Day 71 of 365 - The Power of Positive Influences

My mood is so much better today than yesterday, despite still having to deal with the frustrations mentioned in the last post.  Isn't it interesting how quickly our mind and mood can shift?

Maybe it's because I slept more deeply last night, even though not longer than usual.  Or, maybe it was the influence of a couple of very positive webinars I watched later in the day yesterday, which included short meditations that were very calming.

It could even be related to what I've eaten or not eaten in the past couple of days, though that is harder to know without careful tracking of patterns.  Or, the fact that I went for a walk with a friend last night and the sky was actually clear enough to be able to see the moon and stars for the first time in many days.

It may also be influenced by seeing a cheerful holiday photo in the tropics, sent by a relative.  Or, from receiving an unexpected dinner invitation this weekend.

I figured out something on my cell phone this morning that had completely puzzled me yesterday, thanks to an internet search.  This morning I also took a closer look at my non-functioning Christmas tree lights and realized that I could remove that whole strand from the pre-lit tree.  On some trees they are actually fastened to the branches so that you can't.  I removed the string and will buy a replacement set.  So, a solution is in sight there as well.

My point is, it can be easy to get into a funk from a combination of many irritants and we can choose to spiral inward and downward from there and stay in it.  Or, we can choose to just keep showing up to what we had planned to do and be open to the possibility for change.  They may not be big changes, but they could be enough to lift our spirits and shift us from disappointment to optimism.

When we feel glum, our focus can become too centered on self and lack of control.  But, we live in a relational world and most of us have many interactions with other people on a daily basis, whether in person or online.  And, we just don't know what good things might come from that, if we have an open mind.

Of course, there is a point to be made for choosing more positively oriented exposures as much as possible to tip the balance away from the negatives that seem to be out of our control.  It's a shift from fear to hope.

This is not a Pollyanna mindset that denies the harder things in life.  But, pretty well everyone can find something positive in their days if they choose to be open to it.  Today, I am very glad about that.




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