Institutional thinking is Old Brain thinking

We have described Old Brained thinking as negative, grumpy and out-of-touch. Others use different terms to describe the same phenomenon.

I was struck today by how, Thomas Power, founder of Ecademy, defined Old Brained thinking as: Closed, Selective and Controlling. Except he wasn't defining Old Brain thinking as such but Institutional thinking. However, it amounts to the same thing; for Institution read Old Brain.

Thomas Power goes on to describe Network thinking. Networks are Open, Accept Everything, Random and Supportive. This, to me, is also a good proxy for Young Brain thinking.

So, what's this telling us? Big institutions (schools, charities, health services, companies, governments) have Old Brained cultures, almost by definition (for reasons of governance and public interest, for example). However, the world and society more specifically is evolving to a more networked place (see Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and LinkedIn). Since the world is becoming Young Brained, shouldn't you too?

Read our book 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' to find out how. And watch Thomas Power on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4IpLo0rKkE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eecademy%2Ecom%2Faccount%2Ephp%3Fid%3D8&feature=player_embedded

Are you unlucky in life? Do you want to be luckier?

I never keep my iphone in my pocket. Ever. Except yesterday when I slipped it into my trousers on the way to the taxi rank. Result, it fell out on the backseat and is now lost for good. What bad luck!

Yes, bad things happen to everyone - but are some people unluckier than others? Do some individuals attract more than their fair share of life's poo?

Surprisingly, my answer to this question is 'yes'. Some of us are more unlucky. Perhaps I need to explain myself.

I am convinced that we all have lucky and unlucky things happen to us. It's just that some people recognise good luck when it happens to them and make the most of it. For example, these Young Brains will see a $10 bill on the floor, bend down and pick it up. What luck! Incidentally, this once happend to me. I was at the races and a £20 note floated past my nose. I grabbed it out of the air and had a far better lunch than I'd been planning for!

But back to my point. Wouldn't everyone stoop to pick up free money? Astonishingly, no. Old Brains see the $10 and think that it must be a joke; that the note is false, counterfeit, a fake. This fact is only confirmed by the fact that it is still on the floor. If it had been real, someone else would already have picked it up!

Can you see where I'm heading with this? We are all lucky - it's just that some of us refuse lady luck when she extends us her privileges. And if Old Brains turn down the chance for a better lunch, what else are they refusing to benefit from? A job opportunity? A chance to make new friends? A trip to the seaside with the family?

I love the word 'serendipity'. It just sounds nice. But it also is nice. It means, roughly, the preparedness to accept luck when it happens. When you rejuvenate, you become luckier. You become a Young Brain and you suddenly find yourself recognising luck and letting it into your life. Almost immediately, you start to see boundless opportunities, whereas previously, you'd seen nothing - or nothing but fakes, false promises and probable falsehoods.

So, do you want to be luckier? Then shed your Old Brain attitudes. Go on. Bend down and pick up that opportunity which is in front of your very eyes.