©Allen Merritt (2015)
Mood
rings!
Remember
those?
Oh,
I do!
How
cool was it to find a magical ring you could place on your finger which would miraculously
transform into a range of colors indicating whether or not you are happy, calm,
cool, relaxed, upset, and nervous or stressed? Like we all need a ring to tell
us that.
Supposedly,
when these colors change they depict your mood and various emotional states;
sort of a little mind reader, if you will. At any given moment you could pull
out your color chart and measure your current emotional state of mind.² In
reality, the mood ring is nothing more than a thermachromic device¹ of liquid
crystal. Or, in a nutshell, a thermometer!
Still,
they were fun for a hot minute, especially when you’re first introduced to them
and before the novelty wears off. But herein lies an internal discussion about
moods, how we experience them, alter them and are impacted by them.
Moods
vary from day to day and impact our lives both positively and negatively if we
aren’t paying attention. For example, ever wake up grouchy and feel like the
entire day is dragging on forever while you stumble around a series of hurling obstacles?
Maybe you’ve witnessed other people swinging from one extreme to another and
often feel like you are walking on eggshells to keep the peace or to avoid feeding
into that same energy. Nobody wants that, do they? I think most people want to
feel good about themselves, who they spend time with, what they do and keep a
general sense of the positive and peaceful running through their every waking
minute. However, sometimes moods get the best of us.
Moods
are not just about changing your attitude (albeit that helps), but it’s in
relation to being mindful of where you’re at, as well as what you’re feeling
and/or experiencing. If you wake up thinking, “Oh, no, it’s Monday.” and then
announce it periodically throughout the morning while at work (with a frowny
face, mind you), then you are perpetuating the mood and projecting it on
everyone else. I would dare say many folks know when to give a little leeway
and space to the situation, but if negative moods keep on keeping on, it only
serves to make for unpleasant outcomes.
So
what do you do?
Start
with a sense of being mindful, conscientious and with a determination to alter
and eliminate one mood for another. Of course, it may take a while, but every
step you take leads you in the right direction of creating a better day for
yourself and for others.
Dig
into your tool box of options and anecdotes to aide in mood transitioning.³
Keep
in mind you do not need mood enhancers (drugs) to improve the possibilities of
your day. Many times moods dissipate on their own without out any fuss or
hub-bub. In fact, mood enhancing is best served coming from the inside.
I
love some of the options presented at greatist.com.³
Here
are a few, but there are too many to list, so feel free to take a gander and
add some to your toolbox!
- Smile
- Jump around
- Inhale favorite scents
- Chew gum
- Eat chocolate
- Light a candle
- Visualize your best self
Personally,
I find I often prepare my day with the idea of being prepared for any mood. I
pack my suitcase with a variety of clothes to accommodate potential moods. I
stuff my book bag or backpack with anything I may need to help me in regards to
mood adjustments such as writing paper, pens, books, magazines, music and ear
buds, mints, cell phone to surf the net or take pictures of favorite or unusual
things, etc.
But,
I do not wear a mood ring!
While
mood rings may not be a dead on predictor of our current state of mind and/or
emotions, I am willing to concede they serve a purpose. If anything, they can
bring us back to ourselves and remind us to pay attention to our feelings, how
we encounter them, deal with them and project them. And, more importantly, use moods
to our advantage for living in a positive state.
Cheers!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_ring
(Viewed 5/29/2015)¹
http://www.bestmoodrings.com/blog/mood-ring-color-chart-meanings
(Viewed 5/29/2015)²
http://greatist.com/happiness/34-ways-bust-bad-mood-ten-minutes
(Viewed 5/29/2015)³
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