Chapter 4.1 Moods

Chapter 4.1    Moods

“The poet is a man who lives at last by watching his moods. An old poet comes at last to watch his moods as narrowly as a cat does a mouse.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)    American Author

Most of the conflicts between husbands and wives, business associates, sales clerks…just about any conflict … has to deal with somebody having a sour mood.  Maybe not a lemon pucker, but definitely characterized as lacking sweetness.

One (or both) of the parties is down, off their game …  they’re not happy with themselves, they didn’t start the day very chipper.  So they go after the other person … or they wallow in self-pity.

“Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around.”

Calvin And Hobbes     Bill Watterson (retired 1995)

The interesting characteristic about moods is they tend to want to replicate themselves in others, to gain strength.  Complainers attract more complainers.  Unhappiness looks for other unhappy people.  And upbeat people bring up the mood of others.

Surprisingly, maybe we can learn from the world of business here.  When going into meetings with other companies or other departments or even within your own group, you are not allowed to be in a down mood.  Not allowed!!  Now this doesn’t mean that everyone is in a love-fest nor does it mean that all are of a positive vein, but you have to be pleasant, at least at the beginning.

“So take charge of your moods.  Act upbeat and you start to feel better.”

New Work Habits For a Radically Changing World, Price Pritchett

Our goal is to climb up the Plateau of Positive +.

***