Last night while lying in bed, not able to sleep, I came to the realization that I don't ever really use my brain anymore. I mean sure, everyday I read the news, think about legal stuff at work and, if I'm really motivated, read a few chapters in a book, but I never stretch my mind the way I used to when I was in college or even high school. I then was further enlightened to the fact that probably the reason I never really use my brain is that if something is difficult or strenuous or causes me any sort of discomfort for longer than 3.5 seconds, I tend to cop out and move on. (See detox diet post) This is somewhat of a troublesome realization for me; have I really become that lazy?!
I'm fortunate enough to have a job that does require at least some brain power on a daily basis; whether it be basic knowledge of legal jargon or the ability to classify and review medical records, but by no means do I constantly stretch my brain to parameters beyond its daily comfort zone. What's worse is that when I get a free moment at work or anytime throughout the day, I find myself perusing cheesy gossip sites or watching poorly scripted, overly produced television. What I should be doing is the NY Times crossword puzzle, or basic math equations, or learning new vocabulary... anything other than letting my brain turn into a gelatinous mass of wasted space.
I never really made a New Year's resolution this year (mostly because they usually only last about one week), but I'm thinking that my "unofficial" resolution will be to try to give my brain a workout at least once a day. I've basically given up on the gym so if I'm doing nothing for my heart, I might as well do a little something for my brain. I played on freerice.com for awhile yesterday, refreshing myself on old SAT vocabulary while simulataneously feeding poor Africans, so I do feel pretty good about that. Today perhaps I'll expand my horizons even more and work a crossword puzzle (and not the one in People). Who knows, maybe by the end of the year I'll have even upped my IQ a few points. One can always dream...
