Isn’t it interesting that the word mood (a very old word) in its earliest pre-10^th century roots in the Gothic language, originally meant COURAGE?  They were talking about it even back then!  Later, in Old English (as the word mod) it came to mean your heart, spirit, courage, power.

Today the word mood means your state of mind, what you’re feeling at the time, emotional condition.

You can be in a good mood, a bad mood, a joyous, exuberant mood, a depressed or apathetic mood. We have an extremely large range of moods available to us at any given moment, and most of us have experienced the FULL spectrum (for me, sometimes all in one day).

We’re always in SOME kind of mood.

Whatever our mood is, it takes over EVERYTHING, especially our thinking and our doing. Also, it takes over how we get along with others.  When I’m in a lousy mood, I usually want to be left alone.  When I’m in a good mood, I sing, dance, get on the rooftops and shout.

Our mood colors our optimism and how well we do.  At everything really.

Our mood makes people want to be with us. Or not.

So, what does mood have to do with courage? When I read this particular derivation, it really made me pause.

Courage is not the same as confidence.  Confidence is when you have no fear, when you have no doubt.  You are certain.

Courage is different. Courage is the strength and ability to push THROUGH fear or doubt, to not retreat, to manifest your power, your ability, and make a noble thing happen.

I can totally see how courage relates to mood.  Someone with a lot of courage is going to be in a completely different mood than someone with none.

Someone who doesn’t have much courage, is not going to have so many good moods. Someone with a LOT of courage, is going to have WAY more.

One reason is that the person who has courage dictates or controls their mood WITH and BECAUSE OF their courage.  Courage is basically a decision.  This decision dictates your mood.  The mood doesn’t dictate your decision.  Big difference.

I can totally see why mood also meant power in Old English.  The decision to have courage activates your power.

Another reason someone with courage will experience good moods is that with courage, they will achieve victories they would NEVER experience without courage.  Triumph elevates mood like a skyrocket.

And see if this isn’t true.  Think of people you know who are always in a good mood. How much courage do they have? Think of people you know who are always in a bad mood. How much courage do they have?

Courage has a lot to do with character and strength of character too.  What a source of power!

It’s interesting to me to now have the idea that you can ALTER mood dramatically by increasing courage, but it makes sense to me that this would be so.  I can see that if I want to either get myself out of a bad mood or help someone else out of one, increasing courage is a very viable way to go.  It sounds to me much better than a lame pep talk.

I know a lot about increasing courage.  There are many ways to do it.  The 3 I rely on most are being decisive, increasing the ability to confront and increasing skills.  These 3 have never failed me, either with myself or helping others. And I clearly see the cause-and-effect relationship between these three actions, courage and a very upbeat mood.

So, next time you’re in a bad mood, increase your courage, get more brave, and see what happens to your mood.

What I find especially fascinating is that learning the derivation of the word mood gave me a whole NEW look at how to improve mood, mine or someone else’s.  Who wouldn’t want to improve mood?  Courage is a great way how.

Isn’t it amazing that in these derivations lie so many secrets to the universe?

Wishing you great courage and the greatest of moods!

Love, Ingrid