We all have those times when we feel down in the dumps. Maybe we’re depressed because we hear some bad news. Maybe we are bummed out something doesn’t work out the way we’d hoped. Maybe we’re just upset and disappointed with ourselves.

Even if we’re not emotional wrecks, it’s not a pleasant feeling. And there aren’t many people I know who would want to stay in this state for very long. So when it hits you, how do you lift your mood and embrace happiness?

No doubt how you do it, how you lift your mood, is personal.

To convince yourself how true this is, search for ways to lift your mood or change your spirits online, and you will be flooded with a wide variety of answers, each site going in a completely different direction…

A woman’s fashion magazine might suggest you spruce up your life with new clothes, have fun with girlfriends, or savor a piece of chocolate. A man’s lifestyle magazine might suggest you walk off a funky state with new toys, go for new romance, or change up your fitness routine.

As different as these mood-lifting strategies may be, still, it is probably one of those cases where if the shoe fits, wear it.

Lift your mood

photo credit: rpertiet

And if all else fails, you can always try these favorites:

Socialize: Never underestimate socializing as a form of happiness. While you don’t need to be a social butterfly with everyone you meet, having close friends is a key to happiness. It is human nature to feel happy and content when you have a circle of friends that you can trust and have a receptive audience for your thoughts. If you are starting to feel low in spirits, then run a lifestyle check and make sure you are not isolating yourself from others.

Do good for others: Regardless of your religious or political beliefs, doing good for others will always fulfill a need in you. Realizing that there are things bigger than ourselves, and then being able to contribute something that will help others, is indeed something that must be experienced to be appreciated.

Think positively: Yes, I know that looking at the bright side of things is often easier said than done. While this suggestion can be grossly exaggerated, the fact remains that positive energy always does more good than harm. Just remember positive energy doesn’t have to be dogmatic thinking. For example, you can surround yourself with any form of positive energy from funny movies to happier friends, even with self-affirmation or meditative recordings.

Get out of the past: Thinking about mistakes of the past in an effort to repair your perspective is counter-productive. You can waste most of your life droning on about how unfair the past was, and this will never change what happened. Instead, spend more time living in the now and thinking positively about the future.

So how do you lift your mood? What are your favorite and most effective strategies?

The fly that didn't break the habit

The other morning I was pouring myself some juice, and something on the window sill caught my attention.

I hadn’t noticed it the night before so I took a closer look.

A fly.

A fly turned on its back.

Obviously dead.

I didn’t give it a second thought until I had a different thought…

We didn’t keep any poison, so why the dead fly?

Maybe because it died in a struggle.

Perhaps the fly kept trying to make its escape, doing what it was doing…

…until it could do no further.

It was up against the window.

That’s right, fly versus window. And you know who won.

See no matter how much the fly bumped up against the window, it would never succeed.

It would never break through.

Unless it changed something.

Can I ask you to imagine how the fly could have made its escape?

You probably guessed several ways, including this one…

For the better part of the day, there was an open window nearby.

Freedom was literally just around the corner.

The fly was so close to freedom, yet so far.

Now imagine the things  that we do, sometimes without even realizing them, that hold you back…

Just like bumping up against that window.

And no matter how hard you fight it, you just get more and more tired…

Frustrated, overwhelmed, and more overwhelmed.

Until finally you throw in the towel because you’re not getting where you want to go.

You give up because there’s no exit in sight. Exasperated because there are no results on the horizon.

But is that true?

Now you can thank the things that we do that are standing in our way…

Like obstacles preventing us from achieving what we want or what we say we want.

And even though these are usually imaginary obstacles, they might as well be real because they have the same effect as a real ones…

…they block and trap you just the same, keeping you from all that you are meant to be and what you are meant to do.

Or you can do something about it, because even the fly had options, didn’t it?

So, what would a different fly have had to do to break free?

Here are a few ideas… Change strategy. Try a different route. Get some distance from the problem. Look at the situation from a different point of view. Think in a new way.

That’s a lot to ask of a fly.

Still, some flies manage to pull it off and break free because I’ve had plenty buzzing around my house before and haven’t found them lying around.

Maybe you are wondering what things stand in your own way.

What can you clear out of the way so you have more energy and passion to pursue those things most important to you?

What needs to change so you can have the freedom to live, the freedom to be happy?

Are the obstacles obvious? Then what will it take to clear them?

Not obvious? Well, what if you could identify them?

What would you do differently if you knew the answer is around the corner?

Remember, doing the same things over and over again and expecting to get a different result, like following the same recipe to bake a cheese cake but expecting brownies, is one man’s definition of insanity.

When you open your mind to the possibility certain things you are doing are destroying any chances of your success, destroying your quality of life, you can experience life at a whole new level. And it starts with changing your strategies.

So tell me, what habits do you need to break?

Ciao!

Taylor