By Vorlea Chaneyh
Special to the AFRO
Mood is everything nowadays. The realizations and lessons we learned through COVID-19 have shown how swiftly life can change. In some instances, changes sparked by the pandemic are irrevocable and force us to embrace a “new normal.”
New normals may come with challenges, but we are able to manage them effectively with the right perspective– and the right mood.
Our mood– how we feel about a thing –impacts our behavior and responses; it has the power to dictate to our new normal.
Mood is driven by perspective. Perspective, in very simple terms, is how a person views a person, a thing, a situation, or circumstance. Mood informs decisions, judgments and opinions. I have and you may have heard the saying, your attitude determines your altitude. I am not sure who first said or wrote it, but it is very true. Even now, I recall my mother “checking” me when responding to her directive or correction, to “watch your attitude, young lady.”
Our mood comes across verbally and non-verbally and whether we expect it, need it, want it or not, it solicits a return. Mood has a call and response feature to it with a boomerang echo and ripple phenomenon.
Right or wrong, we are identified, known and remembered by the schematic mood of our lives. Mood is power that impacts daily outcomes. There is much credence then that needs to be given to being “mood aware” and making adjustments, as soon as possible, when necessary.
Mood has the power to command the day and can cast a lie about our person. As sure as the sun rises in the morning and the moon sets at night, the day is going to happen, and we are going to experience it. As much as we would like to avoid and hide from the day, and I have tried many times to no avail; we simply cannot. The choice of mood then determines whether we seize it or succumb to the happen-chance of it!
Sometimes there are opportunities for us to adjust the mood in rooms and spaces in which we engage with others. Responsible mood-bearers (those of us who are mood aware and adjust when necessary for positive outcomes) come with the right-tempered influence to elevate and warm a space because our mood is right tempered.
I hope I have been able to effectively argue the urgency to mood check your life, assess its impact and clearly identify what and how your individual mood representation draws and repels to and from you and your life. Some of us have dispositions or moods that work in our favor. However, honestly, none of us are able to be in a “good mood” all the time.
Previously we mentioned the challenges of the past few years, because of the pandemic. I do not know of a person, regardless of status, religion, age, race, gender and all the other personal identifiers, who would say the pandemic did not challenge and change their life. All of us were tested beyond what we knew we were capable of. Many of us, three years later, have not been able to return to our pre-COVID lives and have moved forward in life-altering, uncharted waters.
It can be argued that everyone of reasonable age could benefit from what I coined a “mood reflector” to help us navigate what lies ahead. This mood reflector is a calibration tool composed of four reflectors to help us shift our moods in the moment. Remember the importance of being mood aware can and will make the difference between shining brightly or casting a shadow that leaves indelible impressions on and with others about who we are.
Here are a few, easy to remember mood reflectors to start your day and give you a great start to the new year:
- Gratitude. Find something to be grateful for. It may even be extended to being grateful for someone else or what is happening in their lives. Gratitude is a frown buster, internally and externally, as well.
- Daily Dump. Dispose of negative thoughts or feelings through journaling or by having check-in conversations with a trusted friend, religious leader or spouse.
- Diet. It is well known that we are what we eat — the food, entertainment and company we keep. “Eat” the things that give life.
- Exercise. A great way of releasing stress or anxiety is to move. Adding exercise to your daily routine predisposes us to a healthier outlook.
- Use your words. Language is a gift to communicate and release what we think and how we feel. Share with people you know, love, and who respect you as a trained professional.
- No comparing yourself with others. You are unique and enough.
Vorlea Chaney is a transformative voice that empowers others as a mentor, life-coach, author and educator.
The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American • 233 E. Redwood Street Suite 600G
Baltimore, MD 21202 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com
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