What is Mental Makeup?!

Mental Makeup is a website dedicated to using evidence based techniques and findings in psychology, sociology, and neuroscience to help readers to literally change their brain in order to attain higher levels of wellness, happiness, and optimal living.

Mental Makeup is here to empower young adults to create the lives they want, but have been unable to create within the confines of traditional education. Building on the foundation of chaos theory ¹, more specifically the butterfly effect ², Mental Makeup teaches the belief that one person can indeed change the universe. Mental Makeup seeks to help the reader link how his or her actions as an individual can shape the collective conscious of humanity, while simultaneously providing benefits to the individual.

The human brain is relatively new when compared to the brains of our reptilian counterparts.  Our limbic system- the part in the brain responsible for generating fear and thus the “fight or flight” response- is the oldest part of our brain and reptilian in nature.  Neurological evolution of the brain suggests that empathy and social awareness are the newest part of our psychology as humans³.  We’re just learning how to increase functioning to other areas of the brain through advances in neuroscience.  And what we’re learning shows evidence of the brain’s plasticity- that the brain is constantly changing with every thought you think.  Why not change it in such a way that you are advancing yourself and humanity’s potential?

Mental Makeup seeks to give you the tools and skills to organize your brain in ways that can help you to motivate your life to reach your goals, while at the same time providing you optimal wellness and happiness.

Mental Makeup advocates positive thinking and behavior as a lifestyle change that can be applied to all aspects of life- from nutrition to a career to relationships.

It is the goal of Mental Makeup to help others unlearn the self limiting beliefs and constructs that govern behavior, i.e. groupthink⁴.

Instead we promote:

• an integrative view of the world
• free thinking
• self acceptance

It’s time to make up up your mind to change the world.

Mental Makeup is authored, moderated, & edited by April Dawn Ricchuito, an alumni of the University of Central Florida’s Graduate School of Social Work.  A full biography is available  here.  

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1.  See  “Chaos, Complexity, & Deterrence” (2000), a paper by Vincente Valle Jr.

2.  See Andrews, Andy. (2010)  The Butterfly Effect:  How Your Life Matters.  Nashville, TN:  Thomas Nelson.

3.  See Newberg, Andrew, M.D. & Waldman, Mark R. (2010). How God Changes Your Brain:  Breakthrough Findings From a Leading Neuroscientist. New York: Ballatine Books.

4.  See “What is Groupthink?”