Recently I had been to a zoo with my kids and saw five to six huge white tigers. It was fascinating to see them playing together, jumping, swimming in the water. We could not stop ourselves from taking pictures everytime they did something. Apart from white tigers, we saw many other wild animals and had a wonderful time. 

 

Once I reached home I was thinking how comfortably we admired those tigers and leopards. All thanks to the strong cages between us. We were in peace because of the cages. Really, had there been no cages and only white tigers with me then there could have been funny reactions like getting freezed or going senseless before them. 

Now who decides inside me whether I am safe or in danger ? Our brain receives several visuals and sounds whole day to get further processed through several filters. It is said in medical science that a small almond-shaped part of brain called Amygdala is one such filter which processes any danger/threat to alert you for appropriate reaction. If a lion roars outside your house it is Amygdala which reminds you that you are close to danger and must lock the doors and call police. If a spicy dish is offered to you then it is Amygdala which reminds you that you had this same spicy dish nine years ago. You must avoid it.

 

Very truly, Amygdala performs a vital function in the brain by identifying the potential danger/threats we might otherwise experience. However, it is the same Amygdala which may prevent you from trying something new or trying on something you had a bad experience in the past. Your experiences with certain things which are stored in your brain are accessible to Amygdala to alert you from threats. May be couple of years ago when you shared an innovative idea in your company board meeting, your colleagues and superiors mocked it. They did not appreciate it and your reputation went down a bit. So today when you have anything new to share, your Amygdala will alert you to protect your reputation and thus a new idea never comes to the world.

 

How to train this Amygdala ? Or is it really can’t be trained at all ? Well, creativity should not be suppressed. Any idea that pops up cannot be a stupid idea. Allow yourself to go beyond what Amygdala alerts you. Try new things no matter what you have experienced. Be bold to be innovative without bothering how well it will be accepted. Ofcourse, be wise to listen to your Amygdala when you are with wild animals. But also be wise to be an innovator when it comes to looking forward for growth of your organization. Stay innovative !