalize yourself by taking up something new. It’s an idea I discussed a couple of years ago in the Reinventure Me podcast: How to be a better beginner.  Tennis anyone?

Latest personal kindling:

Go deep. This past week I wrote a review of one of the best books I’ve read in some time. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is a must-read for anyone wanting to truly redeem their time for creative and more important pursuits. Read my review.

No need to feel the burn. If you’re in burnout or getting close, listen to my latest Reinventure Me podcast, Your burnout recovery plan.


“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”

— Albert Einstein


Leave a comment about this venture kindling and/or share some of your own.

One or more of the links in this post will redirect you to Amazon.com, where I will receive a modest affiliate commission, at no cost to you if you choose to purchase a product. Any purchase you make of the linked products helps offsets the costs of maintaining the free content you find on this website.

[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="45982"]

Comment on this post

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.