YES, I have decided to bury my head in the sand, in the wishful thinking that everything will fall into place tomorrow. I keep saying this to myself day after day.
The adage “This too will pass” has its origin traced to an Eastern monarch who once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations.
They presented him with the words: “And this, too, shall pass away.”
This maxim has been overused by the wise and the foolish in times of need and distress.
I am also guilty of having used the aphorism in a variety of ways and manner and I now desperately need to use it again.
Having said that, there is always the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Many of us experienced a myriad of emotions when we read the news about the state of emergency proposal on Friday.
I went blank and numb for a moment, though it felt like a lifetime, not knowing what to say.
Coming back to reality, the mind refused all logic and decided that it is going to be TGIF.
With the combined efforts of the left and right brain, I decided not to worry over things I cannot change.
I needed escapism and I jumped on the first book I could lay my hands on in this hour and time of turmoil.
Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk was a wonder drug that kept me company through the days of intense speculation, uncertainty, extreme worry and a feeling of complete vulnerability.
His opening quote in Chapter Two read: “It is impossible to build one’s own happiness on the unhappiness of others.”
The words hit me like a ton of bricks.
We are responsible for creating our own joy.
So, how do we overcome or get rid of the negativity that surrounds us and still hope (read pretend) that tomorrow will be a better day?
Negativity is an invisible toxin that slowly moves in, becoming a part of our daily lives before we even realise it.
The worst part is, it seems to be contagious.
The more we’re surrounded by negativity, the more negative we ourselves become.
We are often assaulted by negativity which is everywhere.
Bad things do happen in our lives and we are all victims at some point or another.
But if we adopt a victim mentality, we are more likely to develop a sense of entitlement and to behave selfishly.
The more negativity surrounds us, the more negative we become.
We think that complaining will help us process our anger, but research has shown that is not always the case.
If we contain all these negativity generators in a box and brand them as annoyance, managing such people and situations become difficult.
Instead of judging, when we step away from the negative person or situation to make clearheaded decisions about our role in the situation, things would work better for you and the opposing party.
When we remove ourselves from the emotional charge of the moment, the “commandment” that says we have to be upset with the negative person or situation can be negated.
Now, with this in mind, reading the news seems like a bad idea, at least for now.
Staying away from the 24/7 news feeds might allay uncorroborated fears that the world is coming to an end.
Mental filter is a term used to describe a type of cognitive distortion that can lead people into higher levels of negative emotional state.
When thinking through a mental filter, a person is generally focusing only on the negative aspects of a situation and filtering out all of the positive ones.
However, the filter can also be used to focus on the positives which are there, probably hidden or disguised, in the immediate surrounding. I am taking refuge in the little treats such still being able to drive around to get my favourite coffee around the corner.
To start with, let’s substitute every negative thought with a positive one.
See the positive side of every situation even when you are surrounded with pure negativity.
And keep repeating the mantra: “This too will pass”!
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
