Small things...

The small things make all the difference...

Sometimes when you are having a bad day, you think that nothing can make it better. No one can improve your mood. I usually start out this kind of mood by ranting relentlessly about the perceived wrongs to the nearest willing listener. To be honest they are not always that willing. They are cornered.

Sometimes this is enough. At least for the time being, to stave off the mood at least to a certain degree if not entirely. Sometimes it makes no difference to my mood at all. At least not in a positive way.

You see the pitfall of ranting about something is that it stirs it all up more for you. It can make it far worse than it was before you started on a Hamlet style monologue. It can really get you worked up into a proper lather. Then you can’t stop ranting and thinking about it in a vicious cycle. Neither of which makes you feel any better.

There are two things in my experience which improve this situation. I'm not ignorant enough to think that this will not work for everyone and that you need to find your own helpful “get out of mood free” handles.

The first for me is writing a letter of complaint. Ill touch on this more at a later stage I'm sure. I’m  going to have to be at a far more confessional point before I reveal the true extent of my letter writing. Lets just say I’ve written a lot of letters whilst on maternity leave. Some I haven’t even had the balls to actually post. But more of that later.

The second perk me up is sure fire. I think its far more universal. Its noticing the kindness of strangers.

Generally I think that society has lost a lot of its moral fibre. I think that we live in a world where people will help you up after a fall and then rob you blind. I think that we have nurtured a culture which expects to be fed what they want without having to contribute anything to the human race in anyway.

Its not fair however to tar everyone with the same brush. Not everyone has this lack of social etiquette. This lack of ability to live within a community. Some people really are amazing. Not because of one single great act. Because of who they are. What they believe in. What they stand for and of course what they will not.

Take the recent riots. Ive never been so ashamed as to watch a group of idiots smash up this country. Part of me lost all faith in humanity as I constantly watched story after story of the selfish acts committed by this group of bafoons. Never had I thought that the image of Britain had been so damaged.

Then out of bleakness, something absolutely amazing happened. The people fought back. Not physically of course. They are not the same as the others. They fought back with something much more powerful. They united. And united they decided not to allow people to spoil their lives.

They coordinated a clean up of the damage caused. Thousands of people mucked in to sort out the damage done by their fellow country men.  They restored the faith of human kind. My pride for them soared. Each and everyone of them made me feel so much better about the world in which we live. They came together regardless of gender, ethnic origin or religious view an they did a brilliant job.

Out of the evil of the rioters came triumph. Certainly a triumph for national pride. It moved me to tears.  That'll be the hormones...

This isn’t an isolated incident however. People can be good. They really can. Whether it be the small act of holding open a door for you to go through or passing a compliment to a stranger. These are acts which make people feel good about themselves. Nothing major. Nothing costly. Generally just good manners or a desire to be pleasant.

This is a sure fire way to rewarm the cockles of my heart. I can smile about it for ages. Of course you have to have your eyes open to see it. You have to be aware of your surroundings. Not have your head stuck firmly where the sun isn’t shining. If you close yourself off in such a way then you never see such acts. For that im sorry. There really is no faster way to improve a mood.