finding joy & a change of attitude
this weekend was relaxing & exactly what i hope a weekend to be. luke & i made a sheet fort above our bed for our saturday date night. we ordered in pizza & drank beer while watching ruby sparks (a great film)! our sunday was full of crafting, tidying up for the week ahead & good times with dear friends & family. i even scored that mirror at the thrift along with a few spring dresses. perfect.
even though everything seemed good, i had a hard time this weekend. i was feeling very uncomfortable due to my gluten & dairy intolerance (i.e. pizza on saturday!), but overall i was suffering from a good case of “grumpy pants.” i needed a reset button for my stinky attitude. so, on sunday morning, i tried my best to be thankful & smile. i wasn’t necessarily successful, but i am slowly realizing as i get older (& will continue to realize, i’m sure) that i have much more control over my attitude & joy than maybe i previously thought. oh, it seems so small, but it can have a great impact on our days.
how do you take control of your joy & attitude? i would love to hear your ideas!
love,
natalie
Anonymous | 11th Feb 13
Sometimes you just need a couple of down days. I don't try to adjust my attitude unless it's affecting those around me. You need your high days and your low days. Just sit it out and find ways to move forward. If I'm feeling down, I'll do something that typically is fine – organize my yarn and wool, organize buttons – small things, but time users. If that doesn't work, naps are best 🙂
Denise | 11th Feb 13
I totally agree with the comment above. I don't think we should be expected to be giddy everyday – and naps rule 🙂
Natalie Freeman | 11th Feb 13
thanks for all of your thoughts, ladies! perhaps my thoughts were misunderstood or misrepresented! i often have bad days & sometimes those days are totally ok. this particular weekend was full of a lot of whining, frustration & overall negativity because i wasn't challenging myself to find the good, the joy, the thankfulness that i know is there. it was affecting my husband, too, which is the overall problem. when i am a negative influence on another's day or attitude, i think it's time to check myself, you know? in that way, i find it best to take a walk or simply tell myself, "this has to change. you are responsible for loving your husband & you are not loving when you're whining for no good reason." thanks so much for reading & i hope this all makes sense in one way or another ;)!
Emily | 11th Feb 13
I know what you mean, Nat. I find that the days I'm wearing my grumpy pants are also the days I cannot see past myself. So I get upset when others around me are not also obsessed with my current wants and wishes. As silly as it is, the more I try to do the things I want or the things I think will make me happy the more I fail at being joy filled or thankful. I find the only cure for me is to sit down with my Jesus. I am learning what true repentance is supposed to look like. Selfishness is often the sin I am having to repent of. As the Lord starts to refocus my heart I often start praying for my family around me (who I thought was the cause of my bad mood.) I'm able then to go back to them with a heart of service and love. So many times our eyes are fixed on the wrong things. But God is faithful to restore us every time. I love you, sweet girl! Thanks for your honest thoughts.
Natalie Freeman | 11th Feb 13
emily, thank you for your wise words. i miss talking to you each week. love you, girl!
bridgmanpottery | 11th Feb 13
I have to get outside, even if it is a blah, gray day, the fresh air helps. And seeking gratitude is key for me. Lent begins on Wednesday. As a family we are focusing on two things for the next 40 days: finding something to be grateful for whenever we catch ourselves (or each other) complaining and doing one kind thing for someone else every day. Seems a lot harder and better for you than, say, giving up chocolate.
crystal | 11th Feb 13
I find that being kind to myself and giving myself a break helps durning the rough bits. I would be kind to others I knew were having a hard time~ had to learn to do that for myself. a knitting break,(watch the gauge though ) 🙂 short fresh air walk, sprinkling flower seeds in the garden that will bloom later and make me smile,
hope your week is a better one 🙂
Jennifer @ Her Southern Charm | 11th Feb 13
I give myself a few days to reset. And I make it aware to my husband that I'm going through a funk so he knows I'm a bit upset and probably not thinking in my right frame of mind.
Claire | 11th Feb 13
My "reset" is usually forcing myself to sit and red or taking a hot bath. It can be so difficult to pull yourself up!
Kara @ Unusual Form | 11th Feb 13
I'm not sure how long you have been dealing with gluten intolerance. I've been gluten free for over four years, so if you ever want to talk…
Emily | 11th Feb 13
Me too!
Natalie Freeman | 12th Feb 13
Beautiful pictures to go with a wonderful weekend. Our tent fort was so much fun! We'll definitely have to do that again.
Linn | 12th Feb 13
It really is possible to be in charge of your thoughts and your attitude. First step is to accept that fact, and that isn't easy for a lot of us.
I've had a lot of help from mindfulness training. It's not about putting a smile on your face when you really are sad, but it's about accepting the fact that you feel the way you feel and avoiding to drown in your own feelings.
It's also about not letting minor setbacks, or a simple thing such as the weather, affect you too much.
Like your post!
Jen | 12th Feb 13
There are definitely different degrees of "funk." Sometimes, just saying, "I need to take a break," and going somewhere alone help. Other times, if I'm particularly snippy with my husband, if I can get myself to start finding ways to bless him, as contrary to my mood as that is at the time, that sometimes softens him and rather than being defensive to my mood, he can clearly see the deal and actually help me soften and usually all it takes is a good cry in his arms and that breaks the mood. Or I'll ask him or our children to pray for me, because sometimes I can't find the words myself. I always, always apologize for any ways I may have hurt them during my off mood and thank them for loving me through it. In our family, we all have times when we're the ones asking for prayer and when we're the ones doing the praying. Moms/wives aren't exempt from that.
Stephanie | 13th Feb 13
I just found your blog today and loved your photos so I have been reading and looking for 2 cups of coffee! I was wondering about your coop. Did you guys build it? It's great. My husband and I are looking to build on this spring and I really like yours. Can you tell me a little more about it? kirk(dot)steph(at)gmail
Thanks!