I want to talk to you about your brain. You see, you actually have two brains. One brain is where your genius lives. This brain wants to create, come up with new ideas, and learn new things. It loves to do amazing things. You have used this brain at least once in your life. Think about that time you lied to your parents and they found out. What did you say to them so that you wouldn’t get in trouble? That was your genius working. What about that time you had a school project that you worked really hard on and made a 100? That, too, was your genius. Scientists think the genius part of your brain is fairly new, so it still needs a lot of practice and development.
The other brain is called
The Resistance. The Resistance doesn’t want you to try anything new. It doesn’t want you to learn. It doesn’t care about creating something new. It wants to be safe and comfortable. It wants you to be stupid because if you learn something new, it might change how you behave. Right now, The Resistance is fighting hard to keep you from believing what I’m saying to you. The Resistance is very, very old. Animals, in fact, only have one brain: The Resistance. This is why animals don’t go to school, can’t be reasoned with, and bite for no reason. Their Resistance makes all the choices for them.
Your task is to fight The Resistance.
Every time you don’t want to do something, say out loud, “The Resistance will not win because I have genius inside of me.” Every time you are given a challenge and you hear that little voice that says, “don’t do it, it’s stupid” you can be sure The Resistance is winning. Steve Jobs doesn’t always want to come up with new ideas and new products. It’s hard work! But he does, time after time. He keeps creating. He keeps fighting The Resistance. He doesn’t always win, but he keeps fighting. Professional athletes don’t want to keep practicing and running drills, but they know it’s the only way to beat The Resistance and improve. It’s the only way they’ll win their next game. Your teachers don’t always want to put up with students. Wouldn’t it be easier to just give in and let them do whatever they want? It would be easier, but then The Resistance would win.
People who let The Resistance win time after time don’t accomplish anything. They don’t create anything new. They don’t win in life. They don’t learn anything new. Instead, they listen to the lies The Resistance tells them and end up watch everyone else become successful and change the world.
