Who Decides What Mood You're In?

Posted by A.C. Ping
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“A Warrior makes their own mood”

My daughter started school this year but after the initial excitement wore off she didn’t want to go. Thinking this was just a normal adjustment after the holidays I went along with her to encourage her to see the good side of school. But after sitting with her cutting up some fruit for morning tea my attention was drawn to a rather large boy roaring like a lion and running about the play area terrorising the other kids. Needless to say my daughter clung tightly to me and begged me to take her home.

I’ve written before about the ability to ‘hold space’ and how true power comes from being able to proactively determine your own mood rather than react to what someone else is doing.

It’s easy to intellectualise all this stuff but how do you do it and more particularly how do you teach a young child to do it?

All learning is simply remembering so if that’s the case how about we just ask some really good questions that will prompt the remembering?

So – here’s a game we play.

If she gets upset in the morning thinking about going to school I ask her

“Who decides what mood you’re in?”

“Do I decide? Does Mum decide? Does your teacher decide? Do the other kids decide? If they tell you to be in a bad mood will you do that?”

Eventually, of course she snaps out of her crying and starts thinking about what mood she actually wants to be in and then she starts to step into her power and to actively begin to hold space.

So, who decides what mood you’re in?

Before you get out of bed in the morning take a few moments to DECIDE what mood you want to be in and to set INTENT for the day.

Mostly I’ve found people’s intentions don’t vary too far away from being calm, peaceful, focused and relaxed.

Once you’ve done that then work at it during the day to make sure you hold that space. Be aware of the person who cuts you off in traffic and others who may tempt you to lose your cool but don’t let them spoil your day simply ACKNOWLEDGE and REFOCUS.

“Oh geez that person really upset me however my intention for today is to be calm and peaceful and so I CHOOSE to make my own mood”

Note here that I’m not suggesting you REPRESS your emotions. Don’t become like a pressure cooker about to blow your lid.

ACKNOWLEDGE – I feel ….

And REFOCUS – however this is what I want and this is what I CHOOSE

A simple question with a powerful result.

Who decides what mood you’re in?



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