A trophy or atrophy  You’re either using it or losing it

Atrophy means a gradual decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect. “The imagination can atrophy from lack of use”. Imagination without implementation is nothing different from the above narrative.

Lamarckism, also known as Lamarckian inheritance or neo-Lamarckism, is the notion that an organism can pass on to its offspring physical characteristics that the parent organism acquired through use or disuse during its lifetime. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) believed that an organ in disuse will become vestigial. According to Lamarck, new needs (besoins) arise in animals as a result of a change in the environment. This leads to new types of behaviour involving new uses of pre-existing organs. Their use leads to an increase in size or to other methods of functioning. Conversely, the disuse of other parts leads to their decline.

The frontal lobe, located behind the forehead, does much of the work of complex thinking, like planning, imagining, making decisions, and reasoning. One theory explains that thoughts are generated when neurons fire. Our external environment (such as home, relationships, media, etc.) leads to a pattern of neuron firing, which results in a thought process. A continuous pattern of neuronal firing reinforces the circuitry. Creativity is a thought process, it is the ability to think up new things and change the narratives and perspectives of things and events. Entrepreneurs are creative individuals who not only undertake responsibilities but also strive to overtake possibilities by thinking outside of the prescribed formulas. Without cognition, there’s no ignition! Without ignition, there’s no recognition!

Entrepreneurship is a function of the entrepreneur. E = f (e). This simple formula is what differentiates a strong enterprise from a weak one. It also shows the level of complexity or laxity of the entrepreneurial ecosystem through the kind of individuals that parade themselves as entrepreneurs.  Both innovation and imitation are products of creativity and cognition. Why are some nations or economies more developed than others? The answer is not far-fetched; success in entrepreneurship is not a function of nationality, rather, it is a function of intentionality. Creativity is fueled by curiosity and intentionality. Atrophy is fueled by lack of interest and intentionality.

Is creativity inheritable? Yes.

Kindly read further and send me your opinions if you think contrary.

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.” – Henry Ford. An entrepreneur is a thinker and people who tinker with social problems often become the best of innovators. Innovation is the ability to apply creative solutions to problems and to opportunities to enhance and to enrich people’s lives. As individuals, we vary widely in the level of our thinking skills, or ‘cognitive function’. We inherit cognitive function from our parents, in the same way that physical characteristics are passed down. Scientists have discovered that, unlike eye colour, cognitive function is not influenced by a few genes but by many. Research has shown that over time, changing what you think can change the size of certain regions of your brain. In a similar vein, changing what you think can lead to atrophy should be done religiously, knowing that what you imagine can affect the gene of creativity in you. Research has also shown that the neurochemicals released via your thinking have the power to influence physical symptoms in your body.

Trophy is a cup or other decorative object awarded as a prize for a victory or success. One of the ways to prevent “mind atrophy” is to have a trophy in mind. It is not easy to be a thinker and be consistently creative, but when we remind ourselves of the rewards associated with setting entrepreneurial goals such as taking an idea from indoors into industry, turning a creative idea into a lucrative opportunity and moving from conceptualization to commercialization, then, we might escape atrophy (extinction) and get the trophy (distinction). The disuse of the thinking faculty is the greatest enemy of distinction. Giftedness, Abilities and Skills (GAS) can decline in effectiveness if they are left unused for a long time.

Lamarck enunciated the law of use and disuse, which states that when certain organs become specially developed as a result of some environmental need, then that state of development is hereditary and can be passed on to progeny. E.g. Giraffe’s long neck. If a giraffe stretched its neck for leaves, for example, a “nervous fluid” would flow into its neck and make it longer. Its offspring would inherit the longer neck, and continued stretching would make it longer still over several generations. Meanwhile organs that organisms stopped using would shrink. The consistent use of creativity stretches the mind. “The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Creativity, the ability to develop new and useful ideas, is the key driving force behind scientific, technological and cultural innovation (Sternberg & Lubart, 1999; Diedrich et al., 2015). With recent advances in molecular genetics, exploring the genetic basis of creativity has attracted increasing interest in the field of psychology as well. The science of ‘Epigenetics’ is gaining more exposure recently (although it has been around since the 1970’s when Dr Bruce Lipton, the pioneer of stem cell research first found that the environment in which a cell is placed, has impact on its genetic expression). These findings suggest that we are ‘not victims of our genes, but masters over our fate’ – our thoughts, feelings and emotions are biological phenomenon, affecting us on a cellular level.

Thinking alone can’t lead to productivity, it must be activated by smart and hard work (‘smardwork’).

My name is ‘Niyi Kolade aka thinkUP…liberating souls and celebrating solutions.

I BELIEVE IN GOD. I BELIEVE IN GOD IN ME AND I BELIEVE IN ME AND GOD. I “think up” daily to create values and promote excellence.

Entrepreneurs don’t leave responsibilities for God, they share responsibilities with Him. Entrepreneurs are next to God! They create value and value God’s creations. Thinking with God guarantees direction and distinction. Thinking without God leaves your ‘GAS’ (Giftedness, Abilities and Skills) ineffective and consequently, forcing them to atrophy and leaving you with no trophy (impact).

“For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:13 (Amplified version).

Thinking with God and in His wisdom amplifies, multiplies and perfects our ‘GAS’.

READ-TEAM-PLAN-LEAD

Read Everyday And Discover.

Think Everyday And Manifest.

Pray, Listen And Note.

Learn Everyday And Deliver.

TEST YOUR BRAIN

Doing crossword puzzles, Sudoku games, jigsaw puzzles and other games that rely on logic, math, word and visuospatial skills are great ways to increase brainpower. These types of games require multiple cognitive abilities, which challenges your brain and improves processing speed and memory.

REST YOUR BRAIN

When it comes to brain health, focus on the three B’s: vitamins B6, B12, and B9 (folate). “These three types of B vitamins are necessary for the brain’s normal functioning,” says Dr. Agarwal, “and any deficiency in them may increase the risk of memory loss and other forms of cognitive decline.”