The ever new joy of God inherent in the soul is indestructible. So also, it’s expression in the mind can never be destroyed if one knows how to hold on to it, and if he does not deliberately change his mind and become sorrowful by nurturing moods.
Resurrect yourself from the littleless of life, the little things that disturb you.
Nobody likes misery. Why not analyse yourself next time you are in a mood? You will see how you are willingly, willfully making yourself miserable. And while you are doing so, others around you feel the unpleasantness of your state of mind… You must remove moods from your mental mirror.
Always think of your mind as a garden, and keep it beautiful and fragrant with divine thoughts; let it not become a mud pond, rank with malodorous hateful moods. If you cultivate the heavenly scented blooms of peace of love, the bee of Christ Consciousness will steal into your garden. As the bee seeks out only those flowers that are sweet with honey, so God comes only when your life is sweet with honeyed thoughts.
Each type of mood has a specific cause, and it lies within your own mind.
One should introspect each day in order to understand the nature of his mood, and how to correct it, if it is a harmful one. Perhaps you find yourself in an indifferent state of mind. No matter what is suggested, you are not interested. It is necessary then to make a conscious effort to create some positive interest. Beware of indifference, which ossifies your progress in life by paralyzing your will power.
Perhaps your mood is discouragement over sickness; a feeling that you will never regain health. You must try to apply the laws of right living that lead to a healthy, active and moral life, and pray for greater faith in the healing power of God. Or suppose your mood is a conviction that you are a failure, and can never succeed at anything. Analyse the problem and see if you have really made all the effort you could have.
You can conquer your moods, no matter how terrible they seem. Make up your mind that you are not going to be moody anymore; and if a mood comes in spite of your resolve, analyse the cause that brought it on, and do something constructive about it.
Creative thinking is the best antidote for moods. Moods get their grip on your consciousness when you are in a negative or passive state of mind. The time when your mind is vacant is just the time it can become moody; and when you are moody, the devil comes and wields his influence on you. Therefore, develop creative thinking. Whenever you are not active physically, do something creative in your mind. Keep it so busy that you have no time to indulge in moodiness.
When you are thinking creatively you don’t feel the body or moods; you become attuned with Spirit. Our human intelligence is made in the Image of His creative intelligence, through which all things are possible; and if we don’t live in that consciousness, we become a bundle of moods. By thinking creatively we destroy those moods.
Remember that when you are unhappy it is generally because you do not visualize strongly enough the great things that you definitely want to accomplish in life, nor do you employ steadfastly enough your will power, your creative ability, and your patience until your dreams are materialised.
Keep busy doing constructive things for your own self-improvement and for the benefit of others, for whoever would enter God’s kingdom must try also to do good for others every day. If you follow this pattern, you will feel the mood-dispelling joy of knowing you are advancing mentally, physically and spiritually.
Extract from the book “Where There is Light” by Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda.
