“There is one thing that gives radiance to everything. It’s the idea of something around the corner.” 
– GC Chesterson, author. 

According to brain scientist and gaming expert Jane Gongial, that’s why there are 2.1 billion gamers in the world. Gaming makes us feel empowered and hopeful about the future.

So, what if you’re not a gamer?  

I, like most of the other women entrepreneurs that were in the room for Jane’s fascinating talk, never considered ourselves game-changers.

The group I was with from the WPO (Women’s Presidents Organization) have built companies with average revenues of over 13 million. For us, building a successful business is empowering, and in its own way a game – a complex one that keeps us challenged and working 24/7!

We all wanted to know what we could teach our kids and employees to get that same ‘hopeful, empowered feeling’ about the future in their everyday busy lives. 

Here the 5 game-changing tips that non-gamers can do to feel empowered and hopeful about the future according to Jane:  

1) Exercise

Oxygen levels and brain function go hand-in-hand. When your brain has enough oxygen, your body functions better, and you’ll feel better. As your blood oxygen levels improve, you might notice improved cognitive function, better balance and an overall improvement to your health.

Also, a study from Stockholm showed that the antidepressant effect of running was also associated with more cell growth in the hippocampus an area of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Runners take this to a whole new level, hitting their ventilatory threshold.

2) Stay positive

Being positive redirects your brain to reach your goals. Powering up the reward center, like in gaming, will make us think that what we are doing will get us something better. This is a choice we can make that will soon become a habit. Thoughts are things, they create your reality, and your thoughts are a result of your beliefs. If your beliefs don’t allow you to create the life you want to live, it’s time to make an upgrade and adopt a positive belief system.

3) Be more connected to the world

Augmented reality can help with this. What is augmented reality you ask? Well, here’s the definition, “a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.” Augmented reality brings out the components of the digital world into a person’s perceived real world.

No surprise, Facebook is launching an augmented reality tool. If you have ever used Snapchat filters or play Pokemon Go, you have used a form of AR. As business owners we need to keep up to date with all areas of technology to see how they can augment our brand communications. (I’m not sure how ready I am for this one.)

4) Give people on-demand chances to succeed

We live in a world of instant gratification and that’s not going to change.

If you give people chances to succeed throughout the day and provide instant feedback, it can be a game-changer for morale. This can be as simple as a text message with a positive emoji, just make it consistent and often.

5) Nothing is scarce

Many of us go through life with a ‘Scarcity Mindset,’ a way of living in the world where our subconscious is actively limiting us from experiencing our full potential. Your mind has the ability to think of infinite possibilities, however most people only operate from a limited range of thoughts. This is because ‘The Scarcity Mindset’ is limiting your potential. When you shift your mindset, nothing is scarce, there’s total abundance in all aspects of your life. This creates such boundless energy to create global good.

From my perspective, the key takeaway is to rise above all the everyday challenges of building a company (of which there are many), to continually adjust your positivity button. No one can do this for you, it’s totally within your control. Negativity breeds negativity and that can be irrevocably damaging in all aspects of your life. Positivity is energizing and contagious, it’s about being hopeful for the future – be that glass half full kind of person, so much more fun to be around!