S10E16: Neuroplasticity is a Fancy word meaning: MOVE YOUR ASS

0:00 My beautiful survivor is How are you? This is Karina, the host and creator behind Stroke Surviving the Odds of the podcast. The show's machine is to help you move forward, passive and it's a stroke and realize your life is far, not over. It's here to help you reclaim your life and reclaim your identity. 28 years ago, I suffered a stroke myself, a brainstem dissection that led me to Coma Interlochen Syndrome. As you can see, I'm here sharing everything I've learned over the years that helped me survive this world as a stroke survivor. I urge you to grab a pen and paper because the faintest of ink is better than the best memory. Come and join me here as we are recording today's show. So before we commence to this

0:49 episode, I'd like to do a little bit of clean house and mention that we have a audio podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Apple and Google. That's an audio. But if you go on YouTube on stroke surviving the odds of podcasts, you will also have videos, videos of interviews that I do every week, but not the same kind of interviews.

1:16 The ask me a question and I'll answer that question, but it's really more of a conversation between friends. We only have a commonality, which is we both had a stroke guys audio on Spotify video on YouTube. And if you're not yet subscribe to my YouTube channel, go to the head, please. It's free.

1:40 And if it's free, it's for me. And if you're listening to the audio podcast, make sure you download the episode. That way you are going to be able to listen to it while you are recuperating and rehabilitating yourself. Sounds like a plan. And before I go on, you might hear little dogs around me. Yep, I have my two dogs in my office with me right now, and they're both in a playing mood.

2:08 So I have Einstein and I have Oreo. You can just imagine the power struggle between these two. But you know what? They're actually cool. Because you, my dear, have power. You have more determination and more joy than you actually think. Just like my 2 little puppies here, that Einstein thinks he can't do something and Oreo makes him do it and he helps him and he shows him the way.

2:43 Well, I'm like your Oreo. Yep. Sounds pretty funny, huh? But I'm like your Oreo. I'm not any better than any of you. I'm not. I've only been here in this stroke game for a longer period of time. So I'm letting you guys, you guys know what's going on with me. I'm letting you guys know that this podcast Stroke Surviving the Odds is top 4 worldwide.

3:16 We are making a difference, guys. When I say we, I mean we as in you and I, because without you, my listeners and my viewers, there would not be any show, there would not be any top four, there would not be. But we are here. The movement of stroke survivors, the power of stroke survivors is here to stay, guys.

3:43 Absolutely. While you're at it, go over the head and share the podcast, share with Sugar Bear, share with everybody and anybody that could use a little booster today, a little energy booster and they'll be thanking you for it. And I will be thanking you for it. And again, if it's free, it's for me guys. You're already listening to Spotify or YouTube. These are these are things, these are social medias, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, these are all free. We are lucky that it's free.

4:23 So what is it to press that little arrow to the right that says Cher, really, when we think about it, and I'm a big advocate on paying it forward. So that little part of you that you are helping the show grow, you're helping the the movement grow, you're helping the community. You're hoping another stroke survivor not feel alone.

4:51 And that's what that's what the show is all about. That's what I want the community to have this sense of unity that you are not alone. I know it sounds cliche, like I have that Michael Jackson song in my head. As I was saying, you are not alone. I have that Michael Jackson song. But you know what guys? You are not.

5:18 I read and look at social media and read people's posts in different groups, and I think I'm part of like 30 different groups. And one of the common things is that people feel like they're the only ones feeling how they feel, that they're the only ones that maybe they feel transparent, that other people talk about them while they're in the room as if they're not. And it's like, hello, I'm right here. And that's the way people describe it. And that hurts my feeling.

5:58 But that that's just making it more powerful for me. The, the, the, the, the people that don't understand stroke survivors. It's not because they don't want to. It's because you and I will never know what it is to be the caregiver of a stroke survivor. Just like they will never know, Hopefully they will never know what it is and how it feels to be a stroke survivor.

6:33 Does that make sense? So they're quick to judge, but a lot of stroke survivors are also quick to judge. And nothing good comes out of judgement. Nothing. The only one that can judge is God. I am not religious in any means. I'm a very big believer and you'll hear me talk about God quite a few times because without Him, my whole entire life, guys, my whole beautiful, dramatic life would not have been as bearable. I'm just going to leave it at that. So you know what?

7:25 You are not alone. Today I was inspired by Cesar Milan. Can you believe it? For those of you around the world that don't know who Caesar is, he is the dog whisperer. He doesn't only talk about dogs as pets, but dogs as humans. And I love how he uses psychology, emotional psychology, emotional intelligence. And that really inspired today's show on Neuroplasticity is only another fancy word that means movie Ras. In other words, I will explain.

8:27 But this sounds pretty funny. I, I think I'm pretty funny this morning. I don't know, I woke up singing songs. And I mean, some people are grumpy in the morning and I'm not. And just so you know, FYII love to record my show in the morning. I have the most energy and my voice is actually clearer in the morning, so if you're having a hard time to hear me, well, it's only going to get worse after this, guys. But seriously, it's clearer.

9:01 So OK, Oreo's calling me right now. He's looking at me and saying, who are you talking to? I'm talking to my friends. I'm talking to my friends. Oreo. Yes, Good boy. OK, OK. Be quiet. Sorry about that. There you go. You heard that. OK, So yeah, it's just another fancy word to say. Action, taking action and neuroplasticity and taking action have to do with our mindset, boosting our mindset, but at the same time it's about motivation, taking action, discipline.

9:54 Neuroplasticity is a fancy word to say about 10 other words. It embodies about 10 things that need to be done in order for that neuroplasticity. The pathways in your brain that maybe dimmed and some of them died during this job. That's not a problem. That's not a problem, guys, because the brain has this capacity of rebuilding itself and reforming itself. Think of neuroplasticity also as using Agps. You guys are probably saying, Karina, what the hell are you talking about this morning again? Oh my gosh.

10:51 OK, Think about neuroplasticity as using AGPS. How many times do we have to put AGPS on for directions and as we are on route, the GPS goes rerouting, rerouting, rerouting. OK, so basically the road you was initially supposed to be taking has a blockage and the GPS is telling you we're going to go another way, we are going to find a way to bring you to your destination. Does that make sense?

11:35 That's pretty cool. I mean, I don't like science. I'm not a science and a biology person at all, but I love the science behind this one. I can go behind it. I can take it. I paused the podcast and my recording and I said, let me write down how many words I can come up with. Let's see if I can come up with that. So actually I came up with 12.

12:07 Neuroplasticity embodies these words. Self love, self respect, self worth, action, move your ass, motivation, training your brain, discipline, consistency, emotional intelligence. These are just a couple of words that I came up with right now. So imagine, if you do all these things, imagine the capacity that your brain has, the capacity that your brain has to produce to produce all of this.

12:58 The brain is the most fascinating machine on earth because it has the capability of becoming anything. So my question to you is, and you should be writing this down, my question to you is what, what part of what I just mentioned those, those words that I said what, what word resonated the most with you, not as in lack, but as in I will do it.

13:41 I am doing it. I'm not going to stop. Which word? It's always easy to find the negative before the positive. Sometimes that's what we need to do, right? But the first thing coming out of our mind is I don't want, I don't do this. I don't want that. That's not what I want here. I want you to see the positive of it.

14:10 When I sit in the intro, this shows about moving forward past the events of the stroke. I meant it. So if we want to move forward past the event of the stroke and we want to reclaim and we want to be our own person, we need to command respect, but we need to command respect from ourselves. And when you're capable of putting down the words that resonated the most with you, that in itself is a huge self respect and self love and self worth.

14:56 And there's a lot of emotional intelligence in what you just put down on paper because you really thought about it, you really feel it, you have conviction. I always say to stroke survivors, how do you want other people to love you if you don't love yourself? How do you want other people to respect you if you don't respect yourself? How would you like to create boundaries on other people? But you're not respecting boundaries for yourself. Boundaries for yourself is like saying to my dog, he can't take my pen.

15:40 That's on my table. He can't eat my shoe. Now Einstein is growling. He knows I'm talking about him. But seriously, that's what it means. So before I go on for another couple of minutes, I am going to repeat these words and I would like for you to write down which one resonates the most with you. Which one are you committed to doing OK to help your neuroplasticity reform itself?

16:14 Neuroplasticity is not magic guys. You need to take action for that to happen. You get that? So the words that I put down are and I just added two by the way. So the words are action, move your ass, self love, self respect, self worth, GPS, motivation, train your brain, discipline, consistency, emotional intelligence. Of these words, which one are you committed to doing? Or do you acknowledge that you are doing it, not that you are not?

16:58 You are doing it, honey. And if you're deciding right now, congratulations, you are deciding to take the next step in your recovery. That's amazing. You are taking accountability for your own actions. That is amazing, guys. Today's episode was very fun for me to do, but I think I'm going to leave it here because it was very packed with a lot of information.

17:34 But information leads to transformation, and if you're listening to the podcast, you know that I'm big on being proactive and being in the forefront of your own life. You had no control when you had the stroke. You didn't choose to have a stroke. It happened. Well, now you can choose the rest of your life. Sounds good, make sure you like and follow. Subscribe on YouTube, download on audio podcast. Love each other but more importantly love yourself because I love you.

18:16 See you soon. Bye.