27/01/2022
Many people feel their memory either isnât great or has been deteriorating.
But what would you say is the actual purpose of memory?
And is your ability to memorise new information actually the problem?
An effective memory allows you to learn; useful information, skills, habits and most importantly new ways of thinking.
Using your memory in this way allows you to become more productive which improves your abilities to gain qualifications, excel in your career or business, pursue hobbies and interests and even improve the quality and quantity of your relationships.
But memory primarily has two functions:
1. Guide your future
2. Keep you safe
Developing yourself is nearly always the conscious mode of learning. But itâs the learning for safety thatâs the matter of concern for many.
Your brain is ultimately wired as a survival tool, which means your memoryâs primary function is to keep you alive not necessarily enable you to thrive.
Which memories have you stored that are primarily there to keep you safe, but actually serve to hold you back?
The majority of events that occur in our lives that are perceived as painful, especially emotionally, such as feeling embarrassed, scared, belittled, let down, betrayed, abandoned, rejected, unfairly treated - are all packed as what I refer to as âsurvival memoriesâ and are stored in the amygdala in the brain.
These packaged memories are semantically stored which override most of our ârationalâ thinking in the prefrontal cortex, because they are driven by strong emotions - we are biological creatures not rational.
These memories will potentially inhibit your ability to trust yourself, or other people or life generally thereby causing you to lack confidence, be small for others, be a people pleaser, or the opposite- inflate your ego to cover up whatâs truly inside.
These types of memories ultimately prevent us from truly being our core self, and we therefore master the art of existing rather than living.
Healthily letting go of unhelpful memories allows us to free our minds to be more focused on the present and make better decisions for our future self.
With love and gratitude â¤ď¸