While I was attending college at BYU my roommate had a magnet similar to this on the front door of our apartment. Every morning before I left for the day I would take a couple of seconds to determine how I felt. Since I usually left for class fairly early in the morning most of what determined how I felt was how I had slept, what had happened the day or night before, or what lay ahead of me that day.
My mood would range from exhausted because I stayed up too late studying (or playing), sad or confused because the boy I currently had a crush on did not call or had not noticed me the day before, frustrated or disgusted because my roommates had once again left dirty dishes in the sink when it was their day to do them, or hopeful that I would do well on the paper or exam I had been working on.
I carried on this routine for weeks. One day I realized that whatever I picked for my mood in the morning would generally be my mood for the entire day. If I picked overwhelmed, all day I would think of the things I had to do and wonder how I could possibly get them all done. If I picked lonely or shy I would often choose to sit by myself and was quiet or reserved that day. If I picked happy I would smile and laugh at the events of the day, even if it included falling on the ice in front of a cute guy!
After that realization I decided that no matter how I actually felt in the morning I was only allowed to pick the positive emotions happy and hopeful (occasionally I would also allow myself to feel content or lovestruck:) ).
Your mind is more powerful than you may think. Choose your mood wisely.
