On the day you entered this world, you had a full set of neurons, the same as you do now! So why couldn’t you play a guitar, sink a basket, or even walk and talk?
Brain cells are like a railway system, and each station, or cell, is useless unless it’s connected to the rest of the system by a track. You start out life with very few “tracks,” or paths. That’s why babies are so helpless. Your brain creates new paths as you learn and remember, and these shortcuts help you to think faster and better.
Let’s say you’ve decided to learn how to play the piano. The first time you sit down at the keyboard, you play badly and make lots of mistakes. That’s because your brain has to actively think about moving each finger, reading the music, and hitting just one key at a time. As you practice, sets of neurons connect together to create shortcuts. Pretty soon, you’re playing almost without thinking. The “piano path” is now wired into your brain, and the more you play, the stronger that path becomes.
When you’re young, you can create new neural (brain) pathways more easily and quickly. Now, while you’re still young, is the best time to train your brain, because it’s still moldable. You can even decide what kind of brain you want to create! For example, if you love reading and writing, your brain will create new pathways in the language area. If you play sports or dance, the motor-control section of your brain will grow thick with connections. In short, you are what you think and do!
