Master Your Moods:
A great many people suffer because they are victims of their moods. Moody persons easily become depressed and unhappy. They become gloomy, despondent, disagreeable, and discouraged because they are unable to control their hurt feelings and they cannot face difficult situations bravely. They worry and fret about small things and brood about their problems. They get into bad moods for a variety of insignificant reasons such as the dismal weather or the non-availability of their favorite brand of tea. They suffer the “blues” because they are discouraged with the progress of their work, or they feel morose because they are sensitive to innocent remarks made by someone. A man who is at the mercy of his moods can never be a leader, a power among men.
One never knows how to deal with a moody person because his state of mind depends upon his moods. If he is in good humor, he will be optimistic, amiable, and cheerful. He will readily agree to any new plans, he will be bubbling with energy and he will be ready to help anyone. But when he is in one of his bad moods, he becomes pessimistic, sullen, sour, unkind, and discourteous. He infects others with his gloom so that people try to avoid him.
A person who is over-sensitive is very prone to moods. He feels that whatever he does, wherever he goes, and whatever he says, he is the center of everyone’s interest. He is self-conscious about his appearance, his matters of speech, and his behavior. He imagines that others are criticizing him, poking fun at him, and passing jeering remarks about him, when they may not even be conscious of his presence. As a result of this sensitivity, he becomes moody, irritable, dejected, and disheartened. He does not realize that other people are too busy and much too interested in themselves to devote so much time to him.
Christy was an over-sensitive and imaginative girl. She used to brood over what others said and analyze every simple remark. She made herself miserable by imagining that she had many enemies. She sank into her depressed mood thinking about what others would think and say when they saw her pimples. She became unhappy, gloomy, and irritable. Her classmates did not even try to be friendly with her for fear of wounding her feelings. They stayed away from her because she exhausted their patience by asking them what they meant by certain expressions, looks, and gestures. She made others feel as miserable as she was. She had very few friends, indeed.
One day, Christy asked her teacher how she could improve herself. The teacher told her to think less of herself and more of others. She told her not to take offense so quickly, but to stop thinking that others were bent on hurting her feelings. The wise teacher advised her to master her moods. Christy took this advice in the correct spirit. Gradually she was able to overcome her moodiness.
If you are a slave to your moods you can never do your best. When things go wrong, think of the brighter side of life. The best way to keep out darkness is to switch on the light; the best way of shutting out depressing thoughts is to think of happy, beautiful things. A person who can smile when things go wrong has a tremendous advantage over a person whose courage collapses.
The next time you are in trouble, or feel discouraged and think that you are a failure, resolve that you are going to be happy. Seek some innocent amusement that will cheer you up, go and see your friends, think of pleasant things, or read something humorous. Do not brood. Learn to dominate your moods. The world has little use for a person who is a slave to his moods.
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