Dear Friends,

This time of year is hard on most of us. We get in a hurry and our tempers get short. The next thing we know we start yelling and finding fault with everything. Our children walk on eggshells and our husbands hide out in the basement or the garage.

Do you want to know why you can never find anyone to help you; it is because you are hateful. This hatefulness comes out of you in lots of ways. You pout, huff and puff, raise your voice, roll your eyes, make snide remarks, and are disagreeable with everything. You shoot off hateful emails, texts, and make rude comments on Facebook. These are all bad habits that we have picked up from someone in our past. You probably don’t even realize you are doing this.

One time I was told about a little girl eight year old girl who was helping to fold laundry. She grabbed a pair of her father’s underwear. Her mother told her that she would fold those. The little girl put her hands on her hips and proclaimed in a martyred way that she might as well learn how to do it because she would be doing it for the REST of her life. Now where did she hear that?

Our complaining attitudes are rubbing off on our family members. Do you want to give the world another generation of martyrs? I think that it is time to nip this attitude in the bud. I know you are wondering how to do this.

1. Now that you know some of the symptoms of hateful behavior; you can catch yourself.

2. When you feel yourself getting in a hurry. Stop and take several deep breaths to settle yourself.

3. Apologize for your behavior; this will really get their attention and ask for their forgiveness.

4. Ask yourself these questions with the use of this acronym; HALT.  Are you hungry, angry, lonely, tired or thirsty? Take care of yourself. If you don’t who will?

5. Sit down, make a list of 5 things that need doing; and play FlyLady Bingo to get it done. Use your timer.

6. Recommit to doing your morning, afternoon, and evening routines. These will help you create a sense of peace in your home. This peace will help you to stop hateful behavior.

7. Think before you speak. Hear in your mind how those words would feel if you spouted them out of your mouth. This will help you to bite your tongue. You would not want to talked to this way.

8. If you are writing an email, text, or comment. Write it on paper and look at the words. Stop yourself before you hit send.

9. It is as hard to break a bad habit as it is to start a new one. Put reminders up to help you remember your change in attitude. Smiley faces work well for this.

10. Practice putting a smile on your face. Play a game of smiling. You may find your whole family laughing. The act of smiling tells your head that things are OK.

11. Put on happy music and turn off the television, talk radio, unlike all the negative pages on Facebook, and unfriend people who say hateful things. Put on the Hallmark Channel or some wholesome movies.

These steps will help you to curb your bad attitude. When you feel yourself get ready to say harsh words please stop yourself; you set the tone for your home. The Bible teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. In order to love others you have to love yourself first. Please let me love you till you can learn to love yourself.

FlyLady

We have everything you need to keep your home shining! Sometimes we need a little motivation. Our efficient tools give us a jump start! They make a tough job fun. If you make it fun; it will get done!

FlyLady here; Holiday Cruising Missions have started . Go download your free Holiday Control Journal.