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of thoughts and actions that correspond with a person's internal goals. What's more, a healthy prefrontal cortex has the ability to override emotionally driven behaviors that lead to impulsive action, avoidance, and procrastination. A person with a sluggish prefrontal cortex will not be able to focus his or her thoughts for any length of time. In the absence of external factors (e.g., an overzealous parent or a prison warden) he or she will be unable to consistently initiate actions in support of future goals. Of course, all of this translates into an impaired ability to engage LOA.

THE AMYGDULA (AMYGDALA, AMYGDALE)

The amygdula is an almond-shaped cluster existing just above the human's brainstem. Acting as a storehouse of emotional memory, the amygdula is often referred to as the human's "old brain." It dictates our "fight or flight" response that helped our ancestors survive over the last million years, well before mankind's brain developed the cortex regions that create rational thought. The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) lists over a dozen different types of anxiety disorders. These include Agoraphobia, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and generalized Anxiety Disorder, among others. All anxiety disorders have the common factor of a hyperactive amygdula.

People who have endured life-threatening circumstances may develop a hyperactive amygdula and can exhibit intense "fight or flight" reactions well after the initial threat is gone. For example, a door slam down the hall or a loud car motor will startle such individuals significantly more than it would a normal person.

THE BRAIN'S PROPENSITY TOWARD PATTERN RECOGNITION:

Another point of consideration that relates to LOA is the brain's propensity for pattern recognition. In a groundbreaking 2002 article in Money magazine, Jason Zweig explains the role that different brain areas play in our ability to execute sound money decisions. Generally, pattern recognition involves two areas of our brain: the nucleus accumbens, and the anterior cingulate. These areas are responsible for humans viewing the world in
predictable patterns. Pattern recognition is what helped cave dwellers survive; "This plant is good to eat." "That land is the home of dangerous animals." "These tracks are from an animal that I can kill and eat." "Sunrise, light, sunset, dark, sunrise, light, sunset, dark" This ability to recognize patterns is the

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