Scientists used to think that brain connections developed at a rapid pace in the first few years of life, until you reached your mental peak in your early 20s. Your cognitive abilities would level off at around middle age, and then start to gradually decline. We now know this is not true. Instead, scientists now see the brain as continually changing and developing across the entire life span. There is no period in life when the brain and its functions just hold steady. Some cognitive functions become weaker with age, while others actually improve.
Some brain areas, including the hippocampus, shrink in size. The myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve fibers wears down, which can slow the speed of communications between neurons. Some of the receptors on the surface of neurons that enable them to communicate with one another may not function as well as they once did. These changes can affect your ability to encode new information into your memory and retrieve information that’s already in storage.
On the other hand, the branching of dendrites increases, and connections between distant brain areas strengthen. These changes enable the aging brain to become better at detecting relationships between diverse courses of information, capturing the big picture, and understanding the global implications of specific issues. Perhaps this is the foundation of wisdom. It is as if, with age, your brain becomes better at seeing the entire forest and worse at seeing the leaves.
So in the second half of life your mental strength can be your ability to detect relationships between different aspects of horsemanship and different aspects of life for that matter. Your strength is probably not your ability to excel in one discipline. Instead it may be to combine the ideas of several disciplines into a unique horsemanship practice better suited to you and your horse.
So I hope that you recognize your mental gifts in the second half of life. I hope that you can apply your wisdom gifts on your path to better horsemanship and a better life.
Here's a link to Descript, my recommendation for audio and video editing.
Scientists used to think that brain connections developed at a rapid pace in the first few years of life until you reached your mental peak in your early twenties. Your cognitive abilities would level off at around middle age and then start to gradually decline. We now know this is not true. Instead, scientists now see the brain as continually changing and developing across the entire lifespan. There is no period in life when the brain and its functions just hold steady. Some cognitive functions become weaker with age while others actually improve. Some brain areas, including the hippocampus, shrink in size. The myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve fibers, wears down, which can slow the speed of communications between neurons. Some of the receptors on the surface of neurons that enable them to communicate with one another may not function as well as they once did. These changes can affect your ability to encode new information into your memory and retrieve information that's already in storage. On the other hand, the branching of dendrites increases and connections between distant brain areas strengthen. These changes enable the aging brain to become better at detecting relationships between diverse courses of information, capturing the big picture, and understanding the global implications of specific issues. Perhaps this is the foundation of wisdom. It is as if with age, your brain becomes better at seeing the entire forest and worse at seeing the leaves. This is a quote from the book, A Guide to Cognitive Fitness, Six Steps to Optimizing Brain Function and Improving Brain Health by the Harvard Medical School. Welcome to the Almost Daily Second Half Horsemanship Podcast, where we talk about using your mind more than your muscles on the path to better horsemanship in the second half of life. The podcast features a thought for the day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and a more in depth discussion or interview on weekends. I'm your host, Paul Sherland. So in the second half of life, your mental strength can be your ability to detect relationships between different aspects of horsemanship and different aspects of life for that matter. Your strength is probably not your ability to excel in one discipline. Instead, it may be to combine the ideas of several disciplines into a unique horsemanship practice, better suited to you and your horse. In his book, From Strength to Strength, Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life, Arthur C. Brooks says that when you were young, you can generate lots of facts. When you are old, you know what they mean and how to use them. So I hope that you recognize your mental gifts in the second half of life. I hope that you can apply your wisdom gifts on your path to better horsemanship and a better life. Thanks for listening to the Almost Daily Second half Horsemanship Podcast. If you're also on the second half horsemanship journey, please leave a comment on our website, second half horsemanship.com. We're always looking for topic and interview ideas. When I use links to books, products, and services in the podcast, some of those links might be referral links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I earn a small commission when you purchase something through those links, but you will not be charged more by using the links. One more note, I use Descript for editing the podcast. If you do any audio or video editing, you should check out what Descript offers. It's an incredible tool for creatives. I'll also have a link to Descript in the show notes. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews help the podcast reach a larger audience. Thank you very much.