Do you ever wonder why it seems that being sad and grumpy is so easy to do while being upbeat and happy seems difficult to do?  For some, being sad and “down in the dumps” requires little energy.  One can sit in self-pity and mull through all of the negative things going on in their life, which with practice, becomes quite easy to do.

Others, seem to have a natural tendency towards happiness and high-energy levels, seemingly at all times.   For those people, they have become accustomed to high-energy, happiness levels so it becomes their “default” behavior.  Why is that, you might ask?

Some people in the medical profession might argue that it is a chemical imbalance in those that are lower energy and more depressed in nature.  Others might argue that those with high energy levels attribute their behaviors to a healthy diet, exercise and mind relaxation.  Both of these reasons may be correct for different people.  The question is can you overcome a physiological   reason for being lower energy with a thought?   We would argue, the answer is “yes you can.”

Now, if you are on medication prescribed by your doctor we would like you to continue with that.  We are not implying that you should abandon any treatments by your doctors.  However, you can augment those treatments with your own “self-treatments” if you will.

To begin with, you need to consider the food and drink that you are putting in your mouth.  Yes, everything you eat begins with a thought – usually.  That is, unless you are eating on “auto-pilot” and you are not even aware of what you are putting in your mouth.  If that is the case, you need to “eat with intention” making a conscious decision on everything that goes into your mouth.

The next thing you really need to evaluate is the amount of physical exercise you are doing to work and tone your body.  With the capabilities of today, you can find an online video teaching you nearly anything that you can do right in your own home, from yoga, to fencing, to meditation for exercising your mind.

Then we recommend you set a beacon  regarding the amount of energy that you would like to have as your “default behavior.”  Define your next step to walk in the direction of that beacon and begin the process.   Each day define another step or two to take you closer to your beacon.  Yes, it really can be that simple.

After you work on your diet and begin to do some sort of daily physical exercise, you need to evaluate what is going on in your mind.  When you feel a little low, do a mental assessment of your current thoughts.  What is it that you keep mulling over in your mind that is making you spiral downward?  Find what it is, and think it over objectively.

Are these thoughts helping me?   What would happen if I simply let go of those thoughts?   Can I let go?   If not, why not?  Is my ego encouraging me to hang onto these thoughts that are only causing me grief?

Think of a young child playing with matches.  The young boy is sitting in the corner of the room attempting to light a match.  Eventually, the boy has success and the match lights.  He lifts it up to analyze the flame as the flame moves closer and closer to his fingers.   Not having any experience with matches, the boy continues to hold onto the match.  Soon the flame reaches his fingers.  It takes a moment for the signal from the boy’s fingers to reach his brain.  Pretty soon the alert sounds and the brain tells the fingers to release the match.  The boy realizing his is in pain drops the match onto the floor.

The carpet begins to smoke and the fire starts to spread.  Luckily, someone grabs a towel and smothers the fire.   The boy is then scolded to “never play with matches.”

Now think of those negative thoughts mulling around in your head.  You know which ones are making you grumpy and keeping you at a low energy level.  Those thoughts are like a book of matches.  Each time you think about the negativity of each thought, you light a match.  Pretty soon if you keep thinking about those thoughts, the flame reaches your fingers.   If you continue, you can burn down your entire “house.”

Now, we ask you, is that what you really want?  Would it not just be easier to let go of the matches before you light the flame?   It really is as simple as letting the thought pass you by.

Go back to our metaphor from past writings, where you are floating in space.  The thoughts are arrows that are slowly moving toward you.  You can catch the arrow, break it in two, and throw it back at the person who thrust it toward you, or you may simply give it  a nudge to gently pass you by.  It will continue to float past you farther and farther away with each passing moment, until you can no longer see it.   The arrows of negative thoughts can pass you by if you simply acknowledge them and give them a little nudge.  Eventually, all of  those arrows will simply disappear.

So we ask you, would you rather be happy or sad?  This is a serious question.  You must decide right this moment, what do you want your “default behavior” to be – happy or sad?  High energy or low energy?

We hope that you chose happy, but if not, we recommend you sit quietly with yourself and figure out why you like being sad.  Maybe when you are sad, you get what you want because people notice you, and ask you what’s wrong.  Maybe being sad helps you get what you want.  If that is the case, you need to ask yourself if that is a healthy approach to life.  Is that an approach that can be continued long-term, or are you eventually going to drive all of the people important to you, away?   We recommend that you reconsider your answer.

Being happy or sad is a choice.  Having high energy or low energy is another choice, as well as a life style choice.  The choice is yours and the decision on how you want to be is yours as well.

Figure out your “default behavior” by observing yourself over the next few days.  What is your mood when you awake in the morning?  What is your mood mid-day, evening and at night?  Make a decision to set your mood ahead of time, and watch the magic as your energy level is transformed.

InspiraCard

Take care of your body.  Put healthy food and drink in your mouth.  Exercise daily.  Take care of your body.  Put healthy thoughts in your mind.  Clear your mind daily.  A healthy body begins with a healthy mind.

Written Fri Dec 27, 2013, 7:44 – 8:13 AM MT