Welcome the Snake. There’s Room for both of Us.

I’ve been learning about neuroplasticity. The science that proves you can change your mind. In very basic terms your brain has neuropathways. Pathways of thought you have either been trained to believe, or from experiences you’ve had. Our brains will always try and protect us. So, when having a thought, your thought patterns will usually go with what you know. To the point we can fear new ideas and experiences. We’ll want to take the path of least resistance.

But that can hinder us if we want to make changes in our lives. Even when the change would be positive and healthy for us. Eating right, exercising, skydiving, taking an online college course in your 60s. It is easier to say yes to change if you have done what you’re thinking of doing before, because your brain thinks, I’ve done this before and survived. 

Dr. Tara Swart explained on her podcast (I’m paraphrasing) If you think of your brain like a forest, you tend to always take the neat path. The path that has been cleared, easy to walk, you know where it leads, you can envision where you’ll end up. The path that adults taught you to take, not necessarily the path you would choose for yourself as an adult. Changing your mind means creating a new path. Metaphorically meaning, you’ll be walking in tall grass, you won’t know what’s on the other side, there may be surprises. It could be scary. But if you take the new path you’re creating repeatedly, it will become easier because the new path will be cleared. 

It’s a proven fact by neuroscientists that we can change our minds and furthermore, it’s healthy for our brains, and when it’s positive change, healthy for our lives.

With that in mind I decided to take a new path on my walk home this morning. Just as a practice. It was within eyesight of the path I would normally take. The path I normally take is paved. It slightly inclines, but nothing that raises my heartbeat. Instead, I walked on the untended forest ground. It did raise my heartbeat a bit because it was steeper. It was also bumpy, so I had to be more careful of my steps. The leaves were kind of slippery too. My brain started thinking, “you know knucklehead it’s easier to walk on the path you know. It’s right over there. Within eyesight. No one’s watching, no one cares, all you have to do is walk 25 feet to your left and you’ll be on the easier path.” 

But I wanted to practice shifting my mindset. So instead of giving in, I looked over there and saw the sun beating down on the pavement. I realized I need to point out the positives of where I am. I’m in the shade. I’m more comfortable here. The shade feels good. And raising my heart rate a bit is good for me too. 

Just as I was feeling proud of myself for taking a new path, and creating a new neuropathway in my brain, literally seconds after those thoughts, this long brown snake crossed my path and startled me. Immediately my brain thought… “Snake! Danger! Move to the other path!” Then I stopped, stepped back a little bit, and laughed out loud at myself. I took a picture of the snake. He slivered off, and I continued home. Still chuckling at myself that I’m trying to inspire making changes only to have a snake confront me and remind me that those old pathways aren’t always a bad thing.

On the rest of the way home I wondered why the universe put a snake exactly where I might have stepped on it had I not been looking down in that moment. Does the universe want me to stay stuck? Does it not want me to be open to change? 

At first, I thought, well, it’s funny for the story I would tell. But thinking deeper about it; I thought, there is room for both of us, and all of it. There is room for fear, for overcoming it. And looking back and laughing at it.