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“I can control the weather with my moods.
I just can’t control the weather.”
– Nick Cave
With the world we live in, it’s perfectly reasonable to feel overwhelmed at times. Or stressed, anxious, alone, lost. In other words to be in a low mood or state.
It’s also understandable if we believe external circumstances or other people are the cause of these low moods, and that nothing could raise our spirits until said circumstances were resolved to our satisfaction.
But the truth is that external conditions don’t have to define how we feel inside.
Our moods are created by one thing only – our thinking. And moods are like the weather – especially in Ireland where I live – they are VERY changeable.
In the last 2 weeks alone, we’ve had snow, ice, rain, sun, wind, cold and warmth. I noticed over the weekend the wide range of coats I’ve worn over the last fortnight.
So it goes with our moods.
They range from low, to high to neutral – and with them so too does the quality of our thinking. Some people say you should try to control all of your thoughts but my experience is that this is exhausting. What’s more effective is to notice how you feel and to use that as a signal to judge how best to ‘dress for the weather’.
I’m lucky to understand some elements of leading my inner world and I know for sure that when my mood drops, I just don’t trust my thinking.
My focus becomes not acting or talking from that thinking because of the damage it usually causes.
I know that my moods, like the weather, are temporary and will change. Eventually the clouds will lift and the sun will re-emerge. The sun in this case is a better mood which naturally brings with it enhanced resilience, creativity and adaptability.
Isn’t it a relief to know that even during the toughest of times, there is an innate resilience inside us? We have the power to catch the mis-use of thought creating problems inside us.
An incredibly helpful question I’ve found is this:
How do you want to feel right now?
Regardless of circumstances, it’s possible to move the direction of that feeling. Something to consider today and for the days ahead.
Best,
Shane
New Podcast Episode: In the latest Inner Edge episode, I explore angles on gratitude and share some very interesting research that will being a new perspective to this transformative emotion . Listen on my website here or on all major podcasting platforms.
