Bad Mood Rising

Posted on by Mike Senczyszak in The Kitchen Sink

mood ring black (2)Had I been wearing a 1970’s mood ring earlier this week, I know what color it would have been. I won’t get into the specifics, sufficed to say I didn’t have to clean the cat’s litter box one particular morning –because she opted not to use it. The ensuing treasure hunt to locate the offending nugget, the cleaning, disinfecting and subsequent banishing of the culprit (Gizmo) to the basement for the duration of the day, made my morning unpleasant, to say the least.

Not a good start.

And yet on the drive in to work, with a scowl on my face, I confronted my bad mood, arguing my day need not be ruined because the cat in the hat, shat (for the second day in a row). The passionate debate raged on, fueled by anger, countered by logic, and by the time I arrived at work, my scowl had dissipated –somewhat.

Despite the science behind thermochromism (the change of color due to temperature), the multi-colored spectrum found in a mood ring’s instruction manual, is misleading.

Mood falls into two categories.

Good or bad.

There are no shades of grey, no greens, pinks, or purples, no middle ground. You’re either in a positive mood, or a negative one.

The more I pondered the concept, the more I realized moods are configurable, a conscious choice. Good moods are simple, when you find yourself in one, stay there, ride it out, spread the love.

Conversely, when the ring darkens, pause and take inventory.

Count your blessings.

Simple also, but not quite as easy.

Bad moods dissolve in time, they always do, but when allowed to fester, they devour the present, drain joy from the moment, and spread like an airborne virus.

The trick is to recognize the ensuing darkness, pause, regroup, and change colors. Don’t let the voice of rage and ruin convince you otherwise.

Two weeks back I was editing some fiction when I inadvertently overwrote my file with an earlier version, thereby deleting two hours of work. Attempts at retrieving the lost data proved futile, Microsoft Word had no magic elixir to counteract stupidity. The changes were lost.

My metaphorical mood ring turned as black as a raven in a mortician’s hat.

But that was two weeks ago.

This week, Gizmo –the cat who shat, prompted some introspection.

She taught me to recognize that every moment counts. Being miserable, waiting for the fog to clear, is counterproductive.

So I encourage you, the next time you sense a Bad Mood Rising, don’t hunker down waiting for sunshine, embrace the earthquakes and lightning, and change your color, tout de suite.

bad mood rising1 (2)
Until next time,

 

 

35 thoughts on “Bad Mood Rising”

  1. I love this post. What a wonderful reminder. It’s so easy to stay in a negative mindset. I wonder how much happier we would all be if we put more effort into keeping our mood up. Well done.

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  2. I like seeing people make good choices 🙂
    I’ve spent too many (working) hours around people that constantly complain and are in bad moods all the time. And I’ve seen the temper tantrums that certain adults have when something doesn’t go their way. From observing and keeping an open mind, I decided that taking every little misstep or grumpy moment in stride and change the path. I would rather tune into a fun song, or find the coworker that makes me laugh, rather than wallow and look like aforementioned people.

    Life it too short, be happy and enjoy the ride. Great topic Mike.

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    1. Thanks Theresa. I’ve watched the change in society over the years, a sense of entitlement seems to predominate among so many, patience and manners no longer applicable. Or maybe I’m just getting old. Either way, you’re right, it’s all too short, best to stay happy. Cheers!

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  3. What synchronicity – my daughter in law just posted an image of her “moody” colour-change nail polish – took me back to the the 70’s when my mom bought a mood ring.

    What you write is so true – the darkness of a negative mood infuses our surroundings with a taint. It’s about choices, right? So tough, sometimes, to remember that.

    Hope the kitty hasn’t started a new habit – from what I’ve read, avoiding the litterbox is an emotional statement of sorts – a protest, or at the very least a message that something is “off.”

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    1. Thanks Maggie. We’ve had issues with our cat for a while now, she is allergic to almost every cat food known (currently she only eats rabbit, which also happens to be the most expensive can in the shop), and she’s been on meds for a while. But she’s part of the family, so what can you do.
      Mood colouring nail polish, that sounds wild! Cheers!

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  4. Good post, Mike. Life is too short to be countermanded by a bad mood. Personally, if I feel out of sorts, I will opt for alone time to work out an internal struggle. I will take to some form of exercise & solitude to help me through. Writing also assists. Channeling that negativity into a work of fiction or humor does wonders. I am at my best, walking in the woods or by a body of water to help me.

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    1. I agree, the best tactic for tackling a bad mood is exercise. Staying cooped up inside seems to only feed the beast. I like to walk also, sometimes with the ear buds, listening to new age music. It’s always a challenge to get outside, but once I get past that hurdle, I’m always happy to have done it. Thanks Susan!

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  7. Absolutely correct! Our mood is a choice. How often I have caught myself driving along singing with the radio, then all of a sudden I get cut off by a road jerk! My mood goes from tapping a beat to angry in my car seat. I realize its not worth it. Great post Mike.

    Now you may be on to something with the “Cat who Shat.” It could possibly be an idea to pitch to Dr. Suess, perhaps? 😉

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    1. Thanks John. I thought about that (cat who shat), but even though it just popped into my head, I figured it was likely someone else somewhere has penned those words also, so I didn’t bother to Google it to find out (normally I do).
      Cheers, and thanks for commenting!

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  13. My life might end anytime soon, but I am having loads of fun, I shed a tear in empathy, wishing I could do more, I just hope all my wises of goodness don’t go unheeded, one day peace will come to all.

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