We all experience disappointment every now and then, so it's valuable to know how to deal with it in a healthy way.

Most people frame disappointment as "loss" - a lost opportunity, a missed goal, an unrealized dream. Hey, I get that. I just experienced putting my all into something and didn't "win" what I wanted. Or what I THOUGHT I wanted.

At least not yet.

So I allowed myself time to feel human and yucky over that "loss."

Sigh.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda - all that. I gave it a good 24 hours of being weird to make sure that all of those feelings had bubbled to the surface.

I've had several people ask me lately, "What's the best way to get out of a bad mood?"

Welllll, I could be a smartass and say, "Decide", but I'm pretty sure they were looking for more than that :o).

I have the surefire cure.

Do these three things:
1. Change your rhythm.
2. Count your blessings.
3. Help someone else.

Here's the fine print:

Yes, there are many such theories (!) so I shall start with the first:

The Self-Winding Watch Theory of Michellativity.

Indeed!

I contend that the more I do that is authentic and joyful, the more those very activities “wind my watch” to let me handle the rest of my “must do’s” – and tonight feels like proof of that. After going from Marina del Rey to Burbank to Manhattan Beach and now home, I am still jazzed after a 13 hour day.

Interested?!

Sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but I can tell you that I got to have my own version of Cold as Hell while in NYC this week. 10 degrees, snowing, blustery winds...and me standing outside in that for TWO HOURS.

Did you catch that? I CHOSE to stand outside in that god-awful weather for two hours! Choosing means I don't get to blame, resent, or gripe about what was, at best, a very uncomfortable experience and, at worst, my own li'l version of Hell. So I stood there quietly...and got quieter as the minutes dragged on.

Mandatory fireproof underwear is my first clue that this will NOT be an ordinary joyride! That’s right, I get to ride in "The Indy Experience" 2-Seater race car with this year’s Indy 500 Champion, Dan Wheldon...and that means suiting up like the pros do - Nomex skivvies and all.

Image courtesy of IMS by Michael Voorhees