I had a great example of using limbic brain vs prefrontal cortex this week.

I was playing with a four-year-old. I had two allegator figurines, and I played the role of two allegators.

Allegator 1: I am really hungry, I could really eat a four-year-old.

Allegator 2: Me, too. I wonder where we can find a four-year-old.

Kid: I'm four. I'm right here.

Allegator 1: Oh boy. I'll start eating the left leg, you can start on the right one.

Kid: No, you don't want to eat me. I know someone who would be much better to eat. He's in my class. His name is Mancala (we had just finished playing the game Mancala). I'm a good person to play with. You don't want to eat me. You should eat him.

Allegator 2: Okay, where is he? I'm really hungry.

Kid: We can fly down to Florida and go get him. Just get into my airplane.

Allegator 1: No, I want something to eat right now. We can just eat this four-year-old.

Kid: I think you'd like hot dogs much better. Why don't I make you hot dogs?

Allegator 1: I could eat three hot dogs.

Allegator 2: I'd like three hot dogs, too.

Allegator 1: If you want three hot dogs and I want three hot dogs, how many hot dogs does he have to make?

Kid: (with no pause at all) ten.

Allegator 2: I don't think that's right, If I want three and he wants three, how many is that?

Kid: (pauses about 2 seconds and thinks). Oh six. I'll make six hot dogs, three for each of you.

Up until the math question, the child was engaged, thinking, creative using the prefrontal cortext. When the math question came up, it is as if the limbic mind said, "no need to work here, just say a large number."

But then, in a nonthreatening way, that answer was challenged. The kid knew he had to think, and he reasoned out the answer.

We all do that, right? We are engaged in something and up pops a problem. Our limbic mind reacts and we don't evaluate that reaction, we just act or talk. When we get challenged in a nonthreatening way, or if we are self-aware enough to catch ourselves, we find we are fully capable of solving the problem.

Let's all do more of that in 2025. Let's stop ourselves from the immediate unthinking reactions and take time to craft solutions.

Happy holidays.

If you're looking for something to do this holiday, how about reading Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success? What a great way to make 2025 spectacular.