Mind the Positive

When you think about these “strange” days we are going through, you find yourself asking,“How on earth did we end up in such a scenario?”… Well, indeed, that’s a hell of a script! Who would have thought that 2 billion people would stay at home for weeks to protect themselves and those around them from the Covid-19 pandemic… I personally think the most important than thing is that we keep our psychological, emotional and mental health up and in place besides our physical health at a time when the fear of coronavirus turns into “coronoia”.

As a matter of fact, we haven’t quite figured out what has happened yet… We are in such a scenario that we cannot help but wonder who the scriptwriter is… whether s/he is a (group of) person or the nature itself; we don’t even know that… It might even take years for truth to emerge… But despite all kinds of speculation, conspiracy theories and what has been published in the media, to maintain our sanity and peace, we better choose ourselves “a truth” and move on…

Have you ever wondered why we have to make a choice? What compels us to make this choice; ourselves or our minds?! Our minds, of course! The mind always pushes you to make a choice; it doesn’t like to be in dilemma, indecision or uncertainty… Recall the last time you were in a dilemma… the strange feeling you experienced… the uneasiness caused by not being able to move on… the anxiety mixed with curiosity about which choice is the best that would bring out  the best… or the tremendous worry and fear against the possibilities of three or five steps later… It just won’t let you be with the push to take a choice: “Arghh… Make a choice so that we keep moving!”

Humans are healthy, intelligent, and have innate ability to analyze existing data with clarity. However, this is very much related to the data one uses and the methods one is based on. These are abstract and complex concepts to grasp… Let’s try to simplify… We are beings who tend to pick what’s best for us. Aren’t I right? For example, we go to grocery store and choose the ripest fruits, the freshest vegetables, and even tend to pick the most expensive ones thinking they have better quality. Keeping ourselves from getting misled by what seems, don’t we just want the juiciest ones and nourish ourselves? Perhaps this may be the reason to having a watermelon cut before buying it, no?

Well then, do we actually cherry-pick our choices all the time? When faced with a problem, do we have similar tendency? Think about it… Review the thought processes that you or your relatives are following… observe… to which direction do the scenarios that come to mind usually flow? … is it like a “happy ending” that as if nothing has happened and we continue from where we left off; or a “worst-case” scenario where the dark side prevails? Or is it in between, “a new path” that is acceptable, livable, even adaptable no matter how difficult it seems to be?

Scientific research in the field of psychology and neurology, independent of individual characteristics and character differences, tells us that we are prone to negativity; towards worst-case scenario, fallacy or lack, even negative thinking styles such as inadequacy/scarcity/absence… Yet the same exact fields give great news too… We are such powerful beings that with the right guidance we can train our minds and see the positive, the acceptable and the livable scenario and even the abundance existing right before our eyes. But how?

I shall bring answers to such questions on this platform… The “Mind the Positive” platform will be a medium with stories, anecdotes, or ideas that will focus on our ability to see what exists in the present… Especially in these challenging times, we will be able to train our minds, through conscious awareness, to choose and envision possible positive scenarios, just like choosing the best fruits and vegetables…

Who doesn’t want to live a life in “peace”, “well-being”, and “joy” where our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are in harmony… Quantum physicists tell us that, “we create our own reality…” In that case, it’s in our hand and responsibility! Are you in? I am!

Dr. Shirli Ender Büyükbay

April 8th, 2020 – Barcelona