Life is cyclical. Everything constantly moves up and down. So does our emotional state. There are no highs without lows.
And just like the night is darkest just before dawn, it’s the hardest to be positive when you’ve reached the lowest point and wonder how much lower it will go before going up again.
In this regards I often think of what I learned in school about the ‘cycle in economy’ which is called ‘conjunctuur’ in Dutch and the Kondratiev. I see this pattern everything.
The term ‘conjunctuur’ in Dutch captures this essence of cyclical patterns and fluctuations. It comes from the Italian ‘congiuntura’ and its French counterpart ‘conjoncture’. The origin of these words dive deeper into the nature of coincidences and convergences.
The concept, as defined by the Dictionnaire des Dictionnaires, speaks to the serendipitous meeting of diverse elements at a single point in time and space. The Dictionnaire Encyclopédique Quillet’s gives a depiction of a ‘conjoncture’ as a situation born from the intersection of various events or interests.
For me it mirrors the ebb and flow of life itself, reflecting how disparate elements can come together to create significant moments or periods of change. Just as the Kondratiev wave illustrates economic cycles, ‘conjunctuur’ and its linguistic relatives articulate a broader, universal rhythm, one where periods of darkness and light, decline and growth, are inherently intertwined and essential to the tapestry of existence.
Now how does this relate to the title of this post “Checklist on how to stay positive” ? The main thing that enables me to always have hope and know things will turn out better at some point is the faith and the knowing that it always does. Everything always goes up and down. And there is a trend which goes up as we grow from our experiences.
But just that faith is sometimes not enough and there are certain things I can do to make me feel better and get out of a negative thought spiral.
First thing to do when feeling down:
- Get plenty of sleep
- Get fresh air and do something physical. A long walk, a workout in the gym, couple of laps in the pool.
- Refrain from smoking weed (or use other drugs). It’s ok to expand your mind, not to dull it.
- Meditate
Second, contemplate and remember
By means of writing, reading and thinking I repeat my mantras and remember what I already know. The following list of points help me to put it all in perspective.
- One of my favorite quotes: “Accept what you can’t change, have the strength and courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
- It doesn’t matter – life is just a dream.
- Reality is a reflection of my beliefs. It’s a resonance, a reflection of my energy.
- Transitions happens with shocks. Not in what seemingly are smooth changes. If it’s smooth, you are zoomed out too much. Zooming in and out creates perspective
- Change comes from pain. Suffering has a purpose
- Yin and yan, there is always a balance, from within and without: Left and right. Above and below. Front and back. In all dimensions
- Movement is a change of position relative to something else. To move a stone in the sand, you can either manipulate the stone, or the sand.
- Daoism & Wu Weí
- Flow. Be like water. letting go of forced effort
- Action in non action – non doing
- Flow state
- True fulfilment and excellence arise not from strained effort, but from harmonious alignment from oneself, the task and the world
- Cultivate patience.
- Rhythm of nature
- Not everything is in our immediate control
- Focus
- Polar and non polar attention
- Acceptance
- is the antidote to resistance
- Is neutral attention
And last but not least, most of my psychedelic experiences conclude with remembering my purpose of this life: raise human consciousness.