Grow A Good Mood

Posted 17 Comments by dogear6

This week’s theme for Six Word Friday is “grow” – as in my mantra lately:

Grow a good mood by choice.

I’m having an above average number of grumpy days lately.  It’s for many reasons, but the worst one is “just because”.  Why am I in a bad mood?  Because.  Am I achy? Tired? Hungry? Frustrated?  Nope.  Just because.  Certainly those things contribute, but lately it seems like I’m just grumpy for no particular reason.

What an unexpected find last Saturday – La Petite Tea inside the Williamsburg Antique Mall.

I’ve been working on recognizing this and changing it as an act of my will.  It’s not easy and it’s sure not fun, but I’m much more pleasant to be around and if I smile enough, it does improve my mood.

A few weeks back, an acquaintance at work commented that I couldn’t possibly be in such a good mood all the time.  I laughed and said no, it was a choice.  I was surprised that she was surprised by my answer.  I find being in a cheerier mood helps me feel better, enjoy my life more, and has a direct impact on everyone around me.  I can make people happier just by a few minutes of interaction (this is where I wrote about this last year).

Butternut squash & corn soup with a sangria tea (non-alcoholic with unsweetened fruit juice and black tea).

So the next time you feel grumpy, ask yourself – is this what I want?  Or do I want to improve my mood and enjoy my day?  Or do I choose to grow a good mood?

And a half-sandwich for some protein . . .

Sometimes a great way to improve a bad mood is a change of scenery, a pleasure in an unexpected place.  Last Saturday, my favorite boy toy and I went antiquing in Williamsburg.  We didn’t find much and probably won’t spend time doing it again, but in the course of our day, we found La Petite Tea inside the Williamsburg Antique Mall.  It’s not very big – probably only four tables – but it was cute and the food was excellent.

Dessert can cheer anyone up! Especially blueberry ice cream with a small wedge of chocolate torte. I DID NOT SHARE EITHER.

Thanks to everyone for their patience as I get back to blogging.  I still don’t have a regular schedule.  If you’d rather not be checking to see if I’ve published, sign up to get an E-mail notification when I post something new.  The box is just below the header photo, on the right.

Discouragement Life Lessons Tea Virginia Williamsburg

dogear6 View All →

I am a backyard adventurer, philosopher and observer, recording my life in journals and photographs. Visit my blog at www.livingtheseasons.com.

17 Comments Leave a comment ›

  1. Pingback: Enjoying The Nice Weather « Living The Seasons

  3. Comfort food, oh, yes, helps to grow a good mood and a bigger belly! Just kidding. The pix on this Post are super and the exact same meal on paper plates at a picnic bench would not be the same.

    • You are so right – paper plates would not have done it justice. It’s not the sort of meal you want to eat all the time, but it was a nice treat at that particular moment.

  4. I agree that we have a great deal of choice in the mood we project plus how are truly feel inside. That lunch spot looks lovely, very much like a British Teashop.

    • It does look like a British Teashop. We had one in Omaha and this was very similar.

      I like your summary – thanks for leaving a note.

  5. Beautiful photographs…and grumpy gets grumpy (if you’ll pardon the alliteration :)). I’ve found that when you’re unhappy, it festers like an infection and spreads throughout your body. It’s hard, sometimes, to be happy in the midst of the turmoils and trials in our lives. Life can be pretty harsh. The more I try to spread happy, though, the happier I become. And when the King of Happiness and Joy is inside of you, and your focus is on Him, those infections seem to melt away. Glad you’ve made it out of your doldrums…blessings of happiness and joy (as in- “Joyfully Navigating Life as it Changes”) to you today…

  6. I was told many years ago that ‘you choose to be angry’ when I told her my kids drove me nuts. The same works for being happy. Choose happy, and the more you smile the happier you feel. As you said, sometimes it’s not easy, but trying really hard helps. Love the look of all that food, how can you ben angry with such delicious treats in front of you, especially that dessert! :)

    • Jennifer – those are some good points. It seems some days though like angry chooses me, especially if I’m hormonal or short on sleep. Trying to smile and put on a good face can often change that around, so thanks for reminding me to do that.

      That food and the whole atmosphere there was great! I’d have to try and be angry after that meal, which would be a disappointment to myself and my husband. And that dessert was AWESOME.

  7. Thank you for that reminder that our actions can impact our mood!

    La Petite Tea is my kind of place, too.

    • Thanks Jane – that’s a good point. I was looking more at how just getting out of the house and doing something different makes a difference, but you’re right – the action itself helps so much.

  8. A wonderful post. La Petite Tea looks like my knid of place. The butternut squash & corn soup looks so appealing and I must try some sangria tea sometime. Good a good mood sounds like the way to go! Thanks for sharing.

    • I’m glad you enjoyed it. The sangria tea was a little sweet for me – probably about 2/3 juice. I’d do less if I made it for myself. It was a combination of juices, so experiment away!

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