Managing Your Life in a World Full of Moods

You live in a world full of moody people. Everyone has a mood. Everyone is in a mood. You hear things like, "Are you in a  bad mood?" or "Wow! You're in a good mood!" Moods are the color of life. Can you imagine a day without emotion? Sounds bland and drab.

You cannot control the mood of a person. There are times when you cannot change your own mood. However, there are some ways of dealing with negative individuals, those who seem to constantly have a downpour of negativity falling from the sky of their life. Celestine Chua, author of The Personal Excellence Blog offers some important tips for dealing with negativity of others.

The following tips were taken from Celestine's  blog. At the end of Celestine's tip, I will offer a comment or two (indicated by an asterisk *).

Tip #1: Don’t Engage in the Negativity

One thing I found is negative people tend to harp on the bad things and ignore the positive stuff. They also have a tendency to exaggerate issues they are facing, making their predicament seem a lot worse than it actually is.

The first time you converse with a negative individual, provide a listening ear and offer help if needed. Provide support – let him/her know he/she is not alone. However, be sure to draw a line somewhere. If the person keeps harping on the same problems even after the first few conversations, then it’s a sign to disengage. For starters, try to switch topics. If he/she goes into a negative swirl, let him/her continue, but don’t engage in the negativity. Give a simple reply, such as “I see” or “Okay”. Whereas if he/she is being positive, reply in affirmation and enthusiasm. When you do it often enough, he/she will soon realize what’s going on, and will start to be more positive in his/her communication.
                                                     
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* There are times when we are negative AND FOR DANG GOOD REASONS TOO! Negative is not bad. Sometimes life is not a positive experience. We can admit that. We can talk about it. Yes, we can be negative. I have never advocated a perpetual "Wink Martindale" smile. As my Papaw used to say, "It just ain't natural!" This post is not concerned about negative moments, rather it offers workable  tips for dealing with negative people; those who have the perpetual scowl of ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's puppet "Walter". Next Post...Hang out in Groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Going to take Time and Practice

Managing Moods is a skill that can be learned. Acquiring a skill usually involves time and practice. Overcoming obstacles is part of the challenge. Even the most skilled people can lose it without practice. Tiger Woods was the greatest golfer in the world. He got that way through raw talent, training, education and practice. Tiger's world came apart as news of his sexual addiction became public. He was on the receiving end of much criticism and controversy. As a result of this and physical injuries, his golf game was put on hold. It has been some years since Tiger, once the greatest golfer in the world, exhibited the skill and expertise that was formerly so routine for him. Without practice and training even the most skilled professionals lose their edge. The skills required to effectively and consistently manage your moods are learned through education, training and practice.

Learning to consistently and effectively manage your moods will require time. Time cannot be managed. You can manage yourself as you experience time. Time management is really "you management". Think about how you live now. Think about how you invest your life each day. You will need to allot time to learn and practice MMS (Mood Management Skills). Rather than suggesting you spend a certain amount of time each day, I would rather suggest that you make MMS development learning, education and practice a priority.You do everything possible to know more and practice more.

Control of your "inner machinery" (IM) is an  important part of MMS. What are your "insides" doing? Become aware of each part of your body. Feel and identify what is happening to you. For example, "I feel uptight inside!" or "My head feels like it has a band around it" or "I feel really calm inside." Your inner physical being can tell you many things about what is happening in your thinking. Controlling your IM is a skill that can be learned. The best method for this ability, that I have found, is meditation. There are different types of meditation techniques. Find one that fits your needs and get good at it. Please do not pass over this step. You will find that becoming proficient at meditation and doing it routinely, regularly and perhaps even religiously will make a world of difference in the way you manage your life, your thinking, and your moods.

Reading this without some assimilation, application and action (AAA) will be of little benefit for you. Move on, do something different. You can learn the MMS required for managing your moods.
However, it will take education, training,  time,  and practice.