There are many things in our daily lives that influence our emotions. These can range anywhere from color to our community, religion, family life, school, clothes, media, music, TV, etc.

We will explain how color can influence our emotions, what colors can do to help improve our emotions, and how our family life plays an important role in our emotional make-up.

We use expressions that use color, such as "green with envy," "feeling blue," "seeing red," "purple passion," "white lies," and "black rage." Color causes definite physical and emotional reactions in people. People who watch a display of unusual colors produced by special effects may experience headaches; tasty food eaten under these conditions appear repulsive and may even bring on sickness.

Feelingss of relaxation or pleasure, tension or irritation, peacefulness or passion are influenced by color. Students who are taught in a mainly red classroom will become irritable. The effect of red could be one reason why so many fast food chains are colored red, yellow or orange; this stimulates the customers, making them hungry yet impatient at the same time. Colors in the blue, green and purple range are "cool, soft colors" and are restful, and soothing for the eye, having a relaxing effect. Warm colors would be defined as a range of red, brown and orange. These colors are used to keep the mind stimulated and alert. Hot colours are yellow, pink, bright orange, and pure red. They create a mood which is cheerful, energetic, exciting, and sociable. The energy from these colors can cause strong reactions.

The importance of family and its influences on our emotions, cannot be underestimated. Our families are the first group of people we come into contact with. Who we are and who we become is shaped by our family. A family works as a system: each member filling a role to suit the family's specific needs. But, the roles that we are given in our family may not necessarily be what we need for our personal growth. The individual needs of the members may be overlooked in an attempt to keep the system working, ensuring its smooth operation.

Parents sometimes impose their needs and wants onto their children, trying to meet their own needs through their children. The result here is a dysfunctional family. Some examples of the roles in a dysfunctional family include:

The Scapegoat: this could be a rebellious child who offers his/her parents a distraction from their problems.

The Hero and Saint: this child could take on the role as a "perfect student" who supplies the family with dignity

The Mascot: this child is cute and funny to relieve tension that may have developed between the parents.

In order to grow into a healthy, well functioning person, we need to have our basic needs met as a child. We need to be in a femily where who we are and what we feel is accepted and valued, and our parents accept and see us as unique and precious.

When our needs are met, we are able to meet our own needs by finding constructive ways to deal with them in our interaction with others in work and play.