heal the fractures in the world around them . The message is clear : compare narratives to reality : if the quality of narratives is above reality , there is a possibility in that spatial differential for change and progress . There is hope for a better future for all .
If narratives are below the perceived reality , a vacuum forms , attracting thoughts of hopelessness , reactivity , anger and crippling fear .
Dr Jonathan Moch , a PPS member , is a trained physician and psychiatrist , having practised for almost four decades . He founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the famed Milpark Hospital , the only such clinic in Southern Africa . He has focused much of his research , writing and teaching on optimising brain health . Readers can subscribe to his
Letters from an African Psychiatrist .
As a cognitive therapist , over the years , I have listened to around 20 000 painful personal stories and one could imagine they could have had a significant impact on my own perceived reality . However , at the same time and over many years , I have heard my colourful family narratives going back a couple of generations to their origins in Lithuania . I embedded the milestones of my marriage , children and grandchildren in my narrative . I am mindful of the unfolding history of South Africa , and the unfolding dramas and often tortuous journeys of the Jewish People spanning more than 4 000 years . Between all these lines lies the depth of my psyche , my core meaning in life . And so it is with all human beings . Homo “ storicus ” sapiens – the species seeking and thinking about stories .
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If we lose our well-worn pages of experiences , our cherished memories embedded in a tapestry of interpretation , who then are we really ?
Indeed , it is the nuanced tone and lessons , the connections of words , and the valency of its associated emotions that synergise the coded scripts into coherent meaning .
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Meaning is the foundation of resilience .
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Empowering ourselves in meaning is the magisterial idea that we , mysterious human beings , all of us , can add a few letters , words , sentences or paragraphs to any of the unfolding books we identify with and believe .
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Let me be clear : successful , thriving people are rich in and are enriched by multiple , purpose-driven stories . They are responsible actors in the different parts of their life cycle . Depressives , “ negaholics ”, are reactive spectators , passive , unaware of the souldestroying nonsense they believe in . They associate with others who repeat the delusions and cognitive distortions and segue into a like-minded , unstoppable herd , like iron filings drawn to a magnet . Beware of the toxic dust they generate as they gallop mindlessly and fall over the cliff of nihilism .
So , the life message of it all is that the realistic stories ( a major part of our internal thinking systems ) we tell ourselves drive our inner fundamentals ( joy , meaning , peace , mindfulness , quality of relationships , etc .).
Remember well , do not forget ! Change your narrative , change your life .
Dr Jonathan Moch
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