Dr. Khalid Sohail's Green Zone Story

I feel very fortunate that I have not only been able to discover my Green Zone but also to live in it.

I still remember those days when I lived in my Yellow Zone and visited the Red Zone frequently.

Those were the days when I felt quite frustrated, angry, and unhappy— even resentful and bitter.

I used to be angry with:
• …myself
• …my mother
• …my motherland
• …my community
• …and my culture.

I was resentful that I was born in the wrong place and at the wrong time.

I was bitter that I had no choice but to live in my traditional, conservative, and religiously suffocating environment for more than twenty years.

I was unhappy because I saw no hope of resolving my conflicts with my community and my country.

The only option I saw was to leave my home and homeland and discover a new place where I could feel free to create a lifestyle of my own choosing.

So, I moved to Canada, studied psychiatry, and became a psychotherapist and writer.

Over the years, my anger and resentment have subsided, and my bitterness has dissolved.

I discovered my Green Zone Philosophy, and by practicing it, I started living a healthy, happy, and peaceful lifestyle.

But that transition was a slow process.

I was like the turtle in the mythological folktale—slow and steady, but eventually winning the race.

I remember the times when I would visit my Green Zone for short periods and then return to my Yellow Zone.

But over time, I began spending more and more time in the Green Zone until I finally started living there.

Now, when I am pushed into the Red Zone by stressful environments, I have learned to drive through and return to my Green Zone rather than parking in the Red Zone.

I am well aware that it is not humanly possible for any of us to always live in the Green Zone, as we can be surrounded by Red Zone people and situations from time to time.

But we all need to learn ways to cope with them to the best of our abilities.

I feel fortunate that I have been able to create a Green Island in the Red Sea of the twentieth-century world that we all live in.

If I have to meet a Red Zone person or enter a Red Zone system in my professional or social life, I have learned to wear an Emotional Raincoat so that I am least affected by the toxicity of the environment.

Every morning when I wake up, I look in the mirror, kiss myself, and say, “I will try my best to create a happy, healthy, and peaceful Green Zone Day.

Maybe this is the last day of my life.

” Then I plan my day, which usually includes:
• …going to work
• …socializing with family and friends
• …and doing some creative work by reading and writing.

At the end of the day, when I go to bed, I ask myself, “Did I spend a Green Zone Day?” When I find the answer to be “Yes,” I feel relaxed and happy.

I am glad to:
• …serve a few people and help them with their emotional problems …have fun with my dear ones …and create a few lines.

Before I go to sleep, I say to myself, “If I die tonight, I don’t want to be angry with anyone.

I forgive the people who have wronged me.

They have to deal with their own conscience.

As for my own life, I feel proud that I did the best I could.

” After saying that, it does not take me long to fall asleep, hoping that if I die, I will have a peaceful death.

The next day when I wake up, I feel pleased that life has offered me another opportunity to:
• …live a little more
• …learn a little more
• …love a little more
• …dream a little more
• …create a little more
• …serve a little more
• …and make this world a better place to live.

Living in the Green Zone has been a wonderful experience for me.

In the last few years, I have tried to resolve and dissolve my conflicts with my dear ones so that my significant relationships are in the Green Zone.

I love socializing with them as we bring out the best in each other, and I can be my natural self in their company.

I am also lucky to have created my Green Zone family, work, and social environments and enjoy working and socializing with people I respect.

If any problem arises, I feel confident that I will be able to resolve or dissolve the conflicts.

So, at the age of fifty-two, I am fortunate to have a Green Zone lifestyle in which I can live, learn, love, dream, create, and serve every day, leading a happy, healthy, and peaceful life.

I create my Green Zone Day every day, and I hope to keep creating it until the day I die.