why smart people dumb

We've all been there. We're in a tough situation, the pressure's on, others are looking to
us to come through. We want to be at our best, and...we freeze. Or even worse, we do or
say something completely dumb.

Afterwards, we say: "What was I thinking." Well the truth is, you weren't thinking. In the
heat of the moment, just when you needed to be at your best, your brain received
messages to shut down your higher thinking centers. The scientific name for this is
"cortical inhibition." Others call it being stupid...Choking...Losing it...


Stress can actually cause our higher thinking centers to turn off. When that happens,
smart people can do some pretty dumb things.

But it doesn't have to happen to you. You can learn ways to stay at your best and think
clearly in any situation. You can take control of your response to stress.

The folks at the Institute of HeartMath teach a lot of effective techniques to give you
that control. One I can tell you about right now is called Quick Coherence.

There are three simple steps.

First, focus your attention around the area of your heart. When you're first practicing,
you might want to place you had over your heart to help.

Next, imagine breathing in and out through your heart.

Finally, recall a person, place or thing that you feel true care or appreciation for and
attempt to re-experience those emotions. Don't just remember them, try to feel them.
Positive emotion will send that "all clear" signal.

That's it. That may seem simple and it is. But don't underestimate the power of what
I've just told you.

Those that understand this technique and others like it remain level-headed and clear-
witted — no matter what's going on around them. They're the ones that come up with
answers that seem obvious once they point them out, but nobody could see before.

They perform at a high level while others flounder.


Would you like to join the ranks of these high performers? Learn to control the messages
your heart sends your brain and you can.