Page 83 - Getting to the Heart of High Performance

cycle, you’re forced to choose how you’ll behave. So what

will it be? Positive, negative, or neutral? You’re free to
select the emotional tone for your behavior, but you only
have three options. That’s it.

Nobody else can make this decision for you. Your pre-
frontal cortex makes the call.

At this stage of the encounter your mirror neurons have

already scanned the other person and unconsciously
primed you to behave a certain way. But now you get to
decide whether to go with that impulse or resist the urge.
Also, if the other person seized the initiative and acted

first, you’ll feel psychological pressure to reciprocate.
Nevertheless, how you react is your choice.

Your thinking brain works slower than your mirror neurons,

but it carries more clout and operates under your voluntary
control. It can veto an impulse to retaliate. It can choose to
remain positive when others are negative or neutral.

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