A simple reminder

A few days ago I was in a wonderful mood.

The last two days, I could barely make myself get out of bed. All I wanted to do was sleep.

So what changed?

Was there some great tragedy in my life (or maybe another’s) that caused my mood to shift? Did I get some horrendous news? Was I sick? Did I eat something bad? Maybe the weather turned miserable?

In reality, nothing in my life has changed. The weather has been beautiful. No disasters happened that made a few days ago any different then yesterday. My diet has been my usual diet; I have had plenty of sleep (actually more than I need since I kept staying in bed). I feel as fine as someone who doesn’t get any regular exercise CAN feel. So why the mood shift?

The simple answer is … my perspective shifted. Something started me along a train of thought, a train that led to despair. I started seeing certain aspects of my life from the shadow side, and suddenly the beautiful became ugly. All because of a simple shift in perspective.

Silly isn’t it?

Yet we all manage to do this from time to time, if not in such a drastic way. The mind is a powerful tool. It can fool us into thinking that good is bad. I can make us believe we are wanting when we have all that we need. Yes the mind is a powerful tool!

So what did I do about it?

I changed my mind. I changed my perspective. I went outside with my camera, and looked for what I was missing. And found it.

I think a good bout of despair is actually healthy, as long as we don’t let it take over. It serves to remind us of the power we have over ourselves. I have said it many times before, and guess I needed a good reminder just now. Happiness is a choice. The hard part is not being happy, but remembering to make the choice to be.

I guess I was due for a reminder.