A Reflection on Changing Habits - My Experience in '21-Day Twisted Transformation' by Cindy Heidel

“It takes 21 days to make or break a habit.”

REALLY? I’ve heard this phrase used many times in my life. Amusing that it comes from a 1960s self-help book by a cosmetic surgeon! Quite a few years have passed since then and more research shows that at the minimum, 21 days in a row of ‘something’ allows for the creation of new neural pathways. These are composed of neurons, connected by dendrites, which are created in the brain based on habits and behaviors. As we participate in new activities, our brains are being trained to create new pathways (habits) which start to be developed in 21 days. The longer you continually practice, the more neural pathways. Thank you, Doctor Google!!

A Testimony on Life with Scoliosis: Scoli Girl by Cindy Heidel

Introducing "Back Stories", our TOPS Guest Blog Series. Our first guest blog is this incredible raw and moving story by Cindy Heidel from Florida, USA.

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I was born, a stick with a head on it. People loved to point out how skinny I was. By thirteen, I knew I was abnormally tall, flat chested, and had two buck teeth that could open a soda bottle. Some brat in the neighborhood nicknamed me Fang. But I also knew that something was wrong with me.