There's a scene in Private Practice (I know, stay with me) where we discover that Taye Diggs's character never learned how to ride a bike.
Audra McDonald and Taye Diggs play a divorced couple, both successful doctors, and we get to watch her guide him from training wheels to his first ride in a parking lot. His helmet flops to the side and he rolls forward. His eyes widen with the playground joy-panic of an 8 year old.
I recently listened to a podcast where neuroscientist David Eagleman talked about his new book Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever Changing Brain.
He emphasized the importance of feeding the adaptive power of the brain, or neuroplasticity, by subjecting it to new experiences.
If you want to keep your brain healthy, the best workout is to learn something new. Regularly set out to learn new skills. Make beginnerhood a practice and category of your playtime. Cultivate the vulnerability tolerance, joy-panic, and thrill of a new playground skill for brain longevity.
I bet it will make you a better colleague, boss, and student.
Actor. Movement Teacher. Poet. I love sudden thunderstorms; all of a sudden, no one's dressed for the weather.