Moods don’t own us.
But we act as if they do.
When sad, we tend to let Sadness dictate our entire day: “I’m having a rough DAY.”
Anger is almost always followed by Guilt and then turned inwards: “I hate MYSELF when I’m angry!”
We only allow Impatience to leave on the condition that something outside changes: “When is this TRAFFIC going to let up?!”
In Heartache, we tend to act like we’re planning a vacation: “I’ll NEVER get over this.”
It’s almost as if the onset of a mood cues us to put on an outfit, when, in fact, a mood is less like a heavy jacket and more like a puff of vapor that we can pass right through. We should certainly pause to stand in it, feel it, inhale it, and accept its purpose, but then recognize that the mood is moving too, and, ultimately it will drift past.
All we have to do is not follow.