Guy Reams (00:01.41)
This is day 207. Neuroplasticity is real. When I was young, a young man in college, my wife and I were preparing for marriage. That single decision to take on the responsibility of building a life together sparked in me a sense of urgency. I needed a better paying job. The timing, as it turned out, was serendipitous. The internet was just beginning to reshape the landscape of work and communication.
We didn't quite know it yet, but the age of information had begun to dawn. I found myself at the edge of that wave, and my first real job was in this new and unfamiliar territory. It demanded that I learn a foreign language of sorts, the language of machines, networking protocols, hardware communication standards, and an entire vocabulary built to make systems speak to each other across invisible wires. I had no prior background in this field.
I had to immerse myself in it very deeply. I spent hours each day reading, practicing, testing, troubleshooting, and in doing so something remarkable happened. I began to think differently. It felt like I had rewired my brain. The old mental shortcuts I relied upon no longer served me. My brain, to accommodate the onslaught of new information, had to reorganize. It was painful at first, in fact exhausting.
But slowly and steadily something started to shift. About six months of continuous focused learning, could feel my capacity expand. What had once seemed impossible, had now become second nature for me. This was my first real encounter with this concept of neuroplasticity. The brain's remarkable ability to change its structure and function in response to new learning and experience.
For many years it was believed that the brain became fixed after childhood. We now know that that is just not true. The brain remains dynamic throughout our lives. It is always adapting, always reshaping itself in response to how we choose to engage with the world. The truth, however, comes with a challenge. Learning new things like a musical instrument or a foreign language could be notably difficult for older adults, not because the brain is incapable,
Guy Reams (02:26.947)
be because it is no longer in the habit or frequent change. The older we get, the more we rely on established patterns of thought and behavior. The brain, being efficient, prunes what it doesn't use and reinforces what it does. When we stop challenging it, it just stops adapting. This becomes especially clear when someone suffers a stroke. If part of the brain is damaged, certain functions such as speech, movement, or memory
can be impaired or lost completely. However, through therapy and focused effort, the brain can often reroute these functions to different areas. This recovery is made possible through this neuroplasticity. The brain just finds new ways if we persist. That process is not fast, nor is it easy, but it reveals a deeper truth. Change is always possible if we are willing to put in the work.
And so I offer this observation, perhaps even an admonition. We must never stop pushing the boundaries of our mental capability. We must always be learning something, anything that demands focus and attention. Whether it's solving puzzles, learning a new skill, reading difficult textbooks, or engaging in thoughtful conversation, the goal is always the same, to create neural pathways and to revisit the old ones.
keeping them sharp, alive, and accessible. The brain just simply thrives on activity. It needs novelty, challenge, and repetition to stay healthy. Let it grow stagnant and you invite decay. But keep it moving and your brain will serve you well. So keep changing, keep adapting, keep reorganizing. That is how we truly stay mentally alive.