A word with more than one meaning

Mature. An interesting word that seems to be misused most of the time. In this world that we live in, we have the free exchange of ideas & as I've come across the usage of this word, I am quite surprised as to how it is perceived (at least here in the western world). Lets start by looking at the dictionary definition. Mature - showing the mental, emotional, or physical characteristics associated with a fully developed adult person. Just by glancing at this definition, we can expect this to be the basic idea of what maturity is to the average person. However, there's more to it than we think.

Most would agree with me when I say that, us as a society sets a standard for everyone to follow. To be "this" you have to follow & perform "these" steps. As with a mature person - someone who is looked at in a respected manner, it's that IT factor. Most people who know when a person has matured would say, he gets "IT." Nowadays, we see this word being tossed around like it's lost its meaning. Lets clear some things up, an elder person should NOT automatically be considered mature. Maturity does come with age, but it's far from a sure thing. Someone who can support him or herself financially should NOT automatically be considered mature. Being financially stable is a great luxury to have but just because you are able to pay off your expenses does not mean your "mature." People who seem to have this sort of a perspective of what exactly is a mature person should reconsider their thoughts.

So to finally get to my point, you can be mature in more than just one way. There is no real blueprint but if you do some of these next few things, your in good shape. Being mature is taking responsibility for you actions, having common sense, having the ability to love, forgive and respect others, telling the truth, thinking about others prior to thinking about yourself, giving for the sake of giving and not expecting anything in return and last but not least, contributing to society in a positive way. So if you feel as if you need to be more "mature" person, performing some of these activities would be a good start.

The Almighty Mood

As the days pass by, it's interesting to see how a simple mood change can alter a person's entire though process. However, before we dive into the significance of a person's mood & just how much of an impact it can really have, lets examine what exactly is a mood? In the simplest of terms, a mood is a emotional state. It can vary in duration depending upon the situation and or the person's long term temperament. They can either be positive or negative & unlike emotional feelings such as fear & laughter, moods can last for hours or days. Although a mood is mainly an internal subjective state, it can be inferred from body posture & other behavior.

Knowing all this, lets dive right into it. Each day, many of us encounter countless situations which affect our mood one way or another. But did we ever stop to think how easily our mood is able to change? To put it into perspective, let's use children as an example. Children, even in the worst of moods can easily be persuaded to alter their mood through physical methods such as by being giving candy or ice cream. While these items may seem as petty motivations, some adults can be persuaded in the same physical manner and that is through money. As the quote says "money makes the world go around," well it can certainly also make many of us content. While there is no actual count of how many times an average person's mood changes, but if there was, I can tell you that it would surpass anyone's expectations.

Hopefully that gave you an idea of the fragility of a person's mood. It should also show you the power of someone's mood, which I believe is highly underrated in terms of discussing it's importance. The state of an individual's mood may be the difference between a right and wrong decision. With that in mind, I want you to realize that like most things in life, moods are not concrete . There is a way to be able to control them & keep them in check. You'll be shocked at how much of a difference you can make in your life and of those around you by keeping a stable mindset & mood. So the next time you feel an undesirable mood swing coming on, I want you realize that for a period of time, you won't be yourself, unless you yourself do something about it. So take a walk, close your eyes, find a way to laugh or re-frame your thoughts. Whatever it may be, do it & remember, mood is a state of mind, not a state of control.

To benefit or not to benefit?

As I navigate myself through my daily life, I perform many activities which cause me to ask myself the question: How is this going to benefit me? Now, while this question at first may seem subjective & typical...it's not. Believe it or not but a question as simple as this may have never really entered your thought process, at least until now. As I began to analyze this question thoroughly, I realized the clarity in its message. While we may not all be aware of it (or in some cases, be ignorant of it) numerous daily activities we perform such as watching television sitcoms, video-games, social networking and etc. really seem to have no benefit to us. Now, the average individual would say that all these activities do have a benefit & they are purely for entertainment purposes. To that individual I would say, your absolutely right, entertainment is one answer but it shouldn't be the only answer. There is a way to be able to enjoy doing what your doing while also benefiting yourself in some way, shape or form. So in whatever activities we execute daily, we must always want to reek the benefits of that particular activity. Always striving to enhance our vast knowledge & expand our infinite repertoire. Doing this will only make the activities much more worth-wile. And every time you choose not to take advantage, just remember...an opportunity is lost.