Gray Matters

Did you know that your brain is the most complex computer ever to exist? No matter what shiny doodads the geeks over at Apple or Alienware come up with, and however fast a Cray Titan supercomputer can crunch numbers, nothing can touch the complexity and the flexibility of your mind.

So if, in that big ol' melon of yours, you're toting around the most awesome piece of gee whiz-circuitry ever created, why would you let a bunch of viruses get in and slow down your processing?

Your brain really is very much like a computer. It has a vast amount of long-term memory (hard drive space) And a more limited amount of short term memory (desktop memory or RAM). And, just like a computer, if you have too many programs open and running at the same time, your processing can be needlessly slowed down.

Things such as stress, depression, grudges, low self-esteem, and fear act as viruses. Here's the tricky part: unlike sneaky trojan viruses that you unwittingly click on, your actions and decisions deliberately download the ones listed above and tell them to run.

Much like malicious viruses, unchecked problems in your life can cause your brain to work improperly. You become forgetful. You miss obvious solutions to simple problems. You behave illogically and, at worst, irrationally.

And like computer viruses, these things can begin affecting you so subtly and worsen so gradually that you don't even know something is wrong until you get the dreaded Blue Screen Of Death. In terms of everyday living, that could mean incorrectly completed work, a short temper, anything from the loss of a friendship to the loss of a job. Maybe even irreparable damage to an important relationship.

The good news is that there are very effective antivirus software packages available. Things like regular exercise and healthy eating habits. Like maintaining a strong spiritual life, and surrounding yourself with people who are emotionally healthy and good for you. Oh, and never, ever be afraid to seek the assistance of a professional therapist to help remove some of the nastier viruses out there (think of them as Geek Squad for your brain).

So today, ask yourself if you're taking care of that priceless, one-of-a-kind supercomputer inside your head as well as you do the cheap little one on your desk. If not, you might want to change things up.

Then get out there and be amazing.