Meditation is focused attention and the more we practise focusing our brains the more connections we build up.

A sense of achievement improves general confidence and self-esteem.

If someone is depressed they tend to retreat within the inner circle of their comfort zone which in the longer term, may contribute to exacerbating a problem rather than soothing it and if not seeking to expand the comfort zone becomes the norm.

The trouble is if we take no new steps to try a new challenge, our comfort zone doesn't seem just to stay still, but retract.

If we are not using our brains' capacity for challenge it feels to me as though it atrophies like an unused muscle.

In order to stretch ourselves we do need to experience the vulnerability of not knowing the outcome.

Whether you plan or whether you flow in order to be creative probably isn't the point. The point is to keep practicing to maintain neural pathways and to establish new ones by learning new skills.