Raphael Cushnir

Raphael Cushnir is a leading voice in the world of emotional connection and present moment awareness. He has shared his unique approach to personal and professional development with millions of readers in O, The Oprah Magazine, Beliefnet, Spirituality and Health, Psychology Today and the Huffington Post. He has also authored five books, lectures worldwide, and is a faculty member of the Esalen Institute, the Omega Institute, and the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. In addition, he coaches individuals and teams at Fortune 100 companies, governments, religious organizations, and leading non-profits.

The One Thing Holding You Back

Rewiring the Evolutionary Glitch in Your Brain

Through evolution, we acquired a glitch in our brains. One part of our brains generates emotions. These show up in our physical bodies. In order for them to dissipate we need to feel them directly, fully, and for as long as they require. But another part of our brains, designed to keep us safe at all costs, mis-perceives challenging emotions as life-threatening and therefore blocks us from feeling them.

As long as we remain blocked, and cross-wired in this way, we'll be prevented from living our best lives. In addition, we'll tend toward high degrees of stress, depression and anxiety. We'll have huge blind spots in our thinking. Plus, since the blocked emotions keep trying to get felt, and it takes reinforcements to keep them at bay, we end up suffering from all kinds of addictions and compulsions. Worse yet, these un-felt emotions are the engine for all the most negative patterns in our lives.

The good news is that our brains can literally be re-wired with a very simple process that can be taught in a short time. It's not easy, but with practice becomes second nature. Through this rewiring, the part of our brain designed to keep us safe "updates," recognizes that the key emotions we've been blocking aren't life-threatening, and therefore allows us to feel them. When we're ready and willing, it no longer stands in the way. Then, those blocked emotions are no longer in our way as well.

This message, and the practice of rewiring our brains, have enormous benefit not just for individuals but also for organizations and societies. That's because those blind spots in thinking mentioned earlier are what lead to bad decision-making. When an individual or organization of any size undertakes the rewiring process, it grows by leaps and bounds in mission, strategy, and successful execution.