Aug 25, 2023 3 min read

2319: Dealing With Negative Thoughts

Classes have started again, and the town is bustling with life once more! The idea of how busy and vibrant Carbondale, IL might be was much stronger in my imagination than how it actually is. This connects to a thought I've been grappling with this week: the tendency to think too much about the future or try to predict what will happen.

Let me paint you a picture, even if you're not a fan of Marvel, don't worry. I feel a bit like Dr. Strange did in "Avengers Infinity War" when he searched the universe in mere moments, trying to find the one way to defeat Thanos. He looked through 14 million different possibilities and only one of them was the right answer. It's kind of amazing to think that even though he had incredible powers, there was still only one solution.

Adjusting to classes and staying on top of my studies has been a bit challenging for me lately. I want to do well in school while also maintaining my relationships and not overwhelming myself. Finding the right balance between these things is tough. Sometimes I feel like I need to be super focused and productive all the time, or else I don't deserve any breaks.

But I've realized that this way of thinking isn't fair to myself. Life is full of unexpected twists and turns that we can't control. It's like life has a mind of its own. The only thing we truly have control over is how we react to these surprises.

Let me give you an example of what happened yesterday. Thursdays are my busiest days, with classes from morning until late afternoon. My routine usually starts at 6:30 a.m. – getting ready, meditating, and having breakfast, which takes about an hour. On that particular Thursday, if everything went perfectly and I was ready by 7:30 a.m., I would be set. But life doesn't always go as planned.

That morning, things went a bit haywire. I wasn't ready by 7:30 a.m., even after I started making my oatmeal. Despite the rush, I knew that taking a moment to enjoy my breakfast was important for setting a positive tone for the day. So, even though I was running late, I took that time. I ended up with just 10 minutes before class was supposed to start. As I headed to campus, I realized I had forgotten my glasses at home. Luckily, I can still see fairly well without them. I got to class and surprisingly walked in with my professor.

This experience reminded me of Doctor Strange, a character who can see many possible futures. Sometimes, the best solution can only be found through improvisation and experience. Just like how I thought I wouldn't make it to class on time but ended up doing so.

Thinking too much about the future or dwelling on negative thoughts can become a belief if we let it. To tackle this, I'm going to refer to it as trying to be "Dr. Strange." My dream is to become a physician, so I need to focus on positive thoughts that align with that goal, like thinking of myself as "Dr. Davis."

I'm curious, How do you handle negative thoughts when they come up?

Have a good weekend,

Zech

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