Training Our Brain For Problem Solving
Mental Agility, Flexible Thinking or Cognitive Flexibility, no matter what the name, it is the ability to adapt our thinking to our circumstances. It is our ability to overcome the default responses that come from our old habits and perspectives.
Cognitive flexibility is our willingness to see obvious things differently. It is our ability to question our own thoughts and feelings. A flexible mindset allows us to see our mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth. When used well, it can be the biggest tool in our problem solving toolkit.
Interpret Problems As Just Tough Situations
Our behavior is governed by our emotions, thoughts and perceptions of the reality around us. When we face a new situation or a different environment – our beliefs and our ideas are challenged. When we’re optimistic, changes in our environment tend to make us curious and open minded. When we’re fearful, we anticipate things to go wrong, there by leading to worries and anxieties.
When we adapt mental flexibility, we think of possibilities and solutions rather than anticipating fear. What’s more, flexible thinking, in the face of an ever changing landscape, keeps you in charge of your current situation.
And here’s the clincher. Mental agility that’s aided with novelty and calculated risks set us on a path of growth and learning for a lifetime.
The Right Frame Of Mind
The art of mental flexibility allows us to reexamine our beliefs and thoughts so we can arrive at different conclusions. You can still be the same you, but have a different perspective on things that unfold around you.
The underlying skill that enables us to think differently is a deep sense of self awareness. So, start the new year with revisiting your existing emotions, beliefs and your thoughts.
A positive frame of mind – the right attitude gives us possibilities that can’t be thought of when we’re second guessing our every move. In the face of obstacles the right attitude helps you stay focused and motivated. It helps us act on our dreams.
Hope For The Future
Cognitive flexibility, the ability to break out of regimented thinking, can help children in understanding abstract concepts and bring them to life through their own interpretation. That same mental agility later in life can enable them to become efficient problem solvers through creative and innovative solutions. An agile mind helps them to become resilient and adaptable to any situation life puts them into.
Machines that we’re building using our spectacular Science, Math and Engineering skills are dictating how we must think, feel and act. But this was our unique value proposition as humans to begin with – our mind – that can help us think, feel and act and we’re allowing tech distractions to cloud over it.
The key to sustained learning and achievement is for all of us is to continue practicing patience, understanding, flexible thinking and open communication. Here are a few thoughts that can ensure we thrive in the face of constant change and getting started on mental agility.
- Believe in the here and now.
- Stay open for possibilities.
- It’s just a tough situation not a problem.
- Don’t resist anything.
- You can be a lifelong learner.
- Only fear fear itself.
– 0 –
About The Article Author:
Hi, I’m Rachana. Its been my dream for years to do something to consciously create a better future where every one of us is excited about our own potential. My challenge to everyone is that they aspire for their personal best and leave a legacy of their work through their contributions to mankind.
One more thing. In December of 2044, I hope to win the Nobel.
Will you join me on this journey of growth and transformation?
Namasté.
Check Out The Latest On Our Blog!
AI Chatbots Are Being Misused to Create Child Sexual Abuse Material. And It’s a Wake-Up Call
- Parents, Here's The News Coming From The IWF For the first time ever, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has confirmed something deeply disturbing: AI chatbots are being used to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This isn’t just a hypothetical risk...
The Night I Aired My Dirty Laundry In The Heart Of St. Petersburg
- As my friend, A, and I wandered around downtown St. Petersburg with a diet coke and a hoagie in hand, she stopped to open a dirty looking glass door. She tilted her head motioning me to step in. "What, inside here?" I asked, eyebrows raised and quickly glancing...
I Crashed a Wedding in Seville. Sorry, Curiosity Got the Better of Me.
- I have so much to write about Spain and its aura, but where can I really begin? I’ve already written about an Indian wedding in the heart of Sitges, and a child who was a cutter at the Mirador de San Nicolás in Granada. I also wrote about how Spaniards camp...
ఎన్నో భయాల్లో ఇది ఒకటి – A Poem by Rachana
నాలోని భావాల లోతు వినిపించాలంటే,తెలుగు తప్ప నాకు మరో భాష తెలియదు.నిజంగా చెప్పాలంటే, తెలుగులోనే చెప్పాలంటే —ఈ పదాలు, ఈ వరుసలోనే రాయాలి. నీ కోసం శ్వాసల సముద్రం నింపుకుంటా,కానీ నీ తలపు తీరాన్ని తాకగానేనా ఊపిరి ఆవిరైపోతుంది —మిగిలేది నీ జ్ఞాపకాల తడి మాత్రమే. కోపం వస్తోంది...
Babysitting and Brain Rot Stations: What Kids Can Teach Us About Living in the Now
- Last week, one of our funniest Swamijis (Ramakrishnaji) was in town for a Satsang, so I was assigned the task of babysitting kids at a local chapter of the Chinmaya Mission. As I got on with the task of monitoring what I wondered would be a wolf pack of...
When East Met West Under the Georgia Sky: A Fusion Wedding at Serenbe
Two Worlds, One “I Do” What can two families born 8000 miles apart yet raising their kids in the deep south of the US have in common? Their children, who inspite of cultural differences, might go on to make promises to love each other forever. And that's what I...
What Marcus Aurelius and Kahlil Gibran Can Teach Us About Surviving (and Thriving) in the Age of AI
- The Poet In My Memory "In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness, and that longing is in all of you." Kahlil Gibran wrote in his seminal work, The Prophet. The first time I came across the name Gibran was in my childhood when my mom would read...
Paneer Butter Masala Recipe: Restaurant-Style Creamy (or Light!) Version You’ll Love
- Paneer Butter Masala (Rich & Creamy or Light Version) This is what I make for my kids and they love it, not sure if it can be called Paneer butter masala in the traditional sense LOL Ingredients • 2 tbsp oil• 6 cloves• 2 small cinnamon sticks• ½...
Choosing Growth Over the Easy Win: How to Navigate Life’s Crossroads
- That Y In The Road As a student (indirect) of Swami Chinmayananda, his teachings have had a profound impact on how I live my daily life in a personal capacity as a mother, wife and friend. I also try to imbibe Guruji's teachings in how I interact with my...
Apparently My Foul Mouth Means I’m a Saint. And I’ve Got The F*ing Proof.
- Science Redeems My Four Letter Words In 2017, when I decided to quit my corporate job and become a teacher, my friends immediately staged an intervention. Are you sure, are you having a midlife crisis, how will you manage all this? More interestingly, some of...
From The Grittiest To The Most Glamorous: The Ever-Evolving Story Of Chennai
- Some experiences in life make you question your blessings. Such was a trip for me to Chennai in September of 2025. I was greeted with a hand-written invite, I ate Tamil food like it was my last time, and I crisscrossed the city with milions who looked like me...
Ancient Dreams, Modern Wake-Up Call: What Buddha and Rama Teach Us About Life Today
Challenging Our Heroes With Prompts On a prompt challenge from a friend, I asked ChatGPT questions on what Buddha and Rama would have been thinking at times of extreme turmoil in their lives, especially during some inflection points in life like when Siddhartha...











