Having recently celebrated my 25th birthday (happy birthday to me), I took some time to reflect on the significance of the past year's events. It was, perhaps, the grandest and most consequential year of my life up to this point (I believe I say that every year, but I think that indicates that I'm doing something right).

Some highlights included graduating with my master's degree, rounding out year 2 of a wonderful relationship, and getting accepted to the cognition/cognitive neuroscience phd program at Duke. A few smaller accomplishments included beginning my work in clinical research, discovering the various gems of the Bay Area, and growing my hair to the middle of my back.

As I considered the changes, learning, and growth I had experienced this last year, I felt grateful, blessed, and a little proud (like the Avett brothers say, pride like my mother has, and not like the kind in the Bible that turns you bad). What is even more exhilarating to me, however, is that I expect the events of the coming year to surpass even the magnitude of Year 24. You are wondering, can it be done? As I prepare to move my life to North Carolina, begin a 5-year phd program, commence year 3 of said wonderful relationship, and (fingers crossed) FINALLY adopt my long-awaited puppy, I am left believing it certainly can be done.

With so many novel and life-changing events on the near horizon, I knew it was time to create a channel for sharing these tremendous experiences with those I love. Cue the blog.

Why firstinventtheuniverse? 
My own life experience, in conjunction with my studies of cognition, have made me an unfaltering proponent of the following idea: we “invent” our own universes. Of course I am not referring to a cellular or biological invention of the universe, but rather a perceptual one. I believe we invent the world we experience through the attitudes we hold, the thoughts we entertain, and the logic we employ. I am confident that the universe we experience is shaped and altered by the people whose company we keep, the places we call home, and the things we hold dear.

In cognition, this idea is widely accepted. The way a person experiences his or her world has been called a mindset, a mental set, or a framework. Neurologically, this idea was recently proven with mice. It was discovered that the activities in which a particular mouse chose to engage and the habits he formed had the ability to change the literal physiology of his brain. Though the mice were genetically identical, each of them experienced varying speed and location of neuron growth based on the decisions they made.

What do these findings and theories mean for us? They mean that we can change the world we experience by creating our own thought and action patterns. We can create a universe where working out is associated with joy or anxiety, a world where others' shortcomings are met with patience or anger. By controlling our thoughts, we can live in a world where everything goes our way, or a world where nothing does. By choosing our actions, we can experience a universe full of discovery and growth, or one of stagnancy and complacency. To quote the article about mice, "Mindset is not fixed and individuality is not hardwired. Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity [that is, brain growth and brain change] offer each of us a fresh start everyday." 

My universe is full of dynamic and intriguing people. It contains endless mountains to be hiked, cuisines to be tasted, languages to be mastered, and books to be devoured. In my universe, I could spend the rest of my life learning, and still have only scratched the surface of things I want to know. My universe is one of progress and growth, mistakes and love. It is always changing, and I am always changing with it.

This is a record of the universe I am creating.