The locker was empty!
Whaaaaaaat??? Where was my bag with my laptop, credit card, and other valuables!!!
My mind was racing just minutes after I’d emerged from the lovely, relaxing hot baths at my local spa in central Tokyo.
Here’s what had happened…
I’d realized the locker key wristband wasn’t on my wrist. D’oh!
At first, I was calm. I looked around, but couldn’t find it.
No worries though. This was Japan after all. Someone would’ve handed it in.
I located a staff member and explained that I’d lost my locker key.
She did a little walkie-talkie check – to reception, I assumed – but then told me that no key had been handed in.
Not handed in? A little voice of concern started to pop up in my mind.
She asked my 4-digit locker number – not something I usually commit to memory…
Er… 29… yes, I was sure it started with 29…
Er… 86! 2986! Yes, that sounded right. Yes, that was it!
We went to the locker together.
And that’s when I found myself standing in front of the open and empty locker!
My mind plummeted into panic. I could clearly picture my purple backpack with all the contents. Someone must have found the key, opened the locker, and stolen my things!!!
Okay, let’s skip to the good part…
A few minutes later, I met my husband at reception. We could confirm my locker number because we’d checked in together.
It wasn’t 2986 after all!
And it turned out that someone had handed in a key, which I’d apparently left lying around!
And, here’s the best bit…
When I opened my locker, I discovered that I hadn’t even brought my rucksack or my laptop! I’d brought a yellow Winnie the Pooh tote bag with minimal belongings – lol!
Why am I telling you this?
Well, first, I hope it gives you a laugh.
But more importantly, I hope you can take something away from this:
Don’t believe everything you think.
Let me explain why.
Our reptilian brain – the oldest part of the human brain – focuses on our survival.
Even though this part of the brain developed 500 million years ago, it’s still fully active today and causes all sorts of unconscious, and often inconvenient, behavior.
Two behaviors that are relevant to this story are
1. It focuses on the negative
Imagine a primitive human being. She sees a beautiful sunset (positive). But then she notices a rustling in the grass, which could mean a dangerous animal is approaching (negative).
Which is more important to focus on for her survival? Of course it’s the negative.
She’s highly likely to survive a sunset. She may not survive an encounter with a dangerous animal.
If you’ve ever felt bad about yourself because you tend to focus on the negative – you’re a normal human being!
Now, if you know me at all, you might say, “But, Helen, you always seem so positive.”
Yes, much of the time I am positive. It’s a conscious choice.
Sometimes though, my reptilian brain still gets the better of me.
2. It stops rational thinking
Now imagine that dangerous animal is about to lunge after our primitive female.
Does she think, “Hmm, I wonder what my best strategy is here? Am I strong enough to fight back? Shall I run away? Where’s the best place to go?”
Of course not! She automatically starts running.
When your life’s in danger, taking time to think could be fatal.
Your body starts pumping out stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol – to help you fight or flee. And it cuts the connection to the neocortex – the thinking part of the brain.
This means you can no longer think logically.
Ever been giving a presentation and your mind went blank?
Your heart was probably beating fast too.
Those are signs that your reptilian brain believes you’re somehow under threat (scary audience!) and is attempting to protect you.
It stops you from thinking logically because that’s too slow and pumps more blood around your body, so that you can fight or run away!
So what can you do in today’s world if your reptilian brain is attempting to protect you, but you’re not really in danger?
When you notice your negative thinking, consider these questions:
- Is that true?
- How do I know it’s true?
- What could be another perspective or possibility?
Most of the time, this works very well for me and I hope you find this useful too.
The locker incident was an exception. I’m still not sure why my reptilian brain was so triggered that day. But it was a strong reminder of its power.
Whenever you have irrational moments, my recommendation is to recognize that you’re human. If you hurt someone in the process, be sure to make amends. And be kind to yourself.
(BTW, the photo is thanks to TopTia Photography.)