Moods

Are you familiar with the expression "to live in the moment?" This is the ability to be fully present and aware of yourself and your surroundings as you live each moment...with a pleasant mood and have a happy living experience. Rather than as few unfortunate and confused souls think “to live in the moment” is to live the present, and do not really worry about what lies beyond. Achieving such a state requires observation, appreciation, patience, quiet, and the ability to turn off the clock and put away the calendar. In this post, I wish to discuss how it is indeed possible to work on our moods...and reflect on living every moment to the fullest.  While most of us don't experience such times frequently, this is when we feel the most alive. In theory, being present involves learning how to pay attention, and the process of getting there is far easier than you might think. Before we proceed, I wish to present a small experiment that you can try right now to help yourself and pay attention to your life experience in a very positive way. Set a few quiet minutes aside each day to close your eyes and take stock of what you are feeling, no matter how good or bad those feelings may be. Don't judge your feelings, just allow yourself to become aware of the emotions behind them. Next, send your attention outward and become aware of things around you. Notice if you feel warm or cold, what your clothing feels like against your skin, the feeling of the air moving in and out of your lungs. Let the sounds around you filter through you and notice the underlying noises that you may have been tuning out. Next, open your eyes and notice the colors and sights around you in this same subtle, attentive way. By the time you are halfway through this little experiment, you may be surprised at how much you actually notice about your internal and external presence. If you try this, you will probably find that "paying attention" will take on a whole new meaning, and it will be a very nice one at that. Coming back to what I want to present in this post, I think it is a fact of life that every once in a while we find ourselves in a bad mood. Sometimes we know why we are in a bad mood and sometimes the reason may not be an evident reason at all. Even though we all certainly experience times like this, it doesn't mean we have to be stuck in them. Bad moods are often an indication that we need to check in with our feelings and do something about them or take action to shift our energy in a more positive direction. If you are not sure why you are in a bad mood, imagine what you would say if you were allowed a very secret few minutes to complain about anything that is going on in your life. Chances are the things that come up may be tied to how you are feeling. The good part is that once you pinpoint why you are in a bad mood you are in a better position to do something positive about it. Sometimes when we are in a bad mood, the energy we give off simply attracts more negative things our way. That's why some “bad mood” days can spiral even further downhill with problems and annoyances that appear to validate our discontent and frustration. When this happens, consider doing something nice for yourself. Enjoy your favorite beverage or snack, find a funny movie or sitcom to watch, or just go for a walk in the park. Allowing yourself the time and opportunity to do something pleasurable is a positive step that could help to break the negative energy and hopefully shift your mood. Sometimes, we just have a day that isn't so great, but if you find yourself in a bad mood, there is a need to look at the bigger picture. There is enough reason to be happy...for now and beyond. It is for us to seek!