About three weeks ago, I went back home and asked a former teacher to write out a short list of things I could write about… A few suggestions caught my eye; this is one of them: What things in life sustain you emotionally?

To put it shortly: Myself. I am the only one I can look to for emotional support.

In a longer sense: Myself. Isn’t that all we have? That saying, “You are the one who chooses your mood,” is saying that you need to have independence in every situation. You can’t look to friends, family, or conditions to be happy, and enjoy life. You only have yourself. When you put your whole emotional system into someone, or something else’s hands, you are improving your odds of being let down constantly by… well, a LOT. Finding that out, and figuring out a self-reliance system is essential to surviving at a happier baseline.

Maybe it’s the way I grew up, or what all has happened to be growing up. In every situation, it seems as though the only thing that was going for me was me. Admittedly, friends and family were there to offer some more support, but they could also be an opposing force if they chose to be. In many cases, they did, and still are.

Somewhere along the line, I created my support system. And although I don’t know how I made it, or what it consists of, I believe it works well. When I’m upset, it doesn’t take long to regain composure. I push emotions back, while still acknowledging they exist, and work on them internally. During that time, I try to do as many things that make me as happy as possible. I play video games, watch TV, eat, etc. Again, I’m doing these tasks happily, but I am also thinking about why I’m upset. I’m always processing everything around me. I always am looking for answers to everything. This includes my problems.

To keep my problems from cluttering, manifesting, and spreading to others around me, it is very important to isolate the situation. When I’m mad about something, I be sure that my reasons are justifiable, and that I am only upset about that thing. When I am upset with someone, I make sure I have the right person to be upset with; I make sure I didn’t do anything to onset this, and I make sure that I don’t be upset with anyone else BUT the one I’m upset with. It is top priority to not take my frustrations out on those who don’t deserve it. Granted, my mood will be different, and they will more thank likely think it’s them, but I’m quick to tell them what I’m upset about, and explain that it’s not them. Most people are understanding of this.

So when it comes down to being sustained emotionally, it’s all about self-control. Having power of your thoughts, actions, and reactions is key to keeping a constant happy. And while over the years, I’ve failed at this, I fully believe that I now have the power to be happy at a consistent rate. I control my own emotions at whatever time, and even when it’s all bearing down on me, I keep them in check, and be sure to handle them respectfully, and not lose functionality in day-to-day tasks.