The women’s majlis: Being mindful of your thoughts

Sit in silence, close your eyes, take a deep breath. Watch your thoughts. Try not to interfere and just watch. As if you were watching a movie. Let your thoughts stream through your head. Colourful, colourless, animated, still, musical or silent. You are the writer, director and producer. You just sit and enjoy watching your own beautiful production.

One of the hardest things in our lives is, I believe, to be mindful of our own thoughts without interfering with them. There is a desire to be in control and to weigh the outcomes at all times. We trust our own judgement to be the ultimate truth and act accordingly. We like to be certain and hesitate to follow paths of uncertainty. We direct our thoughts and, often, try to correct them. We believe in the notion of right and wrong as the ultimate guide for our decisions despite its ambiguous sources. This is part of human nature and can be a survival aid. Yet, it can take over sometimes and limit the way we perceive the world.

A powerful lesson I have learnt through my life is how our perceptions shape our lives. Everyone’s perception is uniquely crafted to suit their needs. Two people might be watching the same scenery, yet see it differently and believe that the way they perceive it is the only way it could be seen. In philosophy and psychology this is known as “naive realism”. With perception come feelings that might be positive or negative depending on our own interpretation of the event. Our interpretation might not be an accurate translation of the reality witnessed. It is a mere thought. Rather, a collection of thoughts that we have collected through our experiences and kept adding to in order to make sense of the things we come across.

Our minds become crowded with thoughts over time, some that don’t even make sense. And with technology taking over, it has become even harder for our minds to remain collected. Eventually, the overflow of new information creates a mash of pieces that don’t fit together, yet they fuse and create a reassembled thought much like one of Picasso’s cubist creations.

Being mindful of our thoughts helps in increasing an awareness of our perceptions, feelings and reactions. By watching our thoughts without judging or controlling them, we train our minds to be more accepting and less reactive. The more we try to control our thoughts, the more they persist. Our thoughts are very powerful and are always ready to fight back without tiring. I like to use the metaphor of a sumo wrestler for my own thoughts. Since I am petite, it makes sense that I will never be able to beat my sumo-sized thoughts. Hence, I raise my white flag and try to sit with my thoughts – or sumo buddy – in peace. Zainab Al Mousawi is studying for a master's in clinical social work at the University of Melbourne.

If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, contact ­Melinda Healy on mhealy@­thenational.ae