Of late I have been preaching a lot about positive thinking but not sure I am walking the talk. At the workshop which I conduct for children from divorced families, one of the tools taught to cope with their feelings is to change thoughts and activities when the going gets tough. Similarly at another counselling sessions with an adult, I shared with her about how continuous rumination of negative thoughts saps one's energy. I wonder whether this really works for them.
Every morning when I wake up I turn on the tv to get the latest news update. In the order of severity there would now be news coverage on the human tragedy of the Israel/Palestinian crisis, an update of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, catastrophe brought about by climate changes, fear of another pandemic arising from unknown pathogen and occasional irrational shooting incidents. The newsreels on children being killed or trying to survive in bombed hospitals is really heart wrenching. Perhaps that coupled with a close friend's account of near death experience makes me feel moody occasionally, especially during the first moments when I wake up.
Of course I do not have the time to really dwell in the existential angst of death and meaning of life. I have a routine to follow. In that respect I do practice what I taught ie. instead of lying on bed and ruminating I get up and busy myself (switching my thoughts and activities). Does that mean however that I have to fill my day with endless activities both physical and mental?
Now this is when it is difficult to impart to the children, to observe your emotions without judgement (it is neither good nor bad, it's just being human), allow it to be there and see it shifts or pass. That in itself is catharsis.
"Instead of resisting any emotion, the best way to dispel it is to enter it fully, embrace it and see through your resistance". | Deepak Chopra
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