Have you ever noticed how your experience in life is reflected back in the world around you?

I first noticed this when ever I bought a new car, well new to me anyway I find that I am proud of my purchase, it's original and special, and I tend to look after it very well for the first few months.

During this time I notice that everyone else seems to also have a car like mine; something that I had not noticed before.

Where ever I go, I see people with the same car, they seem to be really enjoying it as well, theirs' are shiny and in good order. Gradually my pleasure turns to apathy, and then paranoia.

Everyone elses car is better than mine, they have the better spec, and theirs is newer and they paid less for it. My car then starts to develop problems, and I have to start paying for things to be fixed, the car loses its appeal and just becomes yet another car.

When this happens the other cars I noticed also seem to dissapear.

This concept of noticing things around you that are reflecting your mood, is something I am seeing in all aspects of my life.

If I leave the house in the morning in a bad mood, it seems that everyone I meet is also in a bad mood around me. My journey to work becomes a mission to avoid people who are getting in my way on purpose, who are determined to wind me up, and who are going to "road rage" me regardless of what I do. When I get to work, my boss is pissed off and gives me some sh*t work. I go for a coffee to find that the machine is broken, and my friends aren't being particularly friendly today.

Alternatively; if I am in a good mood, I have a pleasent day where time flys, my work is easy and I make good progress, my journey home is in the sunshine and the roads are clear. People I meet are happy and wave to me, my girlfriend has cooked a great meal for me and we finish the evening with great sex.

This applies more generally in the form of; If I find myself in need, I generally am provided for. If I am stuck, a solution presents itself. If I need to be taught a lesson, a teacher appears. If I am bored I am given time to write something on mind-brain!

Can the world really be reflecting my mood?
Is my mood changing the moods of people around me before I meet them?
Are my needs being met by some divine force?
Is my name Truman, and is this making good TV?

Hrmm I can especially resonate with your experience being in a bad mood... Even to the point of sometimes saying to myself, "Jeze, why is everyone so ornary, what's there problem?", when really this is the question I should be asking myself in that situation...

I have noticed this for some time as well, and have taken it a step further. If I start the day in a bad mood, I can talk myself into a happy one by "putting it on" like a mantle, or mantra, for the day. And always by the end of the day, it has turned out great. There are many cliches already out there, about not wallowing in self pity, put on a happy face, etc., so others must be experiencing this as well. But I know that coming from a crummy past, and now being the happiest I've ever been, we are truly the captain of our own ship. Life doesn't happen to us, we are the ones in charge.
Smiling at someone will cause them to smile back, and I'm sure that giving the finger on the freeway will get you one of those back too.
Just like anything... the proverb goes: What you put out is what will be returned to you.
A little long-winded of me this morning... apologies

~Suzette

I've noticed what you're saying alot Laz.

When i was a kid, we got a pool and a basektball hoop, shortly afterwards i noticed that everybody else with a 5 block radius had one or was getting one installed.

When i was in grade 6, my parents got divorced... suddenly Mrs. Doubtfire came out, i found out about all these other people who'd been divorced or who're now going through divorce.

It's weird because normally you'd think that you'd at least be AWARE of the trend before you buy into it.