h! Oh! It's here again! It crept up unexpectedly, little by little, until it was a full blown "mood". You know, one of those heavy ones when you don't feel happy and can't quite place your finger on why...

When did it start? My ego tells me "It all started after the conversation with that person who was angry... it's all their fault." 

"Whoa! Now wait a minute," my Higher Self interjects. "You know very well that no one can actually 'make you' angry. You may have chosen to adopt that anger and carry it with you, but no one forced you or 'made you' angry."

Oh well! So much for the theory that my mood is someone else's fault... 

Why Am I In A Weird Mood?

Once again I ask myself where did this mood start? And of course, once I ask the question and quiet the mind, Higher Self has the answer. 

"It started when you refused to let go of the aggravation you felt in two particular situations. You did not like the attitude of those around you so you "copped your own attitude". You did not let go of the judgment, anger, and fear. That's where your mood came on and you invited it to stay for awhile. 

"There is no one to blame! No, not even yourself. It was a choice you made, albeit not consciously, yet a choice nevertheless. You need to accept the fact that this was a mood swing you opted for, and you can choose to either stay on that course or veer sharply in another direction."

I Could Have Reacted Differently?

Hum! My choice, huh? I guess that's right... I didn't have to react to someone else's impatience and anger. I should have been like a duck and let the emotions run off my impervious plumage.

Oh, oh! This sounds like I'm ready to start on myself with the "shoulds". I should have done it this way, I should have done it that way, I should have done it better, I did it wrong, etc. No that can't be the solution. Where do I go from here?

Higher Self had the response. 

"Let your judgment go! You were not wrong! You were not stupid! You simply chose one course of action instead of another. It was an experience you chose... Yes, I know you did not consciously decide that now you would become moody, yet, nevertheless, you did choose that behavior. 

"So you ask, what to do now? Choose differently! You are a free being. You have complete jurisdiction on what comes out of your being... your thoughts, words, actions. So choose love and acceptance now. Choose life and laughter. Choose forgiveness and joy. You will see that your mood will swing away from the dark one that has been hovering over you, to a light, clear, happy one."

Making Better Choices

OK. So I take a deep breath, then breathe out any frustration and anger, and choose lightness and peace. 

I repeat out loud to myself, "I choose love and peace as my constant companions. I am free." 

I take another deep breath, and as I repeat this affirmation, I feel its power come over me. I feel much lighter. My mouth curls up into a smile. My heart beats joyfully. Yes! I am free! I can choose my attitude, my mood, my aura. I can choose to lighten up the energy I carry with me, simply by focusing on the thoughts of my choice. 

"I choose love and peace as my constant companions. I am free!"

Yes! Yes! YES!

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About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com