The Power to Choose Who We Are with Jill Bolte Taylor

If you’re looking for a shot of energy, take a listen to this electric podcast episode with Jill Bolte Taylor, neuroscientist and author of My Stroke of Insight and Whole Brain Living.  We hope you enjoy this episode and let it energize you- it’s better than espresso!   Jill’s background in neuroscience was her gateway to spirituality, she reveals, after she had a stroke and spent some time living in her right brain. According to Jill, the “old her” died after the stroke and she was reborn into the person she is now. Thus, Jill has two Astrology charts, her original birth chart, where she has Sun in Taurus, and her rebirth chart which boasts a Sun in Sagittarius! What a difference! Tune in to hear Debra and Jill explore the dynamics of both charts in this episode which is such a unique perspective.    Jill explains her major life moments as “tsunamis” and how these profound experiences allowed her frequency to become “regulated for love.” After Jill’s first-to-go-viral TED Talk in 2008, she became an international speaking sensation and proceeded to work on her next book about “whole brain living.” Whole brain living defines the four parts of our brain that act as the control center, and demonstrates how to balance them for maximum happiness. Character 1 goes to work, Character 2 keeps us safe, Character 3 likes to play and have fun, Character 4 connects us with greater purpose. Keep these characters in mind while you listen to this episode.   Turning on the Observer, as Debra teaches, allows one to be able to pull back and see their four characters; to choose who to be and how to respond. As Jill says throughout the episode, we have the power to choose who and how we want to be in each moment. Astrology and the four elements beautifully mirror the whole brain and the four characters.    This is a story that couldn’t possibly fit in the allotted time, but Debra and Jill pack a punch of wisdom into this episode. It’s a don’t miss for anyone seeking confirmation of their varied, unique selves or those looking for a funny, profoundly inspirational listening experience that has a message of universal love!   Key Highlights From The Episode What we are all here to do in this lifetime and how it’s our super power How we are hardwired for fear and attraction to each other Understanding whole brain living and our four characters The power of water, osmosis, and how science and spirituality are entwined  Our ultimate purpose in life Timestamps [1:10] Intro of Jill Bolte Taylor [1:25] An energetic explosion of the brain [1:38] What it’s like to have Moon in Aries [2:06] Jill tells her backstory, from her stroke until now  [2:40] Debra gives the Astrological version of Jill’s bio [2:54] An alternate point of view that scientists would have never considered before Jill’s books came out  [3:48] Whole brain living describes the four personalities or characters in your Brain  [4:11] Jill explains the four characters/personalities or selves in our brains [5:45] Debra discusses Jill’s charts - her birth chart vs. her rebirth chart post-stroke [7:55] What would your alternate ego be if you weren’t a neuroscientist?  [10:10] Our #1 job in life is to love one another, period. [11:01] The brain is programmed with divine influence but with a design flaw that limits us [12:09] The amygdala controls our decisions with fear and curiosity, one part attracts while the other repels  [13:13] Consciously choosing to find the connection with someone before determining the differences [13:45] We have the power to choose, moment by moment, who and how we want to be in the world [14:29] What was going on before Jill’s stroke [16:10] The rebirth of Jill [17:15] The chart of what happened the day of Jill’s stroke [18:27] Putting science and spirituality in the same brain [18:45] Whole brain living was the reason Jill survived [20:00] In every relationship, we have eight characters (four for you, four for the other)  [20:58] Debra parallels the Observer to the four selves [23:40] Unhappiness is a character on a loop [24:50] Debra asks her students to vote on if Jill feels more like her original birth chart or her rebirth chart [25:31] How Jill’s personality and motivations have changed since the stroke [26:30] Water is sanity and Jill’s life on a riverboat [27:56] Who Jill would sit with living or dead that she’d want to have a conversation with [28:58] Debra’s favorite story in Jill’s book, My Stroke of Insight [30:52] Musings of Venus in Gemini  [32:04] Eternal optimism, people are realizing they have so much power over their own fears [32:43] It is our hero’s journey to love one another and to be that goodness in the world [33:10] How we as humans are missing meaning [34:24] How can we help people shut down the mean part of the amygdala to turn on the love [37:35] Deb does a prayer of gratitude with Jill, inspired to help us use our whole brains [39:27] The world of Astrology through a scientific perspective [41:48] We all have the super power of love