No I have really no control over my emotions until at least an hour and a half after I wake up. Previous to that there’s no telling what you’ll find in encounters with me in the early hours of the day :P

Pretty much. When I wake up I have a natural indifference until I wake up more, but I always get outside to go to work, look up at the sky and pretty trees, and think, “Man….being alive is effing great…”. I’m serious, too….call me lame if you want lol.

I can and I do.
Gratitude is where it’s at.
@Blackberry I do that too :)

I’m pretty good about being able to do that when I think about it. If I don’t make a conscious effort to have a certain kind of day, I’ll have whatever day I have. If I choose the kind of day, I usually have that day. That whole positive self-talk thing…works.

Whenever I tell myself this is going to be a great day it seems Murphy’s Law is in full force

@lucillelucillelucille I’m still susceptible to stress of course, but I also love when after a stressful moment at work, I calm down, and I’m just thinking “Oh, humans….we are so crazy…..” lol.

I am going to assume that I don’t understand your question because of the nature of how I work, rather than assume there is anything wrong with the question. I don’t get it.

I wake up neutral, The mood is not good or bad, I am just conscious of my existence. Then things happen, and that is what determines my mood. However it does not determine it for the entire day, just for however long is warranted for the situation.

Regarding choices, I seem to have the ability to turn off my caring mechanism. No matter how serious or bad or good a situation is, I can always choose at the drop of a hat that I just don’t care anymore, and I turn off all emotion. However, if I choose to feel, I feel whatever is imposed on me to feel. I have no control over emotions.

@Blackberry
I know what you mean.I get rid of that stress by running over pedestrians with my bicycle!
;)

@lucillelucillelucille Lol! Well….that’s not what I meant….but whatever works? Hahah.

@Blackberry As long as it is done with a smile.;)
It does help to get rid of toxic people in one’s life.

I am making an effort these days to look on the bright side. I have been skittering my mind away from unpleasant thoughts.

Sorry, everyone. I wasn’t clear. I didn’t mean that the first few minutes of wakefulness influence your mood for the day.

Rather, if you see yourself veering towards being blue, depressed, droopy, angry, belligerent, or negative, can you actively change these feelings, or some of them?

For example, can you override “Murphy’s law” to some degree or completely?

Mindfullness is what allows me to avoid being dragged down by bummer moments. I just take stock in the good things in my life and I am a happy boy!

Not really. If it starts out going well it mostly means I’m going to be ok. If the first thing I see after wiping the junk out of my eyes is something that has to cleaned off the floor I’m probably going to be a little sour.

@Cruiser: I love the song and I love the contrast between the basso profundo and the lyrics.

Do you look in the mirror and think, “I wish I were younger, richer and thinner,” or “How lucky I am to being living here and not in Somalia”?

@gailcalled I have no regrets in my life and appreciate all that I have and have had and yes I do appreciate that I am able to not live in Somalia. Luck may have a little to do with that part! ;)

I sometimes wake up feeling very down about things. Often if I get some exercise in the morning, particularly by attending my water aerobics class, I will find my mood and ruminativesness has lifted.

Yes. With the obvious exception of unjust imprisonment or total disability and some other outrageous circumstances, life is pretty much a good deal.
Work is normal-lion gotta hunt zebra, man gotta work.
Occasional disappointments are to be expected. So is occasional fear.
Some challenges are difficult, some are not.
Occasional leisure is fun and necessary, but too much is harmful to the body and soul.
Happiness is a product of action not a gift.
Most of what people imagine is bullshit is actually just the normal stuff of existence.
Nothing to have a bad attitude about.

No, I do not feel in control of my moods. I am always anxious first thing in the morning and that’s why I dread them. Mornings can be quite stressful for me.

I find it depends on how I wake. If I become alert before the alarm goes off, I’m energetic and clear. This is the sort of morning I’ll go down to the kitchen and marvel at the wonders of running water, coffee pots and central AC. Feeling fortunate to live where and when I do.

If the alarm disrupts a deep sleep, I’ll resent the day and feel cloudy and muddled by incomplete dreams. This feeling won’t shake off for hours no matter what I try.

Not until the sun is over the yardarm.

If I’m having a rough day there are some people I rely on to pick me up. Works great.

I have never been able to control this sort of thing. It’s entirely dependent on the events of the day, week or whatever.

No, I’ve never even considered in a possibility. My emotions are not something I control. Sometimes I get to control my actions, which is great.

Choosing to start every day off feeling good is one of the biggest things I’ve learned while being self employed. I don’t know about for others, but it’s imperative that I start the day thinking about the possibilities rather than the pile of obligations waiting for me.

When things weren’t going well outside of work I still had to get up and get it done (not saying this is unique) so I started a little ritual that works for me.

Make a list the day/night before of what needs to happen. Wake up, roll over, sit up and blink until I can remember my name. Clap the hands and get going.

Every day really is a new chance to be great.

I happen to be bipolar, so there are a few times during the year when I quite honestly cannot control my moods. Having said that, the majority of the time, I use mindfulness training (Be here now.) and gratitude lists to keep me thinking positively.

I do everything I can to stay positive. I tell myself affirmations. I have friends I call when I feel myself slipping into some sort of funky mood. I walk around parks. I talk to my teenage kids.

I don’t believe I can be in complete control of my moods, but I do have weapons in the battle to stay upbeat.

No, not really. I need a mood organ like the characters in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Oh man, no. When I wake up, I slither out of bed and hope I won’t die before getting to work. I take each thing as it comes. Sometimes I can have some feelings on how things might go, but I can’t do anything about it.

Well no matter how and what attitude you choose for that day in the course of the day it can change. You wanna get your good mood for a day then you find your kids/parents died in an accident. How wicked someone has to be to not have his mood influenced.
Or you wake up wanting to feel like crap and then you learn you won the lottery. Hell yeah you gonna stay mad just because you wanted to in the morning.

I think you can @gailcalled. I know if I am feeling a bit blue, I will put music on to lift my mood (or sometimes to wallow in feeling a bit miserable if that seems like the right thing to do). I find that music particularly can help lift my spirits. And as @lucillelucillelucille suggested, thinking about how fortunate I am and trying to get some perspective on what is bothering me. Usually in real terms it is inconsequential. Of course, it depends on the reasons for my mood. If there is something serious going on, I may not be able to affect my mood.

I love the quote that is attributed to Abe Lincoln, it says “People are just about as happy as they want to be.” I have found that to be true in my life. I can’t control the world or what it throws at me, so I have to be in control of me, that is all I have. And most days, I am happy to be with someone I love, have dogs I love, work to keep a few bucks in my pocket and hobbies to keep my mind and body busy. All in all, I feel quite lucky. I am, however, still waiting to win the lottery.

Yeah, @Hibernate , of course extreme circumstances will change anyone’s mood, but I’m pretty sure that @gailcalled was meaning in general.

Well per general it might work though I never met a person who wanted to use a crappy mood a whole day.