We can learn how to move on from mistakes and perceived constraints that blind us to the possibility of living in a better future.
Moods are part of your internal navigation system – our personal SatNav. But if we fail to see how negative emotions can affect the way the world appears to us, they can become a mood state that stops us seeing an alternate way of being.
Emotions come and go, but a negative mood can persist, producing anxiety and depression. We are then in danger of damaging your health and well-being. What we say and do is strongly influenced by the mood we are in at the time.
Positive moods produce positive language and actions, with which a better result can emerge.
Facing facts requires acceptance of what cannot be changed, like the loss a job or a loved one. It depends on how we choose to observe and interpret the experience. To face the facts of a situation is to accept that the result of our actions depends on how we interpret our emotional response.
The diagram below explains that, if we cannot accept the facts of a situation, we can get stuck in a mood of resentment or resignation. It becomes difficult for us to consider the possibility of an alternative point of view. When we feel stuck and the situation is unpredictable, all we have is the hope that comes from optimism, curiosity and imagination.
“Moods are predispositions to action that orient us to specific types of behaviour. Accepting something we cannot change enables us to move forward with curiosity and explore opportunities for more productive actions” – Prof Alan Sieler.
Bear in mind that good moods can also produce “blind spots”, stopping us from thinking and acting positively enough to address our concerns. We can use these simple actions to:
ground the facts in our assessment by questioning their logic.
explore the possibility of accepting alternative ways of behaving, allowing you to move forward.
embrace and use the surprises and opportunities presented by life’s uncertainties.
open your heart and mind to have humility and grow in gratitude for life as a human being