These pictures are from The Mood Swinger website.
The following things have altered my mood recently:
• A speeding ticket
• A social event
• Visitors
• Clutter
• Family
• A phone call
• An email
• A song
• A news story
• A work-related problem
Mood altering drugs were commonplace when I was young. I knew too many kids who took pills, smoked pot and dropped acid. I knew even more who made alcohol a weekly element of entertainment. There were lots of mood swings in my junior high and high school years. Not so much any more. At least not the result of substance use, or abuse. Most of the mood swings I see today are the result of an external happening.
We sometimes let the slightest thing derail our mood, or sense of happiness. We’ve all seen it. We’ve all felt it. Few of us can explain it or even understand it. We’re in pretty good spirits, and then a phone call changes everything. Not a phone call of a death, or serious illness, or injury. Just a phone call that we didn’t expect. It could be anything. It breaks our good mood up into a thousand pieces. Our countenance changes almost immediately.
It seems odd to me that my mood can be so quickly altered by things, or happenings. I feel weak for allowing it. Few things in the list above are life-changing. I mean, the speeding ticket wasn’t fun. It sure wasn’t fun when I found out how much it would cost – just moments ago. But, I have the money. It won’t negatively affect my lifestyle. Yes, I begrudge the money. Yes, I doubt I was going as fast as the officer claimed. I admit I was speeding though. I know it’s a useless expense because it solves nothing, proves nothing and prevents nothing. So that puts me into a bit of a funk. But it’s not that serious. So why bother to let it alter my mood?
Family is important and most often they put me in a good mood. Just being with family is nice. Thinking of family is nice. Family is life-changing because of their importance!
I’m most disgusted with allowing ridiculous things to negatively alter my mood. A phone call? An email? Why allow those things to affect me? When I consciously consider these things I’m able to change my mood yet again. I can get back to a prior mood if I try. I fear I try too infrequently. I need to practice the art of mood management more.
Add that to the long list of skills I must master in order to be a better person – and find a happier life.
