The Hindu Business Line : No negativity!

It is time to take a firm stand and say, “I will not allow myself to think negative thoughts.” We must stop being hurt, angry, confused and realise this liberating truth: Everything changes when I change. Let us open our eyes to: When I darken, the world darkens. When I light up, the world lights up. Let us gladly, willingly, wholeheartedly relinquish negative thinking and feel our immunity system strengthen…strengthen.

Think about it: Not to be haunted by a sense of self-doubt, loneliness, hopelessness; not to feel threatened; not to have nightmares; not to feel suffocated by fear. It’s all ours, this brave new beautiful bountiful way of being. To feel this beauty in our being, to feel this wondrousness of being bathed in light, we can do simple, practical things.

Verbalise the fear

“I am afraid of…” Now, do not fight it, do not struggle against it. Say, “I surrender to light.” Imagine you are held in a gentle cocoon of light, looked after tenderly, protected lovingly. Open your hands and let go despair, resistance. See how everything changes as you change. Grey areas become luminous. Edges soften. As you practise this way of thinking regularly, you forge new positive neural grooves in your brain where there is no fear, only the joy of being.

Personal positive journal

Get yourself a jumbo note-book and make it your personal positive journal. Write positive thoughts, ideal situations, sweet hopes and aspirations, lofty quotes in a bright red or green ink. Bright thoughts deserve bright colours. Take down beautiful learning stories — start with the one I was recently forwarded — and highlight it in orange or pink:

A well-groomed Mr Jones, 92, moved into a nursing home. His wife, 70, passed away, making the move necessary. After several hours of waiting patiently in the lobby, he smiled sweetly when informed his room was ready. As he manoeuvred his walker, his caregiver described his room. “I love it!” he exclaimed with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old presented with a new puppy. The caregiver protested, “Mr Jones, you haven’t even seen the room!”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” replied Mr Jones. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged… it’s how I arrange my mind. I’ve already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

“Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day.” Mr Jones’ five simple rules to be happy are: ‘Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.’

The subconscious mind cannot differentiate between reality and fantasy. So, by constantly writing about an ideal life, a beautiful outlook and positive attitude, you consistently refresh, renew, recast your brain in great healing thoughts, nudging out negativities.

Brain usage

Since we tend to use one (right, mostly) hand to write, eat and for other tasks, we tend to overuse one part of the brain, thus creating a subtle imbalance that could create negative feelings. Consciously start using the left hand to open the door, raise a cup of tea to your lips, drum fingers on the table. When under-utilised parts of the brain get stimulated, a healing balance is restored to foster equilibrium.

Under-utilising body

Similarly, we tend to overuse our brain and under-utilise our body. So, please use your entire body. Take it for a walk. Make it pedal your stationary bike. Whatever exercise you choose, do it joyfully. This raises feel-good hormones. Also, whenever you stand in front of the mirror, find three good things about your body. Make a personal rule: you will never allow even a single negative thought about your body to cross your mind. For 21 days, don’t speak ill of your body; rather appreciate its high commitment to you. The result will astonish you.

Some days, several things seem to go wrong — you’re late for office, the printer packs up, an important appointment is cancelled, taps leak, the chemist’s shop is mysteriously shut, the car doesn’t start, a client complains that the documents haven’t reached, the electricity goes off, the elevator is being serviced, the weighing machine shows two extra kg. Please do not give in to frustration and despair. Take 10 deep breaths and accept the day’s situations as ‘they are’.

Surrender to ‘what is’ with grace — this way, you serenely give up what you cannot control but do not lose power. Relax for some time and do two to three other things with your heart — call your mother, send a gift, meditate — that you’d have neglected had your day gone exactly as you’d planned with your mind. Vow to create healing moments for such days…and all days.

And see how magically the light comes on.

The writer is co-author of the book ‘Fitness for Life’.

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