Stay Calm is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome to Stay Calm, your daily dose of calmness. I'm Bob Roth, and I've been teaching people to meditate for fifty years, helping them to stay calm under pressure, reboot and re energize their lives, and basically be a happier, healthier version of themselves. And now I want to help you do the same. Ready, sit comfortably, take a few deep breaths,
and let's begin today's journey. Have you ever been at a point in your life across roads when you're not sure what you should be doing, When you're trying to make a decision about a career change, or a life partner, or less lofty things like a business deal. You've carefully studied all the pros and cons, analyze the upsides and downsides, and then, perhaps an exhaustion or frustration, you just give up and you go with your gut. You're into issue.
You listen to your inner voice. Of course you have, We all have well, that inner voice of yours is not some mystical, inexplicable, totally unreliable mechanism for making choices. In fact, according to an emerging new science using your intuition can be a highly effective tool for making good decisions,
sometimes very quickly. This new science is so timely with the world increasingly chaotic and complex, reliance on linear rational decision making alone is proving less than reliable, and evidence points to more and more so called rational thinkers also going with their gut. In fact, several studies of the decision making process of top executives show that, yes, they do analyze mounds of data, but if the information is not conclusive, they'll rely on their intuition as a guide.
Of course, people of using their intuition forever. But what's new here is something called the neurobiology of intuition, a science which helps satisfy the skeptics and gives confidence to those who find listening to their inner voice helpful. So here is the briefest of introductions to the key areas of your brain involved. I've even included a few Latin names. First, to be able to hear your inner voice, you need
to be at least for that moment inner directed. The part of the brain that lights up during intuitive thinking is called the precuneus and is associated with self awareness. Second, intuitive decisions are based on past experiences. The part of the brain that lights up here is called the ventro medial prefrontal cortex, which is where you make decisions and where your brain stores positive feelings as well as painful emotions from the past. And finally, as we all know,
the intuitive decision making process is fast, lightning fast. This part of your brain is called the cow Date nucleus, which is used for making quick automatic decisions. So there you have it self awareness, access to the emotions of past experiences, and the ability to make automatic decisions. That's your mini master class on intuition. So the next time anyone tries to call you crazy for following your gut, be sure to tell him about the ventrol medial prefrontal cortex.
But seriously, the most important takeaway here is that you can strengthen the power of your own intuition. And for that there are many things you can do, but all the experts agree that the single most important one is to yes, stay calm, and for that you have to give your brain time to rest. Remember when I spoke a while ago about how creative ideas emerged from the resting brain, Well, we need that same quiet, non focused area of our brain in order to hear our quiet
inner voice. My parting tip about intuition comes from Apple founder Steve Jobs. He says, quote, don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, which somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. All right, Let's end this time together doing something that I think should be a feature of
our everyday life, and that's appreciation and gratitude. So let's take thirty seconds of quiet, thirty seconds to take a break, just take a moment. It turns out when we do that, it's good for our health as well. I'll be right back, all right. Thank you for joining me today. I hope you heard something that inspires, that uplifts you and that you can incorporate into your own life. This is Bob Roth. Stay calm, hey, all of you out there, I'd love to hear from you. You can send me your stories,
your questions, or anything else on your mind. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at meditation Bob. You can also send me an email at meditation Bob Roth at gmail dot com. I look forward to hearing from you five