I’ve been a positive-thinking, law-of-attraction teaching, motivational speaker, author, and coach now for several years.  Wanna know what stumps me?  When a close friend is in a bad mood.

Coupled with the sincere desire to want to help is the knowing that there really is not much that I can do.  I can try to lead my loved one to thinking better thoughts, thoughts of relief, or trying to get his/her mind off of the problem, but you know how it is - when in you’re in that kind of mood, you’re just not interested.  I’ve found that the only thing you can really do in this situation is give your friend the space she needs to get over the issue herself, and have faith that she will.  After all, we all want to feel good, and we always find a way to survive.

So what if you’re the one down in the dumps?  Ah.  That’s where I can help.  ‘Cause if you’re willing to read this, you’re ready to improve your mood, your situation, and your life.  So let’s go.

Being in a bad mood is nothing more than the result of focusing so much on your problems that you can’t see the solutions.  The only time we’re in a bad mood is because we think we have no way out of our current situation.  We’re wallowing in our sorrow.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just flip a switch and our bad mood was instantly replaced with a good mood?  Well, you really can.  If you really want to do so.

The law of attraction says that “like attracts like.”  You bring about what you think about.  You are the creator of your life experience and you create through the balance of your thoughts.  When you see or experience something you do not like or that does not feel good to you, you instantly have a desire to attract something different into your experience – something that you do like and that feels good to you.

Whatever it is that you are wanting to manifest, whether it’s a million dollars, a healthy body, spiritual peace, a loving relationship, or an improved work environment, you will attract it faster if you find ways to get on a vibrational level with that desired result more frequently.  Let me explain.

This thing that you want, whatever it is, you obviously desire it because you believe that it will bring you relief.  “I want a better job because I am so sick and tired of this one.”  “I want to make more money so that my kids have the things that make them happy.”  “I want to be well so that I’m not sick anymore and burdening everyone around me.”  So the emotion driving the desire for this thing you want is relief.  Right?  Okay then, so what we need to do, is find ways of experiencing relief now, so that our vibration is in line with this thing we want. Like attracts like – relief attracts relief.

So in the interest of feeling some relief and getting your mood turned around, here is a list of simple things I like to do to feel good right now.

1. Listen to upbeat music. My favorite is Al Jarreau’s Boogie Down.  I’m a Believer by Smash Mouth gets me going too.  Practicing music, if you’re at all musically inclined, works as well.  Just be sure to keep it upbeat and positive – remember, this is supposed to raise your vibration, so no tearjerkers or anything remotely sad.  Got it?
2. Dance.  Close the office door, put on that music, and let it all hang out!  Get your groove on!  Feel silly?  That’s the point.  Just a few minutes of relief is all it takes, plus, the endorphin kick alone will boost your spirits.
3. Watch favorite TV shows. Good ones – funny ones – old ones – like the Cosby show.  There’s just something about Bill Cosby that always makes me laugh.  I love his clean, positive humor.   I especially like smart comedies.  Seinfeld is another good one.  Big Bang Theory reruns always make me laugh.  Anything that lifts your vibration will work, and if at any moment it starts to not feel so good, just turn it off – move on to something else.  I had this saying when I was on my diet:  “It’s not worth the calories.”  As in, when something didn’t taste good, I would save the calories for later to use on something that did taste good.  You can do the same with television.  There’s certainly plenty of it out there, and there are plenty of other ways to utilize your time and raise your vibration.  So don’t waste a second on anything that doesn’t feel good.  It’s not worth it.
4. Watch favorite movies. Same idea as above, except a little longer for those days when you have the time.  And if there are any parts of the movie that “bring you down,” just fast forward past that part.  After all, you already know what happens, don’t you?  I have an emergency copy of Legally Blonde in my archives.
5. Write an entry in the gratitude journal. I’ve talked about gratitude journals before and by now I’m sure everyone has heard of them.  Unless you’ve made it a daily habit, though, I thought you might need a little reminder of how well it works. Just start listing everything that you are grateful for right this moment.  If you’re having trouble with a particular person or situation, focus on that, and write everything you appreciate about that person or situation.  Keep writing until you feel better.  Trust me, this works.
6. Focus on love. It can be anyone or any thing that you love.  Not feeling so happy with your significant other right now?  That’s okay – we’ve all been there!  Write about your cat.  Or your new car, or your old car, or your pretty wall paper, or your new desk chair, or your favorite pen, or the fact that it’s Spring, or that it’s snowing outside, or . . . get the drift?  I know a person who says you can’t love something that can’t love you back.  That’s silly.  Love is an emotion and the more you feel it, the more you will bring things to love into your experience.  So love what you love and love that you love it.
7. Get out in nature. Go barefoot in the grass, sit under a tree, feed the birds, smell flowers, listen to a waterfall or waves crashing against the shore.  There’s something about nature that lifts our vibration.  I believe it’s the connection with millions of other living things that nature provides.  The vibrations offered by plants and animals in nature are so pure, so unassuming.  The tree you sit under might by hundreds of years old while the flowers have only been up a few weeks.  Most things in nature co-exist peacefully.  There’s no competition, no worry, no doubt; just the basic assumption that all is well.  Spending time with these beings of nature will help you pick up on that vibration.
8. Exercise. Walk, run, swim, jump up and down. Sometimes we just need to get our blood flowing.  Exercise of any kind, whatever you like, will energize you on all levels, including your vibrations.  If you have some sort of medical condition where exercise is impossible, do whatever you can to shake up your aura.
9. Drink something.  Eat something. Skipping meals and being hungry or dehydrated are sure ways of lowering your mood.  My personal favorites are chocolate,  and large, juicy-ripe blackberries.  What are your favorite little food gems that you know will lift your spirits?  Stock up!
10. Do something nice for someone – spread love and joy. This will get you in a good mood fast.  The other person doesn’t even have to know you did it.  When you see someone else’s mood lifted because of some action you chose to take, it will send you soaring to the joy category.  It’s okay if they know you were responsible, but it’s also okay if they don’t.  My favorite things are the unexpected, like giving the garbage man a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day.
11. Play with a pet. This is a double-whammy because not only does the play raise your vibration, but a pet will teach you how to focus.  Seriously, watch your cat or dog the next time you fidget with that string or throw that ball.  There might as well be nothing else around.  We need to focus like that when we’re creating.  Watch, learn, and lift.
12. De-clutter something. Did you really think you were going to get a list from me that didn’t include something about how clutter around you creates clutter in your brain?  It also lowers your vibration and I can prove it.  Clean off your desk.  There.  Doesn’t that feel better?  Told you so.  Want to feel even better?  Clean out the basement, the garage, the car, all the closets . . .
13. Act “as if.” I love this one.  Go through your situation in your mind and act as if the solution has already been achieved.  Ah.  Doesn’t that feel better?  Now focus on that feeling a little longer.  Longer.  Hold it.  Try to hold the feeling of that relief until the solution comes to you.  This little gem often works for me!
14. Get a massage. Need I say more?
15. Take an hour off. This concept is counter-intuitive for most of us because we rush around trying to get everything done only to drive home from work in a really bad mood.  I discovered a long time ago that if I take an hour off, especially one hour of solitude, I end up getting much more than an hour’s worth accomplished in return.  This is probably due to the fact that taking that hour raises your vibration and you can always get more accomplished from a joyful mindset than from a feeling of being overwhelmed.
16. Read something motivational. So why did you buy all those Brian Tracy CD’s and Steve Chandler books?  And don’t you have a “To Read” pile somewhere?  Oh, and please remember those web articles hanging out there in your favorites.  Steve Chandler is my favorite for a quick pick-me-up.  His book, 100 Ways To Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever, always puts me higher on the emotional set-point scale.  If I’m in the car, anything by Brian Tracy will make sure I arrive at my destination with a smile on my face, ready to work.  And if I have the time and want to be challenged intellectually, I’ll head over to Steve Pavlina’s site to see what he’s been up to lately.  The important thing here is to know what works for you and keep it handy.  Then use it!
17. Light some aromatherapy candles. Preferably, you’ll only utilize this one when you are at home.  I find fragrances to have a huge impact on my mood.  Now, we’re not all the same in that a scent that works for me might be horrible to you and you might not respond to scent at all, but you won’t know until you try.  Experiment a little.  You’re worth it.
18. Open a window. The smell of fresh air works for just about everyone.  Getting stale air out and fresh air in is good feng shui, good housekeeping, and good vibrations.
19. Take a nap. If you’ve ever had little ones around, you know how they can get cranky in the afternoon if they haven’t had their nap.  Well, do we really ever grow up?  When I catch myself in a particularly cranky mood, I take a nap.  It helps.  Just 20-30 minutes and I awaken as a completely different person.  Well, not completely, but my vibration is much better and when nothing else works, it helps to do this first, then get up and listen to Al Jarreau.
20. Go shopping. I remember saying to a friend one day, “I’m depressed.  I need to buy something.”  She thought that was hilarious.  And I suppose it was.  But I was serious.  I caught on when I was a teenager that spending money somehow made me feel better.  It doesn’t have to be something expensive, and even if you live in a rural area you don’t have to get in the car – you can buy things online and get an immediate shift in your mood.  Isn’t technology wonderful?!  Part of it is just being good to yourself, and part of it is putting a little $ in circulation that will benefit someone else.  Now, you know what I’m talking about here.  Going online and running up all your credit cards is NOT going to raise your vibration to the point of joy.  But finding the perfect pair of spring sandals at Talbots.com – AWESOME!  I’ve come to know this as “retail therapy,” and I L-O-V-E it!!!
21. Create your own “vibrational lift” list. You know what works for you and I have to say that after creating this list, my vibration is at a pretty high level right now.  Just thinking about feeling good and ways to feel good will make you feel good.  Did you catch all that?  Great – now go feel good!

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Motivation