I love thunderstorms.
So, yesterday when I heard the first clap of thunder and saw the sheets of rain start to descend, I was exhilarated. The day had already been wonderful: I had gotten flowers earlier in the day, I was on my way to go watch a movie, and I just couldn't help but grin to myself as I ran through the waves of rain, thinking: Why can't every day be like this?
Now let's pause the reel here for a moment and focus on this frame.
My high spirits, if you had noticed, were completely caused by what had happened to me.
I had no active role in the different things that had happened to me in the day, and yet it was because of all of them that my day had become one of the best in recent memory. Now on the surface, this may seem completely inconsequential. But digging a little deeper and looking at the mindset this reflects, a less pleasant truth hides behind it:
I was not in control of my emotions- the situations and people around me were.
In this case, it had worked out for me, as my day had been one of the best in a long time, but this was only by happen chance- I had done nothing to make it good. I had reveled in each moment, but each one had only been me accepting the situation, enjoying it, and moving forwards. This disturbed me, and after a while led me to a conclusion: we need to make the choice to choose what our day will be like, instead of just waiting for things to happen and hope they are good. It is time to stop allowing our emotions to be dictated by the events happening around us and instead, make an effort to actively seek out ways to make each day better.
Through reminding myself of this on a regular basis, I've found that it has simply become a habit to question the reasons behind why I'm I feeling the way I am and help me search for the good in every day. I have found this process to help considerably, especially to stay positive even when things are not going the way I want. Some of the questions I ask to check my mindset are:
1. Am I in charge of how I feel right now, or are my emotions being decided for me by what is happening around me?
This can really help me re-evaluate my mood, and often move into a better one. It is sometimes far too easy to accept our first reaction to a situation and treat it as though it is set in stone.
2. Am I seeking out opportunities to improve my day?
Instead of being a bystander in my own life, this moves me into the role of an active player. Often the best moments can come from simply deciding to find a way to make the day better!
