How do You Actually FEEL Today? Happy or Sad? There is a Very Important Reason For That

How do you feel now as you are reading this article? Optimistic or pessimistic? Productive or unproductive? Rearing to go, or in a rut? Whatever the cause of your feelings, unless you have been physically coerced, or physically hurt, they are not caused by what you might think to be the culprits!

You might be happy for any of these reasons: you've got a promotion, or a much needed raise; your son or daughter is graduating from college, and you will be celebrating the auspicious moment; you start a new exciting job, or you had some unexpected good news. Or you could be sad, and even angry, because someone has criticised you; there are problems with your partner, or in-laws; you are disabled or incapacitated, you exchanged harsh words with someone; you feel guilty about something you did in the past and are still berating yourself about it, months or even years later; you have no job, or you feel overwhelmed by life, and unable to do something about it. Alternatively, you might feel in a state of resignation where you haven't got the emotional energy to be either happy or sad. You are simply switched off from whatever happens today, perhaps because you're depressed, or you feel so low and demoralised everything seems like a gigantic effort and you really can't be bothered.

Whatever your current feelings you are likely to attribute them to certain things that have happened, or are happening, in your life at this moment, or certain people. In your eyes, they are the causes of the way you feel: happy, sad, or indifferent.

But you might be surprised to hear that they're not! They are mere triggers, NOT causes. The real cause is actually inside your head!

We don't just react involuntarily to everything. It has to make sense to us first, and that's why thoughts are so powerful, because they dictate our decisions, and thus our actions.

The secret of your specific feelings today depends on the subconscious CHOICE you made when you woke up this morning. It would be influenced by the beliefs you have, the values and rules you live by, and and the priorities you made. No matter what is happening around you, YOU made the choice of how you were going to react to it through the power of your THOUGHTS. Everything that happens to us has to be processed inside our head before we decide how to act towards it. We don't just react involuntarily to anything. It has to make sense to us first, and that's why thoughts are so powerful, because they dictate our decisions, and thus our actions.

For example, assuming that when you wake up you hear of a terrible earthquake happening somewhere across the world. You feel some sympathy for the victims but there is nothing else you can do about it, except perhaps donate some money towards it, and carry on with your life. You have INTERPRETED the tragedy as not really relevant to you, and made the decision that you cannot do much about it, and that's where it stays. It is not likely to affect your mood unduly.

However, by midday you hear that a dear friend is actually in that affected country and could be a victim too. That's a very different matter. You are likely to re-assess the situation and interpret it in a way that is relevant and meaningful to you. It is perfectly natural that such an interpretation will then cause you to be anxious and sad, while you hope for the best.

The Power of Your Thoughts


Let me repeat that again, in case it doesn't quite make sense. You did not become sad because of the earthquake per se. Your mood altered because of the MEANING and INTERPRETATION you placed on it, and it's RELEVANCE to you. That influenced any decision you made afterwards about how you were going to feel and act. The same with happiness. If you won the lottery today and you feel delirious, your happiness wouldn't be caused by the money itself, but by the THOUGHTS of what that money would mean to the rest of your life, and how fortunate you were to have it.

Another person might have an instant panic and react entirely different to the winnings. They might be unhappy about it because, when they thought deeply and processed that information, they dreaded the fact that it is going to change their life. They might worry about losing their friends, getting lots of begging letters, losing their privacy, and perhaps being uncertain of what to do with all that money, etc., etc.

Let's take another example, me. This morning, and EVERY morning, I am happy when I wake up. Even when I am ill. The minute I open my eyes there is a big broad smile of satisfaction on my face. But some people might wonder what I am being happy about so regularly. After all, I have a life threatening illness, I am at an age where many people are written off, and expected to be invisible, and often my medication doesn't work, bringing me perilously close to disaster! You might well ask, what on earth have I got to be so happy about every day, and how can I maintain such happiness?

In a nutshell, meaning , interpretation and relevance are the pivotal anchors that decide our mood, every single day that we wake up.

Yet I have never felt so truly happy in my life. I smile when I wake up, because I realise that I am still ALIVE; I have been granted another precious day, no matter what is happening to me, and I need nothing else to make me happy. I am alive and I never take that for granted. That fact is meaningful to me, so I interpret it as essential and act accordingly. Perhaps my illness has helped me to change my approach because such adversities and near-death experiences always make us re-appraise life priorities. I have long come to the conclusion that the only thing that matters is life itself, because, without it, nothing is possible! We are finished.

In a nutshell, meaning, interpretation and relevance are the pivotal anchors that decide our mood, every single day that we wake up. Thus how we choose to think inside our heads gives us the quality of our day. We can decide to act in an assertive and relaxed way about what is happening, which means not giving our power to others who might seek to annoy, or control, us, and have far more happier moments. Or we can decide to fret and worry about everything we are experiencing; to live in constant anxiety and frustration, and rob ourselves of the willpower and motivation to change things to suit us. It is entirely up to us.

#feelings #emotionalhealth #wellbeing #happiness

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