How far left are you?
Wait…I’m not asking about your politics, I’m asking about your handedness. Today is all about being a leftie (not leftist) and what that means to you. If you’re right-handed, like 87% of Earth’s human residents, this newsletter is for you, too, because you’re farther left than you may know!
If you have a leftie in your family, or if you are a leftie, that’s genetics at work. There is a familial link for left-handers, and researchers think that they’ve identified the gene that makes it possible for a person to produce a left-handed child. Being a leftie is so rare that even if two left-handers meet, fall in love, and produce a boatload of children, 70 to 80 percent of their kids will be right-handed.
Famous left-handers include:
Leaders: Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama
Innovators: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg
Business Heroes: David Rockefeller, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Forbes
Geniuses: Aristotle, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Friedrich Nietzsche
Artists: Michelangelo, M.C. Escher, and Vincent van Gogh
Musicians: Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie (oh, and my brother Ed who slays at bass guitar)
Sports Heroes: Martina Navratilova, Babe Ruth, and Mark Spitz
Celebrities: Fred Astaire, Julia Roberts, and Whoopi Goldberg
Because our brains are cross-wired, left-handers are always in their right mind when using their leftness. We righties, while in the huge majority, are also capable of left-handedness, though we’re not interloping on the lefties’ domain. Turns out, as rare as being a leftie is, it’s even more rare to be completely one-hand-dominant in all you do, if you have two hands. Check out this fun self-test from the Left Hander’s Day website to see in what ways you might be a little bit left-hand-dominant.
- Imagine the center of your back is itching. Which hand do you scratch it with?
- Interlock your fingers. Which thumb is uppermost?
- Imagine you are applauding. Start clapping your hands. Which hand is uppermost?
- Wink at an imaginary friend straight in front of you. Which eye does the winking?
- Put your hands behind your back, one holding the other. Which hand is doing the holding?
- Someone in front of you is shouting but you cannot hear the words. Cup your ear to hear better. Which ear do you cup?
- Count to three on your fingers, using the forefinger of the other hand. Which forefinger do you use?
- Tilt your head over on to one shoulder. Which shoulder does it touch?
- Fixate a small distant object with your eyes and point directly at it with your forefinger. Now close one eye. Now change eyes. Which eye was open when the fingertip remained in line with the small object? (When the other eye, the non-dominant one, is open and the dominant eye is closed, the finger will appear to move to one side of the object.)
- Fold your arms. Which forearm is uppermost?
Though not scientific, it is kind of fun to see our brain’s ability to flex. Or not! Sometimes we get very stuck in doing things the way we’ve always done them. That’s when neuroplasticity can be fun to play with – intentionally switch things up from time to time, and see how long it takes you to become ambi-(whatever it is you’re doing the other way)-strous. For other ways to increase your mental flexibility, check out these three episodes of the world’s second-shortest podcast, the Wellbeing Wisdom Tiny Bites podcast:
Need help seeing the flexibility that is you? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!
Want to understand why failures make you more resilient? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!
Like to understand the truth behind the success platitudes? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!
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If you’re left-handed, today is your day to celebrate that one unique trait of yours. If you’re right-handed, you can regale your leftie friends, co-workers, and relatives with a few fun facts about lefties: twins are most often a mixed set, one a leftie and one a righty; one quarter of the original NASA astronauts were lefties; and the top talents in swimming, fencing, tennis and baseball are all likely to be left-handed.
Just for fun, do something with your non-dominant hand today, and laugh at how tough it is. Keep concentrating and keep trying, and celebrate your success with neuroplasticity!
Wags,
Sandy Weaver
The Voice of Wagaliciousness
#success #leader #lawofattraction #personaldevelopment #mentalwellbeing
