Have you noticed how sometimes excitement and anxiety can feel similar? There are butterflies in the stomach, elevated heart rate, etc., and this is because they are both driven by the same chemical, adrenaline.

However, while the chemical nature of these two experiences are somewhat similar, the experience of life that is produced is very different. And, for those of you who follow my “Life from the Top of the Mind” philosophy, you know that this has to do with how the brain processes information.

Why is this important information? Because, if we want to have as much influence as possible over our experience of life, we need to know what part of the brain to trust. For example, the middle brain, or limbic system, has a tendency to value anxiety over joy because, for as long as we have been on the planet, anxiety has kept us safe.

However, while we are long past the need to be worried about survival, the middle brain does not know this, and as a result, it can have us feeling anxious or worried when there is really nothing to be worried about (or at least nothing that is a threat to our survival).

Of course, if there is something that deserves our attention or concern, we can trust the “Top of the Mind” to focus on what I call “productive concern,” or solution-focused concern, that produces clarity, confidence, and creativity versus anxiety.

Therefore, if enjoying life is important to you, I suggest that we begin to enjoy… in joy… or begin to ensure that we are experiencing adrenaline as excitement. In this way, we are becoming more influential in our lives (and potentially in the lives of others) by understanding the chemical nature of how we respond to life, and choosing the more purposeful part of who we are as the part we want to trust.

What aspects of your life could use a little more excitement and joy?