I used to think circumstances were the main component to my mood. Bad day at work? It’s my job’s fault! Argument with your spouse? It’s her fault! Nope. Wrong. Incorrect. 

The only person who controls my mood is me. Whatever comes my way, my mood is determined by how I handle it. 

In one of my WWC’s I mentioned I was in a bit of a rut. I was grumpy at work. Every little thing had me rolling my eyes. I let my co-worker’s attitudes determine my attitude. I gave my power away to external circumstances. 

One of my favourite affirmations is “I will not blame anyone or anything ever again. I will not give my power away.” When I give my power away, I am not dictating how I feel about anything. 

We’ve already discussed the environment you are in and how it affects you. That’s true to some extent. But I have noticed that if I react in a more positive way, I am a much happier person. 

I control how I react to something. If I WANT to be miserable, I just react negatively to everything. Why would I do that? 

There are too many times I feel like I am being asked to shoulder a bigger load than I am compensated for at work. I used to get so angry, but I’d still do the work. I take pride in that, but I didn’t need to react negatively toward the circumstance. 

I made the switch in my brain that, I can only do as much as I can do. It’s not on me that a co-worker overpromised something they can’t deliver. Sure, the responsibility falls on me, but if I’m grumpy it doesn’t change the fact that the job has to be done. All it does is make me miserable. 

I’ve been bitter about the music industry for a good chunk of my musical career. I haven’t gotten the opportunities I believe I deserve, but I can’t change what people think of me. I know how good I am and how professional I am. I know my worth, and if that isn’t compensated by a booker, that’s on them, not me. 

I’ve felt such a calm lately in the things I can’t change. I’ve had to learn to, as the Beatles once famously said; let it be. 

If you find yourself in a foul mood, it’s easy to know where it’s coming from. Self reflect on the why so you can figure out the solution.  

Maybe you’re jealous that somebody else is getting the opportunities you want. Maybe you’re upset that you can’t get ahead financially no matter how hard you work. Maybe you had a fight with a good friend. Maybe your favourite sports team lost a big playoff game. Whatever it is, you need to let go of the things you can’t change yourself. 

Let’s take the first two examples I just gave. How can we fix them?

If you’re jealous that Becky got the promotion you deserved over her, what good does whining about it do?? Jack shit. 

Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere. -Irma Bombeck

Instead of dwelling on the jealousy, send Becky kind regards and praise. You’ll feel better putting good energy out rather than hiding in a dark cloud. Another promotion will come up, and if you continue to work hard, you will be rewarded. If your patience wears thin, look for another opportunity. 

Let’s say you’re struggling to save any money. Unfortunately, that’s a reality for a lot of us. Everything is expensive and governments aren’t doing anything to make life more affordable.

So, you go through life bitching about every bill that comes your way. You bitch that your taxes are going up. You bitch that three steaks at Safeway cost $67.

Well, the prices aren’t going to come down, the taxes are still gonna get charged, and the bills are still gonna come. That’s out of your control.

Instead, what you should do is seek out ways to spend less money. A little sacrifice here, a little extra work there, and you start making small incremental changes to the way you use and value money. Debt goes down and you start attracting more money into your life!

Nobody is gonna save you, so you might as well take control of your mood in your day to day! Stay positive and practice gratitude when it gets hard. I have to take my own advice here to heart for certain!