IF YOU CHANGE YOUR EXPRESSION, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

A sultan once had a dream in which all his teeth fell out. Disturbed by the dream, he immediately summoned the palace dream interpreters to learn its meaning. After recounting the dream, he turned to the chief interpreter and asked what it signified.

Without hesitation, the chief interpreter responded:

"Unfortunately, my Sultan, this is a bad omen!"

He continued:

"You will live a long life, but sadly, you will witness all your loved ones passing away one by one, leaving you alone."

The sultan was deeply disturbed by this interpretation. Enraged, he roared:

"Throw him into the dungeon at once! Let him learn what it means to be a harbinger of doom!"

The guards immediately seized the chief interpreter and dragged him away.

The sultan then turned to another dream interpreter and asked:

"Now you tell me, what does my dream mean? Is it good or bad?"

The interpreter replied:

"It is good news, my Sultan! This dream means that you will outlive all your loved ones and continue to rule your kingdom for many more years."

Overjoyed by this interpretation, the sultan rewarded the interpreter with two bags of gold.

Those who had witnessed everything were puzzled and asked the interpreter:

"You and the chief interpreter essentially said the same thing. Why did the sultan punish him but reward you?"

Smiling, the interpreter replied:

"Indeed, we said the same thing, but what matters more than what is said is how it is said. I simply changed my wording."

And thus, the story ended.

Around the time I read this story, I visited a museum with my daughter. At the entrance, I noticed a sign that read:

"Our museum entrance fee is 100 TL, with a 20% discount for Turkish citizens."

I immediately thought, "This is just like the sultan’s story!"

The sign could have also been written as:

"Our museum entrance fee is 80 TL, with a 20% surcharge for tourists."

Did you notice the different emotions evoked by these two statements?

The first one made me feel a sense of national pride, while the second gave the impression of being overcharged.

The meaning is the same, but the wording is different. And as a result, the emotions it triggers are completely different.

That was when I realized how important expression is—more than just the meaning itself. I took this as a personal lesson and decided to incorporate this shift in expression into my life.

As a doctor, I decided to start with my profession.

Instead of saying, "I can’t see you without an appointment," I started saying, "Make an appointment, and I’ll be happy to see you."

Instead of "Don’t enter, there’s a patient inside," I said, "Enter after the patient leaves."

Instead of "Don’t open your mouth," I said, "Keep your mouth closed."

Instead of "You’re not brushing your teeth properly; brush them better," I said, "Improve your brushing technique and increase its frequency."

In short, I shifted from negative to positive language. When I did, both my own and my patients’ emotions shifted to the positive as well. With positive emotions, the conflicts caused by negativity disappeared. Communication improved, and the time and energy wasted on unnecessary conflict were saved.

I applied the same approach in my home life as well. The results were fantastic—I highly recommend it.

Negative expressions, even when well-intentioned, can trigger feelings of rejection, humiliation, or worthlessness. Haven’t you ever found yourself doing the opposite when someone told you "Don’t do that"—even when they meant no harm?

It’s the same principle.

Without making this too long, I must say that I have greatly benefited from the power of positive expression, and I continue to do so. It’s such a simple way to eliminate the low-frequency emotions that disrupt relationships and cause arguments. And, of course, the ego as well...

Isn’t that what we truly seek?

Emine NALÇACI MAVİŞ